D2 Rat 7!

M

marsupial

Joined
Apr 25, 2001
Messages
705
Just got me new RAT7 in the house and all I can say is wow awesome!This knife looks and feels like a custom at half the price.The powder coat on this knife to me looks alot cooler than the 1095 versions and evidently seems to wear a bit better than the black?The reason I say that is because I had to take er out and do some choppin.I cut a 6 in diameter pine tree that fell in half and the coating showed no wear where as the black versions seem to mar easier.I also will add that the knife would still shave after this cutting through hard pine heart wood,a testament to the higher wear D2 steel.The edge geometry on this knife is what I like most though.Each and every chop took a deep bite esp for such a light and thin blade.It also whittles great and made short work of a watermelon for an after supper snack.The grind on these knives is alot better than most Ontario blades as well.The finger coil cut out fits perfect in the hand and the handle is a darker black which accents the powder coat well.Just thought I would share some quick observations :D
 
I've been waiting for this model to come out for a couple of months. Does your dealer friend know when the RAT-7 in D2 will be available for all of us "peons" who don't know dealers? :D
 
Is the D2 version an "improvement" on the 1095 version? i thought 1095 had better impact resistance than D2 making it a better work steel. i guess i'm asking why D2 was used on a blade meant to chop?
 
The blade really isn't meant to chop--it's not really heavy/balanced in such a way as to do it very well. It's more of a general utility blade, and does a good job at it. I'm not sure that D-2 would be an improvement in this regard, as it would make the relatively long and thin (not at the spine, but as it tapers towards the edge) blade a tad fragile, but as long as you stick to slicing with it and stay away from a lot of rough use, it should do fine. I actually think a more interesting knife would be the shorter TAK in D-2, paired with the larger one in 1095.

I do like the ergos of this series' handles. The mating of the scales to the tang tends to be very good for a factory knife.
 
Probably do fine. On larger pieces, batoning would be a good idea, both because it's easier on the knife/edge and also because of the less than optimal balance of this knife for chopping. D-2 would probably do better holding its edge than 1095 here, just beware of twisting/turning it if it gets wedged.
Ontario says they fully stand behind these, so I'd say use it for what you need and if it breaks, you'll know better when you get the next one. :)
 
True this blade is not meant for heavy chopping but a true survival,have on your side all the time blade may be called upon to do such tasks and this one did great for the 3/16 blade,in fact the thinner blade took deeper bites than thicker 1/4 inch choppers I have had.And pine that has a high resin content is very hard at the heart,I have seen machete's chip out while chopping through it.Pine can be a very dense wood especially southern yellow pine at the heart.This blade is not a doer all but is an excellent do everything OK knife!
 
Ontario has been known to have sloppy grinds in the past,But on the new RAT knives I have seen the fit and finish is better than some other higher priced knives I have seen.The handle scales are flush,the grind is even and just seems to be a upper end all together knife.As far as other knives of like price range and style go the handle seems to be very comfortable especially at the butt with it having no pinky buster and near the coil having enough cut out in the handle to act as a semi gaurd preventing the hand from slipping forward if wet or bloody or muddy.Hell ,I just like it alot!Another interesting point is the belly and drop point on this knife as it combines both well.This knife could skin quiet well if called upon and this same belly aids in what light chopping it does or would be needed to do.
 
I was able to handle one of these at the BLADE show and I was impressed as well.

I saw the Model with Serrations at the back portion of the blade and I was immediately impressed with how well they were done, very close to the Spyderco style of serrations. Full Flat grind on the blade.

The handles were hand filling but not so large that you couldn't grip all the way around it. The Micarta was grippy (not bead blasted but similiar) and the fit to the handle was tight all the way around. Thong hole on the butt.

The Sheaths appeared to be like the American Eagle sheaths, OD Cordura on the outside but a removeable Kydex liner inside the blade area. A Pouch on the exterior also IIRC.

I already made up my mind, I'm gonna try one!
 
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