Recommendation? Budget folder for outdoor use

bobe01 said:
About 95% of time my knife is used for food related tasks and I use SAK or Opinel No8 for that, but sometimes I wish I have more rugged knife so I can do some wood carving, equipment repairs and similar tasks. I don't do fire in outdoors so no batoning and other knife torturing.
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First, if you are smitten with the Rat1, get it because it makes you happy. That is enough justification.

Second, if you are interested in gear repair while hiking/backpacking, I highly recommend augmenting any knife with a small multitool line the Leatherman Squirt or Gerber Dime. The small pen blade is useful for opening up damaged seams. The pliers for driving heavy needles through fabric or fixing zippers. The scissors for bandage prep.

Third, I would be curious to hear more about tasks that you think the Rat will do that either an Opinel or SAK won't. I find the Opinel 9 to be a pretty robust knife despite the weight. If you really need more strength, perhaps a fixed blade like a Mora would be better?

Fourth, for long periods of wood working I find that handle design is very important. I find modern slab style folders to be uncomfortable and they lock me into a single grip. I prefer rounder grips like on the Opinel, Buck 110, or most puukos like the Mora Classic. The Mora Companion is the slabbiest feeling grip I can deal with.
 
I understand everything you say and agree with you, but won't really do that much stuff with this knife, it will be a backup in my pouch in case of need or if I feel like carving some wood or destroying something. So it will all be minimal, but I wanna have a second blade so I don't use my food prep knives for dirty tasks.

I have many fixed blades including Mora's, Swisstool spirit, but don't wanna carry things I won't use and that won't fit my small pouch. After all I bring 24L for 2 days and 16L for one day. I will always use a knife, but screwdrivers, files and other tools on a multitool - probably never. Have scissors and basic tools on a SAK Climber or Cybertool, that's more than enough. My friends I go hiking with carry a lighter if they smoke and a bottle of water. + a headlamp if we stay overnight. :D

So I guess I just need an excuse to buy another knife. Blame me. :confused:

ps, Squirt is on my buying list already.
 
colin.p said:
I have to also recommend the knives that were originally designed for adventure training, the RAT's. AUS 8 or D2? That's on you.
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I have a grasp of "bushcraft," or "outdoors" as activities....but what is "adventure training"? What does a knife designed for that do? What design characteristics are suited to that? :confused:
 
The Zieg said:
Buck 110 LT Smokejumper from SK Blades. You won't be sorry. Red so hard to lose in camp, light so you won't notice it till you need it, great steel, inexpensive.

Zieg
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THIS^^^^ And it is 154CM steel and heat treated by BOS. Can't go wrong for $40.00
 
It’s been pretty hard for me to get D2 to actually rust. It’s much better IMO for the Rat. Just throw some water on it and wipe it dry on your shirt after you use it.

If I were you, I’d be looking for a belt and a fixed blade instead of a folder to fit in a pouch. Mainly because you mentioned “destroying something” as one of your uses. The average folder won’t be great for that.
 
Well I will have to make a different suggestion here.. I vote to check out the Ontario Knife Company Utiliac.. I own a few and each one is absolutely fabulous for the price vs quality.. I really cannot say enough about the feel in hand. Robust, welll finished, and tough! Oh, and it is really affordable.
 
Ontario RAT1 in D2 would be my first choice. Another option to look at is the Ontario's Utilitac, great knife with I believe 4 options as handle/blade profile combination.
Also whatever size and blade profile suits you from the Cold Steel Voyager line, very strong knifes. The AUS8 models are around the same price as the RAT1.
 
marcinek said:
I have a grasp of "bushcraft," or "outdoors" as activities....but what is "adventure training"? What does a knife designed for that do? What design characteristics are suited to that? :confused:
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:D To me this is mostly marketing gimmick, google "Randal's Adventure Training" and you'll see where they are using the RAT1. They use also Izula I believe and few other small fixed blades, as well as some TOPS tools.
One thing I found out using the Rat outside is the blade to handle angle/position - its well suited for working/cutting something on the ground, when kneeling. Not every knife will have the belly positioned well for processing food or skinning when you work that way. Another thing with the RAT is all the studs are interchangeable with the stop pin/stud and they are lot of them, I think 5. I can't imagine someone will have the tools to disassemble the knife and fiddle with it out in the open, but it's not a bed idea in general...
 
The Rat 1 with AUS8 will provide rust resistance, though I use my Rat1 with D2 on the coast with minimal maintenance , but some is required. I rinse the blade with fresh water after a day of use and dry it.
The other good recommendation is the Voyager with AUS10. Hollow grind, but a great cutter, and decent edge retention. Very sturdy.
 
