Small Sebenza or Strider PT

razorsdescent said:
SUbzilla this is a forum where the reeve junkies hang out. If you want a place where they like pt's go to www.usualsuspect.net they are good bunch there.

The pt is tougher, and im sure lighter but it's not quite as well finished which shouldnt bother you if you use it and not look at it.

The sebenza is a great knife with good fit and finish but not quite as tough.

To be honest i think that people exagerate about how many problems there are with strider.
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I think it is just a matter of expectations. When I got my first Gen 6 SnG and saw the pocket clip screw and Hinderer screw protrude into the blade channel, I thought to myself "This is a $400 knife?". When people pay this amount, the fit and finish is usually perfect, including milling down screws to flush fitting. Now that I have a few more Striders, I don't care as much about the aesthetics because they all work fantastically! If you are used to CRK fit and finish, Striders seem crude by comparison (until you start using them of course!).
 
I admit they are crude but damned if striders arent built like tanks. In some ways i like it cause it keeps you from babying it. I really like strider knives. And i really like the people behind the knives.

If you are using a strider like the sharpened pry bar it is you wont mind the rough finishing. I know i dont. Granted it isnt the joy that is a sebenza. The bushing pivot and design of the sebbie makes it a pleasure to use.

I love my sebbie but i bought it as a collectible. I love my strider too. Right now i only have an MSC SLCC. I dont use either of them.

But when i get a new SmF im gonna use the hell out of it. in a way id never use a sebbie.

They are very different knives and they are for different purposes. Apples and oranges. If your a collector i reccomend fruit salad not the either or school of thought. :)
 
razorsdescent said:
They are very different knives and they are for different purposes. Apples and oranges. If your a collector i reccomend fruit salad not the either or school of thought. :)
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amen bro, amen.
 
I tried both, and liked the PT the best.

The Sebenza (micarta) had way better fit & finish, but I had trouble opening it. Maybe a regular small would be easier. Also I found the tip a bit fragile.

The PT worked better for me. Really small package, very tight lockup and feels rock solid. I really like the clip, works good on thin hiking pants (way better then the Sebenza clip)

One thing I didn't like was the bead-blast, so I satin finished the blade.
 
I only have a small Sebenza that is my EDC and I think it's pretty great. It's in my pocket right now while I'm on duty with my Spyderco D'Allara in my patch coat for hard jobs. Had I seen the PT before buying the Sebbie, I think IT would be in my pocket right now and the D'Allara wouldn't be needed for the tougher jobs!:D ( Not that I don't actually think the Sebbie can't handle the tasks, but it just doesn't seem as well suited for them, IMO.)
 
I have both , and generally prefer the PT. It's tuffer and grippier in the hand , and a better bet for hard use . I wear a Mnandi for dress .

Chris
 
I had a PT, that I traded off, but I do have my Sebbies!! I would get the Sebenza. You get consistant and excellent fit and finish with CRK. And it is iffy with Strider. I had a brand new PT that I had to send back as soon as I got, as it had baaaaad blade play.
 
I'm probably going to go with the PT, now to track one down!!!!! Fancy the tiger stripes too!!!

I prefer the military styling with the PT, just hope I have no problems in terms of quality, I have read a few more reports regaring poor QC.

Thanks for all the input

Subzilla
 
I have both, love 'em both. I wouldn't want to have to choose between the two, though my small woodie Sebenza gets more carry time. Bear in mind, though, that my idea of perfection in a small knife is the CRK Mnandi.
 
subzilla said:
I'm probably going to go with the PT, now to track one down!!!!! Fancy the tiger stripes too!!!

I prefer the military styling with the PT, just hope I have no problems in terms of quality, I have read a few more reports regaring poor QC.

Thanks for all the input

Subzilla
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True North Knives had a pretty good selection last time I looked, and Niel is a joy to work with.

God luck on the hunt!
 
True North definately has PT's, Neil also has a huge selection of Sebenza's as well. I've had both knives and must confess to still having a PT. I think the Sebbies are great, I've had 3 or 4, but always sell one off when I'm in a "jam". I'm sure I'll buy another one of these days as well. That said, you may end up with both knives one of these days as well. Both knives are excellent and both knives are high quality knives. That said, there's definately an argument that the Sebbies are more "refined" or polished- they are. Both knives will stand up to virtually any task you might use them for. Personally, the way I see it is the the sebbie "looks" better with a suit and tie- the PT is the one you don't mind getting dirty. Yes- the Sebenza will work great dirty too- but you'll be upset when that nice knife looks all battered. Striders actually look better the more you beat them up.
 
