• The Wait Is Over. From this thread, orders for the 2023 BladeForums Traditional Knife are open & here's your handy order button.
    OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS $200 ea, one per household, must have been a member prior to 3/2023
    User Name

EDI's Genesis or Benchmade's Stryker

I know these are two completely different knives. But these are my two choices for knives I want to buy. I will only have enough money for one or the other, and I am aware that the Genesis costs something like $20 more then the Stryker. I am fairly new to knives so I wanted everyone's opinion on which one I should buy. The only knife I own now is a Benchmade Ascent. All opinions are greatly appreciated.

Later,
roadkill2
 
I can tell you I have the Stryker. It is a very solid knife. Lock up is good and has remained that way through some hard use. It holds an edge well and is quite easy to maintain with my Spyderco Sharpmaker. The Stryker makes a great work knife. I have never owned an EDI, but I have handled it. It seems to be a nice knife. There are a lot of people on this forum that know a lot more than I do who think the EDI is an exceptional knife. I trust thier opinions so I dont think you can go wrong with either. Pick both of them up, which ever one feels better, buy it. Either way you will get a great knife that will make you a great work knife for a long time to come.

Richard
 
One more detail I forgot. The knife I buy will be used mostly for a weapon (defense only), rather then a tool. I don't believe either one of these are specifically sold as fighting knives but I think they will do the job nicely.

Later,
roadkill2
 
roadkill2,

I have both and yes, both are great knives in their own seperate way. IMHO, the Stryker is a good tactical knife and lacks some utility due to lack of belly in the blade geometry. The Genesis has a very good utility blade. Both are well constructed of very similar materials and come from reputable companies. I'd buy the Stryker if only to be used as a backup weapon and the Genesis for all around duty.

Benchmade is currently just releasing the M-2 steel Strykers. EDI will be releasing an A-2 Genesis this spring, I believe.

Good Luck,

Waldo
 
I have a Stryker and a Genesis. While the Genesis opens very smoothly, I think that the scales on the handle are very slippery, and would be hard to hold securely with sweaty hands in a self-defense situation.

-Fred
 
Bladeandbarrel

Bladeandbarrel

Joined
Oct 5, 1998
Messages
3,148
For self defense, buy a good small fixed blade.

For ALL-AROUND utility/carry I prefer the Genesis due to the superior edge geometry compared to the stryker.

Neither are top self-defense items IMHO.
They both take a back seat to a FB.
 
I think there are more suitable blades in the price range. Linerlocks don't float my boat for defensive situations, and Ideally a fixed blade would be the knife of choice.

Lately though I have been enamored with the Axis, and I believe it to be superior to liner locks. It runs about the same price as the other two knives, and is handling my abuse really well. It also doesn't have the ""I was designed to kill people" look. There is also the REKAT Carnivor which sounds like a winner, but I haven't seen one yet, but I have seen other knives from REKAT, and they are tough. If you want a serious "Freak the Squares" knife, something from Cold Steel's extra large voyager and Vaquero line would do the trick, along with REKAT"S soon to be released Sifu...

For a fixed blade, there are LOTS of different choices, and many of those chouces are from custom makers such as Newt Livesay and John Greco. Both of them (and I am sure a few more) make budget priced, fight ready knives.

Boiling it down, I would avoid linerlocks. I would also avoid tanto blades because they don't add any spcific advantage other than looking "tactical", especially in a folder.

But if you are stuck on choosing between Just the Genesis and the Stryker, I would go with the Genesis. Reason being is that Will Fennel, President of EDI is a member here, and I have seen him back up his product, and stand behind it, but if you have the slightest problem, he will not hesitate to fix it. A month or two back there was a thread about a linerlock failure with a Genesis, and Will was on it quickly and made sure that things were taken care of. He really impressed me. The knives his company makes aren't quite up my alley (yet, I hear that there are few goodies coming), but his company does have my respect.

YeK
 
Add my call to the Genesis as a great overall knife.

I own owe one and carry it daily, generally opposite my Emerson Commander which is my defensive folder.

As others suggested, if your looking strictly for a strong defensive knife -- go to a fixed blade. For ease of carry and price, you cannot beat the Spyderco Moran FB1 with the Edge Works tactical sheath. Check out this link:
http://www.chaicutlery.com/

------------------
Life is a journey, not a guided tour -- GO ARMED!
-->BLADE




[This message has been edited by Blade (edited 25 April 1999).]
 
Man!!! I just can't see how anyone would choose the quality of the EDI over the Stryker. Unless, the blade shape is the issue with utility usage for the particular buyer. -AR

------------------
- Intelligent men, unfortunately, learn from fools, more often than fools learn from intelligent men.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top