Kershaw Boa vs. Kershaw Spec Bump vs. Buck Strider Policeknife vs. BM Presidio

My Buck opens pretty easy , a flick of the thumb will propel the blade open. The blade is heavy , so that helps.... Also my Buck has the ATS Bos Blade. But I have other Buck knives in 420HC and for my purposes it's fine.
I have never handled the Speed Bump, but it still looks like a good deal at around $55.00. I agree with Artful, if you can find one like mine, the Speed/Spec Bump at around $70.00 it's a good deal. I tried to find one but couldn't , but found a good deal on the Speed Bump.

http://www.savsonswordsandknives.com/kespbu.html

I buy from this vendor all the time...

Also not to confuse you, but check out the Kershaw StormII, at around $35.00 it is a real bargain and you can find them at WalMart.
 
Owned a ti Bump and traded it for a Benchmade HK knife. It was solid, well made knife, though. I am not a huge fan of AO, but I know alot of guys love them, personally I much prefer the axis lock to assisted openers and even autos for the most part. I own the Presidio and would recommend the 923. Use it awhile and you will be glad you went with this choice.
 
I have the 523SBK. I'm biased. But it does seem to be very well made. The handle is very grippy. Will eat pants pockets if you let it.
 
Artfully and JDP - thanks for the additional suggestions and info. I've got enough Spydercos and honestly not a big fan of most of their designs. Of my Spydies, I like my Native the best...nice design and I like the blade-to-handle length ratio (pretty long blade for a 4" handle). I looked at the BM Ambush, but wasn't feeling it. I like the aesthetics of the Buck 889 and the Kershaw Bump, which is why I listed those. I looked around for a $70 Speed/Spec Bump, but all were above that and considering shipping, would be around $80. I'll try to feel both the Buck 889 and Speed Bump (and if possible, the Speed/Spec) to see how I like the in-hand feel. The only other folder I can think of that I somewhat like in the near $50 price range is the BM Grip, but it's a bit more at $65ish. And I prefer the Mini-Grip over the normal size Grip. The Grip's handle feels cheap also, but decently comfortable. If I move up to the $75ish range, there's a couple of Kershaws like the Avalanche with S60V or S30V (depending on how new I find one) and S30V Blur. But I'm not really digging the Avalanche design either. Blur's ok looking. A normal Blur is $50ish...but only comes in 440A.
 
Ok, came back from the store and felt the Speed Bump. Handle looks super cheap!...I didn't know it was grey as Kershaw's site shows all black. The grey makes it look even cheaper. The handle's shape feels good, but the plastic feels hard and cheap. They didn't have a Buck 889 there, but another one that's similar and it felt pretty good. The TACCOM didn't feel too bad either, but it's a heavy knife. Between the Speed Bump and 889, I think I like the overall feel and look of the 889, but I'm worried about that liner lock.

JPD - I'll see if the Walmarts around me carry the StormII. I looked at it on Kershaw's site and it looks ok. How's Kershaw's 13C26?

I also handled a BM Mini-Skirmish. I love the design, but the chamfered hole just doesn't suit me well. It was somewhat hot in the store and my hand was sweating and my thumb just kept slipping in the hole. Otherwise, it's a beautiful knife and I still want a Ti framelock sometime (can't afford a Sebenza).
 
JSR said:
Ok, came back from the store and felt the Speed Bump. Handle looks super cheap!...I didn't know it was grey as Kershaw's site shows all black. The grey makes it look even cheaper. The handle's shape feels good, but the plastic feels hard and cheap. They didn't have a Buck 889 there, but another one that's similar and it felt pretty good. The TACCOM didn't feel too bad either, but it's a heavy knife. Between the Speed Bump and 889, I think I like the overall feel and look of the 889, but I'm worried about that liner lock.

JPD - I'll see if the Walmarts around me carry the StormII. I looked at it on Kershaw's site and it looks ok. How's Kershaw's 13C26?

I also handled a BM Mini-Skirmish. I love the design, but the chamfered hole just doesn't suit me well. It was somewhat hot in the store and my hand was sweating and my thumb just kept slipping in the hole. Otherwise, it's a beautiful knife and I still want a Ti framelock sometime (can't afford a Sebenza).
Click to expand...


I find Kershaw's 13c26 and 440a to be more than adequate for my purposes. I really don't mind touching up a blade after use. But I really don't do anything that would test the limits of any decent knife. The last blade I damaged was a Gerber Evo that I used to cut nylon strapping, the edge rolled. I've never had that problem with any Kershaw product.

The Storm is a good knife if you like the ergonomics, it's around the same size as the Bump and is a framelock....
 
Buck-Strider grips:
buck_strider.jpg
 
Any chance of getting a picture of the 889/ATS34 liner lock ups? Many have stated they are much thicker liners than the 420 version.

The Boa failed during cuts on resistive material - cardboard, etc., that put pressure on the spine while I was sawing through it. The blade walked the liner off the engagement ramp. It was very subtle. The first Buck failed a light spinewhack against my leather steering wheel - I was just checking it at lunch doing a trunk lid photo shoot, comparing against a Benchmade CQC7 and a CRKT M1-13K. I hand sewed the replacement cover over the padding and wasn't about to mark it up.

The replacement Buck also failed a much harder spinewhack - the force involved seems to increase each time, maybe it's seating in. I have heard this is one knifemakers method to actually cure the problem.

The 420 edge does seem to dull more quickly than AUS8, but it does sharpen quickly too. Maybe at 15 degrees it will do better.
 
In a straight shootout - liner versus axis lock - the Presidio knocks out the Buck/Strider . Recurved edges can be a PITA to sharpen for some guys , this precludes the Kershaw . The Presidio is a well built , strong , solid locking piece . I'd go with the Presidio .

Chris
 
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