Need some advise on a Big Heavy duty production folder

have handled a strider and a chinook, they are both big heavy knives - nothing wrong w/that, in fact you mentioned thats what ya want sooo- i, personally am not particularly enamored of either one, but for hunting,outdoors, etc would get the chinook, EDC the strider if i had to decide between the two, dont ask me why lol.....and buck REALLY stands behind there products, i do know that from personal experience, they stand behind there knives 110%


sifu
 
This knife is the answer to your eternal question. I've had mine since Nov. 2000. We've been through a lot - peircing beer cans with Zantetsuken to sleeping in the evidence room for a few months. Awesome knife. I'm modifying mine: grinding away some G-10, putting grip tape on clip, and having a custom maker reprofile the blade. It's my EDC along with a BM350 for small tasks. Get one... or better yet get two, the spearpoint looks cool.
 
el cid,
You have a tough choice to make my friend.

There are some folders that may fit your needs but you haven't mentioned them in your post. One of them might be THE knife your looking for.:D I've included a couple in my synopsis below. BTW, I have all the mentioned knives and have carried and used them all.

The Strider in ATS-34 is a tank of a folder but it needs a sheath. The bloody thing is nearly bomb proof in it's construction. A VERY large handful of folder. However, it is too thick to pocket carry for me and I normally carry a Sifu. :eek:

The Spyderco Chinook is an awesome folder(one of my all time faves) but it is tip down carry. In it's corner though is a CPM440V bowie style clip point blade:D. The heftiest lockback I've ever laid my hands on, it fairly screams at you to use it and use it hard. Sharpen 1/2" of the back edge at the tip and you have a formidable defensive blade capable of delivering a nasty back slash or tip rip. Also, one of the things I like about this knife is the fact that the ricasso is big enough to protect your index finger in the unlikely event the lock fails or to choke up on for finer cutting or slicing chores.

The AlMar SERE 2000 is a just plain all-out tough ass knife. It carrys well in the pocket and is the most comfortable to hold of all the knives you've mentioned. The VG-10 blade takes and holds a very keen edge. It is tip up carry with the clip mounted on the end of the handle for a low key carry. This folder is a real jack-of-all-trades and fills that bill very well.

The 710 in M2 high speed steel is one of my daily carry knives. It is "all that" IMO. A Tough as all Hell user, fairly comfy handle, one of the best locking systems on the market and an excellent hard working tool steel blade. It is also a tip up carry folder and the knife gives you the feeling that it is made to last for a life time. A hard act to follow for sure.

The REKAT Carnivour, while not one of your choices, may well be the folder your looking for.
Another "best lock on the market" Award candidate, your hand locks onto the handle and the knife feels like it was made for you. It is also tip up carry. You have a choice of either ATS-34 or D-2 for your blade steel. This is a totally GOOD thing.:) The design was intended for self-defense but it works mucho grande in the utility roll too.
It is a very stout folder and gives you a great feeling of confidence in it's strength when you hold it.

I hope this helps.
 
I posted a message looking to buy a Buck Strider Tanto point some time back. I had only seen them in pictures and it looked cool. Then I saw one in person at a local shop. I came back and retracted my post on buying one. The handle is WAY too wide for pocket carry. The edges are sharp and unrefined. Perhaps the most disappointing thing was the tip was dull and I mean really dull. The edge was so thick that it had no edge. The spear point model had a good edge, but I'd advise against the tanto.

I also looked at the SERE, it is a beautiful knife. In fact the edges and overall fit and finish are similar to some customs I've handled. The only down fall is that it is liner lock, which I don't care for, however, in it's defense it is a very "beefy" lock.

I will second the REKAT suggestion. The carnivor has a grreat lock and the handle design is great. Both the Sifu and the Carnivor are built very stong. The spot pins are WAY thicker than that of my Emersons. The overall fit and finish of the 4 I have are great.
 
I prefer the Kershaw XXl Starkey Ridge Mod 1416 to the above mentioned choices. It is Big, Strong, and Tough. G-10 scales, Titanium liners, ATS-34 blade. The point is very pointy, the blade has lots of belly. They come SHARP. They are no longer being made, but there are still some floating around out there.
 
Originally posted by william8
... Benchmade 710 can be had in D-2 steel ...
Click to expand...

Oh yeah? Since when?

I vote BM710 also. Either M2 or ATS-34 ... if you don't think you'll sweat on the blade that much, M2 is tough and holds a good edge. ATS-34 is fine also, more corrosion resistant usually.

