RAT Woodland Ops Photos

R.A.T. said:
I agree 100 percent Horn Dog. It simply amazes me how people will spend a lot of money for a "survival knife" for this type of environment when all they need is a cheap machete. I know I'm cutting our own throat by saying this, but I would MUCH rather see someone buy a machete than any knife we make if their purpose for the edge is wilderness survival in tropical/sub-tropical environments. Sub-Tropical can include parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, parts of Texas and everything south of there. The bottom line is if you get out and practice skills you already know this. ;)
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Can you baton firewood with a machete? Aren't machetes going to be more easily broken? I don't have a lot of experience myself. Mostly what I have researched on the net.

So how about a R.A.T. Machete????
 
When you guys came out with the RTAK, I bought one. It worked almost as well a machete. I still have it and the later model, too. I have Busses, Swamp Rats, Beckers, and Scrap Yards, too. They are fine for messing around in my back yard. I enjoy having them. The only one I have actually used in the swamps is the lightest one, the flat ground Dog Father LE, with a 10" blade that only weighs 17 oz. Why? Because it is closest to a machete! I'm not knocking the big Battle Mistresses and such. They are works of art, and I appreciate them. But in the bush, I'll take the lowly machete every time.
 
SOUTHSTAR said:
Can you baton firewood with a machete? Aren't machetes going to be more easily broken? I don't have a lot of experience myself. Mostly what I have researched on the net.

So how about a R.A.T. Machete????
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Yes, you can baton the smaller wood needed to get your fire going. Good machetes are extremely flexible and rarely broken. RAT is working on machete now with Imacasa out of El Salvador. Our machete will NOT be any better than what's already out there except we will have micarta handles.

With all that said, as we have stated numerous times, RAT is all about a philosophy and hopefully providing avenues / info for less experienced people to keep themselves alive. The knife business is a sideline thing for us when it comes to where our heart is, mainly because the knife business is probably about 75 percent bullshit. In fact, the future may reveal some changes about RAT and where it goes. Not saying this will happen but the future could hold something along the lines of RAT-designed Rowen knives with RAT, itself, being only a training organization ;)

Now THAT should get everyone speculating and talking. :D
 
Horn Dog said:
When you guys came out with the RTAK, I bought one. It worked almost as well a machete. I still have it and the later model, too. I have Busses, Swamp Rats, Beckers, and Scrap Yards, too. They are fine for messing around in my back yard. I enjoy having them. The only one I have actually used in the swamps is the lightest one, the flat ground Dog Father LE, with a 10" blade that only weighs 17 oz. Why? Because it is closest to a machete! I'm not knocking the big Battle Mistresses and such. They are works of art, and I appreciate them. But in the bush, I'll take the lowly machete every time.
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And that's why I was simply amazed at how many RTAKs we sold when it is not even close to being as good as a cheap machete.
 
R.A.T. said:
... The knife business is a sideline thing for us when it comes to where our heart is, mainly because the knife business is probably about 75 percent bullshit....
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As a knife collector from way back and a has been outdoorsman, I think 75% bullshit is a conservative estimate. :D
The knife business is about sales. Most of the customers nowadays are urban dwellers who have never set foot in a truly wild environment. It's not their fault. So companies must constantly come up with something new to sell to the upcoming "survivalists" who rightly sense their vulnerability in a civilization totally dependent on a complex delivery system for their everyday survival needs. Looking for an "edge" in some coming disaster, these customers will spare no expense to have the finest, trickest, most indestructable survival knife money can buy. And the smart knife companies are ready to help. But what these good people really need is survival experience. I am not right. When I was just a boy, I would take off on Friday after school, grab my gear and spend the whole weekend living off the land on the little marsh islands in coastal South Carolina. Oysters, blue crabs, fish, and squirrels supplemented my can of Vienna sausages. I learned to carry some salt. Everything tastes better with it. My gear was mostly army surplus. Then as an adult in the military, I was taught even more survival skills. Later I spent much time hunting and exploring the Altamaha River swamps in Georgia. I have tried out nearly every new "survival" knife offered. I am getting too old to tromp the swamps alone, and my cronies are either dead or in worse health than me, so my knife testing ground is my wild back yard most of the time. I love the outdoors and using knives (guns, too). If you just like to collect knives, then do so. If you want to learn how to survive, take a survival course, get out there and see what it takes just to provide shelter and food. Learn how to navigate and move. Learn how to prepare meals with a minumum of equipment. And most important of all, get a canteen, a .22 rifle, a swiss army knife, and a machete. Old man rant off.
 
