RC6 or Rat-5

T

totaleclipse02

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Feb 11, 2006
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I've been wavering between purchasing a RC6 now or waiting for the RC-5.
I know the RC-5 has the 1/4" blade, how does that translate into effectiveness for everyday use/wilderness besides being a little bit more tougher?
I know the RC6 will be able to take anything I throw at it - but it's still one of those decisions that I want to get right.
Do you guys think it comes down to blade length?

I would be using the knife for general purpose - all-around knife for everything.
I don't anticipate breaking any windows with the sharpened pommel - but it's definitely a cool feature!

Thanks in advance for the suggestions.
 
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For a general EDC/wilderness blade, I would have to vote for the RC-6. I have made the jump to 1/4" thick blades before and many times found them to be to thick for a lot of every day slicing and cutting.
 
If I had to pick just one knife, I'd be drawn to the RC-4. I think anything longer than that is not going to be a good all around knife when it comes to food preparation and menial tasks.

Disclaimer: I haven't used a RC-5 or RC-6 - I'm just guessing. :p
 
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The RC-6 is the better slicer, the RC-5 will probably take more abuse (as in prying). The RC-5 looks really cool, but for a knife I'd actually use, I'd go with the RC-6.

Grump also has a point that the RC-4 is really the do-all knife of the lineup, although a longer knife is nice to have when butchering or splitting wood via batoning.
 
I love the RC6 ,Batoning firewood,general usage is sweet but some folks do not care for bigger FB knives but the RC4 is more practical of a user in the outdoors,the RC5 is going to be an awesome addition to the RAT cutlery line up an I like the .250 thick blades... not for an everyday user but it has it specific uses...fire bow drill divot in the scale is cool... Batoning limbs or wood, prying to a degree... going to be a tough RC blade..I for one can not wait for it's release...PLus the RC5 will have a great sheath To boot !
 
I believe in technique over technology, meaning, though I believe in the right tool for the right job, it's more important to have the skills to use your tools than it is to have the best tools.

That being said, it's more important to me to have a cutter/slicer than it is to have a pry bar, so having a thick blade is not as important as having a knife with good cutting geometry. Also, if I need to chop anything, I'd use either a machete or an axe, depending on what latitude I'm at. I've spent most of my life in the tropics, so I have vast experience with a machete. Apart from that, I've never needed a blade longer than about four inches, unless I was trying to reach the last dollop at the bottom of a mayonnaise jar.

I've never held one, but from everything I've heard, the RC-4 is probably ideal for me.
 
Wait for the RAT TAK or the RTAK 2. I think 1/4" is too thick for a wilderness knife. I am not going to carry a 6.5" blade on my belt, so if the knife is going in/on my pack I might as well carry a big 9" or 10" chopper.

just my thoughts.
 
I must correct myself: I would carry the RC-6 if I was going to Iraq/Afganistan.

If you are a soldier, a longer blade might be more useful.
 
I would say to really consider what you may be doing with the knife. Any of the 3 will complete most tasks. The RC 6 and Sere models have a larger handle and are really larger knives. The RC 4 is lighter weight and a great packing knife. It's large enough to do most things, yet still light weight. The RC 6 with it's increased length and blade height is really a larger knife. it will be more adapt for light chopping tasks and well as battoning. All things considered, go with what will suit your purpose best. Then buy the others so no choice is needed. :D
 
The RC-4 is a great one-knife solution. However, when I'll be at a base camp for a few days I like to have a small knife/larger knife combo. The RC-6 fits the deal for me. I never graduated into the true 'big knife' category. A 9" blade is just too big for me, but the 6" RC-6 is a superbly handy camp/kitchen prep knife.
 
I have 2 RC-4's and an RC-6. If I was planning to do a lot of batoning, light chopping, shelter building, etc., the RC-6 is a great choice. It's also still small/light enough for general camp chores and detail work. The RC-4 is a great belt knife and will do 90% of what an RC-6 is capable of, but the RC-6 will do everything an RC-4 can and more. An RC-5 would be a good compromise if it was a scaled down RC-6, but it's designed to be a SERE knife which is a bit of a different animal from a general camp knife. Personally, I'd like to see a version without the sharpened pommel and with an RC-4 style kydex sheath. 1/4 thick is OK by me.

Just my opinion of course, some will feel differently and that's fine too.

I'd say get an RC-6 and when the RC-5 comes out, you can decide if you still need it!
 
Honestly I think the RC5 SERE is builty for going to war. For prying , maybe hammering a hole through sheet metal, batoning through heavy electric cable, cutting a blown tire off a vehicle., etc, etc,. It will also do all the more mundane chores of camp life and bush work but it definitely has the extra heft to go the extra mile or two.

But for me in every day bush work it would be a choice between the RC4 and RC6. All around carry is the RC4 but the 6 has the extra heft and blade length to build shelters and split kindling and dismember a larger kill for food processing in the boonies.

Having said all of this you may find a really cool combination in the RC5 with the Eagle sheath which will be able to piggy back the RC3 with it. This will be available very soon. So I guess I haven't helped you at all to make a decision.:) Mike
 
That Eagle sheath piggy back was really cool. I wonder if the Spec-Ops sheath can be made to do something similar for the RC-6/3 combo? I recall originally that Spark was considering building a kit around the RC-6 with survival items in the sheath. If the RC-3 fit the Spec-Op's pouch like in Eagle that would be another nice piggy back option.

Anybody out there give this a try? Just throwing out a thought.
 
kgd said:
That Eagle sheath piggy back was really cool. I wonder if the Spec-Ops sheath can be made to do something similar for the RC-6/3 combo? I recall originally that Spark was considering building a kit around the RC-6 with survival items in the sheath. If the RC-3 fit the Spec-Op's pouch like in Eagle that would be another nice piggy back option.

Anybody out there give this a try? Just throwing out a thought.
Click to expand...

Gave it a try... It fit my RC-6 perfectly, and was very similar to the Eagle sheath. the RC-3's sheath just doesn't seat as deep into the accessory pouch as the Eagle. My only complaint about this setup is that you have a hard time releasing the strap to get the RC-6 out. I'm gonna keep my LM Wave in it instead.
 
I like the longer knife, i.e. RC-6, as I take my folder with me and it takes care of all that small stuff.
 
I'm pullin the trigger on an RC6 this week. I've been trying to wait patiently for the RC5 Sere to come out but decided I'd go ahead with an RC6 and wind up with both. It should make for an interesting comparison come FEB.
 
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