Are striders/hinderers worth the money?

I had a Sebenza and it's one of the finest folders ever designed, imo. So is the SnG.
But, I prefer the appeal of the Strider, as I do an Emerson knife. The Fit is how well the knife fits my hand and Finish is how well the knife will cut. I EDC a Commander because the Emerson Edge just makes sense to me.
rolf
 
Strider is worth the money. My SnG is excellent. Hinder is worth it only if you get them for the actual suggested price of $385. The intentionally inflated secondary prices make Hinder knives a rip off.
 
I wish I could show more knife enthusiasts my SnG CC. It's about as perfect a knife as I have ever owned. It shares time with my top 3 EDCs in the Sebenza & Native 5. I traded a small Sebenza & a P2 for my first SnG DGG and then traded the DGG straight up for the CC. I would buy an XM18, but being a 20 year Retired Marine does not qualify me for one at what I believe to be a fair price. I lose interest for the knife at the $600+ price tag. Absolutely no knock on the knives, but there is a point of diminishing return as I am not a collector and like to really use my knives.

Maybe I am wrong, but from what I have seen on these forums over the years, price does seem to hold many back from using their Hinderers as where there are quite a few scratched to heck Striders out there. I totally get it for those that collect or those that are pretty sure they are going to be trading/selling the knife eventually due to our crazy acquisition disorder! Some of the most highly regarded "Hard Use" knives are the very expensive knives that are not nearly used as hard as some of the $100 staples of the hobby. Is there a prestige factor - oh yeah.
 
Buy then decide if it was worth it to you! Part of this hobby is buy and try and is completely subjective.
 
Benwon5 said:
Buy then decide if it was worth it to you! Part of this hobby is buy and try and is completely subjective.
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I agree with the "buy and try". Most of the time you won't take any loss at all just to check a knife out, no matter how much you pay for it.
 
What about the MSCs? Are those of any higher quality (lock, blade action, etc.) than the standard Midtechs? Are the MSC worth double or triple the price for an all titanium version?
 
RemyKaze said:
Why can't you have a fixed blade the same size as a folder in pocket? Is there some kind of rule that allows folders but not fixed blade EDC's?
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I got a chuckle out of this comment. California's knife laws are actually pretty liberal compared to some other states but we do have a rule prohibiting the carrying a fixed blade (including a locked-open folder) in a pocket.
 
jbass said:
I got a chuckle out of this comment. California's knife laws are actually pretty liberal compared to some other states but we do have a rule prohibiting the carrying a fixed blade (including a locked-open folder) in a pocket.
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That is so odd, considering the knife laws in many European countries by which certain or all locking folders are nixed, while no one bats an eye at fixed blades. Of course, California has some of the craziest rules about knives that I've ever seen.
 
Usagee said:
What about the MSCs? Are those of any higher quality (lock, blade action, etc.) than the standard Midtechs? Are the MSC worth double or triple the price for an all titanium version?
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They are higher quality because they are hand made by Mick. I don't believe the lock isn't any more or less secure. Are they worth the extra money? That depends on what you want out of the knife. Do you want something super tough and functional that was made to be used? Or would you rather have something a little less tough but looks amazing, is hand made, and made of premium materials. Be advised that the warranty on the MSC's is not the same as the production Striders, it's not "no questions asked".
 
Are they worth the money? Well, they keep selling so I would say yes, they are to A LOT of people.

I've handled some Striders and can't stand the ergos. Not to mention how little blade you're actually getting in such a large package.

The Hinderer looks like it would feel more comfortable, but I'll never know as I sure as hell won't pay $600 to try one.

Oh well, to each his own.
 
My own stance is no and no. One, I won't ever give Strider a dime of my money*, and while I love Hinderer designs, like Grownstar, I won't be paying scalper scumbag markups for one. And anyway, with the release of the 0562s, there is literally no reason to buy a Hinderer unless you're one of those collectors who has to have the real thing, not that there's anything wrong with that.

This is my stance only, so it's worth what you paid for it.










*Don't need to go into why, it should be pretty apparent.
 