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R.A.T. said:
I agree 100 percent Horn Dog. It simply amazes me how people will spend a lot of money for a "survival knife" for this type of environment when all they need is a cheap machete. I know I'm cutting our own throat by saying this, but I would MUCH rather see someone buy a machete than any knife we make if their purpose for the edge is wilderness survival in tropical/sub-tropical environments. Sub-Tropical can include parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, parts of Texas and everything south of there. The bottom line is if you get out and practice skills you already know this. ;)
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I don't think your cutting your throat by being honest. It makes ppl like me a city boy who really just likes knives to HAVE than to USE them like were intended for to buy more. I wounldn't buy a cheap machete but I would buy a Rat one just for the 4-5 stickers I have in back.= My excuse to buy one.
I use all my knives but very lightly in comparison. Camping = Fuzz stick is my extreme :eek::D. Better than buy my knife it's better than a chainsaw type of approch.:thumbdn:
 
ironmike86 said:
I don't think your cutting your throat by being honest. It makes ppl like me a city boy who really just likes knives to HAVE than to USE them like were intended for to buy more. I wounldn't buy a cheap machete but I would buy a Rat one just for the 4-5 stickers I have in back.= My excuse to buy one.
I use all my knives but very lightly in comparison. Camping = Fuzz stick is my extreme :eek::D. Better than buy my knife it's better than a chainsaw type of approch.:thumbdn:
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ironmike, I totally understand the desire to collect knives that you may never use. I do it myself sometimes. The good thing about RAT knives is that they are proven useful designs and are affordable to collect. But if you can't bring yourself to buy a cheap machete, too, maybe the new RAT machete with micarta scales will come in handy. Machetes are great water melon slicers. And just maybe, you'll get a chance to actually get out and use it in a survival course. :D
 
Jeff, thanks for the pics, can't wait to see more. I had a blast last week and I am looking forward to the spring class.
 
Looks like an absolute blast...but where is peeing part of your survival course...i was under impression you cant survive if you don't drink or\and pee on your self:)
 
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Horn Dog said:
ironmike, I totally understand the desire to collect knives that you may never use. I do it myself sometimes. The good thing about RAT knives is that they are proven useful designs and are affordable to collect. But if you can't bring yourself to buy a cheap machete, too, maybe the new RAT machete with micarta scales will come in handy. Machetes are great water melon slicers. And just maybe, you'll get a chance to actually get out and use it in a survival course. :D
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Melons I never thought of that.:thumbup: I use my knives to cut alot of thick rope so that hardly puts any wear in them. I agree Rat knives a good ppl like to collect them. Especially ppl who want a good quality knife but don't want to $pend or can $pend the $$ on a quality Busse, Bark River ect...
 
I grew up in South Fla. And as a kid I used a machete alot. Around my area it was mostly all sugar cane fields. So getting a machete was easy. Grandfather always had a few around. Then when I got older I bought a few cane knife style machete's. Used them alot. I have destroyed alot of machete's over the years, BUT that was from abuse. I.E. Throwing them etc etc. Never had one fail when using it correct.
 
Great photos Jeff and it looks like it was a really good time :thumbup::thumbup:.
 
Tomso said:
Looks like an absolute blast...but where is peeing part of your survival course...i was under impression you cant survive if you don't drink or\and pee on your self:)
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You lost me :confused:
 
Bear always pees or uses pee in some way...so it must be a survival must...and eating rotten stuff...you didn't eat any rotten stuff either...pfff :)
 
I don't watch Bear so I wasn't sure what you were talking about. Nothing wrong with rotten stuff if it's cooked to the right temp.
 
Wow everyones honesty is refreshing. I'm intirested in learning and increasing my outdoor skills and later passing it on to my children. My dad taught me what he knew but this is mostly car camping skills.

An edged weapon seems to be one of the most useful things you can get . I have spent a lot of time researching online what's best to use . Watched a lot of nutnfancy vids on YouTube and I was coming under the impression that large tough survival knives were the One stop shop for survival.

Im hearing what you all are saying and I can tell it comes from a lot of experience .
The one thing I am still a little confused about is what is the advantage of a machete over say a scrapyard dogfather? Other than cost . What can a machete do that a DF can't?
 
SOUTHSTAR said:
Wow everyones honesty is refreshing. I'm intirested in learning and increasing my outdoor skills and later passing it on to my children. My dad taught me what he knew but this is mostly car camping skills.

An edged weapon seems to be one of the most useful things you can get . I have spent a lot of time researching online what's best to use . Watched a lot of nutnfancy vids on YouTube and I was coming under the impression that large tough survival knives were the One stop shop for survival.

Im hearing what you all are saying and I can tell it comes from a lot of experience .
The one thing I am still a little confused about is what is the advantage of a machete over say a scrapyard dogfather? Other than cost . What can a machete do that a DF can't?
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For starters it allows you to purchase a lot more gear to go along with the machete.....
 
Jeff you should come to Idaho, we have very liberal outdoor sporting regulations and a arid highlands class would be fascinating. There isn't much food and no water, not to mention tough terrain. Sometimes there isn't even fuel for a fire.
 
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