Ros Knives?

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W.T. Beck

Joined
Jul 9, 2001
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I have recently seen a Russian brand of knife called "Ros" advertised by a couple of internet knife dealers. They use a Russian steel they claim is equivalent to 440C or ATS34. Anybody know anything about this brand?
 
W.T. Beck said:
I have recently seen a Russian brand of knife called "Ros" advertised by a couple of internet knife dealers. They use a Russian steel they claim is equivalent to 440C or ATS34. Anybody know anything about this brand?
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This is probabbly RosArms from Zlatoust Russia.

http://www.rosarmsusa.com/

I just love this knives and got plenty of them. Steel is 110X18 MSHD - best soviet stainless. It is in the same grade as 440C it has Carbon at the top of 440C sale - 1.1% and same for Chromium - 18%. And it fill the same when I sharpened it and use for cutting and copping.

With premium steel (may be not hottest but steel top grade) many of them has superior design in terms of usability - like Taiga is best chopper from all knives I have in my collection. In general it is due to handle shape and birch bark it made from - warm, durable, soft, grippy.

And overall they are just unbeatably beautiful! No knife in same pice level or even above is beautiful like RosArms - they may compete with custom made knives easy.

RosArms-Fox-II-01.jpg


I just enjoing making pictures of them. This is my collection:

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/RosArms-Edelveis.html

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/RosArms-Taiga.html

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/RosArms-Fox-II.html

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/RosArms-Bizon.html

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/RosArms-Cadet.html

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/RosArms-Ataman.html

http://playground.sun.com/~vasya/RusArms-Utes.html

Thay were awailable only in Russia where they are top brand and now they make their way here. They are from Zlatoust - about 200 years ago Russian deside to make their own Zolingen or Klingentail in Uralus region, several top craftsmens fron Klingental and Zolingen come there and set up manufacturing near iron ore deposit. So this knives has great history behind.

I never regret having them.

Only cons is - some models have too thin leather sheath.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Vassili, what do you think of the 65X13 and 40Х13 steels?
is that also 65 carbon 13 chromium, 40 carbon 13 chromium respectively?

I wish there were more flat ground knives available. All the russian ones i've seen have mostly been hollow ground =(
 
inspira said:
Vassili, what do you think of the 65X13 and 40Х13 steels?
is that also 65 carbon 13 chromium, 40 carbon 13 chromium respectively?

I wish there were more flat ground knives available. All the russian ones i've seen have mostly been hollow ground =(
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Yeas and there is also 95X13 which is better, but 110X18MSHD is the best.

Ground is not always deep hollow - on Taiga it is not so it makes it great chopper. I noticed that all models I have disign kind of focused on different tasks. For example Taiga - very good camp knife and it is more about handle and weight balance - all good for chopping. Instead Fox-II or Nona is fighter - so it is fast - light with center of graviti closer to handle (better for fencing) and ground more hollow for deadly slicing. So the other knives being more suitable for certain tasks, however you may use it for everithing.

Russian is note too rich in general - now days they caming to be like Saudi with this kind of energy prices (they have too much money they don't know what to do with it (I mean government)). But before you need real things for the money you pay, and Zlatoust knives with premium steel is not cheap there (here it is relatively cheap but in Russia they are on the top price scale). So to be succesfull you have to deliver functionality.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Thanks for the info, Vassili. Yes, the name is Ros Arms, not just Ros. My memory is slipping in my old age.

I've now ordered a Ros Arms fighting knife modeled after a Russian bayonet, and the small knife you show as Utes. I can't wait until they arrive.

I own another great product from Russia. It is a Poljot watch, which I bought in Germany. It is a beautiful watch, keeps good time, and cost me only 130 euros at the flea market in Saxenhausen (Frankfurt neighborhood, south side of Main River). If Ros Arms knives are as good as the Poljot watches, I will be very satisfied with my purchase.

BTW - how should "Poljot" be pronounced?

Also, when I lived in Germany (Raunheim, between Frankfurt and Mainz) there was a Russian food market near my apartment. I went there and bought Russian beer and food. I especially liked a Russian cabbage dish that came in a jar. I cannot remember what it was called (in German), but the taste was wonderful. It tasted much better than sauerkraut. It was made of cabbage (mostly) and some other vegetables. If you know of a source of it in the US, please let me know! (Sorry to get off the subject of knives, folks, but if you can find this Russian cabbage dish, you will be glad you did!).
 
In general commy did not care about production for civilian. But Red Army always has to have the best in the World. Kalashnikov, T-80, Su-27, 2 Machs Sunburn navy missle, underwater antisub missile - lots of staff World does not even know yet. All Russia resources - 1/3 of entier production, best materials and best peoples - workers, scientists, engineers, were thrown to suticfy Soviet Army requests and they had anything they want.

In general watches were not very good - except ones which goes to military. This plant was build long ago by direct Stalin order to make watches for Red Army - it is crutial for officers to have good watches. Old russian army before has Tissot as I understand, but Soviet had to build their own production. And you do not want for Stalin to be abset with quality of your watches...

However I can not say same about knives. In general Army do not really need it, so it is for hunters, outdorsmen etc. This is relatively new bussiness for Russia and as I see they doing it pretty well. In Soviet Union such knives were banned - even now there are many restrictions, you may see that they do not have guards. So this is new production - old bussiness restored after 75 years of suppression. Fortunately it did survive communist era.

