JPD1998
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Messages
- 3,567
Like many here, I wanted a higher end production knife and had narrowed my choices down to the venerable large Sebenza and the Strider SnG. Several times over a two year period I came within one mouse click of buying the Sebenza , but always canceled the transaction at the last minute. I just wasnt sure if I really liked the design of the Sebenza. Tons of reviews and comparisons between both the Sebenza and SnG always seemed to place the Sebenza over the SnG in terms of overall finish. But the Sebenza was just a little too plain for me. Plus I noticed that I was constantly using my Buck 882 Strider on weekends. It made sense to buy something similar to the Buck, but the mixed reviews the SnG received in terms of overall build quality and the fact I didnt care for the camo finished blades, stopped me from buying the SnG.
About two weeks ago I was browsing through the Strider knives on one of my favorite vendors site. Since it was two weeks before Christmas, most were sold out, but one I never saw before was in stock. It was one of the new stonewashed finished SnGs. My wife was sitting next to me and still hadnt bought me a Christmas present, so she said get it. I never handled a Strider SnG and I wasnt allowed to open it until Christmas, so it was a surprise (sort of).
When I opened it on Christmas morning, the first thing I noticed was how much lighter and slimmer it was as compared to the Buck. The blade is thinner too, very sharp out of the box and has a nice even grind. The stonewashed finished blade is very nice and an improvement over the camo coatings (IMO). The blade is perfectly centered and opens smoothly. Other negative things I have read about regarding previous generations are not present here, the lock up is tight and precise (it locks open with authority and is mated perfectly with the lock face), all the hardware is finished well. Even the blade stamps are perfect. I havent used it yet, but theres no reason to believe it wont perform as it should. One thing I noticed is the strong detent, theres no way this knife will open when you dont want it to, but not too strong to slow you down when you do want it to open. The finish on the titanium side is actually elegant, my wife who doesnt know much about knives told me the SnG was one of the nicest shes ever seen( and I have well over 100 pocket knives). The G10 side is grippy, very similar to what is used on Emerson knives and the Kershaw Avalanche.
Another thing to note is the Hinderer lock-stop is not marked Hinderer, and is finished in black to match the other hardware.
The only negative comment I can make has nothing to do with the knife; its about the packaging the SnG came in. Im not looking for a fancy tin or some other gimmick, but I think a knife in this price range should be packed in something other than a zip lock bag. Even the plain white box is OK, but there is was no protection for the knife inside the box, other than a plastic bag.
Here are a few pictures. I posted some of these in another thread earlier.
I used the Buck as a reference point.
About two weeks ago I was browsing through the Strider knives on one of my favorite vendors site. Since it was two weeks before Christmas, most were sold out, but one I never saw before was in stock. It was one of the new stonewashed finished SnGs. My wife was sitting next to me and still hadnt bought me a Christmas present, so she said get it. I never handled a Strider SnG and I wasnt allowed to open it until Christmas, so it was a surprise (sort of).
When I opened it on Christmas morning, the first thing I noticed was how much lighter and slimmer it was as compared to the Buck. The blade is thinner too, very sharp out of the box and has a nice even grind. The stonewashed finished blade is very nice and an improvement over the camo coatings (IMO). The blade is perfectly centered and opens smoothly. Other negative things I have read about regarding previous generations are not present here, the lock up is tight and precise (it locks open with authority and is mated perfectly with the lock face), all the hardware is finished well. Even the blade stamps are perfect. I havent used it yet, but theres no reason to believe it wont perform as it should. One thing I noticed is the strong detent, theres no way this knife will open when you dont want it to, but not too strong to slow you down when you do want it to open. The finish on the titanium side is actually elegant, my wife who doesnt know much about knives told me the SnG was one of the nicest shes ever seen( and I have well over 100 pocket knives). The G10 side is grippy, very similar to what is used on Emerson knives and the Kershaw Avalanche.
Another thing to note is the Hinderer lock-stop is not marked Hinderer, and is finished in black to match the other hardware.
The only negative comment I can make has nothing to do with the knife; its about the packaging the SnG came in. Im not looking for a fancy tin or some other gimmick, but I think a knife in this price range should be packed in something other than a zip lock bag. Even the plain white box is OK, but there is was no protection for the knife inside the box, other than a plastic bag.
Here are a few pictures. I posted some of these in another thread earlier.
I used the Buck as a reference point.
