just got my rd7

G

gutsy

Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
749
it just came in two days ago after ordering it directly from justin. the finish is one that ive never seen the like of , black and slightly textured but smooth and satin like . looks good but when i stabbed it into a log and pulled it out a large section of finish was gone . about a half inch actually. i then proceeded to chop into some 10 inch logs just to see how it performed in that manner . it actually does very well in my opinion. the only draw backs i ve immediatly seen is the durability of the finish and the ergonomics of the handle . it bit my hand a little while chopping . the way the micarta slabs fit against the knife its self can cause a good deal of discomfort espessially around the pinky area. with some slight modifications i believe this may easily be my main backwoods knife.opinions or suggestions about the handle and finish are very welcome .
 
I think the pinky discomfort is from the handle shape. If you felt the scales pinching you, that's a defect and I'm sure Justin would be happy to make it right. He'll most likely be able to reshape the handle for you, too, if that'll make your hand feel more secure for extended use.

The coating on my RD-9s seem pretty durable. Some came off, but I was digging up a tree stump in rocky soil, so I expected that. Maybe I need to spend more time chopping and less time digging.

Thanks for sharing your review!
 
thanks for replying thom, ill call justin monday and see what he says. the finish is what ercked me the most ,handles i can grind myself. i posted in his forum about it and havent heard anything yet . i really love this knife and hope to get everything worked out soon.
 
The finish should be more durable, but even at best it won't last long if you use the blade. Within a short period of time it should be obvious which part of the blade is used for chopping as the coating will rapidly wear off in that area. There are harder coatings which resist this much better, but they can crack off under impacts.

-Cliff
 
thanks for the reply cliff , the finish actually cracked off , didnt scuff or smear off like say my beckers finish does when splitting wood . youre also correct about the origin of the rd7 , its an old straight handled busse steel heart . ive read into it and justin and jerry are supposedly good freinds so that would make sense. ill go ahead and warn you about this knife , the handles/grip/tang will bite the hand a little . just throw it on a grinder and all will be well . just a little tid bit if you ever test one . awesome knife for the price as well . im calling justin first thing tomorrow and see what he says , hell probably tell me to send it in and im sure hell make it right .
 
The RD series were blanks origionally from Busse, he sold a bunch of them on the forum awhile back, Justin got the bulk of them. The problem with the end hook was a known issue with that style of handles, it even induced the term "Busse pinky" due to the effect it had on that finger with extended use. It was an issue at first with my SHBM, but I got used to it. I would prefer in general a grip like on the Ratweiler as you can't readily drive off of the end hook on the SHBM.

-Cliff
 
i ust called justin and he said he had a few knives that the finish didnt take for whatever reason and that it wasnt a big deal. he said i could send it in to him for a refinish anytime i wanted to or after i beat the crap out of it,which ever. good guy btw, i talked to him for a good while. as for the handles , he said i could grind them or the knife itself without voiding the warranty and that when i send it in for a refinish , he could do whatever i wanted to the handles even newer thicker ones out of my choice of material. good on him. thanks for the reply cliff .
 
Yes, I'd use it for awhile and check to see if the coating is an issue anywhere else. It may just be that one spot. It is mainly a cosmetic issue, I generally get uncoated blades if available as the only part of the blade which is a concern with corrosion is the edge and the coating doesn't protect that anyway.

-Cliff
 
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