Strider SNG CC

[averageiowaguy]

Here is my review of the Strider SNG CC. I'm hoping you find it useful.
[video=youtube;KwPa_KkihSw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwPa_KkihSw[/video]

 

[RubiconSS]

Yikes, Dunno what to say. I found it helpful because I am currently in my "What am I picking up next mode" and the Strider SNG CC "was" on the list along with one of the CRK knives (haven't decided which one)
as well as another Acies. As many Hinderer's as I can get is a given.
I made it past the music and considered some of your observations as they would have been things that would really bug me as well so, thank you.
I like really well designed and perfectly executed designs in my Tool Hobby items (Knives, guns, watches, etc.) a "miss" in either design or execution breaks the love pretty quick, especially in the sweet spot of competition when it comes to price.
There are a lot of nice knives in that niche.
So, I imagine some Strider guys are going to pretty vocal as most of the fan base gets about their chosen favorites. I know I have mine..... happen to be favorites because I think they are nearly perfect in the afore mentioned area(s) of Design and Execution.

 

[averageiowaguy]

Yikes, Dunno what to say. I found it helpful because I am currently in my "What am I picking up next mode" and the Strider SNG CC "was" on the list along with one of the CRK knives (haven't decided which one)
as well as another Acies. As many Hinderer's as I can get is a given.
I made it past the music and considered some of your observations as they would have been things that would really bug me as well so, thank you.

Don't make a decision just based on my review. I watched/read probably 30 different reviews on the knife before I bought it. None of them said anything about the few minor issues I found. I could be completely off my rocker and they might all be right. Seems likely from the numbers perspective.

So, I imagine some Strider guys are going to pretty vocal as most of the fan base gets about their chosen favorites. I know I have mine..... happen to be favorites because I think they are nearly perfect in the afore mentioned area(s) of Design and Execution.

Its just one guy's opinion.

 

[RubiconSS]

No, I will watch many more reviews and read. I find most reviews are very positive and possibly done by fans of the item being reviewed. I get more out of reviews that point out the Bad as well as the Good.
Then I weigh those factors and determine whether I would like/dislike them. It's a process.
As I said, in that range there several strong contenders, no point in missing an opportunity and certainly no point in making a mistake either.
Strider certainly makes a great knife or it wouldn't be as popular as it is but, everybody has to decide on their own if it's the "Next Knife ".

I would Add, To those who like/love Striders - reviews are inconsequential. To those who do not care for a "Tactical type" knife - Same.

A balanced review (Pros and Cons) is most handy to those who are considering a certain item and are seeking as much info as they can get. Some people look for "what will justify" a decision they have already made or a purchase they may have made. When they find what they wanted to see - they stop.
I'd rather see as much as possible before making a decision on a knife.

 

[DanKwonDo]

Nice review, though how about a side by side comparison actually using those knives hard. Hard to make a call when all we see is flipping them open and closed. Value for the dollar, my Cold Steel Lawman can do what those two high enders can and at a real price, and looks just as good.

 

[averageiowaguy]

Nice review, though how about a side by side comparison actually using those knives hard. Hard to make a call when all we see is flipping them open and closed. Value for the dollar, my Cold Steel Lawman can do what those two high enders can and at a real price, and looks just as good.

Well, I'm not confident that either of those knives would perform all that well under hard use. Since no one gave me the knives I would feel a little bad about destroying the knives by asking them to do something that I think is out of their abilities. That would be a little like saying, "I don't think my car can drive through a brick wall and still be useable, but I'm going to do it just to prove a point."

In my opinion, the Strider SNG CC falls into the same use category as the Sebenza - EDC. Neither are hard use. So what I have left to use to compare them is fit and finish. Sebenza wins the fit and finish category hands down. Of course, this is only my opinion and I'm hardly a knife expert.

 

[voidaq]

You should check out the braking/impact strenght of g10 it's quite surprising. On the other hand I would totally agree with you at the thickness that it is on the cc version, the g10 by itself puts the knife right into the edc category.

And the prices are well..... let's say someone is providing a boatload of discounted strider smf's to the guys and gals in the military, or someone is lining his pockets like a robber. Copies from other countries with slightly inferior materials prove that even if you add 100$ to the copie production cost (wich should cover us salaries) the knives should be 250$ cheaper.

 

[Ankerson]

Good honest review giving your opions and impressions.

The lighting could have been better though.

