EDC Knife Reccomendations / Ontario Rat 1

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tired

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Jun 11, 2017
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Hey everyone. New to the forums here. I'm interested in buying an EDC knife since I'm getting a job soon and need to have one for various reasons. I'm looking for a knife that is inexpensive (under $40), durable, sharp, and easy to use/safe for someone who hasn't carried a knife before.

I'm seriously considering the Rat 1 in D2 steel. Saw it on amazon for around $27 which sounds like a steal since I've heard a lot of good things about it and it's in D2. I was wondering if anyone carries/had carried this beautiful knife, and how they felt about it?

Thanks for taking the time to read this.
 
Honestly, I think you've picked a winner. Great knife, great price. Just be aware that D2 can be a little tricky to sharpen and requires a touch more care than a true stainless steel.
 
Yup. Good choice. The rat 1 in d2 is probably the best value knife on the market
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Honestly, I think you've picked a winner. Great knife, great price. Just be aware that D2 can be a little tricky to sharpen and requires a touch more care than a true stainless steel.
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That's great to know, thanks. I'm sure a little bit of internet exploration will help me learn how to sharpen it when eventually I buy it.

Thanks!
 
You picked a winner for your first knife great bang for your buck. As for sharpening since it's a inexpensive knife you can teach yourself freehand with it. You could also save up and buy a sharpening system like the spyderco sharp maker. Both have their pros and cons. If you choose freehand their are numerous YouTube videos to walk you through it. Enjoy your new knife and welcome to the site.
 
Rat 1 is also a good one to learn how to flick thumbstuds since this is your first knife. In my experience, Rat 1 has satisfying action
 
the rat1 you were looking at was aus8. you want the D2 version. the D2 version starts around $40 if you check out the forum vendors. the difference in edge retention is noticeable.
 
I have four nib RAT 1's. I've had five or six others. They just seem to find me, and then I give them to relatives, close friends... A great knife; very ergonomic; nice size...everything on it seems to be just right. For the money, I've found nothing else even close.
 
If you are happy with AUS8 as the blade steel for the standard RAT 1, then consider a Harnds Talisman. It is a nice flipper with a shorter handle but more blade. $30.
 
If you've never carried a knife before, I wouldn't start with a modern one hand opener.
A knife in your pocket is so handy for cutting tasks that when it's a modern one hand opener it's easy to just whip it out and go to cut some without thinking and that's when accidents happen.
I believe that having started out with a traditional slipjoint as a kid was good for me as the extra time it took to open my knife gave me the opportunity to stop and think about the cutting task at hand, this became a habit. Because of this I've only cut myself with an edc knife a handful of times since getting my first knife at age 7.

My recommendation would be a 15$ Victorinox recruit or 20$ Victorinox tinker, but I've heard nothing but good things about the Ontario rat 1 if you just have to get a modern one hand opener.
 
Can't go wrong with a Rat 1, I've had mine for a few years and have carried it as a work knife....but the CS Voyager is a better work knife and more heavy duty, it's what I usually use as my work folder.
 
Hickory n steel said:
If you've never carried a knife before, I wouldn't start with a modern one hand opener.
A knife in your pocket is so handy for cutting tasks that when it's a modern one hand opener it's easy to just whip it out and go to cut some without thinking and that's when accidents happen.
I believe that having started out with a traditional slipjoint as a kid was good for me as the extra time it took to open my knife gave me the opportunity to stop and think about the cutting task at hand, this became a habit. Because of this I've only cut myself with an edc knife a handful of times since getting my first knife at age 7.

My recommendation would be a 15$ Victorinox recruit or 20$ Victorinox tinker, but I've heard nothing but good things about the Ontario rat 1 if you just have to get a modern one hand opener.
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It wouldn't be a problem for me. I'm not 7 haha
 
Another option for something a little smaller is an esse zancudo, also available in D2. The Rat 2 is actually a better EDC for me and my purposes but many prefer bigger blades, 3" on rat 2 and zancudo, 3.5" on rat 1.

The ontario rat 1 & 2 are very nice knives. The one place I would not recommend them is if you are working in slippery conditions as the plastic handle can get slippery. I would recommend something like a spyderco tenacious instead at that point which has a better handle but a slightly cheaper steel.

Kershaw has a few nice options in that price range also but I don't know that they would beat out a rat 1, except for the kershaw skyline which is right on par.
 
The RAT1 is still one of my favorite folders! They are simple in design but that means they are are pure knife. Nothing you don't need and a very well thought out design.
 
I suggest you take a look at the RealSteel H6 S1. It has Sandvik 14C28N steel which will give D2 a run for it's money, the handle material is real G10 as opposed to plastic. It comes stock with a deep carry clip and the lock is frame (steel on steel) rather than a liner. It's overall fit, finish and performance will beat the RAT 1 most of the time. They sell for within a few dollars of the D2 RAT. It's a little smaller than the RAT Model 1 and a little bigger than the RAT Model 2. That makes it a great EDC size for most people. It's also a lot lighter than the RAT 1; 3.8 ounces vs. 5.1 ounces.

Realsteel-H6-S1-G-10-Black-01RE-040-BHQ-34107-jr-large.jpg
 
Great choice, just make sure you have diamond abrasives at least for your course sharpening media. Also, D2 isn't rust prone like some straight up carbon steels, but it will rust given the right opportunity (wet, salty etc)
 
Hackenslash said:
I suggest you take a look at the RealSteel H6 S1. It has Sandvik 14C28N steel which will give D2 a run for it's money, the handle material is real G10 as opposed to plastic. It comes stock with a deep carry clip and the lock is frame (steel on steel) rather than a liner. It's overall fit, finish and performance will beat the RAT 1 most of the time. They sell for within a few dollars of the D2 RAT. It's a little smaller than the RAT Model 1 and a little bigger than the RAT Model 2. That makes it a great EDC size for most people. It's also a lot lighter than the RAT 1; 3.8 ounces vs. 5.1 ounces.

Realsteel-H6-S1-G-10-Black-01RE-040-BHQ-34107-jr-large.jpg
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Nice looking, I'll check it out.
 
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