Aluminum SMFs on vendor's site

stabby stabington

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Jun 24, 2013
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*****center has a run of aluminum SMFs on the site for $495. They're 20CV, tiger-stripe and lego. My apologies if this sort of post is not allowed. I got an email from the dealer and didn't know that any Strider production folders were being offered.
 
Knifecenter is a supporting dealer but deal spotting is not allowed. Sorry. They can always post in the Dealer For Sale section of the Exchange if they want to.
 
I am not sure I understand the Aluminum. Back in the day Mick would talk about how the G-10 was tough enough to be hit with a hammer and not break.....not sure how well the Aluminum is going to hold up. This is a 500.00 dollar knife and it is made with Aluminum? I have 8 folding Striders....with Aluminum as the new handle material I will not be getting a ninth.
 
I am not sure I understand the Aluminum. Back in the day Mick would talk about how the G-10 was tough enough to be hit with a hammer and not break.....not sure how well the Aluminum is going to hold up. This is a 500.00 dollar knife and it is made with Aluminum? I have 8 folding Striders....with Aluminum as the new handle material I will not be getting a ninth.

Only the front scale is aluminum. The lockside is still ti. Aircraft grade aluminum is actually surprisingly strong and this way you get the lightest weight full metal knife possible, or I believe that’s the idea. A magnesium scale might have been lighter, not sure.
 
I am not sure I understand the Aluminum. Back in the day Mick would talk about how the G-10 was tough enough to be hit with a hammer and not break.....not sure how well the Aluminum is going to hold up. This is a 500.00 dollar knife and it is made with Aluminum? I have 8 folding Striders....with Aluminum as the new handle material I will not be getting a ninth.
I understand the thinking of aluminum being inferior but consider that ar15 receivers and rails are made out of aluminum, as well as extremely durable optic bodies such as aimpoints, other firearm receiver are aluminum as well. I'm not sure how it would compare to g10 used in a knife but aluminum can be very durable if made well. My pistol suppressor baffles are also made out of aluminum.
 
Only the front scale is aluminum. The lockside is still ti. Aircraft grade aluminum is actually surprisingly strong and this way you get the lightest weight full metal knife possible, or I believe that’s the idea. A magnesium scale might have been lighter, not sure.

Isn’t “Aircraft Grade Aluminum” just marketing speak, like “Surgical Stainless Steel” ?
 
I understand the thinking of aluminum being inferior but consider that ar15 receivers and rails are made out of aluminum, as well as extremely durable optic bodies such as aimpoints, other firearm receiver are aluminum as well. I'm not sure how it would compare to g10 used in a knife but aluminum can be very durable if made well. My pistol suppressor baffles are also made out of aluminum.
I'm not saying aluminium isn't strong enough to make a knife out of, apparently you can make a truck out of it.
What I'm saying is that I don't like it. I've had two aluminium knives, gotten rid of both of them. Doesn't feel right.
I would prefer to have the weight. It fits better with my high drag, low speed MO.
 
I'm not saying aluminium isn't strong enough to make a knife out of, apparently you can make a truck out of it.
What I'm saying is that I don't like it. I've had two aluminium knives, gotten rid of both of them. Doesn't feel right.
I would prefer to have the weight. It fits better with my high drag, low speed MO.
Really not something I am looking for either, but I imagine the next batch will be something different. What that is I have no idea.
 
Best not get it wet, though.

Lol! I think it is a magnesium alloy that is nonreactive to water. I have seen a few knives with “magnesium” construction. Otherwise it would bring a whole new meaning to the term “hot spot” when you sweat on the handle and it burst into caustic flames.

Isn’t “Aircraft Grade Aluminum” just marketing speak, like “Surgical Stainless Steel” ?

Lol no, aircraft grade aluminum is a specific set of alloys which are much stronger than other grades of aluminum while maintaining it’s characteristic lightness. I believe there are a few different grades of aircraft aluminum but either way it is very strong when compared to some other aluminum alloys. It’s not just a marketing term, aircraft grade actually signifies a specific alloy of aluminum unlike surgical stainless which specifies nothing other than usually a crappy knife steel.

There are other types of aluminum alloys which give excellent properties for lightness and strength such as Duralumin which was also used in aircraft. Rockstead used to (and I think still does) have knives with handles built lf duralumin.

If you’ve ever handled a strider (especially an smf) with two titanium scales and that titanium backspacer the thing is a friggin brick. Using an aircraft grade aluminum frontscale was likely decided upon so you could get an all metal strider without it being a friggin boat anchor.
 
Lol no, aircraft grade aluminum is a specific set of alloys which are much stronger than other grades of aluminum while maintaining it’s characteristic lightness. I believe there are a few different grades of aircraft aluminum but either way it is very strong when compared to some other aluminum alloys. It’s not just a marketing term, aircraft grade actually signifies a specific alloy of aluminum unlike surgical stainless which specifies nothing other than usually a crappy knife steel.

There are other types of aluminum alloys which give excellent properties for lightness and strength such as Duralumin which was also used in aircraft. Rockstead used to (and I think still does) have knives with handles built lf duralumin.

If you’ve ever handled a strider (especially an smf) with two titanium scales and that titanium backspacer the thing is a friggin brick. Using an aircraft grade aluminum frontscale was likely decided upon so you could get an all metal strider without it being a friggin boat anchor.

Wow , learn something new every day around here!
 
Lol! I think it is a magnesium alloy that is nonreactive to water. I have seen a few knives with “magnesium” construction. Otherwise it would bring a whole new meaning to the term “hot spot” when you sweat on the handle and it burst into caustic flames.



Lol no, aircraft grade aluminum is a specific set of alloys which are much stronger than other grades of aluminum while maintaining it’s characteristic lightness. I believe there are a few different grades of aircraft aluminum but either way it is very strong when compared to some other aluminum alloys. It’s not just a marketing term, aircraft grade actually signifies a specific alloy of aluminum unlike surgical stainless which specifies nothing other than usually a crappy knife steel.

There are other types of aluminum alloys which give excellent properties for lightness and strength such as Duralumin which was also used in aircraft. Rockstead used to (and I think still does) have knives with handles built lf duralumin.

If you’ve ever handled a strider (especially an smf) with two titanium scales and that titanium backspacer the thing is a friggin brick. Using an aircraft grade aluminum frontscale was likely decided upon so you could get an all metal strider without it being a friggin boat anchor.

Absolutely, I’ve got Rigid aluminum pipe wrenches, they’re way lighter than steel and has held up without failure. I’ve also got a trailer hitch in aluminum. I’ve pulled a mini excavator without any problems. I forget what’s it rated for.
Aren’t wheel rims made out of aluminum??
 
I have a bunch of Microtech knives made in aluminum and they feel plenty tough
 
I am not sure I understand the Aluminum. Back in the day Mick would talk about how the G-10 was tough enough to be hit with a hammer and not break.....not sure how well the Aluminum is going to hold up. This is a 500.00 dollar knife and it is made with Aluminum? I have 8 folding Striders....with Aluminum as the new handle material I will not be getting a ninth.
I don't get it either. I'm fine with my spartan pallas in aluminum for $200. At the price these are going for, in an all metal knife, I'd expect ti. Better yet, just do a well milled ti liner and a sculpted g10 scale. Still not worth $500 though.
So, Strider hasn't fully ceased production of their production knives?
Of course not, even though they said they did. They can charge way more for them now. A leopard can't change its spots.
 
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