"Beater" POCKET Knives....Do You Like Rough Rider or Something Else??

Buck (USA and China made) Colt, Rough Rider, and Marbles are my "good" knives. I suppose the Opinel No.8 and the two SAK's I have are considered "good" knives, too.
Not so sure about my Cold Steel blades; Kudu, Eland, G.I. Tanto, Bushman, Heavy Machete, and Magnum Kukri Machete.

All my knives are users. I expect all of them will out last me. Way I see it, 'if you can't use it, why bother?' I feel the same about firearms, automobiles, bicycles, fishing rods and reels, and boats, not just knives.
 
I've always been a sodbuster fan. Recently I've begun using a RAT II since it's a sodbuster-like blade, but I can open and close it 1-handed. I'm super pleased with it.
 
A knife that is quickly becoming my favorite working knife, although it is a little big for pocket carry, is the Case Sodbuster. Inexpensive, extremely high value and made in USA. One can be had for $25. For the pocket a Case Sobbuster Jr.
 
strategy9 said:
....I'm going to bet they're made with 420, which would explain why they prefer not to specify. Personally these days I prefer to spend a bit more on something better...
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I prefer something a bit more spendy and what I believe to be better. I believe Buck and Case still use 420.

I have heard tales that after you use some of the Frost knives that they start to fall apart. I don't know since I haven't used one other than around my desk.
 
Nalapombu said:
Hey all,

I'd like to pick up a pocket knife or 2 and use them around the house and yard. I want to get something that I don't have to worry about dropping, getting dirty or scratched up and that kind of thing. I don't want to use my CASE or BUCK folders so I started looking at Smoky Mountain.

One of the brands that I looked at was ROUGH RIDER. I have read a bit about them in the past and seen some fairly good reviews on them for a $13 pocket knife from China. I am wondering what other brands I should be looking at that are in this price range.

I am looking for large Stockman or Congress pocket knives. I like the Rough Rider FAT BOY Trapper, Marbles JUMBO Trapper, Rough Rider JUMBO Trapper and a few others I came across on Ebay. Just to give you an idea of what I am kinda looking for.

What would you suggest? Do you have any of these inexpensive folders or pocket knives?

I'd like to hear what you think and have found in your lifetime of knife use.

Thank you for your time and any help you can give me.

Nalajr
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Nalapombu said:
I thought it is better to keep my American knives nice and in my pocket when I'm not out in the yard or doing outdoor chores and take the Chinese knives to abuse and not care a thing about it if they get lost, stepped on, broken or a tip snaps off or whatever.

My American knives are the ones that I carry every single day and at times trust my life to them or at least to give me a chance to make it if I were ever attacked and didn't have my pistol. I NEVER walk out my door without my Spyderco, Buck or a couple CASE knives in my pocket. Sometimes 2 of them!! In fact I am try to save now for that sweet Zero Tolerance that you all told me about in my thread a couple weeks ago.

Thanks all for the recommendations. I'll check out the Colt and the Marbles....Remington too. I'm not a big fan of the Opinel. Just don't like the looks of them. I do like a pocket knife with bigger blades than you see on everyday knives.


Keep the recommendations coming....pics too if you have them.

Thanks

Nalajr
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No, no, no, no, and no. This is all wrong. How can you carry your American knives everyday, and trust your life with them (as you say), yet be afraid of scratching them or getting them dirty? That's a complete contradiction.

A knife is a tool meant to be used, and those American knives you own are far better than the cheap Chinese import rubbish you're considering.

It's an insult to American craftsmanship and the American worker to prefer to use a cheap $13 Chinese pocket knife made of some mystery tin, over a quality American made knife that was made to be used, for fear of getting it scratched, dropped or dirty.

The true test of a quality knife is to use it everyday. Use it at home, use it in the garden, use it at work. Dirt can be washed off. Scratches and nicks give character and do not affect the knife's ability to cut. In fact, scratches show that a knife has been well used and appreciated.

If you trust your life with your American knives, then prove it. Use them. Use them well. I'm not American, but even I take offence to the idea of babying a quality American knife for fear of blemishing it, and using a cheap and inferior knife instead.
 
I have a ton of Rough Rider/Colt knives. Price is in line with quality, so you usually get what you pay for, but sometimes I'm surprised by the quality. Also have a bunch of Schrade et al (S&W, Old Timer, Uncle Henry, etc). Quality again is all over the map, but can usually be predicted by price.

