Recieved my first ER today, a Fulcrum II D. Thought I'd give my initial thoughts before I get some use out of it. I also happen to have a Strider GB on hand so I'll make some comparison comments.
I am going to do my best to be honest yet respectful. I don't want it to come across like I'm posting in the ER forum and bashing them (I'm not, I love the knife) but I think its pointless to do a one sided comparison when both have their strong points which I've outlined below. Also I'm not even close to being the final authority on anything so I'll gladly accept corrections.
First of all, I like the packaging that these Fulcrum II's come in. Great presentation. Great protection. Excellent.
The thing that I like best about the Fulcrum II is the way that it clips and works with the pocket. Honestly I think this is my favorite out of all the different pocket clips that I've had. Slides out of pocket smooth and easy and goes back without a hassle. This is probably my biggest complaint about my GB, those rough G10 sides make it hard to move the knife smoothly to and from the pocket. This is great if you're in a war. Its not as great if you're doing chores around the house. (This is not a problem with the SnG.) Also the profile of the closed Fulcrum II in pocket and the thumbstuds work together to make it better at not getting the thumbstuds caught on the way out of pocket, especially when seated or crouched in "tactical" type stances.
Thankfully I'm alone in the house so nobody sees me testing for this.
Clipped to your pocket, the fulcrum looks more inconspicuous and will likely be passed off as a cell phone accessory or something by most people. The Strider does not look so innocuous.
I like the impact device. When the knife is in closed position, it fits in a "striking grip" VERY well.
The safety seems unnecessary to me when you've got this overbuilt 1/4" steel lock on a folder, but I think its fun and I'm glad its there.
By the way, 1/4" steel on a folder, couldn't believe it when I first saw that! I love it!
The fulcrum II coming standard with ambi thumbstuds and right/left switchable pocket clip is great. Personally I'd like to have a tip down option as well.
The fit and finish on this knife is superb. That thick blade is PACKED in between the handle slabs when closed but those tight tolerances must be right on because it doesn't rub at all. The GB does not have as good of a ratio of blade width to total handle width. Fulcrum II has nice and smooth action though not as smooth as the liner lock on the GB. I don't know what it is exactly but the action on that knife is SOOO smooth.
The blade on the Fulcrum II is very thick and confidence inspiring. The tip looks unbreakable. I can't imagine breaking the tip of a GB either but its slimmer.
The Fulcrum II locks into place with an unbelievable "THWACK," which is
great! You won't believe it when you hear it if you haven't.
The guard to keep the fingers from sliding onto the blade of the Fulcrum II is substantial and at a strong angle. This is a big plus to me. I feel like a lot of makers tend to ignore this. The Striders seem fine in this area too, I don't know which would be easier to hold onto. I think they're both fine.
While the Fulcrum II is plenty grippy during use, I have to give the edge to the G10 on the Strider in that area. The same thing that makes it undesireable for pockets makes it desireable for hands.
The blade on the Strider is much "taller." By this I mean the distance between the edge and the spine is greater. I don't know what the term is for that. I think the taller blade looks much better and makes for a more useful blade with a longer grind and finer edge. I'd like to see "taller" ER folder blades in the future. Is there any advantage to them being "short"?
Pivot is bigger on the GB, same size as SnG gen 4 pivot. Fulcrums pivot is the same size as the smaller SnG gen 1-3 pivots. I don't see this as a problem but hey, I'm comparing them.
If the lock were to fail while you were applying a lot of force, your finger would be crushed by the GB, and cut by the Fulcrum II D. But this is pointless to talk about in my opinion because neither of these locks is going to fail.
Warranty: Mic bends over backwards for anybody that has a Strider regardless of how many people have owned it. Extrema Ratios warranty, to my knowledge, only covers the original purchaser:
Warranty thread
Price: Extrema Ratios are in my opinion pretty inexpensive considering what you are getting, and an unbelievable steal on the secondary market.
I really like this Fulcrum II. Extrema Ratio makes big tougher than rocks folders which are not copies of Striders. They have their own distinct style, design and materials, and I like them a lot. Am I getting rid of my Striders? No way. Now I'm collecting both.
