Got my Howling Rat, my fist SRKW ever!!

[Pietje010]

Got my Howling Rat, my fist SRKW ever!!

Yesterday I received my HR from the BF Goldmember Leemovie. Think you can add him to the good guys cause he shipped the knife all the way from the US to The Netherlands and gave good info to all my questions. After the money was sent it took more then 10 days to arrive because of the intercontinental shipping.

Very nice knife and, although not shaving sharp, has a good utility edge. There are already a lot of pictures and reviews on the forum so I don’t bother adding one. I really have to get used to the coil, its new to me.

I think the handle is a little to thin for my hands. It gives enough grip and is sure useful for a smaller knife butt I don’t really like it (till this far, really have to get used to it) But maybe its just me and my big hands that fit my Becker handle fine. Do the Battle Rat, Camp Tramp and Ratchet have the same size handle?

After some use in my garden a few millimetre of coating chipped off whit a little tip-strength-test. Is this normal? btw the coating is hard to clean.

It’s my fist SRKW ever and the most expansive knife I bought yet! A larger SRKW will maybe ordered in the future if I like my HR and got the finances!

 

[Rich_S]

Got my Howling Rat, my fist SRKW ever!!

Yesterday I received my HR from the BF Goldmember Leemovie. Think you can add him to the good guys cause he shipped the knife all the way from the US to The Netherlands and gave good info to all my questions. After the money was sent it took more then 10 days to arrive because of the intercontinental shipping.

Very nice knife and, although not shaving sharp, has a good utility edge. There are already a lot of pictures and reviews on the forum so I don’t bother adding one. I really have to get used to the coil, its new to me.

I think the handle is a little to thin for my hands. It gives enough grip and is sure useful for a smaller knife butt I don’t really like it (till this far, really have to get used to it) But maybe its just me and my big hands that fit my Becker handle fine. Do the Battle Rat, Camp Tramp and Ratchet have the same size handle?

After some use in my garden a few millimetre of coating chipped off whit a little tip-strength-test. Is this normal? btw the coating is hard to clean.

It’s my fist SRKW ever and the most expansive knife I bought yet! A larger SRKW will maybe ordered in the future if I like my HR and got the finances!

The handles on the BR and CT are bigger.

Between the BR, CT, and HR, I don't think there's any knife related task you cannot do.

The coating will scratch, chip, and wear with use. It doesn't affect the performance of the knife in any way, but it will cut down on the big eBay markup you can command when selling.

 

[Schuey2002]

CongRATS on the new Howler, Pietje010!! :thumbup:

Have you seen that video that Troy has of one being pounded into a log?

 

[Pietje010]

Have you seen that video that Troy has of one being pounded into a log?

if that’s the one where he pounded it in and broke of a peace of wood. I have seen that one but cant find it anywhere to download it.

 

[Prince of Peace]

I too just bought a USED Howling Rat. I had read so much about them I was having dreams sbout being chased by 3 men dressed in long Bishop type cloaks. All wanted me and my family dead. And my carry weapon in the dream was a Swamp Rat knife. No Lie .
I finally found one cheap enough for my wallet on e-bay and pulled the trigger on it. Won't have it till about Thursday or Friday of next week but after reading how disenchanted this new owner is perhaps I should have let the men in the Bishops cloaks catch me. And the steel breaks when used as a cutting tool? I thought SR-101 was all that?!? What have I done????
Perhaps I should have bought a $45.00 Becker Bk-7 instead.

Daddy

 

[Troy H]

And the steel breaks when used as a cutting tool? I thought SR-101 was all that?!? What have I done????
Perhaps I should have bought a $45.00 Becker Bk-7 instead.

Daddy

Huh??

Here's the video, if that is what you are referencing. The Howling Rat doesn't bend, let alone break. FYI, we did this about 200 times during that weekend...with the same blade.
http://images.complete180.com/hrdemo.avi

I have noticed on a few of my Howling Rats, that the coating does chip off at the tip (just the coating ). I'm not sure why this happens, but the coating tends to eventually wear off my blades anyhow.

