Rough Rider & Related Slipjoints

[akadave2]

I like the way a lot of the Rough Rider models look. And the construction is nice too. However, there are far more old and new US made slipjoints out there that I like just as much and if given my druthers... I buy American. I would prefer to support US companies and craftsman. I know that it sounds a bit "Patriotic" to some and that not "cool" to half the US demographic but its still a free country...I guess.

Now as for other product, there is little choice. My iPhone was made in China, TV in Taiwan, other electronics, clothing etc overseas. I have no problem buying those but my cutlery...Ill stick to home.

 

[Bad Monkey]

The Rogh Rider shows no light between the liners and springs and has absolutely zero blade play. The "other knife" has gaps between liners and spring and a loose blade when open. Hence i agree that the difference in craftsmanship is night and day.
This forum is full of disappointed members who spend their money for a new Case folder and find it has substantive issues.
And the 'Flagship' Case offering, the Case Bose Collaboration knives, continue the Case Tradition of having far too many examples with substantial issues.
Of my last 50 Rogh Rider folders, not one has any blade play. (and that is much more than 50 blades) These are not preselected, merely what the ebay dealer happens to pull off his shelf and send me, unopened, so not pre-checked.
I received the 2 knives i posted here on the same day so the comparison of the cheap one being 'tight' and the very expensive one being 'loose' was particularly striking.
And i have used RR knives for many things including a RR Trapper to field dress a deer. I was awed by how slick it was. I posted that in this thread way back (maybe post 356 ?).
There should be no comparison between a knife that cost under $20 and one that cost $300. But the reality is that the $20 knife far exceeds expectations and the $300 knife falls far short.
roland

I concur with rproctor.

I have been disapointed with both of the USA knives that i have. My wife bought me a beautiful Case equal end stockman in harvest orange that arrived with play in all 3 blades. Case did rectify this under warranty, but it cost me the purchase price again to send it back to the states then re-import it back into the UK.

I've just bought a USA made Buck 301 stockman, good solid knife, takes a great edge. Fit and finish are terrible! including blade wobble in the main clip blade. Based on the Case fiasco it's gonna cost the purchase price again to send it back to Buck to sort it, so i'm not gonna bother.

I own 4 Rough Riders and haven't had an issue with any of them, they have great fit and finish, take a great edge easily and they cost 10 quid each compared to 60 quid for the case, well actually 120 by the time i got it back from Case, and 40 quid for the Buck.

Don't get me wrong, i'm no Rough Rider fan boy. I love the Case and the Buck, but the RR's are just better value for money, and in the current economic climate every £££ has to count. Case and Buck are riding the hell out of their past reputations when they should be sharpening up their QC, or else before long the only decent main stream manufacturers left will be Victorinox and Rough Rider.

There's a couple of other Case knives that i really want, but on recent experience, i just can't afford to take the risk, and that's a real shame.

 

[meako]

To each his own, sir. Variety, after all, is the spice of life! I personally prefer the looks, feel and function of Cases over Rough Riders, but everyone is entitled to his own opinion. If Rough Riders exceed your expectations, that's great! I don't think there is a right or wrong here. If Rough Rider makes knives that satisfy customers, then so much the better. The competition they give Case and other makers should give them an incentive to improve their products. Thank goodness there are knives out there that make all of us happy! I wish you all the best.

Well said mate.
Whilst I believe in being proud of our respective nations and I will continue to buy USA pocket knives there is no doubt that the horse has already bolted as far as manufacturing goes in general.

 

[rprocter]

Bad Monkey, i think the 2 best USA manufacturers of folding knives are GEC and Canal Street Cutlery. GEC's sometimes arrive with issues but no where near as fequently as Case. The CSC knives are really made with great attention to detail in the fit & finish and it is rare to receive a knife from this small manufacturer that has an issue.
You can also buy these on the secondary market here on BF and ask the seller about any issues before buying. Usually the price will be 25-35% less than from a dealer for an unused knife, mint with box & papers.
So consider one of these 2 USA manufacturers if you want to try buying American again. I highly recommend the CSC knives.
roland

 

[akadave2]

I have bought a half dozen or so new Case knives in the last year and have had no problems. I guess sometimes you get lucky or unlucky

 

[Jack Black]

How do other budget traditionals from Colt, Marbles, CRKT, etc compare to Rough Rider?

