M6 vs Camp Tramp

tenman

tenman

Joined
Jun 17, 2006
Messages
443
I have been looking at the larger blade Rats, and had a question: How does the M6 compare with the Camp Tramp? They seem to be somewhat similar blades. I know the handles differ (res-c vs micarta), but outside of that could anyone offer some information that would better allow me to compare the two knives?

Thanks!
 
Short answer:

If you want a "larger" bladed Rat, and a Camp Tramp is an option, GET it.

Otherwise, - RUN and get a "CHOPWEILER" at list price WHILE YOU CAN!!!!!!!

http://www.shop.ratknives.com/main.sc



------------------------------------------------

Long answer:


Honestly..... I don't think the M6 compares to the Camp Tramp at all.

M6..........................= 16.2 ounces; .235" thick; 6" blade; 11.68" oal

Camp Tramp............= 14.5 ounces; .236" thick; 7.325" blade; 12.5" oal


By the numbers, they may seem similar, but balance and feel in the hand is VERY different.

1.5" in blade length is a big difference for knives this size, but the main difference is the feel and balance. The Camp Tramp is lighter in the handle and has a nice balance for many types of uses including light chopping. The Camp Tramp is one of the Great mid-sized all around camp knives of all time.

The M6 is almost 2 ounces heavier than the Camp Tramp, 1.5" shorter and still not nearly as nice to use as the Camp Tramp and not nearly as versatile either! The Camp Tramp even though noticeably lighter, will chop circles around the M6. The Camp Tramp is also much more nimble and agile in the hand for task use than the M6.

No doubt the M6 is plenty tough and can be made very sharp, but the weight balance and feel just don't do it for me on the M6.

The M6 is VERY handle heavy. I have a hard time using the terms balance and feel in a positive way in regards to the M6, but again that is my opinion and again lots of people like the M6. It is a brute of a knife - especially in the handle. :confused:


------

The Chopweiler is a MUCH different story.

If you want to compare a knife to the GREAT Camp Tramp, the Chopweiler is the one to compare. The Chopweiler is basically the new version of the old Ratweiler. The old Ratweiler was basically a micarta version of the Camp Tramp!

Camp Tramp............= 14.5 ounces; .236" thick; 7.325" blade; 12.5" oal
Chopweiler - Micarta = 19.1 ounces; .25” thick; 7.5625” blade; 13.1875” oal
Ratweiler (orig.)……. = 20.1 ounces; .25” thick; 7.5” blade; 13” oal


The difference in weight is the full tang and micarta.
The difference in oal is mostly in the extended pommels of the micarta versions. Other than handles, and handle weight, the above three are very similar.


The Chopweiler is heavier than than the Camp Tramp, but the Chopweiler has a very nice feel and balance and is a VERY nice mid-sized chopper that still makes a great all-around use albiet fairly large knife. The Chopweiler's handle "looks" different, but it is VERY well suited for chopping!

For mor Chopweiler info: http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=005963

IMO, the M6, Camp Tramp and Chopweiler are all knives that are best suited to be paired with a companion smaller knife. The M6 (IMO) falls in no-man's-land. Some might try to say it is a knife to do it all. I would disagree, but again, different opinions.
The Camp Tramp is a larger knife than the M6 and the RMD is smaller and I think both would be better suited for doing much broader range of tasks than the M6.


I would MUCH rather have a RMD by itself over the M6 or a Camp Tramp over the M6, but the Camp Tramp or Chopweiler paired with a HRLM or similar nice 3.5" - 4.5" fixed blade would make a GREAT duo.

Sorry if it sounds like I am bashing the M6. But, I tend to call things like I see them. The M6 might be a great knife, but I guess I am jaded now because the M6 just doesn't hold a candle IMO to the Camp Tramp, Chopweiler or smaller RMD. :thumbup:

And for the record, I am NOT bashing Swamp Rat. The Camp Tramp, Chopweiler, RMD, HRLM, Battle Rat and Bog Dog are 6 of my favorite Swamp Rat knives and rank among the highest of hundreds of knives I own and have owned. But, the M6 isn't very high on my list.

That said, I am certain someone will come along and defend the M6.