Utes is in Russian - Cliff, so I should call it Cliff actually. I hope you'll have one with birch bark handle.

This is auto translation of revie I have on my website from the guy who used one for a while and this knife saved his life once:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babe...layground.sun.com/~vasya/RusOruzhie-Utes.html

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Kinda like what the Kabar TDI is like. But nicer =)

Thanks for the info. Whats this smoked beef ;)

So i'm guessin 65X13 is kinda like AUS-6 or 440A performance?
I wish Kizlyar would make in 95 or 110 steel, I really like their beautiful designs.
 
inspira said:
Kinda like what the Kabar TDI is like. But nicer =)

Thanks for the info. Whats this smoked beef ;)

So i'm guessin 65X13 is kinda like AUS-6 or 440A performance?
I wish Kizlyar would make in 95 or 110 steel, I really like their beautiful designs.
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I have same wish! Also I wish their X12MF steel knives will be awailable here - this is Soviet version of D2.

X12MF D2
C 1.45 - 1.65 1.40-1.60
V 0.15-0.30 1.10
Si 0.10-0.40 0.60
Cu >0.30
Mo 0.40-0.60 0.70-1.20
Mn 0.15-0.45 0.60
Ni >0.35 0.30
P >0.030
Cr >11.00-12.50 11.00-13.00
S >0.030

Kizlyar is famous in Russia for this X12MF knives.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I was mistaken when I said I ordered the Ute (Cliff). Actually it is the "Fry". One website calls it the "Small Fry". I wanted a small utility and liked the fact that the "Fry" has a guard, which some small utility knives lack. The other Ros Arms knife I have ordered is called the SN - Russian Bayonet, on the Ros Arms website.

I have ordered my Ros Arms knives from www.bladematrix.com. They have the lowest prices I could find, although delivery time will probably be longer because they don't keep many knives in stock.

Bladematrix says on their website that they keep price down by ordering from the wholesaler once they receive the customer's order. They claim this adds 4-5 days to the delivery time. I will soon find out. If the wait is only 4-5 days longer than normal, it will be worth the approximately $30 I am saving over other sellers.
 
W.T. Beck said:
I have ordered my Ros Arms knives from www.bladematrix.com. They have the lowest prices I could find, although delivery time will probably be longer because they don't keep many knives in stock.
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Same for Discount Cuttlery, but it worked for me - I ordered from them twice - no problems. I wish New Grapham will have them - most pleasant place to buy.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
inspira said:
Vassili, what do you think of the 65X13 and 40Х13 steels?
is that also 65 carbon 13 chromium, 40 carbon 13 chromium respectively?

I wish there were more flat ground knives available. All the russian ones i've seen have mostly been hollow ground =(
Click to expand...

g'day mate, hows the knife design coming along??
i think ros arms is hand grinding ....
it much cheaper to hollow grind them in russia than to flat grind them... belt sandes just havent taken off yet..
the yuse a chemical stone and the a sand papet wheel.
i have a hell of a time argueing with some of our workers they in sist to do a flat grind on a round wheel!!! it takes some time longer and is more convex in the end ,
 
Just took delivery of my Ros Arms knives from UPS today. I am more than delighted with them! The quality is first rate. The SN - Russian Bayonet and Small Fry are both beauties with exceptional finish. The designs and construction quality are first rate.

I'd been wanting a small utility knife for a long time, and I am glad I waited until the Small Fry became available. It has the best handle possible for a knife its size. The overall length of the knife is only 6+ inches, yet the handle is very comfortable and the guard is the best that can be found on a knife of that size.

Thanks for the recommendation, Vassili! I am a very satisfied customer of Ros Arms and Bladematrix.

BTW, Bladematrix sent the knives in a flat box that made it look like I had ordered a book. This is a great aid to those folks who might have knife- unappreciative family members. All knife dealers should adopt this shipping practice!
 
Great! I am glad that you like it too!

It was my impresion also, steel is not current best steel - just premium, but overall disign and quality is way ahead of the price. They mostly focus on knife overall, not on blade steel only.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Just found on RosArms website that they start selling here their top art knives - knives of Tsars!

http://www.rosarmsusa.com/decoratedknives.htm

Gold, jewels- this is more art investment then just a knife. It is way out of my price range, so I may just watch the pictures. Still nice to have them available.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
hangmans joke37 said:
how the hell do you know what to look for and prices /? lol english version?
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That is Russian Bladesmith Guild - this is more an artists then custom knifemakers. It take from 3 to 9 monthes to make a knife like this and cost is about thousands. Major customer is Kremlin and richest Russian bussinessman and politics. On my opinion Russian bit ahead of American in artistic fixed blades knives as well as American ahead in folders.

All knives on Guil Website is not for sale, they all unique pieces of art and most of them are in Kremlin Museum or private collections. Guld admin speak English quite well and you may send him mail if you want. But this is guild of independant artists. In general Guild taking care of exibitions, alboms, representations etc - not selling knives as I understand.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
W.T. Beck said:
Just took delivery of my Ros Arms knives from UPS today. I am more than delighted with them! The quality is first rate. The SN - Russian Bayonet and Small Fry are both beauties with exceptional finish. The designs and construction quality are first rate.
Click to expand...


forgive a stupid question, but these are not 'full-tang' knives are they?
thanks
 
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