Strider folder--I don't get it

What are ergos?

Any links to photos of the SnG or the SMF?

BTW, as I mentioned in my OP, I assume that Striders are worth the money. It may not be worth it to you or to me, but a free market decides what an item is worth. Any knife regularly sold for its asking price is worth it.

So what are the design goals of the Strider folders? Hard use I take it is one. In what way would a Strider hold up better than, say, a Sebenza. And if you're a proponent of the Strider, you need not limit yourself to everyday "suburbanite" uses. If what the Strider can do is something the Sebenza can't, but that something is something that I would never do as a suburbanite living far from a combat zone, that's OK by me. It helps me understand why I shouldn't buy a Strider folder. OTOH, if you mention something that I might do anyway, then I might change my thinking about the value (to me) of a Strider folder.

Another aside, I am not in any way questioning the value of the fixed blade knives to me or anyone else. This question relates solely to the folders.
 
ergos ...ergonomics. Strider fits the hand better than a Sebenza. Has better visual ergos than a lot of other folders.

As I said earlier, a Strider has soul, not for me though.
 
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ergos are a personal thing. A Strider may fit your hand better, or it may not. We all have different sized hands.
 
Hmmm. Hard use tools, eh? I prefer hard-use Snap-on tools and see no point in pimping them out with fancy patterned handles and camo paint jobs that will just scratch off. They'd just end up in a glass case or safe somewhere and get no use at all.
 
tirod3 said:
Strider folders are built to be used. Comparing them to other knives in the pocket jewelry genre is a bit off base, rather like comparing a marine grade 12 ga pump to an engraved Belgian Browning. Not all knives in a price range are made for the same purpose or the same buyers.

I've been pointing out the ergo's on SnG's here for years, having owned one that long now. They are the best knife for hard use with gloves on - which is how hard users, military and LEO's are often equipped. The grooves, shape, and placement of details like the opening oval are all well thought out for use. It's not a knife for pretty, and a little play means nothing in the real world of tools designed for combat use.

With only 1 in 100 citizens now intimately familiar with military duty, most of the above falls on deaf ears. In the day, one in ten had served in the DOD and experienced some form of military grade equipment and the harsh standards of construction forced on it by an unforgiving environment and the legions of young men still learning how to finesse the use of tools. There's no compromise in Strider design - which in today's coddled suburbanite society is now looked on in derision. "Why can't it be like (name favorite bling knife here.)"

Well, you get a plastic zip lock bag with a Strider, and a leather slip case and birth certificate with the other. They both cut, they both impress the heck out of their target market, but they are not the same - neither would compromise their design goals to adopt the others standards. They are two different knives for different buyers.
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That is the summary of all myths around Strider knives.

I prefer hard-use Snap-on tools and see no point in pimping them out with fancy patterned handles and camo paint jobs that will just scratch off. They'd just end up in a glass case or safe somewhere and get no use at all.
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That is the summary of all truths about Strider knives.

If someone could proof the "something" that SnGs can do, that other folders, say the BM 520, the HK 14205 can´t, i will change my mind in a second.
 
Think about it....visual ergos....if you didn't like how it looks, you wouldn't buy it/use it/keep it. It looks like the kind of knive I want. Cool/utilitarion/military/jewelry/whatever.

These Strider- Sebenza threads go on forever....be brave and pick one.
 
If you are using your knives as they intended to be used...as cutting instruments...then there is no advantage of a Strider or Sebenza over a Benchmade or Spyderco at a fraction of the cost. If you need something more than a knife, like a pry bar or chisel, then use the right tool for the job. I've always been perplexed by the term "hard-use knife", because I wonder what it is people are doing with them that they couldn't do with a $60 Endura. I like customs and high end productions so I'm not against spending $400 or more for a knife, but if you are justifying the cost in terms of performance only, then there's not much that a $400 knife will do that a $50 knife won't.
 
