Harbor Freight pocket knife

[afishhunter]

. A cheap knife can mean a hefty hospital bill for stitches when the lock fails on you.

I notice you ignore the fact that the blade locks on expensive top name brand knives are also known to fail.
Three "Words of Wisdom" for you: "TRUST NO LOCK"

If you're using a knife for what it is designed for - cutting and slicing - the normal cutting action forces the blade open (unless you're doing something stupid like trying to cut/slice with the spine) not closed.
Note the millions if not billions of people world wide that use a slipjoint or friction folder every day of their life for knife tasks, without getting a scratch.

A knife isn't a pry bar, screwdriver, ice pick, or a chopping/splitting tool. It is a cutting and slicing/peeling critter tool. When used for what they are designed for, the blade can't suddenly and unexpectedly close on your fingers/hand.

 

[Hashishiin]

Whether your knife costs $300, $30, or $3; remember basic knife safety. Any activity that would test the strength of your lock is not the right job for a folding knife.

What you do or don't get for what you pay is an interesting issue. There is the tool itself and then there are various intangibles. People weigh it all differently. For some people, a particular brand logo is a big deal. For others, pride in who made the knife or where it was made will be an issue. Some people care about warranties. Some care about ease of disassembly or ease of maintenance. Some care that it'll hold a decent edge. Some just care that it is a pretty color.

I've had some cheap knives and tools that I've loved over the years. Gems can be found under $20 but are pretty rare. Something like a Rat 2 in AUS-8 can offer a lot of mileage. The $25 Tangram Santa Fe from Kizer takes that to the next level. Things really start to open up in the $30-50 range where some great users or beaters can be found in steels like 14C28N and 9Cr18Mov. I've got knives in that range from Civivi, Sencut, Real Steel, and Harnds that I like better than other knives costing more than twice as much. That said, I've had some relatively expensive clunkers and knives that just didn't live up to the hype.

And now, you can get the RAT in D2 for like, two dollars more. It's great.

 

[midnight flyer]

And now, you can get the RAT in D2 for like, two dollars more. It's great.

Well, thanks a lot for that comment. I carried a RAT1 for about 3 years exclusively (I admit it... I mess around on my work knives when they aren't in my pocket) because it was slim, locked up tight, and was easy to clean. So I thought... I know that was a little snarky, but how much are they now in D2? Current pricing shows sales everywhere from BF vendors and it is $39. What a steal. I was amused to see it hadn't gone into the stratosphere.

But then I saw it. A RAT1, D2 with orange scales. Worse, same price. Lusted after that knife for years and no orange scales to be found in stock for so long that itch went away. Now, looking at it online it's like I have knife poison ivy the itch is so strong. $39.95 for that much knife? Ridiculous value, off the charts. Guess that's $40 plus tax and shipping that is in eminent danger. Crap. Just told my wife I really didn't need anymore knifes, too.

Robert

 

[Boattale]

I've got a set of Harbor Freight deep impact sockets in both metric and inch sizes. Still working after 25+ years. The impact wrench is only about ten years old but it is hanging in there. The belt sander died after about 20 years. Harbor freight is where all my hydraulic jacks came from and as long as they are standing up they're fine. Lay one down and oil leaks around the piston. Have a Harbor Freight 5KW generator. Not used much but it is hanging in there too. Bought some replacement tires and wheels there for lawn cart and they went tits up in under two years.

With Harbor Freight, you never know.

 

[Hashishiin]

Well, thanks a lot for that comment. I carried a RAT1 for about 3 years exclusively (I admit it... I mess around on my work knives when they aren't in my pocket) because it was slim, locked up tight, and was easy to clean. So I thought... I know that was a little snarky, but how much are they now in D2? Current pricing shows sales everywhere from BF vendors and it is $39. What a steal. I was amused to see it hadn't gone into the stratosphere.

But then I saw it. A RAT1, D2 with orange scales. Worse, same price. Lusted after that knife for years and no orange scales to be found in stock for so long that itch went away. Now, looking at it online it's like I have knife poison ivy the itch is so strong. $39.95 for that much knife? Ridiculous value, off the charts. Guess that's $40 plus tax and shipping that is in eminent danger. Crap. Just told my wife I really didn't need anymore knifes, too.

Robert

https://imgur.com/a/CmKPURx

It is an awesome knife, value up the wazoo, and I feel like it's such a sleeper as a big knife but very inoffensive looking. I got to recommend it!

