Strider MSS

Tiger-striped knives
My first brush with Strider Knives was back in 2000.
I was at the New York Custom Knife Show (NYCKS) which was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan, NYC.
There was this table with some tiger-striped knives, mostly tanto-tipped blades, namely - the BT and BT-SS.
At that time, I had no tiger-striped finish and parachute cord-wrapped knives.


2001 Strider MF-S
I grew fond of small-sized utility knives.
One that caught my attention was the Strider MF-S which was offered as a pair with a Surefire M-2 Millennium Combat light.
The pair was sold at USD$400.
Even in the early days, a hollow-ground Strider MF-S would command a price of USD$200 a pop.
Today, if you can get hold of one, its a collector's item.
I picked up my MF-S double cord-wrapped knife from Matt Donohue of Matt D Tactical in 2003.
It was one of my earliest Strider knife.

A review I wrote on the MF-S 

Bigger and better
Years has passed and I have always been dreaming of a slightly longer version of the MF-S.
Parachute cord handles are not suitable especially when you deal with the hot and humid climate here in Malaysia.
The answer, is a G-10 thermoplastic scale.
Now, a few people had their MF-S customised with a G-10 slab and the people who did it were very good at doing so.
Last month, while browsing through Plazacutlery.com's new items link, I saw the MSS. A longer version of the MF-S.
I wasted no time in contacting Dan Delavan, the store's owner who told me that he had a few of the knives in stock.
The moment I knew I had a fighting chance in scoring one, I made the call.
Dan was generous enough to ship the knife together with a Strider Rogue Warrior Tee-shirt to Malaysia.
This was my second Strider knife I bought from Plaza and its been a good working relationship.


Customs and permit
It took more than a week for the knife to arrive in Malaysia from the US.
The moment it hit our shores, I received a love letter from the PMK KLIA in Sepang.
It stated that I need to apply for a permit.
Having owned one, I went to the PMK and arranged to have it processed.
The Poslaju people earned RM18 from me for the paperwork while the Customs released the knife without no questions asked.
A letter from the Bukit Aman licensing department says it all.
I walked away with my new knife without flinching.

The MSS in its sheath with the MF-S beside it..

Robustly-built: Strider's utility knives - the MSS and MF-S

A good impression
Having lugged some of Mick Strider's knives in the jungle, I don't have any doubts on the built quality of his knives.
They are built like a tank and can take the abuse.
The MSS is no different.
I love the length, its G-10 handles and the Eagle Industries sheath which allows you to rig it for a low ride on your belt.
Best of all, is the sharpness. It shaves and can maintain an edge.
Once dulled, its easy to bring back its edge with a proper knife sharpener.
To me, all my prayers were answered on the MSS.
Its longer than the MF-S, which makes it really formidable in the jungle.
The G-10 grips felt really good on the hand and best of all, the blade length is really suitable to carry out some really hard cutting chores in the jungle.


Seeing is believing
Its hard to judge this piece by looking at the photo alone.
You've got to handle it to dig what I have to say.
So, if you have the chance, give the MSS a try!