Strider Buck Quality?

Kaxter

Kaxter

Joined
Jun 2, 2003
Messages
354
I was just wondering if the Strider Buck knife was of the same quality that the origional strider is? Is the Strider Buck made at the strider factory? Or is it just a buck knife with "strider" printed on the side? The knife looks great and I really want one but I want to make sure that its a good knife before I shell out 100 bucks on it. I also did a search but didnt find out where it was made. Is the knife made of all strider parts etc...Now thats alot of questions for someone posting for the first time, but im here to stay:)
 
Welcome to the Blade Forums! However, Im not experienced enough to answer your question. :(

Errr...WELCOME TO BLADE FORUMS!!! :D
 
I asked a similar question to Mick a few months ago. He replied that they do not Q/C every knife on the assembly line. When the design is agreed upon, Mick outlines the standards he feels are of note.

I've seen just about every joint project as my friend is a Buck Strider salesman. The price might be lower, but these are tough and useful knives. Even as a Strider client, I would not hesitate to by a Solution if the price were right.

These are great knives.
 
I've handled the Solution, and experienced Bos's heat treat, so I'm convinced it is one of the best knives for the money as long as you get it from a discounter ($150 max).
Now, the folders on the other hand... I had one for a while and I'm not so convinced. Of the blade, absolutely, but of the knife as a whole, not on my life at least. Mine was wobbly even after solid lockup. Put a 3/16" indestructible blade in a cheap-ass handle assembly and it is just waiting for you to over load it and break at the handle. That's my experience, yours may vary.
 
Ok, so the folding knives arnt as good as they should be? I am just debating whether or not to get a benchmade osborne or a strider buck folder. So many decisions...
 
I've got a Buck/Strider large spearpoint, and the handle is as tough as the blade. No wobble, no blade play, you can tighten the pivot if you like. I can't think of any other knife as strong for that price.

The blade takes a very sharp edge and holds it.
 
I have a large tanto folder.

Lock-up is solid. Blade is sharp. This knife really shines as a tool. On many folding knives, the handle is thin and small and cute. On the Buck/Strider, it is large enough for your hand to really grab a hold of the thing and use hard.

I usually have my SAK in my porcked while I'm carrying my "tacticals", so I like the thick tip for hard use if I need it. If you aren't going to carry another knife for finer work, I'd suggest the spear point. Also, realize that the knife is 3/16" thick. My Buck/Strider doesn't cut like my nice thin Scrade Old Timer blade. Then again, the Old Timer would easily break with some of the rougher chores I have put my B/S through. I believe the spear point is hollow ground, so it might be thinner at the edge than the tanto, I'm not sure.

By the way, Buck recently changed a few things with the folders. Now you can get partial serrations. But one of the important things is the texturing of the scales. The older version has more aggressive texturing that offers a super grip, but they can chew up your pockets. The new version has a less aggressive texturing.

These knives are very much a quality product. Buck knows how to make a knife, and Paul Bos does the heat treating. Also, any problems people have had with their bBuck knives have been quickly taken care of, from what I have seen on the forums. If the Buck Strider is what you want, then go for it. You won't be getting a POS, you'll be getting a quality product.
 
I have seen several examples of each, and I find the quality pretty close to the same. Every Buck/Strider folder I have seen has been near perfect in quality. My only complaint with the knife, is that it pinches the palm of my hand when I open it.
 
Esav is correct, you will not find a tougher knife for the price, and I will add that you'd be hard pressed to find a tougher knife for an additional $100. Just be smart about how much lateral pressure you put on it, 'cause the blade will tempt you to do more than the handle is capable of.
My spear point was hollow ground, but as Crayola said, it won't cut like the thinner BM will. It'll probably hold an edge 50-75% longer than the BM though, due to better heat treat.

I bought the S/B because I THOUGHT I would use it, and sold it because I never used it. I got all I needed from a knife similar to the BM. For me, the S/B was overbuilt for 99% of my uses (which are cutting cord, canvas, cardboard, thin metal, and plastic) and underbuilt for the 1% that required a fixed blade. If I worked in an environment where sturdier materials needed cutting, and I couldn't carry a fixed utility things would be different. I hope this helps. Feel free to ask for more specific information.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, this is great stuff.

So if I am understanding right...the whole knife is assembled by buck but the materials are all made by strider? Or is it just the blade that is made by strider?
 
Strider design, Strider occasional quality check. Buck manufacture of all parts and assembly, heat treat by Bos. When I got mine, the first thing I did was laugh at the mass of it, then I wondered how Strider could actually have made a tougher knife. (Yes, they did, but not by all that much. :)) The liners are thick enough to be framelock scales.

The blade shape is almost identical to the Sebenza, just slightly longer and thicker, and the open-work body and clip placement is similar, too. There is a slight extension at the end of the tang. If you set the pivot tension low, you can flip the blade open by snapping down on this extension, right- or left-handed.

The only complaint I have with the Strider/Buck is ... I wish it had ambi thumbstuds :p
 
Heh, neither.

BUck makes both the blade and the handle, with certain specifications agreed upon with Strider.
 
Strider doesn't "make" the blades, or the knife. The things that ties both Buck and Strider together concerning their blades is that they are both heat treated by Paul Bos (third party), considered the best in the business. In this case it is ATS-34 hardened to an optimal 60-61 Rc, pushing the steel to its highest potential.

AFAIK, aside from the heat treat, Buck manufactures all of the knives, to Strider's specifications. The materials also come from a third party, many are the same used in genuine Strider knives, but are not made by Strider (they may be from the same source).
 
First, Welcome to BF!!!


Originally posted by Kaxter
I was just wondering if the Strider Buck knife was of the same quality that the origional strider is?
Click to expand...
Not even close. I've heard pretty good things about the Buck-Strider collaborations, and Strider definitely would never put his name on a POS, but they are pretty far from the real thing.

I know everyone's funds vary, but you really should consider saving up or splurging and buying the real thing. You won't be disappointed.
 
Originally posted by Kaxter
Ok, so the folding knives arnt as good as they should be? I am just debating whether or not to get a benchmade osborne or a strider buck folder. So many decisions...
Click to expand...
If you are definitely limited to those two, I'd pick the Buck-Strider hands down. As said, it is a great blade for the money, but IMO, the Striders are far superior.

Benchmades are wonderful knives too, but aren't quite as "tank-like" in construction as Buck-Striders or real Striders.

Again, consider saving up for the real thing. :)
 
Originally posted by Kaxter
Ok, so the folding knives arnt as good as they should be? I am just debating whether or not to get a benchmade osborne or a strider buck folder. So many decisions...
Click to expand...

Are you more concerned with using your knife primarily as a cutting tool (Benchmade) or do you want an extremely tough knife that trades cutting ability for ultimate strength (Buck)?

If the knife is for general use and EDC I'd recommend the Benchmade, as it is a much more well-rounded design compared to the overbuilt Buck. It should prove considerably easier to carry, as well.

If you feel that heavy prying is a task you will need to face often enough to carry an EDC designed to withstand it I'd recommend buying the Benchmade and a pocket sized mini-crowbar (I think they cost around $7 if you get a good one). This way you will have both an extremely efficient cutting blade and a heavy-duty prying tool.
 
I have a Buck mini Strider and should have gotten the LARGE one.
It's a great knife overall, but the 3/16" blade on such a small knife is just not right. If you need a real bull of a knife this is it. Get the big one though.
 
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