As far as the handle sizes go, the Battle Rat, Camp Tramp and Ratchet have the larger handles -- the Bandicoot and Howling Rat have the smaller version.

Cheers,

 

[Pietje010]

I too just bought a USED Howling Rat. I had read so much about them I was having dreams Daddy

I bought mine new but whiteout a sheath. And about that nightmare (or sweetdream as some prefer dreams of SRKW) I have that what al the knives I’m ganne buy.

I have noticed on a few of my Howling Rats, that the coating does chip off at the tip (just the coating ). I'm not sure why this happens, but the coating tends to eventually wear off my blades anyhow.

Cool demo, It puts them to the test! Did you or someone else ever broke of the tip of a HR or even broke a SRKW in half????

The coating chipping off scared me fore two seconds but ist just coating…

 

[Troy H]

Haven't broken one yet. Flexed them a few times though, but never enough to take a set.

I believe that Cliff Stamp and his brother may have broken one during their testing. If I remember right, they had thinned the blade out considerably and the blade finally broke while hammering it through the hinge of a car door.

 

[hollowdweller]

So what exactly is the reason behind the coating? I mean almost all of them I have seen that have really been used the coating comes off pretty easy. Is it so they don't have to put the labor into buffing the blade so they can keep the price lower?

Also what exactly is the purpose of the choil notch thingie? I understand the purpose on a small handled knife but not on something like the Howling Rat. The only thing it does for me is put the edge further from the actual handle giving the blade less leverage when notching. On a knife the size of the Howling Rat I think the edge should run right down to the handle. Seems a waste of almost an INCH of cutting surface.

Another thing I have wondered, this being MY first SW also is the triple convex edge or whatever that the website says. I got this one from 360(thanks 360:thumbup: ) and while it looks used it appears to have the original grind marks on it and I can't see nothing convex about this edge. I can see the covex on a Bark River. It jumps out at you on a Fallkniven. But on this one and the other Sw's I have handled I really don't see anything convex about them.

So my first impressions owning one is great handle, super comfortable, but not up to the level of say the Bark River Northstar or the Fallkniven F1 as far as using it for actual cutting. Still the price is less than either of those 2 so it's still a good knife for the money, but for just cutting and stuff I like both the F1 and the Northstar way better. The Fallkniven is as thick but has a MUCH keener edge. I can see maybe digging up roots or jabbing a HR thru a car door might be a strong point, but for just general camp use, cutting kindling, slicing bread, give me something that has a good edge on it. I've worked over this HR's edge and polished it out but kept the original angle and all and even though it is razor sharp the cutting efficiency is well below Fallkniven F1 or anything from Bark River.

 

[sodak]

Hi Hollowdweller,

I can only address a couple of your questions, as I don't own a Fallkniven or Bark River. I hope to get a couple of Fallkniven's some day.

I really like the finger choils on the Swamp Rat knives. It is a little large (probably for gloved hands), but lets me choke up nicely, when I'm doing fine work, I find it much less tiring to be able to use a pinch grip where my index finger and thumb are directly opposed. I like it so much, I'm starting to gravitate away from smaller knives that don't have a choil or ricasso. YMMV. The edge on mine were a little thick for my liking. My larger ones, Battle Rat and Camp Tramp have a nice convex edge, on my Howling Rat and Bandicoot, I took the edge down to 15 deg. I like this for 2 reasons - they outcut most every other knife I own, and re-sharpening takes less than a minute. I have taken a couple of chips out of my Bandicoot (impactions, actually), but as thin as the edge was, considering what I was doing, well, let's just say that I was abusing it pretty good. Definitely my fault.

I hope you like it, thin that guy down, it will really pleasantly surprise you!

 

[Pietje010]

After some use i find the edge a big fat for a decent knife for wood work. How can i improve this? thinner the edge:jerkit: .....but how can i do this without any experiance?