Hard-Use folder (Preferably with Laynard hole) Strider, Rat Trap or suggestions?

M

Mindz_I

Joined
Nov 6, 2002
Messages
435
I'm sure this must have been covered many times before, but upon trying the search feature i recieve a 404 page not found error.

I asked this a while ago myself , whilst thinking of a spyderco military and Al-Mar SERE2k, eventually settling on the Military after numerous reports of lock movement on the SERE.

Unfortunately whilst the military slices like a demon the tip was that little bit to thin for comfort and I was constantly convinced I was going to snap it.

The knife doesn't have to be big infact it would be better if it were not hideously oversized as my hands are rather small and my current carry (Spyderco Calypso JR) has adequately handled most tasks, though really doesn't inspire confidence.

-----

The knife that set me on my current path was the Strider PT which seemed to be a rather functional design, looking unobtrusive and built like a tank. However I found the following thread which really doesn't sell the PT ^_^ - http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthrea...umber=723102&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Admittedly I realise that was the CRK forum so the bias is bound to swing towards the Sebbie and there are bound to people people who will hate all but the sebby, but the comments about knives leaving the factory needing to be sent back really puts me off ordering a knife worth $300 internationally (I'm based in the UK). Infact the comments on it having the tollerances of a Factory produced knife are a little off-putting.

I also notice it doesn't feature the Hinderer LSB that the larger SnG and SmF feature. Does this therefore compromise security of the lock?

Could anyone shed any light on the PT? Are the comments in the above thread accurate and is it likely the tollerances are so low that I'll have to have it looked at by the shop?

----

With that in mind I began to look at the SnG ... Possibly a little larger than I would like, but then it features the LSB and therefore I assume more durability, plus what looks to be a lanyard hole :D (to stop light-fingered borrowers of my knife from half-inching it :D).

----

Next came the Sebby; A knife I've always lusted after (small size) however, I have a distinct feeling I'd refrain from actually using the knife because of this.

How do the handles hold up to marks etc? Is the Titanium easy to grip in the wet?

---

Finally comes the SRKW Rat-trap.

I saw this a while ago and assumed it was a limited run, but now seems to be a production peice.

I like the look of the blade shape, it has a lanyard hole but other than that I know nothing about it aside from SRKW reputation.

Is it overbuilt and strong enough to go the distance? Does it feel solid and can it take punishment? How does the blade / blade thickness compare to the other blades?

I certainly like the price of this knife above the others and wouldn't be afraid to give it a kicking :D

----

Being in the UK I'm afraid I can't get hands on any of these items which would solve most of these problems, but as is drawing on the experience of others is my only hope.

Thanks in advance for any help you may give :)
 
So you want a hard-use folder, not too big, your hands aren't huge, you want a tough tip and an extremely dependable lock, right?

It's nowhere on your list but I really would recommend the Benchmade Ares (732). Big enough but not "Wow!" big, great ergonomics, tank tough, and a tip I haven't broken yet - and I'm a serial tip-abuser.

You might want to look at the Spyderco Manix, as well.

If the lock movement on the SERE was enough to turn you off, I'd just look at Axis locks and modern Spydie lockbacks rather than liner locks. My personal, biased, etc opinion.
 
1: The Sebbie will be perfect out of the box so you can buy one sight unseen and not worry.
2: The Strider is best bought if you can handle it. There are far too many people that love them that have paid $300+ so there must be some merit to them. Not everyone would be willing to let QC comments go unheard. So, if you can handle one before buying the Strider is a serious consideration.
3: There are many strong folders out there, why Sebenza and Strider always come up I don't know its not like these (Particular) models resemble an Extrema Ratio or the other Strider folders. Have a look at the Benchmade stuff its very well put together as are the larger Spydercos.
4: Buck put out a very robust knife (Strider collaboration) the 880 is built like a tank.

Best to handle them if you can, the Internet while wonderful for info just doesnt do it when trying to see if it fits your hand.
 
I think that the Ritter RSK-1 from BM is about the best performer out there right now. I've been using mine for months and have no complaints. Run a search and I'm sure you'll find a ton of similar opinions.
 
Rat Trap is a very good choice.

I would second the RSK-1 from Benchmade, the 806D2-also Benchmade, the Manix-Spyderco, the Buck Strider 880, Benchmade 720, Benchmade 420, Benchmade 630 or 635, Benchmade 520--all great choices.
 
