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Rat RC6 Pass review forum
- Thread starter rrg991981
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2007
- Messages
- 1,415
kalama, you suck! How the hell can I follow that??
Great review! I can't wait for my turn.
Great review! I can't wait for my turn.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2005
- Messages
- 7,809
Nice. This is one of the uses I had in mind when I ordered up my RC-6. Not really the pig stabbin' part, that's what my .30-30s for, but the disassembly part.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2009
- Messages
- 650
Great review and pictures, thanks for posting.:thumbup:
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2007
- Messages
- 1,415
This is my first knife review, so please be nice to me! 
First Impressions:
Being the first RC knife I have handled, I was quite surprised to see that the RC-6 is considerably thinner than the other hard use knives I own. In my opinion, it is even thinner in real life than it looks in the pictures. Although thicker than the tip on my Chris Reeve Green Beret, I am a little dubious of the RC-6s tip and wonder if it will stand up to its reputation. If not for RATs warranty that I have seen in action and watching Nosss destruction test on the RC-4, I would be afraid of snapping it. The knife has nice balance and sits comfortably in the hand. Again I notice how thin the knife is, but it is obviously a well made tool that is built to last.
Fit and Finish:
The linen micarta scales feel smooth in the hand; I have always loved the feel of linen. The scales are misaligned the slightest bit on the bottom near where the forefinger is placed. This does not interfere with the usage of the knife, but I thought it worth mentioning. As anyone who has seen an RC knife knows, the green scale liners are a great compliment to the black micarta and really pop out against the darker colors of the knife. The blade coating is impeccable. The majority of the coated blades I have handled have had at least some kind of minor imperfection in the coating. I couldnt detect any on the RC-6. I did notice that there is a slight burr right at the tip of the blade.
Testing:
Taking receipt of the knife, I immediately noticed very minor dings or rolls in the edge. Since the first reviewer butchered a hog with it, I am assuming he may have hit a bone or two in the process. No big deal; this, along with the small burr on the tip, gave me the perfect excuse to sharpen the RC-6. A few minutes with the medium and fine stones on my Gatco sharpener and I was back in business. The coating along the spine got a little dinged from the clamp. No big deal though, right? This is a user.
The combination of working a vampire schedule and it being February in Alaska makes it pretty hard to get into the wilderness. I decided I could still put the knife to good use building a bow drill though. I have a stack of Yellow Cedar that I cut last summer and set aside with the sole purpose of testing my knives and bushcraft skills on. Not only does my carport smell good, I get some great fires when I am done playing.
Chopping: No ifs ands or buts, the RC-6 is not a chopper. There is simply not enough weight to give you any serious bite. For testing purposes, I attacked a 4 alder that I lost in a storm last fall. While the blade was able to do some damage, it just couldnt get enough purchase to make any real progress. I quickly terminated this test, deciding the RC-6 just isnt made for chopping.
Batoning: Let me start off by saying I was REAL excited to get to this portion of the testing. I felt the quality materials and superb edge geometry of the blade would make it an excellent tool for batoning.
I began my test with an approximate 6 round of yellow cedar. My assumptions were correct in that the blade quickly and efficiently penetrated and the seasoned wood began to split. Unfortunately, progress abruptly ended when the entire blade of the knife disappeared into the log. Not discouraged in the slightest, I started over, this time trying to split off a smaller chunk. This second attempt was barely more successful than the first, as I found the size of my round was just too much for the RC-6 to handle effectively. A thicker blade could have pushed further into the wood, but really the piece was just too big for the blade.
Not being one to give up easily, I grabbed a piece of cedar out of the stack that had already been split. With my medium now running approximately 3, I was able to baton through the wood with ease. As anticipated, I was able to make beautiful kindling. Several small knots and twisted grains were no match for the RC-6, which cut through them like a hot knife in butter.
After an hour of chopping and batoning, the edge was still sharp enough to make a fuzz stick without problem. I have no blisters or hot spots on my hands.
First Impressions:
Being the first RC knife I have handled, I was quite surprised to see that the RC-6 is considerably thinner than the other hard use knives I own. In my opinion, it is even thinner in real life than it looks in the pictures. Although thicker than the tip on my Chris Reeve Green Beret, I am a little dubious of the RC-6s tip and wonder if it will stand up to its reputation. If not for RATs warranty that I have seen in action and watching Nosss destruction test on the RC-4, I would be afraid of snapping it. The knife has nice balance and sits comfortably in the hand. Again I notice how thin the knife is, but it is obviously a well made tool that is built to last.
Fit and Finish:
The linen micarta scales feel smooth in the hand; I have always loved the feel of linen. The scales are misaligned the slightest bit on the bottom near where the forefinger is placed. This does not interfere with the usage of the knife, but I thought it worth mentioning. As anyone who has seen an RC knife knows, the green scale liners are a great compliment to the black micarta and really pop out against the darker colors of the knife. The blade coating is impeccable. The majority of the coated blades I have handled have had at least some kind of minor imperfection in the coating. I couldnt detect any on the RC-6. I did notice that there is a slight burr right at the tip of the blade.
