Ontario RAT 3 review

[Keith Montgomery]

Micarta will not rot and 1095 is an excellent steel for an outdoor knife. It is also not at all difficult to sharpen.

You really should get some experience with a knife and a steel before you post reviews. What you have posted here is worthless.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

Nobody asks till now. Choice of steel is absolutely wrong:
- 1095 isn't steel witch is easy to resharpen in outdoors
- canvas micarta soaks water, blood, gasoline etc. witch means can rotten, accidentally burned, or can hold tainted blood.

I sharpen both knives like razors, now my wife will test endurance, edge retention, fit and finish in " kitchen environment ". edge retention, fit and finish.

I won't try to burn handle because of " review "! Too much is too much.

you're the one that brought up flammability, not me.

and i've not ever heard of 1095 being difficult to sharpen, in the field or anywhere.

you really don't know what you're talking about, do you?

 

[Mistwalker]

The ones you used were 440C
Buck has changed steels twice since then.
Their current alloy (since ~1990 IIRC) for the 119 is 420HC, which they heat treat to ~58. Very easy to sharpen. Holds an edge somewhat less well than AUS8 of equal hardness. I find 1095 hardened to ~58 HRC to be a bit more resistant to sharpening than 420HC, but the 1095 holds an edge considerably better than AUS8, again of equal hardness.

420HC is a reasonable stainless alloy for an outdoors knife. But I would consider 1095 to be better.

Cool, thanks for the input on that. I like 1095, that's what Ka-Bars as well as most Ontarios are made of. I like the edge I can get on my Ka-Bars...I just wory about their tangs.

 

[pedicabdriver]

can a mod please ban this retard already?

 

[Eight Trigrams]

So besides arguing that the ergonomics of the RAT-3 doesn't suit YOU (true), that 1095 is difficult to sharpen in the field (subjective, but arguably false by comparison) and that canvas micarta will rot (flat-out false), what information have you tried to impart in this review? Is this really the right subforum for this post?

 

[phaserrifle]

You don't see problem to hold edge instead of handle? Is this what You mean?

the problem isn't with the knife, it's with the way you are holding it. I could do the same thing no matter how big the handle was.

 

[bchan77]

So besides arguing that the ergonomics of the RAT-3 doesn't suit YOU (true), that 1095 is difficult to sharpen in the field (subjective, but arguably false by comparison) and that canvas micarta will rot (flat-out false), what information have you tried to impart in this review?

Brother, I think you're being overly generous. His statement that 1095 is difficult to sharpen in the field is not arguably false...it's simply FALSE. If 1095 is difficult to sharpen, I suppose all those knifemakers who made hunting or outdoors knives from 1095 must be idiotic, right?

 

[phaserrifle]

what he is probably saying is this: because a knife is too small for your hands is not sufficient grounds for saying it is a piece of junk.

partly. I'm also saying that the knife may not, infact, be too small for his hands. the only photo I saw when I posted (he since edited in several more) looked to me like he could move his hand back, and find a perfectly useable knife. the other pictures he since edited in give me no cause to change my opinion.

 

[phaserrifle]

I tried, that's how much edge is left.

you'r picture shows the back of the knife, and doesn't seem to make any sense to me. far as I can tell, problem solved.

 

[3Guardsmen]

does anyone else consider that a review?

Compared to his other reviews,
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=621042

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=621444

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=616609
it might just pass for one.

I have to say, though, I find the information contained herein to be somewhat lacking. The pictures are definitly a 'plus' over the "under construction" format of his other reviews, but the information is still in short supply.

Regards,
3G

 

[cabala]

Micarta will not rot and 1095 is an excellent steel for an outdoor knife. It is also not at all difficult to sharpen.

You really should get some experience with a knife and a steel before you post reviews. What you have posted here is worthless.

What do you think who resharpend this knives? I did it with Lansky sharpeners ( diamnond and regular, all grains ) and it last for both knives 6 - 8 hours till knives were razor sharp. For example, i resharpend Buck 119 to razor sharpness for about half hour. Steel 1095 will rust in salt and jungle enviorment because of his structure and canvas micarta already shows changes on surface ( in " kitchen enviorment "). You should get some experience in " wine and cheese ". " Yes - no " doesn't proof anything.

 

[3Guardsmen]

I see, in Cabala's other "reviews" (term used very loosley here), other member have stepped in and picked up the gauntlet, providing actual reviews and photographs of the knives he mentions. Perhaps, Cabala, instead of posting that you are doing a review, you may want to post requesting a review?

Regards,
3G

 

[cabala]

you're the one that brought up flammability, not me.

and i've not ever heard of 1095 being difficult to sharpen, in the field or anywhere.

you really don't know what you're talking about, do you?

Please, try resharpen dull 1095 knife.

 

[cabala]

Brother, I think you're being overly generous. His statement that 1095 is difficult to sharpen in the field is not arguably false...it's simply FALSE. If 1095 is difficult to sharpen, I suppose all those knifemakers who made hunting or outdoors knives from 1095 must be idiotic, right?

Whitch " all " knifemakers? Like " Gerber ", " Cold Steel ", " Boker ", " Puma ", " Fallkniven ", " Helle ", " Bark River "?.

 

[cabala]

How does it prove that?

I'm doing this ( cutting orange ) with my Sviss Army knife every morning.

 

[cabala]

you'r picture shows the back of the knife, and doesn't seem to make any sense to me. far as I can tell, problem solved.

Picture shows also lenght of blade ( actually shortness of blade ).

 

[cabala]

You say 1095 isn't easy to sharpen in the field...then you throw out the name Buck?! Just out of curiosity...which models are you referring to, and how much time have you spent actually working with these knives in the field.

I've owned several Bucks, fixed and folders...I explored lots of wilderness and swamps in the Hillsborough River area in Tampa and spent a lot of time on the bay the gulf and along the shores working with a Buck 119 as a kid and a teenager (long ago). At the time there were few options easily available with as good a rust resistance (which Buck 119s are great at) but has been my experience that the steel Buck used in those old 119s was hard and brittle and very hard to sharpen in the field. In my opinion that makes it a poor choice for edc. They may have changed their steel by now...I don't know, I haven't bought another since I broke the last one in the winter of 1979.

You can't miss with new 119. " Woodsman " as great EDC.

 

[3Guardsmen]

Please, try resharpen dull 1095 knife.

Only one without a basic grasp of steels and knife usage would let a knife become completely dull.

Regards,
3G

 

[3Guardsmen]

You can't miss with new 119. " Woodsman " as great EDC.

The 'newer' 119 and 102 use 420HC, which is easier to sharpen than 440C, but not THAT much easier.

Regards,
3G

 

[cabala]

Only one without a basic grasp of steels and knife usage would let a knife become completely dull.

Regards,
3G

True, but if you try to write "review " you must have facts about it. I intend to make knife dull to see how long resharpen will last. Same thing I did with Buck 119.