But, I am VERY confident, those who have had both the Camp Tramp and the M6 will recommend the Camp Tramp if you can find one.

ALSO, those who own the CHOPWIELER and have handled the M6 will VERY likely recommend the Chopweiler.

Since the Chopweiler is available at the Company Store: http://www.shop.ratknives.com/main.sc , I have to recommend you GET a Chopweiler while you can still get one at a reasonable price.
The Chopweiler will ultimately go up in price.

And Camp Tramps are just hard to come by.... and expensive when you do.


If you think you must have a 6" bladed knife, I recommend the Scrap Yard S6 over the M6 - personally.

And as I stated above, I would HIGHLY recommend the RMD over the M6 as well! :thumbup: But, I am not comparing the RMD to the Camp Tramp or Chopweiler - that gets to be too big a stretch in size and uses.
The M6 just falls between a Chopweiler and RMD.
But, I will say the RMD is a WAY nicer knife than the M6 IMO and will probably do about anything the M6 could do while being much lighter, balanced and much nicer feeling in the hand - IMO. :thumbup:

.
 
I'll second the Chopwieler suggestion.

But the M6 has its place, and the handle is long enough to hold back near the thong hole and get that extra length.

But, if you have both knives in your sights, the CT would be the one I'd grab first. The M6 still pops up on the exchange rather often, while the CT is an uncommon sight.
 
Great info by DWRW. Definitely read through all of that. I have both the CT and the Chopweiler (CW). Like said before they are similar, but there are many differences as well. If you are going to be hiking around, the CT may be the answer as it is a bit lighter. Both will chop great and perform all around camp chores well. The clip point on the CT is good if you need to poke or pierce stuff. The drop point on the CW is a little less appropriate for that. The CT has Res-C handles that are grippy, soft and warm as compared to the micarta handles on the CW which are also grippy, but harder on the hands and cold in cold weather.

Both models have a big following so consider all the options and pick the one that is best for you. You can't really go wrong with either. The main difference is price. Neither is cheap, but the CT is a bit more expensive. It is however a CLASSIC. Tried and true. The standard by which all others are measured. Good luck.
 
I can't begin to offer near as lengthy an opinion as DWRW, but I like and have the M6. I had a Camp Tramp and sold it. I also have the old version of the Ratweiler (Chopweiler) and have to say that I prefer it to both of the others.

As you know, it really does come down to a personal preference, and your's may differ from someone else's with there being no right or wrong answer. For me, I don't care how rare CTs are versus the M6. In fact, if there was only one CT left in the world, I'd still sell it because it simply has never grown on me. It's not that it's a bad blade; it's just not for me.
 
Great information helps to make an informed decision :) I can see that the M6 and CT are not nearly so similar as I thought.

I would MUCH rather have a RMD by itself over the M6 or a Camp Tramp over the M6, but the Camp Tramp or Chopweiler paired with a HRLM or similar nice 3.5" - 4.5" fixed blade would make a GREAT duo.
Click to expand...

That is an interesting thought, and one to consider as I have the HRLM and really like it. Would make for a great pair of knives.

The Chopweiler is basically the new version of the old Ratweiler. The old Ratweiler was basically a micarta version of the Camp Tramp!
Click to expand...

Bingo! This is a very helpful bit of info, I am going to give the Chopweiler a very close look. I really like the OD finish, but black crinkle would match the HRLM. Looks like there are decisions to be made...
 
HRLM and Chopweiler will cover pretty much all but the biggest chopping jobs. That will make a very nice combo.
 
mike biz said:
HRLM and Chopweiler will cover pretty much all but the biggest chopping jobs. That will make a very nice combo.
Click to expand...


+1

If you have an HRLM and intend to use it, Get a Chopweiler! HANDS DOWN!

If you have an option on a Camp Tramp, I still say the Camp Tramp is a great knife. It will have advantages over the Chopweiler in carry due to it's lighter weight, but the Chopweiler probably actually has a slight advantage in chopping power over the Camp Tramp.

However, the Chopweiler is in the store now and the obvious advantage in price! And obvious advantage in BANG for the BUCK! vs. Camp Tramp.

