can't decide between Buck 880 Strider or BM 710d2

harkamus

harkamus

Joined
Apr 23, 2007
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Help me decide. I know the pros of the 710d2, but I haven't talked with anyone that has had or has handled a Buck 880 Strider.
 
rookie4real said:
Buck 880 is MUCH bigger and havier folder than BM 710. 710's Axis lock is better in my opinion than frame lock on 880. Blade profile of 710 is also a better cutter/slicer than thick blade of 880. Here is a link to a top view of both knives http://zknives.com/cpg14/displayimage.php?album=37&pos=21
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What he said. I am quite fond of my 880SP, but the Benchmade is a more practical knife, all things considered. If you are looking for a pocket chopper, then the 880SP may be for you.
 
imho a 880 is too big for edc in a pocket, and yes i have one, FWIW they really arent very much like any real strider either, they have some which are kinda like a SnG but its not the 880.

if ya are gonna carry it in your pocket vs in a sheath i would go with the BM 710.
 
The 880 is a chunky knife, I worked on one for a friend not too long ago
and it was a bit more knife than I would personaly want to carry.
If you do actually want a big folder then its worth a look but for EDC its a bit much IMO.
 
The 880 is a inerlock, not a framelock. Very thick liners, though. It's a brick but cuts pretty well for such a big knife. I found it wasn't too big to carry in the woods, but it wouldn't work in dress clothes.


The 710 is the only BM I still have. I'm just not fond of the axis lock, not even considering it can be classified as a gravity knife. But aside from the lock, the 710 is a beautifully designed knife, with a superior blade shape.
 
SIFU1A said:
imho a 880 [ ... ] FWIW they really arent very much like any real strider either,
Click to expand...

Actually, although the 880 was supposed to be a Buck version of the AR, the design is more like the Sebenza, even to the blade shape.
 
I'm gonna go along with the others and recommend a 710 in either D2 or 154CM if you're looking for pocket/EDC carry. I've handled the 880, I have the smaller 881, and even the 881 is a bit much for EDC carry for me. The 881 is a good knife as far as construction and a solid lock go, but I don't do anything where that kind of knife design would be a good choice for me.

OTOH, even though I don't carry one, a 710 could handle about anything I'd ever run into in my world from home to work to woods. I don't carry one because I don't particularly like spring-activated locks on a folder. It's one more thing that could fail even though I've never actually had one fail. I'm simple-minded... and I like my knives the same way :D.

HTH
 
I also vote for the 710D2, and the axis lock is the best knife lock I have come across in my whole collection. My 710 was one of the first knives I purchased (because of a thread much like this one). Once you get it in your hand, you realize what a really nice knife feels like.


dalefuller said:
I don't carry one because I don't particularly like spring-activated locks on a folder. It's one more thing that could fail even though I've never actually had one fail. I'm simple-minded... and I like my knives the same way :D.HTH
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What locks aren't spring activated? Axis, lockback, slipjoint, linerlock, framelock, ball lock, nak-lok, compression lock, automatic lock button.. all use springs. The only locks I can think of that don't use a spring are the twist lock on Opinels. Not trying to change the subject, I'm just saying that you must rely on a spring if you want a lock to engage when you open the knife.
 
id go for the buck

ats-34 heat treated by paul bos

Ti frame/liner lock covered with gorgeous grippy g-10 a good solid chunk of blade,

and of course rock solid design by the strider team :D

im not a fan of the axis mechanism as the lock has failed to engage on me, and i have read about numerous spring failures, i have agriptillian that i now use to scrape things and as a fferro rod striker its the last axis knife ill ever buy.
 
Different strokes for different folks...

After trying a bunch of the various lock designs, all I really care to use any more is an AXIS lock. I'm not too worried about a spring breaking, and if one does I will get some piano wire and a pair of needle nose pliers and make a new one. Although there are maybe 20 people who have reported a problem out of how many thousands of knives? I can live with that.

