[Backstory] Greg Thompson (of SOCP fame) designed the CQB tool at the request of a special mission unit that had gotten into a couple of scuffles where the shit-heads tried to grab knife handles when they saw them on the kit of the barrel chested freedom fighters who were in the process of relieving them of existence. Greg approached Curtis and Mark (both retired Army SF types) at Spartan Blades to make the design. They all came to an agreement and Spartan Blades made the knives. Because Spartan Blades is a smaller, semi-custom shop they couldn't get the price/volume to where Greg wanted it. This and a couple of other (minor) disagreements led to Greg taking his design to Benchmade. As far as I know there is no bad blood on either side. [/Backstory]

I've owned a CQB tool since 2009. Greg (who runs the combatives program where I work) gave me a couple of the SOCP knives (serrated and non-serrated) about two years ago. They are both specialty tools that fill a very specific nitch.

I like to support Spartan Blades (I worked with Curtis a few years back). I own several of their knives and they're all great. If you don't have cash to burn, I don't think you'd be disappointed with the Benchmade product. Either way you go, get the trainer too.