Strider SMF g10 Standard Version g10
Still a strong choice
Despite the negative image Strider portrays & bad reputation that's out there about the company, while some of their products are poorly designed, the SMF standard version is a very well thought out & designed knife.
It is a production knife & some aspects of the design, especially the lock interface, many people think are a design flaw/choice but is actually a limitation of the knife's manufacturing process & time constraints (labor & skill cost).
Despite having a radiused lock bevel, & the wear issues associated with this type of blade tang/ frame lock design, the SMF is the best of the Strider model line up because of the larger components due to the overall size of the knife. Especially the lock bar's contact area with the blade tang.
Smaller models such as the PT & SNG that still carry the Strider "hard use" label have a smaller lock bar contact area & thus wear out rapidly scraping against the radiused blade tang. The SMF be larger in radius & lock bar contact area holds up the best compared to the smaller knife models.
What makes this knife such a great value?
In the category of hard use frame lock folding tactical knives this is one of the best lightweight & affordable options. The price point of the SMF, when compared to that of other frame lock knives is a good value although there are brands that compete for much less such as Cold Steel with their Tri-Ad Lock knives but those knives are not made in the USA.
The overall versatility of the knife, because of the lock being a frame lock, lends itself to low maintenance, less parts & reliability in various environments such as the jungle or desert.
Despite the negative image Strider portrays & bad reputation that's out there about the company, while some of their products are poorly designed, the SMF standard version is a very well thought out & designed knife.
It is a production knife & some aspects of the design, especially the lock interface, many people think are a design flaw/choice but is actually a limitation of the knife's manufacturing process & time constraints (labor & skill cost).
Despite having a radiused lock bevel, & the wear issues associated with this type of blade tang/ frame lock design, the SMF is the best of the Strider model line up because of the larger components due to the overall size of the knife. Especially the lock bar's contact area with the blade tang.
Smaller models such as the PT & SNG that still carry the Strider "hard use" label have a smaller lock bar contact area & thus wear out rapidly scraping against the radiused blade tang. The SMF be larger in radius & lock bar contact area holds up the best compared to the smaller knife models.
What makes this knife such a great value?
In the category of hard use frame lock folding tactical knives this is one of the best lightweight & affordable options. The price point of the SMF, when compared to that of other frame lock knives is a good value although there are brands that compete for much less such as Cold Steel with their Tri-Ad Lock knives but those knives are not made in the USA.
The overall versatility of the knife, because of the lock being a frame lock, lends itself to low maintenance, less parts & reliability in various environments such as the jungle or desert.
Issues for buyers
For most individuals the general finish of the knife will be a concern
Aesthetically the knife may have a scratch on the blade or handle but this is very minimal & although there are brands that don't have these issues, Strider's manufacturing process does not watch control this aspect as much unfortunately.
The largest flaws will usually be the blade centering & lock up percentage.
The style of pivot on a Strider is a female & male screw. This style of pivot relies heavily on the placement of the two parts into the handle sides along with the machining of the hole in the blade. Microscopic variations can lead to an off center blade. Normally a knife can have this issue adjusted if the pivot is 2 males & one female tube or if there is a stop pin that is screwed into place because the stop pin can apply twisting pressures to help center the blade. Since Strider knives utilize an integrated thumbstud/stop pin method this option is lacking so when evaluating a SMF blade's centering one should note that this is more a design flaw issue not an actual quality control or manufacturing flaw.
The lock up on a good Strider you want to be early. Because of the radiused (curved) lock bevel on the blade tang, very quickly the corner of the lock bar can wear down. When the lock bar starts getting closer to the point where the lock bevel starts to curve to drastically the lock bar will not be able to rest properly on a flat surface of the blade tang & thus slip (noticed by the actual lock bar moving back out) until the lock bar engages the more flatter portion of the blade tang at which point the lock will properly function.
These issues can be resolved with Strider's warranty process.
Aesthetically the knife may have a scratch on the blade or handle but this is very minimal & although there are brands that don't have these issues, Strider's manufacturing process does not watch control this aspect as much unfortunately.
The largest flaws will usually be the blade centering & lock up percentage.
The style of pivot on a Strider is a female & male screw. This style of pivot relies heavily on the placement of the two parts into the handle sides along with the machining of the hole in the blade. Microscopic variations can lead to an off center blade. Normally a knife can have this issue adjusted if the pivot is 2 males & one female tube or if there is a stop pin that is screwed into place because the stop pin can apply twisting pressures to help center the blade. Since Strider knives utilize an integrated thumbstud/stop pin method this option is lacking so when evaluating a SMF blade's centering one should note that this is more a design flaw issue not an actual quality control or manufacturing flaw.
The lock up on a good Strider you want to be early. Because of the radiused (curved) lock bevel on the blade tang, very quickly the corner of the lock bar can wear down. When the lock bar starts getting closer to the point where the lock bevel starts to curve to drastically the lock bar will not be able to rest properly on a flat surface of the blade tang & thus slip (noticed by the actual lock bar moving back out) until the lock bar engages the more flatter portion of the blade tang at which point the lock will properly function.
These issues can be resolved with Strider's warranty process.
