Rift 950 vs Grip 550 - a little help

TRfromMT

TRfromMT

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Jan 4, 2016
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Hey all,

Looking for a little help deciding on my NEXT benchmade. (I know, "get both...").

I had the Contego 810. At almost 4" it is a lot of knife for a pocket folder. I loved it, but where I live with a 3.5" concealed blade limit, that just felt a little out of bounds. So I am looking for the replacement. I love the modified sheepsfoot blade of the Grip 550 (Mel Pardue version), full size, and the Rift 950 also really catches my eye as a smaller version of the contego.

How does the handle shape of the Rift strike you guys - problem with that little hump at the pinkey finger? Bothersome or just noticeable and you got used to it?

How "fat" are the scales on the Grip. At over 0.6" thick it seems pretty fat for a pocket carry. I know slimmer scales are available.

Just looking for comparison between the two for you guys that have (had) both. What do you prefer and why.

Thanks in advance,
TR
 
I have not owned a 550 but I've handled a few of them owned by others so I have an idea of their ergonomics, I had a 950 as my EDC for a year or so before it sadly disappeared.

The 950 was everything I was hoping the 810 would be, but not only was it more manageable size-wise but felt more polished and mature than the 810; the scales are much smoother and the handle is a more comfortable design. I got used to the handle easily and it ended up being my most-used EDC during the time where I owned 10+ knives trying to find one I liked, I would recommend it to anybody who likes the AXIS lock and wants a solid yet composed knife.

The Griptilian's handles are quite rounded compared to most other Benchmades, but overall they aren't as thick as they seem; they are well rounded so that carry smaller than they feel in-hand. What really makes the 550 a great knife is the hole in the blade rather than thumbstuds, it really is the easiest way to open a blade and with the AXIS lock being so smooth it makes the 550 a breeze to bring into action.

You can't go wrong with either knife, I would personally recommend the Rift but it is definitely larger and heavier than the 550 with similar handle width and a bit more substantial pocket size, although the spine is smooth enough it's easy to ignore it when in the pocket as it does not take up or obstruct the entry to the pocket.
 
I can't say I prefer the Rift...because I've never owned, or even handled, a Griptilian.
I can say that I like the Rift a lot, and still carry it fairly often. In fact, it's one of those knives that when it gets in my pocket, it tends to stay there until I make a conscious decision to carry something else.
 
KingMC said:
You can't go wrong with either knife
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Yup. That said, I've sold the only Rift I ever owned, and still have a 550-1, as well as a 551. The G10 handles on the -1 are appx 1mm thinner than the plastic, but feel (to me) considerably slimmer in-pocket than the plastic handles. If you can swing the extra cash on the -1 knife, the blade steel and handle upgrades are well worth it!

Personal experience with the 950 was always kind of "meh" for me. I find the Grip series knives better for my day-to-day.
 
I own both.
Odds are you will not be disappointed regardless of which one you choose.
My advise is to go with the 550.
You will enjoy it more than the Rift.
More people carry Griptilians than Rifts.
There are more aftermarket parts available for the Griptilian than the rift (though I make custom scales for both).
The 550 will just be more fun than the Rift.
I like and own both.
However, I own one Rift and 10 Griptilians.
:D
 
550-1 griptilian. It's only $10 more than the rift with a upgrade to 20CV blade steel. Doesn't have the plastic sound when it closes compared to the 550 and great ergonomics.
 
I have both. The Rift is fun but a bit funky to handle if your hand doesn't fit the handle just right. The 550-1, OTOH, is a real user. The "-1" versions are slightly thinner than the standard Grips and I like the G10 a little better than the Noryl scales. They also have a little smoother feel to the scales than the standard ones. The "-1" versions are open construction with standoffs. That makes the knife a bit easier to keep clean and it just look good. The 20CV steel in the "-1" Grips has been really good to work with for me. I can maintain it as easily as the 154CM in the Rifts but the 20CV edge seems to last a bit longer.
 
Since you suffer under the same kind of 3.5" blade restriction that I do, I regret to inform you that the Rift has a 3.69" blade. It is by far my favorite knife, but the blade is just a hair longer than 3.5".
 
Thanks, all, for the responses. Im going to go for the Grip. I see the Rift is discontinued, so that alone makes this easy. I'll definitely go for the -1. Not at all a fan of the nylon/FRN handles on other knives, so I do think I'll bother with the 550. 550-1 for the win.
 
TRfromMT said:
Thanks, all, for the responses. Im going to go for the Grip. I see the Rift is discontinued, so that alone makes this easy. I'll definitely go for the -1. Not at all a fan of the nylon/FRN handles on other knives, so I do think I'll bother with the 550. 550-1 for the win.
Click to expand...

Great choice. I really like my 551-1. The large Grips come in at a little under 3.5" so you should be G-T-G there. Be aware that the standard 550s are hollow ground (550HG) while the "-1" versions are flat sabre ground. Makes no difference in my use, just something that some aren't aware of.
 
TRfromMT said:
Thanks, all, for the responses. Im going to go for the Grip. I see the Rift is discontinued, so that alone makes this easy. I'll definitely go for the -1. Not at all a fan of the nylon/FRN handles on other knives, so I do think I'll bother with the 550. 550-1 for the win.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

BTW the 950 Rift isn't discontinued. Where did you see that?
 
I've owned multiple Rifts as well as multiple 550's. The 550 is much better in my opinion. I don't like how large the front guard is on the rift as it makes me feel like my hands are super far away from the cutting edge. I also don't like how tall the blade is from edge to spine. The 550 is just awesome and it works. I still have a 550 but sold all the 950 Rifts.

The pinky bump on the Rift was what bothered me the most. I knew if I kept the knife I would have to grind it down.
 
Benchmade said:
550-1 griptilian. It's only $10 more than the rift with a upgrade to 20CV blade steel. Doesn't have the plastic sound when it closes compared to the 550 and great ergonomics.
Click to expand...

Jimmy for the win! Benchmade Benchmade any chance of seeing the Rift upgraded? I like it but as you mentioned above it's hard to go that route with the price and 154cm.

OP,

The Grip and Rift were my two first Benchmades that I purchased. I got them at the same time and loved the Rift in many ways but the classic lines of the Grip had me wishing it was built like the Rift (g10).
 
bluemetalchurch said:
Jimmy for the win! Benchmade Benchmade any chance of seeing the Rift upgraded? I like it but as you mentioned above it's hard to go that route with the price and 154cm.
Click to expand...

Yeah buddy. I actually did the design work on the -1 Griptilian line. Not likely to see an upgrade to the rift any time soon.
 
This thread put my rift in my pocket, today.
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The handle on the Rift had a odd feel due to shape, for that it was sold very quickly. I currently own 7 Grips.
 
TRfromMT said:
Thanks, all, for the responses. Im going to go for the Grip. I see the Rift is discontinued, so that alone makes this easy. I'll definitely go for the -1. Not at all a fan of the nylon/FRN handles on other knives, so I do think I'll bother with the 550. 550-1 for the win.
Click to expand...

Great choice! the original 550 is a favorite of mine, for both sentimental and practical reasons. The Rift is nice but not quite right for my hands, and I'm sure the 550-1 will serve you well.
 
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