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That's probably pretty accurate. I don't think they're going to win any beauty contests anytime soon
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OMG...I finally got a SNG STRIDER...I hope its worth it!
- Thread starter jimmy123
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That's probably pretty accurate. I don't think they're going to win any beauty contests anytime soon
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Your eyes should be checked. Here's one of the most recent, but Strider QA/QC issues have come up steadily on this forum for years. Real issues, not just cosmetics.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=403176
OilMan
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SIFU1A said:
No, I mean quality control issues. Like bad lockups, non centered blades, and a ton of cosmetic issues. Stuff that never should have made it out of the shop. And at that pricepoint the knives should be perfect f/f wise without all the BS excuses. They are not.
How many have you owned to form that opinion? I've owned around 20 or 30 of them so I think I can intellegently discuss them. And 80% of them had lockup issues when Brand New. Am I lying? Mick thought so too until I provided facts.SIFU1A said:
And as for why you don't see anyone bringing up questions about the QC perhaps it's because no one wants to get mobbed by the rabid Striderites (and Mick himself) about it?
SIFU1A said:
You're the only one bringing up Micks past here so it would seem that it is more important to you than others. What I was saying is just because someone was in the military doesn't automatically make their knives any better than someones knives who wasn't in the military.
SIFU1A said:
There's actually at least 3 kinds of people as far as Strider goes. People who love them, people who hate them, and people who loved them but ran out of excuses for a poorly executed product. I am of the third group.
I don't have an SNG, but I have an SMF, and I like it a lot.
It costs a lot, but there are reasons for that. Some are good, some not so good.
Strider is a small company. Smaller companies with lower outputs have to charge more. More volume allows a company to charge less.
Strider knives are hand-made. Even the production ones. Knives made on a production line cost less to make.
Strider uses a legal form of price-fixing to make their knives sell at the MSRP. They only sell knives to licensed dealers who do not get any more knives if they do not sell at the MSRP. You can think this is evil, or a viable way to maintain brand intregrity. Just remember that CRK does it too. If you had to pay MSRP for every knife, a Strider would not be so expensive in comparison. You just get great deals on Spyderco.
Strider has hype and mystique for collectors. People will pay that much. Since collectors will pay that much, people who are just knife users are forced to spend that much as well.
Because of these reasons, a mass produced production knife like a Manix (just to use an example that is often compared to Strider's folders) will be a better bargain in terms of performance for the money. But which is a better knife is totally subjective. If you prefer the Manix, well, it is also cheaper, so buy it. If you prefer the Strider, you have to decide whether or not you prefer it enough to buy it.
I own a Manix. I own an SMF. I love both. I prefer the SMF. 9 times out of 10, I'd rather have the SMF in my pocket. Nearly 100% of the time, I take the SMF with me and not the Manix. For me, the SMF has given me a lot more for the money.
Why do I prefer the SMF? I think it feels better. It is more comfortable, and more secure. It opens smoother, and is easier to open and close. These are very subjective things and your mileage may vary.
Cutting? The Manix has a thinner blade and a more acute out of the box edge profile. The SNG/SMF is thicker and has a more obtuse edge. You can reprofile either knife to make the Strider cut more like the Manix, or the Manix be more robust like the Strider. The Strider blade will always be thicker (stronger) and the Manix blade will always be thinner (better for cutting). I have had no problems with my SMF cutting anything. I have had no problems with my Manix not being strong enough. Seems both schools get the job done as they cut well enough and are strong enough.
Quality control? I do not doubt people have had problems with Striders. But I have not. I have handled a few Striders and own one, and none of them had functional issues. From what *I* have seen, their QC is as good as Spyderco, or Benchmade. The issue is that they cost more and should have better QC since they are built with more human eyes and hands on them. However, from what *I* have seen (and YMMV), Striders are built just as well if not better than brands like Spyderco, BM, and Kershaw. And those brands get a lot of praise. Yes, there is a price difference, but if you feel the QC of Spyderco is good enough, then Strider is good enough. You just have to accept that the extra money you pay for a Strider is not going to quality control. If that means it isn't worth it, that is your decision.
