Thinking Of Buying A Strider

S

Spartan05

Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
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Alright I am thinking about buying my first Strider Knife. I have been looking around and finally found one I like the Strider GB Tanto. It looks like a tough knife I could use for a long time. And since I am considering joining the Navy soon I wanted a indestructible knife that would last me forever through all sorts of use. so my question comes to, has anyone used the Strider GB, how did you like it, and what sort of opinions for other Strider Folders ?

Thanks
 
Spartan05 said:
Alright I am thinking about buying my first Strider Knife. I have been looking around and finally found one I like the Strider GB Tanto. It looks like a tough knife I could use for a long time. And since I am considering joining the Navy soon I wanted a indestructible knife that would last me forever through all sorts of use. so my question comes to, has anyone used the Strider GB, how did you like it, and what sort of opinions for other Strider Folders ?

Thanks
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check out the test of the strider and then the test of the cold steel GI tanto

http://www.knifetests.com/

then decide
 
personally i wouldnt have anything made by coldsteal if ya dont like striders lotsa other stuff around (ie busse, becker).

but, we are talking folders the GB/AR are big knives and really do better in a sheath vs pocket, for edc i very much prefer the SnG or SmF to the AR or GB, and yes i have had a couple of AR's, imho one of the very best edc folders is the SnG.

but if ya dont mind the size the GB/AR is a big heavy duty folder which imho would be up to most any task.
 
I have no problem carrying an AR in right front pocket. I also find the Strider PT to be a real work horse for it's size. The SnG is a bit easier to carry than the AR , but I still carry the AR.

I don't put too much weight into the "tests" on knifetest.com.

There are things you use a knife for and things you just shouldnt. Expecting a knife to do anything but cut is unrealistic.
 
John T Wylie Jr said:
Expecting a knife to do anything but cut is unrealistic.
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Many people will disagree with that. And even if they won't, it raises the question: if knives are only meant for cutting, what would anyone need Striders for, considering they're not at all optimal for cutting, but more built to be sharpened prybars that can take "any" abuse you can imagine to put a knife through.

I've one Strider, gift from an American friend. It's heavy, it's ugly, it's a bad cutter, the paracord handle is very annoying to clean, and it's awfully bad for any wood working, but it can take extreme abuse - although why one would want to do that to a knife I will never know. Some people seem to love Striders; nothing wrong with that, people have varying tastes and needs. But personally, I wouldn't ever buy one, not for the prices they go for.
 
It's a long debate, and it could go on and on.

Strider aside, it's a folder. In my opinion, folders aren't suited to the sharpened prybar role. I use them for cutting things. They aren't so "indestructable" as a fixed blade no matter who makes it. If you want something nigh indestructable that you can use for things other than cutting, a fixed blade might be in order.

In the end, it's you making the $400 investment. There are a lot of knives out there, and for $400 you could get a great folder and a strong fixed blade to supplement that folder. A folder alone I'm not so sure about.

Good luck.
 
SIFU1A said:
personally i wouldnt have anything made by coldsteal if ya dont like striders lotsa other stuff around (ie busse, becker).
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thats only cause youre biased and that isnt very help to this guy, objective opinions are best here especially since he is considering of buying a $400+
knife
 
Elen , point well taken , however I use a hammer to hammer , a pry bar to pry , a screwdriver to turn screws...
As far as not being optimal for cutting , I would have to disagree with you . having owned many Striders , and still own about 5 , all of them cut and cut well. And get used alot.

One good thing about the knife world right now , is there is something to suit everyone :)

Not saying you need , or anyone NEEDS , a Strider folder , but I found once I got to know Mick & Duane , that for me , Strider knives were what I wanted.

Best thing is to handle any knife that interests you , hook up with any forum folks in your area , and do a knife & tell session , handle their knives , have them handle yours , great to find out what works for you and what doesn't without investing $$ up front. :)
 
John T Wylie Jr said:
Elen , point well taken , however I use a hammer to hammer , a pry bar to pry , a screwdriver to turn screws...
As far as not being optimal for cutting , I would have to disagree with you . having owned many Striders , and still own about 5 , all of them cut and cut well. And get used alot.

One good thing about the knife world right now , is there is something to suit everyone :)

Best thing is to handle any knife that interests you , hook up with any forum folks in your area , and do a knife & tell session , handle their knives , have them handle yours , great to find out what works for you and what doesn't without investing $$ up front. :)
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It's not a bad way to do things. :) Specialized tools tend to be the best at what they do; a hammer is better at hammering than any knife, and a knife better at cutting than any hammer. On the other hand, sometimes you just need something that can do more than just one job adequately, ie both hammer and cut things.

About the cutting performance of Striders, let me rephrase... Let's say you want a knife that's optimal for cutting, because you believe knives are meant to be cutting tools and everything else is just extra. You have 400+ dollars. Are you telling me that for 400 dollars you couldn't find a knife that cuts better than any Strider model? ;)

I absolutely agree about testing - when buying something so expensive as a 400 dollar knife, one should research and test the candidates as much as possible and practical.
 
Spartan05 said:
Alright I am thinking about buying my first Strider Knife. I have been looking around and finally found one I like the Strider GB Tanto. It looks like a tough knife I could use for a long time. And since I am considering joining the Navy soon I wanted a indestructible knife that would last me forever through all sorts of use. so my question comes to, has anyone used the Strider GB, how did you like it, and what sort of opinions for other Strider Folders ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I currently only own one Strider knife: a GB. I got the GB because it is everything a Strider should be: Big, Ugly, Tough-as-nails. To be honest, before the edge was tuned, it didn't cut as well as some of the other folders I have, but then again most of the other folders I have use thinner stock for the blade. I think you can't really go wrong with a Strider. One thing you may consider is, if you're going to joing the Navy, waiting to buy the Strider until you're active duty. They'll give you a discount (not sure what %), and that will save you some money, or buy used from a trusted source. As to the GB itself, I have no QC issues with mine, and I don't have any worries that I'm going to destroy it. If I DID manage to destroy it, I know the guys at Strider would fix the knife for me.

