Advice needed for bushcraft knife

Phaselock said:
What are the reasons?

Is rust a problem with RC-4?
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Not if you keep it oiled or rub it down with a Tuf-Cloth infrequently.

Better knife overall. Better handles, better ergos, better heat treat, amazing warranty (willful destruction is covered).
 
Phaselock said:
It must be either Rat Cutlery RC-4 or the Cold Steel Master hunter. They are both simlar size and are within budget. Which would you prefer?
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Out of those two I would go with the RC-4.

I like Carbon Steel fixed blades.
 
Josh K said:
Not if you keep it oiled or rub it down with a Tuf-Cloth infrequently.

Better knife overall. Better handles, better ergos, better heat treat, amazing warranty (willful destruction is covered).
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I live outside USA so the warranty will probably not apply.
 
Phaselock said:
I live outside USA so the warranty will probably not apply.
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I'd ask the RAT people before you assume that. Normally you'd just ship it back.

Also I think they've only had a handful of knives ever returned due to breakage. The actual numbers are somewhere, but I believe that less then ten of each model have been returned for breakage.
 
Are they really that tough to break? I know that knvies not are maintenance free. But I´m still a little worried about having to oil up the knife all the time so it don´t rust.
 
Phaselock said:
Are they really that tough to break? I know that knvies not are maintenance free. But I´m still a little worried about having to oil up the knife all the time so it don´t rust.
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They are coated so that will help a lot.

Just spray it down after use with WD-40 and wipe it off before putting it away.
 
Phaselock said:
Is the RC-4 good for filet fish and meat?
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I'm not sure, I've never filleted fish with a RC-4. Should work fine for meat.

For a fillet knife I would look for something a little bit more flexible and a bit longer.
 
zippin44 said:
Go custom!

There are so many great custom makers out there who produce top notch stuff you can't miss! Buy yourself a perfectly respectable Mora 510 for $14 to get by with and shop the custom makers.
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I would second that get a mora then take a good look around for something you really want.:thumbup:
 
That might be a answer. I actually use a fiskars knife now. It´s just like the Mora and works ok. But I want a more reliable knife with a good sheath.

I been looking at Spyderco aqua salt and dayhiker (fb19). They look very good. How is the blade steel on Spyderco?
 
Phaselock said:
That might be a answer. I actually use a fiskars knife now. It´s just like the Mora and works ok. But I want a more reliable knife with a good sheath.

I been looking at Spyderco aqua salt and dayhiker (fb19). They look very good. How is the blade steel on Spyderco?
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The Dayhiker is N690Co, which is better then 440C and close to VG-10 in terms of edge holding and rust resistance. H1 (Aqua Salt) has edge holding in the AUS-8 / 10 range, is completely rust proof (bar a pure chlorine bath), and is very tough.
 
So you would recommend Spyderco for survival/hunting knife? Spyderco Bill Moran looks very nice too, but the handle look too small. There are so many knives in this price range. Hard to make a final decision :confused:
 
Phaselock said:
So you would recommend Spyderco for survival/hunting knife? Spyderco Bill Moran looks very nice too, but the handle look too small. There are so many knives in this price range. Hard to make a final decision :confused:
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For a survival / hunting knife I would still take a hard look at the RAT's rather then Spyderco.
 
There is something I dont like about the RC. Can´t put my finger on it. But I don´t like the powder coated blade. I like polished blades.
 
Phaselock said:
There is something I dont like about the RC. Can´t put my finger on it. But I don´t like the powder coated blade. I like polished blades.
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Maybe a PE Aqua Salt then.

You can strip the coating off the RAT's if you prefer plain blades.
 
Ankerson said:
They are coated so that will help a lot.

Just spray it down after use with WD-40 and wipe it off before putting it away.
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Not to pick on you specifically, but I hear this a lot. Do people really take cans of WD-40 out with them to the field? I personally would never want to carry the added weight, and I also would not want to have to spray a knife down ever single time its used, which for me would be quite often.

With carbon steel knives I just let them rust, and then use scotch-brite pads to scrape it off when I'm back home. You will also want a field sharpener because rust can corrode your edge very easily on a carbon knife.
 
I would never bring acan of WD-40 on a week long trip in the woods. A whetstone, I have always with me. I will rather not have to do a lot of
maintenance to keep my knife rust free. What will happend if I strip the coating off and went on a 14 day hiking trip. The whole blade starts to rust? Maybe carbon steel is not for me. But I really do not know how big this problem with rust actually is. There are so many knifemakers out there. I need to do a little more research before I make up my mind. Thanks for all help. Very valuable help :)
 
Phaselock said:
I would never bring acan of WD-40 on a week long trip in the woods. A whetstone, I have always with me. I will rather not have to do a lot of
maintenance to keep my knife rust free. What will happend if I strip the coating off and went on a 14 day hiking trip. The whole blade starts to rust? Maybe carbon steel is not for me. But I really do not know how big this problem with rust actually is. There are so many knifemakers out there. I need to do a little more research before I make up my mind. Thanks for all help. Very valuable help :)
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Your blade is not going to rust apart in 14 days unless you pack it wet and leave it out every night.

Your best bet is to strip it and patina the blade in some vinegar.
 
I have an RC-4 and LOVE it!

KSF (knifesshipfree) has great customer service, and I believe ships overseas.

I prefer a carbon steel blade to stainless, though I do own quite a few stainless steel knives. 1095 Carbon steel is tough, easy to sharpen and takes a great edge!

I've had no problem with rusting. I just keep a small oiled rag at home and wipe the edge before taking it out. The coating protects the major portion of the blade.
 
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