 

[midnight flyer]

Quote billym: "usable and loseable".
That is a very good point. Despite being careful, pocket knives, especially when you carry and use them, do have a way of getting lost.
One of my main EDC's was my Jerry Halfrich "Small Woodsman". About 3 months ago i lost it somewhere on my own property, even though i 'always' made a point of staying focused when using it until it was safely back in the deep front pocket of my work pants.
I paid $650 for it and wish i had lost one of my Rough Riders instead.
roland

OUCH....

I don't own any RR knives, but I have a couple of the Remington "Signature" series knives and they are just about as nicely made as any domestic knife I have ever owned. Purchased about three years ago at a local sporting goods store and then gifted to me, I have found them to be hard working, reliable knives. I have a large stockman that I use in my construction job and it is great for that. Now I am quite fond of it and I don't want to lose it or break it.

The knife was in a gift set that sold for $20 and it came with a similarly badged peanut. I liked them both so much I found the last of them here in town and purchased another set. They are GREAT working knives and certainly perform as well as any traditional knife I have ever had in the last 40 years.

I am at the point with them that I don't explain, apologize, or hide the fact that they are made off shore. Any tool that works that well I feel like I don't have to make excuses for it when I use it.

Sure, the price is a huge consideration (one seventh the price of its domestic counterparts) but most of all I am pleased that it is a nice tool. And since it was so affordable, the knife doesn't ever get spared any dirty job that comes up. Sad but true; I will use this knife for jobs I wouldn't consider using my CASE knives to do and never give it a second thought.

I have purchased a few other off shore traditional knives that have excellent fit and finish and I have to say I have become a lot less forgiving when I pick up a domestic knife that is full of problems that costs 7 - 8 times as much. I can't bring myself to buy them much anymore.

Robert

 

[JPD1998]

OUCH....

I don't own any RR knives, but I have a couple of the Remington "Signature" series knives and they are just about as nicely made as any domestic knife I have ever owned. Purchased about three years ago at a local sporting goods store and then gifted to me, I have found them to be hard working, reliable knives. I have a large stockman that I use in my construction job and it is great for that. Now I am quite fond of it and I don't want to lose it or break it.

The knife was in a gift set that sold for $20 and it came with a similarly badged peanut. I liked them both so much I found the last of them here in town and purchased another set. They are GREAT working knives and certainly perform as well as any traditional knife I have ever had in the last 40 years.

I am at the point with them that I don't explain, apologize, or hide the fact that they are made off shore. Any tool that works that well I feel like I don't have to make excuses for it when I use it.

Sure, the price is a huge consideration (one seventh the price of its domestic counterparts) but most of all I am pleased that it is a nice tool. And since it was so affordable, the knife doesn't ever get spared any dirty job that comes up. Sad but true; I will use this knife for jobs I wouldn't consider using my CASE knives to do and never give it a second thought.

I am getting a few other off shore knives that have excellent fit and finish and I have to say I have become a lot less forgiving when I pick up a domestic knife that is full of problems that costs 7 - 8 times as much. I can't bring myself to buy them much anymore.

Robert

I bought a Remington large stockman about 6 months ago and it looks like it's made in the same factory as some of the RR knives I own.

Outside of the green dyed stag scales , which is a real shame BTW, the knife is very well made.

 

[midnight flyer]

I bought a Remington large stockman about 6 months ago and it looks like it's made in the same factory as some of the RR knives I own.

Outside of the green dyed stag scales , which is a real shame BTW, the knife is very well made.

Mine has the pressure laminated wood handles that are dyed coal black. The color has never run even after years of sweaty pockets and I didn't really know what the material was they used on the scales. Then when it was out on a table in the bright light I could see the layers of stabilized, laminated wood if I held it at a perfect angle to see them. Otherwise, they now look like lightly pocket worn black Delrin. These scales are really, really hard.

I think someone told me that these knives are actually made by the factory that makes the Boker Plus, some of the Browning line and the Robert Klass knives. To me, they seem to be a slight step up from the RRs, but I have only looked at the RRs at the gun shows, don't own any.

Never seen one of these in bone or stag. That might be the perfect candidate for a dye job like some of the guys here have done on their knives.

Robert

 

[Nixelplix]

Here's a new one that looks interesting. It comes with a lanyard whistle, and a pocket pouch that has a clip on the back.

