- Joined
- Jun 29, 1999
- Messages
- 9,793
Ive been considering purchasing a liner lock for some time, in ATS-34 or 154CM, with titanium liners and G-10 scales. My only experience to date with a liner lock has been an old CS UltraLock, which never grew on me, so it lives in the tool box. While there are quite a number of blades that meet this criteria available, the ones I considered were the Gerber Spectre, which I couldnt find in Edmonton; an Emerson Commander, which goes for around $375CAN or close to $250 US, but only in the serrated version, plus I dont really care for Emersons chisel grind. Then there was the Buck Strider, about $200 Canadian, not a bad price, all things considered.
The Buck/Strider is a collaboration between Buck Knives, one of the oldest American knife manufacturers, and Strider, which bills itself as a maker of high speed tools for hard core individuals. Strider makes very tough knives and other equipment for people who are likely to put them to extreme use (read: abuse). This trend between custom makers and traditional knife firms has been one of the best things to occur in the knife industry in the last decade, IMHO combining new design and materials with lower cost and wider distribution of mass manufacturing.
Both tanto and drop-point Buck/Strider models with 4 blades were available; the smaller mini models were not. (Smaller tactical models appear to be the latest trend.) Tantos are neat and I have a couple but rarely use them, so I chose the drop point, my favourite blade configuration. The drop point is plenty sturdy enough for piercing, if it comes to that. The grey, oxide blast blade is an honest 3/16 thick with very little distal taper until about ¾ before the tip, which is almost centred, just a bit above mid-point of the blade. It has a subtle hollow grind that extends about half way up the 1 ¼ wide blade at the widest point. It bears the Strider logo on the left side and the Bos logo on the right side. As Strider notes, Paul Bos is well known among custom knife makers world wide as a master at the art and science of stainless steel hardening and tempering. Theres a very sturdy thumb stud on the right side, but both sides of the scales are indented and it looks as if you could reverse the stud for lefties. The oxide blast finish supposedly supplies the user with a non-reflective, low-maintenance knife applicable to field use, according to Strider. Its too early to say how it holds up to corrosion, but I dont have a lot of concerns about that in arid central Alberta.
This is a big, hand-filling folder. It measures 5 3/8 long closed, 9 3/16 open, 5/8 wide (the clip at its widest point adds another ¼) and 1 3/8 deep at the pivot, including the protruding back of the blade. The black G-10 grips have about the same texture as a new brick, at least the edges. That was easily amended in about 60 seconds with a piece of fine sandpaper. It will be interesting to see how the virtually indestructible G-10 holds up to regular use, considering how easily the acute edges disappeared with the sandpaper. The titanium/G-10 scales are separated by three spacers, one of which functions as the blade stop. There are thumb grooves on the back of the handle and the rear inch of the blade for better purchase, a nice feature. The lanyard hole goes through both sides of the G-10 scales and titanium liners. The stainless steel clip is very firm. You wont have to worry about this one falling out of your pocket. The stud indent adds to the grip, although it is not as deep as on the Emerson Commander. The open back design makes it easy to clean if it gets gunked up.
Its a big knife for a jeans pocket or a belt. It fits nicely in a vest or jacket pocket, though, and would pack well on a load bearing harness. A carrying case or sheath may be in order, if I can find one big enough.
It came shaving sharp out of the box, with quite an aggressive edge. I dont know if this is typical of ATS-34, this being (blush) my first in that steel, or whether it was the grind. Id call it a real working edge, and it stood up well to an afternoon of lopping off branches and shoots around the yard. Five minutes on a DMT medium and then an ultra-fine hone brought the edge to scary sharp. It was easier to hone than my Fallkniven in VG-10, but the Fallkniven has a convex edge and the Strider an acute bevel, so that may account for some of the difference.
The blade has enough heft to be able to flick it open one-handed. I dont think Ill make that a regular practice as the liner lock then tends to jam tight against the blade. It opens as smooth as butter with just the thumb stud, as easily as my CS Voyagers which have been opened and closed thousands of times. The bushings (bronze phosphor?) make opening the Strider very smooth and the blade shows no evidence of play. IT will be interesting to see how it holds up to thousands of openings.
I have a number of knives in various stainless steels, Frosts (probably Sandvick 12C27), Victorinox (whatever), various Bucks (mostly +10 years old, I dont know what Buck used back then), and VG-10, which comes as close to a good high carbon steel as any stainless Ive owned. This particular ATS-34, according to Strider, is by Hitachi Metals of America, with the following ingredients: Carbon... 1.05%; Chromium... 14.0%; Molybdenum... 4.0%; Silicon... 0.20%; Manganese... 0.40%; Phosphorus... 0.025% and Sulfur... 0.002%. Strider states on their website, As the chemical composition shows, ATS-34 is a high carbon, chromium, molybdenum, rich stainless steel with very low impurities. This steel has both high hardness and toughness providing a hard edge that does not break and maintains excellent edge retention. All ATS-34 blades from Strider Knives undergo an exotic hardening procedure to maximize the potential of this alloy. Strider knives are Bos Treated. The process includes an extremely high-temperature heat treatment, a sub-zero quench (also known as cryogenics), and a proprietary tempering process for maximum toughness. This results in finished products with a hardness of RC 60-61. ATS-34 also has excellent corrosion resistance providing easy maintenance in all environments.
