Important Information and FAQ's

Eric Isaacson

Eric Isaacson

Pirate
Joined
Dec 19, 1999
Messages
12,547
For those of you new to Swamp Rat Knife Works I thought a post to gather all the important info would be appreciated.

Sheaths
All Swamp Rat knives come with Kydex lined Cordura Sheaths, the Camp Tramp and the Battle Rat Sheaths have an expandable front Utility/Tool pocket on the front, the Ratchet and 2 Smaller Models do not have the utility pocket. Here are a couple pictures of the Battle Rat sheath and the Camp Tramp sheath is similar.
115513Sheath1.JPG



Edge
All Swamp Rat knives have Symmetrically Convex ground edges. This edge is easily maintained using a loaded strop, although I've been known to use my Sharpmaker also .


Current Models, New Models

Currently we are accepting orders for the Camp Tramp and the Battle Rat and the Paul's Ratchet(hatchet). The two 4.5" models will soon be available. Here are some pictures of the Full Line. The 2 small models are 3/16" thick stock with incredible slicing edges and the Ratchet, Camp Tramp and Battle Rat are 1/4" thick stock.

114775FullLine2.JPG
 
Concrete Block Chop
Here are some pictures of the Concrete Block Chop we performed live at Blade Show. The first one is of the Battle Rat slicing paper before the Block Chop. This is to prove this is a sharp knife, we wanted to cut the block not smash it. A hammer can destroy a concrete block but not cut into, we cut into and through it.
115841SRpaperslicebeforeblockchop1.JPG


This next pic is an impact shot. Check out the concrete shooting off the block. These were high impact chops, not (as Jerry said) "little, protective girly chops" To note, when chopping through the block the energy was all focused on one section of the blade. It was NOT spread over the entire blade.
115849SRBlockImpactshot1.JPG


Here is an action photo. See if you can find another manufacturer who trusts their blades enough to do this at a show.
115745concreteblockchop1.JPG


And here is the Edge after the chopping was done, no damage, no chips, no cracks only dull.
Just to let you all know, I brought this blade home and sharpened it up, no problems(more on this later). So if you ever decide to cut through a concrete wall you can use the Battle Rat and resharpen it yourself.
114535Nodamageoutside.JPG


While this knife was dull I've actually used knives that were duller. I wouldn't expect it to be sharp, it just chopped through a concrete block. However, one thing to note is that John Novak(Nimrod) actually was able to slice cardboard after this test was performed. Other manufacturers knives would have crumbled with this test.

I was able to resharpen the edge with a loaded strop and my Sharpmaker, I spent approx 20 minutes resharpening it. Any good quality sharpener would have done the trick. I wanted to prove that I was able to resharpen the edge without having to send it in, or go out and buy an expensive sharpener.

This test really proves several things.
1) Incidental contacts with stone, concrete, rock while using a Rat isn't going to cause any problems and you will be able to resharpen the blade yourself.

2) The Rat won't chip out when using it on bone or other hard material, even with hard impacts.

3) If you lose your jackhammer and you want to do some remodeling....

Seriously, this was the most incredible thing I've ever seen a knife do. The impacts were full impacts, I'm glad I had safety glasses on because concrete was flying everywhere.

Another point to make about this is that not only weren't there any rolls on the edge there weren't any chips taken out. This is significant, because a chipped blade affects more than just the chip. Other sections around the chip can be affected by microfractures.

Also, if you do have contacts with stone, concrete, etc while chopping you don't need to send it back to have the damage ground out. You can do it yourself.

More info can be seen in this thread http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000048
 
Flexibility

The Battle Rat has been bent to 45 Degrees and returned to true. The Shop is currently doing some more testing to determine a number that we can consistently reach without the blade taking a Set. We believe this number will be significant, but we'll will post more on it later.

The testing that has been done so far indicates the Battle Rat can reach the 80 degree region without breaking (see photo)

The Camp Tramp and Battle Rat blades are Differentially Treated and the Edge has a RC of 60. More information on the Differential Treatment will soon be posted on these forums and once people see it everyone will want one of these knives. It is incredible what is being done with these Production knives that you can buy for $128 and $148. Knives with similar abilities and Differential Treat commonly sell for thousands. (to be honest they probably don't perform as well as these)

The Video we had at Blade showed some of the following.

