info on strider knives

D

derschman

Joined
Mar 26, 2002
Messages
130
I am thinking about buying a strider folding knife for every day cary,with the tiger stripped blade,will this blade wear well,I will use the hell out of it,will the strips fade from wear?
 
The striped fade over time, but unless thats a big deal for you dont let that keep you from getting one. They are among the best heavy duty folders out there.
 
You know how some people carry a cheep POS as well as a good knife, so that if a chore is likely to be too brutal they can use their cheep POS and save the good knife, well that's what I use the Strider SNG for. The difference is the Strider can take it, in fact it begs for more :eek: :D
 
They no longer use adhesive on the AR/GBs
Also that other prob sounds like one that they could have fixed if sent in. I know though that I dont like to have to send stuff in to have fixed, but if I like the knife I would rather get it fixed then just sell it.
 
I can undestand your frustration. However, that's the reason Strider offers a 100% no questions asked guarentee. If you have a problem, send it back and they'll make it right.

That being said I've owned, carried, and used my SnG almost everyday for the past few months. No problems whatsoever. Locks up super strong every time.
 
I like Striders, and own a bunch, BUT, i have to agree in part with the other poster, Striders folders, the SnG in particular, needs better knife to knife consistancy, i have seen too many brand new SnG's that had issues, yes, the warantee is great, but you shouldnt need it so often on a new knife, especially a $400 production knife. The ARs are a little better, but still suffer from inconsistant QC, i was delighted to finally, after a couple of years, find an AR that is perfectly made, it wasnt easy. I love the designs, just wish it were easier to get a perfect specimen. No problems with their fixed blades, which are well made.

Second, it wasnt so long ago that anybody who had the guts to mention the adhesive issue got slammed and dismissed as a troll, and Mick would say that it was a non-issue. Well, apparently he misspoke. I had this very issue on a brand new AR, and it completely disabled the knife, im glad they decided to change the design as i never thought a "tough as nails" folder should have an adhesive in its design, as it can be a weak link, particularly if you know it was breaking down on multiple knives.

Having said all this, i think the QC on the newer SnGs is better than the earlier ones, and the newer ARs are also decent, but still suffer from some inconsistancies. On a $350-$400 production folder, i expect a knife that has no blade play, a perfectly fitted lock, a centered blade, a well fitted and effective detent, and a smooth action, and the fact is, i have seen too many Strider folders fail in these ways. Yes, every production company lets a few slip by, im sure even CR has let a bad one slip, but for CR, its truly rare, with Strider, its not as rare as it should be in this price range.

I do love their knives though, and feel if you do get a good one, it is a great knife. i wouldnt trade my AR for anything, and i trade knives all the time, this one is a keeper, as is my SnG which yes, is also flawless.
 
Good points. Some of them are valid:
--two different sized thumbstuds on a SnG? Those also function as the stop pin, and having two different sizes doesn't make sense.
--Glue?
--The Warranty...It's a great warranty, and Strider will definitely stand behind all of their products, BUT there should be no use for the warranty when you receive a brand-new knife.

Are they overpriced? Based materials and construction, probably, but the price is inline with demand, and Strider is "the brand" right now.

That being said, I like my TAC-AR and SnG, even with the quirks they both have...and that's the basic tenant of any hobby. If you, like it, buy it...

--dan
 
a 400 dollar knife should not have any problems that require sending the knife back to the maker period.
 
I agree with all of you that on a $400 dollar folder there should be no defects a perfect specimen would be expected.

Its hard not to love the Strider folders but they are expensive!
 
I am in agreement with Megalobyte.

Strider folders did suffer from consistency issues. QC should be better than it is/was. (Don't know how there consistency is nowadays.)

After experiencing the adhesive problem with my AR, I steered clear of the first batch of SnGs. My AR has been back to the shop, twice. It is now perfectly tuned, solid, smooth and reliable. Lock is solid, no play, passes spine whack test on all sides.

The warranty works. The fact that you have to use it is a pain.

Would I trade my AR? Nothing has inspired me to do that yet.

Concerning spine whacks - if you whack a knife on its spine enough times, eventually, something is going to give. That is just the nature of folding knives. They are not full-tang fixed blades. To test a knifes spine - a couple of hard whacks onto soft wood are enough. If you whack the knife on concrete, steel, and any other hard unyielding surface, you are destroying the knife.

I am pretty sure that I can cause damage and lock failure to all folding knives with a bit of leverage and a solid surface.
 
Uh, adhesive on a knife?
Where does Strider use adhesive on their folders?
Lenny
 
Strider used to use adhesive on the AR/GBs. This was in part because of the washer that they used to use, it was D shaped for the size and some it would allow the liner lock to work.

