- Joined
- Feb 6, 2018
- Messages
- 6
Recently, I was looking for the perfect pocketknife for EDC. I used to carry Victorinox CyberTool 34 so far, but I wanted something bigger. Of course, I started my search from the Swiss company. I've been thinking about Outrider and Hercules for a long time. Outrider is quite cool, it has almost everything I need, except for mini-pliers. Hercules already has these pliers, but he has a wood saw, which is completely unnecessary for me. And so I was thinking about this problem for a long time....
One day I came across YouTube on a review of a pocketknife from Ruike - Trekker LD51-b. It is a model functionally comparable to Victorinox Hercules. Out of curiosity, I looked at the manufacturer's website and found the Trekker serie (114 mm pocket knives, opened with one hand with locking blade). And among the multiplicity of choice I found my holy grail: Ruike Trekker LD41-b. The LD41-b model contains everything that I need and does not have the flaws of some Victorinox. At the same time, the prices that are attractive from Swiss, and they are offering of the same quality if not higher.
What does Trekker LD41 have that which enchanted me in it? Let's start with the most striking features:
Beautifully made textured matte G10 scales with a clip! The scales are made and mounted very carefully, nothing goes anywhere, does not stick out. They are free from any writings or the producer's logo. Covers are lightly grounded around the thumb stud and near the edges, thanks to that the knife rests comfortably in the hand despite its size. The G10 itself is textured, which enhances a very good grip, and also eliminates the possibility of slipping out. Covers, as well as the whole knife, are assembled on torx screws so we can use disasembled it and clean it out. Some EDC maniacs may even mod it according to their preferences. This is not what the Swiss will provide you. The screws are also attached with a steel clip, which for years has been advising users of all kinds of penknives. Thus, we can carry a penknife attached in a pocket on a clip, which provides exceptional comfort. Unfortunately, supporters of carrying a "tip-up" must change their habits, because the clip can only be mounted in the "tip-down" position. With it attached as a Keyring (by a large K), there is also no problem. The keyring is cleverly mounted as an "additional tool", so we can take it out and hide it whenever you like. The covers contain one more element - tweezers, there is no toothpick. It has a length of almost 7 cm and is made like a full-fledged cosmetic tweezers.
What else can you notice without opening the knife? Glass breaker! So the pocket knife can be considered as type of rescue knife, so it’s another plus. Watching the pocketknife, the more observant will notice that all lainers are made of steel. The downside of this solution is the increased knife weight. The four-layer Trekker LD41 weighs some 230 g, compared with a five-layer Victorinox Hercules 200 g, a four-layer Outrider 130 g. Is it worth it? Everyone has to answer for himself.
Let's start with the blade. Ruike uses 12C27 stainless steel (Sandvik) in its products (58-59 HRC). The producer has used a thumb stud here. The blade is a typical drop-point, has a full flat grind and is finished with a mirror. On the blade, the manufacturer placed his logo and the designation of steel and model. The length of the cutting edge is about 8.5 cm, and the blade itself is much wider than the comparable 111 mm Victorinoxa blade. The blade itself is blocked by a liner-lock. The blade consists of two stages, so you do not have to worry about losing your fingertip.
Next to the blade there are mini-pliers with a wire cutter. The maximum distance between pliers is 22 mm. They work quite well, of course we can forget about harder work - it is not a "hard-work" multitool, but for anglers or home uses will be perfect. The only downside is that both arms are movable. I like when one of the arm is still mounted.
In the same layer, there is a Phillips screwdriver under the pliers. To get to it, first we have to open pliers and only then we have the opportunity to pull out a screwdriver. The screwdriver works very well. It has enough length for most screws and cross screws. He does not have a blockade, but I have never been afraid of accidental submission. The spring holds the screwdriver so good.
The next layer hides scissors with a flat cutting edge. Unlike pliers, one arm is fixed in scissors. They work perfectly, even with thicker cartons or cables.