Ryan
I am going to do my best to be honest yet respectful. I don't want it to come across like I'm posting in the ER forum and bashing them (I'm not, I love the knife) but I think its pointless to do a one sided comparison when both have their strong points which I've outlined below. Also I'm not even close to being the final authority on anything so I'll gladly accept corrections.
First of all, I like the packaging that these Fulcrum II's come in. Great presentation. Great protection. Excellent.
The thing that I like best about the Fulcrum II is the way that it clips and works with the pocket. Honestly I think this is my favorite out of all the different pocket clips that I've had. Slides out of pocket smooth and easy and goes back without a hassle. This is probably my biggest complaint about my GB, those rough G10 sides make it hard to move the knife smoothly to and from the pocket. This is great if you're in a war. Its not as great if you're doing chores around the house. (This is not a problem with the SnG.) Also the profile of the closed Fulcrum II in pocket and the thumbstuds work together to make it better at not getting the thumbstuds caught on the way out of pocket, especially when seated or crouched in "tactical" type stances.
Thankfully I'm alone in the house so nobody sees me testing for this.Clipped to your pocket, the fulcrum looks more inconspicuous and will likely be passed off as a cell phone accessory or something by most people. The Strider does not look so innocuous.
I like the impact device. When the knife is in closed position, it fits in a "striking grip" VERY well.
The safety seems unnecessary to me when you've got this overbuilt 1/4" steel lock on a folder, but I think its fun and I'm glad its there.
By the way, 1/4" steel on a folder, couldn't believe it when I first saw that! I love it!
The fulcrum II coming standard with ambi thumbstuds and right/left switchable pocket clip is great. Personally I'd like to have a tip down option as well.
The fit and finish on this knife is superb. That thick blade is PACKED in between the handle slabs when closed but those tight tolerances must be right on because it doesn't rub at all. The GB does not have as good of a ratio of blade width to total handle width. Fulcrum II has nice and smooth action though not as smooth as the liner lock on the GB. I don't know what it is exactly but the action on that knife is SOOO smooth.
The blade on the Fulcrum II is very thick and confidence inspiring. The tip looks unbreakable. I can't imagine breaking the tip of a GB either but its slimmer.
The Fulcrum II locks into place with an unbelievable "THWACK," which is
great! You won't believe it when you hear it if you haven't.The guard to keep the fingers from sliding onto the blade of the Fulcrum II is substantial and at a strong angle. This is a big plus to me. I feel like a lot of makers tend to ignore this. The Striders seem fine in this area too, I don't know which would be easier to hold onto. I think they're both fine.
While the Fulcrum II is plenty grippy during use, I have to give the edge to the G10 on the Strider in that area. The same thing that makes it undesireable for pockets makes it desireable for hands.
The blade on the Strider is much "taller." By this I mean the distance between the edge and the spine is greater. I don't know what the term is for that. I think the taller blade looks much better and makes for a more useful blade with a longer grind and finer edge. I'd like to see "taller" ER folder blades in the future. Is there any advantage to them being "short"?
Pivot is bigger on the GB, same size as SnG gen 4 pivot. Fulcrums pivot is the same size as the smaller SnG gen 1-3 pivots. I don't see this as a problem but hey, I'm comparing them.
If the lock were to fail while you were applying a lot of force, your finger would be crushed by the GB, and cut by the Fulcrum II D. But this is pointless to talk about in my opinion because neither of these locks is going to fail.
Warranty: Mic bends over backwards for anybody that has a Strider regardless of how many people have owned it. Extrema Ratios warranty, to my knowledge, only covers the original purchaser:
Warranty thread
Price: Extrema Ratios are in my opinion pretty inexpensive considering what you are getting, and an unbelievable steal on the secondary market.
I really like this Fulcrum II. Extrema Ratio makes big tougher than rocks folders which are not copies of Striders. They have their own distinct style, design and materials, and I like them a lot. Am I getting rid of my Striders? No way. Now I'm collecting both.
Ryan
Temptation, temptation ...
