The grip and life of the tread are really excellent. Not too soft, but grippy enough, and slow wearing. I've got 1400km on my 2.6"" GRID Butchers, mounted at the front of a 2019 Stumpjumper. Terrain ridden was mostly loose over hard dry dessert terrain with small sharp rocks in some areas. I find this tyre is a better up front, and the tread feels softer and slower to a Purgatory. My GRID tyres have never wept STANS sealant, unlike Specialized Control casings and Maxxis EXO. I would prefer Specialized GRID tyres to Maxxis EXO if 1) Closer to specified width. The 2.6"" tyres are closer to 2.4"" 2) the profile is too rounded on 30mm ID rims. These tyres behave like a narrower tyre and really dig deep into softer ground instead of floating over it. The Butcher with its open channel design leaves a lot to be desired with this very round profile. I would recommend this tyre only on 35mm or wider rims. The tyre washes out very easily on loose over hard ground, which doesn't always allow a rider to lean in far enough to get proper purchase of the side knobs. The Butchers are a blatant copy of the DHF, but I find the latter is better. As a front tyre, I find the tyre deadens the ride a little. I'm not sure if its the sidewall or the rubber or a combination of both. This is either good or bad depending on preference, but I prefer a little more feedback at the handlebars from the trail but all the GRID tyres so far make the ride feel a little dead or muted. When riding this tyre, I tend to ride a slightly lower pressures than I would like, to prioritise cornering grip over loose stuff and also better riding over softer sandy sections.. As a result the tyre becomes squirmy and offers less support. I have more cornering confidence in a 2.35"" 120TPI Maxxis Forekaster than the Butcher, and it also rolls faster to boot. That just shouldn't be the case. I would enjoy this tyre a lot if it weren't for the super round shape and under sized width