I love my RAT-5

L

lonepantherak

Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
15
i know theres mucho controversy about the ontario rat lines but i simply love mine. it replaces the axe in my nessmuk inspired alaskan bush set and performs brilliantly.

this past summer i camped and hitched-hiked all thru the alaskan bush. from rural villages to the big city of ANC i relied on my rat-5 to build my lean-to shelters for the night.

everything about the knife is superbly designed and i had no problems felling small trees for shelter poles or stripping them of boughs for a soft feather-like bed for the evening.

the only weak point was that horrible sheath which i quickly replaced with a custom leather one.

my hiking/camping/vagabonding edc follows the nessmuk pattern of heavy chopper plus two lighter wieght blades. mine are:

1095 RAT-5
victorinox soldier
ATS-34 Benchmade 710

all performed admirably.

i wouldnt mind purchasing an RC blade but that saber grind i dont feel makes a good woods knife. yes, my RAT-5 was mainly a chopper but i often used it for kitchen prep and the flat grind is better at than than the saber.

you can check out my rat-5 on youtube, just search my name. its not a real review, but since there were so few rat-5 vids i wanted to put one up about my FAV knife.
 
no one is saying they aren't good knives. I'm sure they are, although Ive never owned one....and never will
 
They are decent knives the old Ontario RAT's but you need to pick up a RC knife and you'll never pick up the RAT5 again,IMO I sold all my Ontario version due to the RC version are higher quality and a no BS warranty ,if you enjoy the RAT5 that is fine enjoy it and welcome
 
Good knives, but that's because they were designed by us :D
 
right on and hello everybody!

just after i finished that post i left a message with my ANC knife shop about purchasing an RC blade. i believe ive just been bitten by the RC bug...
 
Thank you, sir. We appreciate you being here on the forum whether you buy an RC product or not, but we do appreciate you trusting us with your knife purchases.
 
lonepantherak said:
everything about the knife is superbly designed and i had no problems felling small trees for shelter poles or stripping them of boughs for a soft feather-like bed for the evening.



i wouldnt mind purchasing an RC blade but that saber grind i dont feel makes a good woods knife. yes, my RAT-5 was mainly a chopper but i often used it for kitchen prep and the flat grind is better at than than the saber.
Click to expand...

That's what happens when you buy knives designed by people who really use them.

If you do end up buying an RC, you'll find superior fit and finish, a more ergonomic feel, the best warranty in the business and a really well thought out sheathing system.

The OKC RATs are great, the RC's are a step or two above that.:thumbup:

EDIT: And welcome to the forum.
 
Welcome Lonepantherak, it's nice to see a gal on the forum that appreciates a good blade.
I noticed that you liked "The Hunted" at your youtube page, if you ever get tempted to get a Tom Brown Tracker knife make sure you heft one before you buy, they're big time heavy.
 
A gal? I guess my "welcome sir" didn't go over well then :D
 
NorCalMtn2 said:
Welcome Lonepantherak, it's nice to see a gal on the forum that appreciates a good blade.
I noticed that you liked "The Hunted" at your youtube page, if you ever get tempted to get a Tom Brown Tracker knife make sure you heft one before you buy, they're big time heavy.
Click to expand...

thanks for the kinds words guys. yes that tom brown tracker knife is close to 2lbs and for me thats way too heavy; plus those multiple grinds and ridiculous saw back make this knife a big no-no.

though bencio del toro sure looked sexy weidling one!
 
While they don't compete with the RC line, I still think the old RATs are fine knives. Great designers of course;). But for the purposes you suggest I still think the RAT7 is a far superior knife than the RAT5. To my way of thinking the RAT5 was too much handle vs. not enough blade. The proportions of the RAT7 were just superior.

Rather like the RC4: optimal handle to blade ratio IMO.
 
The only problems with the Rat knives are the fit, finish, and politics. I've found that the cosmetic issues with my 2005 collectors series Rat-7 don't hold it back in the functional areas.
All the Rat/RC designs are remarkably good. I think they hold their own with just about anything out there.
 
It sounds like you are talking about your Rat 5 like it no longer exists. Is that because its gone or because your trip is over?
 
shunsui said:
The only problems with the Rat knives are the fit, finish, and politics. I've found that the cosmetic issues with my 2005 collectors series Rat-7 don't hold it back in the functional areas.
All the Rat/RC designs are remarkably good. I think they hold their own with just about anything out there.
Click to expand...

plz elaborate; ive heard the heat treat on some blades werent too good but the rat-3,5,7 i thought had better QC.
 
Idaho Jarhead said:
It sounds like you are talking about your Rat 5 like it no longer exists. Is that because its gone or because your trip is over?
Click to expand...

oh god no! i just oiled that thing today and will be doing another overview (yes one more time) of it as a "test subject" for my new digital camera.

i LOVE that knife; its simply awesome. i bought a benchmade rant at the same time but i gave that away as the RAT-5 ran circles around it.

im waiting for warmer weather so i can post a real reveiw: batoning, sheltermaking, cut tests etc.

that youtube vid was actually my first video ever so its not my best and the knife doesnt show up all that well. but im practicing and will have real decent vid that showcases what i feel is the best knife under $100 a woodsman can buy.

of course i have a feeling that might change as soon as i can afford an RC to test!
 
lonepantherak said:
plz elaborate; ive heard the heat treat on some blades werent too good but the rat-3,5,7 i thought had better QC.
Click to expand...

As far as fit and finish, mine has some cosmetic issues like epoxy leaking out around the handles, poor fitting on the handles e.g. handles partially blocking the lanyard hole, some horn areas not polished/finished, some mold growing on the horn, and a little blade warp near the tip, probably due to quench issues. The knife still works though, nothing much wrong with the edge. In contrast, the Rat Cutlery production line seems to take a little more care in how they put their knives together. I'm hoping they bring on some killer sprint runs in other steels though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top