My 3 week old Strider SMF has lock rock!

Status
Not open for further replies.
O

ohioan

Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
271
I'm posting this for posterity purposes.

I took the plunge and bought a Strider SMF, having never held a Strider before. My first high end production knife. Most expensive knife I had bought before was a ZT 0801. Loved the look, so I bought a Tiger Stripe Black g10 lego, with flamed titanium lock side. I purchased from a reputable dealer of Striders. Not sure when it was produced.

When I got the knife in hand I was IN LOVE. The flamed titanium is amazing, pictures on the internet do not do it justice. The g10 is the gripiest I've handled. The ergos are great for my hand. The gimping is super effective (at tearing up my knuckles when I reach in my pocket).

The first thing I noticed when I started to look at the lock function is that the lock bar is no where near as strong as my 0801. The 0801 is a pain to close, it's super tensioned and there just isn't enough material to really good a good grip on the lock bar with your thumb. The lock up on the strider was very early when I got it, maybe 10%? As the next week or so went by, I started to notice the lock rock develop. And it slowly got worse. Having never handled a Strider, and not knowing anyone who has, I took it to a semi-local knife shop to get a second opinion. The salesman thought the tension was weak too. But another guy in the store said that Strider would just put some rubber on the stop pin to stop the lock rock.

It's been a week since I went to the knife store, and the lock rock hasn't gotten any worse. The lock won't slip and let the knife close, I've tested it with pressure on the spine of the blade. Once I have a good grip on the knife, the problem goes away. Obviously, since I am applying pressure to the lock bar. I'm not afraid of the knife failing on me, so I think I'm going to continue to use it. If it gets worse or I start to be concerned about the safety aspect, I'll send it back to Strider.

I'm curious has to how Strider would fix this issue. Anyone have any experience with Strider spa services? If I send this in, what are they going to do to it?

And, because all threads without pictures are useless:



 
Last edited:
This happens to a lot of Striders. I personally think it's a bit of a design flaw but others will definitely disagree. Just keep using it and see if the lock face breaks in a bit more. As far as sending it in, Strider will probably put caps on the stop pin so the lock face contacts earlier.
 
Try imgur for hosting pictures. It sounds like maybe not enough tension in your lockbar? If that is the case Strider would put more bend in the lockbar and send it back to you. If you have the old style lockup and the blade developed lock rock they install a larger stop pin to move the lockup to an earlier position. Check for a loose pivot also
 
I'm guessing it needs more lockbar tension. I received an SnG-T earlier this week that developed cosmetic lock rock (cosmetic in that the lock is not at risk of failure) and it's obvious that it needs more tension on the lockbar. It's a fix you can do yourself if you have the guts for it, but I chose to send mine back to Strider. A quick google shows that it's an issue people have had in the past with them.
 
???

I thought lock rock was normal for Striders. Every SnG I've handled had a least a little wobble if you pushed on the blade, one made an audible clicking noise when you did it. I think that must be how they're intended to work.
 
Haha haven't you read the many complaints of this knife?

I'd also contact them and most likely they'll fix it. .
 
Surprise! :p

Send it back to Strider via private carrier (NOT USPS...that would be too convenient) with a note and $25.00. They will either bend over the lockbar, or push the thumbstud out and replace it with a slightly larger one.

A few weeks later, and $40 poorer (for insured shipping both ways, of course), you will get your 3 week old knife back! Ain't it grand??



( If you are tempted to try and bend the lockbar further yourself, you have voided the warranty as soon as the knife is disassembled, and they won't touch it.)
 
I too have always wanted a Strider. I decided against it because of the quality control issues. I know they will fix their knives no matter how you abuse them, but most people do not cut up concrete on a daily basis. I would rather have a knife with better fit and finish... especially for the price that they charge.
 
Tripton said:
Surprise! :p

Send it back to Strider via private carrier (NOT USPS...that would be too convenient) with a note and $25.00. They will either bend over the lockbar, or push the thumbstud out and replace it with a slightly larger one.

A few weeks later, and $40 poorer (for insured shipping both ways, of course), you will get your 3 week old knife back! Ain't it grand??



( If you are tempted to try and bend the lockbar further yourself, you have voided the warranty as soon as the knife is disassembled, and they won't touch it.)
Click to expand...

Evidently the process is so complicated that there is a 9 minute YT video to help you thru it.

