Buck STRider 881 frame lock opened

This shot is the completed redesigned folder with an all new talonite blade, and all new frame lock and handle in a new more secure grippiness and color.

Talonite is one of those materials that has become more popular here in the last few years since the late great Rob Simonich began using it some time ago. It does not work like regular steel and in fact is not really steel by definition. Talonite and Stellite are similar materials to the Boye Dendritic Cobalt Alloy all having very high wear resistance with hard carbides in a cobalt matrix. You won't be carving wood or cutting harder materials with one of these blades in either Talonite or Stellite and getting carried away with it. The edge can roll on these from harder surfaces or impacts. All these are very hard to grind due to the carbide content. Carbides are what actually does the cutting and carbides by nature are very hard. In either Talonite or Stellite or Cobalt alloy the carbides are held in place in a much softer matrix. So what happens is the carbides can easily be dislodged if you use the blade in a harder material and the edge can fold or roll on you but breaking it is very very difficult. If the edge is too thin it can weaken that matrix responsible for holding the carbides also so a 15` edge bevel is not advised either from my understanding of the best way to use it. Where people like these blades is in cutting softer materials like cutting down cardboard boxes, paper, rags, bags, tape, and other things like ropes of various materials. You could use one of these on flesh like to field dress a camp full of deer and be surprised at how long it would go providing it was in an experienced hand that avoided the bones. Used in these materials a talonite or stellite blade will outcut a common steel blade many times over. Either material is also non magnetic and extremely corrosion resistant so boaters love it, especially around the salt water. In fact I've had folks that sail a lot or do jobs cutting boxes down to discard them that tell me they sharpen their talonite blade once every two years. Not bad at all when you think about it. Its a 'need specific' blade material so to speak. Anyway,

this folder proved to be one of the more challenging projects of 2008 for me but I managed to cuss my way through it. :-) Thanks for looking