Testing:
Taking receipt of the knife, I immediately noticed very minor dings or rolls in the edge. Since the first reviewer butchered a hog with it, I am assuming he may have hit a bone or two in the process. No big deal; this, along with the small burr on the tip, gave me the perfect excuse to sharpen the RC-6. A few minutes with the medium and fine stones on my Gatco sharpener and I was back in business. The coating along the spine got a little dinged from the clamp. No big deal though, right? This is a user.
The combination of working a vampire schedule and it being February in Alaska makes it pretty hard to get into the wilderness. I decided I could still put the knife to good use building a bow drill though. I have a stack of Yellow Cedar that I cut last summer and set aside with the sole purpose of testing my knives and bushcraft skills on. Not only does my carport smell good, I get some great fires when I am done playing.
Chopping: No ifs ands or buts, the RC-6 is not a chopper. There is simply not enough weight to give you any serious bite. For testing purposes, I attacked a 4 alder that I lost in a storm last fall. While the blade was able to do some damage, it just couldnt get enough purchase to make any real progress. I quickly terminated this test, deciding the RC-6 just isnt made for chopping.
Batoning: Let me start off by saying I was REAL excited to get to this portion of the testing. I felt the quality materials and superb edge geometry of the blade would make it an excellent tool for batoning.
I began my test with an approximate 6 round of yellow cedar. My assumptions were correct in that the blade quickly and efficiently penetrated and the seasoned wood began to split. Unfortunately, progress abruptly ended when the entire blade of the knife disappeared into the log. Not discouraged in the slightest, I started over, this time trying to split off a smaller chunk. This second attempt was barely more successful than the first, as I found the size of my round was just too much for the RC-6 to handle effectively. A thicker blade could have pushed further into the wood, but really the piece was just too big for the blade.
Not being one to give up easily, I grabbed a piece of cedar out of the stack that had already been split. With my medium now running approximately 3, I was able to baton through the wood with ease. As anticipated, I was able to make beautiful kindling. Several small knots and twisted grains were no match for the RC-6, which cut through them like a hot knife in butter.
After an hour of chopping and batoning, the edge was still sharp enough to make a fuzz stick without problem. I have no blisters or hot spots on my hands.
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2007
- Messages
- 1,415
Part Two:
Miscellaneous Camp Chores: Because I normally use a smaller blade for general use around camp, I wasnt sure how easy a 6 blade would be to work with. I was pleased to find out that it handled just fine after a few minutes getting used to the blade. Taking some of the cedar that I had split earlier in the day, I quickly whittled a spindle and handhold for my bowdrill. Again, both these pieces came from a full log earlier in the day. Throughout the work I actually came to prefer the larger blade, finding the finger choil very beneficial for choking up for the more detailed work. The tip of the knife worked great for drilling the hole and the edge retention was fantastic through it all.
Although I didnt take any pictures, I used the RC-6 in the kitchen to peel and cut potatoes, onions, and celery for some good old fashioned potato salad. Though obviously not a kitchen knife, it handled great and I wouldnt hesitate to take it into the kitchen again.
Summary:
Overall, I think the RAT Cutlery RC-6 is a high quality knife and a good value to boot. Is it the one knife solution that all us knife knuts talk about, but know doesnt exist? No, I dont think so. The RC-6 is a very capable knife made in America with high quality materials by a great company and carries a bulletproof warranty. As long as it is the right tool for the job I dont see the RC-6 having any problems with the work you throw at it. But if it goes to deer camp with me next fall I will also be taking a saw and hatchet. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend this knife to anyone.
Pros:
Miscellaneous Camp Chores: Because I normally use a smaller blade for general use around camp, I wasnt sure how easy a 6 blade would be to work with. I was pleased to find out that it handled just fine after a few minutes getting used to the blade. Taking some of the cedar that I had split earlier in the day, I quickly whittled a spindle and handhold for my bowdrill. Again, both these pieces came from a full log earlier in the day. Throughout the work I actually came to prefer the larger blade, finding the finger choil very beneficial for choking up for the more detailed work. The tip of the knife worked great for drilling the hole and the edge retention was fantastic through it all.
Although I didnt take any pictures, I used the RC-6 in the kitchen to peel and cut potatoes, onions, and celery for some good old fashioned potato salad. Though obviously not a kitchen knife, it handled great and I wouldnt hesitate to take it into the kitchen again.
Summary:
Overall, I think the RAT Cutlery RC-6 is a high quality knife and a good value to boot. Is it the one knife solution that all us knife knuts talk about, but know doesnt exist? No, I dont think so. The RC-6 is a very capable knife made in America with high quality materials by a great company and carries a bulletproof warranty. As long as it is the right tool for the job I dont see the RC-6 having any problems with the work you throw at it. But if it goes to deer camp with me next fall I will also be taking a saw and hatchet. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend this knife to anyone.
Pros:
- Aesthetically pleasing in fit, finish, and design
- High quality tool, made in America, by great folks
- Reasonably priced for the average user
- A little too thin and too light for my taste
- Coating seems to be wearing quickly
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2009
- Messages
- 650
Idaho Jarhead,
That was a great review, very thorough and professional, thank you.:thumbup:
That was a great review, very thorough and professional, thank you.:thumbup:
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2009
- Messages
- 154
Very good write up
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2009
- Messages
- 15
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