Cliff- The edge damage is very small. Sometimes not visable, other times it is. Usually rolling not chipping. And almost always only after cutting a lot of strap.
USAFSP- I am not afriad to use my JWS. I brought it to work, and I used it a lot. I used it to cut the thick, hard plastic strap before I posted, and after I posted (and then we started running at work), I had to use it to cut the thinner strap on our bundle strappers when they got caught. I enjoy using it. But custom or not, the SMF is more of a tank and I *know* I can abuse it more. If a knife was a custom and just as much of a tank as the SMF, I would use it like an SMF too. My point was not that no custom is as tank-like as an SMF- I know there are. And I was not saying that one should use a custom or a more expensive knife for only lighter duties. I believe the strength of a knife should determine how hard you use it, not the price or rarity. I see knives as tools and and the abilities of the tool should determine what you do with it. I do not hold back with a knife just because it costs more. In fact, it is the cheaper knives that I tend to baby. But for 475, while you can get a custom for that money, there are not many customs that are just as strong and the same price or cheaper (the XM-18 is the only that comes to mind, though there may be more). I am just answering the "for 475, I can buy a custom" arguement because while you can buy a custom for 475, it will not automatically be better or stronger than a production Strider just because it was hand-made by one person. Many knives sold as "customs" are even more of a production knife than a Strider. So I find that arguement silly (yes, silly), since a knife is a knife and labels like "custom" don't really mean anything- the knife should be judged on its merit.
There are many customs for 500 and less that have better fit and finish than a Strider, but not many that are overall better knives, or stronger. A matter of opinion of course- but the fact that people can get a custom for 475 and many buy a Strider instead says something.
mamba-man said:
I've inspected a lot of Spyderco knives and I made a point of looking for poor fit, play in the locked blade etc. Saw none of it.
You need to look harder. Spyderco's fit and finish is not perfect and many of them have play. Their fit and finish is no better than Strider, if not worse. The difference is the price. For the money, many feel you should get better fit and finish with a Strider, and better consistancy with the quality control. Do not kid yourself into thinking that Spyderco has perfect fit and finish, and consistancy, and that none of them have blade play. You either have a very bad eye, or are just flat out lying.
mamba-man said:
And you use your own $400 knife for this?
Don't your employers provide you with the right tool? BTW, what are you, someone who unpacks stuff at the back of a store? If so, props to you for spending so very much of your income on a knife!
I work at a newspaper. If I am going to pay 475 for a knife, I am going to use it. If I am not going to use it, I will not buy it. The SMF is worth 475 because it is *THAT* good as a user. So, to not use it would be a waste of that money. The SMF is, IMO, about 800 dollars worth of user. Not an art knife. Not a display item. For 475 it is a bargain. And it must be used to be worth the price.
mamba-man said:
The owners of the largest knife store I've been to told me that sharpness and its retention is THE biggest selling point to buyers, so you are wrong there.
No I am not. I did not saying it is not the biggest selling point. People are stupid and will buy things for stupid reasons. Out of the box sharpness is nearly meaningless because when you use a knife, it dulls. And then you must sharpen it. Just because some ignorant people value out of the box sharpness above all else does not mean the Manix is a better knife. After both have been used, out of the box sharpness means nothing.
mamba-man said:
No, I appreciated the fella's questioning of the price of Strider knives, and I've enjoyed the answers. It's all relevant, the best stuff for these forums.
I was not refering to asking why they cost what they do. I was refering to the bashing.
mamba-man said:
You are, somewhat, but I can sympathize.
No, I really am not. I am not insecure about my purchase at all. In fact, my SMF is one of my top 3 best purchases in my life. There is no reason to be insecure about buying a great knife. I reply because I do not like seeing good products badmouthed by people that are insecure in *their* choices.
