myowngod
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2009
- Messages
- 1,596
*I realize pictures REALLY help with reviews, but I don't currently have my camera and I did not feel like waiting... sorry.
Strider SNG Drop-point FFG Gen 6
First Impression:
Looks really cool, love the titanium striping on the handle. The lock sounds like a vault closing. The handle fits my hand nicely, and it is not very heavy for how thick the blade and lock are. I wonder if the g10 w/o liner on the side opp of the lock is a weak spot?
Overall Design:
I like the look of this knife... I will admit, to someone who didn't know what it was... it would not look like a ~400 dollar knife. To me, it is a great combination of "tactical" yet subdue enough to use around most people.. def. more tactical than a sebenza.. but not TOO mean looking.. I think my zt350 and even BM710 would be more likely to spook people. Blade is awesome, choil works perfect, FFG and thick blade make a nice compromise in slicing and strength. This is my first frame lock.. I feel it will be the beginning of a long line of them. Very tight, very strong, no blade play, very smooth deploy too. Overall this knife, aside from a few nit picks I will mention later, is my ideal all around knife... tough, light, great warranty, not too big or small, and useful while not making everyone think I am a murderer...
[9/10] Darn near perfect to me.
Ergos:
This thing feels awesome. When I hold it with the choil it feels like an extension of my hand, rather than a tool IN my hand. I love the feel of this knife in all positions. It is more comfy than the ZT0350 handle (I realize not too many people would cross shop these 2 knives, but for most looking at buying an SNG... they are more likely to own or have handled a zt0350.. and it was the knife I got right before this one.. so it is an easy reference point).. I said in my ZT review I wish the handle was a tad longer.. and the SNG's is just a tad longer.. making it perfect.
[10/10] Fits me great, I wouldn't change a thing.
Build Quality:
I have to be honest, I got mine lightly used, so I don't think it is completely fair to judge factory build quality.. even though it wasn't actually "used". So take the following with that in mind.. my "used" sng feels awesome. The blade is centered, the action is smooth, and the blade doesn't budge opened or closed unless you want it to. Given mine is in such shape and was practically new when I got it, I say the build quality is excellent... I have read many mixed reviews on strider fit and finish, and perhaps this is a rare case, but it may be possible that as the SNG got to gen6, the newer models are just built better...? just a possibility.. I honestly don't know.
[9/10] MY sng feels tight, well built, and high quality. Weigh that however you wish, as it seems results may vary.
Price/Bang4Buck:
This is one thing I will knock on the SnG for.. I don't think I would be pleased paying $400 for this knife...at first... I paid $300 for mine, and at that point I feel it was worth it no matter what... But at $400, well say your hand size makes it feel less comfy, or say you aren't into the "tactical" look.. etc.. any one issue with the blade would really make you feel it wasn't worth the price.. This is why I said I wouldn't be pleased "at first" paying 400 for it, because now that I have used it/carried it, and realized just how many things about it are perfect for my uses/needs.. well now it's just a matter of waiting for the knife budget to work up to $400 so I can get a new one.. or maybe a gunner grip...
[8/10] I don't rate it higher, because while I would pay $400... I think ~$350 would be perfect for this blade, the fact that this costs the same as a full Ti (and we all know g10 doesn't cost the same as titanium, yes I know you aren't just paying for materials, but.. i can't help but think about it...) CRK bothers me a little... plus it needs to come with a pivot tool. Maybe I'm just poor, but while I love the knife and think it is awesome, it doesn't "feel" like $400... that is purely subjective, and I do think it is worth $400.. it just doesn't feel like $400 to me (I know that might not make much sense, but that's just my opinion on it). My advice: Try before you buy if possible, or just trade if you don't like it... it is not going to be for everyone, if you don't like it.. get a sebenza..
Size/Weight and EDCability:
Having just bought a ZT350 before this, and a BM710 before that... I find the sng to be a great weight for EDC. The ZT is heavy but you don't really notice it in pocket, unless you are not wearing jeans.. I really notice the weight when I wear any typical "business casual" attire (why would you carry a ZT350 in a business job? I don't know, I just got the knife.. give me a break..). The SNG is lighter than the ZT, making it very easy to carry in any kind of pants, it also feels lighter than my 710, but I don't have the specs on the sng, so I cannot be certain. The main downside is... unless you like everyone seeing that you are carrying a big *** knife... the wide sng handle will sit pretty high above your pocket. This may not matter to you, but I would prefer it be a little more discrete. Aside from that, the weight and size make it a great daily carry. The handle is just the right size, the blade is plenty long, and the knife isn't so big you can't use your pocket.
[8/10] The knife is a 10/10 for strength vs. size and weight, but the big handle sticking out, and the fact that it is still spooky enough to arouse the sheepish make this knife a great EDC for most, but not for some. I should mention that for a heavy use folder, an 8/10 is probably a 10/10 when considering the category of knife it fits in...
Materials:
Titanium Frame-Lock, G10, BOS heat-treat, S30V. I think that list.. aside from varying opinions on blade composition, describes the best folders out there (not going to go into the full ti handle vs. g10 thing).