The RMD is a VERY nice knife and I highly endorse it, but if you already have a HRLM, the HRLM would "over-lap" the RMD too much in possible tasks and uses. The RMD and HRLM probably would be able to do about 80% the same things. Whereas the Chopweiler or Camp Tramp would "compliment" the HRLM to make a perfect match! and cover the widest range of chores while leaving very few holes. :thumbup:

As Mike said, that combo: Chopweiler or Camp Tramp with HRLM should pretty well cover the whole spectrum of cutting chores short of needing a chain-saw or axe. :thumbup:

Further, if you already have a HRLM and intended to carry it, the HRLM would over-lap the M6 too much IMO as well. The HRLM would likely do most any task that many people might try to use the M6 for - short of some "light" chopping and moderate batoning. But, if that is all that is left for the M6 to do, the Chopweiler is WAY better at those given tasks!

The M6 is NOT a good chopper, but with a 6" blade and it's size and weight, it can chop little stuff and pick away. The HRLM is obviously not a chopper, but you could probably baton the HRLM cross-cut as well as the M6 chops.

The M6 will baton fine, but the Chopweiler is better. The longer blades help in batoning. And the Chopweiler probably chops 3-6 times better than the M6. There would be NO comparison in a chop-off with the Chopweiler vs. the M6.

The M6 is primarily for people who want "One" knife to do it all - So, as mentioned above by Leatherman, the M6 probably has its place. But, the problem (IMO) is that the M6 while it "can" do a lot, is not going to do many things very well. And, I personally feel the S6 is just significantly better (IMO) than the M6 if I wanted one knife to do it all. Same blade, but the weight, balance and feel difference is HUGE when comparing the M6 vs. S6.

Since you already have a HRLM and are looking to add another knife, the Chopweiler (or CT) is just a WAY better compliment to the HRLM than the M6 or S6 or many others.

A HRLM and Chopweiler combo will blow away an M6 at almost ANY task across the board. Not a fair comparison, but an HRLM is going to do smaller tasks WAY better than an M6 and a Chopweiler is going to do larger tasks WAY better than an M6. About the only advantage the M6 would have over the Chopweiler HRLM combo is better stabbing ability or similar odd tasks where a slightly pointier blade might have an advantage - for whatever that might be worth to you.
I doubt there are many who would/could dispute this.

.
 
DWRW said:
A HRLM and Chopweiler combo will blow away an M6 at almost ANY task across the board.
Click to expand...

Cleaning under toe nails. The pointiness of the M6 makes it excel over the HRLM or CW. :p (True, honestly!)

I would agree that any two blade small/large combo will be more versatile than one mid-sized. I own and use all three blades in question: the Chopweiler, HRLM and M6.

The HRLM is a GREAT small blade. Perfectly focused for carry and finer tasks.

The chopweiler is a magnificent camp knife. It chops better than most 9" blades.

If I owned a HRLM already, I would go for a CW.

But there is something about the M6... maybe the way I beat the drums for months (years?) for a Swamp version of the old Busse NO-e. What did we get? The M6. You know? That is exactly what it is... a NO-e competitor with a clip point rather than a drop.

There is just something about the M6. I don't "love" it. It does stick around... truly, it is a tool for me. A beefy one, at that!

M6a.jpg
 
Cleaning under toe nails. The pointiness of the M6 makes it excel over the HRLM or CW. (True, honestly!)
Click to expand...

That's a job for my warden :)

At this point I'm really leaning towards the Chopweiler. I know that much of this is a personal preference thing- I like the olive drab blade, it would match the olive drab Swamp Warden nicely...but the black crinkle/micarta would match the HRLM...I really hate making these kind of decisions!

The only other knives I have considered were the Dogfather and Yaurdguard, but I love the edge that sr-101 takes.
 
I have the Chopweiler, Dog Father and Yard Guard.

The Yard Guard is better than it gets credit for. I would easily choose the Yard Guard over the M6 and it would be close between the YG and S6. But, both the Chopweiler and Dog Father are going to chop circles around the YG as well.
See "YardGuard vs. Chopweiler comparison: http://www.scrapyardknives.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=Knives&Number=164562&page=0&fpart=1

The YardGuard is really a sort of nitch knife. Like the M6, it will do a fair range of things, but probably isn't great at any one thing.