 

[POCEH KOCEB]

I wouldn’t buy knife from HF… I bought many tools from there, mostly for jobs that paid 5-6 times over the price of the tool but knifes - never, to me they are just bottom line quality, even below gas station stuff
As others mentioned, Ontario’s. Rat1 currently is probably the best knife for the money in this size category.
I’m a huge fan of the model, used it through the years extensively for work and probably got 5-6 of those in working or disassembled condition, they are like a Lego, love them.
Very happy with the Taiwan made quality but will not buy the new Chinese made knives.

 

[Hashishiin]

I wouldn’t buy knife from HF… I bought many tools from there, mostly for jobs that paid 5-6 times over the price of the tool but knifes - never, to me they are just bottom line quality, even below gas station stuff
As others mentioned, Ontario’s. Rat1 currently is pro the best knife for the money in this size category.
I’m a huge fan of the model, used it through the years extensively for work and probably got 5-6 of those in working or disassembled condition, they are like a Lego, love them.
Very happy with the Taiwan made quality but will not buy the new Chinese made knives.

Those RATs are amazing! Very, very nice. I like the cream colored one, I have a bone-white one that I drew up plans for an R2D2-version with blue, red and black paint, but I don't know what paint'll stick on Nylon 6. I could get some G-10 aftermarket scales which are more predictable.

What "new Chinese ones" are you referring to, though? They aren't switching RAT production to China, are they? For some reason, only the micarta version is made in China, I have absolutely no idea why they have tooling to produce one single version of this RAT in China.

 

[POCEH KOCEB]

I believe Ontario is manufacturing now the Rat folders in China, should be marked on the blade..
China used to manufacture same model, a knock off, slightly larger and marked as Rat3..


‘The cream/fde handle was my first Rat1 in AUS-8. Love it but I had to resharpen it every few hours….
‘I was one of the first to get the D2 when they came up with it an I absolutely love to work with it

 

[Hashishiin]

I believe Ontario is manufacturing now the Rat folders in China, should be marked on the blade..
China used to manufacture same model, a knock off, slightly larger and marked as Rat3..


‘The cream/fde handle was my first Rat1 in AUS-8. Love it but I had to resharpen it every few hours….
‘I was one of the first to get the D2 when they came up with it an I absolutely love to work with it

That is really sad if true, that means I will not be able to buy more RATs! Do you have a definitive source on that, or is just a rumor? I checked websites and everything, except that weird micarta one, is still made in Taiwan, cannot find anything about changes in a preliminary search.

I started with the satin AUS-8 RAT2 in bone-white, as it was on sale over Christmas on the Ontario website for like $26, wish I knew it was on sale, would have got two. Then, I got a coyote brown in D2, swapped that blade out for the AUS-8, and my girlfriend kind of adopted the AUS-8 coyote brown (and I gave her a Sage 5, too, for good measure). Then, I got the orange D2 which is about my perfect idea of a quality user. I'd continue to buy and use these so long as they keep it in Taiwain, really hope they do.

Oh, and they knock-off RAT-2s completely, nowadays. They have total fakes on Amazon and Alibaba and such. Ridiculous. The RAT 3 is real, but it's a fixed blade, haha.

https://imgur.com/a/4CqF1NK

 

[elde66]

I have a Rat 1 & a Rat 2, both purchased less than two months ago. Both green and marked Taiwan on the blades.

 

[Chronovore]

I like the Rat knives as cheap beaters and honestly, I prefer AUS-8. That little bit of extra corrosion resistance is enough to matter to me. I can carry D2 three seasons out of the year but during the summer when it is 90F and over 90% humidity, sweat becomes a fact of life. Keeping D2 from pocket spotting becomes an uphill battle for me. While AUS-8 doesn't have great corrosion resistance, it's much easier to stay on top of it. (The main reason I've moved away from the Rat series is the increased availability of better and more stainless budget steels like 14C28N and 9Cr18Mov.)

I didn't know about changing production to China. At least with the older Taiwan models, the AUS-8 got a better than average heat treatment. In some testing environments, performance was close or even better versus the D2 rats.

If you are looking for a great budget knife in the Rat 2 size range, definitely check out the Tangram Santa Fe from Kizer. I've given a few out as gifts and I took each one apart for inspection, cleaning, and quality lubrication first. One relative has been using it as his primary EDC for well over a year now. The Japanese Acuto 440 steel is similar to 9Cr18Mov. The Santa Fe remains my favorite sub-$30 EDC folder.

 

[Bob Denman]

When you go into these purchases with both eye open: you are rarely disappointed with what you get for your money...

 

[Hal]

Wow! A Buck and a Benchmade (401 Panther) knock offs.
The funny thing about it is - - that Benchmade knock off just might be better than the real thing.
I have a Hf Inside Track membership so I'll keep an eye out for a 25% off coupon (does anything from HF ever get sold at retail??) and maybe pick one up - if they still have them.