And of the slightly higher end lines that now have some production in China for lower prices, I really like Boker Plus and Spyderco imports.

Here's one of my catch-all shelves for some of my recent buys.

48dcdaf987408576574a01687fa3bc1b.jpg


But I should add that I seldom carry a real cheap beater any more, even though I still like to collect them. I've gotten into the habit of carrying two or more knives, and really enjoy making them some of the nicer ones now that I have a few. So my "beater" knife will usually just become the least expensive ZT, Spyderco, or Benchmade that I have on me at the time. I don't accumulate for resale value, I just buy what I like. So I'm not afraid to use any of them.
 
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Rough Rider brand is quite good overall, comparable to Case most of the time. Their steel is good, prices right. The do offer some patterns that can be hard if not impossible to find otherwise.

All my knives are beaters, pretty much. I've given up the prestige brands and prices. Case does make some pretty good beaters. I carry a Blackhorn regularly. Sometimes the larger Caliber. Both solid, inexpensive, reliable users. However, they are plastic handled lockbacks, not traditional bone/brass/nickle silver pocketknives.

Buck makes some decent slipjoint traditionals, though not much variety of patterns. Their import line was extremely good, but they've seemed to have downgraded the steel in those, and as such are no longer the good value they once were. The Boker Plus line has some very well made traditional Asian imports, again in only a few patterns and plastic scale materials that looks to be much like Delrin or acrylic, and very good steel purported to be 440C. Workmanship is exceptional, meeting or exceeding Case, and into GEC territory. They can be found quite inexpensively, maybe just a bit more than comparable Rough Riders. I've been quite taken lately with the Boker Plus small Stockman. F&F perfect, very good steel. They do offer a nice larger punch Stockman.
 
22-rimfire said:
I prefer something a bit more spendy and what I believe to be better. I believe Buck and Case still use 420.

I have heard tales that after you use some of the Frost knives that they start to fall apart. I don't know since I haven't used one other than around my desk.
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Buck and case both use 420hc, which has 3x the carbon content as regular 420, plus 0.3% vanadium, its a way better overall knife steel, and they have both proven to be great with their heat treatment.. (And 420j2 is another one that is common in cheap Knives, actually pretty good for dive Knives do its great stainless properties, it "can" have twice the carbon as 420, plus nickle added, or it can have the same carbon as regular 420, but still, when considering an overall knife steel, cutting and edge retention, 420hc is the best of the bunch.
 
Nalapombu said:
In fact I am try to save now for that sweet Zero Tolerance that you all told me about in my thread a couple weeks ago.
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Apply the money to the ZT you are saving for and use one of your existing knives around the house and yard. Give them knives some character!
 
bflying said:
I have a ton of Rough Rider/Colt knives. Price is in line with quality, so you usually get what you pay for, but sometimes I'm surprised by the quality. Also have a bunch of Schrade et al (S&W, Old Timer, Uncle Henry, etc). Quality again is all over the map, but can usually be predicted by price.

And of the slightly higher end lines that now have some production in China for lower prices, I really like Boker Plus and Spyderco imports.

Here's one of my catch-all shelves for some of my recent buys.

48dcdaf987408576574a01687fa3bc1b.jpg


But I should add that I seldom carry a real cheap beater any more, even though I still like to collect them. I've gotten into the habit of carrying two or more knives, and really enjoy making them some of the nicer ones now that I have a few. So my "beater" knife will usually just become the least expensive ZT, Spyderco, or Benchmade that I have on me at the time. I don't accumulate for resale value, I just buy what I like. So I'm not afraid to use any of them.
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Seriously impressive collection!

And I use all my knives too. Just depends on which one I feel like using that day. American, Chinese, whatever.
 
I am going by the capitalized POCKET knives and assuming slipjoints.

As someone alluded to previously in this thread, the best beaters can be older used knives. If you enjoy yard sale-ing, going to flea markets, etc. you can often find old carbon steel knives for low prices. Sometimes the knife is "pre-beat-up" for you and should be a very low price. Ugly as homemade sin but these make very good tools to cut stuff with.
 
A regular production grade Case knife with blade rub, poorly tinted bone scales and only so-so fit and finish is a user/beater knife. (Most are like this) why use even cheaper poorly executed brands?
 
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