review on cold steel's trail master & benchmade stryker?

[keninshiro]

I just bought a cold steel trail master ( stainless version ) and wanting to know it's performance before i take it out for a swing and i would appreciate if anyone could give me an on-hand review on the benchmade stryker cause i'm thinking of getting one. thanks.

 

[Jackal]

The Stryker is my favorite BM knife. It is ergonomic as hell, and the lines in the blade are beautiful. I have the 910 with a satin finish clip, and the 910BT with no clip. If your only getting one, I'd suggest the satin finished blade, simply because it's much prettier. The Stryker is also BM's best seller so far. Soon, they predict the Axis will take it's place. -AR

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Well, I have the Carbon V Trailmaster and it hacks Great! I've chopped down a lot of offending branches around my home and the edge kept very well. The Stainless, I can't say much about but the weight and edge geometry should be about the same.

Have fun with it!

G2

<A href="http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/7306/blades.html">G2's Leather!</A>



[This message has been edited by Gary W. Graley (edited 19 April 1999).]

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Gary, how comfortable is the handle under extended use (chopping for about an hour or so)?

-Cliff

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Cliff-

I found the handle to keep well in the hand and didn't raise up blisters or hurt the hand. I had an all metal knife with knurling that I couldn't chop very long with, it hurt the hand too much. The handle has the metal tang all the way through and it gives a confidence feeling when using it. I use to have the Recon Tanto which I personally plunged into the bottom of a 55 gal drum at least 20 times, making a burning barrel, without damaging the tip of the blade. I did it because it didn't cost that much and I wanted to see if it really did hold up as they say. I know CS has quite a bit of hype, but I've found the knives I've gotten seem to support it.
BTW after I did the drum thing I got nervous and wondered what would have happened if the handle slipped off the tang? No metal guard like the Trailmaster, so I shuddered and didn't do it again. Sold it because I needed to fund another purchase, but I'd get another one without a worry.

The Trailmaster, as big as it is can be held and used to sharpen a pencil quite well, I was surprised at that!
and NO, this is not a sponsored post by CS


My (a little more than) .02
G2


------------------
When a fellow says, "it ain't the money but the principle of the thing,"
it's the money.
F. McKinney Hubbard

<A href="http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/7306/blades.html">G2's Leather!</A>




[This message has been edited by Gary W. Graley (edited 19 April 1999).]

 

[clipper]

I think the stryker is one of the best factory knives I've own one for about a year and carry it often.

 

[fnfalman]

I have one of the very first Trailmasters. Don't know much about the stainless steel model, but I love the way the Carbon V steel resharpens easily instead of the labor I have to go into in order to resharpen the edge of my Tanto.

The Trailmaster is a hell of a chopper. I think that the design of the blade putting the center of gravity forward more than other Bowies contributed to this. The blade itself doesn't weigh as much as a lot of Bowies of similar sizes.

I have to worry about the rust problem, but a lot of Break-Free helps!

And it's worth the hassle.