Rat-1 Folder

jthomas

jthomas

Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
1,596
I was browsing the exchange forums the other day and saw that one of the knife shops was offering the Rat-1 folder for $24.99. I thought that I should check it out, because even if it was a turd, for $24.99 I could throw it in the tackle box or the glove box of my wife's car and not be any worse off. It came in today, so I thought I'd share, especially since there is always a slew of 'help me pick a cheap knife' type threads floating around.

The specs are:
3.25 inch blade of Aus8
8.6 inches overall
5 ounces
Nylon or zytel handle, don't know which

Well, first off, this is a fairly hefty knife. That it is hard to quantify, so I wont try. The blade is perfectly centered, and lockup is solid with zero play in any direction. The locking liner engaged approximately half-way across the width of the tang. The handle is not very grippy, which could be a good thing, or a bad thing depending on taste, but for me it is appreciated. The clip can be mounted in all four positions, and allows the knife to ride low in the pocket. The full flat ground blade is hair-poppin' sharp which surprised me a little for some reason. The Aus 8 steel isn't the latest and greatest, but we have a long history together and I've always found that it performs just fine. The pivot is a smidge tight, but if it doesn't loosen a bit over the next week or so it is easily adjusted. The fit and finish are perfect, nary an issue to pick at. All in all, I think it is safe to say that I LOVE this knife, especially considering the price point. I don't know how long they'll last at the sale price, but I'm gonna pick up a few more to put in the closet or give as gifts.

All in all, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this one to anyone looking for a good, solid user for minimum outlay.

(excuse the craptastic flash photography, was in a hurry)

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very good review! and nice pictures. for the price, i would say it's one of the better bargain knives out there! :thumbup::thumbup: :)
 
Last night I managed to get a nice curl split off a hair for the first time with any knife - guess which knife it was with! With a bit of stropping the RAT-1 can become incredibly sharp - it's actually got a really nice blade!

Can anyone name a better one handed opening locking folder for under $30?

The RAT-1 is a solid little folder with a good blade and I only paid $26 for mine. Mine is a satin finish plain blade (I don't like the combo blades) and it is my favourite folder.
 
Good review. I've had a RAT-1 for awhile now and use it for everything. It works great and hasn't broke yet. Great knife for the price.
 
The Rat 1 is the only liner lock that I own and has become one of my favorites also because I have discovered the wonders of a full flat grind blade.The other thing, I like is how liner locks up nice a strong and how the blade has absolutely no play.
 
This is my EDC, and the knife I really learned to convex sharpen with. So I keep it very well maintained. It's tough, sharp, and didn't hurt my wallet. I call that a success!
 
jrmy0641 said:
i believe they started out in the $60-$70 range.
Click to expand...

TBH if I paid $60-$70 for my RAT-1 I wouldn't be disappointed with what I got. There may be plenty of other knives at a similar price that could be worth considering instead - but the RAT-1 is still good. Maybe these days I would want a better steel if I was paying that much - at least VG-10.

But at the current price of ~$26 like what I paid for mine, I am really happy and I think it was a bargain. It doesn't hurt that it has the blade shape that I like the looks of, but also it is a well made knife that is a pleasure to use!
 
Gadgetaholic said:
But at the current price of ~$26 like what I paid for mine, I am really happy and I think it was a bargain. It doesn't hurt that it has the blade shape that I like the looks of, but also it is a well made knife that is a pleasure to use!
Click to expand...

If you like the blade shape, try to the RAT Cutlery Izula...if you haven't done so already. While a bit shorter, the blade shape is virtually the same.

The RAT-1 is IMHO one of the best bang-for-the-buck folders out there. If it was made by Buck in the USA, I think it would eventually supplant the 110 as its hard-use folder, save the nostalgia purchases...
 
I own several of these and very very excellent bang for the buck especially at what they are going for on ebay. keepem sharp
 
Mine came in the mail today....I'm very pleased. Very good hunk of knife for the price......and as sharp as I need.....Knifenut may disagree, so I'll let him have his way with it;)

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