How is the HR for a Utility knife?

wildmanh

wildmanh

Part time Leather Bender/Sheath maker
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Messages
7,764
A friend of mine in the Airforce is shipping out soon for 3 months and is looking for a good utility knife with a 4 to 4.5" blade. He likes the looks of the HR but is wondering how well it conceals as a neck knife and or shoulder carry. He is also looking into a few non Swamp Rat knives.

Here is an excert from his email:

The daily use will consist of prying crates and tool boxes open, chopping wood and metal(very rarely), whittling, stabbing, slicing string, and boxes, and wire between .020 and .041. Trimming electrical shielding, cutting my sandwich in half. Etc.

That's why I wanted a tool steel, I figured that it would be less likely to break or chip while cutting metal.

Now seriously tell me about the H.R. I'm not necessarily looking for military, just what works. How thick is the handle? If it can be concealed under a shirt at all I'm getting it, if for nothing else the warranty.
QUOTE]

What do you guys think? Just an FYI for a sheath, he wants custom Kydex for a good price.

Thanks,

Heber
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Howling Rat sounds like a good option for him. I'm not sure what kind of metal cutting he's talking about, but a Rat will do heavy utility as well as any other knife out there. As to concealability, its handle is relatively small while still being enough to very comfortably hold onto (even for my rather big hands), and is 3/4" thick at the swells, tapering to less than that within the contours. I'd say it'd be up to the sheath maker to determine how to best conceal it.

Here is Eric's sheathmaker thread as well as a link for Brix Tactical., most of whom have many Swamp Rat and Busse knives in shop so that you don't have to send one to them for the construction.

Shipping times (according to Eric's most recent response about Howlers) are running from 3-6 weeks, so if your friend decides this is what he wants, tell him to order soon to ensure Mr. Murphy has less than ample opportunity.
 
Guys, Thanks for the info. Keep it coming. I sent I sent the link to this thread to my friend and will let you know how it goes. :)

Heber
 
Its exactly why I got my HR. Wanted ONE tough ass knife not too big or too small. So far its done everything I want. Though I worry I sharpened it the wrong angle and changed it. But its sharp.

Kind of a strange feeling. Like I hear its a tough knife, and hard to break, but never dared to test it out. Been burned by a lot of knife and sword companies...where I end up getting a lemon thats trash. Can't help get that nagging feeling everytime, even with the HR. Anyone ever get a bad rat?

Everything I've read suggests a very thorough heat-treat and quality control, but who knows with my luck.
 
Bad Rat? That's kind of like a bad Busse...

The worst that's happened to me was that I had to thin out the edge on my Bandicoot. Now it cuts like a mutha.... Seems to hold it's edge longer also.

Back to the question, I've never heard of a Swamp Rat failing. Never.
 
Even if a Swamp Rat fails, it will be backed up by the warranty. Don't be afraid to use the living daylights out of it, it's what it was made for ;).
 
So ALL of the rats are that tough? What happens if I manage to break it? Buy new one?

It feels solid in my hand, but almost afraid I might break it. Never been the same since I snapped a knife I thought was tough. What are some good tests?
 
Angelus1781 said:
So ALL of the rats are that tough? What happens if I manage to break it? Buy new one?

It feels solid in my hand, but almost afraid I might break it. Never been the same since I snapped a knife I thought was tough. What are some good tests?
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Here's my opinion, we have done the testing and we know they are tough. Use the knife, use it for anything and everything. Use it and abuse it. Just don't try to see what it can take by putting a pipe on the handle and seeing when it will break. I can break anything. I use knives hard and yet I've never had any problems with my Rat's. In general we test them, so you know they can be trusted. However, have said that the warranty is up to you. If you decide to test it, and you do damage it, and later think that it was a stupid test then you buy a new one. But if you think the test was fair then send it in and we will repair or replace it. That's the beauty of our warranty, we ask you to trust our knives, so we trust that you will be fair with the warranty. You decide.
 
Eric Isaacson said:
Here's my opinion, we have done the testing and we know they are tough. Use the knife, use it for anything and everything. Use it and abuse it. Just don't try to see what it can take by putting a pipe on the handle and seeing when it will break. I can break anything. I use knives hard and yet I've never had any problems with my Rat's. In general we test them, so you know they can be trusted. However, have said that the warranty is up to you. If you decide to test it, and you do damage it, and later think that it was a stupid test then you buy a new one. But if you think the test was fair then send it in and we will repair or replace it. That's the beauty of our warranty, we ask you to trust our knives, so we trust that you will be fair with the warranty. You decide.
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That's a powerful statement....I guess that's why many of my knives are either Swamp Rat or Busse. Not all, but many....

Given the way they are built it is very doubtful I will be returning one for warranty. Like Eric said, you need to go "out of your way" to break one.
 
Rats are some awesome knives with awesome warranties...TRUST YOUR RAT!! :D As to the original question...I think the HR would make a great utility knife for any one in the military who needs a knife that can take what will be dished out! ;)
 
Try testing it the the way that Bill on the HI forums describes. If it's a hard use knife, chop into some very hard wood and knots, slam the spine into wood, do some leaning into it (not with cheater pipe). Try to get it to fail now, before you need to depend upon it.

I try to test a user to about 120% of anything that I think I will reasonably encounter in the real world. If it fails, then it's defective. If not, then you know that it doesn't have any gross defects, and you're good to go.
 
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