Comparison: The Umnumzaan vs. The SnG vs. The XM-18

CrimsonTideShooter said:
To be honest, I rarely get any replies to my calls/emails from makers, even when I tell them that I am going to discussing their knife in a video. People always preach the "contact the maker" idea, not knowing that there have been VERY few instances where I have not contacted the maker first. Once I try to call/email, it's out of my hands. What I won't do is wait around for 3 weeks waiting on a reply from a maker. After 3 or 4 days, the vid goes up.

Chris Reeve knives is about the only company that has stayed in regular contact with me, despite my open critique of their heat treat. People think just because I make a video showing a problem with a Sebenza that I must hate CRK, which is so far from the truth that it's laughable.

Anyway, I could ramble about this all day. Sorry if my post wasn't well constructed, I'm typing in a rush so I can get back to work. :D
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Hearing your experience makes my respect for CRK go up immeasurably. To be honest, I've read that Chris Reeve himself can be a bit "grumpy." But if he's got the good sense to let others who have better people handling skills than himself who deal with "PR issues" then he's a true businessman. The fact that they wouldn't go off the deep end based on your legitimate critique gives me hope for the knife industry.
 
This video moves along kind of slowly but here's a man getting hair-whittling edges on some sharpened pry bars. :)

He credits crimsontideshooter with helping him learn to sharpen and show the proof with a Hinderer/ZT 0550 (I think) and pulls out a Strider and a ZT 0560. No XM-18 or Zaan though. I thought you'd like to see this but don't be afraid to pull the play button ahead as it's kind of slow.

[video=youtube;oUYCPJ06MPM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUYCPJ06MPM[/video]

On another note, if you want to see what can happen if you really get a reviewer mad at you check out a few videos from the zany guys at "RoadsideImports" :eek:
 
Rolex John said:
The Strider sycophants seem particularly sensitive to any suggestion that any Strider knife isn't the greatest knife ever made.

In the case of Hinderer, I'm fairly certain it was Rob Orlando who had had me banned from that particular forum - the forum owned bowed to the paid advertiser. I certainly didn't violate any rules and bent over backwards to be polite in my replies in the review thread. Even here on BF in the Hinderer forum, Orlando was permitted to call me a "troll" simply because I expressed the wish that Hinderer currently offered the same sort of refurbishment services which CRK offers. Apparently paid advertisers can define the rules in their own forums.

There was certainly no call for the treatment which I received and my respect for Hinderer has plummeted. Great knives to be sure but the company could use, among other things, some PR people who can take constructive criticism without taking it personally and flying off the handle. Making a great product will only get you so far - you have to know how to treat people too.
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:thumbup:
 
Update:

The Baby Huey that I loved and spoke highly of here developed lock rock.

The dealer was kind enough to take it back. Since I already had bad experiences with the locks on TWO SNGs, I opted for a Seb 25 instead.

Much later, I decided to give Strider one more chance -- damn, they are great-looking folders.

I got an orange PT from Grand Prairie. The lego, not the CC. Opens smoothly. Closes not as smoothly, but not bad -- and much better than either of the two SNGs I tried.

This is my only Strider and I won't be getting others until and unless this one proves itself.

One concern: These latest PTs have a different pivot. It's proprietary and there is no pivot tool for it. Diehard Strider fans will just make their own tools and call the rest of us wimps.

As for me, I can't imagine CRK or Hinderer making a knife for which there is no tool to adjust the pivot. Or maybe I'm just a wimp. I'm rooting for the PT -- and hoping that it never goes out of adjustment!
 
I'm not 100% but I've heard that the Hinderer tool works on Striders. Man this an old thread.
 
I never and I mean NEVER thought I wanted to own a Strider yet through a set of circumstances found myself in a trade. The only $350+ knives I have owned up to this point are Sebenzas and they are certainly tough to beat in the F&F department. Here I sit holding the 2nd Strider, SnG CC. The F&F on both this knife and the SnG DGG is spot on. Smooth, centered, perfect lockup and a beautiful grind and finish. While I am certain that the average Strider may not compete with a Sebenza in overall spit & polish, these 2 certainly do. The gripe about a small loss of blade length goes right out the window if a person experiences the usefulness of the choil. 2 knives in one and with the FFG & slicker than snot stonewash finish I can amazingly still slice a hunk of cheddar!
 
I've never thought of Strider as having great fit and finish yet the Gen 7 (?) SMF that I bought earlier this year really surprised me. I think sometimes if you don't have that high of expectations you're more likely to be pleased and I was very pleased with my SMF. It was perfect in every way that we inspect our knives upon delivery...no excuses needed to be made.

