Very good, Shrike. Finally an intelligent post.
Not many people can relate with first hand experience. no, my experience was not first hand, but it was within the context of a research paper, and i was interviewing and discussing issues with people who deal with the stress on a daily basis. it was factual info, not jsut war stories. it was based on research papers, and from what I have seen with my ride alongs with LEO's on duty and on calls, etc. Some of the stuff i got to see from an observer standpoint. By second hand, i should have said legit accounts and factual stories, not stuff that was hyped up for the media. I got them first hand from the people actually involved is what i should have said. Sorry.
Sorry, not all of us are blessed to be in Spec Ops. That was my first choice, but then my knees got messed up BIG time in track and field training..lets just say i had trouble walking for a few months and was popping 16 advil a day. Coudlnt do the running snd jumping stuff anymore
But i still managed to compete in nationals and place 12 and 16th in 2 national T&F championships. I know about stress. try coaching yourself for 6 months and competeing against guys whop have had coaches for 4 plus years. Stress, yup. But a diff type. No where near the level of what you guys go thru. I know what stress does to you, and at the spec op level, it is much worse potentially due to the expereiences. I was commenting on stress in general and its affects mixed with alcohol. it is logical to assume that stress by SpecOp people is that much more potent and with a greater risk of harm.
The drinking itself was not a big issue, rather, it was the way in which it was done and the atitude which they did it..behind their table and right in front of everyone, like they were at a bar. they didnt seem to care about how they were acting and it seemed like it was a joke to them. many of the makers were there to sell knives and have a good time, but it seemed that the Strider guys were there to have a good time and to sell blades second. Also, the safety issue was big..sharp pointy objects and drunk people dont mix. it also gave people a potentially bad impression of the company and knifemakers/companies in general. Not everyone there knew who Strider was and what their image is. They saw a bunch of guys with tiger striped blades sitting behind a table drinking. I felt it reflected on Strider poorly, and on the knife community in general. if they wanted to drink, fine...do it away from the table, or at least take the empties off the table or something. Dont make it look like they are a bunch of drunks with knives.
I have heard many things bout Strider, both good and bad, but since i have never looked at any, i wont comment on them. I just wanted to comment on what i saw at the show and my opinion of the actions. the guy asked Pro and con of each, and i feel that how people act in a public place while selling their products can be a pro or con. In this case, to me it was a con, but to others, it may be a pro.
you dont have to like what i said about them and i dont care if you like it or not. i have the right to post what i observed. i was hoping the Strider boys would show up and clarify this for me, but i am still waiting. To me, how the maker acts at a show, expresses himself in email or phone, or here, means a lot to me. i am trying to voice what i saw in case people may not get to a show. I tried to avoid flaming or trolling, or personal insults, and i dunno if i succeeded or not. if not, I apologize.
Owen..
i am really repeating myself here. You have no basis for your complaint. What i said was LEGIT, so deal with it. Do i know the names? no, didnt bother to waste my time. As for the reps, East Coast is a damn big area to cover, especially the NY shows, And the ones in the South. My intention was not to bash strider or their products, simply to relay something I observed happening which I felt people might want to know. As for reflecting bad on me, i doubt it. I stood up for somethign i believed in, admitted when i was wrong, and attempted not to flame or troll, and defended my position with logic.
you, on the other hand, didnt even pay attention to most of the threads here, and obviously coudlnt see any other viewpoint beyond yours, making you very narrow minded and ignorant. Also, you didnt seem to make any sense with your arguments..u bring up stuff i never even said, and tried to put words into my mouth. Im glad you are ignoring me, i was gonna say that i am not even going to bother responding to your posts because you arent paying attention. Win win situation, I ignore you, you ignore me.
