Queston about Striders?

F

Fisher of Men

Banned
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
593
Just curious, when people say Strider are they talking about the Buck Striders?

Those are the only ones right?

Are they USA made, and is there a place where I can find a good amount of info on them?

I like how they look and I am considering one.

They seem like really sturdy hard use knives.

Cheers,
David :)
 
I am looking forward to getting my first Strider, I've seen them run the gamut from 200 to 500 for the SNG, SMF and the PT. I'm looking for all three, at what price should I grab 'em and run?
 
Fisher of Men said:
So then........what is a Strider by Buck? Just same name different knife?
Click to expand...
A Strider/Buck/Tarani collaboration; made by Buck, based on an existing Strider design, with contributions by Steve Tarani.
 
There is a big difference between the Buck Striders and the real Striders. You can think of the Buck versions as cheaper, mass produced knives, while the real Striders are thought to be semi-custom, similar to Chris Reeve.

I have owned my share of Striders, the Buck versions are fairly solid, but not really in the same league as real Striders.
 
The Buck Striders are a collaboration between the Strider Knife Co. and Buck. They offer a remarkable value for the money. The actual Strider knives are MUCH more expensive and they are worth the money, but most will tell you that the Buck versions are well worth every penny. You can't go wrong with the Buck versions---but if you really want to spoil yourself, think about an actual Strider. :cool:
 
knifenerd said:
The Buck Striders are a collaboration between the Strider Knife Co. and Buck. They offer a remarkable value for the money. The actual Strider knives are MUCH more expensive and they are worth the money, but most will tell you that the Buck versions are well worth every penny. You can't go wrong with the Buck versions---but if you really want to spoil yourself, think about an actual Strider. :cool:
Click to expand...

The Buck-Strider fixed blades are awfully expensive for knives made from 420 steel. :rolleyes:
 
Where does 420HC steel fit into the heirarchy of blade steels? I'm going to guess it is not a stainless steel???

When I purchased my 880T I do recall reading in the brochure or some other source that this collaboration between the two companies (eg. Buck Strider 880T) is a matter of licence and supervision (eg. Paul Bos supervised the heat treating process??).

I'm very happy with my 880T and would like to own a Strider SMF one day soon but it's discouraging to purchase a knife sold at a retail price of $400 USD when our exhange rate is approx. 1.26. But one day ;) :D ;)
 
I hope this doesn't turn into another: "Your knife is an overpriced POS because .........." thread.
 
420HC is a very stainless steel, less expensive than the currently popular supersteels but with extra carbon added to the original formula to improve its working ability. HC = High Carbon. It is immensely superior to the 420J2 with which it is often confused.

Many companies do collaborations with custom knifemakers. They license their designs or have them make unique designs for the production company. I seem to see a high level of quality in these collaborations, as if the custom makers don't want their reputations damaged by putting their names on cheap imitations of their own good work.

Buck has collaborated with Strider on several good knives. The oriiginal Buck/Strider tanto and spearpoints were similar to the Strider GB and AR models. The current Buck/Strider Tarani folders are based on the SnG and SMF. They also do a fixed blade, but I'm not familiar with that.

You can get really good prices on these well-designed, well-made knives. But the real Striders are much tougher.
 
I keep seeing answers like, "The Bucks are good but the Striders are better." Can someone spell out why the Striders are actually better? What is the difference? Thanks.

Jeff
 
roknjs said:
I keep seeing answers like, "The Bucks are good but the Striders are better." Can someone spell out why the Striders are actually better? What is the difference? Thanks.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Better steel, better F&F, more hand fitting, higher quality parts, like, for example the pivot screws, thicker liners, better executed locks, heat hardened lock faces, there's more I'm sure, but you get the idea.

In short, the Bucks are production knives, while the Striders are much more oriented towards custom, and have a lot of the little things and touches that makes customs generally a better product.
 
roknjs said:
I keep seeing answers like, "The Bucks are good but the Striders are better." Can someone spell out why the Striders are actually better? What is the difference? Thanks.

