Why buy an old Strider when you can own a brand new current model Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet NFG? 
or simply a followup review on this knife! by BushCampingTools

Cord and rope cutting made easy with the serrations

The Extrema Ratio Fulcrum bayonet NFG cuts double stranded barbed wire easily. Nobodies fences were sabotaged in the testing of this application.

Double stranded barbed wire no problems to cut with this tool.

Easy to carry on any pack or webbing

The Fulcrum Bayonet NFG is one hard core knife. Why wouldn't it be? it's just a modified bayonet design. 6mm thick N690 Cobalt stainless steel blade, western styled Tanto, no curves, dead easy to sharpen, wire cutter hole, T.N.S. (that's Take No Sh*t) scabbard and well-stitched light weight carry system.



I always wanted one of Strider's big knives but now of course they are no more so the likely-hood of this happening is about zero unless I pick one up from ebay, no not likely. Besides that, about half a dozen emails never replied to from Mick Strider, I gave up, especially as I was one of his very first supporters, mmmmmm, get famous and forget about those who supported your products from the start. No biggie, I still have one of his knives and love it. But I wouldn't swap my ER Fulcrum NFG for one of his big tantos now, or would I? 

The Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet NFG IS a hack about knife ready for action in all conditions, like making a fire in the rain.

A simple cord wrapped full width tang does have it's strong points, no pun intended. But when that cord gets wet with salt water it stays wet and isn't easy to take off and rewrap in the field unless you happened to have a vice close by. Forprene does such a great job of helping to alleviate any shock to the hands and doesn't to any practical purposes absorb water.

I've slightly modified my ER Fulcrum NFG now:

Cut up credit card inserted and used Loctite to glue a small piece into the inside of the scabbard to help prevent the blade from cutting into the (already tough) fibre reinforced scabbard. 

"Credit card" insert super glued/Loctite to inside of scabbard to reduce scabbard wear.

I did the same thing with my FKMD Combat Survival knife, as it's scabbard is similar. Lots of insertions and removals with these types of scabbards can result in (over the years-so it's not exactly quick) a groove being cut into the scabbard. That small piece of credit card (replaceable) will prevent this.

 I've also done the "Mossy Oak" camouflage tape thing as the stone wash version of the NFG is only at present available with a "Desert camouflage" scabbard, which sticks out like a sore thumb away from those desert sands!

Mossy Oak camo now covers all of the scabbard.

 Of course I was careful NOT to cover the diamond sharpening plate on the rear of the scabbard!
Ok so is there anything i don't like about this knife?

Yes but it is just nit picking really. I would have liked to have seen the butt cap also made of hardened N690 instead of relatively soft 300 series stainless steel. WHY? because the acute edge of the butt would hold up a lot better when using it to strike a ferro rod, as 300 series is soft and the edge is affected but then again these days the fire steel-well it's always been for me, a secondary emergency way to start a fire. The windproof lighter such as a high quality Windmill lighter is the way to go for serious fire lighting.

Chopping logs, no problems either

This is a seasoned (like as in 4 year dead) Elm log/tree. There is plenty of weight in this big blade to hack away. Yes it isn't a hatchet or better still an axe for a quick job but there is zero shock transferred via the Forprene grip.

Strong, actually VERY STRONG tip of the Extrema Ratio Fulcrum bayonet NFG

What did I find in terms of negatives about this take no sh%t knife??
Now as in all honest reviews, what are any negative points about this knife? Well I guess they aren't so much negative as rather things one should be aware of. The butt cap is held in place via a 3mm Allen bolt. Under normal use for a knife, that is no bashing the bejeezus out of it but rather using it for cutting tasks, then what i'm about to say is irrelevant.

The tension upon the 3mm bolt is partly due to the elastomeric properties of the Forprene handle. That is one can continue to screw the butt cap down until deformation of the handle begins. This is totally unnecessary but the question is how much should one screw down this bolt? And rather why? Well if you have been using the knife for about two weeks plus and have NOT previously adjusted this cap bolt then it may work loose when the grip moves a bit due to the above mentioned elastomeric properties of Forprene. One could use semi permanent "Loctite" /thread locker on the bolt and this would fix that, so that when necessary, an Allen driver could be used to remove the butt cap to clean the tang (if immersion in sea water happened). What I did instead was to use some el cheapo nail polish from the wife to "lock" the head of the bolt into the butt cap, 

Yeah pretty pink isn't it??? For all you ladies out there reading this, it happens to be a Maybelline product according to the wife LOL! But seriously, for all you blokes out there reading this one can see how this stuff functions here, essentially a "el cheapo" thread locker semi permanent/no permanent. I put a red mark to test this out that the screw does not move at all when this is done. Of course it will not move at all either if one doesn't do it but one needs to check the screw once in a while and the easiest way to do this is to mark it as I have shown above.

by simply using the nail polish as a semi permanent glue. This works just fine and no amount of vibration will cause the bolt to come loose. Because if you are not carrying an Allen driver with you in the filed (highly unlikely) then you will not be able to tighten the butt cap. Now unlike Extrema Ratio Models which feature a single fixing bolt in the middle of the tang, even if it comes loose and is lost, all is not lost as a simple bit of cord from anything tied into the lanyard hole will prevent the handle coming off......bet you didn't know that eh????


***Finally, I would like to see Extrema Ratio precision press fit the guard onto the tang and not simply slipped onto the tang. The reason being that it moves. Not much but it moves and can make a clicking sound when the knife strikes something. The sound won't alert your enemy. You could use the guard when removed for something but I shan't say here as it's probably a dangerous use for it but none the less in a dire emergency it could be imagined as  kind of piton? Did I say that?? Ok u get my point. But don't say i didn't warn you.



*** This information is only for entertainment and undertaking any outdoor activities is at your own risk.

BCT