Attention Bargain Shoppers

Rick

Rick

Joined
Nov 27, 1998
Messages
2,602
By way of introduction before the photos do the talkin', I'll just say that if its cutting performance and durability match its appearance, fit and finish, this solid little 3-3/8" damascus lockback may represent one of the best knife values I've ever encountered.

RRSanMaiLockback01.jpg


RRSanMaiLockback02.jpg


RRSanMaiLockback08.jpg


RRSanMaiLockback07.jpg


RRSanMaiLockback03.jpg


RRSanMaiLockback04.jpg


The long bolster and hollow-ground blade are "Japanese San-Mai Damascus" with sixteen layers of spring steel folded around a carbon steel core, producing a total of thirty-three layers. The scales are deeply jigged bone and the liners are steel. The walk is extremely smooth (note the hidden pivot), the talk is crisp and snappy (very Buck-like, actually), the lockup is 100% wiggle-free in all directions (much better than my GEC #72 mini-lockback in this regard), there are no handle gaps and the finish is clean, even and scratch-free inside and out. Weight is 2.2 oz. and the OAL is just shy of 6". The Damascus actually looks better than my photos suggest - it has a nice satiny shine and good contrast.

So, what's the big bargain?

This is a freakin' Rough Rider RR1021 that cost all of $19.99. They're also available in a larger 4"-closed version for a whopping $24.99. Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd would've guessed that this knife sold for around four times the asking price.

RRSanMaiLockback05.jpg
 
Last edited:
Wow, I'm impressed. Keep us posted on its actual cutting performance. At that price, you can have a damascus beater knife.
 
I love rr knives, but is the steel made in Japan, or is it "Japanese Style?"

At SMKW, the text leaves a little wiggle room, I think

""San-Mai" is Japanese for sandwich. The process starts with a core of carbon steel. Sixteen layers of spring steel are folded around the core, creating a "sandwich" of thirty three layers for strength and rigidity. The steel is then hand finished, giving it the unique appearance.

·Japanese San-Mai Damascus steel blade and bolster
·Brown jigged bone handle
·Steel pins and liners
·4" closed"
 
The steel is Chinese. If you look closely you can see CHINA at the base of the blade. The damascus doe a good job of hiding that. :D
 
very pretty - will be looking forward to some function reports - edge holding, etc...
thanks for posting!
 
Dang. That is pretty impressive for $20. I pegged it for a RR the second I saw the bone though. If they ever manage to figure out how to jig and dye bone properly, RR will be even more of a force to be reckoned with than they already are. It's hard to argue with that thing for 20 bones. Cheesy Rough Rider bone aside, it could pass as a custom from a newer maker.
 
"Japanese San-Mai Damascus steel blade and bolster" should mean Japanese-made steel, but the price would seem to indicate otherwise. Whatever it is, it's obviously a three-layer carbon steel laminant of some kind. You can see a dark line running down the center of the blade spine. Time will tell.
 
I thought it was a $100+ Moki from Japan. I own a couple dozen RRs, and I'm completely shocked.
Been hoping they would bring something out in 1095, and they just bypassed that altogether for san-mai damascus. :confused:
Who'd 'av thunk it?!?
 
black mamba said:
I thought it was a $100+ Moki from Japan.
Click to expand...

That was exactly what I thought when I first saw it. The pattern is very similar to (copied from?) the 3-3/8" Moki "Glory" - an $80 Japanese lockback in AUS-8.

MK101J.jpg


It's also similar to the 3" Chinese Boker Magnum for around $30 (I wish the RR had a lanyard hole, too).

large-bok1mb559dam.jpg


I was able to get the just-adequate factory edge on the RR shaving-sharp this morning with just a few swipes on a fine ceramic rod sharpener. I'll be cutting some 1/2" hemp rope to make a parrot toy today, so we'll see how the edge holds up.
 
Beautiful.
I'm especially curious if the damascus will stain if you use it to cut fruit...
 
Thats a darn fine lookin knife. It doesn't look like you would expect a 20 dollar knife to look.
Great size for an edc too
 
huh, how are they? is the core really a carbon steel? I'd get one of the bokers if I knew it was a good performer.
 
I'm a bit ashamed to say that I thought it was a custom when I first saw the pictures.

I am curious if it is really damascus steel, or if it's just some sort of etching on the blade.
 
For $20 the knife is a good deal just based on looks. What is needed is a few months of regular use cutting cardboard, sticks, rope, etc. to see how it edge holds, resharpens, and if it remains 'tight'. If it passes this user test then it is an excellent deal.
I have used some of my regular steel RRs and they do pass the user test as well as knives costing many times more, so i'm keen to learn if this "Damascus" functions as well as the plain steel.
roland
 
Hi,

I just took delivery of one these today. Sadly, mine isn't quite as nicely made as yours. The blade is a bit off center and there is a small gap on the back spring. But it locks up tight with no play or wobble. Not quite up to custom standards, but still decent for the money.:) I've been looking for a small lockback user for a while. I think I've found it.

Now if they would make a small Trapper, Stockman, Canoe, and Barlow.

Dale
 
Dale, it's no surprise that variation in quality comes with the cheapie territory. High tolerances are very expensive to maintain and time is money when it comes to hand-fitting, so luck is always going to be a factor. Eliminating those sample-to-sample variations is one of the main justifications for coughing up the price of high-end production and custom knives, but even there, it doesn't always pan out.

I removed the bolsters to check out the pivot, which turns out to be a simple peened(?) pin rather than an adjustable fastener. If the blade picks up any side-to-side play over time, it should still be easy to tighten it up again with a gentle squeeze in a small vice (sans bolsters, of course).

I've been using mine to cut a few sections of 1/2" rope, shave the bark off of some small branches and cut a little non-corrugated cardboard, and the edge is holding up quite well. I'm guessing that the hardness is somewhere around Rc 56 or 57, as it's easy to bring back a grabby razor edge--the type that I associate with carbon rather than stainless steel--in less than a minute. My initial impression thus far is that the steel and heat treatment are perfectly adequate for a small gent's lockback.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top