In the end that SnG would be more than strong enough to go through anything one could put it through unless they are trying to break it on purpose, it's a long tested and proven design, same with the SmF.

 

[demoteamone]

Nice review. Maybe the sebenza is more tougher in your opinion?

 

[Ankerson]

Nice review. Maybe the sebenza is more tougher in your opinion?

No way, the blade on the SnG is thicker as is the grind, FFG vers hollow grind.

It would come down to what lock broke 1st in the end, both being frame locks, but the pivot on the SnG is much larger as the knife is ment to take abuse.

Both are good knives, but the Strider is designed to take abuse and hold up, two different designs with two different uses in mind.

The Umnumzaan would be the one to get as it's more in line with the Strider.

 

[ohmyheckinslc]

And interesting review. I wonder what "hard use" means to the gentleman from Iowa. As far as I know. the failure of the Pivot of a folder, particularly a decent one, is exceptionally rare. G10 really is surprisingly tough stuff.

Consider that the original American Lawman had steel liners, but they found they could make it stronger (at least, as strong) by replacing the combination of g10 and steel with just (thicker?) g10. There's a video on youtube of Andrew Demko showing just how ridiculously tough the all G10 version is.

Back to the SNG, if I recall the blade is a hair thicker than 5/32nds, flat ground, whereas the Sebenza's is over a 32nd thinner at 1/8 inch, or just a hair under, and hollow ground, with a fairly fine tip. This means the blade on the SNG is pretty clearly stronger (except for the hole in it, perhaps, but I haven't seen evidence that THAT is a point of failure on the SNG). Its handle is also, arguably, grippier, and its warranty is far far more forgiving. I'm not knocking the Sebenza, I'm just saying that I really don't think it's quite a fair comparison. Perhaps an Umnumzaan would be a closer comparison, and even that... I've seen evidence that the ceramic interface between the lockbar-face and the blade tang can slip resulting in lock failure. (this was likely an isolated incident, and I'm sure CRK would've fixed it).

I'm just saying that I haven't seen many cases where the material holding the pivot in place, failed, resulting in catastrophic knife failure, when everything else on the knife remained intact, unless the user was intentionally abusing the knife, or testing its limits, in which case, all bets are off...

Just my $0.02, for what it's worth... (At today's rate of inflation, probably substantially less than face value)


P.S.
I wrote this as Mr. Ankerson was writing what he posted just above. I hadn't read his post prior to posting this.

 

[Ankerson]

And interesting review. I wonder what "hard use" means to the gentleman from Iowa. As far as I know. the failure of the Pivot of a folder, particularly a decent one, is exceptionally rare. G10 really is surprisingly tough stuff.

Consider that the original American Lawman had steel liners, but they found they could make it stronger (at least, as strong) by replacing the combination of g10 and steel with just (thicker?) g10. There's a video on youtube of Andrew Demko showing just how ridiculously tough the all G10 version is.

Back to the SNG, if I recall the blade is a hair thicker than 5/32nds, flat ground, whereas the Sebenza's is over a 32nd thinner at 1/8 inch, or just a hair under, and hollow ground, with a fairly fine tip. This means the blade on the SNG is pretty clearly stronger (except for the hole in it, perhaps, but I haven't seen evidence that THAT is a point of failure on the SNG). Its handle is also, arguably, grippier, and its warranty is far far more forgiving. I'm not knocking the Sebenza, I'm just saying that I really don't think it's quite a fair comparison. Perhaps an Umnumzaan would be a closer comparison, and even that... I've seen evidence that the ceramic interface between the lockbar-face and the blade tang can slip resulting in lock failure. (this was likely an isolated incident, and I'm sure CRK would've fixed it).

I'm just saying that I haven't seen many cases where the material holding the pivot in place, failed, resulting in catastrophic knife failure, when everything else on the knife remained intact, unless the user was intentionally abusing the knife, or testing its limits, in which case, all bets are off...

Just my $0.02, for what it's worth... (At today's rate of inflation, probably substantially less than face value)


P.S.
I writing this as Mr. Ankerson was writing what he posted just above. I hadn't read his post prior to posting this.

I just think the OP is over thinking it and guessing and offering conclusions based on what I dunno.

Without really pushing the knives in question, or other models for that matter in a given situation that may or may not ever come up?

Granted, most won't really abuse their $400+ knives, I have and will and use mine hard, but then I am different than most.

But one doesn't have to spend $400 to get a tough knife that can take a lot of abuse, as mentioned the CS American Lawman can and will take one heck of a lot of abuse as it was designed to take it.

