Ritter Mini-RSK Mk1

Critter

Critter

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I am finally back online. As those of you who earlier purchased a Limited Edition RSK Mk1 have found out due to the premature release of the email to you, apparently last Friday, we have Mini-RSK Mk1s available in Black and Yellow! I sincerely appreciate your not mentioning this in public to date.

All the details and photos are available at: http://www.DougRitter.com/dr_rsk_mk1_mini_pr1.htm

I am really excited about this Mini. When Sue got her hands on the prototype I had to bribe her to give it back. I thinking a lot of spouses may find one in their holiday gifts this year. :D The Mini retains all the essential features that make the original full-sized RSK Mk1 so practical and effective, just downsized. Same incredible CPM S30V steel, same super Grip handle, same incredible ambidextrous AXIS Lock, and same functional wide-chord, high grind blade, just in a more compact package.

We did decide to really roll the dice with the Yellow handled ones and produced a few as an experiment. For those concerned about using a knife around sheeple in a work environment, these should be perfect. We'll see how they go before we make a decision on further colored handled ones.

As I alluded to in my opening sentence, we also serial numbered the First Production 100 as we did the original and as a courtesy to those who were interested enough to purchase the original Limited Editing RSK Mk1, we have reserved the same number for them for a limited time, so they can have a matched pair (black handle only). On September 6, if are any serialized Mini's left, they will be available on a first come first served basis.

Thanks to all who have encouraged me in this project and be assured that we are looking at some other interesting things for the future if this continues to be successful.

Doug Ritter
 
Wow, Doug, that was quick. I wasn't expecting this for a while. Time to start working on the better half so she knows it's coming.
 
Ooooooh Nooooooo! My budget isn't ready yet! Now I have to work on fitting it in! That was almost too fast!
 
I love my yellow 556 and this one might be even better.

Thanks for the heads-up,
Allen.
 
Sorry we were quicker than some expected, but, hopefully you'll excuse us. Quite frankly, was quicker than I expected as well; a tip of the hat to Benchmade for their exceptional response and cooperation. Thanks, again, to everyone for your support!

Doug
 
Critter,
Thanks for the suggestion to Aeromedix to offer up matching serial #'s. My matching mini-RSK is ordered and on the way.
 
Is it it just me, or does anybody else think these knives are overpriced? Since Ritter is the only one selling them, they are going at full retail. If i want a small axis lock, there are already many smaller ones that sell at a good price with good steel. if I want a smaller S30V knife, i would get a Spyderco Native
or some other, cheaper knife. I'm not putting down those who like it. i just don't think it's a good deal.
 
It's been discussed, however; $104.95 for the non-serialized RSK and $98.95 for the non-serialized mini-RSK are fair prices IMO because the knives are in low production quantity (with the LE knives even lower) and they have upgraded blade material and blade geometry relative to the very popular Griptilian and mini-Griptilian knives.

Prices for the LE versions ($139.95 & $129.95) are typical mark-ups for those inclined to buy LE knives. Now that Aeromedix has offered up a matching serial numbered mini for those who bought the LE RSK, the prices for the serialized knives looks even better -- again, IMO.
 
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Doug Ritter Mini-RSK Mk1™ goes to support the non-profit Equipped To Survive Foundation.
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If they truly sold like hotcakes and BM put them into the regular production line, I am sure we would see a price reduction. As they are, they are a semi-limited* run. I have no doubt that Doug would do everything possible to reduce the price so that they would be more accesssible to people, if it was possible without changing the spec. Is it an amazing deal? No. However, if you really like the particular qualities it was designed with it is hard to find this particular combination elsewhere and then it does become an attractive deal.

If i want a small axis lock, there are already many smaller ones that sell at a good price with good steel. if I want a smaller S30V knife, i would get a Spyderco Native
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So if you wanted both in one knife, what would you buy? ;)



*I could be wrong on this point
 
Jeff Edmonston said:
So if you wanted both in one knife, what would you buy? ;)
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The S30V Benchmade 921 carries awful small and light - depending on why you want a small knife, it may or may not be "small" to you. It's certainly much smaller than a 550/551 or even a 940/941/943, and it carries - to me - smaller than a 555/556 because of the slim handle.

And you can certainly ebay a 921 for around $105.

Is it as sheeple-small as a mini-Grip? Maybe not quite.
 
ras said:
Critter,
Thanks for the suggestion to Aeromedix to offer up matching serial #'s. My matching mini-RSK is ordered and on the way.
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You are quite welcome. While it is a bit of extra hassle for them, I really felt it was the right thing to do. I do very much appreciate those who have supported me and the ETS Foundation in launching this endeavor and I knew that I wanted my serial numbered pair to match, so figured others might as well.

Doug
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
I'm not putting down those who like it. i just don't think it's a good deal.
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Thankfully, not everyone agrees. :D The bottom line will always be how well any particular knife matches one's requirements versus the perceived value. I am pleased that a reasonable number of folks have found this combination appealing and a reasonable value for the money, but we recognize that this is a niche, we don't expect to sell tens of thousands of these knives. I do, personally, feel that the knives represent a good deal for what they are, and that they compare favorably in practical performance with knives costing twice as much or more, but if what they are is not exactly what you want, I can see why you might not feel the same way. The nice thing about knives is that there are so many choices out there, you can almost always find the right knife for your needs and sense of value. For some that will be a Sebenza for hundreds of dollars (and if you're so inclined, I still have a few of the limited edition ETS Foundation Sebenzas available). For some that will be a Spydie Native. For some it will be a Buck 110 or a traditional Case stockman . For some it will be my RSK Mk1 and Mini-RSK Mk1. For some it will be a multitude of knives. And, that's exactly as it should be. :)

Doug
 
This may be a really really stupid question, but what does the "Mk1" stand for?

Thanks,

Matthew
 
Starfish said:
This may be a really really stupid question, but what does the "Mk1" stand for?
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As my grandfather used to say, "there are no stupid questions, just stupid people who don't ask." :)

"Mk" is the abbreviation for "Mark," a typical designation followed by a number to identify a series of something. Often used for military equipment, but fairly common in many industries, including the automobile industery, moreso in years past, but we still have, for example, the Lincoln Mark... series of cars. In this case, "Mk1" indicates that this is the first of this series of "RSK" knives. The next design will be Mk2. If we design a modification to this Mk1 design, that would be indicated by a MOD (modification) number signifying a change to this basic design, for example, RSK Mk1 MOD1.

Hope this answers your question.

Doug
 
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