How did Strider influence the ZT0300 series?

00ChevyScott

00ChevyScott

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I've often found it weird that the 0300 series knife is a Strider/Ken Onion collaboration. I can definitely see the Ken Onion influences but really don't see much of a Strider influence. Its got the lock stop but I consider that more of a hinderer influence. I've also heard other members mention it looks a lot like a Strider but I don't see that at all.
 
Tiger stripe on blade and the blade steel which is S30V. Strider uses S30V for all their knives unless they are custom.
 
It appears to be the tiger stripes. Everything else looks like Ken Onion or Kershaw design influences with the exception of the Hinderer stop like you said.
 
I see the tiger stripes and trhe texturing on the Ti side as looking very strider
 
Also the shape and texturing of the butt of the handle. (If you have both a ZT 030X and a Strider SMF/SnG, hold each in a reverse grip and it should be pretty apparent.)
 
To me it always sort of seemed like Ken took the best of Mick's design and drastically improved it - and then added all of his personal touches (Ken Onion loves his grind/recurve/swedge and the assisted flipper).

You can see some of Mick's design in there - the base of the handle and huge jimping (as well as thumb-stud/stop-pins). The G10 scale and huge pivot are indicative of a Mick Strider knife as well as the Tiger-Stripe. The Hinderer-Stop is a Rick Hinderer thing, but Mick used it before Ken Onion did (as far as I know - I could be wrong there).

I love the assisted opening and flipper - that's all Ken Onion right there. Could do without the Recurve blade, but it's not the worst thing to happen to it.

If I were to choose between an SNG/SMF or a 030X for exactly the same price, I would go with the ZT every time (even at inflated Strider prices). The steel (is it steel or Ti?) liner is a huge thing for me. My friend caused his SMF to get quite a bit of blade-play when trying to prove how awesome his knife was by cutting into a large chunk of wood. Blade got stuck and he had to sort of wiggle it free. G10 is awesome, but it's not structurally the same thing as steel/Ti. The 3D G10 and Ti machine work make for an even more ergonomic feel than the SNG/SMF but I wish they could have managed a choil like the SNG/SMF has - I know with it being a flipper, this is virtually impossible. That's where my old SNG had me - it was very comfortable with the blade-shape, choil, and handle-shape.

These days I go with a fixed-blade if I want to use it harder than normal (I recently sold my 0301) - but if I had to pick a knife that would handle "extreme use", it would be the 030X over pretty much anything out there in the production folder arena.
 
Well it has a lot of attributes that are given credit to Strider even though they are Chris Reeve and Hinderer technology which probably has been loaned to Strider anyway.

Strider attributes:
Lockstop
Ti framelock
Tiger stripe
Ergonomics (striders have a thumb rest area in icepick grip)


Ken Onion did the blade... I don't like recurves, I wish they stuck with a drop-point but the positives greatly outweigh the negatives on that knife. That combined with the fact that it has proven actually MORE reliable than any Strider I've owned in both lockup, cutting power, and overall fun (yeah I'm a sick, sick person), make the 0300 probably the best ti framelock ever made up until the 0550 came out. CRK's work too but their demographic is a bit different.

The texturing is not anything Strider makes from what I know. The double gunner grip model is the only textured production one and that is dimpled, not checkered. Thats probably just Kershaw flexing their machining ability to be honest. That pattern is better to me.

The jimping is very strider, but it's ramped on the 0300 which makes it better for uhh.... well you know.
Ergos are better, it swells in the hand and the back of the handle is curved versus straight. Ever used a Strider without using the choil? Not that great.

I actually thought the 0300's were actually $300 when I went to buy one, damn near almost bought a second one when I found out actual price.

This is coming from someone who has bought 3 Striders (about $1300 worth) so far, so it should go a long way when I say that ZT probably did a better job on the 0300.

There you go Thomas, that should make up for my 0560 post :D
 
rbmcmjr said:
Tim did the hand ground swedges on the TAD Gear specials.
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+1 on this..... I'd also say that Tim probably did a fair amount of the engineering and CAD work on this knife. To the extent that alot of productions are based on customs and custom maker's designs..... the actual CAD programming, engineering, making it work, job costing......... and on and on..... is done in house by company engineers and machinists. At that point in time it was probably Tim doing alot of that work along with other Kershaw employees.
 
