This isn't a full blown review, as you can tell by the length of the post. This knife is very similar to the original Mini Grip and so I am cutting the review to the bare bones. I am also not bothering to wait the normal month or so testing period. No need here. I am familiar enough with the bones and the improvements are so obvious, I don't need to wait any longer than I have (a week). While the differences are few, they are tremendously important. Going from a score of 18 or 19 on the scale to a 20 is very tough. Going to that next level--the Perfect 20/20--is even harder. Let's see if Benchmade can do it.

Before I get to the score justification part of the review, let's clear the ground and get to the point. Should you buy the Mini Griptillian 555-1? Yes. Should you upgrade if you already own the 550hg? Yes. Simply put, the 555-1 is one of the best production folders available. All of the great design elements and features of the original are preserved in the 555-1, but the flaws, few as they were, are corrected. But they didn't just fix mistakes, they added features that make the 555-1 a perfect EDC. Finally, though it is hard to detect, especially if you didn't own the 550hg, Benchmade has gone back and made a few fit and finish upgrades that make this knife one of the finest the Butterfly has ever made. In short, buy this knife.

Here is the product page. The knife runs around $170. There are combo edge and straight edge versions (buy the combo edge if you are a dummy). There is obviously a larger version with both blade types as well. The 20CV blade steel is not an option on the Benchmade customized yet, as such there are no handle color variations. Here is a review of the 555-1's big brother. Here is a video of the 555-1. Here is a link to Blade HQ where you can find the 555-1 and all sales benefit the site:

Blade HQ

Finally, here is my review sample, purchased with my own money to keep and fawn over for all time:

Twitter Review Summary: Iteration at its best--a perfect blade.

The upgrades are simple:

1. G10 handles instead of the hollow feeling Grivory scales.

2. A new deep carry, over the top pocket clip.

3. 20CV instead of 154CM

These are the big changes but there are a few subtler ones that make a difference as well.

The tolerances on the Axis lock are the tightest I have ever seen. Nick and Austin have rightfully taking Benchmade to task over on the Modern Neanderthal podcast for the inherent slop in the blade caused by the Axis lock. Even very high end knives like my 940-1 have exhibited this. But this version has none of that. The pivot here is very smooth, the knife pops open with kinetic ease, and yet the blade is still rock solid--no movement whatsoever. Maybe they haven't improved the tolerances at all, but given how much better this one unit is compared to all of the Axis locks I have handled (the original Mini Grip, the Sequel, the Emissary, the Valet, the 940-1, and the 300SN), I would not be shocked if they just dialed everything out a few more decimal places and got the lock dead tight.

The knife also has a flow through design--no backspacer anymore. The standoffs are a gleaming blue and match the eye catching blue liners. It's not just a better design, it is also aesthetically pleasing.

Finally, and though again I am not sure this is a purposeful thing or just luck, but this is the sharpest production knife I have ever had out of the box. Benchmade has traditionally had a hard time with this, falling well behind Spyderco and SOG, for example. But here, the edge is so sharp that it gathered arm hair like a magnet picking up metal shavings--effortless and efficient. Frankly, the edge is as sharp as some of the most proficient customs--Jesse Jarosz would be perfectly content with the edge here.

Running this knife through its paces in a week has been fun. The 20CV steel, which is an American made equivalent of M390 (though it is a touch easier to sharpen), is superb. I think I may have relented a while ago and just conceded that it is the best all around performer out there, it's resistance to tarnish being better than ZDP-189 with only a modicum of lost edge retention. I cut a lot of cherries with this knife in the week I have had it and it did great--slicing with ease, sculpting around the pit like a scalpel, and all the while rejecting anything that looks like stain. I have had CTS-XHP stain with cherries. I have had S30V look a little funky. But nothing here--not a speck. Benchmade claims that 20CV is easier to sharpen than M390. It is, but there is only a modest difference. Anything is welcome on this front as sharpening supersteels is almost a violation of bans on torture.

The clip has also been sublime.

The clip, in addition to be being a better shape, falls on to a smoother spot in the handle, making the entire thing less shreddy and easier to remove from your pocket. It's not a huge difference, but often the margin between good and perfect is a small upgrade. The clip has perfect tension on almost any material. Finally, there are no hotspots at all.

Owning a thumb hole Mini Grip has reminded me of how much I love the blade shape. It's just amazing.

The hump going down into the point creates an aggressive profile, something like the silhouette of a Porsche 911. The curve in the blade gives you good rocking cut abilities and belly. As I mentioned above the Axis lock is great here and the deployment is butter smooth.

One thing that has come up in the community is that "liners" are actually paint. Benchmade's product literature specifically states that they are "layered gray and blue G10." It'd pretty hard to claim that and then just have them be painted. I am not sure either way, but I do know that it has no impact on the blade's performance and painted or not, they look nice, at least for now. I hope the blue interior is actually blue G10 and not blue paint on G10, but if its not I don't really think it matters.

In the end, I lied. I am not going to tally this thing up. No need. It's a 20/20 Perfect. Even the additional weight caused by the G10 and full, but nested liners, is not enough to talk me out of the Perfect label. This knife is just killer. Summer has a new official EDC and it is the 555-1. Go buy it.

Overall Score: 20 out of 20, Perfect.