Hi Mindz I, I am a fellow Brit and own both the Sere and the Manix. I would highly recommend either knife for tough use (as a knife not a prybar etc). I intially had my doubts about the lockup of the Sere after reading some posts on this forum, but having searched and asked about this issue on knifeforums.com and britishblades.com all replys and hits came back with only positive experiences. The highly experienced Jeff Randall of RAT knives fame reviewed the Sere a while back (Kingsley-Hughes.Com | Outdoor Kit) :thumbup: and found it ate everything he threw at it and was still hungry for more. Now, as an owner I can tell you that the lockup on my Sere is simply rock solid, as is the MBC rated lockup on my Manix ;) . Also build quality on both is fan-bloody-tastic! :D

The Manix feels like a bigger more utilitarian tool. Not so elegant imho but Spyderco are known for not sacrificing function for the sake of form. A search will turn up a wealth of positive hits for the Manix and I'm yet to hear of any lock issues with this knife. The Manix feels a bit big for edc (not an issue when you own a UK legal Spyderco UKPK :D ) riding higher and more bulky in the pocket then the Sere, but with its trendier blade steel and option to choke up on the choil, the Manix lb for £ is one of the best hard use folders available :) .

Others mention the highly reputable axis lock, and I really like the look of Benchmades Presidio 520 model (think Sere with an aluminium handle and an axis lock) but when looking on Benchmades own forum I came across several posts by people who have had their axis lock break! :( Apparently the springs have been known to fatigue. Now my understanding is that this is not a failure whilst the knife was in locked position but more a happenstance during the opening/closing of the knife.

I mention this problem some have had with the axis :foot: only to draw attention to the fact that no lock type of itself is infallible but varies as to execution on the individual knife. Though I grant that some designs have fewer parameters for failure then others, as the saying goes "You can't please all of the people all of the time". The lock is just one of several variables that dictate the versatility and overall robustness of a knife.

So though I may yet aquire a 520 (or the new 525-Ha! who am I kidding? It's only a matter of time before I pluck up the courage to brazen out to my wife how 'necessary' yet another knife is! :o ), the expectations that I place on a 'folding' knife will always include the potential for lock failure (however improbable), and I'll always endevour to use the knife accordingly. As a conclusion to my ramble, suffice it to say, that Al Mar, Spyderco, Benchmade, Strider, Swamp Rat et al are known to be reputable companies and whatever knife suits your pocket and your eye will be the right one, as all these companies make knives that will probably meet your needs for a 'strong' folding knife ;) .
 
You mentioned that the SnG may be a little big for your taste, however I think the RAT TRAP is bigger. Haven't seen it in person but from reading the specs it sounds like a really big folder. Get the BM 732 - its the one you want ;)
 
The SnG is a fine knife, and no doubt a great choice. For the money however, I feel the Military or Paramilitary is a more economical and functionally sufficient choice.
 
Mindz_I said:
eventually settling on the Military after numerous reports of lock movement on the SERE.
Click to expand...

Don't write off the SERE. I like it so much that I have three of them. The locks are rock solid on all three. One thing I have seen on the internet is that a few people have trouble with something and it appears to be an epidemic. I am not doubting that they had problems, but the reports of people getting solid SERE 2000's outnumber the ones that got bad ones. I would seriously give the knife a chance.

The Manix is a tough knife for sure, its plenty big though. That doesn't bother me, but if you are concerned with size it may be an issue. I'm also not crazy about vertical blade play on the lock backs. I know it is not a sign of a defective knife, but I am anal about that.

Have you considered a small fixed blade?

The Buck Striders are a good value. They also carry the Strider warranty.
 
I went through the same dilemma, and opted for the Buck/Strider 880SP. Not too horrendous on the pocket, and as has been said, built like a tank. It has out-performed my expectations and I'm convinced it was money well spent. If you plump for an 880 and find (as I did) that the edge is a little thick for everyday use (as opposed to Tactical use) get it to me here in Milton Keynes, Bucks, and I'll reprofile the edge for you FOC if you would like. (Just PM me if you want it done). I pulled mine down from the factory edge to an angle of about 20 degrees overall, and no-one who's seen it yet can believe the cutting power of the thing.
If the 880 is going to be bigger than you want to carry, why not look at the 881 Mini Strider? It's more like the PT in size, and might suit someone with smaller hands better.
 
It sounds like what you're looking for is a Benchmade 520, 720, 721, or 722.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Thanks guys for all the comments :D

You can always rely on Bladeforums to open your eyes to new products :)

--
Benchmade
I was a little put off benchmade for this purpose after handling a friend's BM AFCK.

I realise comparing one knife in a companys range to all their knives is down right stupid, but I guess it's the association BM now holds for me (relatively thin tipped blade) and therefore I'd not considered any of their knives.

552 / RSK:
Of all the suggestions the blade that has caught my attention the most and is something I'd not seen before is the BM 552 / RSK1. It has really clean simple lines but yet looks to be incredibly functional. While I have no doubt they're worlds apart it reminds me of a Sebenza that I wouldn't mind getting dirty ^_^

As I say, I am liking most all aspects of the knife; Axis lock, utilitarian blade shape that's not to 'tactical', Lightweight and of course the Lanyard hole :D

How are the 552's holding now they've been on the market on a while?

