Buying my frist knife help

E

eno

Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
6
Hello everyone ,I'am a new member here on the fourm and I have been looking at a few knifes out there and would like some advice before I buy.
I'am looking for an fixed blade survival or utility knife ,I seen to like a 5 to 6
inch blade. The two knifes that i boiled down to are the ontario knife company
RAT-5 and the OKC ranger Afghan knife, the only difference that I can see is that one has a thicker blade 3/16 ver 1/4 not much and one is D2 and the other is 5160.
I'am not just limited to these two,if you have others that i should take a look at the by all means let me know,I would like to keep it under 200 bucks is my budget right now.
I do not know much about steel d2 ver 5160 and I would like to have a better belt sheath with a sharpener made.
I have been watching to many episodes of surviorman and I allways wanted a
good all around knife and I do alot of hiking and exploring off the beatin path.
any help or advice please.
Thanks eno
 
You can't go wrong by choosing a Rat.One of the best warranties out there,and all their knives are field tested extensively.
 
Other knives to consider:
- Becker BK2
- RAT cutlery RC-5
- Fallkniven S1
 
GRIM 62 said:
You can't go wrong by choosing a Rat.One of the best warranties out there,and all their knives are field tested extensively.
Click to expand...

You talk about Rat Cutlery & the guy who want advice talk about Ontario Rat....


ontario rat would do the job but the warranty & quality is not the same at all.

But i know Rat Cutlery products & Warranty are AWESOME!
 
I have 2 of the Ontario Rangers and like both of them. The RD-4 with a 4.5" clip point blade is an excellent all around knife. At .25" thick it is very strong, and with the full flat grind it is a good slicer. I also have a RD-7 with a 7.5" blade.
 
I have just took a look at the Rat cutlery site,they look very similar to the ontario rat,but twice the price,is it the warranty or the steel?
can someone give me the 101 on steel,like what to look for ,I see D2 ,5160
ect... and hardness scale, What do you look for in a survival knife? flexability,ability to hold an edge or can you sharpen it with ease,will it rust easy ect...
I dont mind paying $180 bucks for the Rat cutlery if it is worth the difference in price of the ontario rat.
Most of the knifes dont come with a good quality sheath anymore,and a good custom one is hard to find, kydex really looks cheap to me,are they really any good to them.
 
eno said:
I have just took a look at the Rat cutlery site,they look very similar to the ontario rat,but twice the price,is it the warranty or the steel?
can someone give me the 101 on steel,like what to look for ,I see D2 ,5160
ect... and hardness scale, What do you look for in a survival knife? flexability,ability to hold an edge or can you sharpen it with ease,will it rust easy ect...
I dont mind paying $180 bucks for the Rat cutlery if it is worth the difference in price of the ontario rat.
Most of the knifes dont come with a good quality sheath anymore,and a good custom one is hard to find, kydex really looks cheap to me,are they really any good to them.
Click to expand...

This has been hashed out many time on the forums but you're new here (Welcome!) so I'll summarize.

Ontario licensed the designs for the RAT line from Jeff and Mike at Randall's Adventure & Training. The agreement expired and Jeff and Mike started making their designs themselves as RAT Cutlery. Ontario has continued to make the RAT line in spite of the expiration of the agreement and a legal battle ensued. Most here (including me) tend to support RAT Cutlery and prefer their blades. That's the gist of it at least.

The consensus is that RAT Cutlery's knives have better fit and finish, superior heat treatment and the best warranty in the business. I think they're well worth the extra money although if you look around they really aren't a lot more than the comparable knives from Ontario.
 
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ENO welcome to the forum! If cash is not a concern then go with the Rat R-C5, if it is then check out the coldsteel SRK very tough knife for about 60.00
 
ENO, welcome to the forum! If cash is not a concern then go with the Rat RC-5, if it is then check out the coldsteel SRK very tough knife for about 60.00
 
Id also check out the Bravo 1 from bark river. It comes with a nice leather sheath and is a great knife. It is what i settled on for my hiking needs
 
I've got a RAT RC-5 right here in front of me (#0116), and this is one beast of a knife. I've had this one since they came out and couldn't be happier with the fit, finish and ergos of the RC-5. And the sheath is top shelf!

I've never owned one of the Ontario versions, but I have played with one. There is no comparison between the two. The RAT is a far superior product, you get a no questions asked warranty, and you get to deal with Jeff and Mike. I support RAT Cutlery!
 
The price you saw on the Rat Cutlery site is the MSRP...
The dealers sell these for less $


Never pay the MSRP unless no other options are availables ;)

BTW if you need an exellent dealer try

www.knivesshipfree.com
 
Rat Cutlery is worth double what you pay for them. They have much better heat treatment on their blades and better overall quality (fit and finish). Plus their warranty can't be beat.

Also look at Beckers.
 
RAT rc-5 would be my choice if i were you. When people say they have the best warranty, no questions asked ect. they aren't kidding.
 
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