Strider with CPM-154 or an ZT ELMAX blade?

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no00wa

Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
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I can buy an Strider fixed blade with CPM-154 pretty cheaply from some guy here, but i have actually taken an interest in ELMAX steel lately. Now i've read that CPM-154's performance is pretty consistent with ELMAX (at 60? i believe) when it's HRC is around 61-62.
The other option would be buying an way more expensive ZT 0560.

Now for my question; Does anyone know what the actual hardness of Strider knives is in CPM-154? What would be better here for general super sharp cutting purposes, edge maintainability and just general use?

I know it's a pretty weird question since the blade sizes/thickness and type are really different, but yeah :P
 
The Kershaw Speedform 2 Blade is ELMAX and can be had for around $80...and would be a great knife to serve all your purposes..

K3550-2.jpg
 
apintandafight said:
I know there is a lot of hate for striders here, but have you actually ever owned one?
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Yep what he said!.How many other knife companies would fix your knife if you happen to fubar the blade.. I love my SmF and SnG.. And the 0551 is a great knife but was a limited run and will cost more then a 0561 which is a great knife too! But if you just need a great knife to cut stuff open and whatnot and want it to be ELMAX go with a Speedform2 ...or if you want CPM-154 Kershaw also has the Carbon Fiber Blur! just depends on what you need the knife to do.. the ZT0561 is a big knife!
 
I'd go with the Strider for sure. My only Elmax knife is a Scrap Yard 375 MAXX. It's a nice enough knife. My experience so far is that the steel performs not much better, If at all, than S30V & is nearly impossible to sharpen. I could get a great edge on my S90V Millie but I have yet to be able to get even a decent edge on my SYKCO MAXX. YMMV.
 
chester22 said:
Yep what he said!.How many other knife companies would fix your knife if you happen to fubar the blade.. I love my SmF and SnG.. And the 0551 is a great knife but was a limited run and will cost more then a 0561 which is a great knife too! But if you just need a great knife to cut stuff open and whatnot and want it to be ELMAX go with a Speedform2 ...or if you want CPM-154 Kershaw also has the Carbon Fiber Blur! just depends on what you need the knife to do.. the ZT0561 is a big knife!
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It's going to be cutting up animals when im "backpacking" (staying at farms really), cutting up sea fish, carving some simple wood, general kitchen use, anything that needs cutting at hand.

I was going with the Strider since it would allow basically everything in survival situations (splitting logs, spear fishing etc), but being completely honest with myself, that hopefully will never come to it. So basically just general cutting use and just slicing clothing sometimes / cutting rope and other tasks i can't think of right now. Spear fishing is still something i want to do but i might just buy some cheap steel for that when it gets to that point.
It needs to stay super sharp though, taking an Spyderco kit with me too.

For an market available (custom too expensive at the moment) knife i have already set my sights on the zt 0560 though, i want something strong and thick.
 
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no00wa said:
I was going with the Strider since it would allow basically everything in survival situations (splitting logs, spear fishing etc)
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I like my Striders, but splitting logs? Nope.
As for spear-fishing, I really hope you're talking about MAKING a spear to fish with (which any knife will do) rather than tying a folding knife onto a stick.
 
stabman said:
I like my Striders, but splitting logs? Nope.
As for spear-fishing, I really hope you're talking about MAKING a spear to fish with (which any knife will do) rather than tying a folding knife onto a stick.
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It's a fixed blade strider.
 
stabman said:
I like my Striders, but splitting logs? Nope.
As for spear-fishing, I really hope you're talking about MAKING a spear to fish with (which any knife will do) rather than tying a folding knife onto a stick.
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Yeah it's a fixed blade :P. I actually thought of using the blade on a stick (in shallow waters of course, and only for short periods of time) but maybe not... :) The strider should be able to handle that in any case, and so should the ZT with the Titanium/G-10 handles? They would get oiled afterwards.

But anyways, if the strider's steel isn't above 60HRC i don't think i would get it having ELMAX in mind (which should be way better steel in that case).
 
If you want a Strong Folder I would go with the 0550 over the 0560. the 0550 is a beast if a knife and I feel it would handle abuse better.. and S35VN is a great steel!
 
Since you said it is a survival knife, I would go with the Strider since it is a fixed blade and you won't have to worry about moving parts. Otherwise, Elmax is my personal favorite steel, but my Strider SNG CPM 154 gets the most pocket time. They are SOLID knives with the best warranty, and their heat treat is excellent. Can't really tell much difference in my knives with CPM 154 and Elmax, although I think Elmax has better corrosion resistance.
 
I have owned both and I sold the 0561. I LOVED that knife, but the steel killed it for me. It was average at best. Not a big deal. Most of us are not going to go stab through walls and cinder blocks, BUT I do expect more than average when I'm paying hundreds of dollars.

The positive is that ZT seems to update their knives as they work on batches. Hopefully they will up the heat treat and the elmax will be great!
 
I haven't had a strider but I have all kinds of ZTs, and the elmax is sweet. Holds a good edge not to hard to sharpen.
 
I am a huge fan of the zt 560. I have heard of people having problems sharpening it but I have not had a problem at all with my Lansky diamond hone set. It gets hair popping sharp in no time and from what I have seen keeps that edge very well for me. I don't put it through heavy use but I do cut open cardboard boxes on a regular basis which has dulled other blades extremely quickly for me.
 
For your intended usage I would say the strider your looking at will suit you good. What model is it and got any pics?

Don't chop with a folder or High HRC knife, thats how you break them.
 
Alchemy1 said:
I have owned both and I sold the 0561. I LOVED that knife, but the steel killed it for me. It was average at best. Not a big deal. Most of us are not going to go stab through walls and cinder blocks, BUT I do expect more than average when I'm paying hundreds of dollars.

The positive is that ZT seems to update their knives as they work on batches. Hopefully they will up the heat treat and the elmax will be great!
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Really? That pisses me off really.. paying so much money for a knife and then the steel isn't even awesome awesome? I'm starting to think custom is the only way to go, even though i don't really want to yet, for my first high quality blade.
I just think it's stupid to pay a lot of money and not get the "best" steel available (so m390/ELMAX) in that price range, that's why i wouldn't get an S30V knife for 400 dollars either (this mostly applies to folders though, they seem to get crazy expensive).

And to answer whateatsrabbits's question;

http://www.gpknives.com/stridermssgreeng10tigerstripedblade.html

it's that knife, just different colors. And yes, very different dimensions indeed :P
 
no00wa said:
Really? That pisses me off really.. paying so much money for a knife and then the steel isn't even awesome awesome? I'm starting to think custom is the only way to go, even though i don't really want to yet, for my first high quality blade.
I just think it's stupid to pay a lot of money and not get the "best" steel available (so m390/ELMAX) in that price range, that's why i wouldn't get an S30V knife for 400 dollars either (this mostly applies to folders though, they seem to get crazy expensive).

And to answer whateatsrabbits's question;

http://www.gpknives.com/stridermssgreeng10tigerstripedblade.html

it's that knife, just different colors. And yes, very different dimensions indeed :P
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Interesting.......


Just because a knife (Whatever knife) is expensive doesn't mean it will automatically have the best steel as there is a lot more that goes into the knives that effect cost than just the blade steel.

There are customs with 440C that are in the $2000 range and production knives in S90V in the $250 range.

For what you are getting and the model you chose CPM 154 is a good choice, but that doesn't mean that ELMAX would be better or S30V would be worse in that knife....

Striders aren't cheap, but they are very high quality and the steels they choose for the models suit the uses they are intended for, and they are warrantied forever.
 
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