Strider SnG Review

chuck_roxas45 · #21

The Mastiff wrote:That's great performance IMO. It is a lot of cutting for rope. Heck, it's a lot of cuts for anything but rope is fairly abrasive when cut. Maybe you can get some more of the same rope and test one of your VG10 blades as a baseline to compare. Most of us here are pretty well versed in VG10's performance. :)

I expect the Cruwear millie to be a really good cutter as well.

Joe

You gotta stop saying that for now Joe. You're making me all hot again. :)

razorsharp · #22

I was thinking about using either the s30v Spyker or my ffg delica as mediums, thing is, can't find the delica lol. I have a meerkat though. I may get some rope within the next week, it's 13 dollars nzd a roll sooooo...

Evil D · #23

Knives like that only look better the more worn they get.

flipe8 · #24

Nice review. It's funny how Striders have a number of features I simply hate(short cutting edge relative to overall length and G-10 on one side) and are at the top of what I'd pay for a knife, but I still think they're awesome.

gull wing · #25

Thanks for the great review.
I don't use my Striders like you do, but it's nice to have that 3/8" dia pivot just in case I have to pry my refrigerator up off the floor in a flood. :D

The Mastiff · #26

You gotta stop saying that for now Joe. You're making me all hot again.

Chuck, I've been waiting 20 years for it. I'm beginning to think that and the super blue Enduras and stretch will pretty much fulfill all my needs and I can stop trying as hard. At least until I get more money anyway. :)

I was thinking about using either the s30v Spyker or my ffg delica as mediums, thing is, can't find the delica lol. I have a meerkat though. I may get some rope within the next week, it's 13 dollars nzd a roll sooooo...

S30V or VG10 make great base line tests. Most of the really big steel junky types have both or have at least tried them. I don't know how many feet or meters of rope are in your rolls but if you get serious about testing I'll help by kicking in rope money. I can't buy you any knives though. I need to eat sometimes. :)

Joe

chuck_roxas45 · #27

The Mastiff wrote:Chuck, I've been waiting 20 years for it. I'm beginning to think that and the super blue Enduras and stretch will pretty much fulfill all my needs and I can stop trying as hard. At least until I get more money anyway. :)

Joe

I thought I was fixed for SB with two 3.5 SB's. Now you're making me want an SB stretch or endura. :)

78lilred · #28

Very nice review, sorry to hear about the southard.

Pockets · #29

I read this over on EDCF. After I read it, I immediately went and looked at how much they cost and where I could get one :rolleyes: Thank you for bullying such an expensive knife :D

The Mastiff · #30

I thought I was fixed for SB with two 3.5 SB's. Now you're making me want an SB stretch or endura.

This place is bad for us steel junkys. Something about it. Subliminal stuff buried in the coding maybe? :)

Joe

BAL · #31

The Mastiff wrote:This place is bad for us steel junkys. Something about it. Subliminal stuff buried in the coding maybe? :)

Joe

I buy think a that new you're Native crazy.

chuck_roxas45 · #32

BAL wrote:I buy think a that new you're Native crazy.

Haha!

And Joe, you are correct. I thought there was just gonna be one or two that would attract me this year but there here we are...

defenestrate · #33

Great post, Travis. I think I get it now. between your descriptions of what you cut and the relative lack of wear/damage to the utter simplicity of the knife, I think I would like to have one someday, That said, I will probably be shooting for a cruwear Millie first. If
'n I have the cash, that is.

defenestrate · #34

The Mastiff wrote:Excellent review and pictures. That's a bunch harder use than mine has had. Z wear is powder cruwear/vascowear. CTS-PD1 should be similar. 3V was sort of developed from vascowear too which is why the performance is fairly close.

I sure noticed the difference in wear resistance after I got some steel removed from the edge. It sharpens with a completely different feel now. I've come to the conclusion that I seem to notice the difference in steels more with powder steels than with ingot steels. It could just be me fooling myself too though.