Mick is a jerk? Maybe, maybe not. I am sure some people like him, and some hate him. Some like me, and some hate me as well. I understand the stance of those that will not buy his knives because they feel he is a liar. But I feel that judging someone as a person is too complex to be done using internet arguements, even if the court gets involved. Would I rather buy a knife made by Abe Lincoln than Adolf Hitler? Damn right. But I do not think I know enough about Mick Strider to say he is too bad of a person to buy a knife from. Maybe Sal Glesser has deep, dark secrets? Maybe Mick is a good person at heart (maybe even better at heart than Sal?) that has made a lot of bad mistakes? Of course, if I had to guess, based on what I have seen about Sal, and seen about Mick, that Sal is a great person and Mick is shady. But I don't really know for sure. Sal acts like a really stand-up guy on this forum, but I don't really know him inside and out. Mick may have lied about his past and can be a bit of a loudmouth, but I know I can come off as a jerk online, yet I act totally different in real life. I have lied before, too, and I am sure Sal has as well. People are too complex to judge based on the drama and rumors of the "knife world". I have known people very good at heart that have anger problems, insult others, and lie as a survival mechanism that comes from rough circumstances during their childhood. I also know people that act very good, honest, and kind, yet are pure evil on the inside.
Now before anyone sues me for insulting Sal, I am just using him as an example because I used the Manix as an example (because it is so often cited as a cheaper alternative to a Strider), and because he *IS* such a great person on these forums.
I do not think Sal has dark secrets, or only acts like a good person but is evil on the inside. I think he is great. But you never really know for sure. So I buy knives I like instead of conducting decades of research into someone's life to decide whether they are "good" enough for me to buy something of theirs.
It costs a lot, but there are reasons for that. Some are good, some not so good.
Strider is a small company. Smaller companies with lower outputs have to charge more. More volume allows a company to charge less.
Strider knives are hand-made. Even the production ones. Knives made on a production line cost less to make.
Strider uses a legal form of price-fixing to make their knives sell at the MSRP. They only sell knives to licensed dealers who do not get any more knives if they do not sell at the MSRP. You can think this is evil, or a viable way to maintain brand intregrity. Just remember that CRK does it too. If you had to pay MSRP for every knife, a Strider would not be so expensive in comparison. You just get great deals on Spyderco.
Strider has hype and mystique for collectors. People will pay that much. Since collectors will pay that much, people who are just knife users are forced to spend that much as well.
Because of these reasons, a mass produced production knife like a Manix (just to use an example that is often compared to Strider's folders) will be a better bargain in terms of performance for the money. But which is a better knife is totally subjective. If you prefer the Manix, well, it is also cheaper, so buy it. If you prefer the Strider, you have to decide whether or not you prefer it enough to buy it.
I own a Manix. I own an SMF. I love both. I prefer the SMF. 9 times out of 10, I'd rather have the SMF in my pocket. Nearly 100% of the time, I take the SMF with me and not the Manix. For me, the SMF has given me a lot more for the money.
Why do I prefer the SMF? I think it feels better. It is more comfortable, and more secure. It opens smoother, and is easier to open and close. These are very subjective things and your mileage may vary.
Cutting? The Manix has a thinner blade and a more acute out of the box edge profile. The SNG/SMF is thicker and has a more obtuse edge. You can reprofile either knife to make the Strider cut more like the Manix, or the Manix be more robust like the Strider. The Strider blade will always be thicker (stronger) and the Manix blade will always be thinner (better for cutting). I have had no problems with my SMF cutting anything. I have had no problems with my Manix not being strong enough. Seems both schools get the job done as they cut well enough and are strong enough.
Quality control? I do not doubt people have had problems with Striders. But I have not. I have handled a few Striders and own one, and none of them had functional issues. From what *I* have seen, their QC is as good as Spyderco, or Benchmade. The issue is that they cost more and should have better QC since they are built with more human eyes and hands on them. However, from what *I* have seen (and YMMV), Striders are built just as well if not better than brands like Spyderco, BM, and Kershaw. And those brands get a lot of praise. Yes, there is a price difference, but if you feel the QC of Spyderco is good enough, then Strider is good enough. You just have to accept that the extra money you pay for a Strider is not going to quality control. If that means it isn't worth it, that is your decision.
Mick is a jerk? Maybe, maybe not. I am sure some people like him, and some hate him. Some like me, and some hate me as well. I understand the stance of those that will not buy his knives because they feel he is a liar. But I feel that judging someone as a person is too complex to be done using internet arguements, even if the court gets involved. Would I rather buy a knife made by Abe Lincoln than Adolf Hitler? Damn right. But I do not think I know enough about Mick Strider to say he is too bad of a person to buy a knife from. Maybe Sal Glesser has deep, dark secrets? Maybe Mick is a good person at heart (maybe even better at heart than Sal?) that has made a lot of bad mistakes? Of course, if I had to guess, based on what I have seen about Sal, and seen about Mick, that Sal is a great person and Mick is shady. But I don't really know for sure. Sal acts like a really stand-up guy on this forum, but I don't really know him inside and out. Mick may have lied about his past and can be a bit of a loudmouth, but I know I can come off as a jerk online, yet I act totally different in real life. I have lied before, too, and I am sure Sal has as well. People are too complex to judge based on the drama and rumors of the "knife world". I have known people very good at heart that have anger problems, insult others, and lie as a survival mechanism that comes from rough circumstances during their childhood. I also know people that act very good, honest, and kind, yet are pure evil on the inside.