On the other side, a reamer/awl was hidden under the scissors. And this is something new, something good. In contrast to Swiss knives (except for pioneers/soldiers), awl located in a very nice position, thanks to this treatment is more pleasant to work with. The punch has a hole through which the tool can be used as an awl in emergency situations. At its base there are two incisions. One of them (this is with an incision at an angle) is used to remove insulation from cables and works perfectly. It can handle even thicker cables, which is not possible with the Vicks. The second incision, according to the manufacturer, is the spokes wrench. I do not ride a bike, so I will not say anything about it. The punch itself is sharp, so it can also be used as a small blade for opening packages. Like a Phillips screwdriver, this tool is firmly locked with a spring, so there is no possibility that you accidentally fold your finger. However, for the same reason, be careful when opening it, one false move and we can cut your finger.
In the last layer there is a standard bottle opener, which can also be used as a 6 mm flat screwdriver. As a bottle opener, it works great. I did not happen to not deal with any bottle. There are no problems with tightening and screwing. This tool is quite solid, so we can also use it as a prybar. The bottle opener, similarly to the awl, has a hole for stripping and wire bending (max. wire diameter is 5 mm).
On the other side, instead of the can opener as usual (not available in this model), we have a belt cutter (rescue tool #2). The cutter opens at an angle of 45* and is equipped with a hellishly sharp serrated edge that easily handles all fibrous materials. The tip of this tool also performs the function of a flat 3 mm screwdriver. Honestly, I was afraid of using this screwdriver, because a strange angle with a greater force could force a sudden closing of the serrated edge on my fingers. My fears were wrong, but I would advise you to use this tool wisely as a screwdriver. Next to the belt cutter there is the key ring mentioned at the beginning.
On the other side of the knife we can find the last function - a corkscrew. A typical pocketknife corkscrew, which will help us during a romantic dinner with an exquisite drink.
I must say that I am very happy with that tool. There are many references to such producers as Victorinox, Wenger, Boker, but that's good. Ruike took the best from the above he added from himself and came out very successful tool. The knife is made very well, the quality is at a high level and in this area I have nothing to cling to. A beautiful, solid and truly multi-functional pocketknife in a reasonable price.
One day I came across YouTube on a review of a pocketknife from Ruike - Trekker LD51-b. It is a model functionally comparable to Victorinox Hercules. Out of curiosity, I looked at the manufacturer's website and found the Trekker serie (114 mm pocket knives, opened with one hand with locking blade). And among the multiplicity of choice I found my holy grail: Ruike Trekker LD41-b. The LD41-b model contains everything that I need and does not have the flaws of some Victorinox. At the same time, the prices that are attractive from Swiss, and they are offering of the same quality if not higher.
What does Trekker LD41 have that which enchanted me in it? Let's start with the most striking features:
Beautifully made textured matte G10 scales with a clip! The scales are made and mounted very carefully, nothing goes anywhere, does not stick out. They are free from any writings or the producer's logo. Covers are lightly grounded around the thumb stud and near the edges, thanks to that the knife rests comfortably in the hand despite its size. The G10 itself is textured, which enhances a very good grip, and also eliminates the possibility of slipping out. Covers, as well as the whole knife, are assembled on torx screws so we can use disasembled it and clean it out. Some EDC maniacs may even mod it according to their preferences. This is not what the Swiss will provide you. The screws are also attached with a steel clip, which for years has been advising users of all kinds of penknives. Thus, we can carry a penknife attached in a pocket on a clip, which provides exceptional comfort. Unfortunately, supporters of carrying a "tip-up" must change their habits, because the clip can only be mounted in the "tip-down" position. With it attached as a Keyring (by a large K), there is also no problem. The keyring is cleverly mounted as an "additional tool", so we can take it out and hide it whenever you like. The covers contain one more element - tweezers, there is no toothpick. It has a length of almost 7 cm and is made like a full-fledged cosmetic tweezers.