Anyway, I like the steel too, and the knife as well. It's a keeper. I sold some knives and bought an extra too which I do regret. :)

Joe

I have to ask, Joe, as I know you have some experience in the area.. How would Z/CRU/Vascowear hold up comapred to, say, M4? I would guess greater toughness but maybe a bit less edge retention on account of not being able to be run quite as high? Just curious as to your take and I don't remember seeing it on any other posts here, though you may have opined already while I was sleeping at my post

The Mastiff · #35

Well, the charts have CPM M4 rated as higher wear, and greater toughness. I've not pushed either to failure so I can't comment on toughness except to say both are very tough. They have much more tough carbides in M4 than Cruwear type so that's expected, The PM versions of Cruwear/vascowear like PD1 and Z wear should be tougher than the ingot versions due to the smaller grain structure. There again I've not found that out for myself. They start out (ingot) tougher than D2 and go up from there. The Ingot or powder versions aren't quite as tough as 3V ( also developed from cruwear/vascowear) at 58rc according to the charts either. 3V exceeds CPM M4 in toughness too. Cruwear, like 3V is a great steel for being balanced all around. It does great at cutting things and staying sharp resisting the abrasive wear and crumbling, chipping type wear very well while having a nasty biting edge IMO. The ingot version is less corrosion resistant than 3V or the powder versions though.

The thing that kept it from ever getting as popular as D2, for instance is it's tough on makers. It eats belts, work hardens when grinding, etc. The newer belts help, but by the time they became available to home type knifemakers the world moved on. Now we see it coming back with the powder steel versions like 3V, Z wear, and PD1.

If you like D2/CPM D2/CTS XHP type cutters chances are you will like Cruwear and it's powder versions as it does everything D2 does well, but better ( except corrosion resistance).

Joe

defenestrate · #36

I knew 3V was super tough looking at Crucible's charts. Being based off of S7 (it is S7 I'm thinking of, right?), it should be.

So I shouldn't necessarily sell my M4 Millie for the cruwear one right away, then. That's kinda what I was looking for. Still would love to have one. Or a PM, or anything else. I will land something in one of this line eventually as I really appreciate a serious working steel. Corrosion resistance is secondary to performance for me, but a nice plus, and I often carry corrosion-resistant steels as the kind of messes I get myself (and my knife!) into are sometimes rather unfriendly to the classic carbon tool steels. I think M4 is about the best I've seen, if corrosion resistance is not of primary concern, but XHP is quite nice - I can see that it chips/rolls more easily (the high chromium would lend to that, I reckon - I don't know if chromium is more rolly or chippy - I'm guessing the former as I've always been told that stainless steels are tough, and that tough meaning tough on grinders and whatnot - less larger carbides to tear out, and the lack of corrosion that occurs might lend to the steel being a bit "stickier" - the intercrystalline bonds being firmer because fewer of them are bordering oxidized ferrous bits, etc.). Just my (semi-educated) guess. :)

The Mastiff · #37

Being based off of S7 (it is S7 I'm thinking of, right?), it should be.

It is indeed very tough. It isn't based off S1/S7 shock steels though, but cruwear. It was turned into a powder steel with lower carbon and vanadium for toughness and wear. It doesn't typically work at as high hardness as Cruwear is. It loses it's toughness quick above rc 60-61. It's still a very good steel in that range with toughness greater than most stainless steels but it isn't the great chopper steel above that. Cruwear at rc 62 is near as tough as rc59-60, but that still isn't 3V class toughness. It has a bit better wear IMO.

So I shouldn't necessarily sell my M4 Millie for the cruwear one right away, then.

If you have the M4 Millie keep it forever. :)

It's great!

I think M4 is about the best I've seen, if corrosion resistance is not of primary concern,

It's one of my all time favorites too. I like it a bit harder than Spyderco runs it as the way I use folders the relatively small loss of toughness ( for a non chopper) doesn't matter much. At rc 65 it gets near S90V range.

Joe

xceptnl · #38

defenestrate wrote:...So I shouldn't necessarily sell my M4 Millie for the cruwear one right away, then.

You should let me buy you one of these CRUWEAR Militarys and take that old M4 Military off your hands. :p

I think we re all excited about this one. I have never been around for a Military sprint before. Do they go like hotcakes?

Holland · #39

amazing post travis! has to be one of the funnest threads I've read. thanks for sharing

The Mastiff · #40

Do they go like hotcakes?

Usually yes. If the rumored run of 1200 shows up there should be plenty. The last that big was the BG42. It was a very in demand steel at the time yet it still stayed on dealers shelves for a few months. Cruwear might be similar, or less in demand even as many think non stainless means their knife will self destruct overnight when they go camping. If this one gets tested by Jim Ankerson and does well undoubtedly the demand will rise a bit. :)

Don't get swelled headed about that Jim. :D

The first batch usually sells out fast. If it is in demand it can cause a feeding frenzy like we have with PM2's now.

Every sprint is different but they all tend towards selling out quick for their size. The really difficult to find ones were between 300 and 600 made.

My guess is that You should have plenty of opportunity on this one Landon.

Joe