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- Aug 31, 2014
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- 12
I am very interested in the ontario rbs6 knife and was wondering has it stacks up against swamp Rat knives.Thanks in advance, any feedback is welcome.
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How does the ontario rbs6 stack up against Swamp Rat Knives?
- Thread starter CAMPKNIFE MAN
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2010
- Messages
- 9,844
What is your criteria for use mate ? I prefer the SR101 steel in the Swamp Blades over the 1095 in the Ontario (the only 1095 I get truly excited about is that used by ESEE as they have the heat treat process down pat on their knives and truly maximise the steel while keeping the cost in check). The equivilent Swamp Blade to the Ontario you picture is probably the R6.
I "personally" (and there in lay the rub) would take the R6 or an RMD each and everytime over the Ontario but that is me. The big difference is the cost, either and RMD/R6 will be 2.5-3x as spendy as what you are looking at without the sheath. What you need to decide is if you require the extra quality/warrenty/peace of mind that come with the Swamp blades. That and you also need to get both options in hand to see what works for you.
Closer in cost but still a better quality blade would be the ESEE 5 or 6.
Andy
I "personally" (and there in lay the rub) would take the R6 or an RMD each and everytime over the Ontario but that is me. The big difference is the cost, either and RMD/R6 will be 2.5-3x as spendy as what you are looking at without the sheath. What you need to decide is if you require the extra quality/warrenty/peace of mind that come with the Swamp blades. That and you also need to get both options in hand to see what works for you.
Closer in cost but still a better quality blade would be the ESEE 5 or 6.
Andy
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2012
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- 1,949
I am with Andy on this one as well. Having used 1095 blades for a good while none of them stack up to 52100 as the Swamp does it. The only thing 1095 does better is cost less. I also agree the only 1095 (production knives) I put any faith in anymore is done by Shon Rowen.
While my RMD is my go to knife for damn near everything my back up is a knife made from 1095 (ESEE Izula 2 with TKC G10 scales). I do like 1095 but the fact is SR101 is just better if the cost doesn't put it out of your range. I always suggest the same thing to people and that is buy the best knife you can afford while not taking money away from more important things. I would rather have a Mora and a fridge full of food than a RMD and have nothing.
Another option for you might be trying to find a used knife. Depending on your price range you might be able to snag a used ESEE 6 for the same price as the Ontario.
While my RMD is my go to knife for damn near everything my back up is a knife made from 1095 (ESEE Izula 2 with TKC G10 scales). I do like 1095 but the fact is SR101 is just better if the cost doesn't put it out of your range. I always suggest the same thing to people and that is buy the best knife you can afford while not taking money away from more important things. I would rather have a Mora and a fridge full of food than a RMD and have nothing.
Another option for you might be trying to find a used knife. Depending on your price range you might be able to snag a used ESEE 6 for the same price as the Ontario.
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2014
- Messages
- 11,432
I agree with the above - the RBS isn't in the same league as Swamp Rat. I also agree with the Esee 6 (or BK7) recommendation.
I know you're new, and excited about getting a new knife; but 5 new threads about the same knife (+ a couple of duplicates) is a bit redundant.
I know you're new, and excited about getting a new knife; but 5 new threads about the same knife (+ a couple of duplicates) is a bit redundant.
The Ontario is a solid knife. I've had to get a lot of Rowen 1095 out of my system in order to appreciate steels with better edge properties. I find most 1095 to be "fairly" tough, and great for bushcraft, but 50% of my use with knives is for dressing game so I've learned to stay away from it. On the other hand, swamprat's SR101has really impressed me with it's edge qualities. It slices as well as my D2 knives, and has proven to be extremely tough. It's taken a couple of decades but I've also learned to save for the knives I really want. Hope this helps. And thanks for having me here. I'm a real newbie. First post.