Emerson vs. Strider. Help me decide.

Edwood7

Edwood7

Joined
Mar 31, 2010
Messages
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So I’m ready to finally get a folder, I pretty much carry fixed blades every day and only have one folder knife that I sometimes carry, (it’s a 511 karambit.)
So I’m down to two companies I’m looking at, the Emerson and Strider. What are the pros and cons of each company, and what model would you recommend form each company?

I’m looking for a large folder that can be used for utility and offensive applications

I looking for something a can depend on and carry for years to come. I don’t like the American Tanto point on knives, after trying them out on Kevlar I’m convinced that as far as combat weapon the do no work that well.

So, any help?
Pictures are welcomed. :o:o
 
well i would suggest the Emerson Super Commander, personnally one of my favorites, has a great blade shape, great materials (154cm, G10) the only drawback is that its left hand chisel ground which doesnt bother a lot of people but some it does
 
Edwood7 said:
So I’m ready to finally get a folder, I pretty much carry fixed blades every day and only have one folder knife that I sometimes carry, (it’s a 511 karambit.)
So I’m down to two companies I’m looking at, the Emerson and Strider. What are the pros and cons of each company, and what model would you recommend form each company?

I’m looking for a large folder that can be used for utility and offensive applications

I looking for something a can depend on and carry for years to come. I don’t like the American Tanto point on knives, after trying them out on Kevlar I’m convinced that as far as combat weapon the do no work that well.

So, any help?
Pictures are welcomed. :o:o
Click to expand...

Just curious as to why you think an American tanto isnt as effective as a Japanese tanto in self defense/combat situations. I definitly see why a Japanese tanto is far superior when it comes to edc viability but not when it comes to pure combat and would think they are about the same. Maybe I'm just missing something though.

Anyway as to your question I think when it comes down to just pure combat capability you cant go wrong with Strider or Emerson. Emersons are more affordable and have a better warranty/cs which is definitly nice if you really plan on using your knives hard. Striders are in a different class when it comes to brute strength imo. I'm no expert but comparing my sng with a cqc-7 and horseman I feel like Emersons have better ergos and more viable in a variety of grips and applications. Again this is just going off my own personal opinion. If you value pure strength, go Strider. If you value actual combat performance I would go Emerson. More specifically the commander, cqc-8, horseman. My favorite is the cqc7 but since you hate tantos you can go for the cqc7a version.
 
kawr said:
Just curious as to why you think an American tanto isnt as effective as a Japanese tanto in self defense/combat situations. I definitly see why a Japanese tanto is far superior when it comes to edc viability but not when it comes to pure combat and would think they are about the same. Maybe I'm just missing something though.
Click to expand...

Every now and then we come across bad guys wearing body armor, Kevlar mostly. The American tanto point just doesn’t penetrate that grate against Kevlar, compared to something like the hissatsu knife. This opinion comes from my own experience but I’m sure that other find it useful.

I’m looking at the modes you recommended thanks.
 
Ever consider a ZT model? Perhaps one of their flippers. Though the recurve might make it difficult to field sharpen.

For defensive purposes, an Emerson with the wave feature would deploy as fast as any fixed blade.

However, for the sake of the fact that you would probably always be carrying a fixed blade(and you should given your occupation), I would get a dedicated utility tool. Which is a good idea anyway, because if your weapon is dull from utility use, it won't cut anyone. I carry a Delica Wave in a dedicated role, and don't use it for utility cutting.

For that purpose, I feel Strider is better in that regard, as all indications would show that it is built to last.

Between a titanium liner lock and a titanium framelock, there shouldn't be any question as to which one is more durable by virtue of sheer thickness. I've also found Emersons to develop nasty blade play even faster than any of my Benchmade Axis locks.

I also believe the coated striders are DLC, which is much more durable than the black oxide coating on Emerson knives. I'd also like to point out that both my Emerson CQC-7's have their tips chipped off at one point or another, and quite easily too. Strider's S30V I believe uses Paul Bos' heat treat recipe, making it tough as nails.

The only real catch is that customer service is almost nonexistent for Strider, and fit and finish is hit or miss. So I would have the dealer look over the knife for such issues prior to purchasing one.
 
I have never owned an Emerson, so I cant speak to them, though that wave thing looks cool.

As far as Strider's go they will meet all your needs. I have been putting a few through some hard carry and I have been pleased.

On a side note I have always hated Tanto's( love the look, but I dont do a great job sharpening them). Recently I have been using my coworkers SNG with a tanto blade and I have found my self wanting to pick one up.

Can someone explain the difference between American and Japanese Tanto?
 
SoldierTech_Hissatsu4.jpg

Japanese
GB000558.jpg

American

At least that’s what I call them. Maybe I’m wrong on this one.
 
Dont own a Strider.

I do own three Emerson's. A CQC7 , a pimped mini CQC7 and a pimped SARK.

After years of scoffing I too agree there is no faster method of folder deployment than the Wave feature.

The Bulk of EKI are liner locks while Striders are framelocks, so there's that to consider. Although I would easily stake my fingers , even my life on EKI's linerlock. I have that much faith in it.

Striders are mostly S30V , EKI mostly 154CM , there's that to consider. Call me a freak but I will choose 154CM over S30V every time. That's my preference though.

Both have rock solid construction.

I do not have much desire to own a Strider , ethically but that is my opinion only.
I consider EKI's warranty and customer service far better , but this is only from what I have read. There are hours worth of reading on both of these subjects if you search.

I do know that both knives will last you for years to come , EKI does have the advantage of self service via phillips and standard screw heads.

EKI makes more than tanto points , since that is a concern of yours.