Try the search engine on your chosen group.
 
I am going to be different from everyone and cast a vote for the toughest knife out there, the Benchmade Pinnacle! This knife is stout, thick, sturdier than any knife I can think of and it is comfy for pocket carry. It is a recurve blade which cuts like the devil and to top it all off it is a FRAME LOCK!! Can you honestly show me a production folder that is sturdier than the Pinnacle? Go ahead, try it! I dare you!:p
 
Originally posted by TheMartialWay
I am going to be different from everyone and cast a vote for the toughest knife out there, the Benchmade Pinnacle! This knife is stout, thick, sturdier than any knife I can think of and it is comfy for pocket carry. It is a recurve blade which cuts like the devil and to top it all off it is a FRAME LOCK!! Can you honestly show me a production folder that is sturdier than the Pinnacle? Go ahead, try it! I dare you!:p
Click to expand...

The 710 is sturdier than the 750 Pinnacle. A test was done on modern folding locks, including frame (mono), axis, rolling, liner, etc. The Axis, I believe, came in first for overall strength. Even if the frame lock is slightly stronger than Axis (it probably is with Sebenza vs. BM) in practical situations, the difference is absolutely negligible. The main difference is this: the 750 Pinnacle is a good knife; but compared to the 710 is a blade wobbling POS. I have handled 750s before, too much blade play. They try to be a Sebenza and fall way short. The 710 is ROCK SOLID, guaranteed. That is why it is a more expensive and sought after model than the Pinnacle.
 
The SERE 2000 gets my vote.

The Buck/Strider I had suffered from blade play, poor grind lines, a blunt and dull tanto point, and it was just too big for EDC.
If you need to chop some tires in half, hack down some saplings or smallish trees, or demolish a BM 710 or two, the Strider is okay, but otherwise it's a novelty piece.

The SERE 2000 is a gorgeous knife with rock solid lockup with a clip that lets the knife ride extremely low. The only problem with the SERE are the thumbstuds, but some heat shrink tubing will help with those.

However, if you don't like the liner lock on the SERE, the next best choice would seem to be the A.G. Russell Strikeforce. The Strikeforce reminds me a the SERE but with the elongated hole for one hand opening and the lockback design. If I had enough money I'd buy one of those in a heartbeat, so I could get a firsthand comparison to my SERE 2000.
 
I heard about the drop-in auto conversion for the Sifu. Has anyone came up with one for the Strider? It would have to have some bitchin springs, but an auto Strider would be soooo cool :D
 
It's dated now, but I carried a SOG Tomcat in my right front pants pocket maybe ten years until I wore out the rubberlike kraton scales. So the rubber scales wore out. So what? It stayed in my pocket because of them. And because it was so heavy.

I probably lost a knife at least once a year the ten years before I got it. I can't think of another knife I got more of my money's worth out of. It's as tight as it was ten years ago, and if I sent it back they'd replace the scales for the cost of shipping it back. For another couple of bucks they'll re-polish it. And after the second decade it still probably wouldn't be much more worn.

Instead, one of these days I'll treat it to a set of oosik, mastadon or ivory scales. It's earned them. Like the 30-06, the 7x57, and the 270, it isn't fancy or a hotrod, just good enough for 99% of what you need it for.
 
I have both the REKAT Carnivour and the Spyderco Chinook and I would have to say that I see little difference in them as far as strength is concerned, they are both built like tanks. The differences are in the the details.

The Carnie is somewhat lighter, has a rolling lock, may be subject to quality control problems initially, but REKAT seems to be very good at fixing these, and is a tip up blade of ATS34 steel. I have never had a problem with any of my ATS34 knives chipping, but I have heard of some who have. Perhaps they have bought from less reputable manufacturers than REKAT, Spyderco. and SOG, who were the makers of my ATS34 blades.

The Chinook is, in many ways, the ultimate Buck 110, in my opinion. It is a back-lock, but an extremely secure one, and one that is positioned in a way that makes it highly unlikely that it will unlock on you accidently. It is very solidly made with heavy G10 scales and steel liners with a very thick CPM440V steel blade. The quality control is quite remarkable, in that it is very smooth to open and all parts fit like a bank vault. Now I love CPM440V, but it does take some getting used to. It will hold an edge like no other steel I have ever seen, but it is a true bear to sharpen. I highly recommend a Spyderco 204 SharpMaker as the solution, as I have tried virtually everything else and nothing does as well. To those who would suggest sharpening the false edge, I would suggest that it is not really necessary, it will do back-cuts very nicely if you keep the point sharp, and sharpening the false edge may raise legal issues you would rather avoid, as in making the knife a "double-edged dagger". I find my Chinook to be one of the most solid and dependable heavy duty knives that I have ever seen and I have no problem in recommending it. My only suggestion is that you might wish to get a sheath for it, as it is rather heavy for pocket carry. It might do very well with In Waist Band(IWB) carry, if you have a slim enough figurre for it, which I do not.
 
