Brands to stay away from

[DallasSTB]

Since 99% of my knife purchases are discretionary, the origins and ownership of the brand matter to me. With the vast range of selections to choose from in the market, I choose to spend my money on companies and makers I support. My list of makers and brands to avoid is private and was gained through years of buying, selling, and research. I’d encourage you to continue reading and compiling your own list of favored sources that fit your values. And don’t worry if those opinion change over time. I’ve bought several pieces that I liked only to ditch them later as new information about the makers came to light.
On a purely quality driven selection, you’ll do well to stick with the old adage - you get what you pay for. Excellence isn’t accidental, or (relatively) cheap, and Good reputations are earned. Buy want you like, keep reading and researching, then sell what you don’t like while keeping what you value in both appearance and sourcing.

 

[sgt244]

Strider really? See thats why I'm asking because I've been looking at strider and some of their collaborations and assumed they would be good.
Thank you!!

New striders are solid - id stay away from the old strider stuff from years ago, not that they weren’t good, but the overall fit and finish/tolerances on them aren’t what a $400-600 knife should be (IMO) for instance blade play and lock rock/stick was somewhat common back then on them. - back then prices were less expensive then they are today because many people like the old stuff and since they are harder to come by - people have driven up the prices on them. Making them not worth it (imo)

With that said, any new strider (the blade will be marked “M.Strider”) is SOLID and actually some of my favorite knives...

The quality overall has gone WAY up since years ago and these are on par with just about any knife in their price range if not better. Just about every issue they used to have have been corrected and even aesthetically / fit and finish they both look and feel like they are higher quality. (Imo)

I wouldn’t say there is a company to stay away from, however I had a SOG Aegis years ago that after very little use for EDC fail to lockup. It was an assisted opening blade and after that experience I generally stayed away from autos and assisted openings.

Had to send it in to warranty, which they did along with putting a fresh edge on it for me and had it back to me very quickly. Their customer service was pretty top notch actually.
I wouldn’t say to steer clear of SOG by any means but that’s the only knife over the past 10 years or so that I’ve had such a large issue with that I had no choice but to send it in (and is the only knife I’ve ever sent in to be fixed) , as a complete failure of the locking mechanism isn’t something you can work around or fix yourself haha! This is a big reason why 99% of my collection are manual folders or fixed blades, they have the least amount of moving parts and are easily serviceable at home.

anyway brotha, take care and enjoy the journey that you’ve found yourself on here!

Lastly, don’t take everything people like myself tell you word for word. Sometimes you have to try it for yourself to see if ya like it or not! Opinions and differences between people differ greatly, so something I may like you may not! - take care sir!

 

[sgt244]

Without reading the past 9 pages how’s Medford involved with Strider knives? Just curious.

Recently (for the past few months) Medford and Strider have done a collaboration on one knife in particular,(and have done 3 different variants of this knife over the months). Strider designed a specific knife design and then Medford went ahead and built it in their shop. This caused a lot of controversy because this information was only disclosed a week or two AFTER the sale of said knife. Many people claim that it isn’t a “real” strider since it wasn’t made in the strider shop so people felt as if they bought a Medford as opposed to a strider. They felt “cheated” by strider not having the transparency to tell people the real story behind the knife before the sale and waiting until the knives had been sold and received by the customers.

On top of that issue (transparency of the company) People were also upset because many people don’t like the company / company owner of Medford at all as many have said he acts like a tool and not many people like their knives as they claim they are super big super heavy and can’t cut well at all. - had the collab been with another company I’m sure people would have been upset with strider due to the lack of transparency, but I doubt they’d have been AS upset, since so many people have such a distaste for Medford it just made it worse.

I find it all interesting and do agree before the sale of the knife that information should have been made public. I don’t have much experience with Medford besides talking to them at a show once, and I do have to say the guy who I spoke too (younger guy) forget his name, but he was the nicest and most open and approachable individual at that show. Just how he interacted and treated me at the show made me want to buy a knife , however even though I fondled all the models available I couldn’t find one that worked for me.

enough rambling out of me, take care sir - have a good one!

 

[Boru13]

They felt “cheated” by strider not having the transparency to tell people the real story behind the knife before the sale and waiting until the knives had been sold and received by the customers.

Strider not telling the "real story"... imagine that

 

[Eli Chaps]

Without reading the past 9 pages how’s Medford involved with Strider knives? Just curious.

Medford produced a Strider.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Recently (for the past few months) Medford and Strider have done a collaboration on one knife in particular,(and have done 3 different variants of this knife over the months). Strider designed a specific knife design and then Medford went ahead and built it in their shop. This caused a lot of controversy because this information was only disclosed a week or two AFTER the sale of said knife. Many people claim that it isn’t a “real” strider since it wasn’t made in the strider shop so people felt as if they bought a Medford as opposed to a strider. They felt “cheated” by strider not having the transparency to tell people the real story behind the knife before the sale and waiting until the knives had been sold and received by the customers.

