RAT v.s. Ontario?

I think it's funny the TRUE BELIEVERS are more obsessed with all this than the guys who run Rat Cutlery. What up with that ? Anyway, I picked up the Ontario Rat-7 recently. Of course I'm cheating because it's a 2005 collectors series model made under license. However, let me tell you the satin finish D2 flat ground blade is nice. For the price of a decent handle option on a Busse, I got the satin finish blade, horn handles, and a leather sheath. Worst case it may break if I'm batoning in cold weather. Then again I like hatchets for chopping wood. I've got the Rat-7 next to the bed where that razor blade will come in handy if the sh*t hits the fan. This isn't to say Ontario didn't give me several cosmetic issues, but they are pretty much cosmetic and won't get in the way of what I wanted the Rat-7 for. For my wish list, I'd love it if the Rat Cutlery guys would contract with Busse Combat to do runs of Rat-7's and RTAK III's.
 
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There's a lot of nice variations of NO and BM's, but it's hard to beat the simple design of the Rat-7. Would love to have one in INFI steel. Since the guys at Rat Cutlery are going to be busy with the RC-3,4,5,&6; it would be practical to have Busse do runs of the bigger RAT designs. I think fans of both companies would eat it up.
 
The early SNs and BMs were pretty simple, which is why I listed them rather than the newer sdsmkelrouisdBM or ashyyetndfrwNO. :D
(No, I haven't deciphered many of the Busse acronyms.)
 
rg598 said:
OK, explain to me how the different heat treatment done by Ontario and RAT effects specific aspects of the 1095 blade, for example the ability to handle latteral forces (if you know what that means, that is)!
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YOU are the one who claimed there was no difference except "$100." I merely pointed out that there are differences. Given that Ontario has had problems with blade failures that we do not expect, I am willing to give Rowan the benefit of the doubt until we have data otherwise. They are not Ontario.

And yes, I have some concept of what "latteral" and "forces" mean.

And by the way, if you are not sure how to prevent corosion on a 1095 blade, perhaps you should just go with the D2, or ask some of the other members for advise.
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The issue that I was attempting to raise is moisture under the handle, not "on . . . a blade. That issue is addressed by handle liners. Hence "handle liners," instead of "blade liners." Ontario knives do not have handle liners. Rat Cutlery knives have handle liners.

And how about that $100? Still waiting. (That amount would, for some models, suggest that Ontario knives come free.)
 
OK who left the door open....
people have different opinions on this blade or that blade and we all know from using RAT Cutlery Vs. Otario rats that the fit & finish alone dominates Ontario version but if some one choose Ont. version or RAT Cutlery that is fine,if you leave the door open longer he'll wander back out ..
 
texastonydobbs said:
RAT Cutlery Vs. Otario rats that the fit & finish alone dominates Ontario version but if some one choose Ont. version or RAT Cutlery that is fine
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Agreed. Where things turned ugly was the questioning if fit and finish was worth the cost increase. That is always going to be a personal opinion and can never be resolved in an debate forum like this one or even in a more objective (open membership) area of BF. Some of us (I'm looking at a mirror here) shouldn't have been so easily baited.

After all, this same debate gets thrown up comparing the extreme ends of price & F&F (i.e. mora vs. busse and cold steel vs. custom maker supreme Mr XX). Applying it in this case is just about subtleties. I'd be willing to bet that the variation of prices across different distributors for any one of the products is as high or higher than the mean price difference between the two.
 
As we have said time and time again, being that it's a free country (at least until Obama goes in), I think everyone has a right to spend their money as they see fit. Some people want to pay for higher quality, some folks like bare bones pricing. When it comes to machetes, I like the cheapest South American Tramontina there is. I think the only real arguments in all this mess are 1) our proven heat treat on the RC stuff and 2) the best warranty in the business when you deal with RAT Cutlery. I guess the rest just depends on how nice a person wants the fit and finish to be, as well as symmetrical edges and grinds.
 
I think the thing that rubbed me wrong isn't that he didn't think RC knives are worth the premium in cost, but that he stated opinion as fact, and the way he went about it, implied anyone was stupid for having a different opinion.
 
being a RC forum we all are a little biased. im guilty of it and my first one does not come in until Wednesday!, but we must remain objective.
 
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