crkt ryan seven

linzoy · Jan 3, 2006

I've always loved knives but my mom doesn't so I don't have anything except a swiss army knife and my uncle's old hunting knife.

I'm looking for a fairly cheap knife I can use for self defense. (But I know I'm mainly going to use it to cut price tags and stuff.) I found this article and I was wondering if the ryan seven is as good as he says it is. You have to click section six. I've done a lot of searching in these forums and other forums but I can hardly find any information about it. I could get something more well known like a spyderco endura but the design looks boring to me.

Nick Hyle · Jan 3, 2006

Linzoy, welcome to Baldeforums. The Ryan Seven isn't a bad knife, but it's not a very good one. The article you read points at the main problem - while AUS-6 is tough, and takes an edge, it doesn't hold an edge very long. And now it's an even worse knife, because CRKT has downgraded the steel to the even worse 420J2.

The problem your srticle doesn't address is that while the Seven has a good handle for self defense - very secure - it's a bad handle for everyday use. It's quite aggressive, and canl really chew up your hand in use without gloves.

In the same price range, the second choice on that page is an enormously better knife - the Spyderco Goddard Light. And unlike CRKT, when Spyderco changed the knife they UP graded teh steel, from ATS-55 to VG10.

ooheadsoo · Jan 3, 2006

I haven't used the Ryan Seven, but I saw one at my local Fry's Electronics. It's enormous. There's just no way I would EVER carry that with me, but that's just me. It would seem to me that it is an excellent blade for self defense, and cheap to replace at under $30 and it may have just saved your life. But there's not much everyday utility in it.

linzoy · Jan 3, 2006

One stop knife shop says it's AUS 6M, but I just checked the CRKT official site and it does say 420J2.

It also says it's 4.5 inches long closed... doesn't sound that big to me, but I'll take your word for it because I want something small enough to put in my front jeans pocket and forget about.

I almost want to buy it anyway though, it just looks cool.

hatchetjack · Jan 3, 2006

I carry mine in rotation with Spyderco's and Benchmades and I like it fine. It can be rough on the hands but I took a Dremel and beveled all the edges Zytel and metal and it became quite comfortable. I also removed the awkward thumbstud and the hole is large enough to open with and slims the profile. I also sanded off the silly bead blast finish to a nice satin.

I don't find it too large. It's as big as my BM 635 and slimmer than a Strider/Buck and rides well in the pocket. I use lanyards instead of pocket clips when I can as I find the draw smoother.

The AUS-6 edge is fine for everyday and touches up easy. You are right, it doesn't cost much and I use it regularly with no problems.

Gryffin · Jan 3, 2006

It ain't THAT big. Folded, it's kinda wide, but flat and thin, with well-rounded edges.

It's also not that rough; the parts of the handle that contact the hand the most, namely the back and bottom edges, aren't much rougher than most other tactical knives; the ends of the large grooves are rounded off, and in my experience, not hard on the hands in extended use. (Well, I *did* sand the edge on mine a little, just for an extra bit of comfort.) But if you tighten your fingers around the scales, those big grooves WILL give you a helluva grip.

The switch to 420J2 sucks, big time. I went out and tracked down a "new old stock" Ryan in the original AUS-6 as a backup. They're out there, but you'll have to dig to find one.

I don't mind the thumb stud; it's huge, but also hard to miss. I also hand-sanded the bead-blast off, leaving a mirror finish. Did the liners and back spacer, too; it's a damn good lookin' knife now.

Jeff Clark · Jan 3, 2006

A Ka-bar Dozier folding hunter is one of the best deals around. It has an AUS-8 blade that is very well designed:
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KA4062

An extremely cool knife is the Spyderco Native with S30V alloy blade. It may look more tactical to you. It goes for about $40.00 at select Walmart stores. It is actually cheaper from Walmart than from online stores.
http://dekesspot.tripod.com/knives.html

ooheadsoo · Jan 3, 2006

You're right, 4.5" isn't that big. It may be that I only saw it in the plastic container unfolded and it gave me the impression of being uncomfortably large in my pockets. I personally would prefer a more narrow profile for edc. If you're in California (just guessing from the site you linked) you may be able to spot one near you locally at fry's. I'm in SoCal and cannot find the spyderco native at any of the 10 walmarts near me.