[10/10]
Thoughts from use:
I love this knife. I really, really do. I love this knife like I love my BM940. My BM940 was my first "quality" knife.. I consider its size/weight/strength ratio to make it an awesome light duty EDC.. and even though the handle is small it fits my hand perfectly. For my uses, it is a great knife. The SNG is like my higher end, harder use, 940 replacement blade. The handle fits my hand perfect, the blade shape is awesome (as much as I like the look of more unique designs, the simplicity of a drop point FFG is a great thing to me..), I have complete trust in the lock, and I have no doubts I will (hopefully) never reach the limits of its abilities. It fits my uses and purposes for owning and carrying a knife very well, and is very comfortable while doing it. I have cut all sorts of things, and the only real hindrance for the knife is slicing, but anyone who knows how thick the blade is should expect that (not to say it can't slice, the blade is just too thick to slice as well as a thinner bladed knife). The blade coating seems to be pretty tough, though I have managed to make marks on it, I also use it hard enough that marks would be impossible to avoid. It is definitely better off than my "i used to be coated black" looking 710's blade...
Individual Scores:
Ergos ----------- 10/10
Build Quality ----- 9/10
Materials -------- 10/10
Bang 4 Buck ----- 8/10
Weight ---------- 9/10
EDCability ------- 8/10
Overall Score: 9.4/10 (not an average)
Comments:
I expressed concern at the beginning of the review that I was unsure if having only g10 on one side rather than Ti, or atleast some form of liner, would be a weak point. I did not mention it until now, because I honestly don't have any evidence to say it is.. It was merely a thought... (if you have info regarding this, feel free to share), I have not found the knife to be weak by any means, and the company and most owners praise the knife as being ridiculously strong/tough... but none the less... it does feel less dense because of this, and it feels less "solid" than my ZT350... but I attribute alot of that to the reduced weight and very light feel/sound of the titanium.
If you are considering this knife, and unsure if it is worth the $400+, well I can say that it is to me. Everyone has their own opinions, and hopefully this review will give insight into how you think you will feel about it if you get it. I will say that when my knife fund does reach ~$400 I will be having a very hard time deciding between another SNG, a used SMF, a lg sebenza 21, or the Umnumzaan... The fact that I would consider a 2nd SNG within that line-up of knives when I already have one says something. I am a college student... saving money for a knife while working part time and paying rent/bills takes a while, so I like to try new things each time... until this knife... this knife really has me considering a duplicate... that means I must really like this knife... as I said.. not for everyone, but I def. think everyone should at least give it a shot.
Strider SNG Drop-point FFG Gen 6
First Impression:
Looks really cool, love the titanium striping on the handle. The lock sounds like a vault closing. The handle fits my hand nicely, and it is not very heavy for how thick the blade and lock are. I wonder if the g10 w/o liner on the side opp of the lock is a weak spot?
Overall Design:
I like the look of this knife... I will admit, to someone who didn't know what it was... it would not look like a ~400 dollar knife. To me, it is a great combination of "tactical" yet subdue enough to use around most people.. def. more tactical than a sebenza.. but not TOO mean looking.. I think my zt350 and even BM710 would be more likely to spook people. Blade is awesome, choil works perfect, FFG and thick blade make a nice compromise in slicing and strength. This is my first frame lock.. I feel it will be the beginning of a long line of them. Very tight, very strong, no blade play, very smooth deploy too. Overall this knife, aside from a few nit picks I will mention later, is my ideal all around knife... tough, light, great warranty, not too big or small, and useful while not making everyone think I am a murderer...
[9/10] Darn near perfect to me.
Ergos:
This thing feels awesome. When I hold it with the choil it feels like an extension of my hand, rather than a tool IN my hand. I love the feel of this knife in all positions. It is more comfy than the ZT0350 handle (I realize not too many people would cross shop these 2 knives, but for most looking at buying an SNG... they are more likely to own or have handled a zt0350.. and it was the knife I got right before this one.. so it is an easy reference point).. I said in my ZT review I wish the handle was a tad longer.. and the SNG's is just a tad longer.. making it perfect.
[10/10] Fits me great, I wouldn't change a thing.
Build Quality:
I have to be honest, I got mine lightly used, so I don't think it is completely fair to judge factory build quality.. even though it wasn't actually "used". So take the following with that in mind.. my "used" sng feels awesome. The blade is centered, the action is smooth, and the blade doesn't budge opened or closed unless you want it to. Given mine is in such shape and was practically new when I got it, I say the build quality is excellent... I have read many mixed reviews on strider fit and finish, and perhaps this is a rare case, but it may be possible that as the SNG got to gen6, the newer models are just built better...? just a possibility.. I honestly don't know.
[9/10] MY sng feels tight, well built, and high quality. Weigh that however you wish, as it seems results may vary.
