Feed back from a SERE instructor

R.A.T.

R.A.T.

Randall's Adventure & Training
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
Messages
10,400
Jeff,

Just back from Honduras a couple weeks ago and I wanted to shoot you an
email and thank you again for the test knives.RC-5 SERE was an absolute
beast. It was interesting to show both it and the RC-4 around. A lot
of guys had RAT-7's from Ontario and the quality of construction and
attention to detail with your knives was in a completely different
league. I didn't do a whole lot of batoning with the RC-4 but I have no
question it would have performed well. I did do some smaller detail
work include snare triggers and the notch on a fire board. Overall I
think I received about 20-25 knives from different companies and the
RC-4 was the only knife I didn't give away to one of my fellow
instructors. It is the best all around survival knife I have used and
it going with me to Afghanistan in a couple weeks Thank for making a
great product and please let me know if you have a questions

(This is the exact email verbatim. I just removed the name, rank, etc.)
 
He kept the RC-4, strengthening my belief that the RC-4 is the sweet spot of the RAT lineup. :thumbup:
 
That's the kind of feed back you always like to hear :thumbup:.
 
The feedback is always nice to read, but in this particular forum it is never a surprise:thumbup:. Now I need to get a RC4 it's the only RAT I don't have:o....YET:D
 
What I found instructive about it is the different likes of different SERE instructors. The AF guys love the RC-5 as a pilots survival knife and this instructor likes the RC-4. I wouldn't even consider taking the 5 to the jungles since a machete would beat it hands down.
 
Thanks for sharing the SERE Instructor feedback Jeff... The word is getting around!
 
"I received about 20-25 knives from different companies..."

How do I get on that list???

I'll be conducting a SERE school in my back yard--anyone want to send me their knives to test out?:D

(BTW-I also think the RC4 is the best for field work.)
 
R.A.T. said:
I wouldn't even consider taking the 5 to the jungles since a machete would beat it hands down.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I won't even leave the house without having a light duty chopper nearby. I carry a khukri and a Woodman's Pal in my truck.
 
Congrats guys! I'd love to hear what he thinks about the RC-4 after he's been able to use it some more.
 
R.A.T. said:
What I found instructive about it is the different likes of different SERE instructors. The AF guys love the RC-5 as a pilots survival knife and this instructor likes the RC-4. I wouldn't even consider taking the 5 to the jungles since a machete would beat it hands down.
Click to expand...

Although it is understandable with the AF guys, as a machete won't fit in the seat kit or on the flight suit, so they don't have that as an option. Although why they didn't select the RC6 (perhaps with the bow drill divot on the scales). . .
 
Cpl Punishment said:
Although it is understandable with the AF guys, as a machete won't fit in the seat kit or on the flight suit, so they don't have that as an option. Although why they didn't select the RC6 (perhaps with the bow drill divot on the scales). . .
Click to expand...

This whole thing got started with the RC-6 but they wanted something thicker because of it being a "downed pilot" scenario and being able to pry and break things. According to them they are breaking their issue knives in the training.
 
R.A.T. said:
What I found instructive about it is the different likes of different SERE instructors. The AF guys love the RC-5 as a pilots survival knife and this instructor likes the RC-4. I wouldn't even consider taking the 5 to the jungles since a machete would beat it hands down.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind, Jeff, I want to dig into that a bit.

Have you seen individuals' preferences trace back to years of their getting comfortable with a particular size of knife? (Besides the practical I-wanna-pry-and-break-stuff thing. :D)

I mean, give me a four-inch drop-point with decent meat and I'm good. (That's why my first RAT was the "sweet-spot" RC-4.) Since I generally don't carry a cutlery shop on my belt (or on my back or in my pockets), the knife I prefer is the knife I have with me when I need a knife. ;) With that mindset, I've learned to work various knives within their limits.

I'm just wondering about how often you see that sort of thing -- choosing what's familiar rather than lusting after the ideal.
 
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I guess you would have to seriously compare the AF current issue knife with the RC-5. No comparison when it comes to heftiness, IMO. The original request we got from a SERE instructor was basically this (paraphrasing): "We've been using our issue knives to instruct our classes and they keep breaking. We want a knife that won't break." We talked to them about the RC-6 and they liked the handles but wanted the changes that are now the RC-5. We don't ever figure the RC-5 will replace the current issue. That wasn't the goal. We do know, however, that a lot of RC-5 knives are replacing the current issue knife on the instructor's own dime.

As far as this other SERE instructor, they did testing on a large number of knives from different manufacturers. Not sure what he carried before using the RC-4.
 
that's very cool...:thumbup: it's always great to have feedback like that from experts in the field...
 
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