Is Strider tiger stripe and digicamo a tough finish??.or is stonewash the way to go??

M

mystro

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Aug 26, 2010
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I was in the process of ordering a SMF GG in either digicamo or stone wash. How good is Striders blade coating?? I have a ZT with DLC and it is very tough. Should I go with a coating or is the stone finish really the way to go?

Thanks guys.
 
I've never had a strider, but from what I understand, the tiger stripe is a fully DLC coated blade, and then media blasted away on the light parts, which make the stripes...that would lead me to believe it'd be more prone to rust.

I've heard the digicam coating is very tough, and should protect it well from rust.

However, I have no personal experience, so take that for what it's worth. Hopefully some others can give us personal experience.
 
I only buy coated folders when I don't have a choice and the knife is too compelling to avoid such as the upcoming ZT 0550 and the HEST/F. Most folders use a form of stainless or semi-stainless alloys anyway for the blade steel and liners are usually some form of stainless or titanium or no liner at all too.

Stonewash is my finish of choice BY FAR and even though I don't (can't) buy every knife I want with a stonewash finish, I do buy the stonewash any time I possibly can.

Of all the coatings I've had personal experience with, the Tungsten DLC coatings ala ZT are the best as far as I'm concerned though.
 
I had a SnG tiger stripe - the coating is pretty tough.

The only trouble I had with it was the gray area that was bead blasted after the black was applied tended to develop rust spots quickly.

I used wax on the blade and that seemed to retard the rust.

Apparently the bead blasting leaves little dimples where moisture collects and develops rust spots.

If you are not worried about the wax and are not going to use the knife for food prep I say go for the tiger stripe. Makes a tough knife look tougher.

For the record - I do not currently have Strider.
 
Digicam is slightly tougher, and camouflages any wear. It's my favorite of any coated blade I own, parts of it are etched in the blade. Really nice.
 
I have an SNG with a tiger striped blade. It is very tough stuff. I had the same concerns as you originally but was greatly impressed after getting it.
 
personally, i would choose stonewash for two reasons. One, it is a nicer friendlier finish, that won't scratch off, and shows wear nicely.
second, as stated above, i have read many posts about rust developing on the lighter portions of the tiger striped blade.
 
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