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- Oct 5, 2006
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Strider AR Review - Part 1
Introduction
I received a Strider AR for review through the pass around here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=716841. This is the 6th round of the pass around, which speaks to the durability of the AR. It is still going strong, though blade tip was broken off years ago and it was reground to a slightly shorter length. The American made Strider AR is an old school model that has been in production since 1993. It retails for $400. Since Strider knives are typically in high demand, and since the company doesn't allow dealers to discount, your only chance to find one for less than MSRP is in the second-hand market (like the BladeForums exchange) where they come up from time to time.
If you are not familiar with Strider Knives, a search of BladeForums will reveal that it is a controversial brand with many fans and many detractors. The fans tend to like the toughness and designs of the knives, the lifetime warranty, the military aura, and the exclusivity of the knives. The detractors tend to dislike the price, the brash company owner with a checkered past, the sometimes clunky designs, the sometimes spotty quality control, and the sometimes poor customer service.
Here's how Strider Knives describes itself on its website http://www.striderknives.com/site/:
"Strider Knives is an American owned and operated Company, whose goal is the evolution of Problem Solving Tools. Around the globe, people stake their lives on our tools; because of this we spare no expense when designing and manufacturing our products. Using only the finest materials and latest technology, Strider Knives continues to set the pace in cutting geometry, function and durability. The World is our Research and Development facility. We at Strider Knives include our customers as part of the Company. We LISTEN to what our customers are saying. We understand people’s needs and attempt to fill them with the best tool available for the job at hand."
Size & Weight
Any review of the Strider AR needs to start with its size and weight. It is a massive folder with a 3/4" thick handle. In fact, the handle circumference is almost as big (at 4 7/8") as the three D-cell MagLite shown (5 1/4".) Here is how it compares to some of my favorite large folders:
Here the Strider AR is compared to a Spyderco Endura, Spyderco Military, and Kershaw Volt:
Materials & Design
The huge leaf-shaped blade is the thickest I've seen in a folding knife. It is Bos heat treated and stamped as such near the pivot. The blade was skillfully ground from BG-42 and features Strider's tiger-striped finish. Over time, the stripes on the pass-around knife have been worn to a light smudge. The blade is opened via a thumb stud on one side that is reversible for lefties. The liners are of thick titanium -- thick enough that the liner lock is more like a frame lock on most knives. The G10 scales are thick, too, with a chicken wire finish that provides more texture and a better grip than most G10. Like other Striders, it has crenellated jimping along the top and rear.
Like a Spyderco Military or a Benchmade Rukus, the Strider AR has a disproportionately long handle as compared to its blade. When you consider the choil, you just don't get much cutting edge for the space it takes up in your pocket. The titanium clip is removable, but tip-up, right-side only.
The proprietary Strider pivot requires a special tool for adjustment, which has always seemed to me like an odd choice for a "hard use" folder marketed as a tool for the military in the field. Emerson knives, in contrast, can be taken down with the tools available in a Leatherman or Swiss Army knife. The pass-around AR arrived with a very stiff pivot and I would have liked to adjust it, but couldn't. It also had some slight up-and-down blade play.
Strider sometimes gets accused of shoddy QC, but I haven't seen it in any Striders I've owned or handled. Overall, I thought the fit and finish on the AR was excellent. Everything fits together well. The blade is centered, and the little details (like rounded edges on the G10) are rendered with care.
Introduction
I received a Strider AR for review through the pass around here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=716841. This is the 6th round of the pass around, which speaks to the durability of the AR. It is still going strong, though blade tip was broken off years ago and it was reground to a slightly shorter length. The American made Strider AR is an old school model that has been in production since 1993. It retails for $400. Since Strider knives are typically in high demand, and since the company doesn't allow dealers to discount, your only chance to find one for less than MSRP is in the second-hand market (like the BladeForums exchange) where they come up from time to time.
If you are not familiar with Strider Knives, a search of BladeForums will reveal that it is a controversial brand with many fans and many detractors. The fans tend to like the toughness and designs of the knives, the lifetime warranty, the military aura, and the exclusivity of the knives. The detractors tend to dislike the price, the brash company owner with a checkered past, the sometimes clunky designs, the sometimes spotty quality control, and the sometimes poor customer service.
Here's how Strider Knives describes itself on its website http://www.striderknives.com/site/:
"Strider Knives is an American owned and operated Company, whose goal is the evolution of Problem Solving Tools. Around the globe, people stake their lives on our tools; because of this we spare no expense when designing and manufacturing our products. Using only the finest materials and latest technology, Strider Knives continues to set the pace in cutting geometry, function and durability. The World is our Research and Development facility. We at Strider Knives include our customers as part of the Company. We LISTEN to what our customers are saying. We understand people’s needs and attempt to fill them with the best tool available for the job at hand."
Size & Weight
Any review of the Strider AR needs to start with its size and weight. It is a massive folder with a 3/4" thick handle. In fact, the handle circumference is almost as big (at 4 7/8") as the three D-cell MagLite shown (5 1/4".) Here is how it compares to some of my favorite large folders:
Here the Strider AR is compared to a Spyderco Endura, Spyderco Military, and Kershaw Volt:
Materials & Design
The huge leaf-shaped blade is the thickest I've seen in a folding knife. It is Bos heat treated and stamped as such near the pivot. The blade was skillfully ground from BG-42 and features Strider's tiger-striped finish. Over time, the stripes on the pass-around knife have been worn to a light smudge. The blade is opened via a thumb stud on one side that is reversible for lefties. The liners are of thick titanium -- thick enough that the liner lock is more like a frame lock on most knives. The G10 scales are thick, too, with a chicken wire finish that provides more texture and a better grip than most G10. Like other Striders, it has crenellated jimping along the top and rear.
Like a Spyderco Military or a Benchmade Rukus, the Strider AR has a disproportionately long handle as compared to its blade. When you consider the choil, you just don't get much cutting edge for the space it takes up in your pocket. The titanium clip is removable, but tip-up, right-side only.
The proprietary Strider pivot requires a special tool for adjustment, which has always seemed to me like an odd choice for a "hard use" folder marketed as a tool for the military in the field. Emerson knives, in contrast, can be taken down with the tools available in a Leatherman or Swiss Army knife. The pass-around AR arrived with a very stiff pivot and I would have liked to adjust it, but couldn't. It also had some slight up-and-down blade play.
Strider sometimes gets accused of shoddy QC, but I haven't seen it in any Striders I've owned or handled. Overall, I thought the fit and finish on the AR was excellent. Everything fits together well. The blade is centered, and the little details (like rounded edges on the G10) are rendered with care.
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