Considering Strider and ZT, what else should I be looking at?

I had an SnG and it had lock up problems. Stider did fix it, but it took almost 2 months to get it back. Also I tried calling for over a week and nobody answered the phone. They also didn't answer any emails. I just wanted to get an update on the repair. The knife just showed up one day.
 
Josh K said:
I know of no such warranty on ZT knives.
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Buy one, intentionally break it in any manner you choose, and send it back. It will be replaced, no questions asked. This has been discussed on this forum ad nauseam, and you should know this. And you don't have to send 5 bucks with it to cover anything.
 
SPXTrader said:
Buy one, intentionally break it in any manner you choose, and send it back. It will be replaced, no questions asked. This has been discussed on this forum ad nauseam, and you should know this. And you don't have to send 5 bucks with it to cover anything.
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Perhaps I have been trying to steer clear of Kershaw threads. :)

In that case, my mistake. The 301 would be an excellent alternative to a SnG if you are looking to save a few bucks.
 
Based on the information in the O/P, my recommendation is ZT all the way. ZT has by far the best combination of value, function and warrantee of the three.

My personal favorite of the three is the Sebenza, and that's what I usually carry. They aren't "gents' knives", they are just more refined than the Striders or ZT's. Sebenzas are robust, but an 0301, for example, would take more abuse. Of course it's not going to cut as well as the Sebenza, but that's part of the trade-off.

Strider and CRK are on two different planets in terms of F&F. I'm not saying one's better or worse - just different. Kinda like comparing a Kimber to a Glock, or a BMW to a Subie.

If you want a stouter knife with better F&F, maybe look at Hinderer's stuff.

There is no uber-knife that does it all, especially among folders. My personal opinon is that "abuse" is more of a fixed-blade concept, and that folding knives are just inherently delicate. Not trying to say I'm right and others are wrong, just stating my own perspective.
 
tsiloics said:
My personal opinon is that "abuse" is more of a fixed-blade concept, and that folding knives are just inherently delicate. Not trying to say I'm right and others are wrong, just stating my own perspective.
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Agreed, but when it's all I have, I sometimes need to push it into roles it may not be designed for.

I've been carrying Benchmade Griptilians for a while, and when I break one I just buy a new one. I'm tired of that, and have spent roughly as much as a Sebbie/SNG/ZT300 costs in replacement knives. I want one stout blade that I can get fixed/replaced if I mash it up again.

Thanks for the input guys, but I'm set on the SNG.
 
I hear people talking about Strider's warranty like it's no questions asked and you can just do anything and it will be replaced. That's wrong. Contact Strider or atleast try to because they might not respond, and ask them what their warranty covers. They will tell you it no longer covers abuse. Plus they're adding to things they don't cover all the time. They said on USN they won't touch your knife if you have done ANY kind of modifications to it so don't send it in.
 
SteelSnob said:
I hear people talking about Strider's warranty like it's no questions asked and you can just do anything and it will be replaced. That's wrong. Contact Strider or atleast try to because they might not respond, and ask them what their warranty covers. They will tell you it no longer covers abuse. Plus they're adding to things they don't cover all the time. They said on USN they won't touch your knife if you have done ANY kind of modifications to it so don't send it in.
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They'll fix any knife, but if you've modded it then you will be charged for returning it to "factory standard" condition.
 
Josh K said:
They'll fix any knife, but if you've modded it then you will be charged for returning it to "factory standard" condition.
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They won't fix it under certain conditions

If your folding knife has been modified we won't fix it so don't send it in
modified= if any tools were used on your knife to change its appearance Your warranty is void
Change the blade grind= void
Polish the screws, blade or titanium=void
Modify the handle=void
File your lock bar=void
Drill any holes in your knife=void
If you strip a screw we will repllace it for a charge
If you break the tip or chip the blade we will fix it no charge
If you take the knife apart and ruin the lock up thier might be a charge
***charges are detirmined on how long it takes us to fix it****
WE WILL NOT SEND OUT OR SELL ANY PARTS
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TFino4 if you are breaking grips on a regular basis you are most likely gonna eventually break or damage any folder you own. Are you willing to wait an unknown amount of time to get the SnG back when you need to send it in? If I was constantly breakin folders I'd wanna have quick turn around on repairs if I could only afford one.... Or I'd buy two ZTs and have the back up for when I had to send one in. It's your choice though... Enjoy your SnG!
 
TFin04 said:
Agreed, but when it's all I have, I sometimes need to push it into roles it may not be designed for.

