Help on Strider Folder Info

Silas

Silas

Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
2,628
Hey-

I did a search but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I've been wanting to buy a heavy duty folder (impaitently waiting for the Busse Folder)and last week I was able to hold three different Strider folders at a gun & knife show. It was my first experience with them and they seemed to be built like tanks. Is there any difference in the Strider Folders other than the different sizes? I guess what I'm asking is are all the different Strider Folders built equally tough? I am very interested in buying one. I just want to make sure that the only difference between them all is shape and size, not ability to take abuse. Also where is the best place to buy a new one?

thanks for any information
 
FWIW the several Striders we had here were the most uncomfortable ungainly things we'd ever seen. Lots of show and not much go, one Sergeant Major said.

Try before you buy. Some folks love 'em! :cool:
 
Why is it people just can't say nice things or say nothing at all????? If you liked what you held in your hand then get it. For my money they are the best built knife hands down. If you are buying to put it on a shelf, then you may not like them as much as some the shiny pretty stuff but they will deffinetly get a converstion going among you other collector friends.....

If you are buying to use it then you will have a very happy knife. Striders like to work that is just the nature of the little beasts. Becarful though they are usually very sharp and what ever is in their way they will cut even if it is your finger.... and they probably won't say sorry......


Yeah I know love your knife.... Don't LOVE your knife... they just kinda grow on ya.... know what I mean?????.
 
The reasons I got it are:

The largest blade pivot of any folder out there. Check and see. The closest anyone comes to Strider is 1/4 inch. Strider's looks to be almost twice that size. This is the attachment point of the blade to the handle! Seems like a critical part that should be overbuilt. S30 blade, thick scales, frame lock. 5 screws holding the frame together on the SMF, including the pivot. Every other folder is 2-3 screws. On the SMF a hole in the blade AND a thumb stud to open. G-10 and Titanium are stiff, expecially in Striders dimensions, giving rigidity to the knife frame.

They back up their product.

The downside: It's big and clunky. That aside, it's tough and built like a M1A tank.
 
I thank you all for the informative answers. They have helped but I do have a couple more questions.

Why is the AR cheaper than the others when it's a larger knife? The Badlandsforums website link lists it as bigger, by around an inch, than the striderknives website. Did they change the size?

Thanks,
silas
 
I found the AR to be somewhat bulky. It was overbuilt, which is good, but it was just a little to thick, etc in the end for me. The SMF, on the other hand turned out to be just what I was looking for.
 
In the week I had the AR (Go to the AR review in the Reviews and Testing forum) I found it really grew on me. It chopped well (for a folder, but that's still saying something), and it actually sliced nicely, too (thick blade, but wide, too, so the high flat grind works out well on cardboard and stuff). I was displeased with a weak (nonexistant) detent, which made carrying the knife hazardous. But it was smooth, had great lockup and was nicely built. It was too thick in the handle and too heavy for me to want to carry EDC (I just bought a PT if that tells you anything! Talk about opposite end of the spectrum!!!), but it was a nice knife all the same. My main criticism is still that the design is a little weird (huge handle and 9" overall length, yet the cutting edge was 3.25", I think!) and that I feel there is wasted blade because of the big double choil/finger notch, but all in all I was pleasantly surprised by the AR. I definitely would try to find a way to try it before you buy it, though. It took me about 3 days of constantly playing around with it to really feel comfortable in my hand with it. For such a boxy handle, though, I really was surprised how it fit my hand (medium sized hands). It's worth checking out.
 
Alot of people downt realize how BIG the AR actually is until they finally see it. I friggin love the AR but the only time it really leaves the house is in my back jeans pocket when Im going camping. The SMF is pretty big but you could get away with EDC with this one. One note..Dont buy a Strider unless your ready to get bitten by the Strider bug.. after I bought my first one my bank account started to show many large withdraws :eek:
 
Love4steel, you're nothing compared to Tendoncutter! Check out his pics on Badlands of his collection of Striders (32 or 37, I forget what he's up to!). :eek:
 
The AR and the SMF are the two that I'm trying to decide between. Shape and design are in my consideration but Also the liner lock verses frame lock. What do you guys think? Should I even be factoring the liner verses frame lock into the equation? Are they equal or is the frame lock stronger?

thanks,
silas
 
It's tough to say. Keep in mind, the "liners" on the AR are THICK. You can probably find out for sure on the Unofficial Strider FAQ I posted, but I'd be willing to bet that they are 0.09, maybe 0.08" thick titanium, so they aren't thin like what you may be thinking. I never once even thought about the strength of the lock on the AR I had in the passaround. The AR is more like a framelock with scales than it is a liner lock, even though, technically, it is a liner lock (but, then again, a framelock is just a liner lock without scales on the lock side and a thicker "liner," so it's mincing workds anyway).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top