Inexpensive traditional folders for EDC

5K Q's, here is the Painted Desert Series Canoe. I like the earth tone swirls and waves in the acrylic. It almost looks like you could put your hand into it! The next two RR canoes I've set my sights on are the Gunstock checkered bone, and the Moonshiner series canoe.

 
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Thanks, vonR! :thumbup: That Painted Desert looks great!
FWIW, I have a RR gunstock checked canoe:
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I think it's a real winner!

- GT
 
Inexpensive traditional? I paid $3.95 shipped off Ƹbay. A decent little 'nut with real ram's horn covers.

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RR Mini Copperhead, Amber Bone.

This was inexpensive, under 10 USD and it certainly doesn't feel cheap or look cheap. Great quality and a treat of a small knife.

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I'm a little envious of you guys. Sometimes I wish I could be content with more humble knives, but I enjoy good looks and craftsmanship too much. Even on something like a camper/utility knife, I'll pick the one with bone covers over black synthethic even though it doesn't do anything better and is more expensive to boot.
 
This weekend I got the Rough Rider RR1357 and spent a solid hour breaking down cardboard corrugate, cutting both with and against the corrugations. The knife got a bit dull and would no longer cut paper cleanly but it handled the cardboard easily all the way to the end. A few minutes on the strop got it sharper than it came from the factory and I was able to slice very fine slivers of standard notebook paper with ease.

Then I spent some time on wood doing firestick-type stuff and general whittling on some pine scraps off a 2x4 and then making four stakes cut from from a 2' long, 3/4" thick twig of eucalyptus I found on a hiking trail near home. To cut the stakes I carved three little notches at the appropriate spots and then snapped the stakes off. The eucalyptus was pretty hard stuff and it took me about a half hour give or take to cut and sharpen the four stakes -- about ten minutes to carve the notches and about 5 minutes per stake to sharpen. I figure that simulates a situation like getting caught without a larger knife and having to stake down four corners of a light tarp or poncho for an emergency shelter. The knife certainly would work well for carving parts for snares or deadfall traps with the clip point just the ticket for fine work in tight spaces and the liner lock providing safety when working the knife from multiple angles.

Another few minutes on the strop (a little longer than the first time) brought back the paper-slivering sharpness, although there's a spot or two along the edge that might need the attention of the fine rods on the Sharpmaker. I'll wait for more of those spots to develop over time before I do that.

So after a solid hour on cardboard and about 45 minutes on wood the blade held up absolutely fine. It was then able to be made sharper than factory (which was pretty sharp) using just a strop and everything is still straight as an arrow and tight as a drum. The liner lock made the knife a joy to use when the edge got stuck while cutting or carving and I'm happy to report that I was able to avoid subjecting myself to a single nick or cut, an extreme rarity for me. ; )

In summary, everything you all told me about Rough Rider knives is true, at least for this one particular RR1357. I couldn't be happier with the knife's performance and safety as well as how good it looks doing it. Thanks to everyone for the flat-out best tip I've gotten in quite a while!
 
Great review. I don't know if anyone has told you, but the Rough Riders can be a little addictive. They are a great way to try new patterns without busting the bank.
You can "upgrade" to a "better" knife after deciding you like a pattern, or stick with the Rough Rider.
 
Yeah, afishhunter, I'll definitely be buying more Rough Riders starting with a bunch more RR1357's for gifts and just because I like it so darn much. The RR1357 is a traditional serpentine pattern that's used broadly for one and two blade jacks as well the stockman, but is unique in having the liner lock. I've not seen that before on the serpentine pattern and to me the liner lock makes the RR1357 a better knife than the straight traditionals. So in addition to trying out patterns I've never used before I'll also be on the lookout for Rough Riders with performance and safety enhancements.
 