And that Tri-Ad lock on the American Lawman is stronger than a frame lock, that's not even debatable.

So if I was going into a situation or an area that I know I would have to use a folder for just about anything I know what knife I would be taking with me...... That knife would be either an American Lawman or Recon 1 for production or my Demko AD-10 for Customs.

No politics, no bias, no BS fanboy crap, just plain flat out if I knew I would be beating the crap out of a folder and it would be the only knife I had that's what I would have with me.

 

[ohmyheckinslc]

And that Tri-Ad lock on the American Lawman is stronger than a frame lock, that's not even debatable.

So if I was going into a situation or an area that I know I would have to use a folder for just about anything I know what knife I would be taking with me...... That knife would be either an American Lawman or Recon 1 for production or my Demko AD-10 for Customs.

I hear you, though I really wish CS would branch out a little with steel choices and build a Triad lock knife in 5/32nds or even 3/16th stock with a heavier tip. (I guess the closest right now is their triad ak-47, but I'm not sure about the current specs...) How do you, personally, feel about Spyderco's compression lock and Benchmade's Axis, for comparison in terms of brute strength?


Sorry, that was O/T

 

[Ankerson]

I hear you, though I really wish CS would branch out a little with steel choices and build a Triad lock knife in 5/32nds or even 3/16th stock with a heavier tip. (I guess the closest right now is their triad ak-47, but I'm not sure about the current specs...) How do you, personally, feel about Spyderco's compression lock and Benchmade's Axis, for comparison in terms of brute strength?


Sorry, that was O/T

I think they are about the same really give or take, but I have broken an Axis Lock in testing in the past, the blade never closed, but the lock was not functioning at all in the end, haven't tested the compression lock since I don't do that type of testing anymore.

But then that was gross abuse well beyond anything that a folder would ever be used for in real use, even abusing the knife.

 

[Ankerson]

I hear you, though I really wish CS would branch out a little with steel choices and build a Triad lock knife in 5/32nds or even 3/16th stock with a heavier tip. (I guess the closest right now is their triad ak-47, but I'm not sure about the current specs...) How do you, personally, feel about Spyderco's compression lock and Benchmade's Axis, for comparison in terms of brute strength?


Sorry, that was O/T

CS likes their knives to cut stuff as well as being strong.

 

[ohmyheckinslc]

CS likes their knives to cut stuff as well as being strong.

Dude, Jim, are you saying that your Demko Custom (with a much stouter blade) doesn't cut well?
I'm just sayin'.... in faith, all things are possible....

 

[Ankerson]

Dude, Jim, are you saying that your Demko Custom (with a much stouter blade) doesn't cut well?
I'm just sayin'.... in faith, all things are possible....

Mine do, especially the ELMAX one due to the deep hollow grind that is ground thin behind the edge.

 

[Ankerson]

Dude, Jim, are you saying that your Demko Custom (with a much stouter blade) doesn't cut well?
I'm just sayin'.... in faith, all things are possible....

All I was trying to say is that a hard use knife can perform with the correct blade grind and geometry....

A 4" folder that weighs in at 10+ ounces with a 1/4" thick blade with a thick grind and is .040+ behind the edge with a 50 degrees inclusive edge just isn't going to cut very well in general...... It could be tough though, but I won't want it.

That would be a pry bar with an edge on it in the end, or a brick....

So if performance matters one really has to do their research and really decide what they want and or need in the end before buying.

Making a folder tough and strong really isn't all that difficult if cutting performance isn't a concern.....

 

[RubiconSS]

Well, If it boils down to a Folder with as close to Everything one could want: Hard Use, Strong, Great F&F, Can be SHARP yet TOUGH, just really the "IF you had to grab ONE knife"
It's the Hinderer XM-18 Spanto.

 

[averageiowaguy]

Hey everyone,
Thanks for watching my video. I'm sorry I couldn't reply earlier. I was out deer hunting (successfully). I posed a question in the video about the pivot pin being sunk into G10. The G10 on my particular knife is <1mm thick at points around where the pivot pin is sunk. Does this make any difference to anyone or am I just crazy for wondering how strong that is? I really don't know what to make of that. Everything else about the knife seems like it can stand abuse. The blade design is great, the frame lock seems fairly strong and the pivot pin is a beast. I'm still left pondering just how strong a piece of G10 that is <1 mm thick can be. It doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in me, but maybe I'm crazy.