rough rider knives?

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phaserrifle

Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
745
has anyone got any experiance with these knives?
I'm particualy interested in thier "whittler" pattern in either orange or jigged bone.
 
RR makes great folders and at affordable prices (I buy mine from eBay for Less than $10 delivered).

I have 2 of their small "whittlers" and rotate them for pocket carry and are used every day. One in red and one in brown jigged bone. I've owned them for at least 2 years now and each has been well-used (not abused) and regularly take a ride in the washer & dryer without any damage.

They maintain a good edge and are easy to sharpen.

FYI, RR makes the Marbles line of folders as well as prolly other brands as well.
 
CWL said:
FYI, RR makes the Marbles line of folders as well as prolly other brands as well.
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the place I found them at also sells marbles folders. but they cost more and the designs didn't grab me as much.
are they significantly better than RR?
 
Agreed with CWL. I have a 4-5 of these I keep around as beaters and the edges hold up surprisingly well. They are very difficult to beat for the money. I have a couple of the large locking toothpick style that I really like. The jigged bone finish is quite decent and the lockup sound. They claim the blades are made of 440 steel, but in any case the knives are a real bargain if you can get past (and many people can't) that they are manufactured in China. For better or worse, I don't think you could buy the raw materials in the U.S. for these knives for what they sell them for at retail. Buy a handful of them.
 
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phaserrifle said:
the place I found them at also sells marbles folders. but they cost more and the designs didn't grab me as much.
are they significantly better than RR?
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The Marbles knives are very similar in terms of fit & finish. They probably cost more because of the licensing of the "Marbles" name. Also the few Marbles folders I have are a bit larger than the normal Rough Rider offerings.

I've bought quite a few Rough Rider knives and have been happy with most of them.

The "Old Yellow" series with the new shields are very nice....
 
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I've got the tortoiseshell celluloid sodbuster with the brass liner lock and it came sharp and theres not any blade play that I can see. It's a good knife for the money.
 
IMO they ( Rough Rider ) are a good buy for the money you spend , F&F is on par with most American slipjoints manufacturers ( once more IMO ).

I have two larger Marbles , one of which is a lockback , no complaints.

I think the main reason folks poo-poo them is because they are made in China. ( although Spyderco and Benchmade get a free pass on this.. :) )
 
I like 'em. I've got a couple dozen and have never had a problem. I've used the Deer Slayer for light chopping with no issues. Carried an orange bone stockman for years without a problem.

There's a few threads in "Traditional" on them.
 
Tostig said:
I think the main reason folks poo-poo them is because they are made in China. ( although Spyderco and Benchmade get a free pass on this.. :) )
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Hardly. There are quite a few people in the forums who refuse to buy a Tenacious or any of the byrd knives because of where they're made.

Their loss.

Now I'm tempted to pick up a bunch of RR slipjoints as a cheap way to try out different patterns.
 
I've picked up a few of them. Quality on them is really good, considering the price. There have been a couple with really strong back springs, but overall, great bargain slipjoints. Not too fond of the steel, but they're a great introduction to many different traditional patterns.
 
At the price point thay sell at, how can you really go wrong?

Try one in a certain pattern and decide that it fits your needs to a T, then upgrade to a custom in that pattern from one of the fine makers that frequent this site. Pass your RR on to a youngster and he will be tickled pink.

Chuck
 
I thought the craftsmanship was pretty good, but my blade expectations have risen to the point that the RR knives were a downer.
 
kycolonel said:
if you can get past (and many people can't) that they are manufactured in China.
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being a UK resident, my choices of "localy made" knives are somewhat limited.
far as I can tell, no-one makes anything close to this type of knife in the UK outside of customs. you either get a big blades, or little blades. not both.

chuckinohio said:
At the price point thay sell at, how can you really go wrong?
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I once asked on here about the budget K-bar line of folders. slightly more expensive, and apparently positively dangerous to the user. I was lucky I asked.....
 
chuckinohio said:
At the price point thay sell at, how can you really go wrong?

Chuck
Click to expand...

phaserrifle said:
I once asked on here about the budget K-bar line of folders. slightly more expensive, and apparently positively dangerous to the user. I was lucky I asked.....
Click to expand...

I made the above statement based on RR having gotten decent feedback and reviews on their blades. I understand them to be a good value for the cash outlay. I wasn't making a blanket statement that if it's cheap it's cool.
There is no substitute for a little research:thumbup:

Chuck
 
I have a lot of the RR in different styles. I carry the whittler everday and use it a lot. No problems and good workmanship. For the price, they are a good deal.
 
chuckinohio said:
I made the above statement based on RR having gotten decent feedback and reviews on their blades. I understand them to be a good value for the cash outlay. I wasn't making a blanket statement that if it's cheap it's cool.
There is no substitute for a little research:thumbup:

Chuck
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sorry, I thought you where saying that even if they where rubbish, It's not like I've shelled out massive amounts of cash for one.
and I run on the theory "think twice buy once"
 
I buy RR's to try out different patterns. If a pattern works for me I try to find a non China knife to suit my daily cutting needs. RR fit and finish is fine, the edge holding is less than stellar over time. Okay, just not great. Fun to give away to friends too, you don't worry it'll end up wasting away unused in a drawer somewhere like you would if it was a more expensive knife.
 
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