Strider folder--I don't get it

Swedge said:
At what tasks is a Strider folder better than a knife like the Sebenza? "Hard use" is too vague to answer the question.
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What do you define as "hard-use"? I've owned quite a few more Striders than I've owned Sebenzas and all of them offered a more positive grip. Still, I don't thik my Striders could do anything my Sebs couldn't. It all came down to the difference in warranty. From how I read it and understand it, Strider will cover damages that CRK would consider abuse.
 
I like the SnG CC better than the Sebenza. I EDCd a Sebenza for 7 years before buying an SnG (CC)... The ONLY thing that I like more about the Seb is that it is more pocket friendly... The SnG takes up more space, and is a little rough on the hand if you have something else in the same pocket and dig in past the knife to retrieve it... The SnG is more maneuverable in the hand opening, closing, altering grip, etc... It's not so "cold" and sterile in the hand, and IMO, the handle is just more comfy AND more positively gripped. I have also owned plane jane SnGs, and I did not like them as much, but I would still prefer it to the Sebenza.

One thing that I do not like about frame/liner locks is the ball/detent closed retention... but Strider does it better on the SnG than CRK does it on the Sebenza...this is a FACT. I reckon the Ummumzaan addresses this, but the knife is just plain fugly. If you jack with a knife as much as I do, the ball will be the first thing to noticeably wear, maybe wear out... I've had Sebs AND SnGs almost completely flatten even with the blade. Both companies can/will replace it, Strider will do it FREE.

On another note... for most of us, these companies are pretty much luxury brands... The state of our economy will damage them. If I had to pick one that is more likely to go down, it would be CRK... Because Strider does A LOT more business with the Military, I don't see them going anywhere, plus they are a smaller shop with less overhead.

I think that they both make FANTASTIC products, and it is REALLY difficult to compare them... this is just my outlook on them.
 
flipe8 said:
What do you define as "hard-use"?
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That's what I'm asking. I got a lot of responses that the Strider will hold up to "hard use" better, and since I don't know what the responding posters mean by that, I am asking that very question.

This was not intended to be a Strider vs. Sebenza thread. Different strokes for different folks and all that. I mentioned the Sebenza only as an example of a knife that most would consdered to be a heavy-duty folder.

I made the OP to find out why Strider owners are fans, not why another knife is better.

Anyway, to date I have gathered that:

1. Some uses would be considered "hard use" by Strider and "abuse" by most other mfrs. Repairs resuting from "hard use" will be covered by warranty by Strider if they still make the knife.

2. Some owners like the feel of the knife in their hands better. Obviously that is personal to each buyer.

3. Some like the looks better. Even more personal, IMO. SecSpyral, those pix do look good. What model is that?

4. Some like the image that the Strider projects. The example of a Hummer was given, which is a good example IMO. The Hummer can do certain things (?) that a Suburban can't, but the look and feel of a Hummer will be much different than that of the Suburban, even if you're just driving to the supermarket. Both will get you to the supermarket and carry all your groceries home just fine.

Another poster compared other knives to "jewelry." I think that the Strider is actually a form of man-jewelry!

Perhaps the best example is a Rolex watch. They don't keep time as well as a quartz crystal watch, and though they can take "hard use" that might batter a Casio or Seiko, most of us don't really put them to the test. Why wear a Rolex? Because you like it. And guys who would never wear a pinky ring are happy with a Rolex as a form of man-jewelry. And if you can't afford a Rolex (or Strider) or can afford it but would never spend the money on such an item, you're not wrong.
 
Swedge said:
Perhaps the best example is a Rolex watch. They don't keep time as well as a quartz crystal watch, and though they can take "hard use" that might batter a Casio or Seiko, most of us don't really put them to the test. Why wear a Rolex? Because you like it. And guys who would never wear a pinky ring are happy with a Rolex as a form of man-jewelry. And if you can't afford a Rolex (or Strider) or can afford it but would never spend the money on such an item, you're not wrong.
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That's actually a terrible example since any Casio G Shock is way tougher, more shock resistant, and requires less maintenance than a Rolex.

Sorry to interrupt but I just thought you should know that...
 
archieblue..... I've had Strider knives where the retention balls have gotten flat spots from wear. NEVER on any Sebenza that I've owned. Sebenza has ceramic ball swaged into blind hole and can't readily be replaced. In fact, I've never heard of a Sebenza ball going flat or being replaced.
 
