Is Strider the toughest folder?

that's a tough question :) it depends what tough means to you, maybe should you give examples of what you expect from a "tough" knife?

I have a Buck Strider 880 tanto, I can say it's a tough piece of knife, kinda pocket prybar, as much as you can pry with a folding knife though of course, anyway it is barbaric and senseless to use a knife as a prybar, better use a real prybar, it's adapted and cheaper :p

Xavier.
 
A Tough folding knife should be able to do the following without breaking, getting too dull or loosening up.

Baton through tough knotty wood without going too blunt
Torque it hard without it closing accidently
Pry open doors
Throw it without bits breaking off it or getting too dented
 
yes, striders are the toughest, but they are also extremely expensive, so you might as well carry a cheap fixed blade or a mini-prybar, along with your regular folder. cr sebenzas and extrema ratio are also tough.
 
UMM, YEAH Striders are the TOUGHEST, but I don't use my much bc the blade is too thick to cut well. Spydercos are the best :D
 
Mick and Duane build all of their knives to withstand the toughest conditions.

But I would say the Sebenza stands up right next to the Strider knives for toughness. :eek:
 
Yeah, Strider makes some real tough folders. I would also agree with Tom that the Sebenza is pretty close, but not quit as tough as the Strider knives. The only real weakness in the Sebenza, if you want to look at it in that way, is the thinner blade. I would think it would be much easier to break off the blade of a Sebanza than a GB or AR. But the other side of that is that the Sebenza will cut much better than the AR or GB.
 
Shing said:
A Tough folding knife should be able to do the following without breaking, getting too dull or loosening up.

Baton through tough knotty wood without going too blunt
Torque it hard without it closing accidently
Pry open doors
Throw it without bits breaking off it or getting too dented
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err... seriously, did you already see a knife doing all this, and staying undamaged or is it just a tanker fantasy?

ok, let's go through your request:

- point 1: most good folder should be able to widthstand batonning into wood, although the mechanic will most probably remember it,
- point 2: most good folder should be able to stand up, at least for safety,
- point 3: not even the best folder can widthstand heavy prying without breaking or getting partly unusable afterward,
- point 4: if you want something that survives hard throws without loosing bits, you'll have to choose a blade made of mild steel, nothing you could hardened to have a cutting edge that stays sharp after cutting through cheese, and forget about the mechanic if you do that more than once...
 
French Kiss said:
- point 1: most good folder should be able to widthstand batonning into wood, although the mechanic will most probably remember it,
- point 2: most good folder should be able to stand up, at least for safety,
- point 3: not even the best folder can widthstand heavy prying without breaking or getting partly unusable afterward,
- point 4: if you want something that survives hard throws without loosing bits, you'll have to choose a blade made of mild steel, nothing you could hardened to have a cutting edge that stays sharp after cutting through cheese, and forget about the mechanic if you do that more than once...
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mechanism? in english a mechanic fixes cars :) While trying to decipher this I was imagining a mechanic saying "Hey you! you're batoning through some wood! I'm going to remember that!"
 
Sure Striders are tough knives. I love them. I have two. But for other jobs there are prybars, hammers, axes, Bobcats, bulldozers, etc. What in the world are you guys getting into out there? :D
 
Shing said:
Or are there tougher ones, custom or factory.
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It's hard to say because Striders have tested the heck out of their knives and they've been used hard and used extensively in real-world situations by soldiers, special forces, law enforcement, rescue personnel... etc.

It's harder to say that about other folders. We don't KNOW if they would stand up to what Striders will take because they haven't put in the time - there aren't as many stories coming in from the field.

For example. I have a Matt Cucchiara custom that I traded a Strider GB for. It's 1/4" thick and built like a tank. I would feel confident putting it up against a Strider, but who would DO that to a Cucchiara?





 

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Extrema Ratio folders are tougher knives than the Strider AR/GB folders because they have 1/4" thick blades and uses a securable lockback design.

That said Strider AR/GBs have 3/16 thick blades and linerlocks. By design the toughest linerlock in the world will fail if enough pressure is placed on it in the right angle.
Striders AR/GB are more conveinent, lighter, slice better and are pretty darn tough.

But if you want the folder that most closely behaves like a fixed blade, it has to be the extrema ratio. Beyound that you need a good balisong knife, which is potentially the most secure folding-type knife design.
 
tom mayo said:
Mick and Duane build all of their knives to withstand the toughest conditions.

But I would say the Sebenza stands up right next to the Strider knives for toughness. :eek:
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I agree. Strider folders are plenty tough. So are Sebenzas. I know for sure because I own a number of both. Either one can be damaged if you try hard enough. Any folder can. I'll also ad that Tom's knives are plenty tough as well, and equally beautiful. He's just too modest to mention them in his own post. :D

Take care,
John...

p.s. Nice looking blade there fulloflead. Sorry to hear the GB didn't work out to your liking.
 
I forgot to ad this. Shing, your #3 requirement is asking a lot of any knife, even a fixed blade. Here's the deal. I've pryed open my share of doors in the last 17 years as a firefighter. There are basically 2 types of doors. Those that I can just kick in with a well placed donkey kick (all interior residential and many exterior residential) and those that require the use of a haligan bar (pry bar with a 90 degree blade coming out from the handle) to get the leverage you need. I don't think any folding knife could accomplish the second type of door. There is a third type of door as well, that which requires C4 and some det cord, but we're not allowed to play with that kind of stuff :grumpy: Damn administration doesn't trust us.

Good luck in your search for a tough, hard use folder.

John...
 
I've heard that a Buck Strider 880 can take up to 900lbs before the lock fails and the real Striders are supposed to be a little stronger that than. I think the Striders are too thick for a Folder and the Extrema Ratios are ridiculous. Remember the thicker the edge and thicker the stock the worse it is at cutting. The strongest folding knife I would ever use is a Spderco Manix, it's got an awfully strong lockback and a 4mm thick S30V full flat ground blade blade. If I ever need a knife tougher than that simple: Becker BK7:)
 
The reason why Strider desings their knives for such extreme abuse...

A soldier or Marine is not likely to be carrying a prybar in the field. Depending on his job/ mission he may not have an E-tool to dig with. You only have so much room to carry your gear, not to mention weight.

To many guys operating, their knife becomes many different tools.

Of course you want to pick a knife with the right geometry for utility use. A dagger may not be the best choice to pry with etc.....

From all of the folders I have seen and or used/ tested the Strider SMF/ SNG design is the strongest most utilitarian design for field work. The USMC agreed when they issued it to their top warfighters.

SF

-Josh
 
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