Is this a good knife?
I was thinking about getting a knife, and I was wondering if you people have had good luck with the Buck/Strider SMBF. Have you guys? Does it hold up well? Any comments, ideas, or suggestions for other knives would be greatly appreciated!!!
TIA,
Flash
No.... Maybe a 2nd job.... But that's about it. - Monocrom
Re: Is this a good knife?
A knife is like many things: You get what you pay for, you don't want to by a Rolls Royce when a Volkswagon will to and will you still like it as much 6 months after you bought it as you do before you bought it ? A Buck is as good as most for certain tasks but not as good as others for different tasks. What will you be using it for ? You can probably answer your own question if you gave it enough thought. Heck just buy it. If you're like me it will be the first of hundreds you will agonize over and if you do get tired of of it chances are you can make it part of a deal that gets you something more to your liking.
A better man than my father never walked the face of this good earth. Not long before he passed he told me "it's not the things you do in this life that you tend to regret. It's the things you don't."
Good luck !
02Scuba
Last edited by 02Scuba; 04-09-2007 at 07:18 PM.
Re: Is this a good knife?
Yes, its a fine knife. Built like a tank and made by a good ole American company. It's a bit heavy so may not be the best EDC, however if you're looking for something that will take a beating, then this is your knife.
Regards,
Flavio
BugoutGearUSA.com
Re: Is this a good knife?
Hmmmm. I think I've narrowed it down to the SMBF or the Spyderco Native in black. Any other comments?
tia,
Flash
No.... Maybe a 2nd job.... But that's about it. - Monocrom
Re: Is this a good knife?
Yes, both are fine knives. I would lean towards the Spyderco, though. The Spydie will have a much nicer edge out of the box, and will be a better cutter overall.
Re: Is this a good knife?
Get the Spyderco. I have lost all respect for Mick Strider.
Best,
RL
Re: Is this a good knife?
See this:
http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=9
I.M.H.O. one the finest foldingknives, but there are many more and it is very personal what you like on a knife or not and what is your budget?
Re: Is this a good knife?
Yes, it's a good knife.
Sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Re: Is this a good knife?
Originally Posted by flash_bang
+1 for the Spyderco Native
Re: Is this a good knife?
The Strider is a nice, solid, durable workhorse of a knife, but it has a rather obtuse cutting angle, it's not a finesse cutter that's for sure, it's often been referred to as a "sharpened prybar", it can take more abuse than the Spydie Native
the Native OTOH, has a much thinner grind and will be a more efficient *cutter*, but it won't stand up to abuse as well as the Strider
do you want a *cutting tool* or a general purpose cutting/prying/twisting tool that can take the abuse you dish out and come back asking for more, but will give up some finesse cutting ability?
personally, i'd lean towards the Spydie, if i want a pry tool, i use my SAK flathead screwdriver blade or Swisstool Packing Crate Opener tool (the wide flat screwdriver/prytool
ask yourself what duties you forsee the knife performing, more importantly, if you can, handle them both, one will just feel *right*
Re: Is this a good knife?
+1 on the spydie native.
Re: Is this a good knife?
Hey, whys that? i had started to read a thread on BF about him being a liar or something but lost the link...is that the reason? do you kow where i can read it?
Jon
keep your friends close & your enemies closer
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Re: Is this a good knife?
I have no idea what respect for the maker has to do with the quality of the knife.
The Strider is a GREAT knife, but get the one that fits you best.
Re: Is this a good knife?
strider has some good designs, but buck tends to go with lesser steels. So i would check which it's using.
Re: Is this a good knife?
I was quite interested in the SBMF for some time but read some comments that the lock wasn't as strong as the rest of the knife. Some users did not like the ergonomics of the handle either.
I think the best version is the Tarani Police model with ATS34 steel and G10 scales - but you're going up in price to a level where you could also get a Spyderco Manix/mini-manix which have an excellent reputation as a heavy-duty folder.
The Native is an excellent knife and I understand Walmart has some great deals on it at the moment.
One other recommendation is the Boker Trance - these are high bang-for-the-buck knives.
I would suggest that you handle as many knives as you can and go with the one that feels best in the hand to you - it can be a high-class knife but if you're not comfortable you ain't going to use it naturally.
Good luck in your search.
