Is the rat 2 the best edc quality knife for the budget?

needler420

needler420

Joined
Apr 29, 2011
Messages
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Basically I been after a good knife to edc with a budget of about $60 bucks because I need two atm. So $120 tops has to get me two knives.

Now let me start of with this. I live in FL now after just coming back from CA and Chile for two years. Before that two years I lived in FL the whole time.

So balisongs and switchblades for me and what I need out of it is very practical for me that I can legally carry and own them in my state. I already want to learn how to flip balisong. I need a knife for basic mundane things like cutting fishing line, opening mail and packages to cutting a piece of fruit in your car.

My opinion on balisong is there hasn't hit consumer friendly prices. Benchmark set a standard on quality but not on price. To get one of these so called lifetime use balisongs you're looking at about $250 minimum. It's also another reason why I don't really like OTF knives even though I can carry them in my state. I looked at the microtech OTF even the smallest little one that guys buy for their girl is the UTX70 and that is the cheapest, smallest OTF at name brand still. At $200 its a little too much for what it is and definitely for my budget. I don't get to buy knives no where near as often as I like. In fact all of my knives expect for one are Chinese made flea market knives. My only good knife is a Italian switchblade my grandpa brought back for my dad from Italy in the early 1980-1981. My granpa passed so its one of my most cherished items I don't really look at it as a knife but something sentimental. Which is scary knowing certain states I might not be allowed to have it. Other then that my blades are flea market Chinese made knives. They won't even cut the hair on my arm off. The rat 2 is $27 dollars and shaves hair like a safety razor blade.

So with that said I would totally EDC a Frank B 9 inch tactical stiletto. Sure I may get weird looks when I'm using it to cut a fruit or pick dirt under my finger nail but I like it and I can do it. I can also give one to my lady friend who can keep one in her purse. She has has two girls and is scared of guns. So I think a switchblade would make for a decent self defense weapon. And she likes knives not guns and I can a sense that she wants a self defense type of weapon in her purse. I got her a $2 dollar butterfly knife from the flea market which is kind of embarrassing. A Italian stiletto also works for me because I can edc it and display it nicely among my grandpas which never leaves the house never cuts anything. Remember that thing isn't even a knife to me even though it is if you get what I mean.

Then we have the RAT 2 at $27 dollars new I watched videos on reviews and its cutting and all I can say is this seems like the type of knife that you buy 2 of one to gift or have as a back up because its such a quality knife and bang for your buck. If i got with a rat 2 I would go with pink color for me because I love how its not intimidating at all yet it so should be.

I been debating either getting two Frank B tactical stilettos or picking up like three rat 2's and extra to store away.

The reason for two to begin with is one is to be gifted.

I just want opinions on what people will say based on my situation. Many will probably just say it comes down to personal preference.
 
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And why exactly can't you save up the extra money to get what you really want?

For me the RAT 2 is too small. I would go with the RAT 1 but really I think the Utillitac II is where its at for me. Also the Enlan EL-01 should get serious consideration as the best budget EDC knife.

That said, best budget EDC is completely subjective. I think my Large 21 is great for what I paid. So is the Kershaw Tremor I carry on occasion.
 
You might look at the Spyderco Tenacious or Delica. The Delica is a little pricier but you can find it for $60 if you look around.

Definitely depends on how you use your knives though. I don't use my EDC for hard stuff, so I just want a knife that cuts really well. If you are wanting a knife to beat on, then the RAT is probably a good choice.

I agree with craytab though...just save up and get what you really want. Benchmade mini Griptilian comes to mind for around $90.
 
I loved my tenacious, for the money check out the Kershaw/ Emerson collaboration knives they are very nice for 40 bucks or less
 
I agree with craytab, with my preference going toward the Rat 1 or Utilitac II. Kershaw has quite a few offerings as well, my favorite being the Thistle and Half-Ton. Another two to check out would be the Avispa and Zancudo. I was able to handle both at blade and prefer the Avispa. Oh yea, the Ka-Bar Dozier line are pretty stout little folders.
 
Rat one is too big and too much knife for what I need. I need to pick the dirt out of my fingernail and cut my seat belt if had to in emergency.
 
needler420 said:
Rat one is too big and too much knife for what I need. I need to pick the dirt out of my fingernail and cut my seat belt if had to in emergency.
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And you can't do that with a RAT 1? But you want a bali and an OTF? I guess I don't get it....
 
craytab said:
And you can't do that with a RAT 1? But you want a bali and an OTF? I guess I don't get it....
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+1

This is just another, "I really want _____, but I don't feel it's worth that much money" thread.

Edit -

To add, since I should make this relevant.

You don't want a blade to be cutting your seatbelt in an emergency. Especially if you are the one trying to cut yourself free. Keeping a small gut hook/rescue blade in your vehicle is the best solution. You also shouldn't be worrying about what people think of the knife you choose to use. If it's legal in your area, then use what you want. After reading the OP again, it appears that you are female, most likely with small hands (which is why you refuted the idea of the RAT 1). I suggest you save your money and buy the Microtech that you want. IMO, you haven't owned anything that nice, so you currently don't think it's worth it. Once you've had your hands on higher end knives, you won't go back to the cheap ones.
 
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It sure makes a good one, small but capable, fit and finish very good, and talk about fast and smooth opening, this inexpensive knife is sweet.

