Need a small Fixed Blade

ShooterMcgavin said:
Also, do we really need a bottle opener tool on a knife?? A bottle can be opened with almost ANYTHING!! The opener strikes me as an "armchair adventurer" add-on.
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Hells yeah we do, if you carry a knife on you all the time your gonna do alot of things with it. i have learned to open a beer with damn near anything a table edge or a bic lighter come immediatley to mind, arm chair adventurer my patoockus, u think that just because something is used in day to day life that it doesnt belong on a knife designed for surviavl? its designed to be small enough to be always with you. i actually wish more knives integrated bottle openers, its certainly the biggest draw of the becker necker as far as im concerned. they can also be used as wire breakers i believe.

But then again your talking to a guy who wears these every summer :D http://www1.reef.com/guys/productdetail/guys/footwear/sandals/RF-002489
 
razorsdescent said:
Hells yeah we do, if you carry a knife on you all the time your gonna do alot of things with it. i have learned to open a beer with damn near anything a table edge or a bic lighter come immediatley to mind, arm chair adventurer my patoockus, u think that just because something is used in day to day life that it doesnt belong on a knife designed for surviavl? its designed to be small enough to be always with you. i actually wish more knives integrated bottle openers, its certainly the biggest draw of the becker necker as far as im concerned. they can also be used as wire breakers i believe.

But then again your talking to a guy who wears these every summer :D http://www1.reef.com/guys/productdetail/guys/footwear/sandals/RF-002489
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Um, ok :D I'll take your word for it!

Honestly, I would never have complained about the bottle opener on the Becker Necker - it is placed in a non-compromising location on the handle. On the HEST, the opener is place such that it actually reduces the strength of the knife. Alright, I think the knife is 3/16" thick, which is good, but I don't know.... I'm just not crazy about the design. I DO NOT really dislike it either. Just MHO.
 
ShooterMcgavin said:
Um, ok :D I'll take your word for it!

Honestly, I would never have complained about the bottle opener on the Becker Necker - it is placed in a non-compromising location on the handle. On the HEST, the opener is place such that it actually reduces the strength of the knife. Alright, I think the knife is 3/16" thick, which is good, but I don't know.... I'm just not crazy about the design. I DO NOT really dislike it either. Just MHO.
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Do you really think the bottle opener reduces the strength of the knife? It is wider thatn the IZULA. Any comments on the strength factor?
 
Anyone??? ShooterMcgavin said in his post that the bottle opener, "actually reduces the strength of the knife." Can anyone comment on this? I doubt that RAT would create a design with a component that would weaken the strength of the knife...but I'm not an engineer, so I'm not sure.
 
cynick23 said:
Anyone??? ShooterMcgavin said in his post that the bottle opener, "actually reduces the strength of the knife." Can anyone comment on this? I doubt that RAT would create a design with a component that would weaken the strength of the knife...but I'm not an engineer, so I'm not sure.
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I should explain my comment before it draws too much heat...

First, I am SURE that RAT cutlery makes great, strong knives and that it is a very dependable design! The bottle opener is not really THAT big of an issue for me, but...

The bottle opener does take a chunk out of the spine of the blade and it is directly opposing the notch for the wire-cutter (I think that's what it is). The knife is 3/16" thick, which is great... but why did they make the knife 3/16" thick instead of 1/8"? Is it maybe to compensate for the notches that have been placed in the middle of the blade? When possible, I want a thin and light blade (in a small knife). The blade may not be "weak" but the bottle opener does provide for a weak spot.

I doubt that I (or even "you") will put enough force along the length of this knife to create a strength problem, and maybe (probably) I am reaching into the knifetests.com area here. I think it all boils down to the fact that I just don't like the design. I am almost never in a survival situation, for which this knife was supposedly designed. I believe in "form following function", especially in selecting a survival tool; I believe that opening a beer with a cute bottle opener is not a survival essential - it is therefore equivalent to "form before function".

