RC-Machete?

kgd

kgd

Joined
Feb 28, 2007
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Lots of machete talk on the wilderness formums lately got me to thinking.

Okay, there is the RTAK, but what about RC making a more traditional machete. 18" with mircata scales, 1/8", 1094 steel and their oh so fine black coating? Couple this with a signature RAT sheath and I think you'd have a winner!

I'm sure the RAT team has been around the block and back with machetes and know what they like and what they don't and they could design the perfect one for us.

What really isn't available in the market is a machete with a bit more refinement. Most of them, although good stuff, are meant as disposable tools. I see a lot of folks sending off mass market machetes to custom makers to replace plastic handles with mircata.

How about it Jeff & Mike?
 
Sorry absulutindian - I didn't see you're earlier thread.

Yes, while tramontina makes a good machete at a cost of $10-$20, I think there is a market to be had for a $70-$90 dressed up machete. I'm thinking features like a really nice mircata handle, differentially heat treated blade, powder coating on blade and a nice kydex sheath.

These features just can't be had in the cheaper machetes that are available and most of the American manufactured machetes are too thick and heavy to be used in the fashion that jungle machetes are used.
 
I would not mine seeing one and yes I saw the last attempt at this but I would also like to see a sharpened sickle type hook on the back side for cutting briar vines with edged side and removing with hook end never having to touch the stickers...kinda like the woodsman pal but not as robust,I have a kick ass machete(though it is made in Japan) from when I was younger I will post a pic in the W&SS tomorrow and would love to see a RAT version,to me I think the price range would be more in the $40-75 range w/ nothing fancy Kydex universal mount for us lefties !!
 
We would love to have our own machete but as a user I can't justify paying close to a hundred bucks for a blade that I can buy for 1/10th the price and do just as a good of job with. Machetes are a niche market and except for some handle improvements I'm not sure we could do anything with the blade that would justify us stealing that much money from a good customer. :D
 
Becker Brutes have a market and are going for high prices on eBay. I would like a RAT 16 incher.
 
R.A.T. said:
We would love to have our own machete but as a user I can't justify paying close to a hundred bucks for a blade that I can buy for 1/10th the price and do just as a good of job with. Machetes are a niche market and except for some handle improvements I'm not sure we could do anything with the blade that would justify us stealing that much money from a good customer. :D
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Wasn't the RTAK an upscale Bowie/machete? Just buy a stack of Tramontina bolo blades, have Rowen stick some micarta scales on them and the RAT stamp, and get some kydex for them. Knife nuts will buy them!
 
What would be intersting if RAT did a machete, is go the heavy duty route. Give it a .187" spine, taper to, say .093" just before the final bevel to edge. Close to making a flat grind machete, It'd give it a bit more heft for chopping wood and such, and still a fine edge for soft vegetation.
 
It is hard to beat a regular old cheap machete. All we really need are some decent sheaths for them. Isn't RAT Cutlery going to do some more RTAKs? They can chop and split and clear. In the longer lengths, I'm afraid a thick one would just be too heavy. I compared the RTAK II with some other jungle knives over on the testing and review forum. The RTAK II came out on top.
JungleKnives006.jpg

JungleKnives021.jpg
 
The RTAK was more of a cross between a machete and a sheath knife, so we (and a lot of other folks) could justify the price. Whether that "justification was bullshit or not :D

Anyway, we may bring the RTAK back to life under Rowen but it will be in the future.
 
Running with the idea of the return of the RTAK,which version...Livesay style or RTAK or the RTAKII, I understand they are all yours but which version would be the Rowen Mfg. version if the return happens in the future...
 
The RTAK II would be what we would probably do
 
R.A.T. said:
The RTAK was more of a cross between a machete and a sheath knife, so we (and a lot of other folks) could justify the price. Whether that "justification was bullshit or not :D

Anyway, we may bring the RTAK back to life under Rowen but it will be in the future.
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The RTAKs are some BIG honkin' knives. This is just my opinion, so please don't take offense, but it is easier for me to carry an 18" Tramontina than a RTAK. I prefer the size and shape of the Ontario SP-5 Survival Bowie. A RAT-9 would be great, though. Just my opinion. I'll probably buy every RC you make anyway.
 
I still say buy a bunch of Tramontina blades, put a micarta handle on them, and provide a decent sheath. I know that would not be truly American-made, but at least they wouldn't be Chinese commie made and they would be assembled in the USA. Every attempt to "improve" upon the basic machete has has been a failure IMO. The cheap machetes just work well. Better handle materials and sheaths are all they need.
 
How about you buy Barteaux manufacture and combine it with RAT knives they make some cool inexpensive AMERICAN MADE machetes and they even have some with orange handles it's a match made in heaven. Then you could do something about the handles on the heavy duty machetes being alittle too boxy.

http://www.machete.com/news.htm

Press Releases
We are looking to retire, if you are interested in purchasing the business contact Evonne Marks at 1-800-385-1142
 
Barteaux is the one machete I have not tried. I have seen them in hardwares stores and hear that they are good machetes. Why not? Keep it 100% American. :thumbup:
 
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