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Strider folder--I don't get it
- Thread starter Swedge
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2003
- Messages
- 1,150
More like a Hummer. Theyre super expensive for what you get. Smoothness of operation is spotty, theyre built to do things no one would DARE do because of the price. A pretentious, overbuilt, aggrandizing machine.
I want one!!!!!!
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2008
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- 6,602
At what tasks is a Strider folder better than a knife like the Sebenza? "Hard use" is too vague to answer the question.
Opening a can of peaches? OK, I get that. (Doesn't do much for me, but I get it.) Using the knife otherwise on sheet metal? OK. (Again, personally I'm not going to do that.)
Use as a pry bar? OK. Fine. I'll accept the contention that both cutting ferrous sheet metal and prying constitute "hard use" for the Strider and "abuse" for any other folder.
What else? Anything?
Strider fans, what say you?
Opening a can of peaches? OK, I get that. (Doesn't do much for me, but I get it.) Using the knife otherwise on sheet metal? OK. (Again, personally I'm not going to do that.)
Use as a pry bar? OK. Fine. I'll accept the contention that both cutting ferrous sheet metal and prying constitute "hard use" for the Strider and "abuse" for any other folder.
What else? Anything?
Strider fans, what say you?
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2008
- Messages
- 10,394
Opening lots of boxes, extended out door tasks, cutting up 120 10' lengths of 3/8" nylon rope for a scout demonstration.
Basically anything where good ergonomics are appreciated.
It's a knife I don't mind if it get's dropped or scuffed. I'm never scared of loaning my SMF out to my boss who goes through beater knives like a baby goes through diapers. Why should I? It breaks, I get a new one. And maybe some leverage over the boss.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,156
Despite all of this controversy, I think you should look at this and see...these knives are just badass. No matter what happened, the knives are great.
I mean, look at this:
Just beautiful man! I know all of the issues people have, but a product like this is hard to ignore.
I mean, look at this:
Just beautiful man! I know all of the issues people have, but a product like this is hard to ignore.
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2008
- Messages
- 5
I just wanted one, I liked it, now I have an SmF, SnG and a PT.
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2009
- Messages
- 43
Everyone sets their own level at which the price of a knife cannot be justified, no matter how fine the quality. For me it is $68, the price I paid for my most expensive knife, a Benchmade. $68 is chump change to serious knife addicts and collectors.
One could make the argument that a knife, for the function it performs, should not cost more than $5. In which case you would buy your knives from the Cutlerly Corner Network, use them, lose them, throw them away when they got dull, and not bat an eyelash if you lost one.
The Russians had a saying, "Quantity has a quality all its own". That's true in many respects as the Germans had the most devastating tank of WWII, but they couldn't produce enough of them to affect the outcome of the war.
One could make the argument that a knife, for the function it performs, should not cost more than $5. In which case you would buy your knives from the Cutlerly Corner Network, use them, lose them, throw them away when they got dull, and not bat an eyelash if you lost one.
The Russians had a saying, "Quantity has a quality all its own". That's true in many respects as the Germans had the most devastating tank of WWII, but they couldn't produce enough of them to affect the outcome of the war.
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
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- 1,156
Quality ALWAYS beats quantity. I don't care if the person likes knives or not. If that person loved cooking, and you offered him/her a dozen cheapo stoves and one really amazing stove that would meet his/her needs, that person would take the quality stove.
I honestly have no idea why I brought cooking into this topic. However, I did just watch the Iron Chef
Really? Ask a woman if she would rather have one $100 knife for a new kitchen of five $20 knives. Or if company has a choice to buy 10 quality pens or 100 cheaper pens with a logo to give out at a trade show?
It is a more important if person can decide if $400 knife is much better for him than a $5 knife and $395 worth of other stuff. To answer this question is really difficult. Everybody should decide for themselves.
You can appreciate the quality, design, etc only after you owned a knife for a long time. In many case people can go from "I handled this knife at the show, didn't like it" to "I carried this one for 2 weeks, it grew on me, it is the best knife ever".
Sebenza has cheaper alternative - Bradley Alias. Most people who don't care about knives will see no real difference between the two. After owning both for some time, you will see the difference. Is difference worth the price tag will depend on factors like how deep your pockets are, how much you like the perfection etc.
Same goes for Strider. Get one, decide for yourself. Strider has no such close relative as Alias to Sebenza. In terms of ergos, the closest I found is Spyderco Native to Strider PT or Tarani to SNG, but those are still very different in other aspects.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2009
- Messages
- 1,679
I wholeheartedly disagree. You always have to balance between quality and quantity.
Let's say you got 2 knives. Knife A is 10% better in edge retention and 10% better in toughness, but costs 10X knife B. Knife B is no slouch; it has enough edge retention to last without sharpening for a long time, and it is indestructible unless abused with a sledgehammer. For the same amount of money to equip 1 person with knife A, I can equip 10 persons (and accomplish 10X the amount of work). Sure Knife A has better quality, but I do not think having knife A beats having knife B.
