Rapid River Skinner review

Rupestris

Rupestris

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Mar 1, 2006
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DISCLAIMER - I do not work for Rapid River. I am in no way affiliated with the company. This is just my opinion and my first attemptat a knife review.

I received my long awaited Rapid River knife yesterday. This post will serve as part one as I haven't got a chance to actually use it yet. I'll be spending some quality time with it over the holiday. For comparison I've added a couple well known and respected knives to the review. BTW, I'm no Cliff Stamp so this review will probably lack a lot of the technical stuff.

For starters, Its the Skinner model with Wetland Camo laminated handle, brass guard and thong hole. MSRP - $99
5.jpg


Specs are:
OAL - 7.75"
Blade length - 3.5"
Edge length - 3.125"
Steel - A2 Tool Steel
EDIT Grind - Convex with secondary bevel

For starters, out of the box it was shaving sharp. Shaving sharp might even be an insult. The only knife I've ever bought that was comparable was the Bark River Woodland (also A2).

Please forgive me for posting these bad pics. I had to edit/resize with Photo Editor.:rolleyes:
RR4.JPG

RR3.JPG


I'll post some better pics on the next addition.

The other knives are:

Bark River Woodland
OAL - aprox. 6.9"
Blade length - 3.3"
Edge length - 2.8"

Swamp Rat Howling Rat
OAL - 9"
Blade length - 4.55"
Edge length - 3.6"

I've included these just as reference as these are well known knives among the BF crowd.

As for the RR Skinner, its best described as stout when compared to the other knives mentioned. The blade thickness was the first thing that caught my eye. I was not expecting such a thick spine on a skinner. Their website gives no hint as to the typical blade thickness of their regular offerings.

The spine measures .210" !! In comparison, the Bark River measures .150" and the SR Howler measures .185" (minus coating). Not what I was expecting at all.

Likes: the knife is very well balanced. A little handle heavy but not by much. The palm swells on the handle are comfortable. Fit and finish are outstanding.

Dislikes: the brass guard, while beautifully finished, is a bit long for my liking. For food prep it makes working on a cutting board a bit tough. From the base of the tang to the bottom of the brass guard its 7/8". Of course it wasn't designed as a kitchen knife so I can't be too displeased. When I send it back for resharpening (after use/abuse) I'm going to request that 1/4" be removed. The leather sheath has a strap that secures the knife by the guard. There is enough guard that at least 1/4" can be removed without causng the knife to come out of the sheath without unsnapping.

The knife is very nicely done. I'll admit that I'm usualy not a fan of laminated wood and knives with guards but this one is an obvious exception to the rule.

I'll have more to add after Labor Day weekend.


Thanks for reading,

Chris
 
Nice review and pics! Based on my own experience with BRKT and SRKW, I may have to give Rapid River a try.

Thanks!
 
PM, they are currently working on a tactical line that should be available near the end of the year.
normal_tactical5.jpg

Might be more to your liking :D

I like that they come naked so I can put my own micarta or cord wrap on and customize to my liking.
 
I like that blade profile a lot! I've had problems with cord wrap in the past and have never ventured into doing my own micarta. That may change... I've recently been making leather sheaths.

I do like this one! Thanks for the heads up!

0073knifepic.jpg
 
There are a lot of guys who like very thick blades for skinners, Boye and Fallkniven for example put ~1/4" thick blades on small knives. Note most people would not call it a full convex grind because there is a distinct secondary bevel.

Why would you sent it back for sharpening? Can you work a finger in the choil region? How comfortable is it to work over the guard in a forward grip as it looks a little square.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
Note most people would not call it a full convex grind because there is a distinct secondary bevel.
Click to expand...

Your're right Cliff. Thats my lack of knowledge in grinds. I'm stil working on that. ;)

Cliff Stamp said:
Why would you sent it back for sharpening? Can you work a finger in the choil region? How comfortable is it to work over the guard in a forward grip as it looks a little square.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

As for sending it back, my intention is to try my hand at a real knife review. I hope to put this knife through everything from food prep to batoning. It should look pretty rough when all is said and done. For $8 S&H, I can have the blade sharpened and refinished. I figure its cheap enough as this will probably not be my go-to knife when it comes to heavy use blades like the SR. Of course as part of the review I will sharpen it myself and post results.

Besides, after sending it back for sharpening I can give a little insight into how their service stacks up. Sort of a review of the company as well.

The choil area is a bit small and definately square. I've tried to choke up on it and its just not suited for it.

Thanks for the questions.

Chris
 
Cliff,

I spent a few minutes with the RR after work and found that when doing more delicate work, the oversized guard actually serves a purpose. (color me surprised - like I said, still learning :o )

RR31.jpg


Without getting into a ham-fisted forward grip, the flat-front (for lack of a better term) guard actually works well when choking up on it.

For now I'll pass on having the guard knocked down. At least until I get some hours under the belt with this knife.

More to come...

cs
 
Yeah i`ve been a member of their Forums for awhile now , Got some beautiful looking Customs too ! I also like the Redi-Axe with built in sharpener !
 
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