 

[rprocter]

Having a loud whistle is a good idea when you are out in the bush alone, esp. in this part of the world (interior B.C.) where cell phones don't work once you are more than a couple miles out of the nearest town.
One of the 'problems' we all initially had with Rough Rider knives is common sense. We have all learned that "you get what you pay for" so how could a $10 knife have quality materials or be well made ?
The truth is with all retail items that price and quality only have a loose relationship. This is more true with knives than with anything else i know of. Even with Custom knives, the price is related to the maker's current popularity. The most expensive custom knives are rarely the very best made.
This is in response to some of the posts above, not to this 'Whistle Knife' which i know i definitely need !
thanks for posting it.
roland

 

[pertinux]

How do other budget traditionals from Colt, Marbles, CRKT, etc compare to Rough Rider?

I've handled a couple of CRKT's "classics" (the congress and the whittler), and the ones I saw were well-constructed indeed. While somewhat sterile, they were definitely appealing.

I was especially impressed with the whittler-- a very nice piece for $40MSRP, one that you wanted to hold (instead of settle for).

~ P.

 

[midnight flyer]

A whistle knife with a lanyard???? Seriously????

Man alive, that has me and my 12 year old nephew written all over it. I hope someone posts a follow up when they get theirs. Looks great to me!

Robert

 

[Jack Black]

I've handled a couple of CRKT's "classics" (the congress and the whittler), and the ones I saw were well-constructed indeed. While somewhat sterile, they were definitely appealing.

I was especially impressed with the whittler-- a very nice piece for $40MSRP, one that you wanted to hold (instead of settle for).

~ P.

Is the steel as good P? I'd previously ignored RR, based mainly on their low price, but after reading the many positive comments on this forum about them, I bought a Rifleman Canoe about a month ago. Hard to fault the quality, and the blades are razor sharp out of the box for sure, I just wish they were made from carbon steel. Hopefully that'll come.

 

[pertinux]

Is the steel as good P? I'd previously ignored RR, based mainly on their low price, but after reading the many positive comments on this forum about them, I bought a Rifleman Canoe about a month ago. Hard to fault the quality, and the blades are razor sharp out of the box for sure, I just wish they were made from carbon steel. Hopefully that'll come.

I have no experience in comparing steels (either hands-on or based on Chemistry & Engineering), but a post here states that the CRKT steel is "...7Cr17MoV, which is like 440A with some Vanadium."

The salesman I spoke with said only that the knife might have to be sharpened more often [than a comparable Queen], but should continually sharpen up well. Again, I have no idea how that compares to Rough Rider's steel.

~ P.

 

[Will Power]

Isn't it the case that RR are going to release carbon blades? Or was this my delusions taking hold once more?

 

[Jack Black]

I have no experience in comparing steels (either hands-on or based on Chemistry & Engineering), but a post here states that the CRKT steel is "...7Cr17MoV, which is like 440A with some Vanadium."

The salesman I spoke with said only that the knife might have to be sharpened more often [than a comparable Queen], but should continually sharpen up well. Again, I have no idea how that compares to Rough Rider's steel.

~ P.

Thanks a lot P

Isn't it the case that RR are going to release carbon blades? Or was this my delusions taking hold once more?

It seems to be an ongoing rumour on this forum at least! Hope so!

 

[Bad Monkey]

Is the steel as good P? I'd previously ignored RR, based mainly on their low price, but after reading the many positive comments on this forum about them, I bought a Rifleman Canoe about a month ago. Hard to fault the quality, and the blades are razor sharp out of the box for sure, I just wish they were made from carbon steel. Hopefully that'll come.

I'll agree with that Jack. There is a rumour that RR are going to introduce some carbon blades to their line up.

Personally i wish all manufacturers would produce more carbon blade pocket knives. I'd love a famers sheepsfoot with stag or jigged bone scales and a carbon blade.

 

[Jack Black]

I'll agree with that Jack. There is a rumour that RR are going to introduce some carbon blades to their line up.

Personally i wish all manufacturers would produce more carbon blade pocket knives. I'd love a famers sheepsfoot with stag or jigged bone scales and a carbon blade.

Absolutely BM, but I guess they reckon a lot of their customers want the 'convenience' of stainless I once gave a nice ebony-handled Opinel to an old friend who was moving away to live on a narrow-boat. The next time I saw her I asked how she liked her knife, she told me that she had left it sitting on the window ledge and it "went rusty" (so now it was supposedly ruined)! :grumpy:

 

[Robert.B]

I'll agree with that Jack. There is a rumour that RR are going to introduce some carbon blades to their line up.

Personally i wish all manufacturers would produce more carbon blade pocket knives. I'd love a famers sheepsfoot with stag or jigged bone scales and a carbon blade.

Not a rumor, Rough rider themselves announced it.