Strider Opinions

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Besides his shady past, I don't find his knives appealing. I can't stand the grips at all on neither folders nor fixed. Very bad fit for my hand, uncomfortable and almost painful to hold. For the price, I'd rather buy a couple Benchmades or a Chris Reeve, or put a payment on a Randall (for a fixed). A lot of quality knives out there without a felon and poser running the operation.
 
I've been a Spyderco, Benchmade, ZT guy for a while as well.

I scored an SnG for a very good price on the Exchange this past week. I loved the look of it and it was rock solid but it just seemed a bit smaller than I expected, so I sold it.

I now have a DGG SMF on its way to me.

While I don't have extensive experience with them, I would say if you can get a good price on one in the Exchange (hint, hint check there ASAP) I would highly recommend it.
 
Strider knives are ugly as sin tacticool crap. I have heard they are well made, but the ones I handled were pretty much just garbage. They could be pretty great for around $200, but for the price they are nowhere close to worth it.

Then there is the whole Mick Strider incident, which is reason enough to avoid them.

If you don't have a ZT 550, get one, and if you want pick up an aftermarket scale and you just got a knife better than a Strider for less. Or get a ZT 560 and you got a knife even better than the 550 (if you can handle the size increase).
 
I just read a link to the shady past of Mick Strider. If all that is true then that's definitely a deal breaker for me.

I do have a ZT-0550 and it is fantastic. Actually , some aspects of it remind me of Striders (the large jumping in particular).

Anyway , I'm all set with Strider. And thanks to everyone for your opinions and info. You've been very helpful.
 
dkb45 said:
Strider knives are ugly as sin tacticool crap. I have heard they are well made, but the ones I handled were pretty much just garbage. They could be pretty great for around $200, but for the price they are nowhere close to worth it.
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What a discombobulated mess. You "heard" they are great, but you handled garbage? "They could be great at $200"? A great knife is a great knife. Garbage can't become great because it cost less.

Kudos to those that can express their opinion but need not make a mess of it.
 
I've owned a few SnGs, PTs and one RCC. Mine were all well made with no real issues to speak of. Not CRK quality, but not bad. After owning a few, I've come to the conclusion they aren't worth the asking price to me for a number of reasons that have to do with personal preference. My own taste is such that I don't care for shortened cutting edges to make room for finger choils and handles that are G-10 on one side with Ti on the other. On a knife in the $150ish range, I could probably get past the features I'm not fond of. But, when I'm dropping what I consider to be a pretty decent sum of cash on a folder, it has to check off more boxes in the + column than in the - column. Striders just don't do that for me.
 
RetiredGuns said:
What a discombobulated mess. You "heard" they are great, but you handled garbage? "They could be great at $200"? A great knife is a great knife. Garbage can't become great because it cost less.

Kudos to those that can express their opinion but need not make a mess of it.
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...i concurr...not only do striders make poor flicking toys they are way too expensive for the average tacticool type...and for a "garbage knife" they sure do sell off their inventory often...as for all the "history", well that does not stop the many current service professionals i know and see from using strider products...
 
pilote said:
...i concurr...not only do striders make poor flicking toys they are way too expensive for the average tacticool type...and for a "garbage knife" they sure do sell off their inventory often...as for all the "history", well that does not stop the many current service professionals i know and see from using strider products...
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This.

Go browse a more (in)famous forum with many military personnel on it, and they love Strider and consistently buy their products. Particularly an ape brand and their CPM-3V Striders sell out within minutes.

Besides...how our current government is, the average citizen commits roughly three felonies a day. But I digress, that's something for the political arena and not for general knife discussion.
 
The past is in the past, I have not read not do I care to know what happened. He has apparently moved on. Yes Striders are on the expensive side, they are also built very well. I have 2 SMF's at the moment and want a third when the S110V's come out next year. People are not infallible, remember that.
 
I have one of those "ape" ones :D

ibute21 said:
This.

Go browse a more (in)famous forum with many military personnel on it, and they love Strider and consistently buy their products. Particularly an ape brand and their CPM-3V Striders sell out within minutes.

Besides...how our current government is, the average citizen commits roughly three felonies a day. But I digress, that's something for the political arena and not for general knife discussion.
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RetiredGuns said:
What a discombobulated mess. You "heard" they are great, but you handled garbage? "They could be great at $200"? A great knife is a great knife. Garbage can't become great because it cost less.

Kudos to those that can express their opinion but need not make a mess of it.
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I should be more clear. I keep hearing time and time again that they are well made, so I am convinced that the ones I handled were blems or otherwise flawed. I picked them up long enough to flip it open a few times, discover the lock issues, grimace, and set them down loudly exclaiming "Nope!'. The ones I handled had dealable issues for a much lower price tag, but for what they would cost they plainly were garbage.