I had the ball detent go out on my SMF. The blade opened with ease. I received the knife second hand so it was used. It sent it in to the shop for repair. Not only was it taken care of they also put the factory edge back without being asked. Only cost to me was shipping. Bottom line, parts do from time to time wear out. They made good on their warranty no questions asked.
 
Biginboca said:
That's actually a terrible example since any Casio G Shock is way tougher, more shock resistant, and requires less maintenance than a Rolex.

Sorry to interrupt but I just thought you should know that...
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You're probably right about that. I was thinking (but did not say it) about the Rolex Submariner. The Submariner can go way deeper than a Casio. Of course, if you want to come back alive from those depths, you better be using mixed gas and have extra cylinders (including pure O2) at your decomp level... Though this is really academic since most divers today will rely on a dive computer rather than a wrist watch for measuring bottom time.

But I think the suggestion that a Rolex is man-jewelry is valid as is the comparison of a Strider to a Rolex.

And heck, since I started the thread and everyone else is taking it in all sorts of directions, I don't mind this thread drift!
 
Typically if a detent has a history of being problematic for a user from either the maker/manufacturer somehow drilling the hole too large for the ball used, or from an odd shaped hole where the ball inserts or from just having one that has had the ball popped out more often than it maybe should have been for whatever reasons its pretty easy to fix it. I often times remove the balls if made of stainless steel and the reason for this is to bead blast and then anodize a ti side or something like this where the ball would either get pitted from blasting making it potentially gritty feeling or corrode when anodized. Of course on some models you can't always remove the ball if the hole for the ball is not clear through and have to cover the ball then for an anodizing bath. These can be a problem later if the ball sinks too deep for some reason but otherwise are fine. I have seen many folders with flat sided detent balls though. I like the clear through hole for this reason because if it does get to a point where it isn't working to effectively keep the tip down as it should and that is important to the user it should be easy to remove and replace. A detent ball that is set in a shallow hole that does not go clear through the lock thickness can sometimes be fixed by sinking the ball in deeper and placing another ball right over the top of it but you better hope the original hole is deep enough for two balls in that case.

In the past when I've had a knife sent that the ball was missing and discovered the hole was too large for the ball it was an easy fix by simply taking a small flat end screw driver and peening north, south east and west around the hole making four little retention points and then setting my ball and gapping that the right height by placing a PB washer over it and peening it in place with my flat end tap.

My friend Dick Atkinson that is a retired knife maker made some small frame locks and used small 1-72 button head screws instead of detent balls in the locks. I have two of these. They work fine in the application he put them in. The button head was polished up and buffed good and then installed and buffed again some using a fine jewelers wheel. It works the same way as a detent by the head of the screw falling into the starter hole as the blade comes to rest on the stop pin when closed. Its neat concept and seemed quite ingenious to me. I'm not sure if Dick came up with this or saw it somewhere though and never thought to ask him about it.

STR
 
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Very interesting, STR.
The idea I talked about, the screw would have a smooth, rounded end, like a ball point pen. I think that would work.
 
Nice post STR. Of course the ideal solution is to just use a ceramic ball like Microtech first used and then Chris Reeve now uses also. Then no maintenance will ever be necessary to begin with.
 
pvicenzi said:
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.
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There is certainly nothing wrong coming to this conclusion. If you perceive the specific features of a knife won't work for you, don't get one.

I have had a few knives over the last 30 years, and my must-have features became more concrete and specific with each purchase, pro and con. For a field duty and rough use knife in the military, the SnG (pictured in Ranger Green - what I got) excels at the tasks I feel I need done.

Does it make it the best box cutter at work? Maybe a BM Vex won't hang up the choil on double corrugated cardboard, it has none, and the Vex does have a Ti plating to reduce scratching, in a pleasant silver tone. But I can't choke up on the Vex as well, and the Ti does have a reflective quality not easily tolerated in the military. Pro's and con's.

A BM Vex doesn't have the last ditch retentive grip of a SnG, but it's good enough for EDC in a suburban parts store. The SnG would be overkill, but a Rolex is overkill, too, and so is a Sebenza. Again, most people don't buy the knife as much for it's ability, as what it says about their ego and socio-economic lifestyle - just like a Hummer.

