hey everyone David C Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter
today we're going to be taking a look at a classic rivalry Benchmade and Spyderco
are constantly pushing each other to create better knives with high-end
manufacturing and high-end materials two of their core products the benchmade
griptilian and the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 illustrate that
competition perfectly and we're going to be showing you the differences between
these models so you can decide which one is best for you and we've even got a few
surprise options you may not have considered so why these two knives both
are american-made and even though their prices don't completely line up with
each other their general size and intended use and especially their
locking mechanisms make them destined to go head-to-head at the heart of the
Griptilian family is bench maids axis lock this lock bar extends through the handle
and makes for very easy ambidextrous operation the Paramilitary 2 features
Spyderco's compression lock in use this sort of behaves like a liner lock
that's activated from the rear as opposed to the front and it also makes
one-handed operation very simple the thread that ties these locks together
though is that you can open and close the knife without your fingers crossing
the path of the blade making them inherently safer to use than some other
locking mechanisms on the market the base model Griptilians feature 154cm
steel and glass reinforced nylon handles the ergonomics of this knife are stellar
thanks to those gentle curves it works in a variety of hand holds and for a
wide variety of hand sizes as well there's also a lot of variety available
within the griptilian family there's three different blade shapes a drop
point a modified sheeps foot and a tanto
profile and you can get them in either plain edge or a combo edge which is
partially serrated benchmade also deserves credit for putting a lot of
different colors out on the griptilians and i'm not talking just your standard
OD green or coyote handle options there's a lot of bright colors available
including blue yellow orange even pink if that's your thing in an industry
awash with dark colored handle scales those bright colors on the griptilians
are really a breath of fresh air the variety continues with the
higher-end versions of this fantastic knife no longer a stripped down racer
like the base model these new versions feature CPM 20 CV blade steel and the
handles are made from contoured g10 with blue liners and blue anodized standoffs
let's move on to the paramilitary 2 although the base model may be a little
bit pricier you're definitely getting upgraded materials over the base griptilian
starting with g10 handle scales the blade on this model features s30v
steel the handle may not have the same rounded nature as the griptilian but
thanks to this forward finger choil there's even more real estate for larger
hands adding to the versatility is a four position pocket clip and a large
lanyard hole if you prize slicing efficiency you'll appreciate the full
flat grind and the fine tip on this blade unlike the griptilians this is
the only blade shape available but you can get it in a fully serrated edge
which is an option you're not gonna see it all in the griptilian range Spyderco
also produces higher-end versions of the paramilitary 2 rounding it out with both
standard models and sprint runs using the most exotic handle materials and
steels available today if the griptilian and the paramilitary 2 don't
really do it for you we've got another option with some more tactical styling
that we think deserves to be in the same breasts as those other two competitors
the EX03 from Hogue the build quality is impeccable they're made in America
and they have some of the best factory edges in the business and thanks to the
button lock it has what it takes to stand toe-to-toe with the competitors
the blade can be open and closed with the same degree of safety and the
security is enhanced even further by the sliding tab which allows you to lock the
blade open preventing any chance of accidental disengagement from the button
lock flat ground drop point and tanto blade profiles are available in
stonewashed 154cm steel and they're only available in a plain edge but you do
have the option for a three and a half or a four-inch blade offering more reach
than the griptilian or the paramilitary 2 the handle is what really sets the
Hogue apart from its competitors the handle is available in black or matte
brown polymer and is forged in a single piece which creates a very strong
foundation and eliminates the need for extra pieces like screws or a back
spacer oak also offers a higher-end version of this knife but it carries a
different name the EX01 with two piece aluminum orgeat ends the
handle feel and the balance is even better than the base model and you can
really feel the precision that went into the build of these blades the only thing
we have yet to mention are the smaller versions of these knives if you want all
these same great features but in a more pocket-friendly package the benchmade
mini griptilian the Spyderco Para 3 and the Hogue X1 microflip are here to
answer the call the mini griptilians offer the same
blade shapes and handle combinations as the full-size errs including that really
excellent g10 and 20CV combination the pair of three is just a little bit
larger maintaining a fuller grip than the mini grip Tilian and the trade-off
is just a little bit less sharpened edge which can be worth it if you really need
that extra grip space the pair of three is also offered in those upgraded
versions and often mirror the sprint run options that you'll find on the
paramilitary 2 the X1 micro flips takes out its own territory in this matchup
rather than having a base and an upgraded model the x1 micro flip is
priced like a base model but it's outfitted like the high-end version it's
about the same size as the mini griptilian but it features aluminum handle
scales and CPM 154 blade steel there's some key differences between the X1 and
the EX models we showed you earlier most notably is a well executed flipper
the fires the blade out better than a lot of automatics out there there's also
no tanto blade profile available but you can still get that same great drop point
as well as a wornclife blade profile and they're available in both stonewashed or
black coated versions you really can't go wrong with any of the knives we've
shown you today they compete really well with each other but as you can see
there's some subtle differences that might make them better suited to your
needs or preferences if you want a chance to win one of these great knives
make sure to tell us which one's your favorite in the comments below and make
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