How about a 1/4" thick blade?

CRKS

CRKS

Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
1,280
Are there any plans to make a thick blade (1/4" or better) in the future? All of the RAT knives are outstanding, however it doesn't seem like the 3/16" barrier can be broken.

How about this:

The "RC9 BEEF MASTER"

9" Blade Length with a 3" swedge.
1/4" Thick flat ground Blade
2" Blade Width
1095 Steel with th Black Powder Coat and laser etched RAT Logo.
Checkered Micarta Handles
MOLLE Adaptable Kydex Sheath.

Now thats a knife!

Tom
chestnut Ridge Knife Shop
 
Tom,

That's a real possibility. But damn that would be a heavy knife! ;)
 
So, how many folks want a 1/4" thick RC-9? We can do this if there is a market for it. Its weight would make a heavy chopper. What type of handles (size, etc.) Give us some feedback on what you would like to see.
 
I would think the key would be balance. It would be a very heavy knife. I think (may be in the minority) that the TAK was too heavy for where it balanced.
 
I like the specs that Tom has listed, I would want to add some thumb notches though. If the handle could be the same size as the RAT-7 it would be perfect, for me anyway. And seriously, I'll take at least two.
 
Now that's the kind of knife I am talking about. I just sold my RTAK....TOO thin! handle was overly large also. Narrow it down to a RAT-7 size with the same dimensions as stated by CRKS and I would get at least 2....to start!!!! I wouldn't mind even .270-.300 thick.

The RTAK, while a GREAT "Bush" knife, just didn't have the ass needed for heavy chopping (mostly what I have here is Oak, Pine...hard woods) I know a hatchet or ax would serve best, BUT I like LARGE knives.
 
if this would be considered to be Rat Cutlery version of the RTAk..I would buy one...I love my RTAKII ...............but in stead of checker grips I prefer the Rat Cutlery logo micarta grips & the Green power coating like the RTAKII... and a logo on blade...
 
I would be in for a 1/4" or thicker RC9. Handle material should be thicker than most knives, but slightly thinner that the RTAK II. I don't think you could go wrong with canvas micarta scales, but a G-10 option would be nice too.
 
I have talked to a few Marines and Soldiers returning from Iraq. They told me that a large knife like an RC 9 is a sign of authority when people in Iraq get out of control. The presence of an M-16 or ever a 60 cal. doesn't speak like a large blade.

I like the weight of the blade to do allot of the work. I myself feel more at home carrying a big blade in the woods. The extra weigh to make a cutting/chopping task easier supersedes the extra weigh you must carry.

Tom
Chestnut Ridge Knife shop
 
My problem with 1/4" thick blades is fatigue. Material this heavy is really getting into the realm of axes and hatchets. Those tools have a long handle (much longer than a knife handle relative to the pivot point) and somewhat off set the work of swinging such a heavy tool over and over. Thinner blades like the RTAK II and even a $3 machete can be used very effectively to chop if the tool is used right. I've seen little 100# Peruvians build a house with a cheap Tramontina machete chopping trees most of us would be looking for a chainsaw to fell.

But Jeff and I listen to what folks want so maybe if we can figure out the fatigue /balance thing for a larger knife it's a possibility. But also remember that one of our tenants of making product is to produce practical tools and it may be that a small axe would be better suited for us to make rather than an unbalanced crow bar.:)
 
Great call Mike I am not much for anything thicker or large than the RTAKII. beyond than,I would pull out my 14" homelite if really needed. LOL
 
Honestly, for me, one of the things i like about the RAT blades, both Ontario and RC, are that they aren't 1/4" thick. I like that they are just under. It makes for a lighter and more agile knife for me. The reason I want RCs and RATs is because they are lighter weight while still being extremely tough. They serve the "lighter tougher" purpose, if that makes sense. I have a Ranger RD7 that i use as my big chopper. I carried it out along with my RAT-7, Charge TTi, and CS Trailhawk a couple of weekends ago. I didn't use it more than once and that was just some play time. That was the last time I took it out with this group. Now it's just the RAT-7, Charge, and Trailhawk. I still use the Ranger. I find things to use it for, but I think it's more of a "have around for an emergency when I need to pry" or "just want to take a big chopper outside for fun" knife. It's just too damn big. Like I said, that's just my personal opinion. I love the Ranger and I know i can beat the absolute S@#T out of it and it can take it, but it's not near as useful for me as the RAT.
 
I can chop for hours with my 1/4" thick 10.5" Bladed Full Flat Grind Swamp Rat Rat Daddy. It is not heavy. If you want heavy get a khukuri. . . Very heavy traditional blades used for centuries.

The Peruvian example sounds like poor folks making do with what little they have. I could do all my cutting with a sharpened Can lid, but I prefer a good knife.
 
If there wasn't a market for 1/4" blades, why do MANY other companies make them. People want them because they use them.

Instead of carrying 4 tools, 1 heavy duty chopper (10" blade, 1/4+"thick) and a multitool would more than suffice.

The only "weight" issue is having to carry "specialty" tools that 1 rugged knife should be able to do.

As for the 100lb Peruvians.....they use what they have....and if they had chainsaws, I'm sure they would have used those.
 
I have several 1/4"+ thick choppers - they're better suited for those of us here in "the woods" who use a camp knife to do chopping and splitting chores - I baton with my heavier knives very frequently. I'm 100% on board for a 1/4" RC9 Chopper - and I'm very excited about the axe as well.

I just don't get to the jungle all that often... ;)
 
I won't argue with anyone about the Peruvians but Jeff and I have given them a lot of 'better' knives and machetes than the cheap in country machetes they normally use and they inevitably sell them and keep using the $3 machetes. As for "poor people making do" well yes they are experts at making do with less than we have but they will still do more work with their cheap machete than a much more expensive knife or machete. The point to that is not that they have a more expensive tool or heavier tool or not. They know HOW to use the tool. Most of us (me included) are only occasional users of knives and machetes. I am fair with a machete but they are experts. Most of what I know using a machete I learned from them. They would never pick a heavier, more expensive tool when the job is efficiently done with a lighter less expensive tool and some skill.

Having said all that I personally still like variety in cutlery here at home just because it's a pleasure to use different tools by different makers . It is also fun to try different ideas like those offered here so that pushes Jeff and I to do different things with design work .
Ranger and Jerry Busse and several others make a lot of great knives that are heavier but are nice to use from time to time. Personally I cannot work all day with a heavy knife or machete but there are some folks that could. For the ones that can we listen and think about how to come up with something for those folks. :)
 
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