What else can you notice without opening the knife? Glass breaker! So the pocket knife can be considered as type of rescue knife, so it’s another plus. Watching the pocketknife, the more observant will notice that all lainers are made of steel. The downside of this solution is the increased knife weight. The four-layer Trekker LD41 weighs some 230 g, compared with a five-layer Victorinox Hercules 200 g, a four-layer Outrider 130 g. Is it worth it? Everyone has to answer for himself.
Let's start with the blade. Ruike uses 12C27 stainless steel (Sandvik) in its products (58-59 HRC). The producer has used a thumb stud here. The blade is a typical drop-point, has a full flat grind and is finished with a mirror. On the blade, the manufacturer placed his logo and the designation of steel and model. The length of the cutting edge is about 8.5 cm, and the blade itself is much wider than the comparable 111 mm Victorinoxa blade. The blade itself is blocked by a liner-lock. The blade consists of two stages, so you do not have to worry about losing your fingertip.
Next to the blade there are mini-pliers with a wire cutter. The maximum distance between pliers is 22 mm. They work quite well, of course we can forget about harder work - it is not a "hard-work" multitool, but for anglers or home uses will be perfect. The only downside is that both arms are movable. I like when one of the arm is still mounted.
In the same layer, there is a Phillips screwdriver under the pliers. To get to it, first we have to open pliers and only then we have the opportunity to pull out a screwdriver. The screwdriver works very well. It has enough length for most screws and cross screws. He does not have a blockade, but I have never been afraid of accidental submission. The spring holds the screwdriver so good.
The next layer hides scissors with a flat cutting edge. Unlike pliers, one arm is fixed in scissors. They work perfectly, even with thicker cartons or cables.
On the other side, a reamer/awl was hidden under the scissors. And this is something new, something good. In contrast to Swiss knives (except for pioneers/soldiers), awl located in a very nice position, thanks to this treatment is more pleasant to work with. The punch has a hole through which the tool can be used as an awl in emergency situations. At its base there are two incisions. One of them (this is with an incision at an angle) is used to remove insulation from cables and works perfectly. It can handle even thicker cables, which is not possible with the Vicks. The second incision, according to the manufacturer, is the spokes wrench. I do not ride a bike, so I will not say anything about it. The punch itself is sharp, so it can also be used as a small blade for opening packages. Like a Phillips screwdriver, this tool is firmly locked with a spring, so there is no possibility that you accidentally fold your finger. However, for the same reason, be careful when opening it, one false move and we can cut your finger.
In the last layer there is a standard bottle opener, which can also be used as a 6 mm flat screwdriver. As a bottle opener, it works great. I did not happen to not deal with any bottle. There are no problems with tightening and screwing. This tool is quite solid, so we can also use it as a prybar. The bottle opener, similarly to the awl, has a hole for stripping and wire bending (max. wire diameter is 5 mm).
On the other side, instead of the can opener as usual (not available in this model), we have a belt cutter (rescue tool #2). The cutter opens at an angle of 45* and is equipped with a hellishly sharp serrated edge that easily handles all fibrous materials. The tip of this tool also performs the function of a flat 3 mm screwdriver. Honestly, I was afraid of using this screwdriver, because a strange angle with a greater force could force a sudden closing of the serrated edge on my fingers. My fears were wrong, but I would advise you to use this tool wisely as a screwdriver. Next to the belt cutter there is the key ring mentioned at the beginning.
On the other side of the knife we can find the last function - a corkscrew. A typical pocketknife corkscrew, which will help us during a romantic dinner with an exquisite drink.
I must say that I am very happy with that tool. There are many references to such producers as Victorinox, Wenger, Boker, but that's good. Ruike took the best from the above he added from himself and came out very successful tool. The knife is made very well, the quality is at a high level and in this area I have nothing to cling to. A beautiful, solid and truly multi-functional pocketknife in a reasonable price.