Rat RC-5 vs Falkniven A1

T

tomdogma

Joined
Nov 29, 2008
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I already posted this in the general discussion forum and would love to hear some thoughts from Rat lovers (I am one too!)
I do a bit of high alpine and high desert camping and backpacking and I am looking for a medium sized fixed blade knife to cover a broad range of tasks from light chopping to slicing and in case of an emergency robustness for random abusive tasks!
so with that in mind I have come down to either Rat RC-5 or Falkniven A1, they both have .25 inch stock, the Falkniven though is stainless (a plus) and laminated for strength while the Rat is 1095 (strong) but can be prone to rust, I have an izulu and like it a lot and I have a lot of respect for the company, I know that the RC-5 is new and not a lot of people have experience with it but any thoughts appreciated!! as well other suggestions. I am also looking for a Busse BATACLE (similar form factor) but they are hard to find!
 
I wonder how many on the RAT subforum will recommend the A1 over the RC-5....I think you're the only one that can answer that question. Do you want stainless or not? Which style appeals more to you? BOOM, there's your answer. Personally, I'd take the RC-6 with full height grind, but that's just me.

Also, there is a BATACLE currently listed in the for sale forum, but as you may be aware it's a touch more money @ $425 than either of the two you're considering here.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=623882&highlight=BATACLE
 
I knew this could be a biased environment and i wil probably get both (just because i like them) but would love to hear any other experiences or perspectives
 
I have never owned a Falkniven knife ...so my input is limited but to knock out two birds with one stone and save some cash..THe RC5 feels like the BATAC ,I had a BATAC and sold it & the RC5 comes with a Great Sheath.
 
I have an RC5 on pre order. Plus I own an RC4 and an RC6. I spend a lot of time camping including winter camping and coastal camping.

I once considered the falknivens myself. However I decided against them for the following reasons. First I am very picky about edge quality and the 1095 takes a much much crisper edge and is easier to maintain in the field especialy with a convexed edge (which I have applied to my RAT knives).

The other reason was the ease of resharpening the VG10 in the Falknivens is basicaly the same as AUS8 steel which has never impressed me in the sharpening department. 1095 sharpens much easier and holds the edge longer.

Concerning rust. My RC's have never had any problem in that department. Neither have my Kukri's or my old camillus pilots survival knife. I just take reasonable care of the blades like any other piece of equipment. If the knife is going to be stored for a bit then I rub the exposed blade areas down with a chunk of beeswax.

The RAT cutlery blades are coated and that prevents most of the rust problems for quite a while. Even with heavy use.

Personaly my RC4 is the knife which will meet most daily tasks and has become my EDC blade. The RC5 will serve you well but may be heavier than you really need, however it does come with a tremendous sheath system as well. The RC6 as previously stated would also be an excellent choice, easily meeting all of the above needs, and still being capable of fine work as well. I just wish it came with as good of a sheath setup as the RC5.
 
Compare where they are made, compare the warranties, and compare the people.

Decide for yourself.
 
I have given the Fallkniven line consideration and quickly moved past the A1 to the NL3 Njord of their Northern Light Series. Now that is a beautiful knife, combine that with a Hedgehog Leatherworks sheath and you've really got something. The stock leather sheath is nice too but the Hedgehog is better. I didn't care much for the A1 because like Cold Steel they use a Kraton handle which isn't as durable as micarta, can't be removed for service or repair by the user and is ugly. The stainless blade isn't much of a plus either because I've never had a a problem with 1095 in the field and when you compare the ease of field sharpening between the two blades the 1095 looks even better.
Someday maybe I'll buy a Njord and put it in a nice sheath but for now I'm just looking forward to the RC-5 I ordered arriving.;)
Njord-01-500-M.jpg
 
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Thanks everyone for their input!! I will be getting an RC-5 to play with in the pass around (Thanks Shotgunner11!!) and I am very tempted to just buy the RC-5 even before I get it, another knife now in the mix is the Busse Skinny Ash, I know it is quite a bit more expensive. I do have a NMSFNO (a beast) and a Satin Jack (very sexy) and I am very impressed by their quality. In the end I may buy all of them just because I like them, but the real question is what do I bring with me when I am in the wilderness!!! It is tricky buying on the internet since how a knife feels in your hand (balance, size of grip, grip materials etc.) ends up be ing a big part of the equation
 
Fallkniven's warranty suck... ;)
I have one of their sharpeners - the DC-4.It's good,but the diamond and ceramic part got separated.Fortunately they didn't broke.I send an e-mail to Fallknbiven about that and the answer was : "We're sorry about this,but if you send it to us we will only glue it together.So I suggest that you glue it yourself." If it has been broken,due the lack of glue,due the lack of quality control...Would they say - "Send it to us-we wont replace it,but we'll glue it..." :D :D :D I'm disappointed of them and wont buy a Fallkniven knife.That's just me ;)

But a RAT knife - I would love to get one :) :thumbup:
 
I don't use an A1 or an RC5, but have both knives.