Now before anyone sues me for insulting Sal, I am just using him as an example because I used the Manix as an example (because it is so often cited as a cheaper alternative to a Strider), and because he *IS* such a great person on these forums.
I do not think Sal has dark secrets, or only acts like a good person but is evil on the inside. I think he is great. But you never really know for sure. So I buy knives I like instead of conducting decades of research into someone's life to decide whether they are "good" enough for me to buy something of theirs.
JPD1998
Gold Member
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- Oct 18, 2004
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Jim,
It's a great knife and it will give you a lifetime of service.
Good luck with it and don't doubt your decision for a minute....
I recently bought one of the Buck / Strider collaborations and find the shape of the handle to be a great fit for me. Owning the collaboration only increased my desire to own the real thing....
If I didn't have other financial priorities (a wife) I would buy one.
It's a great knife and it will give you a lifetime of service.
Good luck with it and don't doubt your decision for a minute....
I recently bought one of the Buck / Strider collaborations and find the shape of the handle to be a great fit for me. Owning the collaboration only increased my desire to own the real thing....
If I didn't have other financial priorities (a wife) I would buy one.
powernoodle
Power Member
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- Jul 21, 2004
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My SnG locks up exactly like the one in the pic. When I saw the pic in another thread, I thought it was poor lockup because it only blocked half of the tang. But mine is rock solid, and there seems to be almost no chance of accidental disengagement. It takes a good deal of pressure to move the frame away from the tang.
Just looked at my large classic sebenza. It has less engagement between the frame and tang than does the Strider in the pic above. The mating surfaces are flatter than my Strider (and the one shown above), but the lockup is no more solid. JMO.
cheers :thumbup:
Just looked at my large classic sebenza. It has less engagement between the frame and tang than does the Strider in the pic above. The mating surfaces are flatter than my Strider (and the one shown above), but the lockup is no more solid. JMO.
cheers :thumbup:
powernoodle
Power Member
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Who is tolerating shoddy work? Seems like the (few) folks who aren't happy with Strider have sought redress or gotten rid of their knives.
cheers :thumbup:
cheers :thumbup:
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My SMF is a great knife and is on par with most custom framelocks I've held in terms of durabtility and use. I'm not bothered by cosmetic flaws, my knife isn't a collectors item it's for use. Some people collect striders and I still don't quite get that, but to each his own. Some people collect ivory handled gold inlayed jewelry that they call a knife, I don't get that either.
Question, as far as that lockup pick goes...goes the framelock part move over more to the right as time goes on and engage more behind the tang or does iot move at all. If it does move as time goes on and the tang where I can see where it would stop because the tang wasn't finished all the way and would stop it from moving more to the right.
Also, I know it doesn't technically hurt it, does the dealer consider this a flaw and should I send it back if it looks like the tang in the above pic?
Also, I know it doesn't technically hurt it, does the dealer consider this a flaw and should I send it back if it looks like the tang in the above pic?
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Yes, exactly. Then you have blade play, with no way for the lock to take up the slack. Which is a significant point of using this lock in the first place, that to some extent, the lock can compensate for wear. so it either wasn't designed correctly, or it wasn't made correctly, take your pick.
IMO it should have never left the company in the first place.
OilMan
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jimmy123 said:
With other Strider framelocks that I've had you had to snap open them a couple of times before the lock would set. I tried that with this one and it wouldn't take a set at all and in fact got worse after I tried doing it. The main problem with that one was that if you tried to wiggle the blade up and down the whole lockbar would slide back and forth on the tang which would give you play.
Asking a Strider dealer to pick out a flaw is tuff cuz they have to let some borderline ones slip through because they don't want to send any back. Of anyone's product line. This is a tuff spot to be in if you're a dealer because of the amount of people that want Striders compared to how often you want to be sending them back to Strider to make right. And if Mick treats them like he treats customers who have issues then I would think the dealer wants to send as few back as possible so they don't have to take the abuse from a guy who acted like he'd never heard of "Stridermarks" until that time. (Like he did with me.)
edited: I didn't mean all Striders were flawed, most I have had (80% or so) had cosmetic issues, lockup issues, or both. But I have had excellent new Striders also.
ps. And again, I'm talking production models. Not customs. The customs rock and I've had very few/no problems with them.
