We all know that every once in a while, when business is slow, Mick trolls under an alias and bashes Strider, and gets business going again.
To any who are now considering a Strider folder, my opinion is get an AR, the SnG is a nice knife, heck, get both, but the AR is the ultimate bad-ass knife and completely embodies the Strider philosophy of tank-like construction. I have some nice custom tacticals, if i had to choose one, it would be the AR, its just so baaaaaad. If you have handled the Buck Strider folder and were impressed by its thick, solid construction, well, lets just say the real AR makes the Buck look like a flimsy toy.
I will go on record as saying that Strider has definitely tapped into the "cool factor" element behind what drives tactical knife sales, he knows exactly what will make us testosterone filled men weak in the knees, he has all but cornered the market on cool factor and thats why he can charge what he does, he deserves it. But, also, at $350, the AR is definitely not a bad value, its a well made folder, though i do see how $400 for some of the fixed blades with cord wrap might seem high to some. But, again, cool factor goes a long way, whether we choose to admit it or not. I also often see a lot of "art" in some of the blade grinds. He makes knives that really appeal to lots of people and he charges what he thinks he can get, which is exactly as it should be.
