- Joined
- Sep 2, 2003
- Messages
- 11,650
First a note to the mods. I was going to put this in the knife reviews forum but it's not really a review as such. Feel free to move it if you wish.
My new Strider SnG arrived yesterday. Oz customs kidnapped it for a couple of weeks, probably trying to work out if was going to kill thousands or whatever nonsense was going through their heads.
The first thing that got my attention was the size and weight. It was smaller and lighter than I imagined. Yes, I'd seen the dimensions and comparison pics with other knives and so on but that doesn't really give you a feel for something like getting hold of it in the flesh does. I had it in the back of my mind that this was going to be a heavy bulky knife, not something I'd probably want to EDC. Well, I'm pleased to say that's not the case. It's slightly more bulky than the Sebenza, probably a similar weight and fits my hand quite nicely. In fact I think I get a more secure grip with the SnG, if feels that way now anyway. I'm still not entirely convinced about the two different handle materials but it's certainly grippy. I think it's one of those things I'll get used to. Right now I still lean towards the two titanium slabs on the Sebbie.
I've read any number of comparisons between the Seb and the SnG but I don't think they need to be compared. They are two top end knives with somewhat different philosophies behind them. It's a bit like comparing a top of the line sedan with a top of the line 4 wheel drive in a way. The Seb is a finely crafted, strong and perhaps even elegant knife. The SnG is a well built, no nonsense knife that goes for strength first and everything else second.
Having said that, my knife had very little to complain about when I got it. It was sharp and had no serious flaws in any part of it. A perfectionist might complain that the blade was maybe 1 milimetre off centre when closed but that doesn't worry me. It doesn't touch the sides of the handle so why worry. It seems perfectly OK when opened. No blade play at all.
I've read several reports where people have complained about them being stiff and difficult to open and needing hundreds of open/close operations to break them in. Mine opens at least as easily as my Sebenza. It's not as buttery smooth as the Sebbie but it opens easily and locks solidly in place.
There is one small thing that I would call a design flaw. This is mildly annoying but in no way affects the operation or strength of the knife. At the end of the handle is a lanyard hole, at least that's what I think it's probably for. Unfortunately the tip of the blade protudes somewhat into the space between the holes when the knife is closed. Any lanyard put in there is going to be chopped through fairly quickly. If the handle was just 2 mil. longer this wouldn't have happened. A minor point but one that should have been fixed by the Gen. 6 model I think.
I can't give any report on it's cutting abilities or ability to withstand abuse as I've only had it less than a day and the only thing it's cut is opening a couple of letters.
I get a feeling I'm going to like this knife, maybe even as much as the Sebenza, time will tell.
My new Strider SnG arrived yesterday. Oz customs kidnapped it for a couple of weeks, probably trying to work out if was going to kill thousands or whatever nonsense was going through their heads.
The first thing that got my attention was the size and weight. It was smaller and lighter than I imagined. Yes, I'd seen the dimensions and comparison pics with other knives and so on but that doesn't really give you a feel for something like getting hold of it in the flesh does. I had it in the back of my mind that this was going to be a heavy bulky knife, not something I'd probably want to EDC. Well, I'm pleased to say that's not the case. It's slightly more bulky than the Sebenza, probably a similar weight and fits my hand quite nicely. In fact I think I get a more secure grip with the SnG, if feels that way now anyway. I'm still not entirely convinced about the two different handle materials but it's certainly grippy. I think it's one of those things I'll get used to. Right now I still lean towards the two titanium slabs on the Sebbie.
I've read any number of comparisons between the Seb and the SnG but I don't think they need to be compared. They are two top end knives with somewhat different philosophies behind them. It's a bit like comparing a top of the line sedan with a top of the line 4 wheel drive in a way. The Seb is a finely crafted, strong and perhaps even elegant knife. The SnG is a well built, no nonsense knife that goes for strength first and everything else second.
Having said that, my knife had very little to complain about when I got it. It was sharp and had no serious flaws in any part of it. A perfectionist might complain that the blade was maybe 1 milimetre off centre when closed but that doesn't worry me. It doesn't touch the sides of the handle so why worry. It seems perfectly OK when opened. No blade play at all.
I've read several reports where people have complained about them being stiff and difficult to open and needing hundreds of open/close operations to break them in. Mine opens at least as easily as my Sebenza. It's not as buttery smooth as the Sebbie but it opens easily and locks solidly in place.
There is one small thing that I would call a design flaw. This is mildly annoying but in no way affects the operation or strength of the knife. At the end of the handle is a lanyard hole, at least that's what I think it's probably for. Unfortunately the tip of the blade protudes somewhat into the space between the holes when the knife is closed. Any lanyard put in there is going to be chopped through fairly quickly. If the handle was just 2 mil. longer this wouldn't have happened. A minor point but one that should have been fixed by the Gen. 6 model I think.
I can't give any report on it's cutting abilities or ability to withstand abuse as I've only had it less than a day and the only thing it's cut is opening a couple of letters.
I get a feeling I'm going to like this knife, maybe even as much as the Sebenza, time will tell.
