Ontario Rat 1, why so attractive?

kickplate69 said:
I have three with different color combinations. Love em. What I did because all mine were super hard to deploy is I disassembled each one and took a dremel tool with a fine filing cone and slightly radiused out the ball detent. I took a minimalist approach to it so as not to defeat the whole mechanism, and reassembled the knives. Now I have 3 folders that are easier to deploy and are in constant edc rotation. ZT 0200 in my left pocket for two legged predators, and one of my RATs in my right side pocket for everything else. I can't recommend a better knife for the money-even without the mods that I performed.
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at first mine was like that but after a couple hours of watching tv with the wife i opened and shut it many times and now its effortless. didnt take no time to break it in. best 30 dollar folder ever
 
Mine flew open with a thumb push from day one but I have heard of tight ones before - that is the least of worries if that's all it is. I'm very impressed with the consistent F&F on the RAT-1 folder. The blade finish on mine was astounding when I got it. Dead center blade, great action. It's amazing for $30. Mine is a satin blade, black scales.
 
i don't find the nylon scales all the slippery, and i live in the swamp and it's hot and humid and rains constantly down here. don't get me wrong, they aren't super grippy like some g-10s or micartas i have, but i find it fine for the most part.


that aside if i could only have one folder for hard use under 35 bucks..it would be the one i would keep.
 
hung-solo said:
at first mine was like that but after a couple hours of watching tv with the wife i opened and shut it many times and now its effortless. didnt take no time to break it in. best 30 dollar folder ever
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Same here, just played with it lots :-)
 
Reeek said:
Mine flew open with a thumb push from day one but I have heard of tight ones before
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i have two versions. one that is smooth and flies open easily from day one, with no blade wobble or play. and one that is smooth but does not fly open regardless of pivot looseness, oiling, cleaning, etc.

so i compared them side by side and the one that won't fly open has a very slightly thicker liner and lock. the liner lock is a bit firmer than the other one and it holds that ball against the blade just enough to now allow it to fly open, regardless of break in or other tactics. i've played with it for months now and used it allot and it's still stiff and no looser. i am sure it's within tolerances and you have to measure to see the difference easily. i can see it, but it's like a hair or two thicker.

doesn't matter though as it's still a great knife.
 
crunky said:
Ha, that pallet saran wrap was always a good cutting test for me. If I could cleanly cut it without having to touch the plastic with my hand, it was sharp enough :D

I need to pick up one of those Rat 1 folders.
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I do that too but a little differently. To me if it feels like there's nothing there while I'm cutting it, then it's sharp enough. If I feel resistance I know I'm due for a sharpening soon.
 
Many here have suggested that the RAT Model 1 is the best $30 folder out there. After EDC'ing mine for a couple of weeks, I am prepared to say that for me, the RAT 1 is the best folder I have used at any price. It has bumped all others from my pocket and considering the thousands I have invested in my knives, I consider that pretty significant. Some of the positive aspects of the RAT 1 for me are: Quality of construction is amazing for a knife at it's price point; the FF blade grind and finish is perfect for my needs; the FRN slabs have sufficient grip, yet don't tear my pocket to shreds; the open spine makes cleaning a breeze and is secured by 5 barrel spacers in addition to the pivot; tip down from the factory (a plus for me); the handle grip is one of the most secure and comfortable that I own; the blade opens with authority and locks up with the same 'clack' as a Military and lastly, the AUS-8 steel is easy to maintain and takes the sharpest edge that I have ever seen.

It takes a lot to impress me where knives are concerned, but the RAT 1 has impressed me to the nines and there will be more in my future for sure.
 
I think I might just pick one of these up...very good information from everyone.
 
Please add me to the majority of people who think it's an awesome knife for the price. I bought it some time ago, I was looking for a cheap quality folder to carry in the outdoors, and the RAT 1 had too many positive reviews to let it pass by, especially at that price. I have the satin plain edge with black scales, and someday I might decide to buy a second one in orange.
It's a bit too big for me to EDC but it's the only folder (apart from my SAK's) that I carry in the outdoors. Came very sharp, a bit hard to open in the beginning but with use it became smooth, no blade play, no flaws, and no issues about steel, at least for my needs...since this is no "fancy" knife I don't care about the looks of the handle, nor I had any trouble with it, it may be slippery (compared to G10) but the ergonomics of the handle make my grip very solid, so no issue with the handle at all.
My idea is that the quality/price ratio of this knife is one of the best out there. I am happy with mine and I guess I won't really look for a substitute for a long time....
:cool:
 
I agree with all the positive things that have been said about the RAT-1: it's a superb knife and would be an excellent value even at $10-15 more than its usual $30 price.
 
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bergholz said:
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that is wicked cool.
some how I think this is a low price military...long blade, liner lock, full flat grind, great jimping, 4 corners pocket clip......just look at it, now we have the orange handle, too?
Man, totally millie without a hole :P
 
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