benchmade rant drop point & blackhawk b30

[Badhammer]

I've got an ealier Rant DPT with N690 steel and bright fittings like this one.

http://www.benchmade.com/products/10505


One of my favorite, small fixed blades and man does it take an edge. Not sure how it compares to the newer style but if I ran across another of these earlier ones at a good price I'll sure enough grab it.

 

[coloradowildman]

The new Rant's are made with D2 tool steel, has anyone seen or handled one of these yet? I recently bought an outbounder in D2 off the forums, I love it, it holds it's edge incredibly well and it's oh so beautiful (I haven't tried sharpening it yet though... I hear that can be a chore with D2) I've been trying to find a fixed grip, but since it's been discontinued I haven't had any luck. (if I did find one, I was planning on carving new scales out of either bamboo or old reclaimed hardwood floorboards, and making a new sheath for it, I make my own sheaths for all my knives...) Sounds like the Rant may be the way to go!

I own the 440C 10502 like the one in the pic and it is a great knife. I still prefer the 440C version because D2 is just really hard to sharpen and if a bush knife is going to be used hard and used often it will need regular resharpening even in D2. Also, for those who live close to saltwater, 440C is much more maintenence free than D2. Still, for what Benchmade is charging, I think the D2 version is a great deal regardless. Just put a Sharpshooter Systems Droploop on the sheath to make the sheath more usable and you have a poorman's Fallkniven or Ritter.