I am a big Benchmade fan. I'll put my Skirmish up against most any of them.

I like my Benchmade Rukus and my ZT0500. Those are both pretty beefy.

Spyderco Mini-Manix or HK 14205 by Benchmade. Two bombproof folders!

What do you think makes it so great? I don't understand why they're so expensive. They're just S30V steel...right?

Have you ever handled one? If you have, did you get to carry it for any amount of time?

There really is something about some of them. I hated my AR, and loved my SnG and curently my SMF. My Sebenza was great and I "felt" comfortable with it. I had an Emerson that I was never at ease with. My Strider gives me a certain "reassurance" if you know what I mean. It might sounds crazy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />.

I'm not into hype, many people sing and dance about Emerson and I am not at all impressed.

Just steel and G10 that is true. You can say that about a lot of things.

I never felt the lock on the Strider would fail and the fact that I could take it apart to clean it if it gets muddy/bloody etc. You can't take apart an axis lock. Also they have a Scrap like warranty. Chris Reeve said "flicking" the knife out was bad for it. While I agree, when someone bothers to put that in their warranty papers I kind of want to gag.

Older Striders looked like they were made with a chain saw. Now they are pretty clean. Oh, they have no and I mean zero blade play and you can still flick um' out. If you tighten an Emerson where you dont have blade play you need two hands to open it.

Spyderco, Benchmade, Reeve and on and on make quality products. If you can pick up a Strider at a good price I doubt you will regret it. I was a skeptic too.




On a side note, in the end some men trust in horses, some men trust in chariots and where will you trust?

Nope, I've never handled one. The ones I saw were like $200-$300, and I just didn't understand why. My most valuable folder would probably be my ZDP-189 Endura. My other high end folders are:

Stainless Endura
Waved Endura
Waved Delica
Ladybugs (SS, Orange, Black) (Hopefully soon purple - school color)
CS X2 Voyager
CS XL Tanto Voyager (Half Serrated)
CS Recon 1 (the better quality first version)

I think that's all of them...none of those I paid more than $40-$70 for.

I have two folders, a spyderco delica 4 wave and kershaw chive. Both are great and offer different ways of opening. My next folder is the going to be another kershaw, ZT to be exact though, 0350, smaller version of the 0300.

If you like the Wave, you should try out a Waved Endura. It's much easier to open than the Waved Delica. I think it's from the extra leverage/weight of the longer blade.

Andy, at this point I have some misc slipjoints and some knives that were gifts, you know the kind. Other than that the only folder I really carry is the SMF.

I've tried the Waved Endura and didn't like it because the handles were way to long for me, but I think you're right with it being easier to open, although I have no trouble at all with my Delica.

What are the differences in the first version and the versions offered now? I was just looking at these the other day, that is why I ask.

The original ones were made in Japan, the newer ones are made in Taiwan or China. Those are generally a step down in quality control than Japan. The steel is different, though I don't remember what they are. Generally, I think it just looks crappier & cheaper overall. Here's some pics:

Mine - older style




Older style - pic from BF (not mine)


Newer style:




BF Thread: cs recon 1 - opinions