Best EDC folder for under $5000 ??

L

Lavan

Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
2,301
I think I may have found it.

(yeh yeh...how many times have I said that?)

BUT.... my new RSK Mk1 may be ... IT!!!

Now it didn't cost anywhere near five grand, but when I look at the drawer fulla OTHER knives, I calculate that this Ritter took $4,785.70 to GET TO. :D

The thing appears to DEMAND that it be used. Mebbe even when you don't need a knife. The blade is "stonewashed" finish (Ritterese for "ugly as sin") and that will keep me from trying to preserve some fancy mirror or textured or damascus decoration by being GENTLE with it.

The handle is a big hand filling no-nonsense grabby thing. The blade is high flat ground and should take a lifetime (not applicable to an old goat like me) of abuse and sharpening and STILL not give up much metal.

Of course, I've already MODIFIED it as to not do so would amount to a rejection of all my knife habits. I took off the ridges on the back of the butt as they sorta scraped my wrist when sticking my hand into my pocket.

I think it is part Gurkha as so far it has seemed to draw blood each time I have opened it. Well, a couple times anyway. One must remember to have fingers AWAY from the slot when closing. The other one I can't even duplicate but I managed to take a piece of thumb when opening.

Needless to say.... it came SHARP!

So....here goes again.

:):)
 
IMO, its one of the best folders out there.
Having said that, It lacks a finger choil :)
IT is not a 4# blade.
so its not perfect.
 
I have yet to find my favorite but the plain ole' Delica 4 is working quite well.
 
I have really enjoyed Rittergrips since the day they first came out. Personally I wouldn't want them to have finger choils - would rather keep the full blade. I really like the Griptilian handle shape. It includes an integral finger guard, which is pretty rare on folders. Mild finger guards are important to me - I won't even buy traditional Moras because they don't have any finger guard. Also, the narrowing of the butt-end allows it to feel comfortable in both my large hands and in my wife's much smaller hands. I find handles that end in a large butt-end don't feel nearly as comfortable.

Of course the other wonderful thing about the folding Rittergrips is the axis lock. Smooth, secure, and completely one-handed - both opening and closing.

Don't forget to maintain the original 15 degree grind of the blade!

Ken
 
Is anyone going to post any photos or are ya'll going to just sit around whistling Dixie?

Oh, never mind....

rsk_mk1_thumb_03-300w.jpg
552_400_anim_250w2.gif


rsk_mk1_combo_03-800w.jpg


It's a good lookin' little knife. Very reliable, I understand. Great as an EDC and great as a...WHAT????

Survival knife??

Oh come on! If I were a pilot stuck out in the wilderness, I can honestly say I'd rather have a $13 Frost full tang Delta Force! This little Ritter pocket folder is a first rate carrying knife in a civilized society, but dressing it up as a survival knife is just plain hype.

Alas, the copywriters aren't kidding. "The aim," says Doug Ritter, "was to produce a practical utility and survival folder of uncommon strength, ease of use and top level performance at a price that would be, if not cheap, at least affordable." Uh-huh, and with a 3.44-inch blade, right?

Sometimes I think we kind of let these things get a little bit out of hand, still, I'm glad this thread was started because I now think I want one of these little knives. But if I have to have a folder for survival, I'll take a Cold Steel 6-inch Voyager plain edge.

coldsteel1.JPG


For survival, bigger is almost always
better. The Voyager is a better survival
knife and a decent EDC, too, in states
with sane knife laws!
 
I found the following review on the Ritter that might prove interesting.

Just some quick excerpts:

"The performance on the hard stab was reduced from optimal due to the aggression on the handle and lack of security of the shape." Although the Zytel grip was very good, there was little to keep the hand from traversing the blade if too much force was applied.

"The RSK has little chopping ability even in a rear grip as it is so light. The designer, Doug Ritter has advocated using it with a baton for chopping and splitting The lock looks very secure, however an arc-lock from SOG which is similar to the Axis was unable to handle heavy batoning and exploded while a Cold Steel Voyager could take much heavier impacts."

And...

"The RSK designed by Doug Ritter has a fine cutting profile, generally solid grip characteristics and is lightweight and ease to carry with the Zytel handle. It has also been promoted by the designer for very heavy work including batoning to split and fell thick woods. However it could not readily be evaluated due to the steel being problematic which has been reported frequently with this steel."

On the plus side, it makes a dandy paring knife, though it doesn't cut carrots quite as well as it did potato.
 
Lavan,
I truly believe you've been breathing that lala-land smog (or whatever) much too long.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top