That is a good point FullerH brings up.
Before sharpening the false edge of any knife, you should acquaint yourself with the local laws in your area to make sure you don't put yourself on the wrong side of it.
Also, the tip of nearly any knife with a point will produce a nasty tip rip if properly executed.

Thanks for bringing that up FullerH.
I would feel bad indeed if I caused someone to get into deep legal doodee because of advice I'd given.
 
Just a couple things to consider, el cid.

The review I read of the Buck Strider was fairly positive. However, it stressed that the edges of the G-10 weren't chamferred at all. And, it mentioned that the front part of the tanto blade isn't sharpened at all. The maker(s) responded that it would have raised the price too high to sand the edges of the handles, and that nobody ever cut anything with that part of the blade anyway. I have to admit that upon reading that, I decided that I likely would never buy a Strider product. I mean, c'mon. We're talking an ATS34, G-10 liner lock. I think that a big part of the price is the Strider royalty.

I've handled a SR2K a couple times. It is one of the nicest knives I have handled. Given Jeff Randall's review of it, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. (For some reason, it's more expensive VG-10 and G-10 parts left enough room in a lower price to make the edges nice and smooth.)

The Spyderco forums contain an enormous amount of praise for the Chinook. But, I've never handled it. I believe it also had a good review in at least one magazine, but it didn't stick in my mind like that of the Al Mar.

I too am a devotee of the Spyderco Wegner. It is one of the few knives I own, that I just plain like more and more as time goes on. It is a pretty sturdy knife, IMO. And, as a liner lock, has a ricasso that would keep your fingers from getting cut, should the lock fail.

Having said all that, I think the BM710 is probably going to be one of the defining knives of the tactical folder in knife history books.
 
Why would you consider the Buck version, when you could buy the real thing from Mick!!:confused: :confused:

(The money thing only comes out to pennies a day over the life of the knife...):D

So why buy low?

Michael
 
OK, how much did you really want to hear?? Did you expect a consensus from this crowd?? OK, I know you weren't looking for that, just opinions! Here's mine -- rush out and get a BM 750BT in 154 CM before they're all gone -- Nice "Brend-ish" recurve and a very stout knife! Great tool! Like a narrower blade- can't go wrong with the BM 710 in M2. Just my 2 centavos worth from the great Southwest! Good luck with your choices, please let us know what you get and how you like it. :)
 
Just doing an update on this thread. Occasionally I like to flick out my Sere 2000 (nice loud THWICK, btw), grab the blade with my left hand while holding the handle with my right, and wobble as hard as I can. ZERO blade play. Wack the knife on your desk as hard as you can, and do the same thing. ZERO blade play. Look at those thick ass liners, thick ass spacer pins (3 plus 1 stop pin) and that heavy chunk of spacer steel. Thick slabs of G-10 on the handle. Not to mention a 1/8th thick piece of excellent VG-10 SS for a blade. The thing is a cool low-rider in your jeans pocket, too. Even the thumb studs are cool: they have more of an architectural look than a tactical look. Not to mention the excellent, nearly custom fit and finish. This knife is just awesome. I would be hard pressed to believe there is a better production liner lock on the market, period.

I also have a BM 710 in M2 steel. You obviously can't go wrong with classic, either. They are my rotating EDCs, except when I work my weekend night job in a beverage store, where they work in tandem. Is there a better combo out there?
 
When I'm around town my daily carry varies according to my mood. LCC one day, Kershaw Boa another, William Henry another, Spyderco another. But, when I'm leaving town for several days, whether it be for another town/city, or into the country, or into the woods, one of my axis locks goes with me. Having destroyed one 710 intentionally, and used the heck out of my other one, I know the knife will stand up to a sh*tload of abuse, will not develop any blade play, and will not break unless you are essentially trying to. There are prettier, and there are some that feel better, but the 710, or one of its siblings (of which I have the 722, 730, 735, and 940) just plain ROCKS!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top