My opinion? Put the bottle opener almost anywhere on the knife other than the place where the most strength is required, and I'd be content. Ideally, on this knife, I think I'd like to see it placed opposite the pry "spike".

Again, JMHO :) Ok, I'm putting my flame-suit on.

ETA: When I said "reduces the strength of the knife", I meant that the knife itself would be stronger if the notch were not there. I am not comparing the HESS blade to the Izula or any other knife.
 
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Sorry ShooterMcgavin...I wasn't calling you out or anything or debating...I was just curious if it did provide a weak spot on the knife. Can Mike from RAT comment on it?
 
http://www1.reef.com/guys/productdet...dals/RF-002489
sorry that probably didnt register.... they are flip flops with bottle openers in the soles, gues the pictures dont even show it, didnt just throw up flip flops for the heck of it was just trying to make a statement that life is better with bottle openers, one of my other hobbies is craft beer so sue me :D

shooter i wasnt trying to get on your case everyone has a different preference for what they want in a knife, alot of people want bottle openers robert young pelton certainly seems to.

As for why 3/16 of an inch its because its supposed to fill multiple roles but the primary roles are survival tool and weapon for a dangerous (in all probability urban) enviro you simply cant really pry with a 1/8 inch blade ive seen people try, they snap, it why if you see a bunch of soldiers knives alot of them will have a broken tip because we pry and do abusive things with them. imagine ur trying to cut your way out of a wrecked car before a militia comes to lop your head off with a machete, if your 1/8 inch thick knife snapped on something youd be SOL. its imho rediculous to believe that the small cut out that forms the bottle opener would drastically reduce the knife strength if anytihng the only hinderance i can think of is that it might make it slightly less comfortable to choke up on the grip.
 
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razorsdescent said:
http://www1.reef.com/guys/productdet...dals/RF-002489
sorry that probably didnt register.... they are flip flops with bottle openers in the soles, gues the pictures dont even show it, didnt just throw up flip flops for the heck of it was just trying to make a statement that life is better with bottle openers, one of my other hobbies is craft beer so sue me :D

shooter i wasnt trying to get on your case everyone has a different preference for what they want in a knife, alot of people want bottle openers robert young pelton certainly seems to.

As for why 3/16 of an inch its because its supposed to fill multiple roles but the primary roles are survival tool and weapon for a dangerous (in all probability urban) enviro you simply cant really pry with a 1/8 inch blade ive seen people try, they snap, it why if you see a bunch of soldiers knives alot of them will have a broken tip because we pry and do abusive things with them. imagine ur trying to cut your way out of a wrecked car before a militia comes to lop your head off with a machete, if your 1/8 inch thick knife snapped on something youd be SOL. its imho rediculous to believe that the small cut out that forms the bottle opener would drastically reduce the knife strength if anytihng the only hinderance i can think of is that it might make it slightly less comfortable to choke up on the grip.
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Thanks for the input, both Shooter and Razor...anyone else want to share? Do you think anyone has gotten to field test and/or review the knife yet...besides Pelton himself???
 
cynick23 said:
Sorry ShooterMcgavin...I wasn't calling you out or anything or debating...I was just curious if it did provide a weak spot on the knife. Can Mike from RAT comment on it?
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and
razorsdescent said:
shooter i wasnt trying to get on your case everyone has a different preference for what they want in a knife, alot of people want bottle openers robert young pelton certainly seems to.
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Absolutely NO offense taken or harm done. I am happy to discuss opinions or the details of a knife's design. Maybe I got a little wordy and sounded defensive - my bad :D

razorsdescent said:
http://www1.reef.com/guys/productdet...dals/RF-002489
sorry that probably didnt register.... they are flip flops with bottle openers in the soles, gues the pictures dont even show it, didnt just throw up flip flops for the heck of it was just trying to make a statement that life is better with bottle openers, one of my other hobbies is craft beer so sue me :D
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The link showed me a GREAT picture of a surfer girls backside, so the link worked perfectly for me :)
 
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