- Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556 · Drop Point2.91″ blade · 0.1″ spine · 2.83 oz · ~0.94″ tall
Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556
The Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556 is a 2.91" drop point folder in CPM-S30V, full flat ground. The handle is Noryl GTX, secured by an AXIS lock. At 2.83 oz it sits 19th-lightest of the 61 EDC folders here, where the median is 3.2 oz.
- Blade
- 2.91″
- Weight
- 2.83 oz
- Steel
- CPM-S30V
- Price band
- Premium
Everyday carry in pocket-knife-restricted areas
We may earn a commission. Price and availability on Amazon’s site may differ.
Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against benchmade.com, knifeworks.
- Blade length
- 2.91″
- Spine thickness
- 0.1″
- Blade shape
- Drop Point
- Grind
- Full Flat
- Steel
- CPM-S30V
- Overall length
- 6.78″
- Closed length
- 3.87″
- Weight
- 2.83 oz
- Lock
- AXIS
- Deployment
- Manual
- Handle material
- Noryl GTX
- Country of origin
- USA
Why a drop point
The default hunting and EDC shape, and the safest general answer. The spine curves down to the tip in a convex line, which keeps the point low and strong and leaves plenty of belly for skinning. It is hard to make a drop point bad at anything.
Every drop point here →About CPM-S30V
The long-time American benchmark. Holds an edge far longer than 420HC and still sharpens on ordinary stones. Chippy if you pry with it.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All CPM-S30V knives
What owners say
Drawn from 540 owner discussions of the Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556 since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- Holds up for well over a decade: one owner carried the same Mini Grip daily for over 15 years and says it looks new apart from clip wear, a cable installer used theirs daily at work for 11-plus years, and another has field dressed deer with theirs over fifteen years.
- Hardness tests put its S30V near 59 HRC: one tester recorded 59.9 HRC on a Mini Griptilian in CPM-S30V and 58.6 HRC on a DLC-coated one.
- Comes sharp out of the box for one new owner, who says their first Mini Grip came sharper than some of their other Benchmades.
- Warranty and LifeSharp follow through. One owner's LifeSharp trip cost $4.68 in shipping and came back in about two weeks sharp with the lock tightened, another had a broken omega spring fixed free, and a 20-year-old serrated one came back with a new S30V blade.
- Compact all-rounder: one owner uses theirs for fruit at breakfast, packages, rubber hose and cleaning a fish, and another bought a used one as a beater and is happy with the size.
- Huge aftermarket support. Owners fit AWT aluminum and Flytanium scales, deep carry clips and custom hardware, and one says new aluminum scales made it feel like a new knife.
- Fair price for what it is: one owner paid $104 in 2024 after a discount and gift card, and another who paid $105 for the sheepsfoot sibling called it competitive for a knife with liners and good ergonomics.
What owners flag
- Side-to-side blade play shows up. One owner sent theirs to Benchmade three times without a fix and only reduced the play by swapping in aftermarket scales, and another's blade wobbles and shifts center unless the pivot is too tight to open one-handed.
- The handle is too small for some: two people say the Mini Grip handle is too small for them, one because they cannot get a four-finger grip on it and the other because it is not comfortable.
- Feels dated next to newer rivals to some owners. One who had carried a custom Mini Grip since 2016 tried a current one while hunting for a replacement and found it dated and outclassed, another says their Manix 2 makes their Benchmades, the Mini Grip included, feel like a Walmart special, and another found their new 940 much higher quality.
- Omega springs can break: one owner had a spring fail and repaired under warranty, and another found both springs broken on a used one.
- Scale swaps are fiddly. One owner found all three factory body screws overtightened beyond removal with heat and the right bit, another says the pivot reassembly is tricky, and another lost the knife's zero-play setting after swapping scales back.
- Axis lock sticks now and then on one new owner's knife.
Fifteen years is how long two owners have had theirs: one carried the same Mini Grip daily and says it looks new apart from clip wear, and the other has field dressed deer with theirs. A cable installer used theirs daily for 11-plus years on cable strands and concrete bags, and another owner's goes from breakfast fruit to packages to yard work. At 2.91 inches and 2.83 oz it is a small Axis folder that owners carry as a working knife.
Factory S30V on this model tested at 59.9 HRC in one hardness test, and one new owner says theirs came sharper than some of their other Benchmades. The weak spots are mechanical: side-to-side blade play that one owner could not get fixed in three warranty trips, omega springs that two owners saw break, a lock that sticks on one new knife, and overtightened screws that make scale swaps a chore. Benchmade's LifeSharp and warranty service get good reports, including a free spring repair and a replacement S30V blade.
Bugout, 940, Mini Adira and Spyderco's Manix 2 are the knives owners move to or compare it with. One owner found their new 940 much higher quality, one found a current Mini Grip dated next to the Mini Adira they settled on, one found the Bugout phenomenal and doubts they will use their Mini Grip again, and another switched from a Bugout to the Mini Grip family and loves it. Its short handle is the other dividing line: two people find it too small for a comfortable grip.
How hard is the S30V on the Mini Griptilian?
One tester's hardness testing measured a Mini Griptilian in CPM-S30V at 59.9 HRC and a DLC-coated one at 58.6 HRC.
How do I fix side-to-side blade play?
One owner tightened and loosened every screw, replaced the pivot, the Axis pin and the washers, and sent the knife to Benchmade three times. They finally found the OEM scales were pushing the blade against one liner; aftermarket scales reduced the play but did not remove it. Another got a new one to drop shut with minimal play after many hours of flicking to break it in.
What does Benchmade's LifeSharp or warranty actually do?
One owner paid $4.68 to ship theirs in and got it back in about two weeks cleaned, sharpened and with the lock tightened. Another had a broken omega spring repaired free, and an owner whose old 154CM serrated blade was worn out received a new S30V blade.
Is the handle big enough?
Two people say it is too small for them. One cannot get a four-finger grip on it and carries a Mini Presidio 2 that gives them one, and the other finds the handle too small to be comfortable and likes that their Salt 2 is a little larger. Another owner uses theirs for everything from breakfast fruit to cleaning a fish.
Should I get a Mini Grip, a Bugout or a 940?
Owners split. One who disliked the Bugout switched to the Mini Grip family and loves the liners and ergonomics, another found the Bugout phenomenal and expects to retire their Mini Grip, and another was surprised by how much better finished their 940 was.
Are aftermarket scales a hassle to fit?
They are popular, but owners warn about the install. One found all three factory body screws overtightened past what heat and the right bit could free, another says the pivot is tricky to reassemble, and another could not get back to zero blade play after swapping scales.
Features
- AXIS lock
- Full Flat grind
- Made in USA
- Stainless blade
Compare the 556
Related knives
More from Benchmade →
