The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
3Guardsmen said:
Ummmm.......I think it should be noted that "widely" does not mean "universally". My opinion has always been that his knives were badly designed and gimmicky. I always wondered how Spec Ops guys could carry them. I understand about young soldiers because I saw many of them buy many "Rambo" style knives from places like BQ, the Cav Store and Ranger Joes back in the day. This thread and a couple of others clears a few things up for me. Te big one being that Strider knives could NOT have been designed by anyone who had ever carried a knife in harm's way. Just my opinion and I fully expect to get flamed like downtown Dresden, but hey....that's what forums like this are for
What disturbs me most is that Mr. Strider has apparently made numerous materiel misrepresentations of fact regarding his past in order to promote his product. Some folks on here have asserted that this would have no effect on his sales. I disagree strongly. I suspect that there are many soldiers out there who bought his knives based at least in part, on his representations that he had extensive military experience and that he desinged his knives based on the "hard lessons" that he and his fellow Spec Op troops had leaned in the field. We now know that to be false. In hindsight, perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise. When I think of knives that have been designed with signifcant input from folks with field experience, interestingly, none of them look like a Strider. Most of the "classics" that I can think of bear a strong resemblance to either a tradtional clip point bowie or European dagger. The ones that immediately come to mind where I know that the maker or company either had military experience, sought input from soldiers or both are the Moran Airman, the Randall Model 14, The Appelgate-Fairbairn dagger and the original SOG bowie. Thes knives are all based on proven designs and they work. Looking back, we know some of the lessons of trendy knives. The one that pops to mind is the inherent weakness of most of the hollow handeled knives. What bothers me about the Strider situation above and beyond the inherent dishonesty is that many of our troops, who never have a lot of cash, paid BIG bucks for these knives possibly base on false information. I have never owned a Strider. There was a rube who "tested" knives to destruction here on the forum. Most of us laughed at him, but his test of a Strider did provide on good piece of information. The grind of the blade bevels rendered it a less than stellar cutter even when cutting cardboard new out of the box. Why would someone who had allegedly been in the service design a series of knives that won't cut as well as a cheap Ka Bar? I think I may have my answer. He didn't know any better.
What is his reputation based on? Possibly that he had field experience as a Spec Ops soldier and based his designs on his experience and what he found wrong with other knives that he and his fellow troopers carried? hmmmmmm
I for one have always felt a large degree of disbelief that anyone who had ever carried a knife as part of their kit would EVER want a knife LOOKED that uncomforatble and unwieldy. Maybe it's me just me.Not that I'm aware of. His reputation has been based on his product and affable personality, two things that haven't been disputed here.
Well, the next time you carry a knife into combat, let me know what worked for you.
I never represented that I carried a knife in combat. I was a "tweener." Way too young for Vietnam and I got out before Desert Storm. So, to clarify, I only carried knives in the field and not in combat. Had a couple of bad ones in day. Had a few more that were well made,like the O1 Gerber Mk1, but were highly focused and not suitable for general use. I came to knifemakeing after that period of using and years of collecting, but i do NOT claim to be an expert, That is why most of the knives I have attemted to make pay strong homage to folks like Bill Moran, Bob Loveless, Jerry Fisk and old guys like Michael Price and knifemakers of Sheffield. The only representations that I make are what materials and techniques I used, that it is my best effort and that the knife desing was based on proven designs. I make no claims of expertise like Mr. Strider. The only thing i will tell someone is either what I learned NOT to use or what I have heard from the REAL experts....and I give them credit.
You may be correct, my friend. This thing muddies the waters in what night therwise be a " different strokes" argument about design and materials. What actually puzzled me......or, if I am being honest, turned me off about Strider knives from the first time I saw them, was the handle design. But that was just my personal feeling and not supported by any evidence....lol. I HATE paracord handles. I'm kinda old school when it comes to design and that was my natural prejudice showing. It was not sure about the grind, etc. or really had no first hand experience. What I have had is very bad field experience with knives made from "super" stainless as far as resharpening goes. That is my carbon steel prejudice showing up there