[youtube]nRFNbK_O3gY[/youtube]
 
"the Strider guys HATE having to go to the postal service to get your package"....am I the only one who thinks this seems a bit unreasonable? for some of us in Smalltown, USA the USPS is our only option (unless youre willing to put in a couple hours on the road)
 
biggerjon said:
I too have always wanted a Strider. I decided against it because of the quality control issues. I know they will fix their knives no matter how you abuse them, but most people do not cut up concrete on a daily basis. I would rather have a knife with better fit and finish... especially for the price that they charge.
Click to expand...

I feel you on that. Anyone who puts out a $400 mid-tech, especially if they have been doing it for over a decade, should at least be able to match the QC of Spyderco. Or Kershaw. Or Benchmade. Or SanRenMu. Or Ganzo. Or Enlan. Or CRKT. Or...

Two of the three Striders I have handled had some variety of blade play. All of them had ridiculously stiff pivots and lock stick. They were all dull straight from the factory. Unacceptable. For those prices, I can grab a Chris Reeve knife and know it'll be perfect out of the box, made with the same materials (assuming S30V / S35VN), open smoothly, lock up perfectly, be at least acceptably sharp, and still stand up to anything I would use a folding knife on. Heck, for half that I can get a ZT and get the same. An 0550 is just as overbuilt, but much cheaper. I could even pick up a Southard and have exceptional steel to boot.

I don't get Strider knives. They have proven to not be my cup of tea no matter how many times I've tried. If only some other mid-tech maker would start using Z-Wear and 110v in that price range...
 
I'm not complaining. I knew I was taking a chance. But I felt better about my "gamble" because everything I read said that if I got a bad one, they'd fix'er up. I'm just not WOW'd by Chris Reeve Knives. Except maybe a large sebenza tanto. Now, if someone would have been willing to sell me a new Hinderer xm-18 for $475 I wouldn't be a Strider owner.


It'll go back to Strider sometime this month. I'll keep this thread updated.
 
I've seen enough YouTube videos to know it's common enough to be considered
a feature of Striders.
 
I tried one Strider after hearing a mixed review for years. I did buy it from a dealer that checked it out for me while on the phone. I have absolutely no complaints about mine. Blade dead centered, no blade play at all, sharp enough to shave hair, smooth to open and fit and finish are very good. Mine is a very good knife if it wasn't I'd not be carrying it everyday.
 
I remember one guy sending his in and getting it back with a larger stop pin which fixed the issue. But your issue sounds like the lock is slipping out a small amount since it is fixed by gripping the lock bar. I have a boker plus manaro bullseye. It has this exact type of lock up issue. And when I look I can see the lock bar move a millimeter or so. I don't send it back because its a cheapo. If it was a strider it'd go back.
 
RemyKaze said:
Ditto. Even though I'm trying out the new ZT/Emerson.
Click to expand...

the lock on my new zt 0550 slips with very minimal pressure applied to the back of the blade. i dont think it will fail during normal use, but yeah i feel the slippage is inherent to the design and shakes my confidence in the knife a bit. i will probably be sticking to axis locks and back/triad locks from now on unless i see a framelock that just absolutely need to have.
 
JeremiahWeaver09 said:
the lock on my new zt 0550 slips with very minimal pressure applied to the back of the blade. i dont think it will fail during normal use, but yeah i feel the slippage is inherent to the design and shakes my confidence in the knife a bit. i will probably be sticking to axis locks and back/triad locks from now on unless i see a framelock that just absolutely need to have.
Click to expand...


Send it back. Vertical play is never acceptable or inherent in a properly designed and made framelock knife.

I refuse to accept any vertical play, and if any of mine develop it, they get tossed, fixed, or sold under full disclosure.
 
I had a SNG for awhile and really tried to like it,but I also like a longer cutting surface. For an eight inch knife you only get three inches of cutting surface and some of that is part of the upsweep of the blade. Aesthetically I like the tough look but the blade looks out of proportion to the overall length of the knife IMHO. I've never had an issue with fit and finish, blade play, or the lock sticking.
My Sebbies and Hinderers have had no issues out of the box, and thanks to Comeuppance and his CRKT Erasure thread, I picked up an Eraser for a quarter of the price of mid techs and to my astonishment I was pleasantly surprised of the F&F, lock up, blade sharpness and overall quality. The point is if a company like CRKT can have great QC so should Strider. The old saying "we make it right so we won't have to make it right" applies.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top