I carried a Sebenza daily for about a month earlier this year. Great knife. Maybe the best made knife I have owned, flawless fit and finish, perfect action, rock solid lock up. Felt Ok in the hand, but nothing special as far as grip goes.

Only criticism is that one day I reached into my pocket and the blade had come partially open and I got cut. It didn't have the strongest detent, and maybe a stronger detent would have prevented that.

I recently purchased my first Strider, a SNG. Not as well finished as the sebby, but same solid lock up and way, way better grip. Just melds to my hand. And the detent is much stronger so I feel more safe carrying it.

I sold the better made knife (Sebenza) and purchased a second Strider (SMF). Personally, I am very content with this decision and love these knives. Others will feel differently.

Of course if my lifestyle limited me to owning a $100 knife then a Paramilitary could probably make me just as happy too...
 
Swedge said:
Hard use I take it is one. In what way would a Strider hold up better than, say, a Sebenza. And if you're a proponent of the Strider, you need not limit yourself to everyday "suburbanite" uses. If what the Strider can do is something the Sebenza can't, but that something is something that I would never do as a suburbanite living far from a combat zone, that's OK by me.
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I don't really think a Strider will do anything a Sebenza can't, but the Strider warranty will cover things that CRK will define as "abuse". That in itself, is worth plenty to many and is what I thinks seperates the two. FYI, if you look at the new CRK Umna..., it boasts a beefed up pivot instead of its often-described better, more refined bushing system. Interesting that CRK would take a step down, but then again, maybe they aren't. If you want refined, go for a Seb. If you want a knife that has a better warranty, get a Strider.
 
coolhand68 said:
If you are using your knives as they intended to be used...as cutting instruments...then there is no advantage of a Strider or Sebenza over a Benchmade or Spyderco at a fraction of the cost. If you need something more than a knife, like a pry bar or chisel, then use the right tool for the job. I've always been perplexed by the term "hard-use knife", because I wonder what it is people are doing with them that they couldn't do with a $60 Endura. I like customs and high end productions so I'm not against spending $400 or more for a knife, but if you are justifying the cost in terms of performance only, then there's not much that a $400 knife will do that a $50 knife won't.
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I agree.

This is all a function of the "Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns". Regardless of hype, there is a physical limit to a piece of knife dictated by the shape. A $50 folder probably performs at 85% of that physical limit, while a $300 folder performs at 95%. The premium folder is expensive because it costs a lot more money to squeeze that additional 10% in performance.

This law applies to any and all product out there. A $2000 desktop computer is plenty powerful for most people, but if you want to get an extra 10% improvement in performance, don't be surprised if it will cost you $4000. Meanwhile, the average public is merrily computing away with $400 desktop and never realized they missed anything.

There will always be people who want the cream of the crop. There's nothing wrong with that. Some people actually need that extra edge. If you're a professional computer gamer that competes on a national level, a $6000 computer is par for the course. If you're a super elite SF operator carrying tens of pounds of other gear and only have 1 slot for a knife, it makes sense if you want something that will never, ever fail under extreme abuse (because carrying a spare exceeds your weight limit).

That said, few of us are professional computer gamers or special forces operator, but that never stopped us from getting the elite gear when we have the money.:D
 
I too have a Strider PT and have used it very hard.
Cuts like a little chainsaw and it shows some evidence of the use, but overall, it still looks great and of course, feels great in my hand when using it.
Striders aren't for everyone, but if you do want a 'user' folder for either EDC or weekend use, I can 100% recommend a PT or an SnG.
I also have a couple of the Buck-Strider 882 and 889 folders that I use for household cutting chores and out in the garden. I've used those knives hard, too, and they still look great and cut great!

Find a local cutlery store, handle both Striders and Sebenzas, feel which one fits your hand the best and buy it...

Regards,
Mike
 
Sebenzas aren't for everyone. A Endura would do just as good for most of what knife users do. For a lot of the same reasons, Strider and Sebenza buyers get one to say they have. As knives go, a Benchmade Vex or Spyderco Tenacious could do most of the same things.

