Ontario RAT-7 VS COLD STEEL DROP FORGED SURVIVALIST

H

Howsa000

Joined
Sep 20, 2023
Messages
1
Really stuck on which one to go for. The RAT will be negligibly more expensive for me hence the confusion. Which one would you go for and why?
 
For the price, the drop forged is unbeatable: ive had the early silver one then switched to the newer one w the better handles : its very tough holds a good edge ive used it alot in the woods doing lots of cutting/ chopping i highly recommend it .
 
Another vote for the CS Survivalist. I’m a big fan of the Cold Steel drop forged series and own all of them. This is one is the exact same size as the Recon Scout. It’s very rugged and inexpensive so you don’t feel bad about beating the hell out of it. Very capable batoning and chopping knife. It’s a little heavy but so what. Maybe the perfect survival knife in my opinion. The spine is painted over but that paint will wear off with enough batoning and you can scrape a fire steel with it because it is sharp underneath.
 
goldie said:
For the price, the drop forged is unbeatable: ive had the early silver one then switched to the newer one w the better handles : its very tough holds a good edge ive used it alot in the woods doing lots of cutting/ chopping i highly recommend it .
Click to expand...
Sorry for the off topic question, but would the new handle inserts fit the old handle, if the screw holes were available of course? Thanks
 
Im not sure i dont think they would i think the new ones handle was slimmed down slightly on the inside for the scales. I cut this tree down w this knife wasnt very hard to do either
 
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That’s what I expected, thanks. I was hoping there was a way to mod mine to add inserts w/o having to make something of my own.
 
The drop forged survivalist looks like it's the best balanced design in that series out of the box. You could also look at the drop forged bowie, which has a slightly longer blade. The handle is a little too narrow in my opinion, but it's the best suited out of the drop forged knives for wrapping with paracord. I filled it out with a wrap and now I'd pick it over the other models.
https://imgur.com/sMlGipQ
 
I don't have the Survivalist , but I really like the larger Bowie version .

Wrapped the handle with some self-fusing silicone tape and added a DIY swedge :


 
I'd go with the Cold Steel. It has a longer blade and a better sheath. It's closer to a good chopper.

On the other hand, to me, these are both in a no-man's land in terms of blade length. Too short and light to make a good chopper, too long and unwieldy for everything else.
 
DocJD said:
I don't have the Survivalist , but I really like the larger Bowie version .

Wrapped the handle with some self-fusing silicone tape and added a DIY swedge :


Click to expand...
Two questions:

1) What happened to the tip of the bowie?
2) What's the story with the orange tape? Is it rubber tape that helps with the grip or is it for ID so your knives don't get mixed up with someone else's.
 
Smaug said:
Two questions:

1) What happened to the tip of the bowie?
2) What's the story with the orange tape? Is it rubber tape that helps with the grip or is it for ID so your knives don't get mixed up with someone else's.
Click to expand...
#1 Just how my amateur skills with my angle grinder and flap disc turned out . Actually cuts and even stabs just fine .

#2 Self-fusing (chemically bonds /sticks only to itself) silicone tape .

Rubbery texture improves grip . Can pad, insulate and dampen shock if layered thick . Color to help find if thrown or laid down in the woods .

Not very tough stuff , but easy to replace /renew . Can use to seal electrical connections and hoses /pipes , etc .
 
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