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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Finally scored a Rat Trap
- Thread starter mikeymoto
- Start date
Stephen Tolar
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2005
- Messages
- 1,142
We need pics!!!
Congrats on the score!
Congrats on the score!
Gravelface
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,306
Not only fricking huge, but slim.....never really notice it is there! I really like it. Sharp.....sharp.....this thing could go toe to toe with a light saber! I went to shave a bit of hair and damn near filleted my arm!
Gravelface
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,306
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2001
- Messages
- 2,858
Gravelface
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,306
Like Samson...it is the ROOT of my strength! Now don't make me get a Donkey's jawbone and start crackin heads!!!
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2006
- Messages
- 6,199
Arrrgghhh!!!!
I want one..... damn, why are these so hard to come by???
I want one..... damn, why are these so hard to come by???
Well..... if you insist.....
Actually, having just re-read my statement, I unintentionally didn't quite finish my intended remark....
I meant to say:
My Rat Trap was EASILY and by far the sharpest factory edge I have ever received.... from Busse, Swamp Rat and/or Scrap Yard.
However, it would be fair to say that the Rat Trap was at least as sharp and among the sharpest knives I have ever recieved.
For me, there have been a few other comparably and extremely sharp knives I have received from Spyderco, Bark River and maybe a couple or small handful of others.
The Rat Trap was actually sharper than "some" Spyderco's and Bark River's I have received, but probably close to others.
I haven't had many Spyderco knives. Maybe about 5 fixed and about 5 folders or so. But, about 3-4 of them were amazingly sharp and near the best.
I have a lot of Barkies and many of them are near the best.
My Lone Wolf Tighe S30V and a couple of Al Mar folders in VG10 may have come close (???) - Maybe a couple of others (????)
But, I have probably had close to a hundred or so folders from many different companies and a couple of hundred fixed blades from many different companies over the last 10 years or so.
The Rat Trap was definitely within the top ranks and near the top of the sharpest knives I have owned. And PLENTY impressive! :thumbup:
I couldn't swear which one was ultimately the sharpest. When they were all that good. I was impressed enough. And wouldn't know how to test much further. They all would pop hairs shaving, probably fillet some hairs, push cut paper like butter and could probably fillet tomato skins (????). Good enough. :thumbup:
The catch and the part that I intended to "leave it at" was that I "Wish" my other Swamp Rat, Busse and Scrap Yard knives came as sharp as my Rat Trap did.
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Gravelface
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,306
Well..... if you insist.....
The catch and the part that I intended to "leave it at" was that I "Wish" my other Swamp Rat, Busse and Scrap Yard knives came as sharp as my Rat Trap did.
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See, now don't you feel better~
Gravelface
Gold Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,306
I like my folders like razors...and my choppers and cutters...well, toothier and not like the Trap. Could you imagine how thin the edges would have to be to get like a Trap.
See, now don't you feel better~
yeah.... I like to say what I feel and believe. - Call it like I see it.
I like my folders AND "Cutters" like razors.
Choppers don't have to be "razor" sharp.
I agree, for choppers at least, they don't have to have super thin edges.
However, I do feel that improvements could be made to the factory edge profiles to make them perform better as choppers. And I feel they could be a little sharper as well (IMO). Most of them are coming a little to obtuse in the edge for my preferences.
"Toothy" vs. fine razor type edge both have pros and cons to me and about balance each other out to me. But, I can appreciate why certain people might prefer one over the other. Depends on user.
Many of the smaller blades also have less than ideal edges for choppers (which they are not), let alone cutters (IMO).
But, the Rat Trap had a good edge. :thumbup:
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In line with calling it like I see it:
I am actually more nit-picky about my folders than my fixed blades.
I thought the Rat Trap had a lot of Great features and a few things I would have preferred slightly different.
But, I will precede the following statements by making clear that these are just my Opinions!
I think the blade shape and general profile of the Rat Trap was one of it's best features. I loved the size and shape a lot. One of my favorites!
I think S30V is a great choice for a folder blade. It is not as tough as SR101, but S30V makes for a great "Razor" type cutting blade. I feel it is tough enough for how I use a folder.
The blade itself was near perfect to me except for one factor related to blade deployment: I am not a fan of thumb-holes. I would prefer a thumb stud. Thumb-studs just have a better feel and are faster and smoother to me.
The butt of the handle felt a little tall to me. The handle in general didn't fit my hand just right. But, I felt it could be tweaked to be better to good.
And I felt, for a knife this size, the overall frame was a little thinner than I felt it should be.
Thin is great in the pocket, but I feel a knife this size should have a little stouter handle. The Rat Trap handle has a little too much handle flex in it - IMO.
A 'common" issue I have with textured G10 folder handles is the friction under the clip. I feel the G10 should be smoother under the clip for smoother pocket insertion and deployment. This is a common issue in the industry IMO.
The hollow letter Rat Trap logo on the textured clip was cool.
The Rat Trap is already one of the best folders on the market. The issues I mention above are actually minor. Most folders seem to be off a little here and there. Tweek those little things and the Rat Trap would be one of the best ever made (IMO).
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I am actually more nit-picky about my folders than my fixed blades.
I thought the Rat Trap had a lot of Great features and a few things I would have preferred slightly different.
But, I will precede the following statements by making clear that these are just my Opinions!
I think the blade shape and general profile of the Rat Trap was one of it's best features. I loved the size and shape a lot. One of my favorites!
I think S30V is a great choice for a folder blade. It is not as tough as SR101, but S30V makes for a great "Razor" type cutting blade. I feel it is tough enough for how I use a folder.
The blade itself was near perfect to me except for one factor related to blade deployment: I am not a fan of thumb-holes. I would prefer a thumb stud. Thumb-studs just have a better feel and are faster and smoother to me.
The butt of the handle felt a little tall to me. The handle in general didn't fit my hand just right. But, I felt it could be tweaked to be better to good.
And I felt, for a knife this size, the overall frame was a little thinner than I felt it should be.
Thin is great in the pocket, but I feel a knife this size should have a little stouter handle. The Rat Trap handle has a little too much handle flex in it - IMO.
A 'common" issue I have with textured G10 folder handles is the friction under the clip. I feel the G10 should be smoother under the clip for smoother pocket insertion and deployment. This is a common issue in the industry IMO.
The hollow letter Rat Trap logo on the textured clip was cool.
The Rat Trap is already one of the best folders on the market. The issues I mention above are actually minor. Most folders seem to be off a little here and there. Tweek those little things and the Rat Trap would be one of the best ever made (IMO).
.
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