And the Winner is... RD-9! Again...

The SP-51 and SP-53 are choppers that can do knife things, not as versatile as I said before, but for heavy woods work, chopping and batoning they rule! Out side of that...eh they work sort of goodly enough a bit barely.

The RD9 falls in a knife that can chop area. The 1/4 spine of the blade is not as wide/deep? as others and the hilt and choil combo with the FFG makes it a great all round multi-tool where the 5160 adds to its near indestructibility. Well for steel on wood that is.
 
I think my buying another rd9 is like some kind of karma payback for Roguer buying a woodsman. Dam, I really can’t afford another $105, but what am I going to do, let someone else buy (and enjoy) them?
 
Yonose said:
The sp53 was selling for $45 a month ago? They still have some left? I don’t use mine, though, nor my sp51, and I like the versatility of the rd9. You can poach ginseng with it, cut loose and eat larger animals trapped in snares and then get shot before supper!
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Apparently it was just till yesterday....

Editcus: Seems still that price on back order.
 
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Looks like the hardness of the rd9 is the same hardness as the junglas and the bk9. 57-58, as stated by several websites. If this is correct, the reason the rd9 isn’t chipping isn’t because it’s softer but because it has both a lower carbon and higher alloy content. Of course, misinformation is easy to come by from sellers.
 
I noticed the sp43 was still available, $50, and the sp53 on backorder for $46. The rat7 is $60, the only ratk2 they had was part.serr. but only $70. This website (mwusa)has the sp models listed at 54 RC.
 
B3B50FEB-BCC5-4F4C-A2E5-291EF2276295.jpeg For a thread about the rd9, mine couldn’t show up for a pic...too busy. Well the 3 Ontario knives in the middle are indestructible, though only one wears the original pants—the sp-10.and at least 1 of the Ontario’s always comes along, whether the trip is a few hours or a few weeks. The stainless bowie is mostly for show, but it chops and slices great(12c27 I believe it is.)
 
Nice stable there.

I got an RTACII because of that sale still going on. IT seems like a short medium machete to me. No chance to use it yet, but its 5160 steel should give it great use capabilities I guess. To be fare I consider my choppers SP-51 and SP-53 to be short HEAVY machetes. The thinner blade might be a better cutter for some of the thinner stuff like thorn bushes that pop up around the old farm stead. I think with the 1/4" spine though even the RD9 will have a better heavy wood processing ability over the RTACII.
 
The extra inch and a half blade length will baton larger pieces of wood. It may take a little longer than the sp51, but when the wood is 9 1/2” you have to go with the rtak2. It is much lighter than any of he above blades, so you can swing it a lot longer withou getting tired.
 
Roguer said:
Nice stable there.

I got an RTACII because of that sale still going on. IT seems like a short medium machete to me. No chance to use it yet, but its 5160 steel should give it great use capabilities I guess. To be fare I consider my choppers SP-51 and SP-53 to be short HEAVY machetes. The thinner blade might be a better cutter for some of the thinner stuff like thorn bushes that pop up around the old farm stead. I think with the 1/4" spine though even the RD9 will have a better heavy wood processing ability over the RTACII.
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I find myself switching knives a lot while batoning. The rtak2’ thinness, length and flexibility can sometimes be attractive to start a log, but often I switch to a thicker or Sabre ground blade to finish. The rtak2 was designed by a knife making legend!
 
An RD 6 rides with my SP-51/53s usually the RD Tanto rides along with the RD9 and now other FFG big blades I got. I'm a RD TANTO freak because of that dang sale I got 2 more...
 
Roguer said:
An RD 6 rides with my SP-51/53s usually the RD Tanto rides along with the RD9 and now other FFG big blades I got. I'm a RD TANTO freak because of that dang sale I got 2 more...
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I carry so many big blades I have keep 2 on a shoulder sling and 2 on a utility belt. My tak1 mod rides piggyback on either the rd9 or the rtak2.
 
For $30 including $6 shipping, got 2 sets of replacement micarta handles (straight from the mothership). My now 10 year old (give or take) rd9 handles like the day I got it! I did have to reshape the kydex sheath abit, (and replaced kydex belt loop with teklok). Shown with the old scales(slick with oil from hands and blade) next to a new one, and my tak1 mod piggybacking in a rattlesnakebushcraft sheath. I really would not have minded getting stuck this last stretch of bad weather with just this rig on my belt! Anyone need to replace theirs, I’ve an extra(new) set!7A1BA462-6423-41A2-B895-FAD360345067.jpeg
 
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Why not sand them down to bring them back to life? ;)
Or sand them down to be more customized to any RD ya got? :)
 
Roguer said:
Why not sand them down to bring them back to life? ;)
Or sand them down to be more customized to any RD ya got? :)
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I won’t throw them out until I’ve exhausted the options on other knives, but for the rd9 sanding them down wouldn’t leave very much material. They are really old!
 
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