Just had word back from a reputable retailer that he has 3 in stock, I asked if he would check that the blade was correctly centered and for any other QC problems. (The UK a fair distance to ship a knife that has QC problems). He reported back that 2 of the 3 had blade wobble!!!!!!! and that one was OK.

Now I have more concerns with Strider QC.

I just don't want to aprt with my hard earned cash on a knife (or anything else for that matter) that isn't going to be worth the money, I don't mind paying for quality and something that id=s built to better standards than the run of the mill item.

I was quite heavily involved in mountain bikes in the early days, where many US and UK manufacturers set to work on their CNC machines producing awsome looking components that cost the earth, but nothing beat the mass produced parts of Shimano and still doesn't today. There were a few exceptions (Chris King, Phil Wood, Hope (UK))

Hope yousee where I'm coming from, is a wobbly blade that big a deal or am I being to analitical in my search for a good knife?
 
Sorry to hear but I'm not surprised. A wobbly blade is not a big deal if it's just a pivot tightening, but when you tighten the pivot the action goes south. Might be a lock fit question though as well.

It's up to you, how pissed will you be if you get a knife that has a problem?
 
Pretty pissed, I mean how difficult can it be to get it right:(

How do brands like Benchmade and Buck etc compare straight out of the box?

I have the chance to buy a Buck Strider here in the UK, maybe I should give that a shot?? (Although the blade is legally too long in the UK!!!)

Nice to see another Dave H on here
 
I would say it depends on the Buck/Strider you're looking at. If its one of the SNG/SMF-type then I'd pass, just because I don't feel those are as well made as the ones that are more like the AR/GB (881).

Personally, if I were after a good knife with a low chance of QC issues and a lot of up-side I'd go with a Buck/Mayo 172. I don't recommend Striders to people overseas, mostly. I LOVE mine, but then again, if I have a problem its just $15 and a couple of days to ship it there. No customs, or multiple mail services involved. I mean, from what I understand, Striders are quite a bit more expensive overseas, and to spend that much more just to risk having to send it back to California just isn't worth it.

I guess of your original choices, if I'd have paid attention to where you were (my fault), I'd have told you to get the Sebenza. The clouds won't open with a heavenly host singing its praises when the box is opened, and like I've said before I'd take my Buck/Mayo 172 over the Sebenza any day (JMPO), but if you're after a company that can produce high quality across the board CRK does that. They also have good support after the sale.
 
Isn't any knife with a lock illegal in the UK?

What is the difference if the blade is too long if the knife is illegal anyway?

That is disappointing to here about the Stiders too. There should be no wobble.
 
Knives with up to a 3" blade are "tollerated" they should also be a folder, it is considered that a fixed bladeis more of a threat. It is not acceptable to conceal a knife (or any form of weapon), however I would estimate that most violent attacks occur on a weekend with a Beer bottle, what we shouldn't tollerate is mindless thugs, however we are encouraged to hug these individuals and give them money,housing and counciling about there bad childhood:jerkit:

Sorry I'm off on one
 
This is the problem many times when buying sight unseen. I hate getting a new knife over the net and then finding it doesn't meet up with my satisfaction because of things that would have stood out to me if I had been able to view it first hand before making the decision to buy it.

If you are that concerned with the off chance you'll get a bad one because of where you live I'd have to say go with the Sebbie and reduce the chances of getting a bad one to a very very slim chance vs a higher percentage. Very rarely have I heard anything negative at all come up about a Sebenza. Two out of three that are sub par right out of the box is all I'd need to hear to make a clear decision. I'd go with the one that is closer to the sure thing if I were in a remote area that would be harder to get things taken care of.

The PT comes up for sale now and then on the used market in the for sale forums. Maybe if you put a wanted add up you can find one that a knowledgeable knife person has owned and that can give you a good evaluation of it. Some of the dealers have no real way of knowing the condition of what goes out the door. They can't possibly look over each and every knife before it ships but an individual can easily.

STR
 
Are you still thinking Strider?

Otherwise the Buck 172 as mentioned is a good choice, and if you want to open it up even further then I'd reccomend a small Ritter grip. Excellent blade design (reminds me of a sebenza ha! :p )
 
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