I was quite tired when I posted that, and wasn't quite all there. I will clarify it further. If Strider knives were made at half or less of their current price, they could be strong competition for ZT, but since that won't happen... well, they are just glorified crap, more or less.
 
dkb45 said:
I should be more clear. I keep hearing time and time again that they are well made, so I am convinced that the ones I handled were blems or otherwise flawed. I picked them up long enough to flip it open a few times, discover the lock issues, grimace, and set them down loudly exclaiming "Nope!'. The ones I handled had dealable issues for a much lower price tag, but for what they would cost they plainly were garbage.

I was quite tired when I posted that, and wasn't quite all there. I will clarify it further. If Strider knives were made at half or less of their current price, they could be strong competition for ZT, but since that won't happen... well, they are just glorified crap, more or less.
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"Loudly exclaiming 'Nope!' ". Hahaha. Classic.

For $400 I would want a very high level of quality/fit&finish too.

If Spyderco and ZT can do it for $120 , why can't everyone?

But yes , maybe you just got a blem.
 
The one at the fine cutlery has some striders, an off center blade caused me to stop looking at them.

I do like the looks and feel.
 
Wolverine666 said:
If Spyderco and ZT can do it for $120 , why can't everyone?
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Show me a Spyderco or ZT that has a titanium framelock, premium steel, and is 100% made in the USA for $120, please.

Spyderco manufactures 80% of it's knives overseas, from my estimate. And you aren't getting a ZT titanium framelock for $120
 
dkb45 said:
I will clarify it further. If Strider knives were made at half or less of their current price, they could be strong competition for ZT, but since that won't happen... well, they are just glorified crap, more or less.
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You do know the original knives that ZT collaborated with were designed along side Strider, right? They still make those knives too.

Wolverine666 said:
"

If Spyderco and ZT can do it for $120 , why can't everyone?
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Strider is a small outfit based in California. High cost to operate plus paying the guys who make the knives. High demand, low supply, etc. Plus the bullet proof warranty. Go look at the size of Spyderco and KAI. They rely on moving large amounts of knives. Strider doesn't.
 
ibute21 said:
You do know the original knives that ZT collaborated with were designed along side Strider, right? They still make those knives too.



Strider is a small outfit based in California. High cost to operate plus paying the guys who make the knives. High demand, low supply, etc. Plus the bullet proof warranty. Go look at the size of Spyderco and KAI. They rely on moving large amounts of knives. Strider doesn't.
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Smaller operation means they should have better quality control.

This is probably the first time I've agreed with dk on anything but he is absolutely right. I have 30$ kershaws with better fit and finish than the striders I've handled.

Even if they were half as great as some of you try to make them out to be I would never buy one. I am a vet and his actions are absolutely disgusting to me.
 
dkb45 said:
I should be more clear. I keep hearing time and time again that they are well made, so I am convinced that the ones I handled were blems or otherwise flawed. I picked them up long enough to flip it open a few times, discover the lock issues, grimace, and set them down loudly exclaiming "Nope!'. The ones I handled had dealable issues for a much lower price tag, but for what they would cost they plainly were garbage.

I was quite tired when I posted that, and wasn't quite all there. I will clarify it further. If Strider knives were made at half or less of their current price, they could be strong competition for ZT, but since that won't happen... well, they are just glorified crap, more or less.
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Which is it, it or them? What shop had multiple Striders to "flip"? Again, price doesn't make a knife good or bad.

You must still be tired...
 
5.56 said:
Show me a Spyderco or ZT that has a titanium framelock, premium steel, and is 100% made in the USA for $120, please.

Spyderco manufactures 80% of it's knives overseas, from my estimate. And you aren't getting a ZT titanium framelock for $120[/



I don't have to show you anything , guy. No one said anything about ti frame locks and 100% American made anything from Spyderco and ZT.

What I DID say is that Spyderco and ZT both make great knives with exceptional fit&finish. Esp for being $120 or under. Regardless off being made in Oregon , Golden or Tai Chung.
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jimmyd1982 said:
I am a vet and his actions are absolutely disgusting to me.
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Thank you for your service, Jimmy1982

Everyone likes to bring up Strider's past, which I frown upon myself, but nobody ever mentions Strider's present. I see many charitable contributions to Veterans and Wounded Warriors Foundations. I see battlefield worthy knives in the hands of current service members overseas. A google search turned up a Strider auction to benefit the family of a fallen soldier.

Maybe I'm the only person seeing this?
 
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