Benchmade 950 Rift and 913 Stryker

R

Rubicon63

Joined
Feb 6, 2010
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I am thinking about adding these 2 models to my self defense blade arsenal. The Rift looks like a stout blade and I think the axis lock on it would be near impossible to break. It looks like the tip is nice and thick and would work well for penetrating. I really like the look of the Styker's D2 blade. I am not to thrilled that it is a liner lock and I wish it was an axis lock too. Many people here really seem to believe in their Strykers. I would be afraid the liner lock could get bumped and unlock a self defense situation. Or if you gorilla griped the knife and twisted it might fail there too. Where as the axis lock would not fail in either of these respects. I am about 90% sure on the Rift but on 40% sure on the Stryker. I would like some opinions about the knives themselves as well as on my observations. Thanks for sharing....Also anyone have a 741 yet they look deadly!
 
I owned a 950-1 for a while, gave it to my little brother as a thank you gift.

Awesome design.
 
neither is better than the other when used in a proper manner, they both are designed to do the same thing under the same loads.
 
Regarding the 913 D2 Stryker, I've never had an issue with the
liner lock accidently disengaging during use. The lock bar is well recessed.
Strykers are way underrated, great bang for the buck.

The 913 an Assited Opener, and I don't like AO .
I have heard of this AO accidently firing in a pocket.

Easy enough to remove the AO wing bar, just becomes a smooth manual liner lock.
Flicks open just as fast and a heck of a lot easier to close.
I'm surprised more folks don't try this (removing the AO bar).
As a manual, it is on par with a large CRK Sebenza.
I EDC both.

JMHO -Ron

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Stryker is lighter, flatter, and believe it or not has better ergos in my opinion. I owned both, got rid of the Stryker because I just wanted no more assisted openers. It was one of my favorite knives though.

Whereas the Rift was solid, a bit heavier, easy open, probably the smoothest Axis I've owned. To me it seemed like a fairly big knife even though specs are about the same. The wide blade profile of the Rift thins down nicely and sharpens up great. Not sure why I sold it, just seemed big and I've moved away from 'tactical' knives for now :-)
 
So the only reason you want the knives is for defensive reasons? If so may I suggest a hand gun? Unless you have years of training there is a good chance a knife fight is going to end badly for everyone involved, including you.

The 950 Rift is awesome as a knife. It has a great lock and is my favorite knife. But I use it to cut stuff with. In fact it has a fairly thin blade which is great for cutting. Not sure how good that is for special ops covert deanimation missions.

So, I strongly recommend a handgun for defense and a knife for EDC cutting chores. The Rift works great for cutting stuff and I highly recommend it as a work horse of a knife.
 
No secret mall ninja missions for me. But let's face there are times that a firearm is not an option. Depending on the state you live in and where you go CCW is never 100% whereas carrying a knife is usually legal. A good folding knife could save your life in a horrible situation but I agree training is a must.
 
i would get an emerson knife for SD, the wave feature being the selling point, i have a 913 and i would not trust my life to it. it has had a lot of problems.
 
If you want a dependable knife for general purposes, get the Rift. If you want a knife for self defense, get an Emerson CQC-11, IMO.
 
get emerson or spyderco , ,, Rift - good knife , stryker - never could get used to it blade hard to push out , liner soft with bad lockup , big hole in the back then knife opened makes it uncomfortable to use , ( i will post pics later )
 
Thanks for the info on the stryker. I noticed the big hole in the back too. It seems a couple people have had problems with the lock up. I have 2 710's that I carry now. They have a nice big blade and open super fast but I've been looking at the Emerson knives and they look pretty sweet.
 
here is pic.
793589412_tF9y6-XL.jpg

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also , g10 thin and doesnt llok as nice as Spyderco or Emerson
btw, 710 great knife , love mine !!!
 
I own them both. The Rift is far superior. Don't get me wrong. The Styker is a great knife that I carried for years. I retired it and still value it as one of my favorite knives. Great feel and can handle heavy use. The Rift is a larger knife and the blade is uniquely designed. The steels are the same so to speak ( I have the 154CM in both) , but the AXIS lock is much stronger then the lock liner. If you want my opinion go with the Rift.
 
I ordered 2 Emerson Super CQC-8's today with the plain edge and satin finish. Thanks for the advice....they were hard to find but Knife Center had them in stock.
 
Rubicon63 said:
I ordered 2 Emerson Super CQC-8's today with the plain edge and satin finish. Thanks for the advice....they were hard to find but Knife Center had them in stock.
Click to expand...

a good choice IMO, that is a serious knife; much bigger than a rift or 913 though.
 
Never been an Emerson fan, but I love the #8 Banana!!:thumbup::D Looks like you got a couple of nice one's there. Are you planning to carry both or is one just a backup?
 
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