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2007
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- 2,518
Don’t tell that to my girl friend. I’m hoping she buys it when I tell her that its not how good the one time is but rather how many times I can go…
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2006
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Ahh, but see, you misinterpreted my philosophy. Quality is always better than quantity, just depends on what item for what person. Ask the same woman if she wants 5 $20 purses, or one coach. See my point? Ask the person at the show if he wants one high quality display for his products, or 4 old crappy displays.
I'm not trying to change this thread however. I do respect your opinion and I feel that quantity does have it's place. Simply, not in the knife field. I have my first Strider in the mail so I guess I can comment on the actual blade when it gets here. As for the Sebenza/Alias thing, I think I disagree with you there as well. I own both, and I feel that I am more than qualified to say that the Alias is a knife all it's own, despite having the same design features as the seb. I prefer the Alias, not because I can buy more of them, but because I just prefer it. To each his/her own. Regardless, they are both quality knives.
I know there are a few detractors who don't like the styling of Strider folders. Ok. There are people who don't like the styling of Chris Reeves' stuff. After all, people are not buying his knives, too.
As for the real differences between the knives, I've always tried to bring that up. Others have done as well, I reposted their comments. And again, the comments are ignored and the question asked again - it implies the thread really isn't being read thru, just added to because the poster doesn't know you can click on the little page numbers and read the reasons.
Look at the pictures - the G10 is grippier than beadblast Ti. The back grooves on the blade and handle add security to the grip, especially when wearing gloves, a popular item on duty in the field. Working in the woodlands, desert, or with military equipment, you discover most things aren't friendly to skin. Soldiers wear gloves. Strider didn't compromise the grip because dropping the knife due to a slippery finish is considered worse than being uncomfortable in civilian weekend chores.
The flamed Ti finish is subdued in wear and use, a military requirement, not a styling aesthetic. Flashy polish or glowing satin finishes are NOT allowed on duty. The bead blasted blade with stripes? More camo - and it's very effective in service, and lasts years in use.
With a droppoint flat ground blade, you get the best shape for utility use designed for man, easily sharpened and with a choil to choke up on the grip for finer cutting. Daily utility chores require a lot of that. Some just carry a small knife because of it.
NONE of that is available on the regularly offered Sebenza. They are two different knives for different buyers and different users. Only the unknowledgeable among us insist that the price requires similarity. Since when?
As for the warranty, it stays with the knife, not the owner. Strider fixes what they can from current production, and doesn't restore older knives abused beyond repair from parts long discontinued. If that's bad policy, try buying parts from the dealer for your 1960's muscle car, and good luck.
Strider vs. Sebenza = I don't know much about knives. We'll tell you what the differences are, if you just read them.
As for the real differences between the knives, I've always tried to bring that up. Others have done as well, I reposted their comments. And again, the comments are ignored and the question asked again - it implies the thread really isn't being read thru, just added to because the poster doesn't know you can click on the little page numbers and read the reasons.
Look at the pictures - the G10 is grippier than beadblast Ti. The back grooves on the blade and handle add security to the grip, especially when wearing gloves, a popular item on duty in the field. Working in the woodlands, desert, or with military equipment, you discover most things aren't friendly to skin. Soldiers wear gloves. Strider didn't compromise the grip because dropping the knife due to a slippery finish is considered worse than being uncomfortable in civilian weekend chores.
The flamed Ti finish is subdued in wear and use, a military requirement, not a styling aesthetic. Flashy polish or glowing satin finishes are NOT allowed on duty. The bead blasted blade with stripes? More camo - and it's very effective in service, and lasts years in use.
With a droppoint flat ground blade, you get the best shape for utility use designed for man, easily sharpened and with a choil to choke up on the grip for finer cutting. Daily utility chores require a lot of that. Some just carry a small knife because of it.
NONE of that is available on the regularly offered Sebenza. They are two different knives for different buyers and different users. Only the unknowledgeable among us insist that the price requires similarity. Since when?
As for the warranty, it stays with the knife, not the owner. Strider fixes what they can from current production, and doesn't restore older knives abused beyond repair from parts long discontinued. If that's bad policy, try buying parts from the dealer for your 1960's muscle car, and good luck.
Strider vs. Sebenza = I don't know much about knives. We'll tell you what the differences are, if you just read them.
coolhand68
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2006
- Messages
- 1,373
Wasn't the cheaper Strider alternative the Buck Strider? One could argue that the ZT line would suffice as a cheaper Strider alternative too. I don't think there is a tougher folder on the market than a ZT 0300 series. However they are much heavier and the blade on the ZT was slightly too thick for routine cutting tasks IMHO.
pvicenzi
Basic Member
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- Dec 25, 2008
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- 6,678
I've been considering getting a PT, but this thread has changed my mind. I don't like the choil and finger groove. Then, when the PT was compared to the Native, I knew it wouldn't work for me as the grip on my Native is the only part of the knife I don't like. Finger grooves almost never fit my wide hand and are extremely unconmfortable. Give me a superior straight grip like a Buck 110, or a Sebenza, and my hand is much happier. Looks like this thread saved me about $300.