csmats,

I have the Buck 302. I think it is a pretty solid knife. It's well made, USA made, will serve well for many years. it's a little more expensive than an Opinel or a RR. Here is my youtube review if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0icJrM6fm7o
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My favorite is the Svord Mini Peasant knife. It does not have much in the way of cosmetics, but it is long on utility and strength. The mini is small enough to fit in the pocket and still has a comfortable handle. My video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRSFC--GDkI My Bladeforums review here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1238622-The-Svord-Peasant-Mini-One-year-of-EDC
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dogstar - The Buck 302 in sawcut black valox is about the same price as the Case Sodbuster Jr. and is on my list to try out. I just got redirected temporarily with the Rough Rider discussion and testing. That yellow 302 you've got is real nice. It's discontinued, though, right? I've looked at the Svord Peasant Knife and have heard good things about it but that blade extension that allows your hand to "lock" the blade in place when open sticks out too much for my liking when closed. I guess I'm kind of picky about how knives rest in my pocket, which is why I talk about it when assessing knives and why I like single blade folders for pocket carry. Thanks for weighing in with two nice knives that fit right into the category I'm talking about.
 
csmats said:
dogstar - The Buck 302 in sawcut black valox is about the same price as the Case Sodbuster Jr. and is on my list to try out. I just got redirected temporarily with the Rough Rider discussion and testing. That yellow 302 you've got is real nice. It's discontinued, though, right? I've looked at the Svord Peasant Knife and have heard good things about it but that blade extension that allows your hand to "lock" the blade in place when open sticks out too much for my liking when closed. I guess I'm kind of picky about how knives rest in my pocket, which is why I talk about it when assessing knives and why I like single blade folders for pocket carry. Thanks for weighing in with two nice knives that fit right into the category I'm talking about.
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Yes, yellow delrin is discontinued for the 302. I have a black sawcut 309, and it is good. I totally understand about the Svord. It is significantly bigger compared to a 302 or similar knife. I carried the Svord every day for over a year in my front pocket, but it got displaced by a phone, and I now carry a Victorinox Bantam, a great little knife in its own right. The Svord, IMO, is a more capable work knife. It's fuller handle makes it more comfortable to use for hours. I carved that butter knife in the photo with my Svord in one night without problem. I made feather sticks with my 302 once, and the thin handle slid around in my hand, making hot spots. If you are not regularly doing this kind of work, other knives are easier to carry, and better looking to boot. I just love whipping out the Svord with one hand and cutting stuff with its thin blade.

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While you are casting about in this category, you might want to take a look at the Mercator Black Cat, a german folder with an interesting history:
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The second crappy cell phone pic is an array of some of the inexpensive traditional single blade folders I have accumulated, mostly over the last year:
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From the top, they are:
Higo no Kami, a japanese friction folder with a folded metal handle and a laminated blade

Svord peasant knife

Aitor Castor, a bubinga-handled Spanish slipjoint

A couple of Opinels, No. 8 and No. 10

Filmam Tipica

Filmam Douro

Douk-douk, French slipjoint with a folded handle

Mercator, German lock-back with folded handle

Rough Rider large toothpick

Kudu, Cold Steel's take on the Okapi, the ratchet knife favored by South African township thugs and Jamaican rude-boys. About five bucks.

Any of these is cheap enough for an impulse buy; even the grossly overpriced examples are still under thirty bucks. I have had a lot of fun learning about them and carrying most of them.
 
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Henry Beige,

Nice collection! These are knives I would buy if I could justify buying more knives.
 
dogstar - I hear you on the small handles. I think my RR1357 is a bit more hand-filling than the 302 and my hand still got a bit tired and sore when I tested it. I like the Opinel No. 6 handle a lot, and my No. 8 Inox came and I really like that handle. The Sodbuster Jr. feels real good to me as well and the Svord handle looks roughly similar. Heck, I think I'm just gonna get one to play with. If there's one thing I found out with the RR1357, you never know for sure what will tickle your fancy until you try it, and the prices of these knives make them easy to try, right?