On top of that issue (transparency of the company) People were also upset because many people don’t like the company / company owner of Medford at all as many have said he acts like a tool and not many people like their knives as they claim they are super big super heavy and can’t cut well at all. - had the collab been with another company I’m sure people would have been upset with strider due to the lack of transparency, but I doubt they’d have been AS upset, since so many people have such a distaste for Medford it just made it worse.

I find it all interesting and do agree before the sale of the knife that information should have been made public. I don’t have much experience with Medford besides talking to them at a show once, and I do have to say the guy who I spoke too (younger guy) forget his name, but he was the nicest and most open and approachable individual at that show. Just how he interacted and treated me at the show made me want to buy a knife , however even though I fondled all the models available I couldn’t find one that worked for me.

enough rambling out of me, take care sir - have a good one!

That's a whole lot of words to leave out that Medford touts the vet thing but made a knife for a known stolen valor POS.

 

[sgt244]

That's a whole lot of words to leave out that Medford touts the vet thing but made a knife for a known stolen valor POS.

Do they? I don’t know way too much of anything about Medford I could never get behind their designs!

Thanks for the addition though at least somebody read my post hahaha

take care brotha!

 

[mendezj]

Recently (for the past few months) Medford and Strider have done a collaboration on one knife in particular,(and have done 3 different variants of this knife over the months). Strider designed a specific knife design and then Medford went ahead and built it in their shop. This caused a lot of controversy because this information was only disclosed a week or two AFTER the sale of said knife. Many people claim that it isn’t a “real” strider since it wasn’t made in the strider shop so people felt as if they bought a Medford as opposed to a strider. They felt “cheated” by strider not having the transparency to tell people the real story behind the knife before the sale and waiting until the knives had been sold and received by the customers.

On top of that issue (transparency of the company) People were also upset because many people don’t like the company / company owner of Medford at all as many have said he acts like a tool and not many people like their knives as they claim they are super big super heavy and can’t cut well at all. - had the collab been with another company I’m sure people would have been upset with strider due to the lack of transparency, but I doubt they’d have been AS upset, since so many people have such a distaste for Medford it just made it worse.

I find it all interesting and do agree before the sale of the knife that information should have been made public. I don’t have much experience with Medford besides talking to them at a show once, and I do have to say the guy who I spoke too (younger guy) forget his name, but he was the nicest and most open and approachable individual at that show. Just how he interacted and treated me at the show made me want to buy a knife , however even though I fondled all the models available I couldn’t find one that worked for me.

enough rambling out of me, take care sir - have a good one!

Recently Medford named a worthless looking knife UDT. I think that’s a cheap shot at Microtech.

 

[Chris_Texas]

I had no intention of stirring the pot or anything like that, as I stated in the original post I was just looking for advice. Im again sorry for starting such a big debate and I've learned to be more cautious with what I ask and how, but I wasn't trying to beat a dead horse or upset anyone. Ive learned alot looking at these forums and was just trying to get a little more involved

Anyone bothered by your reasonable question is no one you should care about anyway.

 

[Sonnydaze]

New striders are solid -
With that said, any new strider (the blade will be marked “M.Strider”) is SOLID and actually some of my favorite knives... Opinions and differences between people differ greatly, so something I may like you may not! - take care sir!

SGT244...thanx for your post. I've had past experience with at least five Strider models, and found them quite satisfactory...long before reading of Strider's military "non-experience."
From one vet to another, your opinions are sound, but you may be stoned by one particular forum member (cr-----), who obsessively spreads his venom for anything and anyone "strider." It's not the first time that I've been jumped by him for my opinion of Strider quality.
Surely he has made his point. He is really tiring.
I don't hold with "stolen valor" any more than any other VET, but tend to discount, somewhat, those folks who are just beating the drum... and haven't stepped up personally to support our military.

 

[sgt244]

SGT244...thanx for your post. I've had past experience with at least five Strider models, and found them quite satisfactory. From one vet to another, your opinions are sound, but you may be stoned by certain forum member(s) who fastidiously spread venom for anything and anyone "strider."
I don't hold with "stolen valor" any more than any other VET, but tend to discount, somewhat, those folks who are just beating the drum... and haven't stepped up personally to support our military.

Yes, over the years I have noticed people like to beat up on several brands... but that brand in particular. I do my best to note my observations on the knives themselves, or at least thats why I come to this website, to discuss the tools themselves ... I have carried strider for many years even before I got wind of all the controversy that surrounded them which was only after I had started to get in to knives on a more serious level... But by then it was too late, I had been through so much with my striders and they all held up great, a lot of the time doing things that knives shouldn't do. So for me it was the fact that I had already seen the capabilities of a strider that has kept me carrying a strider all these years later, they have been put to the test (for me at least) and they have passed with flying colors every time. I do see a big difference, a great improvement in the new ones over the old ones, and I recommend anybody looking in to a strider for the first time to try the newer versions stamped M.Strider as I believe they offer way more value for the price than the older stuff. -- I dont like drama, actually I hate it and this forum has been a place I've come to escape all the non-sense of life and come together with other individuals who share a passion for knives. I don't own strider or benefit from more people liking or disliking them, honestly I couldn't care less about what others may think of them, I know that they are well built tools and will serve you well for years and years with minimal upkeep...they have for me, and thats what it really comes down too, the tool itself and getting the job done. Take care brotha and stay safe during these crazy times!