Pounding the tip into angle iron, without any tip damage or breakage.
Flexing the blade to upwards of 90 degrees without breaking it.
Chopping through a concrete block without chipping, rolling or breaking out the edge. The blade was only dulled. To note, when chopping through the block the energy was all focused on one section of the blade. It was NOT spread over the entire blade.
The blade was placed into the hitch of a 1978 F150 and the tang was used as a jack support to jack the truck up. The tang and blade remained straight.

These knives have shown extreme durability and strength. I can't wait until some of you guys get your hands on them and see what they can do.

The next pic is to show the extreme angle at which the blade can be bent without breaking it.

115486SR101invise.jpg



Some more info on the Flexibility of the Rat's can be seen in this thread http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000041

Some information regarding the durability of the Coating. http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000096#000000

And, here is a link to Andrew Lynch's review of the Battle Rat.
http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000063
 
Some pics of the Paul's Ratchet(Rat Hatchet :D)

148422Ratchetinhand.JPG

148420Ratchetwithsheath.JPG



And here is a picture of the temper line that all of our Battle Rat's and Camp Tramp's have
159489temper1.JPG
 
Eric,

I really want a HR! When do you expect to have them in. I am deploying out the first or second week in Oct. The knives look great!!!!
 
Swamp Rat Knife Works has introduced it's newest knife, the Bandicoot
bandicoot.jpg


Blade Steel - SR101
Blade Length - 4 1/2"
Overall Length - 9"
Hardness - 58-60 Rc (through hardened)
Blade Thickness(approx) - 3/16"
Handle - Resiprene C
Intro Price - $78.95 (regular price $88.95)

It is offered with a Right or Left handed leather sheath.
bandicoot_in_sheath.gif



and the "Penetrator" tip which has become very popular among Swamp Rat fans. It provides an extremely sharp and durable point that allows for added penetration when doing fine work and will prove invaluable for defensive applications.
penetrator_tip_bandicoot.jpg


If you would like me to forward a copy of the Email drop me a note at swampratinfo@bellsouth.net or check out the knife page at www.swamprat.com
 
Very impressive, how do the handles feel in comparison to the Busse Combat series? I never liked the rubbery feel they had.
 
Eric,

Since you are working on the FAQ, could you tell us which knives have the penetrator point standard and which have it as an option? I just ordered the CT and am not sure if I will have that or not.

Cheers!
 
Mtnclimber,
Currently the Penetrator Tip is standard on the Bandicoot, Camp Tramp and the Battle Rat. It is not available on the Howling Rat or the Pauls Ratchet.

:D:D:D
 
Originally posted by Tuff
Holy flashbacks of Cold Steel videos.....
Click to expand...

The difference is that if you perform any of the tests on the Cold Steel videos with a Cold Steel knife and break or damage it they won't warranty it. You can perform these tests and more with our knives and we will warranty them (of course you won't need the warranty because you won't damage our knives ;) ) :D:D
 
I ordered a Battle Rat on 14th January & cant wait for it to arrive. Based on what Ive read about Busse/Swamp Rat, it seems Ive made a superb choice of Survival blade, I also own what seem to be the other favourites, a BK7 & BK9, but the Rat is gonna be my main "outdoor companion".
I read a superb article by photographer Mike Spinak, and intend to base MY survival system on his, but instead of a modified sheath, Im going to piggy-back a GPS unit case onto my sheath for my survival odds & sods, and attach a small Aitor skinner/spearhead to the rear of the sheath. IF I can figure out how, I'll post pics on here when completed!
 
Eric Isaacson said:
The difference is that if you perform any of the tests on the Cold Steel videos with a Cold Steel knife and break or damage it they won't warranty it. You can perform these tests and more with our knives and we will warranty them (of course you won't need the warranty because you won't damage our knives ;) ) :D:D
Click to expand...

That's a hell of a warranty.

I wouldn't dare perform such a test with my knife. Unless I had too.

Nice to know if it's a Rat it can take it. I'm saving my money as we speak.
 
Actually, Busse's blades are not differentially tempered. They are through hardened. :thumbup:
 
360joules said:
Actually, Busse's blades are not differentially tempered. They are through hardened. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Are you absolutely sure of this? Was this always the case, or at least with such models as the SHBM?:confused:

(hey... first post!)
spin.gif
 
Does anyone know when any of these knives, such as the Camp Tramp and Battle Rat will be available? I've looked all over the SWKW websites and none of these knives seem to be available. I'd rather get one of these knives straight from SWKW at a reasonable price rather than buying one that has been priced for profit by someone who wants some money. Any help would be great.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top