Quiet said:
And anyway, with the release of the 0562s, there is literally no reason to buy a Hinderer unless you're one of those collectors who has to have the real thing, not that there's anything wrong with that.
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Thank you for bringing this up. I failed to mention the fact that the ZT/Hinderer collabs give you materials and build quality that should rival a real XM at a fraction of the cost.
 
grownstar said:
Thank you for bringing this up. I failed to mention the fact that the ZT/Hinderer collabs give you materials and build quality that should rival a real XM at a fraction of the cost.
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I'm a huge Hinderer fanboy, and in all honesty I have to agree. I handled the G10 and CF versions of the 0562 and they are very close to the real deal minus the spanto grind. I'm fortunate enough to get them direct but I have paid aftermarket prices for a Wharncliffe model. I prefer a real Hinderer purely on aesthetics to the ZT models, but if value is what you are looking for and aren't able to buy direct, you aren't missing much getting a ZT.
 
Silvanus said:
I'm a huge Hinderer fanboy, and in all honesty I have to agree. I handled the G10 and CF versions of the 0562 and they are very close to the real deal minus the spanto grind. I'm fortunate enough to get them direct but I have paid aftermarket prices for a Wharncliffe model. I prefer a real Hinderer purely on aesthetics to the ZT models, but if value is what you are looking for and aren't able to buy direct, you aren't missing much getting a ZT.
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Silvanus, I appreciate your thoughtful and genuine feedback. :thumbup:

Thanks for the insight, man.
 
RemyKaze said:
That is so odd, considering the knife laws in many European countries by which certain or all locking folders are nixed, while no one bats an eye at fixed blades. Of course, California has some of the craziest rules about knives that I've ever seen.
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the laws here are pretty reasonable. Compared to NYC.

I'm used to using mostly fixed blades and only recently got a loneowlf landslide after doing some research into strider and hinderer knives. Yea, I know. No comparison, but it's nice to have a cheap light weight decent knife I can carry around here in the city or out in the backounrty while hiking. Having handled and used both, and they are indeed spectacular knives, just didn't offer what I was looking for specifically. I decided to wait on a custom more culinary friendly design in the next few months. $40 40020, and the rest can go to a maker now or supplies to make one if I'm feeling brave, but my experiences are certainly going to vary from others.
 
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Usagee said:
What about the MSCs? Are those of any higher quality (lock, blade action, etc.) than the standard Midtechs? Are the MSC worth double or triple the price for an all titanium version?
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I recently got my first MSC, an SnG from G6 and I have to say it is worth the money. Didn't even have to pay double the price of an all Ti, but I did get a plain jane MSC and not one with a Nightmare grind. In terms of pure material, it is not worth the price increase, but in terms of quality and in using, I would gladly pay double what I did for it. It is smoother than either my SMF or PT and locks up solidly, maybe a little bit better than the SMF but it's so small an increase it might jsut be my imagination.

The coating on it is amazing as well, it's seen a ton of yardwork, cutting up rose bushes, dead brambles and briars, and after I wipe it down it looks just as it did when I bought it. Everytime I think I've scratched it, it turns out to just be residue from what I cut and wipes off.
 
Personally I don't think hinderers are worth even 385. There's nothing special about s35vn and titanium handles with a g10 scale anymore. The fit and finish of a zt or spyderco is as good as the hinderer. The hinderers used to be handmade but they're simply production knives now and their customer service sucks because of Rob Orlando. Striders are comfortable but they're not really worth the price. Neither are Chris Reeves knives.

For 385 you should be getting something special from a production company. Not just s35vn and some titanium with cnc machined parts sold as "midtech.". Especially when there's not really anything "midtech"about them anymore. They're straight production knives. You want midtech for about 400? Try a southard avo. There's a special knife with the maker's hands all over it for a good cost.
 
I would go with a sebenza.....at the point I need a knife built like a tank I'd be using a fixed blade and the price well for the price I could get a busse,handgun. Ect. And the sebenza is a classic and can go from the field to an upscale affair with no problem.
 
I owned a large XM18 for about 6 months. Very poor detent resulted in two pocket cuts so I let it go with the disclaimer that the new owner would need to send it back for repair. Sold the first day for $550. So, while personally don't think they are worth the money there are many that do.
 
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