Rough Rider & Related Slipjoints

[Will Power]

I've got two RR Green Gunstock-Peanut and Mini Trapper. Both are very well put together indeed, no gaps,blade wobble etc. The Peanut even has fully sunken joints which the CASE equivalent lacks. Had a Brown Gunstock Copperhead which was also well finished but I gave it away.

Last week an Amber Bone Half Whittler (equal end) arrived in the post. Extremely pleased with this as well.3.5" closed, Longpull matchstrike on Spear, single spring. No blade wobble or blade rub. Just let this get a bit worn and it will look very fine indeed.
Some gaps it is true, but much less than on my Queen CCC Teardrop which cost 10X more and has defective/Damaged jigging as well.... The springs are tough, even a bit too tough for me on this RR, but it's a pattern not much offered these days and I'm very taken by it. Now waiting for a Twisted Brown Bone Congress.

 

[Robert.B]

Received my large coke bottle today and its a first, I am not happy...it is definately one that missed the QC bench as there is blade play, the scales have lifted a bit and the blade is so off center it rubs on the liner of one side.

The blade is sharp as all hell, it looks great but I contacted the seller to arrange a replacement.

EDIT: to update the seller has sent me a knife and told me to keep the one he sent so i'm going to pull this one apart and use it for a project.

 

[Will Power]

Got the Twisted Brown Bone Congress today. Attractive Barleysugar style bone scales. Three 5/8" Bomb shield. Initial reaction very favourable, but something missing?? Right, it has no pins Just glued on scales which is a real shame and I question its durability. Otherwise the knife is very well done indeed, it is slim (often Congress can be bloated and near clumsy) but I can't see glue alone holding scales on for any length of time, detracts from the appearance too :grumpy:

PRO

Slim example, near sunk joints, 2 Sheepfoot, 1 Pen, 1 Coping blade. Very nice smooth action walk&talk. No gaps, flush on open,no wobble.

CON

Absurd to have scales only glued on, what nonsense! Scales don't match but they are both a nice colour.

Cost, 7.99USD.

CONCLUSION. Nearly an excellent knife but they missed the bus by opting for a cheap shoddy handle job so beware this series if you want rugged handles that stay put

 

[Javelin]

So, I got a package in the mail yesterday, a few days early to my surprise which kinda put a smile on my face. Take a guess as to what was in that package

Now I've owned a couple RRs (a french tickler, an elephant's toenail, and a gunstock) so I know they make a quality product, however this one's been getting a lot of attention. What was in the box was a small damascus lockback. Gotta say I'm VERY pleased with this. The F&F was pretty much spot on save for a small hairline gap on the back, the redbone and damascus looks good together on the handle, and the pattern itsself is more appealing than I thought it would be. However what really caught my attention is how it felt when I sharpened it, I could just tell that this was more than the average RR. Now I haven't used it for much other than cutting up an apple and some cheddar, but from all indications this will be my go-to knife for a good while.

 

[Robert.B]

Received my large coke bottle today and its a first, I am not happy...it is definately one that missed the QC bench as there is blade play, the scales have lifted a bit and the blade is so off center it rubs on the liner of one side.

The blade is sharp as all hell, it looks great but I contacted the seller to arrange a replacement.

EDIT: to update the seller has sent me a knife and told me to keep the one he sent so i'm going to pull this one apart and use it for a project.

Ok just got another one of these in but with jigged bone and it is VERY nice...so I got a lemon, this new one though has blade nice and center, the bone looks great and the bolsters are perfect. Not to mention the blade is hair popping sharp and at just over 4" its great.

 

[the rat]

Bought the outdoorsman series barlow and love it , the fit and finish is great and carries really well. Very well made knife and worth the ten dollars I give for it.

 

[LX_Emergency]

Bought a bunch of Rough Rider knives a while back. I'm working on full reviews on all of them.

Here's the conclusion of the first one and a few pics: The Long Rifle Canoe

Overall Score: 7,86

For the price this type of knife is excellent. They look great, the price is excellent and the fit and finish is decent, close to good. It came in a nice presentation box and is simply begging to be given as a gift.

They will not impress someone who's made knives their hobby on quality alone however. The finish is lacking in the finer details and the steel used on the blades is mediocre (a lot of knife hobbyists would even regard it as poor). For someone who's looking for a casual user however, or a stocking stuffer (or shoe filler if you celebrate sinterklaas) I heartily recommend these. They've certainly impressed some of my friends who aren't as "into knives" as I am.

The rest of the review (that leads up to the posted conclusion)can be found at: http://www.knifereviews.org/index.php/home/folding-knives/rough-rider/189-long-rifle-canoe

 

[Rick]

[snip]...small damascus lockback. Gotta say I'm VERY pleased with this. The F&F was pretty much spot on save for a small hairline gap on the back, the redbone and damascus looks good together on the handle, and the pattern itsself is more appealing than I thought it would be. However what really caught my attention is how it felt when I sharpened it, I could just tell that this was more than the average RR.[snip]

If you're referring to this puppy, I agree wholeheartedly. I've been using mine for a few months, and I'm pleased to report that the true san-mai pattern-wielded blade steel is definitely not all-show-and-no-go as I'd feared, given the price. This stuff takes a ferocious edge and holds it about as well as Case CV, as far as I can tell so far. The solid lockup embarrasses my far more expensive GEC lockbacks, the blade spine is flush with the lockbar and mine has no gaps anywhere. Best $20 I've spent in a long time.