If I had only one knife to take on a wilderness expedition, it would be a fixed blade in high carbon steel, something along the lines of my Marbles Campcraft or Fieldcraft or CS Master Hunter; no folder is going to be as strong as a fixed blade, after all. But if I could, Id take the Strider along as a back-up; I wouldnt hesitate a moment to field dress and skin a moose with the Strider, and if you can find a convenient way to pack a folder of this size, it makes a very handy urban companion. All in all, a most impressive, tactical blade for all seasons.
The Buck/Strider is a collaboration between Buck Knives, one of the oldest American knife manufacturers, and Strider, which bills itself as a maker of high speed tools for hard core individuals. Strider makes very tough knives and other equipment for people who are likely to put them to extreme use (read: abuse). This trend between custom makers and traditional knife firms has been one of the best things to occur in the knife industry in the last decade, IMHO combining new design and materials with lower cost and wider distribution of mass manufacturing.
Both tanto and drop-point Buck/Strider models with 4 blades were available; the smaller mini models were not. (Smaller tactical models appear to be the latest trend.) Tantos are neat and I have a couple but rarely use them, so I chose the drop point, my favourite blade configuration. The drop point is plenty sturdy enough for piercing, if it comes to that. The grey, oxide blast blade is an honest 3/16 thick with very little distal taper until about ¾ before the tip, which is almost centred, just a bit above mid-point of the blade. It has a subtle hollow grind that extends about half way up the 1 ¼ wide blade at the widest point. It bears the Strider logo on the left side and the Bos logo on the right side. As Strider notes, Paul Bos is well known among custom knife makers world wide as a master at the art and science of stainless steel hardening and tempering. Theres a very sturdy thumb stud on the right side, but both sides of the scales are indented and it looks as if you could reverse the stud for lefties. The oxide blast finish supposedly supplies the user with a non-reflective, low-maintenance knife applicable to field use, according to Strider. Its too early to say how it holds up to corrosion, but I dont have a lot of concerns about that in arid central Alberta.
This is a big, hand-filling folder. It measures 5 3/8 long closed, 9 3/16 open, 5/8 wide (the clip at its widest point adds another ¼) and 1 3/8 deep at the pivot, including the protruding back of the blade. The black G-10 grips have about the same texture as a new brick, at least the edges. That was easily amended in about 60 seconds with a piece of fine sandpaper. It will be interesting to see how the virtually indestructible G-10 holds up to regular use, considering how easily the acute edges disappeared with the sandpaper. The titanium/G-10 scales are separated by three spacers, one of which functions as the blade stop. There are thumb grooves on the back of the handle and the rear inch of the blade for better purchase, a nice feature. The lanyard hole goes through both sides of the G-10 scales and titanium liners. The stainless steel clip is very firm. You wont have to worry about this one falling out of your pocket. The stud indent adds to the grip, although it is not as deep as on the Emerson Commander. The open back design makes it easy to clean if it gets gunked up.
Its a big knife for a jeans pocket or a belt. It fits nicely in a vest or jacket pocket, though, and would pack well on a load bearing harness. A carrying case or sheath may be in order, if I can find one big enough.
It came shaving sharp out of the box, with quite an aggressive edge. I dont know if this is typical of ATS-34, this being (blush) my first in that steel, or whether it was the grind. Id call it a real working edge, and it stood up well to an afternoon of lopping off branches and shoots around the yard. Five minutes on a DMT medium and then an ultra-fine hone brought the edge to scary sharp. It was easier to hone than my Fallkniven in VG-10, but the Fallkniven has a convex edge and the Strider an acute bevel, so that may account for some of the difference.
The blade has enough heft to be able to flick it open one-handed. I dont think Ill make that a regular practice as the liner lock then tends to jam tight against the blade. It opens as smooth as butter with just the thumb stud, as easily as my CS Voyagers which have been opened and closed thousands of times. The bushings (bronze phosphor?) make opening the Strider very smooth and the blade shows no evidence of play. IT will be interesting to see how it holds up to thousands of openings.
I have a number of knives in various stainless steels, Frosts (probably Sandvick 12C27), Victorinox (whatever), various Bucks (mostly +10 years old, I dont know what Buck used back then), and VG-10, which comes as close to a good high carbon steel as any stainless Ive owned. This particular ATS-34, according to Strider, is by Hitachi Metals of America, with the following ingredients: Carbon... 1.05%; Chromium... 14.0%; Molybdenum... 4.0%; Silicon... 0.20%; Manganese... 0.40%; Phosphorus... 0.025% and Sulfur... 0.002%. Strider states on their website, As the chemical composition shows, ATS-34 is a high carbon, chromium, molybdenum, rich stainless steel with very low impurities. This steel has both high hardness and toughness providing a hard edge that does not break and maintains excellent edge retention. All ATS-34 blades from Strider Knives undergo an exotic hardening procedure to maximize the potential of this alloy. Strider knives are Bos Treated. The process includes an extremely high-temperature heat treatment, a sub-zero quench (also known as cryogenics), and a proprietary tempering process for maximum toughness. This results in finished products with a hardness of RC 60-61. ATS-34 also has excellent corrosion resistance providing easy maintenance in all environments.
If I had only one knife to take on a wilderness expedition, it would be a fixed blade in high carbon steel, something along the lines of my Marbles Campcraft or Fieldcraft or CS Master Hunter; no folder is going to be as strong as a fixed blade, after all. But if I could, Id take the Strider along as a back-up; I wouldnt hesitate a moment to field dress and skin a moose with the Strider, and if you can find a convenient way to pack a folder of this size, it makes a very handy urban companion. All in all, a most impressive, tactical blade for all seasons.
