RAM Durability?

P

pepper

Joined
Nov 8, 2003
Messages
75
bought a ram and i love it (except for the mega-industrial strength clip tension!).

just wondering, do you guys consider it a pretty durable knife for light camping chores, daily cardboard cutting, general medium-hard use (no prying) etc.?

it's my first kershaw and it's a real nice little knife; i don't want to push it beyond it's limits, just looking for a little feedback.

thanks!
 
I have one and would not hesitate to use it as hard as any other Kershaw I own. I would consider it a very durable knife.
 
That RAM is good and tough. Sure, you could get a tank of a knife and buy a Zero Tolerance, and the ZT's are great. But for a great little camp knife, the RAM is PLENTY tough! It should hold up just fine to any of the tasks you mentioned and more!

Some people prefer a fixed blade for camping that can do some chopping, but I would still keep a folder handy:D

Cheers,
Jon
 
I like my ram but the edge retention could be better.A little small as well a 3.75'' blade would be more ideal for me.
 
The RAM was designed as a custom collaboration, sub $100 USA made folder that comes with some real innovation attached to it. The sub $100 price range is a 2nd tier price point that has the possibility of some volume attached to it. To get the RAM into this 2nd tier, construction has to be put under the microscope. Laser cutting blades is not an option, as it launches the price point past our intended goal. We feel 13C26 steel is as good as it gets when fine blanking. There are plenty of threads and info with regards to 13C26 so to inform the BF consumer. We trust the steel vs. the users expectations are on the same page when it comes to 13C26.

I realize that the forumites are not always into either of the first 2 tiers of USA produced brand name price points (sub $50 and sub $100). As a volume manufacturer, we have to stay true to our strong points, and live up to the expectations of the dealer/customer base that is in place.

We're just not going to use exotic blade steels on every knife we produce. That is not what we do. That is for specialty manufacturers who don't have the capacity for volume and don't have real placement. It's important you all understand, even if it is just on the surface, who we are, and what our focus is. USA made, innovation, at price points that all can enjoy.

It's worth mentioning that we (Kai USA) does definitely bring forth higher end lines (Zero Tolerance & Shun) as well as some Kershaw pieces done up in upper end steels (MIM/HIP blades, Composite technology, S30V, S60V, ZDP-189, SG2, Clad VG-10).

I'll also add that blades that exceed 3" in blade length don't normally sell well to the masses, and yes, we understand that bigger folders can be more, for lack of a better term, "forum approved". Again, oversized was not the intention of the RAM.

Pepper, for the jobs you mention in your original post, the RAM should work splendidly.
 
gine said:
I like my ram but the edge retention could be better.A little small as well a 3.75'' blade would be more ideal for me.
Click to expand...



Check out the ZT0500 MUDD. It is like an XXL RAM. It has the 3.75" blade in 154CM, with the same slide lock of the RAM. It can be found at a lot of onlines dealers in the +/- $150.00 range...........and WELL WORTH IT!!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Thomas W said:
The RAM was designed as a custom collaboration, sub $100 USA made folder that comes with some real innovation attached to it....
Click to expand...

Thanks for that explanation, Thomas. It looks like you met all of your design goals and then some.

When I first got a hold of the prototype R.A.M. at a show here in Salt Lake last year, I fell in love with it. To have it available at under $100 was amazing, and I couldn't wait for it to come out. Now that I have a production knife, I couldn't be happier.

It is what it is. It's not a Zero Tolerance all-purpose military monster. It's a pocket knife. I wouldn't parachute drop behind enemy lines carrying only the R.A.M. and trust my life to it. But that's not what I do. I sit at a desk most of the day, and want to have something tough, dependable, cool, innovative, and good looking that will get the job done whenever I need a general all-purpose knife. The R.A.M. does it's job splendidly.

:p
 
Thanks Coach. You worded that " almost " as well as I would have. :p
;)

I think dollar to knife ratio the R.A.M. is one of if not the best
production folders out there. I wouldn't and have not hesitated
to use it for anything. I'm not going to jimmy a lock with it, but
in everyday use I use it for any cutting task that I run into without
batting an eye. As for the 13C26 blade, I find it to hold a very decent
and very sharp edge and it's easy to maintain. Sure, it's not ZDP189, but
I didn't give $150 for it either.

Oh, welcome to the forums pepper. :thumbup:
 
svrider3 said:
Thanks Coach. You worded that " almost " as well as I would have. :p
;)

I think dollar to knife ratio the R.A.M. is one of if not the best
production folders out there. I wouldn't and have not hesitated
to use it for anything. I'm not going to jimmy a lock with it, but
in everyday use I use it for any cutting task that I run into without
batting an eye. As for the 13C26 blade, I find it to hold a very decent
and very sharp edge and it's easy to maintain. Sure, it's not ZDP189, but
I didn't give $150 for it either.

Oh, welcome to the forums pepper. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I agree, one should always assess a knife in context of it's commercial value rather than it's class.

Price jumps up quite rapidly with more premium steels.
 
topspeclt said:
I agree, one should always assess a knife in context of it's commercial value rather than it's class.
Click to expand...

I don't think thats exactly what Thomas meant. Using the under $ 100 price point, there are a few Kershaws with premium steel and world class innovations. A few that come to mind are the SG2 Blur, CB Leek and CB JYD II. And the RAM certainly qualifies as innovative. Remember, these are collaborations with world-class knife makers.

And welcome, pepper!
 
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thank you all for your feedback, and i will keep all of your comments in mind (btw i also have a zt200 but bought that one for DEFINITE hard use, it's a real workhorse!).

off topic, but i also bought a ranger rd4...that thing is MASSIVE, and real heavy, makes my howling rat look small in comparison, i was surprised how thick that thing is.

regards,

pepper
 
cutter17 said:
Check out the ZT0500 MUDD. It is like an XXL RAM. It has the 3.75" blade in 154CM, with the same slide lock of the RAM. It can be found at a lot of onlines dealers in the +/- $150.00 range...........and WELL WORTH IT!!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Click to expand...

will do thx.:D
 
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