 

[Seals]

If you're referring to this puppy, I agree wholeheartedly. I've been using mine for a few months, and I'm pleased to report that the true san-mai pattern-wielded blade steel is definitely not all-show-and-no-go as I'd feared, given the price. This stuff takes a ferocious edge and holds it about as well as Case CV, as far as I can tell so far. The solid lockup embarrasses my far more expensive GEC lockbacks, the blade spine is flush with the lockbar and mine has no gaps anywhere. Best $20 I've spent in a long time.

This is the knife that should be keeping U.S. manufacturers awake at night.I have one and it is nearly perfect.Close to custom quality.

 

[Dnullify]

gosh, i just wish that it wasn't a lockback, and the bolster wasn't so long...

too many RRs, makes choosing one difficult.

 

[dalee100]

This is the knife that should be keeping U.S. manufacturers awake at night.I have one and it is nearly perfect.Close to custom quality.

Hi,

I ordered one that night when I saw Rick's small lockback posted. I've really put the use to it over the last couple of months. This ain't your Grandma's Rough Rider.

I would love to see them do more with this San Mai. Maybe a Bird and Trout?

Dale

 

[LX_Emergency]

And here's the second review of my recently bought rough rider slippies. A Gunstock in Synthstone Malachite. Conclusion and a couple of pictures:

Overall Score: 8,29
This is a slipjoint with good build, decent (not great materials), nice design at less than 1/4th of the price of the Queen Cutlery slipjoint that I bought. The only differences between the two being:

The Queen cost me $76 including shipping the RR $16 (RR wins by a landslide)
The Queen came dull the RR pretty sharp (RR wins but by little since I don't consider a dull blade a problem, I just sharpen it)
The Queen has slightly better Fit&Finish (Queen wins but not by much)
The Queen uses D2 steel and the RR 440A (Queen wins by a margin)
In my scorecount that's two points for Queen and two for Rough Rider. All considering: if you value Fit and finish and used steel above all else, buy a Queen Gunstock (or maybe a case or other brand, I can't comment on that since so far my only experiences have been with Queen and RR).

If you value a sharp blade right out of the box and don't have a lot to spend. I can heartily recommend these.

Full review can be found here: http://knifereviews.org/index.php/home/folding-knives/rough-rider/191-gunstock-synthstone-malachite

 

[hoopster]

I posted these pics earlier elsewhere but thought they'd be appreciated here as well. RR Canoe with smooth bone. I really like this knife. If they ever start making Carbon blades they'll put a real hurting on the competition IMHO.

 

[Nixelplix]

I just got my first Rough Rider knife-- A little tuxedo whittler. I've recently developed a "thing" for swell-centers and tuxedos, and I didn't have any whittler style knives. I haven't seen a pattern like this one anywhere else, yet.

I'm going to copy LX_Emergency and post this in both the Rough Rider thread and a thread of its own in the Reviews and Testing forum.

 

[Nixelplix]

The fit and finish isn't perfect, but is plenty good for me-- especially for a pattern I couldn't find anywhere else and for $8.50 shipped! Walk and talk are great. I wouldn't call the edges razor sharp out of the box, but they're definitely not dull.

The springs are flush when closed, but drop slightly from the top of the liners when open. You may be able to see some small flaws in the bone. There's a dark spot next to the shield. Some parts aren't perfectly flush, but the gaps aren't too bad.

 

[Nixelplix]

Here's some comparison shots with my small Case knives-- A tuxedo, an Eisenhower, and a half-whittler. At 3 inches closed, it is slightly smaller than all of them.

All in all, I'm really diggin' this little knife. It makes a great companion to my Henckels 4 blade stockman. Now I'm packing at least 7 different blade profiles at a time! (if not more)

 

[hoopster]

This is the knife that should be keeping U.S. manufacturers awake at night.I have one and it is nearly perfect.Close to custom quality.

I have one of the small damascus lock-backs also. I did round off the butt end of the handle some with 240 grit paper because I felt the corners could be smoother for pocket carry. Otherwise it was close to perfection. I'm still not sold on lock-backs in general but had to check out the damascus steel first hand. Pretty cool little knife indeed.

 

[dalee100]

And here's the second review of my recently bought rough rider slippies. A Gunstock in Synthstone Malachite. Conclusion and a couple of pictures:



Full review can be found here: http://knifereviews.org/index.php/home/folding-knives/rough-rider/191-gunstock-synthstone-malachite

Hi,

I got a Butterbean with the green malachite scales. It has a small crack in one the scales. (Which I was informed of before purchase). Evidently at least one batch of these scales had problems with tiny cracks. It took a 10x loupe to find the crack in mine. Does yours have that problem?

Dale

 

[Pipeman]

Hi,

I got a Butterbean with the green malachite scales. It has a small crack in one the scales. (Which I was informed of before purchase). Evidently at least one batch of these scales had problems with tiny cracks. It took a 10x loupe to find the crack in mine. Does yours have that problem?

Dale

Hi Dale
I have a couple of the "malachite" knives that have these tiny cracks. They seem to be always on the light/dark colour lines. I wish they would do the filework with other handle material.

Best regards

Robin

 

[Robert.B]

Give them time, IMO I have seen them go from pretty average knives with poor proportions (I have an early sunfish and its insanely bulky) to good production pieces that rival some of the big production slipjoint makers. I have several knives I wish to buy from them soon, their fixed blade line is getting interesting.