I've been carrying Benchmade Griptilians for a while, and when I break one I just buy a new one. I'm tired of that, and have spent roughly as much as a Sebbie/SNG/ZT300 costs in replacement knives. I want one stout blade that I can get fixed/replaced if I mash it up again.

Thanks for the input guys, but I'm set on the SNG.
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Out of curiousity what kind of abuse do you put these knives through that results in such failures?? Are you talking batoning with the griptilian and such? If so how big of branches/logs? I'm just curious. I've always wondered what my griptilians could handle.
 
I have heard a lot of good stuff and I kind of got side tracked. The ZT seems like a good option. Also if you're working for the military you can contact Rick Hinderer and get the XM18 which I own and have had good CS experience with. I think it took close to a week for Rick to have it back to me plus he paid for return shipping. Crusader Forge,Extrema Ratio, Yuna, Kirby Lambert all make insanely tough knives. If it were me I would take the oppurtunity to get a XM for $385 from Rick because they sell for much more and are consistently awesome in all areas. If you don't like it sell it for $600 and get yourself something else. I know your heart is set on a SNG and you will probably get that but there are a lot of knives that deserve a look too. Eitherway enjoy your purchase.
 
nevermind35 said:
Out of curiousity what kind of abuse do you put these knives through that results in such failures?? Are you talking batoning with the griptilian and such? If so how big of branches/logs? I'm just curious. I've always wondered what my griptilians could handle.
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No, I carry fixed blades in the woods and don't baton with them unless there is absolutely no dry wood around. That is very rare.

I broke one opening a car door at an accident scene I rolled up on where the driver needed attention. I'll break anything I have to go to someone who needs help.

I broke another one fixing the mounting bracket on a plow during a bad snowstorm last year. About $1000 worth of snow had fallen, a $65 knife is nothing. My mistake for leaving my tool bag at home but it was all I had.

I don't purposefully try to abuse knives, but when something needs to be done and it's all I have, they get used. The grips hold up pretty well but I got to handle a Sebbie and SNG the other week and definitely liked the thick stock and handles of the SNG.
 
bobnery said:
If I was buying a knife because of warranty then I would pick a CRK over a Strider. Sure Strider may cover everything but so will CRK within reason and CRK's customer service is head and shoulders above Strider. I have owned both and always had that nagging feelin in the back of my head, "What if I have ro send this Strider in? Will I see it again? How many weeks or months will it take?" You shouldn't have to ponder those questions about any purchase you make.
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Agreed. There was a guy on USN recently who posted in the Strider section, he had sent in his knife months before and did not hear back from them, so he decided to start a thread.
After a while, Josh (not Josh K, Josh Lee) posted something like: what are you complaining about, your knife is ready, actually it has been sitting on my desk for weeks waiting for me to ship it, I'll do so next week if I have time. That sums up the Strider philosophy.:jerkit:

Back to the OP's question, you may look at a custom maker called Dustin Turpin, his War Chief is awesome and very affordable and he is very nice to do business with.
 
LorenzoL said:
Agreed. There was a guy on USN recently who posted in the Strider section, he had sent in his knife months before and did not hear back from them, so he decided to start a thread.
After a while, Josh (not Josh K, Josh Lee) posted something like: what are you complaining about, your knife is ready, actually it has been sitting on my desk for weeks waiting for me to ship it, I'll do so next week if I have time. That sums up the Strider philosophy.:jerkit:

Back to the OP's question, you may look at a custom maker called Dustin Turpin, his War Chief is awesome and very affordable and he is very nice to do business with.
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Let's just hope I never have to send mine in for warranty. :rolleyes: Granted, I'd still find it tough to break one even under abuse-worthy conditions.
 
In every single issue of quality and customer service, CRK is leagues better than Strider. It is not debatable: they make the better product in terms of quality and consistency, and have far better customer service. The only thing that is debatable is what design suits you more.
 
Josh K said:
Let's just hope I never have to send mine in for warranty. :rolleyes: Granted, I'd still find it tough to break one even under abuse-worthy conditions.
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lol

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Honestly, the last thing I worry about when buying one of those so-called tactical folders is breaking it. You can't "break" an SMF or an XM-18, unless you are one of those jackasses posting "resistance tests" videos on YouTube.
What you want from CS is to handle issues like lost or stripped screws, blade play, worn lock bars... You also want fast service and good communication about what is going on, including shipping.
 
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