I have to echo the Spyderco Pacific Salt recommendations. New they are a few dollars more than your budget but it sounds like maintenance (or the lack of) is important to you. I use mine in the yard all the time and it gets real dirty. All I do is run it under the faucet and its good to go (maybe a little oil occasionally on the pivot). Plus, the tip is pretty strong so I can get away with doing things with it in a pinch that I can not do on a thinner more pointy tipped knife.
 
bobe01 said:
Hi,
lately I often go hiking (1-2 day hiking trips) and decided not to carry fixed blade, all of my gear has to fit into a Maxpedition fatty-sized pouch.
About 95% of time my knife is used for food related tasks and I use SAK or Opinel No8 for that, but sometimes I wish I have more rugged knife so I can do some wood carving, equipment repairs and similar tasks. I don't do fire in outdoors so no batoning and other knife torturing.

As it won't see much use, I would like to be relatively cheap ($70 max), stainless for no maintenance, 3-4" blade and relatively portable. Basically I wanna keep it in pouch and forget on it until I need it.

I prefer mid-end steels like 12c27 for easy sharpening and flat grind for versatility

Any recommendations?

thanks
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Kabar Bob Dozier folders are cheap and rugged as they come.
 
POCEH KOCEB said:
:D To me this is mostly marketing gimmick, google "Randal's Adventure Training" and you'll see where they are using the RAT1. They use also Izula I believe and few other small fixed blades, as well as some TOPS tools.
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I think it's a great knife. It's just that it it not designed for "Adventure Training" as the other member mentioned. It was designed for outdoor recreation (among other things) BY Randall Adventure & Training.

Its not a Randall Adventure-&-Training-Knife....its a Randall-Adventure-&-Training Knife.

Its like saying a Green River Buffalo Skinner was designed for skinning river buffaloes.
 
Long day and I'm really tired so won't do quotes on all posts. As for Spyderco salt, I used to own one for saltwater fishing and it didn't seem to be sturdy as I want for this task. I sold it for different reasons (folders just don't work for heavy fishing), but I don't think it is a knife I'm looking for. I don't plan to carry this knife close to the sea so it doesn't have to be 100% rust proof.

ps, Spyderco's are crazy expensive in Europe.

Ontario Utiliac looks interesting. I'm not a big fan of scandi grind but will check it, at that price it looks like a steal.

AntDog said:
It’s been pretty hard for me to get D2 to actually rust. It’s much better IMO for the Rat. Just throw some water on it and wipe it dry on your shirt after you use it.

If I were you, I’d be looking for a belt and a fixed blade instead of a folder to fit in a pouch. Mainly because you mentioned “destroying something” as one of your uses. The average folder won’t be great for that.
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That's interesting. How does D2 sharpens compared AUS or 12c27?
As for fixed, I would feel little awkward with a knife on my belt while hiking, it's not usual in my country, and I really don't use it until we do longer stops. Even my phone stays in backpack, I like empty pockets.
 
bobe01 said:
Long day and I'm really tired so won't do quotes on all posts. As for Spyderco salt, I used to own one for saltwater fishing and it didn't seem to be sturdy as I want for this task. I sold it for different reasons (folders just don't work for heavy fishing), but I don't think it is a knife I'm looking for. I don't plan to carry this knife close to the sea so it doesn't have to be 100% rust proof.

ps, Spyderco's are crazy expensive in Europe.

Ontario Utiliac looks interesting. I'm not a fan of scandi grind but will check it.



That's interesting. How does D2 sharpens compared AUS or 12c27?
As for fixed, I would feel little awkward with a knife on my belt while hiking, it's not usual in my country, and I really don't use it until we do longer stops. Even my phone stays in backpack, I like empty pockets.
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It’s a pretty famous statement that D2 takes a terrible edge and holds it forever. I don’t find it all that hard to sharpen and it does hold an edge a long time. (Much longer than AUS-8 or a comparable steel)

Too bad about the fixed blade. I consider them much better for knocking around hiking than folders.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.
 
marcinek said:
I think it's a great knife. It's just that it it not designed for "Adventure Training" as the other member mentioned. It was designed for outdoor recreation (among other things) BY

Its not a Randall Adventure-&-Training-Knife....its a Randall-Adventure-&-Training Knife.

Its like saying a Green River Buffalo Skinner was designed for skinning river buffaloes.
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Oh, I think it's a great knife too, I got few of those, in this line I got also the Avispa and the Zankudo, not a great fan of the framelocks for "adventure" type of knife but this is just me I guess. And yes, it is designed by Randall Adventure & Training, I'm sure you see I don't pay too much attention to the semantics... :D Bottom line is - it's good and IMO very well built folder for outdoor use, especially for the price it goes in D2 steel, I'm very happy with mine. I'm not using it really outdoor but still very happy with it.
I still think the RAT1 is the best choice for the OP.
In terms of the sharpening D2, I'm using a simple $19 "field" diamond sharpener and the edge bites as a mad dog, never had any issues with sharpening the D@ on the RAT1, edge retention is way better than the AUS-8 I think and I cut lots of linoleum, cardboard, open paint cans and scrape old paint and glue off the floors, for outdoor use should be fine IMO.
Rust and stains - never had issue with it and I live in Florida... My M4 Gail Bradley 1 stains much more aggressively than the D2 they have on the RAT1
 
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