Video: Strider SmF RW-1 Hard Use Test

Obtuse edges can be reprofiled, thick tips can be thinned but thin tips and fragile blades will be hard to thicken. Also thicker can still cut maybe with difficulty but thin tips and blades can never be hard use.
 
singularity35 said:
It cuts well enough in the video. It's just not an uber thin pocket scalpel.
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philwar said:
You are essentially correct. Spyderco's are the best slicers, bar none. They also have the sharpest tips. It's a matter of design philosophy.

It should be immediately clear that these advantages are also huge disadvantages if the knife gets subjected to hard use or even abuse. I own a M1 too, and its tip is delicate too, compared to an SMF or XM-18.
So the question for the prospective knife buyer should be, what is more important to me, efficiency at cutting and slicing, or toughness of blade and lock?
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All true (though I think tough locks and tough blades do not necessarily go together in all cases). It's all about trade-offs and compromises. You can have cake. You can eat cake. You cannot have and eat it.
 
I agree with what Phil war said you're trading ease of cutting for a literally indestructible knife. I'll trade that ANY day.
 
Hey Ankerson,

When are we gonna see that custom Demko go through this?:thumbup:
 
here are some side by sides - Strider, Manix 2, Lawman. I can do others, or take these down, either way. I only recorded 3 at once, figured more would be too much to follow, esp. at the resolution. And the advantage the M2 has in the cutting is ridiculous.

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hardheart said:
here are some side by sides - Strider, Manix 2, Lawman. I can do others, or take these down, either way. I only recorded 3 at once, figured more would be too much to follow, esp. at the resolution. And the advantage the M2 has in the cutting is ridiculous.
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Yeah the M2 has a very fine edge and blade grind along with the factory 15 degree edge (30 Degreees). That all helps in slicing for sure. :thumbup:
 
hardheart said:
And the advantage the M2 has in the cutting is ridiculous.
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I haven't done any formal comparisons, but I can safely say that of all the folders I own (over 60) the Spyderco's/Byrds are the best cutters/slicers, and the only knife that falls into the same category is the Benchmade Onslaught.

So really it should be no secret what makes a good slicer. And what makes a good slicer is also what makes a poor beater. I can live with that, and I don't think it's a criticism against any one manufacturer. In fact, Benchmade is an example of a company that is not dedicated almost exclusively to one type of knife, like Spyderco is (relatively delicate) or Cold Steel (emphasis on toughness). BM does both, but they too fail to make a knife that can do it all.
 
Twindog said:
Compare the Strider to the Spyderco on how well it cuts up that stick. No comparison. Half the time, the Strider is just sliding along the surface or unable to get a good bite.
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I second that. I feared, Jim might get tired from cutting and quit, before all the tests were done, or time was over before the stick was through.:D

But: You may grind the edge you like, but not build the lock strength on your own.
 
That is true. You're pretty much stuck with a lock, and you can reprofile the edge.

However, I've found that the thickness and geometry of the blade cannot always be overcome with just an edge reprofile. I grind all my edges to 30 degrees, but my thick, saber-grind Benchmades are no match for my thin, full-flat grind Spydercos.

And my hollow-ground Sebenza with a .017 edge shoulder is tough to beat for cutting.

The width of the edge (or shoulder thickness) divided by the angle of the edge gives you a ratio that will tell you a lot about how well a blade will cut.
 
You can´t change a truck into a sports car but a little compared to what is sometimes delivered from the factory. That´s were a convex grind comes into play.
 
Blop said:
You can´t change a truck into a sports car but a little compared to what is sometimes delivered from the factory. That´s were a convex grind comes into play.
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I'd add that the medium you're cutting also plays a big role. On rope that splits apart as it is cut, a thick but sharp blade can do well.

But on something like wood, a thick edge is a big disadvantage, no matter what you do with the edge.
 
I've been meaning to ask Ankerson:

Did you keep track of whether or how much the lock bar traveled after the testing (on both the RW1 and the 0300)?
 
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