Chris_Himself said:
Ken Onion did the blade... I don't like recurves, I wish they stuck with a drop-point but the positives greatly outweigh the negatives on that knife. That combined with the fact that it has proven actually MORE reliable than any Strider I've owned in both lockup, cutting power, and overall fun (yeah I'm a sick, sick person), make the 0300 probably the best ti framelock ever made up until the 0550 came out. CRK's work too but their demographic is a bit different.

The texturing is not anything Strider makes from what I know. The double gunner grip model is the only textured production one and that is dimpled, not checkered. Thats probably just Kershaw flexing their machining ability to be honest. That pattern is better to me.

The jimping is very strider, but it's ramped on the 0300 which makes it better for uhh.... well you know.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was just guessing. My brevity wasn't meant to imply I know what the hell I'm talking about. I have never owned a Strider or ever seen one in person that I remember. I don't see the point since the ZTs are much better value unless you really want to own a fancy custom. I have a hard time using my nicer production knives without feeling guilty! I keep buying NIB and then a blem copy that I won't feel guilty thrashing.

I also prefer a regular drop to the Onion recurve just because I'm horrible at sharpening. I find the recurve to be a very usable design though. I should probably just start taking my knives over to Kershaw as it is only a mile or so out of my way and would give me an excuse for being there and meeting more of the employees and chatting about knives.
 
oregonknifenerd said:
Yeah, I was just guessing. My brevity wasn't meant to imply I know what the hell I'm talking about. I have never owned a Strider or ever seen one in person that I remember. I don't see the point since the ZTs are much better value unless you really want to own a fancy custom. I have a hard time using my nicer production knives without feeling guilty! I keep buying NIB and then a blem copy that I won't feel guilty thrashing.

I also prefer a regular drop to the Onion recurve just because I'm horrible at sharpening. I find the recurve to be a very usable design though. I should probably just start taking my knives over to Kershaw as it is only a mile or so out of my way and would give me an excuse for being there and meeting more of the employees and chatting about knives.
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Eh, you're not missing out, they feel like they look. I just like them because I like them. Doesn't mean I can't pick up a Spyderco Endura and be 10/10 delighted still. A lot of people get caught up in the elitism brought on by pricey knives. They cost a lot because you pretty much own one of those for life and nothing else.

The recurve doesn't work for me but it honestly cuts like a dream up until you have to sharpen it. The curved part is sort of a force multiplier when cutting!
 
oregonknifenerd said:
Yeah, I was just guessing. My brevity wasn't meant to imply I know what the hell I'm talking about. I have never owned a Strider or ever seen one in person that I remember. I don't see the point since the ZTs are much better value unless you really want to own a fancy custom. I have a hard time using my nicer production knives without feeling guilty! I keep buying NIB and then a blem copy that I won't feel guilty thrashing.

I also prefer a regular drop to the Onion recurve just because I'm horrible at sharpening. I find the recurve to be a very usable design though. I should probably just start taking my knives over to Kershaw as it is only a mile or so out of my way and would give me an excuse for being there and meeting more of the employees and chatting about knives.
Click to expand...

Eh, you're not missing out, they feel like they look. I just like them because I like them. Doesn't mean I can't pick up a Spyderco Endura and be 10/10 delighted still. A lot of people get caught up in the elitism brought on by pricey knives. They cost a lot because you pretty much own one of those for life and nothing else.

The recurve doesn't work for me but it honestly cuts like a dream up until you have to sharpen it. The curved part is sort of a force multiplier when cutting!
 
If it hasn't been said.
Oversize pivot
Scale and to colors
Thumb studs as stop pins too I memory serves me
 
Greenhead556 said:
Tiger stripe on blade and the blade steel which is S30V. Strider uses S30V for all their knives unless they are custom.
Click to expand...

Orly?

http://www.monkeyedge.com/Strider_Knives_Fixed_MSS_p/sk0667.htm




Chris_Himself said:
Well it has a lot of attributes that are given credit to Strider even though they are Chris Reeve and Hinderer technology which probably has been loaned to Strider anyway.

Strider attributes:
Lockstop
Ti framelock
Tiger stripe
Ergonomics (striders have a thumb rest area in icepick grip)
Click to expand...

The "thumb rest" as you call it also works in a forward-saber grip to lock the knife into your palm. More went into the Strider folder handle than most people give it credit for.
 
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I just bought a Strider SnG and I love it. I'll have to go to a local ZT dealer and hold a 0300 again and see if I'll ever want to pick one up. I thought the 0200 was a pocket hog so I may not get an 0300 for that reason alone.
 
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