Rodent 9

Van Damage

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Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Messages
79
Hey guys, recieved my rodent nine after a sweaty wait. Wasnt too long though it only took a few weeks. Been chopping and splitting with it along side my junglas, power eagle 12 and armageddon and lovin it. I realy like the knife though have an issue or two with it, The spine Is no where near as rounded as the pommel and choil or in pics Ive seen. Is this normal for the more recently released r9? There are a couple small finish issues Im not worried about just alittle disapointing. I love the knife though was just wondering if the spine only being left almost 90 degrees was normal. Also was wondering why the blade Isnt marked U.S.A.?
 
My R9 spine is beveled - flat on top with the corners cut away ~30 degrees? Looks the same on spine, pommel, choil. How beveled is yours? Pics? Also, no USA marks present on any swamp rat I own. Why were you expecting it? What was disappointing? Only thing disappointing about mine was the obtuse edge, but that's all better now :cool:

Pictured next to a Survive! GSO-10:

IMG_0395.JPG

IMG_0447.JPG
 
The spine is only slightly beveled. almost nonexistant but if you really look you can see it was beveled just nowhere near as much as the pommel and choil area. Im ok with it and a couple small cosmetic flaws, overly crinkled coating in one spot by the edge and a choppy handle fit. If was just a collecter I would return it. I use my blades though and dont want spend the money or wait for swamp rat to ship me a new one. Not disapionted with the knife itself I Iove it. Just was expecting ESEE and TOPS level fit and finish, Though overall it looks nicer than my other big blades. Im not knockin Swamp Rat just wondering if leaving the spine less beveled was normal. And no I wasnt expecting it too have the country of origin on it, was curious as to why they dont.
 
What do you mean 'flaw in crinkle coating'? Is that what you compare to Esee & Tops? They powdercoat their blades flat, other than tat I don't think their fit & finish is any better.
 
The spine is only slightly beveled. almost nonexistant but if you really look you can see it was beveled just nowhere near as much as the pommel and choil area. Im ok with it and a couple small cosmetic flaws, overly crinkled coating in one spot by the edge and a choppy handle fit. If was just a collecter I would return it. I use my blades though and dont want spend the money or wait for swamp rat to ship me a new one. Not disapionted with the knife itself I Iove it. Just was expecting ESEE and TOPS level fit and finish, Though overall it looks nicer than my other big blades. Im not knockin Swamp Rat just wondering if leaving the spine less beveled was normal. And no I wasnt expecting it too have the country of origin on it, was curious as to why they dont.

Well, I'd call reduced spine beveling a cosmetic flaw. I probably wouldn't notice the "overly crinkled" section... not even sure what that means... But the fit of my scales is perfectly sufficient. I wish that you could post pics to give us a better idea of the issues. In my experience, most custom and small-operation knife makers don't label their knives USA unless they also produce foreign knives, though that may be changing. Are there bussekin knives out there with USA on them? As to TOPS and ESEE, I've noticed flaws there, esp. the heel grind on Izulas. Comparing the materials used, the attention to ergonomics in the handle and balance in the blade, and the detailed contouring of the scales - does any other company do that?? - I'd put the Swamp head & shoulders above both of those 1095 peddlers. But that shows in the price. Now if we could only get them to actually finish those edges by taking them down a few degrees...
 
The rounding of pommel and choil are supposed to increase the user comfort.
The slight bevel of the spine is helping to extend the life of a baton, and makes it easier to use the knife as a draw knife.
 
I m tryin to figure out how too upload pic, using ps3. The flaw in crinkle coat is like a wave or overlap in one spot and the handles arnt as flush with the tang as the other three blades mentioned. Also has some dimples in handle where dremmel hit. Overal it is still a nicer looking knife and has nicely sculpted handles. I just wasnt sure if they purposely leaving the spine dramatically less beveled than the the pommel and choil. You really have to look too see its not untouched or left at 90 degrees. I know why its supposed to be beveled and was pretty let down when i took it out of the cardboard sleeve. In fact the first thing the ol ball n chain said was "whoa thats a thick slab of steel" and "isnt the spine supposed to rounded". Overall though its still a nicer knife but my others have no cosmetic flaws and have taken alot of hits with no issues thus far. btw the power eagle is 5160 spring steel not 1095 and will out perform just about any big blade out there as far as cutting and chopping.
 
Sorry, not a PS3 user, no idea how that would work.

1095 vs 5160 - both are spring steels, not all that different, and 1095 should have better edge retention at the same hardness, as should L6. But 1095 and 5160 are among the cheapest steels available and no where near the top in impact toughness or wear resistance. But 5160 is quite tough and is also cheap (as mentioned), a good steel for a 12" barong blade. Imcasa uses 1075, Cold Steel uses 1055 (= 5160 - ~1% Cr). What is impressive about the Power Eagle (other than its name!) is the length and the barong design: 12" + 26 oz + flat-ground blade from 1/4" stock to 0.05" behind the edge. The design allows that heavy weight to put a lot of energy behind that edge in a chop, and the edge is thick enough to endure stress while thin enough behind it to aid penetration. The downside - it binds terribly, just like most machetes. I can't see this blade performing much better than the Imcasa or Cold Steel (after a good sharpening) which are a fraction of the price. I'd love to be proven wrong!

The Rodent 9 blade is only 9" and isn't ground nearly as thin, indeed is a VERY different design, not a machete. That said, it's thicker grind makes it less apt to bind in wood and gives it higher structural rigidity.

As to the defects, I probably would contact that swamp and have them make it right as it clearly bugs you. In my mind, the only way to keep a company on its toes QC-wise is to call them on it when something isn't right. If you're honest and understanding, let them show you where they can meet you on the matter, test their customer service. You bought the knife, you deserve it. Just my $0.02.
 
Sorry, not a PS3 user, no idea how that would work.

1095 vs 5160 - both are spring steels, not all that different, and 1095 should have better edge retention at the same hardness, as should L6. But 1095 and 5160 are among the cheapest steels available and no where near the top in impact toughness or wear resistance. But 5160 is quite tough and is also cheap (as mentioned), a good steel for a 12" barong blade. Imcasa uses 1075, Cold Steel uses 1055 (= 5160 - ~1% Cr). What is impressive about the Power Eagle (other than its name!) is the length and the barong design: 12" + 26 oz + flat-ground blade from 1/4" stock to 0.05" behind the edge. The design allows that heavy weight to put a lot of energy behind that edge in a chop, and the edge is thick enough to endure stress while thin enough behind it to aid penetration. The downside - it binds terribly, just like most machetes. I can't see this blade performing much better than the Imcasa or Cold Steel (after a good sharpening) which are a fraction of the price. I'd love to be proven wrong!

The Rodent 9 blade is only 9" and isn't ground nearly as thin, indeed is a VERY different design, not a machete. That said, it's thicker grind makes it less apt to bind in wood and gives it higher structural rigidity.

As to the defects, I probably would contact that swamp and have them make it right as it clearly bugs you. In my mind, the only way to keep a company on its toes QC-wise is to call them on it when something isn't right. If you're honest and understanding, let them show you where they can meet you on the matter, test their customer service. You bought the knife, you deserve it. Just my $0.02.

1095 is not spring steel.
 
According to this company, yes, it is


AISI - 1095 - SAE

Hardened and Tempered to meet the most exacting requirements. Polished, Edged and Blued Precision Brand Blue Tempered AISI 1095 spring steel.

a quick google search netted a few hundred of the same example.
 
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