bowdrill divot?

N

nc527

Joined
Mar 22, 2009
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I bought an RC-6 at a knife show this weekend and so far I love it. Its my first rat. I was wondering if I could make my own bowdrill divot in the micarta like on the rc-5? then just resin the place to seal it?
 
Why would you want to? After you make your drill, bow and fire board it only takes a few more minutes to makes a handle. If I could make one change to my RC-5 it would be to lose that bow drill divot. I would leave your RC-6 alone.
 
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Why take it out? It is there in case of an emergency. Sure, if you have the time maybe you could make a better one. But why would you take it out? That is what I don't understand.
 
I did one on my rc4. works great! used a countersink bit and then just went back with some 2000 grit and mineral oil.
 
TheGame said:
Why take it out? It is there in case of an emergency. Sure, if you have the time maybe you could make a better one. But why would you take it out? That is what I don't understand.
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Here is my logic. If you have the knife you have the sheath and in the huge gear pouch is a fire tool. When I got my knife I was compelled as other were to make a fire drill. It took about 40 minutes to make the drill, fire board and bow, and about 5 minutes to make a top handle. So, my point is that I don't care for the looks of the divot and I don't like the way it feels to my finger tips. The reward for that is the one in a million chance that I will have to make a friction fire where time constraints do not permit an additional 5 minutes to make a top handle.;)
 
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I guess I never thought of it that way. However, I think it is quite innovative.
 
I don't think I'd bother adding one to a knife, just too easy to use something else. If you decide to go for it, I would make the divot much smaller than that on the RC5. You only want a dimple, all the friction should be on the other end of the spindle:)
 
I think the divot is a great idea. One less thing you need to make or take with you, no space loss and no weight.

I wouldn't mind seeing one on my RC-6.
 
byrd687 said:
along similar lines, I'd like to know if anyone has used their RC-5 for a bearing block.

From my own (ignorant perhaps) perspective, for all the time and effort that goes into crafting the components for an effective bowdrill, making a bearing block is a pretty fast and straightforward process.

Just can't get my head around the advantage of using your knife, but if it was explained to me, it'd be a good excuse to order another RAT so please enlighten me.

B
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I posted this in Shotgunner's RC-5 passaround.

I don't think Rat Cutlery designed this knife to be the best bowdrill bearing in the world. The Micarta works great and allows smooth rotation of the drill. However, the wieght of the knife takes some time to get used to. I believe the RC-5 is built as a heavy duty Survival knife, in that regard I think the divot works great on the RC-5

tonym said:
I didn't have alot of time to play today; but I had a White cedar hearth board and drill, as well as a kick ass sharpened bowdrill socket so what the hell.

First I cut out a divit. Piece of cake...


Then I burned in the hole


Next the notch.


Gotta make that funnel, to help the coal form.


It took some time for me to get use to my new socket, but in the end it did the job.


Not so pretty anymore eh..




.
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I like the bow drill divot....having the divot in the scale right there at the ready will make me practice more and it does not affect the handle comfort at all
 
Hey tonym,

After you used your RC-5's handle for the fire bow how did the handle clean up at all? I know these knives want to be used just wondering how it cleaned up.
 
dru333 said:
Hey tonym,

After you used your RC-5's handle for the fire bow how did the handle clean up at all? I know these knives want to be used just wondering how it cleaned up.
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:eek: I was suppose to clean it? ooops I'll answer if I ever decide to clean it.

All I did was wipe it down!

Here is what it looks like today. Take note on the polished convex edge:eek:
trat05.jpg



byrd687 said:
There is exactly a 0%chance I'm using an unsheathed knife as a bearing block becasue it would end up getting lodged in either my knee, my hand, or my neck. so, I'd have to remove the sheath from my belt/pack, place on the knife, in order to become comfortable.

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When doing the bowdrill; the hand with the bearing is locked against the knee and the tip and edge of the knife are facing away from your body. By any chance the drill does pop out, the beering hand will just move down and away. There really isn't a safety issue there. You have more of a chance of cutting yourself fuzzing a stick.:)
 
Well I can see both sides of the belief here. However I did add the divot to my RC-4 and I have very good( personal belief) reasoning for it. If I am stuck in a worst case scenario situation and I need a fire along with all of the other items the would be on the agenda then any amount of time and or effort i can save could be crucial. Yes it only takes <5 min to make a bearing block....but I would rather take that time and use it for other things that could potentially save my life. Also I tend to look at the bow drill divot as a safety feature. I am a paramedic by trade and used to be a backpacking guide so I will say this... I have seen a bearing block split before and this can be a potential hazard if someones hand were positioned right on top. The last thing i want in a survival situation or even being in the backcountry is an injury to go along with being cold with no fire. When using on on the knife there is 99.9% chance that you won't split the 1095 steel....and hey even if you did it would be a great story and Rat would send you another knife.
 
Man Tony did you convex the edge by hand? Because it looks perfectly symmetrical, How about a how to guide??
 
What it comes down to is, the knife wasn't designed for us. It was designed by USAF SERE instructors. They wanted the divot, so that's the way they're made. I think it's as simple as that.

IMO if you want the divot, buy an RC5, if you don't, buy the RC6. If you want the same type of sheath, the Spec Ops survival sheath is pretty good (You'll need the large one), and can be had here: Survival Sheath Systems.
 
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