Henry - Wow! That looks exactly like what I had in mind when I thought up my little project. Out of that group which ones do you like best and why? Thanks for posting that picture and the descriptions. Now I'm off to research the ones I don't know about.
 
csmats said:
Henry - Wow! That looks exactly like what I had in mind when I thought up my little project. Out of that group which ones do you like best and why? Thanks for posting that picture and the descriptions. Now I'm off to research the ones I don't know about.
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Interesting that you should put it that way. I thought of it as a project as well. First, I wanted to survey the field, as it were. Then it occurred to me that i wanted to see if there was a name for this category of knives, although I didn't limit it just to folders, I included Moras and Marttiini fixed blades as well. There is a thread on that subject around here somewhere. I mention it in case you might want to look into those at some point, too.

To answer your question, the Opinels are still the best of the bunch, in my opinion. They cut like crazy, easy to sharpen, with a classically siple locking mechanism. I have used only the 7s, 8s and 10s, have been using them for forty years, and haven't bought one for about fifteen. I have not tried the stainless, but see no reason why they should not be just fine, especially for food.


That said, the one I carry most is the Filmam Tipica, mostly because I find the blade shape so useful.

Another that I like to carry is the K55 Black Cat, by Mercator. I wouldn't say the blade is at the top of the heap, but it gets the job done and it carries well despite its length, thanks to the flat handle.

As much as I like the Black Cat, I have failed to bond with the similarly-handled douk-douk. The raw edges on the handle make it uncomfortable to hold. In contrast, the paint on the Mercator seems to be quite thick, which has the effect of softening the edges. The douk-douk is the first one I ever heard called a hipster knife, which is one of the names that has been advanced for this class of knives.

The Svord peasant is a perfectly satisfactory, dead simple working knife with good steel. Unfortunately, it is still way too expensive for what it is, and is burdened with some embarrassingly giddy copy in the promotional materials.

The higonokami - either you love it or hate it. I am for it. It takes up no room in the pocket, and the weirdly-shaped laminated blade is wicked sharp.
 
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kamagong said:
I'm a little envious of you guys. Sometimes I wish I could be content with more humble knives, but I enjoy good looks and craftsmanship too much. Even on something like a camper/utility knife, I'll pick the one with bone covers over black synthethic even though it doesn't do anything better and is more expensive to boot.
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And that is exactly the reason I got away from expensive traditional folders. As a contractor, I always balance price/function/utility for any tools I buy, and knives are no exception.

When I started carrying knives as a young kiddo in the very 60s (BSA knife from my Dad), I had that one knife that I carried for years as my Dad thought that he got me going on the responsibility of a knife and I listened to his mantra of "don't buy junk". I still use that metric today.

If I feel I am getting a much better knife, superior in performance, materials, warranty and craftsmanship, then I will buy certain expensive knives regardless of their country of origin. If not, no sale, regardless of its country of origin. But the balance has to be struck, and while I appreciate a pretty knife, at this time in my life I admit I appreciate function and reliability more.

That being said, I have carried a Remington stockman for about ten years that was gifted to me when I was still quite xenophobic about knives. I carried to prevent the hurt feelings of a favorite niece that knew nothing about knives but her father had "heard of Remington". It has performed as well as any moderately priced folder I have ever owned (Case, Buck, etc.) and cost significantly less that its high prices cousins that sell special cover materials, a neat shield, a slightly different blade arrangement or an old time sounding name.

I started out being embarrassed to have a knife in my pocket that wasn't domestically produced, but the utility value and the overall fit and finish of some of the off shore makers was just too much to ignore. Now that I know some of these less expensive knives will stand up to my job site requirements, my hunting and camping needs and anything else I find for them to do I don't think a thing about dropping one in my pocket. I only have a very few of these Pacific Rim offerings, but all that I have look good to me and work great. With so many choices of cover materials, blade designs, shields, and the quality of construction I have experienced I don't feel I am compromising anywhere.

Robert
 
I love the geometry of the Opine knives in either steel and in any size I've tried. The bang for the buck is huge.

AG Russell is also hitting home runs, as far as I am concerned with his imports.
 
midnight flyer said:
...while I appreciate a pretty knife, at this time in my life I admit I appreciate function and reliability more.
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Hahaha...function and reliability are paramount. I thought it was so obvious that it didn't need to be said. But aesthetics and function are not diametrically opposed and I want both if possible. Unfortunately good looks cost extra.
 
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