Strider SNG - This Thing ROCKS!!! A Brief Review w/ CRK Comparisons... (Pic Heavy)

[GarrettWeidman]

The logo stamping is disappointing for this price-point. the lock-up is perfect; Mick knows what he's doing there. you want the blade tang to engage the lockbar from the point which is farthest away from the blade-stop (the thumb stud that touches the titanium frame slab). this optimizes the lock-up and is what every maker should be doing.

So, you are saying that CRK should start making the blade and the lockbar meet at an angle like strider? It seems like strider has a lot more complaints about lock-up than CRK has, what do you think makes striders lockup angle better?

 

[retzius]

As an aside, I'm surprised Plaza Cutlery let that one ship. I love that place! I live close by and buy often in person, they are great folks and check everything usually. I'm sure they would do an exchange on the knife if it bothers the OP.

 

[Ankerson]

So, you are saying that CRK should start making the blade and the lockbar meet at an angle like strider? It seems like strider has a lot more complaints about lock-up than CRK has, what do you think makes striders lockup angle better?

Not really, those are the same few (Very small percentage) that get rehashed over and over again and again being parroted by different people like they are different knives.

And by some who have never held a Strider in their hands before making up fairy tales......

If Strider was really that bad they would have been out of business a long time ago.....

 

[Ankerson]

As an aside, I'm surprised Plaza Cutlery let that one ship. I love that place! I live close by and buy often in person, they are great folks and check everything usually. I'm sure they would do an exchange on the knife if it bothers the OP.

I find that interesting too, I thought the dealers checked the knives before shipping them out.

But then the photo could show more detail that one would see just looking at it quickly

 

[GarrettWeidman]

Not really, those are the same few (Very small percentage) that get rehashed over and over again and again being parroted by different people like they are different knives.

If Strider was really that bad they would have been out of business a long time ago.....

I guess I am 0 for 2 then, because I have owned two striders and both had very poor lock-up, one had up and down play and the lock bar was touching the g10 and the other one I couldn't close with one hand because the lockbar would basically get stuck everytime I opened the knife.

so add two knives to that "very small percentage" that haven't been talked about on the forums before that had very poor lock-up.

 

[retzius]

Actually this makes me curious..

Should the lockup be flush (like my CRK and ZT with no play) or like the OPs Strider (with no play)?

Ankerson, are you suggesting that the CRK flush lockup is somehow inferior? Do you have empirical data for this claim?

Good conversation so far.

 

[Ankerson]

I guess I am 0 for 2 then, because I have owned two striders and both had very poor lock-up, one had up and down play and the lock bar was touching the g10 and the other one I couldn't close with one hand because the lockbar would basically get stuck everytime I opened the knife.

so add two knives to that "very small percentage" that haven't been talked about on the forums before that had very poor lock-up.

I have owned 4 (Still have 2) and none of them have had that problem, and I have held quite a few over the years and none of them had issues either.

 

[Ankerson]

Actually this makes me curious..

Should the lockup be flush (like my CRK and ZT with no play) or like the OPs Strider (with no play)?

Ankerson, are you suggesting that the CRK flush lockup is somehow inferior? Do you have empirical data for this claim?

Good conversation so far.

I didn't say inferior.....

They are different designs made for different purposes made by different Companies who have different ideas on how a framelock should be.

I personally like Striders design better though from what I did in the past to my RW-1 and the condition it was in after and the lock still didn't fail even after I tried to make it fail since I was sending it in anyway.

After what I did I have complete confidence in their lock design.

 

[skwurll]

Actually this makes me curious..

Should the lockup be flush (like my CRK and ZT with no play) or like the OPs Strider (with no play)?

Ankerson, are you suggesting that the CRK flush lockup is somehow inferior? Do you have empirical data for this claim?

Good conversation so far.

No, the lock up should not be flush. The lock up on the knife in the pictures above is perfect-as stated above-by design.

I personally like the small cosmetic imperfections on Striders if they are there. All of mine were "perfect" though. Strider focuses on function for the most part. There not gonna trash or pull a knife because of a slight mis-stamp. They don't want these knives to be collectables, but hard use knives. I understand how some may not want to spend the money if the knife isn't CRK perfection.

 

[5.56]

Here's the big 3 in production knives.

Want to guess which one is my favorite?

I'll give you a clue, it's not the one with the best F&F or the one with the highest market value right now.

 

[Ankerson]

Here's the big 3 in production knives.

Want to guess which one is my favorite?

I'll give you a clue, it's not the one with the best F&F or the one with the highest market value right now.

That is one production (CRK) and 2 Mid Techs (Hinderer and Strider) and the one you are referring to is so limited in production right now that the price has gone through the roof on the secondary market.

 

[retzius]

again, do you have any empirical data proving the Strider lock up is better? its not an opinion thing, this should be an objective engineering problem.

 

[skwurll]

I couldn't say which lockup is better. I just finally purchased an Umnum and a Sebenza and have a few Striders and have complete faith in the lock up of all of them.

 

[GarrettWeidman]

from an engineering stand point it would make sense that more contact is better, which would mean CRK's lockup is better.

and why are you considering striders and hinderers mid-techs? both of them have CNC'd blades and handles just like the CRK, where does the Mid-tech part come in?

 

[Ankerson]

again, do you have any empirical data proving the Strider lock up is better? its not an opinion thing, this should be an objective engineering problem.

Like I said it's my opinion from what I have experienced personally.

And it's different ideas of the makers on what a framelock should be and how they are made, all good just different.

I made my personal choice for my own reasons and others will have to do the same over time.

 

[Ankerson]

from an engineering stand point it would make sense that more contact is better, which would mean CRK's lockup is better.

and why are you considering striders and hinderers mid-techs? both of them have CNC'd blades and handles just like the CRK, where does the Mid-tech part come in?

Because of all the hand fitting and adjusting detail (Work) that goes into them, none of them are exactly the same like full blown production knives.

 

[neuron]

from an engineering stand point it would make sense that more contact is better, which would mean CRK's lockup is better.

By that logic, wouldn't the Umnumzaan have one of the worst lockups imaginable, since the point of contact is a small ceramic ball embedded in the lock face, rather than the whole titanium lock face itself?

Obviously, I'm not actually suggesting that the Umnumzaan has a poor lockup or a poorly engineered lock: I have complete faith in the lockup on my 'Zaan, just like I do in the lockup on my Striders and every other well-built frame or liner lock I own. But what I am suggesting is that your attempt at reasoning from an engineering standpoint is highly suspect.

 

[5.56]

Because of all the hand fitting and adjusting detail (Work) that goes into them, none of them are exactly the same like full blown production knives.

There is a lot of hand finishing and fitment done on CRK knives FWIW

That Sebenza Insingo pictured came from the factory with a hand polished edge.

But my point was more directed at the big 3 of "non-custom" knives

 

[neuron]

There is a lot of hand finishing and fitment done on CRK knives FWIW

But my point was more directed at the big 3 of "non-custom" knives

Yeah, I'd put all three of them in the same category -- semi-production, semi-custom, mid-tech, "knives that make non-knife-people do a double-take and say 'you paid that much for a knife?!?!'" (), or whatever else one prefers to call it.

 

[Ankerson]

There is a lot of hand finishing and fitment done on CRK knives FWIW

But my point was more directed at the big 3 of "non-custom" knives

Well yeah once we get into Customs the whole world goes sideways and anything is possible as long as the buyer has the cash to spend.