JB
Re: Is this a good knife?
Ahh yeah the whole Strider story...well in ym opinion I have always thoguht that polotics and companies stories and CEO's lives should not effect which knives you buy...I always thought get the knives that are of good quality and get the deisgns you like, but some people like to buy the company alogn with their products...
For those of you who dont know the story about Strider here it is in a nutshell...The man was in prison, and he lied abotu a few thigns inclusidn his name change...and the fact that he served ina few places in the army and used his knives and tested them in the field, yada yada yada...well he was caught in a few lies and was confronted a while ago, and he appologized a million times over, and alot of knife guys want to leave it alone because the whole thing got brought up over and over again...If you want to read thw whole story again yourself you can do a search on bladeforums for it...But some people dont like Strider knives now because of the whole thing...
Once again I always think you should buy the knives for the knives...because they are worth the price and you like the way they look, feel, and perform...
- JEFF
Re: Is this a good knife?
most knife company's i know claim that (all or some of) their knives are designed for/by a navy seal or some other elite unit. very few company's actually end up making one that lives up to it's promis.
strider knives do live up to their claims, they have very simple designs, and are a bit overpriced, but they do work very well, and are made of the best materials.
they kinda took the apple route, make things simple and expensive to create a near-religious bond between the customers and their knives. very few people buy them, but everyone that does can't shut up about them, so other people slowly try it, and the process repeates. if this is the case, people forget about the bad things very quickly.
Re: Is this a good knife?
Keep the Strider politics out of the thraed, please. It will turn messy in a hurry.
Back on topic: The Buck SBMF is not a good example of a hard use knife. The liners are too thin, Buck's liner lock construction/fit has always been hit or miss, and I think the SBMF has been discontinued after Buck stole the design for the Ghostrider model.
I can highly recommend the Spydie Native. Great performance in a small package.
--dan
There's more to a light than its output.
Re: Is this a good knife?
There is a big difference between Strider and the Strider-Buck collaboration knives.
If someone has unlimited funds, I would suggest Strider every time. At the $100 or less level, Spyderco is probably the best value out there.
Re: Is this a good knife?
hmmmmm, I'm liking the native more and more as I look at it…I must hold it in my hands…
Have a good one,
Flash
No.... Maybe a 2nd job.... But that's about it. - Monocrom
Re: Is this a good knife?
You can get a hold of a native at walmart if you have one by you...check it out feel it in yoru hands and if you like it they have them at a good price, you can take it home with you...
- JEFF
Re: Is this a good knife?
or check this out http://www.tadgear.com/edged%20tools/9100_od.htm
Re: Is this a good knife?
Well, I looked on Walmart's site and they have the mirror blade native for 39.48$, I wonder if they'll have the black blade version there. And yes, I do have a walmart near me, around a half hour into town and there are 2-3(?) within a half hour-hour of that. Not bad.
TIA,
Flash
No.... Maybe a 2nd job.... But that's about it. - Monocrom
Re: Is this a good knife?
No black blade native at walmart.Also not all walmarts carry the native.At this time if walmart carries spyderco only the native can be bought in store.
Re: Is this a good knife?
About Buck, I had an Intrepid, and all I can say is: it's impossible to ruin that beast. Unfortunately it was discontinued.
Sorry for my bad English...
Re: Is this a good knife?
www.amobhitman.com you can find good prices and good knives here, what no one likes emerson
Re: Is this a good knife?
You know its strange, because emerson knives are great knives but now and days Its rare for me to read anythgin or even hear their name on knifeforums...I dont know why its popularity went down so much? Its like it just faded out, I know there are still a ahndfull of big emerson fans out there still, but I just dont hear about them much anymore, and I can't figure otu why?
- JEFF
Re: Is this a good knife?
Im not sure either but i know my commander is a tough beast and there is nothing better than the wave feature IMO.
Re: Is this a good knife?
I always thought Emersons were the finest knives made and have really enjoyed mine - until I saw my first Strider! What impressed me most was the fact that Strider knives are designed by Mick Strider, an actual combat veteran who served with the covert ops. I think that's why Strider designs look so different than our everyday utility knives. Look, if anybody knows what is really necessary in a combat knife it should be him.
The bad part about Strider knives is that buying them is gonna put me in the poorhouse!
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