Jeff
Click to expand...
Pretty much what Megalobyte said, I just wanted to add that it depends what you are going to do with it. If you are just going to open envelopes and an occasional box, then any cheap knife will do. When you spend 4 times more for a handmade (or semi-handmade) knife, you won't get 4 times more cutting ability, but you will get better materials and probably better fit and finish. Is a Ferrari 360 Modena 3 times better than a Corvette? No, but you would probably take the Ferrari if given a choice.

Having said all that, a Strider SMF has become pretty much my only EDC, ending that whole rotation thing. It is sharp as hell, built like a tank and just expensive enough that I probably won't run into to many people carrying the same knife (unless I see Tom Mayo and his brown one again :p ). I've been through literally hundreds of knives, both production and custom, over the last 2 years and the SMF is the one that has risen to the top. In the next couple of weeks, though, I will get to see if an Airkat Tripwire can knock off the SMF. Should be interesting.


silenthunterstudios said:
I am looking forward to getting my first Strider, I've seen them run the gamut from 200 to 500 for the SNG, SMF and the PT. I'm looking for all three, at what price should I grab 'em and run?
Click to expand...
It depends on the knifes' generation. The SnG is up to Gen 6, the SMF, Gen 2. I have no use for a knife as small as the PT, so I don't know anything about it. SnG's should run $300 - $400, if you find a good one for $350, that would be about right. I've seen Gen 1 SMF's going for $375 and Gen 2's for $400, I would jump at those prices. Hope that helps a little.
 
Whilst the Buck 880/1SPs are good knives I think they may be over rated. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate the 881SP at a 7 whilst I would rate a Spyderco ParaMilitary at a 9. I own both. Of course they are knives for different tasks the PM is basically a cutting/slicing machine whereas the MiniStrider is more robust and should hold the edge longer although the profile is a lot thicker. The liner lock on the MiniStrider is massive compared to some of its counter parts. I have had a few MiniStriders go through the shop and not one of them had what I would call a first-rate edge. But for those who can't afford the real thing they make a good little work knife.
 
JDBLADE said:
... I have had a few MiniStriders go through the shop and not one of them had what I would call a first-rate edge...
Click to expand...
Just for clarification, Buck/Striders are purposely left with a rough edge, what they call "mini serrations". Buck's feeling is that the Buck/Strider line is for hard field use, and a fine razor edge is not as useful in the woods. I've had 2 or 3 full-size Buck/Strider folders, a couple of Minis, and a few Solutions, and they all had the same type of edge. A few minutes on a coarse then fine ceramic stick had the knives razor sharp, if that's the type of edge you prefer.
 
I should have spelt it out better. The main problem is the edge bevels and uneven grinds - I have seen one 881SP with 1 bevel nearly twice the size of the other. My own knife was off by 1/16" of an inch. Buck has paid so much attention to other parts of this knife but lets its good work down by sloppy sharpening.
 
I think the "real" Strider knives are manufactured from ATS34 stainless steel which many people consider a better grade of steel. Like some others have stated, however, I think the 420HC steel Buck uses for it's collaborative Strider knives is a very good material with which to produce blades.

I just recently purchased one of the 890SPX (spear point blade) models and one of the 890TX (tanto blade) models for what I thought was a pretty good price ($114 each). Both seem very solid, and both will be working knives. Both will be used for cutting, some light prying and probably a bit of "hacking." Both feel "bigger" than they actually are. To me, that's a good thing.

My only (small) concerns... The dark coating that's applied (almost like a powder coat of some sort) doesn't seem very durable. It scratches off pretty easily. Also, the sheaths that come with each, while pretty well designed, have a couple of flaws. It's almost impossible to snap the retaining strap closed around the knife handle on one of the sheaths, and the other seems a bit ill fitted for the knife. Still, both work reasonably well.
 
GG-

All new Striders have S30V blades, the only exceptions are a few custom Dwyer (Mick Strider's partner) fixed blades in BG-42 which he still occasionally uses.

Striders, several years ago did use ATS-34, but they then went to BG-42, then to S30V.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top