Is Rough Ryder Reserve really worth $27 more than Case?!

el gigantor

el gigantor

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The time has come for me to buy another stockman. Love the pattern, and I have my options narrowed down to two:

Case Large Stockman, CV blades, yellow delrin.

Rough Ryder Reserve Common Stock, D2 blades, black micarta.

Rough Ryder Reserve is a full $27 more expensive. Putting aside the country of manufacture and the differences in steel/handle types, am I getting a substantially better product if I invest in the RRR?

As always, I appreciate any input I receive from the regulars on the porch. Much obliged, and have a great day!
 
RRR are definitely worth 27 more than a typical Case. Tbh, regular RR's are just as good as Case. With the Reserve you get a really good steel and better finishing. You can easily take that finishing even further if you round the edges and polish them like I have on my two. The one downside is they're pretty thick and heavy.
 
I can't say the RRR is "worth" $27 more than the large 4.25 inch closed Case, as I've never had either..
I can say I don't think the large 4.25 inch closed Case Stockman is "worth" $50 ~ $60 more than a large 4.25 inch closed RR stockman with either 440A or T10 carbon steel.
At least the Case isn't worth the premium price to me.
Like I said, I've never had the large Case 2 spring stockman. Case's accusation "blade rub goes with the pattern, and isn't covered under warranty ..." scares me off the Case offering, much as I would like the CV with Amber jigged bone to match my CV canoe.
My several 2 spring 4 inch and 4.25 inch RR stockmans don't have blade rub. Neither do my old 2 spring Schrade + Old Timer 858, and new production 2 spring offshore BTI 858OT and 858 OTB Lumberjacks. (4.625 inch closed)

I have no reason to believe that even if I was 50 years younger, used them just as hard as a Case, and given the same care, the RR wouldn't outlast me, being passed on to my nephew, and possibly his kids, should he ever make any. Provided it isn't put in my right front pocket before they close and seal the box I'll eventually be planted in. 😷👍
 
My RRR common stock is fantastic. Its definitely finished better than my case large stockman. It also came shaving sharp out of the box and has a handy bottle opener/driver. They are worth it.
 
Is the case as thick and heavy? The reason I ask is that there are different definitions of what a medium or large stockman is. I grew up with Bucks and the Cadet 303 was small, the 301 Stockman was medium, and the 307 Wrangler was large. If they made a jumbo, it would be the size of the 317 Trailblazer. It seems that Case called the medium a large.
 
I have Case and Rough Ryder knives. Regular Rough Ryder knives are pretty much equivalent to Case knives. The Reserve line is a cut above, pardon the pun. The steel (D2) is better and the overall build is excellent.
 
My typical Case knives have been much better than the typical Rough Ryder Knives.
I've heard pretty good things about the Rough Ryder reserve line, like the quality is better, but their designs haven't made me want to try them after all the bad luck I've had with their regular line. I'll stick with Case knives because I know I will get good quality for a reasonable price. Regular Rough Ryders can be absolute junk, Case knives are a decent middle ground, and on the higher end we have GEC. Perhaps the Rough Ryder Reserve Line fall somewhere between a Case and a GEC, but I haven't ordered one to find out.
 
JohnDF said:
My typical Case knives have been much better than the typical Rough Ryder Knives.
I've heard pretty good things about the Rough Ryder reserve line, like the quality is better, but their designs haven't made me want to try them after all the bad luck I've had with their regular line. I'll stick with Case knives because I know I will get good quality for a reasonable price. Regular Rough Ryders can be absolute junk, Case knives are a decent middle ground, and on the higher end we have GEC. Perhaps the Rough Ryder Reserve Line fall somewhere between a Case and a GEC, but I haven't ordered one to find out.
Click to expand...
I have several hundred RR knives in my collection, and only 1 or 2 have been "junk". Then again, the "junk" ones were under $10.
 
johnnywizzo said:
I have several hundred RR knives in my collection, and only 1 or 2 have been "junk".
Click to expand...
I've documented my experiences in the Rough Ryder thread with photos.
I've had unfinished knives, blades that wouldn't close because the rub was so bad, locks that wouldn't lock, etc.
I have never ever had a Case knife with these problems... Ever!
 
afishhunter said:
I can't say the RRR is "worth" $27 more than the large 4.25 inch closed Case, as I've never had either..
I can say I don't think the large 4.25 inch closed Case Stockman is "worth" $50 ~ $60 more than a large 4.25 inch closed RR stockman with either 440A or T10 carbon steel.
At least the Case isn't worth the premium price to me.
Like I said, I've never had the large Case 2 spring stockman. Case's accusation "blade rub goes with the pattern, and isn't covered under warranty ..." scares me off the Case offering, much as I would like the CV with Amber jigged bone to match my CV canoe.
My several 2 spring 4 inch and 4.25 inch RR stockmans don't have blade rub. Neither do my old 2 spring Schrade + Old Timer 858, and new production 2 spring offshore BTI 858OT and 858 OTB Lumberjacks. (4.625 inch closed)

I have no reason to believe that even if I was 50 years younger, used them just as hard as a Case, and given the same care, the RR wouldn't outlast me, being passed on to my nephew, and possibly his kids, should he ever make any. Provided it isn't put in my right front pocket before they close and seal the box I'll eventually be planted in. 😷👍
Click to expand...
Yeah, I was really excited to buy my first Case - American made slipjoint! Classic, right?! Pride in manufacturing! So pay most of the price of a Spyderco Delica for a Case Toothpick, and it was just a little underwhelming, beautiful blue/purp corleon, but there was blade play the grind and edge was just not as well done as any Spyderco, Buck... my Rough Ryder Cotton Sampler was PERFECT, perfect grind lines, perfect edge, perfect centering, no blade play at all, stays that way.

I buy American knives like Spyderco for a reason. All of them are exceptional, just got my first Buck 110 and it is perfect, flawless. But for slipjoints? No way can I justify shelling out 50-70 bucks on a slippie from Case that has shoddy QC and I am not going to play with the GEC frenzy, pay $400 for some trapper or whatever. If I am going to pay $300 for a new slipjoint, it'll be Boker's Cruwear Quadro Hunter.

Maybe A.G Russell is where I need to go? But seriously, I do not like buying Chinese knives and just as well cause those ti-framelock D2 soulless CCP clones that come out from WEWeeonyourCivivirights don't appeal to me. But the Rough Ryder catalog? Oh man, I love it, well-made, priced-right, patterns that Case doesn't make. Slipjoints may be the one exception where I can stand to spend $20 here and there for a beautiful, quality, functional slippie...from China. Like I said, I will check out A.G Russell, but I don't know much about 'em. I did not even know about this reserve line and I am psyched for it. I want 'em and am trying to not feel guilty for that, ha. I will try one more Case, maybe on the secondary market... maybe a larger one like a Stockman? I like the Stockman pattern... Maybe Buck? I wonder how their slippies are...
 
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