My twelve cents , Tostig
 
both are great companies that make durable, sharp and rugged folders

if you get the strider - get an smf with a hissatsu grind...they are custom only, but they can be found...otherwise if you're looking into their production, i would suggest a GG model (gunner grip) because they feel the best with heavy/pistol gloves on

if you go the way of the emerson - your best bet for penetration ability would be (IMO) a super cqc8. They are big (4.1 inches?) and are meant for killing things - no other way around it. They also feel great in both forward and reverse grip

you cant go wrong with either company in my opinion...its based on what you are spcifically looking for in a knife
 
Edwood7 said:
I’m looking at some now, can you explain a bit more ?
Click to expand...

Hinderer knives are made by Rick Hinderer...who is a firefighter from Ohio. His knives are the XM-18 and XM-24. The 18 comes in either a 3 or a 3.5 inch blade and the 24 is a 4inch blade

Rick has his own forum here under the manufacturers tab, and they do ship direct orders for LEO/EMS/Mil
 
Emersons will be cheaper and faster to deploy with the wave. Striders will be tougher and handle abuse better.
 
Edwood7 said:
I’m looking at some now, can you explain a bit more ?
Click to expand...

They are incredibly beautiful, extremely overbuilt, around the same price as the striders, straight from rick. Lucky for you your service allows you to deal directly with Rick. You can customize your knife however you like, blade length, gring style, handle scale material, flipper or nonflipper.

All for the $400 range, same as Striders and Chris Reeves.

For that money I would have to strongly advise you to get one. They actually appreciate in value, which is ofcourse fairly rare in knives.

The demand is such that you can sell your used xm-18 for $600 on the secondary market.

The current wait time for non leo, military, emt, fd, etc. is around 6 months through a dealer.

I hope I'm not confusing you with someone else but I remember you having something to do with Vice. If you are indeed any of those service members listed above you'll get you're knife in around 2 weeks. It is made by Rick himself.

Oh I forgot, you can choose blade and titanium integral lock finish. Blades can be beadblasted, satin finished, or tumbled. Integral lock side can be tumbled, blasted, or anodized, which looks especially excellent.

Hope that helps man.
 
I have a EKI commander and CQC-8, nice knives but not something I would depend on in your line of work. They both need to be sent back for their 3rd liner lock replacement, the lock has always been problematic and I've been able to wear them out in normal use in less than a year on average. My other gripe is the low Rc of the blade, its tough but has poor edge retention.

Striders I've never owned or used but handled and sharpened a few, excellent HT of the blade and a good in hand feel but I found them hard to open with the thumb hole. Not the F&F you would expect for the price either. Not my cup of tea but better than the EKI in my opinion.

A knife I would highly recommend though is the Cold Steel AK-47, not classy or expensive but it has a strong tip, a very strong lock, positive grip, thin edge for good cutting ability, and a aluminum pomel that could break a window or skull. It has a wave feature for faster deployment too.

A Spyderco Military would probably be next on my list. Its much thinner so more care would be needed to not snap the tip but its cutting performance is nearly unmatched. It will easily poke holes and cut like a mini sword but not a blade you can put side to side forces on. The liner lock is also one of the very best..... if only all were this good. Probably one of the best choices if you were ok with a thinner blade.
 
If you're looking for a knife that can stab through kevlar easier, I don't suggest looking at the XM-18. One of the XM-18's most prominent features is its "Spanto" tip. It was specifically made thicker for prying and other tasks that might threaten a normal sized knife tip.

It's not so much that you need to stay away from americanized tantos per se, you just need to watch out for blades that have excessively thick tips for what you're looking for. Many americanized tantos seem to be designed to be thicker generally speaking, but not necessarily all of them are. For instance, Strider tantos are significantly thicker at the tip than the Emerson CQC-7 and HD7 (Emerson tanto models). For Striders, you'll also want to stay away from their 3/4 grinds. The Larger Strider folders are the AR and the SMF. The SMF sounds like it fits what you're looking for out of their line up:

SK4103_1.jpg


Out of the Emerson, it sounds like you might be interested in a CQC-8 (regular or Super) or CQC-13:

8:
EmersonCQC8Pic2.jpg


13:
emersonbowiesv.jpg
 
Strider and Emerson are overpriced for what they are IMO. I think you'd be better off with a ZT 0200, ZT 055x, ZT 030x, Spyderco Manix 2, Spyderco Military, Spyderco Police, Benchmade 710, Pohl Force Alpha 2, Al Mar SERE, Hinderer XM-18, or similar models.
 
As for the tip thickness you could get a slicer grind instead of a spanto, shown here

DSC01652.jpg


And a more detailed comparison between grind styles.

b1266ce2f7.jpg


2f7a8850d1.jpg


Seriously, get a hinderer, say you order one from Rick and don't like it you can sell it and have enough fo a Strider AND an Emerson.

As said above Striders and Emersons are overpriced, Emersons much more so. They only offer 154CM, which is ofcourse fine, but it is no S35VN, CTS-XHP, or Duratech 20CV.

Also Hinderers being custom you could just ask him for a thinner tip, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to accommodate your requests.

The other companies mentioned are production only, so such changes are impossible.
 
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As far as going for Emerson or Strider, it really comes down to preference as far as I'm concerned. Both should be capable of doing any reasonable task one could ask of a folder. There are different opinions on the security of liner locks (found on the Emersons) vs framelocks (like on the SMF), so that's debatable. Emersons have a "wave" feature that allows quick deployment of the knife:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swRO_0WQNNQ

But opening the knife quickly really shouldn't be a problem for the Striders or most other one-hand openers so long as you familiarize yourself with the knife- something you presumably would do with any equipment you might use in a high stress environment.
 
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