For the Hummer, you get a 3/4 ton rebodied Suburban that breaks offroad and can't keep up with old Jeep Cherokees. At least with a Sebenza or a Strider, you get something that can actually do what it's made to do.

The fact that a SnG is different than a Sebenza only bothers those who can't look past the appearance to understand the function. And those same folks will be doomed to buy Hummers on looks, too, not understanding their inferior function.

If I had a Sebenza - the other choice I could have made - I probably could be just as happy. Had I bought a Hummer, tho, all the Cherokee owners would quietly laugh at me - like I laugh at Hummer owners driving my Cherokee.

Striders perform. At least the discussion is about two outstanding knives made from difficult materials that perform at a high level.

Unlike Dark Ops styled GM iron and overpriced old school winder watches.
 
tirod3 said:
There is certainly nothing wrong coming to this conclusion. If you perceive the specific features of a knife won't work for you, don't get one.

I have had a few knives over the last 30 years, and my must-have features became more concrete and specific with each purchase, pro and con. For a field duty and rough use knife in the military, the SnG (pictured in Ranger Green - what I got) excels at the tasks I feel I need done.

Does it make it the best box cutter at work? Maybe a BM Vex won't hang up the choil on double corrugated cardboard, it has none, and the Vex does have a Ti plating to reduce scratching, in a pleasant silver tone. But I can't choke up on the Vex as well, and the Ti does have a reflective quality not easily tolerated in the military. Pro's and con's.

A BM Vex doesn't have the last ditch retentive grip of a SnG, but it's good enough for EDC in a suburban parts store. The SnG would be overkill, but a Rolex is overkill, too, and so is a Sebenza. Again, most people don't buy the knife as much for it's ability, as what it says about their ego and socio-economic lifestyle - just like a Hummer.

For the Hummer, you get a 3/4 ton rebodied Suburban that breaks offroad and can't keep up with old Jeep Cherokees. At least with a Sebenza or a Strider, you get something that can actually do what it's made to do.

The fact that a SnG is different than a Sebenza only bothers those who can't look past the appearance to understand the function. And those same folks will be doomed to buy Hummers on looks, too, not understanding their inferior function.

If I had a Sebenza - the other choice I could have made - I probably could be just as happy. Had I bought a Hummer, tho, all the Cherokee owners would quietly laugh at me - like I laugh at Hummer owners driving my Cherokee.

Striders perform. At least the discussion is about two outstanding knives made from difficult materials that perform at a high level.

Unlike Dark Ops styled GM iron and overpriced old school winder watches.
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I still want a PT, but I'm going to wait until I handle one to see if the choil/finger groove combination fits my hand. No matter how nice the rest of a knife may be, if the handle doesn't suit your individual hand, you are better off making another choice.
 
wally@ferguson said:
archieblue..... I've had Strider knives where the retention balls have gotten flat spots from wear. NEVER on any Sebenza that I've owned. Sebenza has ceramic ball swaged into blind hole and can't readily be replaced. In fact, I've never heard of a Sebenza ball going flat or being replaced.
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Well.... all I can say is that I AM experienced... and I have carried/used Sebenzas = or > than anyone on these forums and the results are what I said they were. (EDC'd ONE for over 7 years while living in a tent for 5 mos. out of the year, and using using USING it, owned 10-12, and was a CRK dealer who specialized in Sebenzas... gearoutsidethebox.com) I realize that the ball is ceramic, but it still wore out. I LOVE SEBS... love 'em... I would NEVER say that they are too expensive, or that there are "real" problems with them... just an unavoidable one inherent with ball detents regardless of what they are made of. The SnG may wear out quicker, but It'll be replaced free, and IMO it works better than the Sebs through its lifespan.
 
tirod3 said:
There is certainly nothing wrong coming to this conclusion. If you perceive the specific features of a knife won't work for you, don't get one.
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Yep.:thumbup:
This is the best thing written in this thread so far.
 
Well I finally got mine in the mail yesterday and I get it.....big time. It's my favorite knife I own right now and is just rugged as hell.
 
I just got my first Strider SNG today. And I love this knife. By far the strongest feel and lock up I've ever felt on a knife. The ergonomics are amazing. The finish is beautiful. Couldn't ask for more in a knife.


21ctg2b.jpg
 
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