They now use more washers instead.
 
Where's the best place to buy a Strider SnG, spearpoint, with tiger stripes?
Is this something that is "in stock, no wait"?
Thanks
 
The SnG doesn't use any adhesives, I got a series 1 and it's perfect. So is my AR which is in it's 2nd year of use. If I remember, Mick said the adhesive on the AR also served to prevent corrosion from sea water between the washers and blade....or something like that.
 
:rolleyes:


Buy one and you will love it. You will also regret it, because you will find yourself wanting more and more. Screw heroin, Striders are the most addictive substance on the planet!!! :D

Comparing Striders to CR isn't really fair. Strider's are not meant to be pretty; they'll have a cosmetic flaw or two, but nothing that actually affects performance.

Most of the people in this thread are very clearly forgetting that Strider knives are made by military men FOR military men to be USED HARD. They are not designed as "objets d'art" and as such, the same standards do not apply.

While I'll of course acknowledge that people may have had problems with their Striders, I'll ask you to name me a manufacturer that is ALWAYS PERFECT. I don't mean 99%, but 100%. Go ahead. I'll wait for your reply. It seems that is what people here are asking for.

Mick and Co. are always more than happy to help out their customers, so I don't buy the "they wouldn't fix it" crap. I've learned in life that whenever a consumer has a problem with a reputable company, 99% of the time it is the customer's fault.

By that I mean that these customers are rude (sometimes horribly rude) have unrealistic expectations, and are generally incapable of being dealt with. In my experience, Mick & co. are all too eager to go out of their way for their customers, so I believe anyone who has problems with them is like what I just described.

Flame away...:rolleyes:
 
Well, I think drjones (and a few others) added some very useful info to this question. Strider knives are not intended to compete with the CRK Sebenzas in the "pretty/fit and finish" arena. The AR/GB/SnG shine in the "Beat the heck out of it and do dumb stuff that knives never should do." arena. I have 3 Sebenzas, 1 Tac AR, 1 GB and 2 SnG's... I do things with my Striders that would give CR a heart attack if he saw me do them with my Sebenza. If I send my large 2002 Ironwood to CRK and tell them I screwed up the blade prying the lid off of a packing crate I think I'll need to send them a little money to get it fixed. Mick will just call me a "Dumbass" and fix it.

I think that we also have to address the "Production Knife" aspect as well. I don't know if we can use that term when dealing with Strider and be accurate. I think these are more high volume "Semi-Custom". Mick had indicated that there is quite a bit of hand fitting still being done with these knives. Also his "Production Runs" are so small that they would make most (if not all) "Production" shops laugh out loud. QC was a problem and it looks like it has improved.

I have had to use the "Just send it in" repair method (Only on my type 1 Tanto SnG) and the "Strider Guys" never asked a question about it. They just fixed it and sent it back.

I carry both the CRK's and Striders and feel both are great. However, If I could only carry one knife I would want one I don't need to worry about and find I reach for one of my Striders more frequently then one of my Sebenzas.

As to the adhesive... The washer/bushing on the lock side of the AR/GB was made in a "D" shape to allow it to be wide but still have a portion that would not interfere with the lock. Mick was holding this in place with a 3M adhesive so that it would not rotate and either block the lock in the unlocked position or lock the lock in the locked position. The new AR/GB knives have moved to a smaller washer/bushing on the lock side and therefore do not need the adhesive.

Your Mileage May Vary...

BTW Phil@2theHilt is a great guy to work with and so too is MattD.
 
Originally posted by WTFOver
Mick will just call me a "Dumbass" and fix it.
Click to expand...
Not even that. He knows his blades will be used for stuff like that. I'd almost say its within their intended uses. :)

I think that we also have to address the "Production Knife" aspect as well. I don't know if we can use that term when dealing with Strider and be accurate. I think these are more high volume "Semi-Custom". Mick had indicated that there is quite a bit of hand fitting still being done with these knives. Also his "Production Runs" are so small that they would make most (if not all) "Production" shops laugh out loud. QC was a problem and it looks like it has improved.

Click to expand...
Finally a voice of reason from WTF!

And yes, what you say is true; Striders are indeed semi-custom. Look at the Tac AR/GB line; only ~100 AR's, only ~68 GB's.
 
I'm not too sure about the QC issues with the first run SnG's...but, I have a Series 3 SnG with the black oxide finish and it is flawlwss in and out...Total straight lockup, ceneterd blade and kick ass fit and feel.

And mine is #70 out of 100...So thers some QC for ya.

Next on the list is a MARSOC and of course a LG Sebbie.;)
 
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