Rough Rider & Related Slipjoints

I followed the discussion here for some time. I´d like to see RRs being released in carbon steel. I just dig out my RR Sowbelly a few minutes ago. It would really be nice to see this carbonsteel. However...

I agree with Gevonovich - RR might watch some of the online communities all around the world and looking what the traditional guys want to have. Some of us prefer stainless and some carbonsteel. So it´s just a logical step for them making some pattern in carbon steel and see how it gets up to us all.

We´ll see what time brings... :)
 
I like carbon steel and I like stainless steel! What I really like about Rough Riders is the variety of patterns they offer, for such an affordable price!

midnight flyer said:
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
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I just ordered one, I'll do a little review in this thread when I get it!
 
I can't help but wonder what carbon steel they will use. Being of Asian origin, maybe SK-5 ? Regardless it'll be interesting to watch this line develop. I imagine it might have the potential to cause a bit of a stir.
 
I`m really getting into RR knives as well. I had a couple of them, gave them away and now have only the medium congress left. I`ve been spending the last days reading everything I can, watching a lot of vids. I`ll definately order the dogbone, reminds me of the white owl, and you get a clipped pocket pouch, pretty good deal for 10$. I like that you can try out diffrent patterns for not a lot of money.
 
Rough Riders in carbon? :eek: That doesn't sound half bad. They'll probably be at least up there with old Imperials in terms of quality, and those were fairly solid knives. It could be fun to get a bunch of carbon Rough Riders and play with some aggressive forced-patina methods. I have a hard time forcing a hardcore patina on a Case, but would happily try some things with a Rough Rider. Interesting.
 
From the mid 1970's on when Albert Baer bought Imperial, there was much building knives foreach other between Schrade and Imperial. The blade steel, springs & heat treatment were the same whether the knife was branded Schrade or Imperial.
The difference was in the handle and bolsters with Imperials having the so called "shell" handles and thin bolsters afixed with fold-over tabs. So, yes, the blades on the Imperials were just as good as the blades on the Schrades, because they were the same blades.
roland
 
I just received my RR jumbo trapper and I'm very impressed. I've been curious about them for a while after reading so many good reviews. so, after seeing Rolands great post on his deer hunt, I ordered the jumbo. It came with a high quality reenforced nylon belt pouch too. I don't make a lot of $, so I have to consider value above everything else. I must say when it comes to "bang for the buck" I'll put RR up there with Mora and Opinel imo. I hope they do start making carbon steel blades, That would make my day. Thanx again Roland. Great pics!
 
Harry, you are most welcome. It is Rough Rider that really deserves the thanks.
I am not excited about RR's with non stainless steel. One of the very best maxims of all time is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Whatever steel and heat treatment RR has been using give us super sharp blades that edge hold extremely well. (i.e. it ain't broke). I cannot imagine that any non stainless wil perform better.
The only reason for RR to use non stainless steel would be to satisfy the patinophiles. I am a knife addict but i don't have patinophilia.
roland
 
rprocter said:
Harry, you are most welcome. It is Rough Rider that really deserves the thanks.
I am not excited about RR's with non stainless steel. One of the very best maxims of all time is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Whatever steel and heat treatment RR has been using give us super sharp blades that edge hold extremely well. (i.e. it ain't broke). I cannot imagine that any non stainless wil perform better.
The only reason for RR to use non stainless steel would be to satisfy the patinophiles. I am a knife addict but i don't have patinophilia.
roland
Click to expand...

Roland, Do you have patinaphobia? :-)
 
rprocter said:
Harry, you are most welcome. It is Rough Rider that really deserves the thanks.
I am not excited about RR's with non stainless steel. One of the very best maxims of all time is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Whatever steel and heat treatment RR has been using give us super sharp blades that edge hold extremely well. (i.e. it ain't broke). I cannot imagine that any non stainless wil perform better.
The only reason for RR to use non stainless steel would be to satisfy the patinophiles. I am a knife addict but i don't have patinophilia.
roland
Click to expand...