For anyone else interested I found this little thread over on a British blade discussion forum here

--

Emerson
Checked them out. I didn't find the available blade shapes overly suitable for my purposes in the configurations offered.

Whilst I realise I posted asking about striders, I found the PT and SnG to offer a nice drop-point shape, lending themselves well to the tasks I have in mind.

Buck Striders
Yeah these were considered. However They don't offer enough of a choil for my preference. I frequently use knives with gloved or muddy wet or numb hands and therefore thought the slick scales might prove a little bit of a problem.

I do admit the mini-spear point would be a serious contendor if it has more of a forward choil.

Sebenza
I guess I should suck it up and admit to myself that a Sebby isn't really the ideal choice.

They are my favourite knife asthetically and if where I to live in a country where carry of locking folders was permitted I'd have one in a shot for my EDC. However since I'm in the UK where we're gimped by the 3" folding slip-joint requirements that aint going to happen :/

For those reasons and the fact I think I'd pretty much be afraid to use the Sebby for fear of marking / chipping or genearally abusing it pretty much shoots it out of this discussion and puts it in my mind more as a peice for my collection than a practical choice :)


Rattrap
Dang, if the Rattrap is bigger than the SnG then that might be a mite to big for me. Shame really seems to offer pretty much most things I'm looking for, although the BM 552 could be a tad more practical.

Anyone know how these two compare?

SERE 2K
Aye, I realise shooting this choice down simply because of the problems of the few is a bad one.

However, I've since come to conclusion that that false edged spear point blade of this type (a) looks a little more threatening, (b) might not be best suited to my purposes.

Strider
When it comes down to it the Striders I'm looking at, simply due to reputation to take any kind of abuse I throw at it.

It's nice to think that should I need to hammer the bejesus out of something that it would wipe the fibers from it's teeth and go down for more :D

I also like the additional choil, allowing a further choke up on the blade and a more forgiving grip.

However the QC issues really do worry me as I (as mentioned above) have no way to get hands on it. I guess the solution would be to buy from a private dealer who could check the knife out for me before hand.

Logically the SnG is probably a better choice over the PT given It'll not be an EDC and it has the lanyard hole + LSB gizmo so can probably take more abuse.

I guess I'd still like some feed-back either way if anyone has any to give?

Spyderco Manix
I love my spydies (have 4, of which the UKPK designteam is my EDC :D). I have considered the Manix though I have a feeling that sleek Spydie tip is that little bit too thin for the purposes I intend.

I'm also very much 'not' keen on vertical blade play. As you (shootist16) say; I realise it's not a sign of a flaw, but then it doesn't inspire confidence in my blade, which is entirely what this thread is about.

I'm not going to be jemmying open ammo cans or anything, but a bit of lateral stress on the blade is likely.


----

Thanks all for your comments and please keep them coming.

I guess for now the real contenders are the hitherto unknown by me BM 552 / RSK and the Strider SnG. As always though if anyone has any suggestions or disagrees with the reasons I've excluded a knife / knives from my choice please do let me know :D
 
Hi there.
Since I understand you had positive experiences with Spyderco, I'd like to propose you the Lil'T. Slightly smaller than the Manix, but equally tough and functional. However, if the tip fragility is an issue, I think that much better would be a Spyderco ATR. The tip has a particular shape that makes it pretty strong IMHO. Not to mention that it comes in two flavors, SS (+VG-10) and Ti (+S30V). :D
... Speaking of SS and VG-10, maybe you'd like to take a look at the Adventura. Seems pretty confident to me ;)
 
i highly recomend the Striders. i'd bet you'd be happy with the SNG. it's not as bige as it looks. i've got medium sized hands and mine fits like a glove. it conceals in my poceket well.

as for the "Strider QC Issues" that keep coming up. i'd bet there is one actual issue for ever 30 times it's brought up on these forums. sure they do exist but not as frequently as some would have you believe. i've had to send back Kershaws, Benchmades, Spydercos and Bucks but never my Striders or Sebenzas. but it's nice to know i could if i want.

if you are interested in a strider, call up TAD Gear or PMDC Tactical and ask them to check them out before they ship. both are top notch and will help you out.
 
Mindz I of the knives you`ve mentioned I`d buy the Strider and never look back.
 
I have a PT, SNG, and an AR, and I LOVE my Striders!! They ARE built like a tank!! The PT is very sheeple friendly, and tough as nails!! The SNG is the perfect size for caryy, in my opinion. Very comfy to use. The AR is the tank of the folders, it is big and beefy; and I usually carry mine in a belt sheath, although it does ride comfy clipped to a pocket. I WOULD strongly suggest getting a Strider. Have you looked at the SMF? All my Striders are wicked tough. I trust them!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top