Photographs of Benchmade 550 Griptilian

Benchmade 550 Griptilian

One of our favorite folding knives, the Benchmade 550 Griptilian is very well made, useful and easy to use.This one has been set up to be used with the left hand. This knife weighs just 3.25 ounces so it is very easy to carry every day in a pocket or in a bag. The thumb hole on the back of the blade lets you open it with a flick of the thumb

From the Benchmade Website:

MEL PARDUE- The senior team member, Mel has been grinding sparks, making knives and creating a following for 20-plus years. His style has a class and simplicity all its own. The Pardue collaborations offer great utility to the everyday knife user while at the same time presenting an upscale distinction. Less is definitely more with Mel’s designs.

This well used knife has the belt / pocket clip attached for left handed carry.

With the blade open the Benchmade 550 is a great looking knife. It feels good in the hand and it's rounded shape lends the 550 to being comfortable with various hand holds

The belt / pocket clip is shaped to easily clip onto a pocket or belt.

From the Benchmade Website:

Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. set-up shop in Clackamas, Oregon in 1990 (originally founded in California in 1988). The initial knives primarily consisted of the Bali-Song® knives, using a combination of outside vendors and inside processing to build finished products. And like most companies, starting out meant scarce money and big plans, using second hand equipment and limited resources.

Soon, a natural born fortitude and an undying passion to make it right and make it Benchmade, prospered into significant growth. As the product line grew so did the in-house capabilities. We began to acquire new machines and technologies including the first of several lasers, making Benchmade the first knife manufacturer to have such equipment in-house. Open minds and positive attitudes would lead to several more industry firsts over the course of the next several years.

This was only the beginning of Benchmade's breaking of new ground in the manufactured knife markets by using non-traditional materials and modern manufacturing methods in not only building knives better but, inevitably building better knives. The Designer Series was first introduced in 1991 with several custom designs being manufactured. By tapping into the custom knife makers' knowledge and combining it with our manufacturing expertise we were more readily able to offer more contemporary knife designs and innovations to the knife users.

Consecutive years of aggressive growth led to the next logical step in 1996 when Benchmade moved into its own 35,000 sq. ft. facility. A contemporary styled building complete with all of the modern equipment and amenities necessary to manufacture what has become recognized as a higher standard of specialty cutlery.

Today, Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. manufactures knives for a loyal and ever growing following of knife users. As we move into the 21st century we are poised for even more exciting opportunities, innovations and ongoing total world-class quality. Here at Benchmade we employ a simple philosophy- "Make it cool, make it solid, make it happen and definitely make it Benchmade."