Not really a self-defense type of knife though. Running shoes or pepper spray would be better.
 
I'd say tenacious or delica. I live In florida too and I never usually carry an auto outside cause of the vagueness of the laws here. Also I believe that balisongs are considered gravity knives? But I think you can "open carry" them down here. If I could only get two knives I'd have a larger folder and an sak of some sort. More options.
But it sounds like you're sold on a rat 2. Get that, or buy one really decent knife with better steel. I would definitely look at the delica.
 
I'd suggest the Ontario utilitac 2. It fits the hand better, better blade geometry and the clip point is good for piercing. But I think you should get the Spyderco Delica 4. Can be had for around 50 dollars
 
JDX said:
I'd suggest the Ontario utilitac 2. It fits the hand better, better blade geometry and the clip point is good for piercing. But I think you should get the Spyderco Delica 4. Can be had for around 50 dollars
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Never seen a Delica from a reputable dealer for $50. Are you referring to the Exchange here?
 
In the $30 - $50 dollar range, I think they rule. I don't try to compare them to $100 and above knives. Others have (and will) give better suggestions in that range. I don't have edc's in that range.

The Rat 2 is my daily EDC during the week where something less obtrusive in an office is more my style and I carry the Rat 1 on the weekends. An edc to me is a knife I never think twice about using, lending, losing, and abusing. For me it must be something I can depend on and of good enough quality to not worry about performance under normal circumstances. For me, it should be something I wont stress about if it gets lost. The Rat 1/2 won't win any beauty contests, nor will they win me any points around here but they just check all the right boxes for me.

I don't own any real expensive knives (by forums standards, I guess) so maybe what Dave_M says is true about not going back once you had better. I just don't have a desire to spend more on everyday knives that do what I do with them.
 
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needler420 said:
So with that said I would totally EDC a Frank B 9 inch tactical stiletto. Sure I may get weird looks when I'm using it to cut a fruit or pick dirt under my finger nail but I like it and I can do it. I can also give one to my lady friend who can keep one in her purse. She has has two girls and is scared of guns. So I think a switchblade would make for a decent self defense weapon. And she likes knives not guns and I can a sense that she wants a self defense type of weapon in her purse. I got her a $2 dollar butterfly knife from the flea market which is kind of embarrassing. A Italian stiletto also works for me because I can edc it and display it nicely among my grandpas which never leaves the house never cuts anything. Remember that thing isn't even a knife to me even though it is if you get what I mean.
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You gave your lady friend a $2 flea market balisong for self defense:confused: No offense but that seems like a terrible idea! Knives are not very good self defense tools unless you are trained to use them and even with all the training in the world would you really want to trust a $2 knife with your girls life? A firearm is the best choice but since she is afraid of them then a can of pepper spray is probably the best alternative.
 
I would still go with the Rat 1 (if I had to choose, I'd say it, the Utilitac II by the same company or the Kershaw Thermite are the best EDCs for the budget.) For literally a few dollars more you get a lot more steel.

The OP is a bit confusing because in it you say you'd totally carry a 9" stiletto to clean your nails, but later you say craytab's suggestion of the smaller Rat 1 (smaller than a 9" stiletto) is too big for your needs.

If I might ask, what are the different uses for the two knives, that you need two different ones at this time? Don't get me wrong, two cool knives are better than one, I'm just wondering. With $120 you're more than halfway to that Microtech, and once you get to $200, it wouldn't take long to just save up more for whatever you really want.

Knives $40 and under tend to be my favorite because I'm poor and sometimes I like back-ups of cool models, but if someone really wants something else, my suggestion is saving for that. Happier in the long run, probably.
 
I disagree with the tenacious, overhyped imo. Rat 2 is fantastic if that's the size you like.if you save up a bit the mini griptillian is comparable also with Steel and lock upgrade.
 
fsatsil said:
You gave your lady friend a $2 flea market balisong for self defense:confused: No offense but that seems like a terrible idea! Knives are not very good self defense tools unless you are trained to use them and even with all the training in the world would you really want to trust a $2 knife with your girls life? A firearm is the best choice but since she is afraid of them then a can of pepper spray is probably the best alternative.
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It wasn't for self defense. Its main purpose is to learn to flip. But since its FL we live in she carries it in her purse so I'd assume it would be used in self defense should the situation arise. Problem is yeah its a $2 dollar knife. Sure it could possibly save someone as its still a blade and it can still penetrate and stab. But yeah it would suck if that so called "situation" came up and your using a two dollar flea market knife to try and save yourself.

A firearm is out of the question. Just based on her personal preference I don't think she'd want one if it was free. That's just her preference.
 
I don't know if the rat 2 is the "best" budget blade. But I would say its up there among the best options at the price point for sure, and I doubt many would argue against that. I don't think anyone would ever say that the RAT 2 is a "bad" knife at the very least.

And yeah, I'm confused by the rest of the post.

I will say that no matter the blade, it sounds like you could learn to sharpen, as that will improve ALL of the blades you own. I can't say I'm amazing at sharpening, but I'm confident that I can get any blade out there to hair shaving sharp (even if it doesn't hold it long), which makes me feel more comfortable maintaining my knives.

Good luck finding whatever it is that you're looking for.
 
I currently carry two knives; a Rat 2 which IMHO is a fine knife and a Victorinox Tinker. Both are must haves and must have with me.
Rich
 
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