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bf has a reputation for being anti-strider but dont let them sway you.
They may not be pretty, they may not be the most comfortable, but they are exceptional tools for their intended purposes. I have never seen an ergonomically correct wrecking bar. Striders are for taking things apart. PERIOD. And they excel at their intended purpose. If you want a nice looking, and strong folder with great f&f, then get a sebenza. I have a custom one and i love it. But if you want a hard use wrecking bar then get a strider.
Thoses are malicious personal attacks on Mick. There is bad blood between Mcclung (whose knives were utterly destroyed by Mr. cliff stamp btw). So i dont trust a thing that comes out of anything associated with mcclung. Was Mick in jail hell yeah. Does that make him a bad person. No i dont think it does. Mick strider seems like a truly nice individual. And i will beleive all this crap when i see hard copies of the documents in question. Its slanderous. I hang out on the strider forums and i dont think mick acts too terribly obnoxious. As for him being "shady", i think id be considered shady. Does that make me a bad person? I mean he isnt sustaining his life on the blood of newborn infants so why do people so adimantley dislike him? I really don't get what the beef is. Whenever anyone brings up strider knives some bastid or another has to come out of the blue and start yapping about mick as a person. I dont think the origional question was "hey what do you all think of mick strider as a person?"
And for his criminal convictions, MORE POWER TO HIM. He got out of jail. He owns his own company. And he makes a decent living. Why does anyone care that he spent time in prison????? It doesnt matter in the least.
Ill get off of my soap-box now.
They may not be pretty, they may not be the most comfortable, but they are exceptional tools for their intended purposes. I have never seen an ergonomically correct wrecking bar. Striders are for taking things apart. PERIOD. And they excel at their intended purpose. If you want a nice looking, and strong folder with great f&f, then get a sebenza. I have a custom one and i love it. But if you want a hard use wrecking bar then get a strider.
Thoses are malicious personal attacks on Mick. There is bad blood between Mcclung (whose knives were utterly destroyed by Mr. cliff stamp btw). So i dont trust a thing that comes out of anything associated with mcclung. Was Mick in jail hell yeah. Does that make him a bad person. No i dont think it does. Mick strider seems like a truly nice individual. And i will beleive all this crap when i see hard copies of the documents in question. Its slanderous. I hang out on the strider forums and i dont think mick acts too terribly obnoxious. As for him being "shady", i think id be considered shady. Does that make me a bad person? I mean he isnt sustaining his life on the blood of newborn infants so why do people so adimantley dislike him? I really don't get what the beef is. Whenever anyone brings up strider knives some bastid or another has to come out of the blue and start yapping about mick as a person. I dont think the origional question was "hey what do you all think of mick strider as a person?"
And for his criminal convictions, MORE POWER TO HIM. He got out of jail. He owns his own company. And he makes a decent living. Why does anyone care that he spent time in prison????? It doesnt matter in the least.
Ill get off of my soap-box now.
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I have an SMF and an SNG, i like the SMF better as its a little bigger, and a neater blade design, i have medium sized hands and it fits just right, the SMF wont be anywhere but in my pocket for the forseeable future, and i really liked the SNG prior to getting the new one. ive never had a lock-up problem with one of striders knives, and i have a few, ive also never had a "snap out" problem and i constantly do the wrist flick, the blades pop out and locks up everytime, though when i first got the SMF it was so tight it took a little oil to get it flowing right. its a sharpened pry bar, i use it as such, yes i paid a grand for it and its my right. i feel i got a deal. some dont like strider due to shennanigans between tag gear and mick, or because of mick's projected attitude. whatever, i saw the knives before i knew any of the background on this and said "i have to have one of those" and i havent looked back since the first one. these knives look good, perfrom exceptionally (pried open a wrecked car door with one, what can you think of that is worse than that except maybe shooting the blade itself? maybe grinding it on concrete?)
so lets review... shall we?
mick strider = funny as hell, great knife maker to boot.
SnG = very nice folder, if you get a crappy one they replace or fix, though you might have to be patient.
other knives/knife makers = whatever floats your boat, but dont hate on strider, they make a hell of a knife.
so lets review... shall we?
mick strider = funny as hell, great knife maker to boot.
SnG = very nice folder, if you get a crappy one they replace or fix, though you might have to be patient.
other knives/knife makers = whatever floats your boat, but dont hate on strider, they make a hell of a knife.