I can't comment on the buck so I guess I would have to say 710, although there are a few models I would pick before it (950 and 14205 are my current favs).
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Actually, although the 880 was supposed to be a Buck version of the AR, the design is more like the Sebenza, even to the blade shape.
Click to expand...

yep, i agree, i didnt know much about the striders back when i got the 880 and was expecting a buck GB i suppose and i was pretty disappointed, also when i got the 880 it was just coming out and not many pics, like i said i was hoping it was like an AR or GB, its not like any strider i dont think.
 
omega springs breaking in an axis is not a common occurence FWIW, imho the axis is a better lock than the buck 880's liner lock though its not bad either.

the grippy G10 handle also has a lotta hot spots on it due to the boxy square shape of the handle, i skinned a deer with the spear point version of the 880 back in '01 or so and while it worked ok gloves were a must have due to said hot spots on the handle, give me a buck 110 for that anyday and 2X on sunday lol.
 
michaelmcgo said:
What locks aren't spring activated? Axis, lockback, slipjoint, linerlock, framelock, ball lock, nak-lok, compression lock, automatic lock button.. all use springs. The only locks I can think of that don't use a spring are the twist lock on Opinels. Not trying to change the subject, I'm just saying that you must rely on a spring if you want a lock to engage when you open the knife.
Click to expand...

You must rely on a piece of metal under tension, but not necessarily on a separate spring. Frame locks, comp locks, and liner locks use a system that doesn't rely on a separate spring to activate them. Backlocks work because of a comparatively thick piece of metal that is under tension.

My feeling is that using separate small springs to activate locks is something that makes those locks more complex and that more complex systems have more opportunities for failure. If I can get the same results with a simple system as with a more complex one, I'll take the simple one every time.
 
I've had a few 880SP's, both old and new models, and the one thing that standsout in my mind was the inconsitinacy of the liner lock. It is a thick piece of titanium at about .100" thick. On the new model the lock side is hardened. Another problem I had was the location of the pocket clip as it allowed more knife to stick out of the pocket than I was comfortable with. Besides these two complaints I like everything else about this knife and would love to get another now just to "pimp-up"!! Oh yeah, I imagine the BM710 would be a more practical knife.
 
dalefuller said:
You must rely on a piece of metal under tension, but not necessarily on a separate spring. Frame locks, comp locks, and liner locks use a system that doesn't rely on a separate spring to activate them. Backlocks work because of a comparatively thick piece of metal that is under tension.

My feeling is that using separate small springs to activate locks is something that makes those locks more complex and that more complex systems have more opportunities for failure. If I can get the same results with a simple system as with a more complex one, I'll take the simple one every time.
Click to expand...

But you don't get the same results with a simpler system. The axis lock is completely ambidextrous and can easily be flicked open and closed without your finger ever getting in the way of the blade. And while it is more complex than others, it's safer because both springs have to break before the lock is ineffective.
 
True overall, but I'm only giving my opinion on which I would recommend. I'm right handed so I don't care about the knife being ambi even though I agree that's an advantage in some cases. I don't flick my knives open or closed so that's not an advantage for me. And I move my thumb out of the way before I close the blade completely (which I learned to do the hard way), so that, too, is no concern to me. So for my use, I get the same results with a simpler system, and I'm the only one that I can speak for.

Even if it did require some adjustment on my part, I'd still go for simple over complex. I see simplicity as a big part of reliability and reliability is a very heavily weighted factor in which tool (not just knife) I buy and use.
 
mongomondo said:
But you don't get the same results with a simpler system. The axis lock is completely ambidextrous and can easily be flicked open and closed without your finger ever getting in the way of the blade. And while it is more complex than others, it's safer because both springs have to break before the lock is ineffective.
Click to expand...

all true, and even if both springs are broken the lock will still engage and lock just fine if ya engage it manually FWIW.

imho the axis is the top lock being made right now, followed by the frame and compression tied for #2.

and irregardless of simplicity or anything else its also one of the strongest locks if not the strongest.

since the axis came out i bet no more than 5 or 6 folks on BF have posted of even one spring breaking, IIRC 1 (one) had both break, for all the problems ya see with other lock systems i would say that aint too shabby. now of course i mean they had the thing break not "well i heard my cousins aunt had one break" they personalyy had one or both break, i know for several yrs no one actually had had one break, it was all they had heard of this happening, but i have since seen a few posts of it happening, so imho breaking the things doesnt happen very often.

and hey i dont even carry a axis much anymore other than the AFCK and the 710 i just dont care for a lot of the BM designs, but it certainly has nothing to do with the viability of the axis lock.
 
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