As to their other folders, I think they are okay. I find the SNG/SMF to be too thin for me, as a personal preference, and I find the PT to be a tad on the small side for me. Let's put it this way, I haven't ever regretted buying my GB (although it took almost 3 years to find this particular one, and I researched it for a long time before that).

As to the cost of them, if I lived anywhere but the US (i.e. europe, etc.) there isn't ANY way I'd buy a Strider- but then again, there isn't any way I'd buy a US-made folder period. That, my friends, is because you pay up the ying-yang for US-made knives over there (even for simple stuff like Spydercos and Kershaws).

Also, as far as knife tests go, they are just like statistics in my mind. You can determine the outcomes before the tests are even done if you really want to. Buy what you like and make your own judgements.
 
I dont believe that striders are inefficient cutters, i think it depends on what model your refering, my thin stock msc slcc (my only strider and undoubtly one of my 2 favorite knives i own, the others a busse BATAC) is the sharpest knife i own. it will cut efficiently too. expecting a 1/4 peice of sharpened s30v to cut like an opinel isnt a realistic expectation.

BTW, wait until after you are in the military. the discount may not seem like that much but it adds up, trust me. and they usually expedite the shipping :)

if you get a strider im sure youll like it but if you dont then youll have no trouble reselling it and gettign your money back :thumbup:
 
I once bought a knife in anticipation of military use, only to discover that the unit's commander had pretty strong ideas about 5" being the longest knife anyone would need. Traded mine (couldn't afford to do much else on PFC pay). You may want to wait, or better yet, buy multiple sizes.;)
 
The dude who said to look at knifetest.com and then decide must not know what a gb is. I have an sng and love it. It is a fine cutter and not so much a prybar. I got my hands on a gb one time and it looked like a well designed massive folder. Personally, I'd check out the smf too before going for the buy. Either way, you'll have a nice knife.
 
SMF recurve or the RC. They both cut great, are easy to carry (the RC is much easier to carry than the AR/GB for some strange reason considering the similar dimensions), and both *can* be used as something other than a knife should you need, without second guessing it.
 
Elen said:
Are you telling me that for 400 dollars you couldn't find a knife that cuts better than any Strider model? ;)
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not sure , didnt look , all my other Striders served me well . So I went with what works FOR ME. Besides the poster asked about Striders , not what else he should choose instead. ;)

AR: Its big , its brawny , it cuts well ( high grinds ) , I have used mine to cut everything from cardboard , to small sucker branches of the olive tree out free , to drywall and even shingles ( long story , dont ask ).
SnG : Thinner than the AR , pretty close to the same cutting edge. Great medium between the AR and SMF.
SMF: bigger brother of the SnG , a bitter beefier :)
PT: Little workhorse of a knife , someone forgot to tell it that it is a small knife cause it works like a much bigger bladed folder. Mine is sharp , gets alot of use , its my go to knife when I have to worry about drawing stares.
I havent yet bought a RC or RCC but those would serve you just as well.

so in short , the AR if you like a BIG grip , SMF if you dont want so big , SnG is great for EDU , and PT for discreet carry ( fits great in a mission wallet ).

bro3.jpg


One thing I really like is I can use em , not have to worry about scuffin em up. When they start to have character and I want to bring em back to like new...dis-assemble , run em thru the blast cabinet and good to go.

SNG23.jpg
 
does anyone know what the size comparison of the Strider GB Tanto is to the Buck Strider 880 Tanto? because I have the the Buck Strider and I was wondering if it was around the same size.
 
There is nothing wrong with Strider knives. If the AR suits you and you can afford it I'd suggest buying it while you can. Once you wait you'll spend the money elsewhere and wish you could do it later.

Personally I'd probably opt for a blade thats a bit more corrosion resistant on the ocean if I were in the Navy. Maybe something like a Pacific Salt by Spyderco as my everyday beater upper over the Strider and if I did buy the Strider I'd be more inclided to go with the SNG. I had a PT and just couldn't make it fit my hand just right but I know many guys that love them. The one thing I loved about it was that when I decided it wasn't the right one for me it sold in like 4 hours or so as I recall and I didn't lose any money really outside of the shipping so for a nominal fee I was able to look at it and decide if I wanted to keep it or not..

Even though it won't be totally rust free on the ocean I'd say S30V will probably fair pretty well though so if you wipe it a lot and keep it oiled it should do fine. At least the titanium and G10 will be anyway. :D

I think after dropping that much change though I'd be in a near panic if my Strider started pitting out on me.

STR
 
sptpr said:
I once bought a knife in anticipation of military use, only to discover that the unit's commander had pretty strong ideas about 5" being the longest knife anyone would need. Traded mine (couldn't afford to do much else on PFC pay). You may want to wait, or better yet, buy multiple sizes.;)
Click to expand...

The above is worth quoting to emphasize a good point. $400 is a lot to drop on something you might not be allowed to carry.

Also make sure you hold it first; $400 is a lot to drop on something without holding it to make sure you like how it feels. :)
 
Thanks for all the advice. I will not be out on the sea. I am going to enlist as a hospital corpsman and more than likely going to be stationed in Iraq as I have been told by both recruiter and friends. That is why I plan on buying the GB tanto. And I will be leaving my knives at my parents and have them sent up to me when I get stationed.
 
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