 

[Ante Vukorepa]

If you’re outside the US, stay away from Kershaw.
Actually, stay away from KAI in general.

Their “lifetime warranty” is bullshit, as is their parts order form - if you’re from EU, you’re SOL.

If you try to order a spare part, they’ll tell you they don’t ship parts outside the US.
If you invoke the warranty, they’ll refuse you and tell you to contact your dealer.
When the dealer asks them for a part (i’ve been cc’d on the email convo where they’ve ordered some knives and tacked on my part request), they’ll ignore the part request.

And as far as the part is concerned - it’s the pivot hardware.
It undid itself, fell out and got lost, causing the blade to get scuffed when i tried to open it without noticing the missing pivot.
On a never disassembled knife. Because their threading is crap.

And yes, it’s a cheapo Cryo II that i kept in my glove compartment/trunk as a work mule / beater, but it’s a matter of principle. That’s just shitty customer service. Either support your products in all the markets you distribute them in, or don’t distribute them to those markets.

 

[hhmoore]

FWIW, the Cryo 2 sucks no matter where you are

 

[Ante Vukorepa]

FWIW, the Cryo 2 sucks no matter where you are

I am aware.
Every aspect of it is garbage.

 

[Smiling]

I'm in Croatia (part of EU) and yeah, many US brands are to stay away from, just for the fact they're outrageously expensive here. And we have some really good European brands here, like Viper, Lion Steel, Fallkniven Mora... Some of them do have higher price, but it's justified by build quality, quality of materials and fit and finish and you're getting so much more than from majority of US brands. I doubt there's an US brand except Cold Steel that's still a good buy here. Even CS is more expensive here than in the US, but they are in store here, and you save on shipping costs and will get the knife at the same day so it's acceptable.

 

[craytab]

If you’re outside the US, stay away from Kershaw.
Actually, stay away from KAI in general.

Their “lifetime warranty” is bullshit, as is their parts order form - if you’re from EU, you’re SOL.

If you try to order a spare part, they’ll tell you they don’t ship parts outside the US.
If you invoke the warranty, they’ll refuse you and tell you to contact your dealer.
When the dealer asks them for a part (i’ve been cc’d on the email convo where they’ve ordered some knives and tacked on my part request), they’ll ignore the part request.

And as far as the part is concerned - it’s the pivot hardware.
It undid itself, fell out and got lost, causing the blade to get scuffed when i tried to open it without noticing the missing pivot.
On a never disassembled knife. Because their threading is crap.

And yes, it’s a cheapo Cryo II that i kept in my glove compartment/trunk as a work mule / beater, but it’s a matter of principle. That’s just shitty customer service. Either support your products in all the markets you distribute them in, or don’t distribute them to those markets.

I'm in Croatia (part of EU) and yeah, many US brands are to stay away from, just for the fact they're outrageously expensive here. And we have some really good European brands here, like Viper, Lion Steel, Fallkniven Mora... Some of them do have higher price, but it's justified by build quality, quality of materials and fit and finish and you're getting so much more than from majority of US brands. I doubt there's an US brand except Cold Steel that's still a good buy here. Even CS is more expensive here than in the US, but they are in store here, and you save on shipping costs and will get the knife at the same day so it's acceptable.

I know it sucks for you out of US knife guys, but it doesn't sound like the brands are the issue here.

 

[JokersFaceLifter]

late to the thread, the protech strider is marvelous, as far as strider strider knives go, i read here what's been said about them, its enough for me, but a protech strider is still a protech knife, its protech machining, tolerances, technology, engineering and materials, just influenced by the strider sng knife design, and its as far as id go, strider wise

 

[Smiling]

I know it sucks for you out of US knife guys, but it doesn't sound like the brands are the issue here.

Import tax is to blame... and so on.

 

[Ante Vukorepa]

Even CS is more expensive here than in the US, but they are in store here, and you save on shipping costs and will get the knife at the same day so it's acceptable.

You can get Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, Chris Reeve and some others too in-store in Croatia.
Spyderco is the safest/most abundandt bet, and you can find it in at least 2-3 stores, but you're limited to the most common models (PMs, Delicas, Manix' etc.), and no sprints of course.

Speaking of ZT/KAI...
I *just*, and i swear i'm not making this up, JUST got an email today from the dealer telling me my Kershaw pivot has arrived. This is after a month and a half.

Is someone from PJSWholesale / BA Blades following this thread, maybe?

 

[Smiling]

You can get Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, Chris Reeve and some others too in-store in Croatia.
Spyderco is the safest/most abundandt bet, and you can find it in at least 2-3 stores, but you're limited to the most common models (PMs, Delicas, Manix' etc.), and no sprints of course.

I can get those, but pricing is rather high for my liking, and I simply don't buy folding knives. I simply have no need for one. And they are rather expensive for how fragile they are compared to fixed blades. Also to compare the maintenance and other issues that might come up with moving parts... simply not for me.