ESEE Avispa vs Rat1 in D2

[115Italian]

Resurrecting an old one. Yes, the Avispa carries better. Feels better in pocket when you're NOT using it. Rat-1 feels better in use.

Agree about the clip on the Avispa. If they could have designed it to contact the frame 3-4 mm lower, to touch the frame UNDER the frame lock, rather than resting ON the frame lock, it would be fine. It's a serious design flaw that could and SHOULD have been remedied early in production, and would have required little more than a slight shift in the clip mounting holes.

If its carrried tip up. Tip down carry presents no issues with the pocket clip putting pressure on the lock bar

 

[Pilsner]

If its carrried tip up. Tip down carry presents no issues with the pocket clip putting pressure on the lock bar

Correct, but it is not particularly comfortable to use in that configuration, for me at any rate.

I’m a real fan of R.A.T. and E.S.E.E., but the only thing better about the Avispa is a thinner blade, which makes it very slicy. On the other hand, for outdoors use, I’d be more than happy with the RAT-1 every, single time.

It’s almost as if they got it right first time, but with production staying at OKC, they felt the need to put a new product up. The niggling issue for me is the thought that Jeff never even gave this a close look before approving the agreement with the manufacturer. It really is a big failure, and pretty much unacknowledged by ESEE, given how glaringly obvious.

 

[115Italian]

Correct, but it is not particularly comfortable to use in that configuration, for me at any rate.

I’m a real fan of R.A.T. and E.S.E.E., but the only thing better about the Avispa is a thinner blade, which makes it very slicy. On the other hand, for outdoors use, I’d be more than happy with the RAT-1 every, single time.

It’s almost as if they got it right first time, but with production staying at OKC, they felt the need to put a new product up. The niggling issue for me is the thought that Jeff never even gave this a close look before approving the agreement with the manufacturer. It really is a big failure, and pretty much unacknowledged by ESEE, given how glaringly obvious.

I took a ceramic sharpening stone and did a few passes over the detent ball of the avispa. This made the detent weaker which pretty much solved the problem for me with the pocket clip pressure.

 

[JDennis]

I have the Rat 1 D2 with the laminate carbon fiber. I love the knife but the CF is slicker than snot. I recommend the Rat 1 in D2 but go with regular G10

 

[maximus83]

Rat 1 hands down. I've owned both.

The Rat 1 and 2 are just about the smoothest knife available at any price.

+1. The Rat 1 in D2 is a fantastic knife, it's a great slicer, comes with probably the sharpest factory edge I've ever seen on any knife below $50. I can't think of a folder that I like better under $40.

 

[POCEH KOCEB]

This is personal opinion.
I own few Rats, Avispa and Zancudo, as you can see from the picture below. The Zankudo and all of the Rats are heavy users.
Lately I've being using mostly the Rat with D2 for understandable reasons - the steel requires less sharpening for what I'm using it.
I will always go with linear lock before I use frame lock out in the elements, that's why I personally prefer Rat line of knives.
The only Rat I cannot stand is the Rat2 with the AUS8 steel, I will not trash the whole line but will say that my knife came with steel so soft it was getting dull when you show a piece of paper to it... It is disassembled and waiting for a new blade project.
The Rat line is easily customizable, plenty of options on the scales, replacing worn standoffs and so on, the frame is built as a tank and will last for a long time.
D2 model is outstanding, very little care for the metal of the blade, good HT, I'm very happy with it and using it along with my Gail Bradley 1 and my Griptilian.
The Avispa is very comfortable to hold, the blade is more "bushcraft" oriented as geometry (IMHO) and the knife is overall well designed and built even the frame lock is (IMHO) there to appear to the city folks...
The design problem with this knife is the way they positioned the clip -it stays completely over the lock bar and in my case it is impossible to unlock the blade using one hand. For knife with such profile, this is ridiculous design execution (IMHO). I have a post from few years back, here in this forum, asking why they did it that way, if I remember correctly nobody gave an adequate answer...
As one can see from the picture, the clip on the Zancudo covers half of the frame, therefore not interfering with the lockbar.
As one can see also from the picture below, my Avispa have Benchmade clip in order to achieve the same effect, otherwise I have no use for this otherwise good knife.
Both Avispa and Rat1 have identical blade thickness at the back and identical width of the blade with full Flat grind, it looks like that Avispa have slightly more pronounced belly but this is optical illusion, they are almost identical profiles with the Rat1 edge. Avispa only have clipped point, compared to the Rat blade geometry. The Rat's edge is longer than the Avispa, one more thing for consideration.
My choice would be the D2 Rat1 because of the better steel, design and more options for customization.

 

[husqyorange]

Your photo shows that all that is required to "fix" the Avispa clip is a simple re-position. Why the mfr won't do this is beyond me, other than they just don't want to admit they screwed it up.

I like the Rat 1 better, but the Avispa, being prob 30-40% thinner, just carries better. Really sad they won't fix this issue....

 

[POCEH KOCEB]

I'm on the same page with you... The Avispa is thinner, it does not have one scale, I measure the thickness to be 9mm where the Rat1 is 13mm. Avispa is also slightly wider than the Rat. Still, flatter knife, very comfortable to carry for the size.
It only takes to punch the holes in the clip in different place. I would love little bit better steel but the current-one isn't bad, they did ok HT on it, just the original clip makes it almost impossible to close with one hand as any other similar design folder, that's it...