Home / Knives / Benchmade Updates Steel on Standard Griptilian [UPDATED]

Benchmade Updates Steel on Standard Griptilian [UPDATED]

February 25, 2019

[Updated 2/25/19: Added in further commentary from Benchmade on the subject]

Benchmade has given their flagship Griptilian line a steel update. The classic utility/EDC blade is getting switched from 154CM to S30V blade steel.

In speaking to Benchmade the company has indeed confirmed that S30V is the new standard steel for their lineup. Product Manager Hans Albing mentions four considerations in choosing this steel for their go-to material. According to Albing, the four points are:

-First steel developed specifically for cutlery

-Best all-around performance in edge retention, strength, toughness and corrosion resistance.  Other steels tend to give up something in one or more of those 4 categories to improve in another.

-[It is] the first step into the high performance world of Crucible Particle Metallurgy, or powdered metals. This process ensures very even distribution of all the elements in the steel. This improves overall consistency along the edge for the life of the knife.

-Currently it is Benchmade’s ‘baseline’ steel for everyday and outdoor use.

The upgrade comes with a minor bump up in price – just 5 bucks according to the company. The S30V option is available for many popular configurations of the Griptilian and the Mini Grip, including all three different blade shapes.

The upgrade should be a welcome one both for longtime Benchmade fans, who have seen the but older 154CM fall behind a newer generation of steels, as well as for new fans who have never known anything else besides these powder metallurgy options. It also may not come as a surprise, given that for several years all new Benchmade releases have sported S30V or higher steels, including their entry-level offerings like the Bugout and the Freek.

We’ve seen premium Griptilians before, including the well-received G-10 models with their CPM-20CV steel blades. The Ritter RSK, which was first built on the Griptilian/Axis Lock platform, was made from S30V for many years before Hogue took over that project. And sprint runs have cropped up throughout the years with multiple different blade steels, including M390, D2, and even S30V. But this is the first blanket upgrade for the standard, base model Grip line since the knife went from 440C to 154CM back in the good old days.

Knife in Featured image: Benchmade Griptilian

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