I do own and use a Fallkniven and it is an excellent knife and the company is a good company. The RC4 I have is one of my favorite blades. You guys know the bulletproof warranty of the RC stuff.

The Fallkniven A1 is going to be a better cutter (IMO) than the RC5. The RC5 is brute force and strength, while the A1 is more of a camp type knife.

The A1 sheath is nothing to write home about.

Personally, of the two you mentioned, for the task you mentioned, I would go for the A1...but that is personal preference.

As with most things--knives especially--it is horses for courses. The right tool makes all the difference. For what you are asking, I would choose the RC4. In skilled hands it can do everything you are asking and is MUCH lighter than the other two. It has a great sheath and you are not going to break it.

Just my .02 worth.
 
I can confirm the RC-4 is a badass knife for the money. I'm jonesing for an RC-6 to compare against the RC-4, just wish it came with the same sweet Kydex sheath as the RC-4.

I feel the RC-5 might be too thick due to the saber grind to make it a go to camp tool.
 
okbohn said:
I don't use an A1 or an RC5, but have both knives.

I do own and use a Fallkniven and it is an excellent knife and the company is a good company. The RC4 I have is one of my favorite blades. You guys know the bulletproof warranty of the RC stuff.

The Fallkniven A1 is going to be a better cutter (IMO) than the RC5. The RC5 is brute force and strength, while the A1 is more of a camp type knife.

The A1 sheath is nothing to write home about.

Personally, of the two you mentioned, for the task you mentioned, I would go for the A1...but that is personal preference.

As with most things--knives especially--it is horses for courses. The right tool makes all the difference. For what you are asking, I would choose the RC4. In skilled hands it can do everything you are asking and is MUCH lighter than the other two. It has a great sheath and you are not going to break it.

Just my .02 worth.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: Good call Derrick
 
Rc-4 is my favorite. Great all-around knife. Perfect for camping and well...just about anything else. The only thing though that might make me hesitate to recommend it as "the knife" for you would be that you said you wanted something that could do a little chopping. The rc-4 is terrible at chopping. It was not designed for that and will not perform for you in this task. I don't know for sure but I have a feeling that the A1 is a similarly bad chopper (although at .25" thick it might be slightly better). You might want to think about the rc-6 which is at least capable as a light chopper. I don't have one yet but I hope to pretty soon. I think that you should get an rc-4 too, of course! ;)
 
If it were me, I would get an RC-5, but that is just because I am a bigger RAT cutlery fan, and that I haven't owned any Fallknivens yet. Don't plan on any of the fixed blades either, only a U2.
 
As for the chopping, I just use it to baton and I get the same results out of a smaller knife.
 
thanks Guys!!! I really appreciate your opinions!!!
I ordered both of them today and will play around with them and do a comparison review afterward. I did notice that people love the RC-4 and at some point I will have to get one but at this moment it does not fulfill the chopping needs, but if I go with a 2 knife scenario I think an RC-4 would nicely compliment my Busse NMSFNO I also have a Spyderco Mule in S90v and it is filling my needs for a smaller fixed blade knife. Then on the the other hand there a few mid size Busses that may fit the bill, like the SAR 5..or the Skinny ASH or CG ASH......... or ...or ...OR!!! mmm more things to obsess over!!!
 
ZombaiO said:
Fallkniven's warranty suck... ;)
I have one of their sharpeners - the DC-4.It's good,but the diamond and ceramic part got separated.Fortunately they didn't broke.I send an e-mail to Fallknbiven about that and the answer was : "We're sorry about this,but if you send it to us we will only glue it together.So I suggest that you glue it yourself." If it has been broken,due the lack of glue,due the lack of quality control...Would they say - "Send it to us-we wont replace it,but we'll glue it..." :D :D :D I'm disappointed of them and wont buy a Fallkniven knife.That's just me ;)

But a RAT knife - I would love to get one :) :thumbup:
Click to expand...

That's personally what made me into a RATer (Besides you guys...) is the incredible warranty.
 
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