I've heard from others that on or around the time that Strider changed their lockup that their F&F improved as well. I bought an SMF with the SW finish on the blade and lockbar side and regardless of how much I use the knife it still appears new...and the CPM 154 has worked great for me. Maybe Strider figured out that they had better step up their game if they wanted to compete with the other companies that are kicking out great designs with stellar fit and finish.
 
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I have owned all three of these knives.
My preference is as follows:
1: XM 18
2: Sng
3: Umnumzaan

BTW, I just bought a PT and I must say, it is a fantastic little folder. I love Striders.
 
stabman said:
Oh well, I plan on getting an XM-18 anyway.
I already have an Umnumzaan, 2 Striders...and I don't care about the opinions of other people much at all. :)
Flame on, flame off, I don't care. I just like knives.:thumbup:
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You're the man, stabman! ^ :thumbup:


J85909266 said:
:thumbup:

*dusts off his shameful Microtechs*
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^^^
You get my nod, just because of your avatar, Robbie Lawler. :thumbup: I wonder which of these 3 quality folder's, Lawler would carry? ;)


Oldbugr said:
I've read this thread, and personnally don't believe Rolex John deserves what he's enduring over a review. Everyone has an opinion, and there all going to be different. That's the way it is. Take it with a grain of salt and move on. I'm one of the individuals that paid the horrendous price for a 3" hinderer, and it's a great knife- but not worth the money that I payed. And that's my opinion. That being said, I'm one who doesn't understand why Rick doesn't control the vendor pricing either? Matter of fact-Rick the next time you send a batch of knives out to one of your vendors that sell a 3.5" for $385, please email me so I can pick one up, as I'll never pay what I payed again, I'm just a normal Joe trying to make it, and there are alot of great knives out there for less money to try.
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I completely agree ^ I didn't read anything controversial regarding, John's review.

CrimsonTideShooter said:
Wow. This is the exact reason I don't do YouTube videos anymore. Try to do good things for the community, and get punished for it. Any opinion is allowed, as long as it doesn't even remotely hint to a problem or issue.
but I know from experience that doing HONEST reviews gets you in trouble. The pack mentality takes over and it's down hill from there.
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^^^
I just don't understand, why some people get so butt hurt, the second you state one negative opinion about their favorite maker.


Rolex John said:
Hearing your experience makes my respect for CRK go up immeasurably. To be honest, I've read that Chris Reeve himself can be a bit "grumpy." But if he's got the good sense to let others who have better people handling skills than himself who deal with "PR issues" then he's a true businessman. The fact that they wouldn't go off the deep end based on your legitimate critique gives me hope for the knife industry.
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^ I was doing some research today, & stumbled on your, SNG, ZAAN, XM-18 review, & the subsequent controversies, that soon followed (hence I landed here 2 1/2 years later). ;) I strongly agree with your above comment. CRK's customer service, should be used as a model, for all other successful companies to follow. Nobody (& I mean nobody), does it better! :thumbup:

FWIW, John- I thought you did an excellent, informative job, with your review. Try as we may, we're all being subjective, when trying to give an honest, objective opinion/review. In this day & age we live in (the internet era), you just need to take the negative backlash with a grain of salt.

As for my own personal rating of these 3 superlative folder's (ZAAN/STRIDER/XM-18):

I'd rate these as 3 way tie for #1. I appreciate my Strider SNG CC 3/4 grind Tanto, as much as I do my Zaan, as much as I do my Hinderer XM-18.

Like everything on this forum, I'm sure I'll get some criticism, for resurrecting this archived thread....& for people whom haven't read this- this is a good read, & I'd give it a solid 4 Stars! :star::star::star::star:

This was the review, which precipitated the onslaught of backlash:
http://thrumylens.org/featured/comparison-the-umnumzaan-vs-the-sng-vs-the-xm-18/

Excellent review, in IMO. :thumbup:
 
I would say that with the decrease in street price on the Hinderer, the increase in price on the Zaan, and improvements in the SnG, I'd give it a 3 way tie.
 
Nullity said:
Drama! ;)
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Lol. I have to say, I'm not going to buy a single product from Marfione, Hinderer, Strider or Cold Steel. I've been reading a lot lately because I decided to buy a nice knife (nvm CS lol) as a present for someone, and I'm glad I did.
 
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I have owned and used multiples of all three folders.
I sold the two XM-18's quickly.
The SnG's are very excellent, hard-use folders. I think I've probably owned ten or so, and have gifted one to a younger son.
I've carried several Zaans for several years and still own one. All of the others are gone, as I am slimming down a lot.
my ratings: Zaan is 9.5 of 10 possible
Sng's are 8 of 10
XM-18's are about 3 of 10 possible.
 
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