Price/Bang4Buck:
This is one thing I will knock on the SnG for.. I don't think I would be pleased paying $400 for this knife...at first... I paid $300 for mine, and at that point I feel it was worth it no matter what... But at $400, well say your hand size makes it feel less comfy, or say you aren't into the "tactical" look.. etc.. any one issue with the blade would really make you feel it wasn't worth the price.. This is why I said I wouldn't be pleased "at first" paying 400 for it, because now that I have used it/carried it, and realized just how many things about it are perfect for my uses/needs.. well now it's just a matter of waiting for the knife budget to work up to $400 so I can get a new one.. or maybe a gunner grip...
[8/10] I don't rate it higher, because while I would pay $400... I think ~$350 would be perfect for this blade, the fact that this costs the same as a full Ti (and we all know g10 doesn't cost the same as titanium, yes I know you aren't just paying for materials, but.. i can't help but think about it...) CRK bothers me a little... plus it needs to come with a pivot tool. Maybe I'm just poor, but while I love the knife and think it is awesome, it doesn't "feel" like $400... that is purely subjective, and I do think it is worth $400.. it just doesn't feel like $400 to me (I know that might not make much sense, but that's just my opinion on it). My advice: Try before you buy if possible, or just trade if you don't like it... it is not going to be for everyone, if you don't like it.. get a sebenza..
Size/Weight and EDCability:
Having just bought a ZT350 before this, and a BM710 before that... I find the sng to be a great weight for EDC. The ZT is heavy but you don't really notice it in pocket, unless you are not wearing jeans.. I really notice the weight when I wear any typical "business casual" attire (why would you carry a ZT350 in a business job? I don't know, I just got the knife.. give me a break..). The SNG is lighter than the ZT, making it very easy to carry in any kind of pants, it also feels lighter than my 710, but I don't have the specs on the sng, so I cannot be certain. The main downside is... unless you like everyone seeing that you are carrying a big *** knife... the wide sng handle will sit pretty high above your pocket. This may not matter to you, but I would prefer it be a little more discrete. Aside from that, the weight and size make it a great daily carry. The handle is just the right size, the blade is plenty long, and the knife isn't so big you can't use your pocket.
[8/10] The knife is a 10/10 for strength vs. size and weight, but the big handle sticking out, and the fact that it is still spooky enough to arouse the sheepish make this knife a great EDC for most, but not for some. I should mention that for a heavy use folder, an 8/10 is probably a 10/10 when considering the category of knife it fits in...
Materials:
Titanium Frame-Lock, G10, BOS heat-treat, S30V. I think that list.. aside from varying opinions on blade composition, describes the best folders out there (not going to go into the full ti handle vs. g10 thing).
[10/10]
Thoughts from use:
I love this knife. I really, really do. I love this knife like I love my BM940. My BM940 was my first "quality" knife.. I consider its size/weight/strength ratio to make it an awesome light duty EDC.. and even though the handle is small it fits my hand perfectly. For my uses, it is a great knife. The SNG is like my higher end, harder use, 940 replacement blade. The handle fits my hand perfect, the blade shape is awesome (as much as I like the look of more unique designs, the simplicity of a drop point FFG is a great thing to me..), I have complete trust in the lock, and I have no doubts I will (hopefully) never reach the limits of its abilities. It fits my uses and purposes for owning and carrying a knife very well, and is very comfortable while doing it. I have cut all sorts of things, and the only real hindrance for the knife is slicing, but anyone who knows how thick the blade is should expect that (not to say it can't slice, the blade is just too thick to slice as well as a thinner bladed knife). The blade coating seems to be pretty tough, though I have managed to make marks on it, I also use it hard enough that marks would be impossible to avoid. It is definitely better off than my "i used to be coated black" looking 710's blade...
Individual Scores:
Ergos ----------- 10/10
Build Quality ----- 9/10
Materials -------- 10/10
Bang 4 Buck ----- 8/10
Weight ---------- 9/10
EDCability ------- 8/10
Overall Score: 9.4/10 (not an average)
Comments:
I expressed concern at the beginning of the review that I was unsure if having only g10 on one side rather than Ti, or atleast some form of liner, would be a weak point. I did not mention it until now, because I honestly don't have any evidence to say it is.. It was merely a thought... (if you have info regarding this, feel free to share), I have not found the knife to be weak by any means, and the company and most owners praise the knife as being ridiculously strong/tough... but none the less... it does feel less dense because of this, and it feels less "solid" than my ZT350... but I attribute alot of that to the reduced weight and very light feel/sound of the titanium.
If you are considering this knife, and unsure if it is worth the $400+, well I can say that it is to me. Everyone has their own opinions, and hopefully this review will give insight into how you think you will feel about it if you get it. I will say that when my knife fund does reach ~$400 I will be having a very hard time deciding between another SNG, a used SMF, a lg sebenza 21, or the Umnumzaan... The fact that I would consider a 2nd SNG within that line-up of knives when I already have one says something. I am a college student... saving money for a knife while working part time and paying rent/bills takes a while, so I like to try new things each time... until this knife... this knife really has me considering a duplicate... that means I must really like this knife... as I said.. not for everyone, but I def. think everyone should at least give it a shot.
