RAT-7 vs Camp Tramp vs Ratweiler

G

ghanson

Joined
Oct 25, 2005
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I'm looking for a 7"+- heavy bladed, good steel knife to use for solo camping in the mountains of Arkansas and Colorado. This is going to be a working knife and needs to be a blade I can depend on when the going gets tough. Other blades I'll carry are a SOG TF-3 and a Leatherman SuperTool.

Now to the question:
How do the steels, the workmanship, and dependability compare between these three knives? The CT and Ratweiler look to be very similar except for the handles - how do they differ?

I know that the general wisdom would be to buy all three - but my wife just wouldn't understand...thanks for helping me out.

Greg
 
I would have to go with the Ratweiler. Personally I like big knives and because it's subhilted and has a "two position grip" as they call it - you can get good control out of big knife (I really think they did an excellent job with the handle and it looks real nice too). Any way, you asked a really hard question because they are all really good knives so best of luck on a hard choice.
 
Don't forget the Becker BK7 and Ranger RD7. Although the RAT7 and BK7 are great knives they just aren't as durable as the others listed here and by you. Due to their thinner blade stock they would probably be better at slicing and food prep though. Tough is a relative term. I feel out of all of these the Ranger is probably the best value to durability ratio. I rececently acquired a used RD7 with a flat grind here on the exchange forum for 60 bucks shipped. The flat grind model in .25" stock would be a good compromise between strength and "sliceability". I battoned the living hell out of it through some pecan tree branches I had felled in my back yard. Some of them were 3 to 4"s thick and 4 feet long. This blade just laughed as it got most of the way through them and was used to pry the split pieces apart to finish them off. Hard to beat 1/4" 5160 with a kick @$$ heat treat. Just my 2 cents. Check 'em out here: http://www.sagecreekoutfitters.com/..._Code=SC&Product_Code=K6001O&Category_Code=RK. I have several Swamprat knives and love them just as much, but I am probably suffering a bit of a recency effect since this knife is my newest big blade. The value factor is irrefutable though. Justin Gingrich, the man behind http://rangerknives.com/Knives/index.html is a great businessman and all around guy in general. Excellent customer service and warranty on his blades. He's taken care of me on several instances and all I ever paid was shipping to him. Highly recommended. :D
 
The RD7 is a nice looking knife. What kind of steel are they using? Where can I find more info on the manufacturer?

Shoot, this isn't getting any easier!

Greg
 
I own both the RAT-7 and the Camp Tramp. I'm not the biggest fan of rubber handles, but the Camp Tramp holds a great edge and can really take some abuse. If your looking for a hard use knife, I say go with the Swamp Rat Camp Tramp. The rubber acts like a shock abosorber for long hours of chopping.
 
Didn't mean to complicate the fray, sorry. The steel is 5160 carbon. Very similar to most leaf spring stock. Also called 5160 spring steel. Very shock resistant and takes a good edge, a good choice of steel for a big chopper. I agree Myakka Swamprats are probably a better knife but the Ranger's right on their heels and a bit more economical if that's even an issue. Check out the links if you hadn't and this may be blasphemy, but there is a whole forum dedicated to Ranger knives here: http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showforum.php?fid/72/. Let me know if I can be of anymore help in your decision. Good luck. :thumbup:
 
Get a Cold Steel Recon Scout....The 7.5" blade is thick-enough (5/16ths inch) to use to pry a tree apart.:D.
 
glockman99 said:
Get a Cold Steel Recon Scout....The 7.5" blade is thick-enough (5/16ths inch) to use to pry a tree apart.:D.
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Just don't baton it...
;) Sorry, couldn't resist.

As to the steel question, the two Rats are obviously made of the same steel, so it's a comparison between SR-101 (Swamp Rat's differentially-tempered 52100) and 5160. Which is better? That's kind of like saying is beef better than pork. Both have lots of protein, and their own advantages. :)

Both makers are very good at pulling peak performance from their steels, so I'll say that SR-101 will have a bit better edge retention in slicing and push cutting, and 5160 will be a bit tougher when it comes to impact work (chopping, breaking, stabbing), and is also a bit less prone to rust, given its lower carbon content. The operative word in these comparisons is "bit" and it's a little bit at that. Properly treated 5160 holds an edge very well, while SR-101 is tough as hell, and not exactly eager to rust.

You'll be very well served by any knife mentioned in this thread.
 
They are all good knives from awesome companies. I would recomend eithier. I got a RD7, awesome knife.

TBG
 
It's coming down to the Ratweiler and the Ranger RD7. I'm leaning toward the Ratweiler mostly because I really like the sweep of the blade. Anybody looking to sell one?!
 
Keep in mind if you buy from Swamprat directly there will likely be a wait. Worth it? Yeah it is. If you need it soon get the Ranger. May be a wait for those too, but less likely.
 
ghanson said:
I'm so glad I've found this forum. It's kind of like AA for knife fanatics!
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What? No, we don't have any problems here. Everyone here has there addic-uh, hobby well under control. What are YOU looking at?
 
madcap_magician said:
What? No, we don't have any problems here. Everyone here has there addic-uh, hobby well under control. What are YOU looking at?
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What do you mean "twitch"? I don't have a twitch!
Hey man, can I score some SR-101 off of you?
 
t1mpani said:
Just don't baton it...
;) Sorry, couldn't resist.

As to the steel question, the two Rats are obviously made of the same steel, so it's a comparison between SR-101 (Swamp Rat's differentially-tempered 52100) and 5160. Which is better? That's kind of like saying is beef better than pork. Both have lots of protein, and their own advantages. :)

Both makers are very good at pulling peak performance from their steels, so I'll say that SR-101 will have a bit better edge retention in slicing and push cutting, and 5160 will be a bit tougher when it comes to impact work (chopping, breaking, stabbing), and is also a bit less prone to rust, given its lower carbon content. The operative word in these comparisons is "bit" and it's a little bit at that. Properly treated 5160 holds an edge very well, while SR-101 is tough as hell, and not exactly eager to rust.

You'll be very well served by any knife mentioned in this thread.
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My metallurgy may be off but I`m positive carbon doesn`t cause rust, iron does. You don`t see diamonds rusting do you? I guarentee you`ll see iron rusting.
 
kryptonite said:
My metallurgy may be off but I`m positive carbon doesn`t cause rust, iron does. You don`t see diamonds rusting do you? I guarentee you`ll see iron rusting.
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You are quite right, and re-reading my post it's clear I fell victim to the siren call of brevity and didn't explain well. I should have said that carbon accounts for less of 5160's makeup, as it is a bit more complicated alloy than the 10 series. Chromium, in this case, is aiding corrosion resistance.
 
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