If looking to have the best coverage of tasks, "A combo" with the HRLM and either the DF or Chopweiler would be better than any combo with the YG.

The Dog Father should out-chop the Chopweiler - especially the DFCG as it is heavier. The DFLE is a full height grind and thinner, so a little lighter, but with a 10" blade it is still quite a chopper. The DFLE is still just a little heavier than the Battle Rat and about .5" longer.

The Chopweiler still has a lot going for it in just a little smaller package than the Dog Father.

I would say the pros/cons and compromises between the DF and Chopweiler could be argued. Personal preferences...... would likely be the largest factor when comparing these two.

They are both EXCELLENT knives, provide excellent performance and would both pair well with a smaller knife like the HRLM as a duo. :thumbup:

.
 
Heres a comparison pic of most of the comparable Swamp offerings in this size range.

campers.jpg


hope it helps. :)
 
and yes, the original Ratwieler eats all lunches, bar none :p
 
Really like the scales on the original Ratweiler. The 2nd knife down is a CT, correct?
 
I also like the CT, Ratweiler, and Chopweiler for woodsy tasks.

Think about travelling in areas that you aren't feeling too comfortable about, and for whatever reason, can't have a gun. The M6, being handle heavy, is very light in the hand and very lively.... Makes a good truck knife. Makes a good motel knife....
 
leatherman said:
and yes, the original Ratwieler eats all lunches, bar none :p
Click to expand...

I'm with Leatherdude on this one. :D

I've had all the blades in the pic above, and still have the CW and a couple of the original RWs (well, an original and one from the second run - love those first-run handles! ;)). All of the knives have their strong points, but the RW is a natural-born lunch eater. :thumbup:

Tenman, go for the CW - it's a truly great knife and you won't regret it. Oh, and I'm partial to the OD myself. It's da Bomb! :cool::D
 
tenman said:
Really like the scales on the original Ratweiler. The 2nd knife down is a CT, correct?
Click to expand...



The "Earlier" Ratweilers - all of the Ratweiler prior to the last run of Ratweilers had those nice scales. So, did the Rat Mastiff and the Rat Daddy.

UNFORTUNATELY, I ordered from the last run of the Ratweilers. There was no notice that they were going to change the scales. The final run of Ratweilers was when (IMO) the micarta scales slipped a few notches in finish quality. Now many of the micarta scales are a little fuzzy and some are not well radiused. :confused:

I liked the diagonal grooves on the HRLM and RMD micarta scales and the HRLM and RMD had some decent radius/curves to the scales, but they were still a little fuzzy and the micarta is not as finely polished as it used to be on the earlier Ratweilers, RM and RD. The G10 RMD has a better finish! But, G10 is heavier.

I guess they wanted to differentiate/downgrade the quality of the micarta finish from the Busse line more (?????).

Here is what the scales looked like on the last run of Ratweilers:

SwampRat-Ratweilerflathandle.jpg


Vs. Earlier scales (pic borrowed from Paddling Mane above)
odc.jpg


The Earlier Ratweiler scales were MUCH nicer!!! I wish Swamp Rat, Jerry, Eric, Jennifer, et-al would seriously consider going back to the quality of the earlier scales.


I honestly don't care for the thumb ramp on the Ratweiler and I like the blade shape better on the Chopweiler. I can't remember if I cared for the index finger recess or not, but I know I am VERY fine without it on the Chopweiler.

I have the G10 Chopweiler and I am very happy with the scales. A little more radius to the scales would likely be nicer (less square) and I would have prefered the diagonal groove like on the RMD or HRLM, but the G10 at least has a decent finish and without fuzz. :thumbup:

So, with "G10" scales, I prefer my G10 Chopweiler over-all over the Ratweiler and DEFINITELY over the last run of the Ratweiler!

The earlier Ratweiler has prettier scales and a sexier looking handle, but I don't know that it is any more functional and again, I prefer the Chopweiler's blade and lack of thumb ramp.

But, obviously opinions will differ.


.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top