Well, here I go.
Since it seems that anybody who posts that is pro-Strider has their credibility attacked in several ways, let me begin with this:
I'm not new to BF, don't have a low post count, I haven't come here to stir up anything, since I have been here for years. Nor am I a Strider crony or apologist, yes, I am also a USN member, and very proud to be one, if that bothers some of you, well that's too bad, I personally don't like to prejudge people. You cannot call me a Strider crony or a liar, or claim I am not credible simply because I happen to like Mick and think he makes some excellent knives, to make unfounded claims like that about me, or anyone, is intellectually dishonest, shows prejudice, and reveals an obvious agenda. Like many here, I like Mick, his knives, and I have an opinion about this situation, yet I neither slink, nor slither.
Could Mick have been more tactful, yes, did he initially let his anger get the better of him when he first posted, yeah, I guess he did. Who among us has never said something in anger they later regretted? I'm guessing we all have at one time or another, and guess what, all we can do as imperfect human beings is recognize when we are wrong and apologize, which is what Mick did, and I accept his apology, I have to wonder why some of you have not, and marvel at your perfect self control, it must be nice to never make mistakes, and exist in a Zen-like state 24/7.
Now, a few of the Strider detractors have basically called Strider's knives overpriced and overhyped junk, and one suggested that if you want a real knife, buy one from any number of
true professionals, the obvious implication being that Mick is not, and his knives are junk. It has been suggested that people who are paying $300+ for a simple knife like an SLCC are getting ripped off, and have been brainwashed by the hype, nice to see how little credit you are giving me, and those who actually think Striders are excellent knives, including some pretty elite groups within the US military.
There is a heck of a lot more that determines a knife's value than the sheer cost of the raw materials. There's skill, time spent, how sought after the maker's knives are, and also, what I'd call a sort of artistic expression or vision, particularly in things like grinds, or for forgers the blade's shape, grind and temper line if there is one. While most agree, Strider's knives are geared towards function, I know I'm not the only one who has found incredible beauty and grace in the lines and grinds of some of Mick's custom fixed blades, ever see one of the big Nightmare AJAX's? It is a major piece of work, and to my eyes, gorgeous.
I have some nice knives in my collection, made by some very talented makers, I can only assume these must be some of the
true professionals one poster spoke of, ABS type makers like Fisk, Dean, Bradshaw, Dunn, Fogg, Hanson, Williams, Embretson, Schempp, Hogstrom, Slobodian, Primos, Wheeler, and the list goes on, and then I have some stock removal knives by guys like Kious, Osbourne, Pease, Scott Cook, JW Smith, Dake, Tom Mayo, Carson, Obenauf, Boguszewski and others, and yet, in many ways, despite being fairly picky and anal about F&F,
I find many of the Striders I have owned, for what they are, to be every bit as well made and impressive as knives from the makers I listed above. I am not dumb, or easily taken in by hype, I have learned over the years how to recognize a well made knife, one which yes, looks good, but more importantly, one which functions properly, and many, many knives I have seen, from some very highly regarded makers, were not quite up to my standards, and yet, I continue to be very impressed with many of the knives that have come out of the Strider shop, they truly hold their own against some of the best full custom tac/utility knives I have owned and seen, many of which cost more than Striders.
I have had Strider folders which were
TnT smooth, blades sitting dead center, lockup truly a knife nut's wet dream, wicked, complex grinds, and a uniform, screaming sharp edge, in fact, some of the most functionally perfect knives I own or have owned, are Striders. I really think they are some of the finest knives money can buy, and again, even beyond that, I do find a lot of beauty and "art" in many of the designs, and particularly in those complex and wicked grinds found on Mick's customs, and I don't feel they are one bit out of place in my collection which does tend towards fancier, more expensive knives, and thus, I don't feel they are overpriced.
So, what am I saying here? Just that you might not personally like Striders, you may not find them to your tastes, and you may be unwilling to accept Mick's apology, but there is clearly a lot to admire about these knives and the man who makes them. They are extremely well made, of the best materials, they have complex, sleek and attractive grinds that are very distinctive, and yes, a few knives slip by QC, as is the case with
any custom maker or shop, but when it's one of the good ones, which is most of the time, they are an amazingly good knife and worth every penny you paid.
I don't know exactly what happened here in this case with the SLCC, but I do know Mick apologized and offered to make it right,
what else would you like him to do, bleed onto your keyboard?
So, anyway, here are a few Striders, you may not personally like them, but there is no doubt in my mind, based on my experiences, that they are very well made, and who could argue they aren't visually striking knives as well. Don't like them? Fine, but please don't call them junk, that just tells me you're not very bright.
(Pic belongs to Tendoncutter/Bruno I believe)