On the outer edge of hard use, some knives work better. If a buyer is willing to spend the money to get the extra performance, that's their call. Buying a Strider to use in military or LEO use matches the tool to the job. Buying a Sebenza doesn't as much, but some have. Slick metal handles are less retentive, hence the G10 on a Strider. As for needing a knife to use as a folding piton, it's a toss up to me. I've seen no empirical testing to indicate either would do well at all. There are limits to anything, one man's abuse is another's workday - use common sense.

I have called Sebenzas a suburbanite knife precisely because most owners who report usage patterns here mention kitchen use, office carry, and at worst, cutting soft non-ferrous metals. Strider owners tend to report cutting through sheetmetal, prying open doors, and digging sniper holes in adobe walls.

Like the passed down Belgian Browning, some owners use what they have. Most buyers who purchase a Sebenza tend to baby them, and the maker promotes the concept of keeping it mint - pocket leather case and all. Strider ships in a ziplock bag and fills military contracts to special units. Once issued, "mint condition" is a useless condition.

The myth that two knives in the same price category have to meet identical standards is the real problem. They may be similar materials, but that's about the extent of it. Insisting they can do the same when each is so obviously configured to the opposite goals is a bit thick.
 
If they didn't turn you on thats cool. It just didn't move you. Some folders with this type lock, not just Striders but any come sometimes not having enough spring tension set in the lock so they engage but they don't move in quite far enough to get a good lock up. Usually its just a matter of springing the lock more to go in further once engaged and then it locks up solid with no vertical blade play. I've seen this in new knives many times in production folders and some are fine when new out of the box but shortly after use they develop some slop because the lock moved in some but didn't have enough spring to move in further as needed to self correct for wear as it should. Its pretty common. I think its also necessary in some models because in stark contrast to this the other side of the coin is a lock that wears and moves in faster than need be to where its clear across the contact nearly to the non lock side in record time and more likely when new its a terribly sticky lock that jams so hard at times it can be painful to disengage for some.

Fortunately for the Striders unlike other knives of this type they have that great Hinderer Lock Stabalizer built into them and keep you from hyper extending the lock out the wrong way when it jams and locks so firmly you have to really lean into it to unlock it to close the blade. Its these locks that are prone to hyper extension by all that force needed to release the blade and free it up especially when you don't use the pocket clip which can act as somewhat of a stabalizer on its own on many folders of this type.

If you like thinner frame locks of around that same size as the PT look at slab models all titanium or stainless like the Kershaw JunkYardDog or Bradley Alias or a small Sebenza.

STR
 
No choil vs big choil. Straight simple handle design vs more purpose driven grip shape. Hollow ground thinner edge vs flat ground heavier edge. You couldn't find 2 better designs to compare because they are nothing alike. I have all flavors of both. You will know which you prefer as soon as you get a chance to use each for yourself.
For me, the Sebs handle design and lack of choil make it a more friendly everyday tool. The small regular that I'm carrying now has the only serrations that I can tolerate and I have come to really need them for what I cut everyday.
If it absolutely needed to stay stuck to my hand, it would be the Strider.
 
Strider owners tend to report cutting through sheetmetal, prying open doors, and digging sniper holes in adobe walls.
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all that with a folding knife:eek:
what happened to the issued sheath knife? My friend who is serving refers to his issue Kabar, but he's not a knife guy so i couldn get him to tell me what they carry:confused: he just called it a kabar... and they get abused
My opinion, If it folds it can fail and will probably do so at the worst time.
The right tool (something that doesnt fold!) for the right job
Desperation being the mother of invention, i realize you would use the tool in question in anyway needed.
i'd prefer something with less pieces if i was prying and digging, etc.
but maybe i'm crazy
ivan
 
No, I agree with you. :thumbup:
If I was a soldier, I'd carry a Mission Titanium knife, for reasons you mentioned.
 
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