Rough Rider junk

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Sep 5, 2006
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My dad kept hearing RR had good fit and finish for the price. So he ordered a large folding hunter with bone handles and liner lock just to check it out. It not only has poor fit and finish but the liner is way too long, won't come close to locking. Did not cost much but back it goes. What a POS!

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That's a shame. RR's are usually pretty well finished. Sent it back. Not all RRs are like that. I've about 25 or so of them (only two linerlocks) and they are all quite nice.
Rich
 
I'm surprised to hear that .
I have a few rough rider knives .
3 trappers and a couple of barlows and the fit and finish on all of them is real good .
A couple of them are superb at the price .
I would send back for exchange .
Hopefully it was only a bad one that slipped through qc.
 
My dad kept hearing RR had good fit and finish for the price. So he ordered a large folding hunter with bone handles and liner lock just to check it out. It not only has poor fit and finish but the liner is way too long, won't come close to locking. Did not cost much but back it goes. What a POS!

2el84lv.jpg

It can happen.

In my experience RR knives are great for the price, my experiences haven't been 100% perfect but maybe they should be given another chance. No more than that but at least a second chance.

If the second one is flawed just have him return it and buy a Buck 110, no other folding hunter compares anyways.
 
They do have a great warranty through the parent company as well. If the shop you bought from won't take care of you, they will.
 
My dad kept hearing RR had good fit and finish for the price. So he ordered a large folding hunter with bone handles and liner lock just to check it out. It not only has poor fit and finish but the liner is way too long, won't come close to locking. Did not cost much but back it goes. What a POS!

2el84lv.jpg

Indeed looks like junk to me, based on that picture.
 
I've bought 6 RR's and 3 of them were garbage. Scales that were cracked, had massive gaps, etc.
The only reason I even consider buying them is if I want to get a feel for a particular pattern before dropping the money on a knife from a better company.
 
They have been a mixed bag for me as well but generally good. I've had a couple that would put Case's F&F to shame. I've had a couple not worth the $8 I spent on them. I have a 6 bladed Trapper that is as nice on the F&F as any other slippie in my collection. There are gems to be found, but you may have to dig through the rough to get to them.
 
True! Not sure about "gems", but I've got a few nice ones. I don't have a lot of experience with them, but they seem to have gone through some different phases: pretty decent when they first came out - then improved to where they were pretty surprisingly good for their price point - recent examples seem to be slipping... Mine is a VERY SMALL sample, so I could have it all wrong!

There are gems to be found, but you may have to dig through the rough to get to them.
 
It can happen.

In my experience RR knives are great for the price, my experiences haven't been 100% perfect but maybe they should be given another chance. No more than that but at least a second chance.

If the second one is flawed just have him return it and buy a Buck 110, no other folding hunter compares anyways.

My dad has and had Buck 110s before both of us were born. He just wanted to check out a RR.
 
A timely thread! I was just admiring this RR knife and thought, "I'm too much of a stuck up knife snob to buy a $9.00 Chinese made knife." :D

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I like it though. :thumbsup:
 
I've got one of their small slipjoints. Yup, fair quality there. Mine opens and snaps close good..but most little slips do.
I actually use mine :)
 
Most of the ones I've bought had gaps, cracked bone, and off center blades rubbing the liners. I've bought a dozen ranging over the last 4 or so years.
 
I guess there will always be some second quality or rejects that make it to the retail counter. Sorry to hear that the hunter wasn't up to your standards for the price.

All of the ones that I have purchased have been in-person at either the "Rough Rider store" or at a knife show. I am pretty choosy in terms of slippie pattern and size, but all of these have been very well put together. I don't expect perfect with them, but mine are pretty darn close. I have only looked at slip joints so far. I'm not collecting them, so it's unlikely I will ever wander into their store and pick up 10 (ie large number) of them on the same day. I'll buy a couple that catch my eye and they generally have natural materials for scales.

Added: Somebody might say that I'm cherry picking them, but that really has not been the case.... I look at one that appeals to me, say I'll take it and they pull another one out of the case and I inspect it prior to purchase. There has been no looking at 4 or 5 trying to find a perfect one. With Case, I have often looked at two or three of the same model before buying one. Frost, I have bought for giggles and I have honestly looked at 7 to 10 before choosing one (and they're still junk).
 
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I will add to the choir that has had good experience with R&R, although, I as well have not purchased a locking blade. My R&R Barlow is quite good given the price point. I will second what others have already stated. Return it for a replacement. Under most situations that is where you are going to find out what the company and often the knife itself are really worth.
Even great companies, can have a disgruntled employee muck up the works, or a good employee just not paying attention when they should.
It is how they fix the situation that matters. I've sent knives back and the companies have won my continued support by their great customer service. Others were so atrocious that they proved themselves incompetent or worse, long before the refund hit my bank account.
 
those liner locks Jills referring are absolute junk. i have a handful of slip joint rr, and for what they are they arent that bad. i bought 2 of those liner locks.....both are absolute garbage. made me realize some rr arent bad and some are real bad.
 
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