Damned if I can decide.

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Tactical

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Someone convince me to which of these knives to get I've been at it for a week.

1)Syderco Para-Military G-10


2) Benchmade Mini Griptilian



Also, I like Spyderco's Stretch however it appears that it's top secret where it's made and I only care for the workmanship of the knives made in Colorado.





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If you haven't tried the Axis Lock of the Benchmade yet then I'd suggest that you do so. It makes opening and closing easier than any knife I've ever owned.
Slide the lock back and flick.
The mini Griptillian 556 comes with a ambi thumb stud instead of a hole.
The Axis Lock also lets you close it with either hand. Liner locks tend to work better in the right hand.
The Mini Grip also comes in your choice of 440C stainless or D2 tool steel. Both are the same price.
 
i highly recommend you get the paramilitary. the blade is made of much better steel (CPMS30V vs. 440C). the factory edge will be much better and the G10 handles are a lot better than the plastic type handles of the mini-grip. the spyderhole is much easier to use than the chamfered oval on the mini-grip. comparing these knives is a little silly, the mini-grip is good and the paramilitary is great.

p.s. i will say that if you want a particular color (as i did) or the ability to pry things that border on abuse get the mini-grip, otherwise stay with the paramilitary.

p.p.s. the paramilitary is not a liner lock, it is a compression lock.
 
I'm a big fan of any AXIS lock Benchmades. Something to consider, there is a variant of the mini-griptilian that comes in S30V steel also and in both the mini and regular sizes-- Click here to go to the Doug Ritter MkI griptilian.

The Ritters are fabulous cutters, and for some reason, the AXIS locks on them operate smoother than any of my other AXIS BMs. The blades are ground a little thinner than the 440C versions, and are probably a wee bit more delicate than the standard models. I wouldn't use them to pry anything.

Cabelas also offers the grip in D2 steel. for a few bucks more than the 440C. I'm waiting on my miniD2, and hope it fits into my EDC rotation.
 
I have owned many Spydercos and Benchmades knives. I would say that the two companies make some of the best production knives on the market.

That said I really prefer Benchmades over Spydercos. (Before anyone flames me, I carried a Spyderco for 6 years)

The tips of Sypdercos are very fine and have a tendoncy to break off. I have seen 4 tips freak on various models, including one that I owned. One was pure negligence on the part of the owner. The others were from normal use. CPM440V is an awesome but is brittle and chips. I completely destoryed a Spyderco Merlin while cutting a box with 4 layers of cardboard. The knife had to be sent back to Spyderco to have re-serrated. All the teeth were gone after cutting through 16 inches of 4 Layer CARDBOARD. Spyderco's warranty is good but a chuck of metal chipped of my Spyderco Military, I sent that blade back to Spyderco after calling about the turn around time for a blade replacement. They said no problem. Sent it in and they sent it back to me non-repaired. Note stated that they did not have blades in stock!!!!! I called them back and they said they would make it right. So I sent the blade back and the same damn thing happened! At that point, I sold all my Spyderco blades and transitioned all my knives to Benchmade and have not looked back.

The Grip by Benchmade is an awesome knive. The thing will take a beating and just keep going. I dont ever worry about having a Benchmade fail on me either functionally or having warranty issues with the company. I have sent back my 750 knife once a year to have refinished with no problems. All my knives come back in newer condition than they have left.

My money is on Benchmade and the good folks in Oregon!
 
id get a benchmade, but not the mini, get the full size. i had one for about a year before i lost it last week and it was excellent, my cousin who has a spyderco use to always barrow it because when he "abused" his spyderco it let him down. the lock on the benchmade has to be the best design ever, when you are out with the guys you can slide back the lock with your thum and with the mere flick of a wrist you have your blade deployed. when you are out to dinner with the girlfriends parents you can use the thumb stud thing and look like a nice, non violent, indevidual. im 16 and as you all know "kids dont treat anything with respect", i used the hell out of my benchmade and never had a problem. i dont know about benchmades coustomer service but who cares you wont ever need it.
 
Of the two, Id pick the Spyderco. However, if you would consider a little bigger knife, the Benchmade Axis series are really, really nice...
 
I've been carrying a Mini-Grip almost every day for a year or so. It's far and away the most useful folder I've had. BTW, I prefer the mini over the full-sized Grip, since there is less flex in the smaller handle. While the mini feels very solid, the regular Grip feels bigger, but less sturdy. Just a personal preference.

I've got a few Spydercos, and while I like them, the Benchmades seem to be a notch higher in both quality and function.
 
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