I have both the GB and the AR and offer these comments.
The AR is a folder. However, with a blade that is "only" 4 inches, one might think "how big can it be?" here are some dimensions:
The blade is 3/16" stock and the handle, less the width of the pocket clip is 17mm thick. The Ti liners are 2 mm thick. (Sorry guys, i only have a metric ruler, actually, it is a Spinograph Parallel ruler that I use to mark x-rays) The knife opened is 24cm long, closed 13.6cm.
Construction and Finish:
The liners are Ti and are beadblasted. The scales are rough textured
G-10. There is a generous finger cutout. In my opinon, one of the great design attributes of the blade is the huge choil. This this allows you to really choke up on the blade for fine work and
in with this grip, really allows you retention on the knife.
There are large traction grooves on the blade for your thumb; also on the top of the handles and on the slanted portion of the butt for reinforcement with a reverse grip. The Pocket clip is Ti, reinforced attachment into the g-10 scale. A note about the blade pivot. It is huge. I measure the diameter at 12mm. The thumbstud on mine is the larger version with a rather sharp edge, but this allows for a definite purchase.My AR only has one thumbstud, but a double is available. The liners are beadblasted and the blade has the Strider Tigerstripe finish. A note about the Tigerstriping: if you use the knife in a water environment or like I did (cutting some vegetables, you should wipe the blade down. I got some rust spotting on one of my Striders. The spotting only occured on the dark tigerstripe areas of the blade.
The Lock: It's a liner lock, but because of the thickness of the liners, it can actually be classified as an "integral lock with scales." The lock is solid. There is no bladeplay whatsoever. Also a note. The cutout in the spring was reversed a while back from inwardto outward. According to Mick Strider, he learned this from Ken Onion. This apparantly allow the lock to be closed much easier. Not easier in the sense of failure, but rather, you don't have to use a lot of force to close the lock. I had one of the first gen. GBs and had to resort to a hammer to close that knife, sometimes! But the new lock design is superb. Also, withe the knife closed, the blade stop is not the stop pin, rather one of the large diameter handle pins, which buts up against the cutout in front of the choir; another nice design trait. Of note: The stoppin appears kind of smal in diameter, but I've been told that it is heat treated and passes thru the liners. It's very solid. i would have thought that Strider could make a thicker stop pin, but if you look at the design, it is not possible without changing the design of the area where the thumbramp would be.
The blade: It's BG42 heattreated by Paul Bos. This ones a short hollow grind. The entire shape is rather a spear-point. This is the one thing that really amazes me about this knife. Despite the thick stock, the knife is damn sharp. I haven't done any scientific testing, but everything I've cut with it, it just sails thru and I have yet to sharpen it. It is hair=popping sharp. I know that there are other knives out there that will do this too, but for a thick bladed knife, I think the blade geometry along with the heat treat and sharpening angle make the AR a very sharp cutting tool.
Carry: Well, I try to carry it when I can, but the weight of the knife is kind of hard on wool slacks in the office. I have carried it on my wilderness hikes, and it sits very well in a pair of jeans. Better t have a smaller and thinner knife in the pocket when in the office or seeing patients.
Recommendations: It's only my opinion, but if you are looking for a big, hard use folder, it's right here. Maybe others can do some more scientific cutting tests (I've only done cardboard and some tree chopping with mine, and opened some maile, but that duty is usually done with another knife.) It's thick, it's hard use, the blade geometry is good. It's priced like some other customs, and you don't get the satin finish or MOP, but you get a tough folder; maybe the toughest.
Anyways, I got to get back to seeing patients. Skipped lunch to type this up!
