Strider Knives

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Strider Knives
Type LLC
Founded San Marcos, California (1997)
Headquarters San Marcos, California, 1997
Key people Mick Strider, Duane Dwyer, Josh Lee
Industry Manufacturing
Products Knives
Revenue N/A
Employees N/A)
Website www.striderknives.com

Strider Knives, Inc. is a custom and production knifemaking facility headed by Mick Strider and Duane Dwyer based in San Marcos, California.

Contents

[edit] Materials and design

Strider Knives makes folding knives and fixed-blade knives. Using metals such as ATS-34, CPM S30V steel‎, titanium, stellite, beryllium, damascus steel, and BG-42 for the blades.[1][2]

Strider fixed blade knives utilize either parachute cord or G-10 fiberglass for the handle material.

Strider uses a proprietary heat treatment originally developed by Paul Bos of Buck Knives.[2] This resulted in knives with blades of ATS-34 or BG-42 coming back from heat treat with a very dark colored blade which would then be bead blasted a flat grey color. After masking a blade before beadblasting, Mick Strider found it resulted in a striping or camouflage effect and it has become a part of the design.[3][4] As the newest steel Strider uses, CPM S30V does not darken after heat treating, a black oxide coating is applied beforehand.[3]

[edit] Military models

Strider's first project as a company was to supply Naval Special Warfare Group 1 with WB and BG models in 1994.[5][6] Strider Knives currently makes several models specifically for US Military Units in the Global War on Terror[7][8], each with its own designated NSN number.[4] 1095-01-531-5015 is the National Stock Number for the Strider SMF (officially known as Knife, Folding, Special Mission). The Strider DB-L (officially designated as Knife, Fixed, Camo) NSN 1095-01-531-5023, the JB1(officially designated Shroud Knife) NSN 1670-09-000-3920, and the Probe knife built for landmine detection NSN 1095-01-503-7231 are Strider's fixed blades with NATO Stock Numbers.

[edit] Strider folding knives

Strider SnG folding knife
Strider SnG folding knife

After eight years of making fixed blade knives, Strider turned to making folding knives.[4] Strider's goal was to produce a folding knife that was as strong as a fixed blade.[4] To work toward this goal, Strider relied on the use of G10 Fiberglass handles, titanium liners thicker than what was in current use throughout the cutlery industry and an oversized pivot screw 0.19" in diameter.[4] The end results were two linerlocks known as the AR and GB models. Strider also makes titanium handled framelock folding knives.[4] These models utilize the handle itself as the locking mechanism and are named the SMF, SnG, PT, and RC models.[4]

[edit] Collaborations

Strider Knives has also teamed with the following companies:

  • Buck Knives for a variety of Strider developed knife designs mass produced at a more affordable price.[4][9]
  • SureFire Flashlights. Strider Knives collaborated with SureFire by making an exclusive SF fixed-blade numbered and marked with the SureFire logo and sold with an identically numbered Strider marked M2CombatLight.[10][11]
  • Unertl Optics (longtime manufacturer of USMC Scout Sniper Scopes) for a unique SMF knife paired up with each custom 1911 pistol sold.
  • Kershaw Knives (under the Zero Tolerance Knives affiliate) for Strider joint designs with custom Knifemaker, Ken Onion. A portion of the proceeds from every sale of Zero Tolerance Knives is donated to the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Strider, Ken Onion and Zero Tolerace won Blade Magazine's Publisher's Award for 2006 because of this collaboration.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Covert, Pat."Strider Knives Are Hard Corps", American Handgunner Magazine, March-April 2000
  2. ^ a b Gardner, James."Duel of the Titans: two exceptional folders exemplify state-of-the-art",Guns Magazine, June 2005
  3. ^ a b Kertzman,Joe."Earn Your Steel Stripes", Blade Magazine, March, 2006
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Covert, Pat."Evolving edges: Strider Knives get Better and Badder!",American Handgunner Magazine, January-February 2005
  5. ^ Bolke,Darryl. "Strider Knives!", American Handgunner Magazine, 2002 Annual
  6. ^ Dick, Stephen (1995), "Blades of the Combat Swimmers", Tactical Knives, vol. 1, no. 2, p. 68-73
  7. ^ Ayoob, Massad."One night in the War on Terror", American Handgunner Magazine, Nov-Dec, 2005
  8. ^ Ewing, Dexter."Keep Your Eyes on the Strider Guys",Blade Magazine,December 2003
  9. ^ Markel, Paul. "Practical Tacticals: Buck's Strider Folders",Tactical Knives Magazine,May 2006
  10. ^ Ewing, Dexter, "Knives and Lights", Blade Magazine, March 2004
  11. ^ "Surefire/Strider - New Products",Guns Magazine, January 2003
  12. ^ Cascio, Pat."Kershaw's Latest Tactical Folders",Knives Illustrated, February 2007

[edit] See also

[edit] External links