Why is the SNG so expensive?

JTR357

JTR357

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I got one about ten years ago for around $400. Now they're like a minimum of $650, but more likely $800+. Are they not being made anymore? Is that the reason? I've been out of the knife loop for about 6-7 years now so if this has been discussed before, I apologize.
 
I will answer before all bashing will begin :) Three years ago Mick Strider closed Strider Knives, and now he produce only mid tech and customs by MSC brand with quite higher prices.
 
Thanks for the answer! I'm not interested in a bashing thread. I'm well aware of Mick's history. The SNG was one of the most comfortable knives I ever owned. I'd like to get another one but can't justify the new prices with the same materials.
 
Since reforming the company (X Dwyer) they are making far less-just small batches while the demand is still very high. Thus a supply demand imbalance. This has spilled over to the secondary market also. It is similar to the situation Hinderer was in before they expanded. They may be calling them mid tech(vary vague term), but IMO they are still making a production knife, a mid tech now(performance) and a custom. The production are more refined then the $400 knives were of the past, but I have a hard time swallowing the secondary market prices.
 
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For one thing, they hold their value. Even if you use it you can expect to get more than half your money if you resell it. What are some things that hold their value or increase like that even when you use them? Guns? Jewelry? Anyway, not many things - think about how the value of a vehicle drops by thousands the second you drive off in it.
Also, I never personally have had to use my knife to do anything but cut, but the Strider folders were originally designed and adopted for hard military use where they might have to do things a knife isn't really designed to do, or at least isn't the optimal tool to use.
The SMF definitely has an official NSN number and although I would not want to debate how SOCOM chooses their gear or what is "official", from everything I have read the Strider SMF was the only officially adopted folding knife , except maybe for Emersons. I think that the military versions were made to higher standards though, at least on paper.
So everything together- the collector resale value, the military designation, the unique look, and the fact it is "overbuilt" give a buyer confidence to spend more money to purchase one.
 
Protech makes auto SnG’s (Strider design , built by Protech) for under $300. But they sell out fast.
 
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Yeah, whatever. I never got what was so cool about them that they were ever worth what was asked.

Sure, design was ok and all that.....but it's not like they were actually better than a
spyderco at being a knife.
 
They are not sold directly from Strider for $600 or $800+. Their last SnG drop on 1/17/21 was a G10 “gunner grip” style handle scale (which has always been slightly more expensive) with a CTS-XHP blade and it was sold for $495. I believe that’s a $20 increase from what a similar model sold for before Mick closed down Strider Knives Inc.

There was a drought for a while after shutting down SKI and the old school models skyrocketed in price on the secondary market. The secondary market prices are still high but they are starting to even out because more knives are being made and drops are becoming a little more regular.
 
That's really interesting , I never knew that they were so much less if you manage to get one direct!
It's similar to the fanfare about a Colt Python... After the TV show Walking Dead" & being fea in video games everyone decided they needed one. Not that they are bad pistols, but they are overpriced for what they are and a S&W 686 is just as good. Like the Striders, they aren't the easiest pieces to work on - in fact most smiths do more harm than good when they work on them) and you have a bunch of people that overpaid so now the price is just always going to be high because no one is going to sell them for a fraction of what they paid.
Nothing wrong with them, just like the Striders they have a distinct look and panache, but you are paying for it.
Nothing wrong with this, you could say the same thing about watches, cars, and a million other things.
 
Silvanus said:
They are not sold directly from Strider for $600 or $800+. Their last SnG drop on 1/17/21 was a G10 “gunner grip” style handle scale (which has always been slightly more expensive) with a CTS-XHP blade and it was sold for $495. I believe that’s a $20 increase from what a similar model sold for before Mick closed down Strider Knives Inc.

There was a drought for a while after shutting down SKI and the old school models skyrocketed in price on the secondary market. The secondary market prices are still high but they are starting to even out because more knives are being made and drops are becoming a little more regular.
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How do you find out about the SnG drops?
 
Follow Strider Knives, MSC Knives, Josh Lee, and Marissa Strider on Instagram. They will post the date and times of every drop with a week or so notice.

The models they drop are somewhat random. Sometimes they’ll do 3 SnG drops in a row, sometimes it’s an SMF one and then an SnG one. Their last one was a drop of BN-SS fixed blades this past Friday.
 
JTR357 said:
Thanks for the answer! I'm not interested in a bashing thread. I'm well aware of Mick's history. The SNG was one of the most comfortable knives I ever owned. I'd like to get another one but can't justify the new prices with the same materials.
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If you're well aware of Strider's history, why would you buy another knife?
There are lots of good knives out there not connected to a lying valour thief POS.
 
kvaughn said:
If you're well aware of Strider's history, why would you buy another knife?
There are lots of good knives out there not connected to a lying valour thief POS.
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I have owned many Striders in the past. I am well aware of his history.
I wish we could just talk about knives and put aside some of the hate-speech...
 
Sonnydaze said:
I wish we could just talk about knives and put aside some of the hate-speech...
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Agreed. It’s totally possible to like the knives and hate the man...if that’s your thing. It’s not mine, but more power to you if it is.

Keeping things on track:
To piggyback on what ElementalBreakdown said about the SMF having an NSN number. I own what I would call a second generation NSN-stamped SMF. They actually aren’t any different from whatever the standard specs of the day are that Strider uses on its other SMF models. The only real differences are the NSN number etched/stamped in the blade and the fact that the blade and lock side are bead blasted (current models, earlier ones were marked differently). I know when I was an infantry Marine in Iraq we were required to have knives and gear with a subdued non-reflective finish and the bead blasting does that.

I’m not up on the gear of every unit, not even close, but I don’t believe the SMF is specifically issued to any one unit for exclusive use. The original Detachment-1 SMF knife was issued to the Marines at no cost. For every one knife issued to the Marines, another civilian marked one was sold to offset the cost. These DET-1 SMF knives are very highly sought after by collectors and fetch a high price.

Also for those who don’t know, SMF stands for Special Mission Folder as well as Strider Marine Folder. I’m not sure which is the official designation however.
 
Agreed.
Please discuss the knives.
 
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