Rat 7

Skimo

Skimo

Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
4,008
(There will be no pictures because I'm being lazy right now, pictures may be added in the future. :p )

I picked up my RAT 7 only very lightly used several months ago, after watching the "Watch me break this knife, dude" videos on youtube.

It's the D2 steel version, sharpens easily and holds a great edge, only blade damage it gets is when I end up batoning over gravel or over cement on my back yard, it has handled fatwood, Osage orange, heck everything I throw in its path INCLUDING batoning through a 'survival' magnesium bar with no edge deformation. I've pounded it through wood with about an inch of the tip to baton against, through pine knots.

I'll admit... cutting the tread of a tire killed the edge and turned it into an expensive pry bar once... but it was quickly and easily remedied on my Edge Pro.

Helpful tip, IF you ever need to remove a tire from the rim cut the side wall... stay far far away from the tread, it may be tempting... just don't do it.;)

Some of the coating has been removed from the edge from hard use and I've had to re-tighten the handle, but that's to be expected from use.

The only two things that I don't love about the knife is the choil, and the handle slabs aren't flush with the tang, other than that the heat treat is dead on, the blade shape is useful and it performs like a champ.

I'd like to note one more thing, it's not a chopper, if you use smaller knives it will feel big for a little bit, but after a while I started seeing it as a good mid-sized camp knife.

I wouldn't hesitate recommending this knife to anyone.

Thanks for taking your time to read this post, feel free to pm/e-mail me if you have a question about the knife and I forgot to cover it in the review.
 
How was the tip?

My RAT-7 has about a 90 degree inclusive angle at the tip, it's hard to stab through toilet paper. That was my only real criticism of the knife (mine is the 1095 version, and the fit was as good as the ESEE6 -- I also bought it shortly after they first came out).
 
Skimo said:
(There will be no pictures because I'm being lazy right now, pictures may be added in the future. :p )

I picked up my RAT 7 only very lightly used several months ago, after watching the "Watch me break this knife, dude" videos on youtube.

It's the D2 steel version, sharpens easily and holds a great edge, only blade damage it gets is when I end up batoning over gravel or over cement on my back yard, it has handled fatwood, Osage orange, heck everything I throw in its path INCLUDING batoning through a 'survival' magnesium bar with no edge deformation. I've pounded it through wood with about an inch of the tip to baton against, through pine knots.

I'll admit... cutting the tread of a tire killed the edge and turned it into an expensive pry bar once... but it was quickly and easily remedied on my Edge Pro.

Helpful tip, IF you ever need to remove a tire from the rim cut the side wall... stay far far away from the tread, it may be tempting... just don't do it.;)

Some of the coating has been removed from the edge from hard use and I've had to re-tighten the handle, but that's to be expected from use.

The only two things that I don't love about the knife is the choil, and the handle slabs aren't flush with the tang, other than that the heat treat is dead on, the blade shape is useful and it performs like a champ.

I'd like to note one more thing, it's not a chopper, if you use smaller knives it will feel big for a little bit, but after a while I started seeing it as a good mid-sized camp knife.

I wouldn't hesitate recommending this knife to anyone.

Thanks for taking your time to read this post, feel free to pm/e-mail me if you have a question about the knife and I forgot to cover it in the review.
Click to expand...

The ESEE-6 holds an edge much better, that's the knife to reccommend. You get way more for the money and better warranty.
 
KNIFEABILITY said:
The ESEE-6 holds an edge much better, that's the knife to reccommend. You get way more for the money and better warranty.
Click to expand...

OK, we all know that you love your ESEE-6 and there's nothing wrong with that.

But....

We need to be cautious of getting into the habit of bashing other makers knives or other folks opinions of them.

Let's try not to represent our opinions as facts and be openminded to other folks opinions.
 
shotgunner11 said:
OK, we all know that you love your ESEE-6 and there's nothing wrong with that.

But....

We need to be cautious of getting into the habit of bashing other makers knives or other folks opinions of them.

Let's try not to represent our opinions as facts and be openminded to other folks opinions.
Click to expand...

I don't bash RAT 7, I own one and the fact is the ESEE-6 is of superior quality in all areas including edge retention, that is a fact.
 