I like your theory of "patinophiles"! :)

I'm somewhere in the middle about blades and patina. I prefer what happens to carbon steel blades because I'm from Syracuse, New York and the Camillus factory was just down the road a piece. All the men from both sides of my family carried Camillus knives, so I grew up seeing those dark, carbon steel blades. In my mind, that's what a pocket knife is supposed to look like; I just don't like shiny, stainless steel blades. With that being said, I'm not much for the notion of forcing a patina on a blade. I've got a Case CV amber bone Texas Jack on the way and I plan on letting the patina form naturally, over time. Forcing a new blade to look old is about as silly (to me) as buying a Fender Custom Shop "Heavy Relic" guitar. I love the look of anything vintage, (especially knives and guitars) but I'm kind of a purist and like the aging to take place over the course of a real lifetime, rather than artificially created. To each his own.

I've had a couple of RRs and they've been really nice for the price, but I've never cared for the SS blades. I will be up at SMKW the day I hear about these CS bladed RRs, though!
 
rprocter said:
Harry, you are most welcome. It is Rough Rider that really deserves the thanks.
I am not excited about RR's with non stainless steel. One of the very best maxims of all time is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Whatever steel and heat treatment RR has been using give us super sharp blades that edge hold extremely well. (i.e. it ain't broke). I cannot imagine that any non stainless wil perform better.
The only reason for RR to use non stainless steel would be to satisfy the patinophiles. I am a knife addict but i don't have patinophilia.
roland
Click to expand...

Roland, I am with you. As stated before, I have the "related slipjoint" referred to in this thread heading. The steel is quite nice. It performs better overall and requires significantly less work (read: none) to make sure the knife is protected against rust.

In posting my comments on the rust issue before on this forum I have found that most carbon blade carriers have no clue what I am talking about. Their knives apparently never rust, and I have concluded that there is something on their jeans or in the air that is a rust inhibitor.

I sweat all the way through my clothes and they stay sweaty for about 12 hours a day in my construction work. Back in the 60s through the 80s I carried carbon because there was nothing better available. My CASE knives would rust in my pocket or on the dresser the first day after I didn't do an oiling ritual. Taking care of my knife was a daily ritual I could have done without. After all, for me at that time my knife was just another tool like saw, chisel, or anything else. It was a tool that served a purpose.

Fast forward to today.... I don't miss daily maintenance one bit!!

The steel on the "related slipjoints" that I have are is hardened to a higher degree than 25 or so CASE carbon slipjoints, yet still very easy to sharpen and touch up. I don't care about patina and never have and my knife doesn't need to look like it is a working man's knife (it is) or one like grandpa used to carry. I am after good utility value and these related fellows deliver it in spades.

Besides, if they do make carbon steel and the workmanship is as high a quality as their stainless, why would anyone buy CASE, Buck, or other American made carbon steel knives when they can buy the same or better knife for 80% less?

Robert
 
Well, I own knives from different companies because I love knives, and like to have a bunch of different examples.
 
I like carbon because the edge they take is different to stainless, and I prefer how carbon cuts...I have expensive S30V knives and they usually get shoved out for a good old 1095 blade.
 
I have a lot more carbon knives than stainless, but not because I'm a patina junky. I only have one 1095 knife with patina, because of eating fruit for lunch. Mainly I prefer "the feel of carbon steel on the stones."

Dennis Strickland put it this way once a few years back, and I instantly knew and appreciated what he meant. If stainless is low alloy and treated to a softer HRc, it feels greasy to me on the stones, like material is just moving and not being removed. If stainless alloy is harder (say 58+), then it feels like it is skidding on the stones. Now in both cases material is being removed, but it just feels different. And a wire edge seems to be more persistent with stainless as well.

Now carbon steel, whether low or high alloy and whether soft or hard, has a wonderful scraping feeling as the steel is being abraded away. It just feels right, like you are accomplishing what you intend to do. I'm looking forward to a nice RR round bolster stockman in some good old carbon steel. 3-7/8 inch closed length, if you please! :D
 
I am with Roland on this. I know how to abuse an RR and Roland knows I do. If it isn't broke don't fix it!!! I don't bother with sharpening the RR's I use. I buy them by the carton at about $6 apiece and when they are used up, and that takes a bit, I give them away. Still have yours Roland :-)
 
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