If not, oh well, I actually have three 401 brand new in box in the drawer.

 

[tknife]

I like some of the "budget" steels a lot. They may not hold their edge as long as a higher end steel, but man they are easy to sharpen and are easy to get razor sharp. I would take that any day over a longer lasting edge that I can't sharpen quickly.

 

[K.O.D.]

I notice you ignore the fact that the blade locks on expensive top name brand knives are also known to fail.
Three "Words of Wisdom" for you: "TRUST NO LOCK"

If you're using a knife for what it is designed for - cutting and slicing - the normal cutting action forces the blade open (unless you're doing something stupid like trying to cut/slice with the spine) not closed.
Note the millions if not billions of people world wide that use a slipjoint or friction folder every day of their life for knife tasks, without getting a scratch.

A knife isn't a pry bar, screwdriver, ice pick, or a chopping/splitting tool. It is a cutting and slicing/peeling critter tool. When used for what they are designed for, the blade can't suddenly and unexpectedly close on your fingers/hand.

But but but... Medford!?

Lols aside, I completely agree with this statement. Your entire post I agree with, in fact.

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

I believe Ontario is manufacturing now the Rat folders in China, should be marked on the blade..
China used to manufacture same model, a knock off, slightly larger and marked as Rat3..


‘The cream/fde handle was my first Rat1 in AUS-8. Love it but I had to resharpen it every few hours….
‘I was one of the first to get the D2 when they came up with it an I absolutely love to work with it

That is really sad if true, that means I will not be able to buy more RATs! Do you have a definitive source on that, or is just a rumor? I checked websites and everything, except that weird micarta one, is still made in Taiwan, cannot find anything about changes in a preliminary search.

I started with the satin AUS-8 RAT2 in bone-white, as it was on sale over Christmas on the Ontario website for like $26, wish I knew it was on sale, would have got two. Then, I got a coyote brown in D2, swapped that blade out for the AUS-8, and my girlfriend kind of adopted the AUS-8 coyote brown (and I gave her a Sage 5, too, for good measure). Then, I got the orange D2 which is about my perfect idea of a quality user. I'd continue to buy and use these so long as they keep it in Taiwain, really hope they do.

Oh, and they knock-off RAT-2s completely, nowadays. They have total fakes on Amazon and Alibaba and such. Ridiculous. The RAT 3 is real, but it's a fixed blade, haha.

https://imgur.com/a/4CqF1NK

I have a Rat 1 & a Rat 2, both purchased less than two months ago. Both green and marked Taiwan on the blades.

I like the Rat knives as cheap beaters and honestly, I prefer AUS-8. That little bit of extra corrosion resistance is enough to matter to me. I can carry D2 three seasons out of the year but during the summer when it is 90F and over 90% humidity, sweat becomes a fact of life. Keeping D2 from pocket spotting becomes an uphill battle for me. While AUS-8 doesn't have great corrosion resistance, it's much easier to stay on top of it. (The main reason I've moved away from the Rat series is the increased availability of better and more stainless budget steels like 14C28N and 9Cr18Mov.)

I didn't know about changing production to China. At least with the older Taiwan models, the AUS-8 got a better than average heat treatment. In some testing environments, performance was close or even better versus the D2 rats.

If you are looking for a great budget knife in the Rat 2 size range, definitely check out the Tangram Santa Fe from Kizer. I've given a few out as gifts and I took each one apart for inspection, cleaning, and quality lubrication first. One relative has been using it as his primary EDC for well over a year now. The Japanese Acuto 440 steel is similar to 9Cr18Mov. The Santa Fe remains my favorite sub-$30 EDC folder.

Ontario's website still has the country of origin for the RAT folders as Taiwan

 

[Hashishiin]

Yup, just added special maple scales to a RAT as a bit of a tribute to the modern classic

 

[greater]

Cold Steel's economy Triad lock knives would be at the top of my list for beaters. Other cheap (often only because the American company that ordered them made are cheapskates who insist on garbage materials and crap quality control to increase profits) imported knives in clam shell plastic are likely to disappoint me after trying hard to like them.

Bad locks are guaranteed to come back and bite the company making them in the (knife manufacturers beware) no matter what anyone says.

 

[Motorcycle Man]

Hey I have that, and one of the fixed blade knives. I bought them because the brand name "Gordon" is my first name.

I just bought the pictured folder at and regardless of the steel quality I was amazed at the features! Flipper, 4 position clip, liner lock, double thumb lugs, smooth scales the feel like G-10 but have enough texture to feel safe, blade perfectly centered!!! The perfect $9.99 EDC!!!!!!!

 

[Motorcycle Man]

To moderator,
How am I supposed to know who supports this forum????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I'm not psychic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!