KNIFEABILITY said:
The ESEE-6 holds an edge much better, that's the knife to reccommend. You get way more for the money and better warranty.
Click to expand...

The above highlighted portion of your previous post is an opinion, granted, it's based on your perception of facts, but an opinion none the less.

I agree with you in this case, it's just that we have to watch our words or else get a reputation for bashing the competition.;)
 
shotgunner11 said:
The above highlighted portion of your previous post is an opinion, granted, it's based on your perception of facts, but an opinion none the less.

I agree with you in this case, it's just that we have to watch our words or else get a reputation for bashing the competition.;)
Click to expand...

United Cutlery sucks.

:D

Seriously though, when it comes to D2, I don't think I could honestly say that the edge retention of 1095 is better. I think that, given certain tasks, D2 is probably the better edge holder simply because I find it much harder. It's harder to sharpen, but better at staying sharp in my opinion. The reason I still prefer the 1095 is because of how much easier it is for me to sharpen and maintain an edge in the field and because it won't chip as readily under hard whacks. That's just my opinion from the knives I've owned in both steels. I used to have a Rat-7 in D2 and found it to be a total PITA to sharpen compared to the 1095. In fact, it made me question my sharpening technique. Also, I've had a few other knives in D2 and two of them chipped a little from batonning them through hard wood and knots. That being said, there are some aspects of D2 that I like, but I prefer the 1095 even though I CAN'T say it has the better edge retention. I did like my Rat-7, but in the end, I sold it to buy another RC knife.

Edited to add: These days I would actually prefer something in 5160 for anything over a 6" blade. You can tell a lot about a steel after you grind with it, heat treat it, and use it. 5160 is some great stuff for long blades.

By the way, it's not so much that 5160 is hard to grind compared to 1095, O-1, etc. It's that it tries to light you on fire the whole time it's touching a belt. I swear I thought my pants were going to combust any second. It was like being a hot straight dude wearing tight pants in a gay Superman bar.
 
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Dylside said:
I swear I thought my pants were going to combust any second. It was like being a hot straight dude wearing tight pants in a gay Superman bar.
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Dylside,

You speaking from personal experience?:)

As to blade steel, it depends on the intended use. I prefer D2 for dedicated deer hunting knives. For utility blades, I like 1095 and other carbon steels.

Chris
 
shotgunner11 said:
The above highlighted portion of your previous post is an opinion, granted, it's based on your perception of facts, but an opinion none the less.

I agree with you in this case, it's just that we have to watch our words or else get a reputation for bashing the competition.;)
Click to expand...

Your right, damn it I slipped that in there without even thinking.
 
Dylside said:
United Cutlery sucks.

:D

Seriously though, when it comes to D2, I don't think I could honestly say that the edge retention of 1095 is better. I think that, given certain tasks, D2 is probably the better edge holder simply because I find it much harder. It's harder to sharpen, but better at staying sharp in my opinion. The reason I still prefer the 1095 is because of how much easier it is for me to sharpen and maintain an edge in the field and because it won't chip as readily under hard whacks. That's just my opinion from the knives I've owned in both steels. I used to have a Rat-7 in D2 and found it to be a total PITA to sharpen compared to the 1095. In fact, it made me question my sharpening technique. Also, I've had a few other knives in D2 and two of them chipped a little from batonning them through hard wood and knots. That being said, there are some aspects of D2 that I like, but I prefer the 1095 even though I CAN'T say it has the better edge retention. I did like my Rat-7, but in the end, I sold it to buy another RC knife.

Edited to add: These days I would actually prefer something in 5160 for anything over a 6" blade. You can tell a lot about a steel after you grind with it, heat treat it, and use it. 5160 is some great stuff for long blades.

By the way, it's not so much that 5160 is hard to grind compared to 1095, O-1, etc. It's that it tries to light you on fire the whole time it's touching a belt. I swear I thought my pants were going to combust any second. It was like being a hot straight dude wearing tight pants in a gay Superman bar.
Click to expand...

I was thinking rat 7 1095, D2 does hold an edge very well- my bad all the way around.
 
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