Fixed Griptilian Discontinued

When it comes to stainless steel fixed blades knives, Benchmade's excellent fixed Griptilian 151 is one of my favorites. It is the right size, shape, weight, and steel for a knife that can do anything short of stupid. That's why when I suggested one for Alan over at Snarkybytes, he reported to me that the Benchmade had been discontinued and further research shows that it has been for at least a year. I find it very depressing that either Benchmade felt that it wasn't selling and that people have and will be missing out on a great blade that worked so well for food prep, smaller woods work, EDC, and defense. The size, weight, sharpness, construction, blade steel, weight, grip, and price were all excellent. The sheath was really the only really weak point of this design. While, well made and mostly functional, it was secured to the belt only by a malice clip. I HATE malice clips. Also, it could be hard to get a finger under the grip for a good hold while drawing. A decent kydex CCW sheath rig would have worked rather nicely and really shouldn't have costed that much more.