6 mounth rough rider edc update/ short review

hogslayer said:
I may not have worded it right heres in short is what I tried to say, I paid 8.50 shipped an when I first got it I said wow these do seem pertty good but after a few mounths of on an off carry it seems to be just a 10$ knife, But it seems to be the best 10$ knife I have. :)
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You don't need to apologize. I like the fact you got a knife that you feel gave you your money's worth. I don't own any RR knives, but I have been gifted 5 knives from the Remington Sportsman collection, all Chinese made. These are nice knives. Really nice. Fit, finish, and snap are excellent on all but one. They look like 70s quality CASE knives. But for some reason I still don't carry them....

Shields fall off scales. I have two old Puma folders, one 30 and one 35 years old that I treated myself to when I hit a high spot in business. Shields fell off both (immediately) of the supposedly "hand made" knives. Actually, one probably was hand made as I bought it at a custom knife shop in the 70s. The owner (who became a friend) told me that this knife was the only one that was handmade of their folder line that was available here. The other was much more likely hand assembled/finshed, not hand made. Both were expensive knives with a legacy of quality behind them, so rest assured price won't ensure things like that don't happen.

I am a worker like you. The dye on my Dan Burke Barlow gave up while in my sweat drenched pocket. The knife looks better than ever and the scales now have a bit of an amber edge to them, but I have three pairs of work jeans with orange stained pockets. I don't care. I like the knife a lot.

I good little work knife is a gem to have and a pleasure to use. Best of all, if it sprouts legs or you leave it on site, you can replace it without much of a loss.

Good review.

Robert
 
Thanks, I never thought of sweet causeing the bone to bleed ink, I work at a lumber yard stacking wood 9hrs a day an sweet alot in the summer an winter an I've slamed wood into my leg an hit the knife while it was in my pocket. I carry a spyderco endura as my mane edc knife an the rough ridier as my beater knife at work for cuting banding cleaning threads on bolts an a thousand other things an it does everything just fine an I use it gilt free.
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
I think that's a good analogy. "Back in the day" quite a few folks went about their lives using those old "value" knives. Still remember seeing all those Imperial displays at the hardware store. Even had an Imperial sheath knife as a kid. Didn't know squat about sharpening and did more damage to the edge trying to sharpen it.

Of course now as traditional knife junkies we find those old Imperials endearing and wax nostalgic about them.
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I loved my old Sabre "cracked ice" 7" and 9" Melon Testers. Mom would always borrow mine to spread mayonnaise on sandwiches while we were travelling in the '68 Rambler Rebel 770 station wagon. (That brings back memories)! I was 13 to 15 years old when we had the old 232 inline six powered beast.

Yep, I'm waxing nostalgic about the old knives, because I was there! I earned the right.
 
afishhunter said:
and how many more RR he has. They are a wee bit addictive ....
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Fishhunter You are exactly right I have the same addiction. I think it is about what you get for your money. I've posted this picture before and actually just a few minutes ago in another thread. This was my last batch I bought for $85 with free shipping and no tax over the internet. I'm an old man and remember a time when I had very little so when I can buy a few things I like for little money it puts a big ole smile on my face.


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I like US made knives, particularly old vintage ones, and I enjoy supporting US mfg such as GEC, Queen, Case, etc. That is just my preference. I have purchased at least 50 RR knives in various handle materials and patterns. I often use them just for the sake of seeing how a pattern feels in my hand before committing to a US made version. The rest are given to friends who aren't necessarily in to traditionals in an attempt to "set the hook". ;)

My experience has been about 50/50. Half the time they are great and the rest of the time, not so much. That being said, many of the vintage knives such as Imperial, Utica, PAL, Colonial, etc that now range from $30 to >$100, on the secondary market and depending on condition, were in their day a cheap $10 knife. It is all somewhat relative. Good F/F on a RR is no different then good F/F on a GEC or an old Camillius. The knife will last a lifetime when used responsibly. The RR F/F is just not as consistent but they are not heirlooms or collector pieces. I have several tobacco bone RR congresses that are great whittlers and I use them often with no shame or remorse. The most important thing is to use what you like and don't try to impose your expectations and preferences on another. Walk your own trail as it were.
 
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I for one do not purchase traditional knives made in China, nor would I ever look down on someone if they do. on a similar note, I wonder how many of our fellow Chinese knife enthusiasts purchase their domestic pocket knives as opposed to buying offshore from us.
enjoy your knives where ever they are made
 
Before further posts are made, let me remind you that, in the Traditional Forum, we focus on the knives, not where they are made.

Further posts in this thread will please follow that guideline.
 
Going back over some of the combinations that have found their way into my pockets over the last year or so, I find that I am knife-nationalism agnostic; I carry American knives, English knives, German knives, French knives, Portuguese knives, Japanese knives, Chinese knives, Taiwanese knives, and even occasionally a Canadian-made knife (ya hosers, stick with the hockey, eh? ;) :D).







One thing I can say about the knives that have accompanied me on my travels through life is that they were all quality. Rough Rider's offerings are every bit as responsible for that boast as Case's, Queen's, Schrade's, Buck's, GEC's, etc. While opinions vary and certain patriotic feelings might be twanged by the idea of buying imports, as far as the knives go, the cream always rises to the top -- and usually cuts right through. ;)

Oh, and wouldja believe I've never had a shield fall off one yet? I've cracked bone, fixed cracked bone, peened loose hinges, peened loose scales, even attempted to reassemble a parts knife, but not one of my shielded knives has lost its "brand". :cool:
 
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TsarBomba said:
Going back over some of the combinations that have found their way into my pockets over the last year or so, I find that I am knife-nationalism agnostic; I carry American knives, English knives, German knives, French knives, Portuguese knives, Japanese knives, Chinese knives, Taiwanese knives, and even occasionally a Canadian-made knife (ya hosers, stick with the hockey, eh? ;) :D).
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I'm with you. For the last 50+ years I have carried and used knives from all over the world without a thought. Until I arrived here on BF, I didn't know there was a stigma to non-American made knives and edged tools other than concerns of certain country's stereotyping of bad quality.

I carried CASE as a kid, as they made an always reliable folder. I am old enough that there was no CNC, no mass production lines, and no one carried anything remotely close to a "tactical" knife designed for defense/offense purposes. All of me and mine carried folding, (now called traditionals, we just called them folders) work knives that had to manage all kinds of daily tasks.

I liked Boker as well, and learned that many of the German folding knives back in the 60s and 70s were easily the equivalent of a CASE knife. So I just bought what I liked back then, mostly different styles and configurations of the stockman pattern from different makers.

The top of the hill for me? The pinnacle? The locked glass case in the sporting goods store than held the Puma knives. Didn't care where they were made, to me in the 60s, they were the best of usable knife "art". Every piece was highly polished, the claims of hand fitting and assembly looked to be true. and every specimen I saw looked perfect. Their folders were all fitted with stag scales (at least the ones in the case) and all the metal parts shone like a mirror. I never could afford any of them, but if I had, I wouldn't have cared if they were made on the moon.

Knives are tools to me since I am not a collector. With about 80 folders, one might think that, but I do rotate around the carry cycle pretty frequently. I personally judge a knife on its utility value, appearance, (warranty if applicable) and bang for the buck. In other words, on its own merits.

Robert
 
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