Rough Rider & Related Slipjoints

[JPD1998]

Hi Robert. The eariest style of can opener was a small Sharp blade with what looks like a thumb stud but is actually what you use as the lever along the edge of the can. Bernard Levine has posted most of the patent dates of these devices on his ID forum. If anyone is interested in doing a forum search I'm sure it could be found.

Best regards

Robin

I've used the opener on the regular RR camp knife ( the type you described above) , it's a bit of an effort , but it does work.
The blade held up reasonably well, I resharpened it after opening two cans.

 

[Pipeman]

To be honest, I'm not into knives with can openers, cap lifters, scissors and other leatherman/sac type tools. I doooo like a good punch blade though ;-))). Oh ya, and tooth picks.

Best regards

Robin

 

[pertinux]

Hi Robert. The eariest style of can opener was a small Sharp blade with what looks like a thumb stud but is actually what you use as the lever along the edge of the can.

Here's one from earlier in this thread:

~ P.

 

[midnight flyer]

To be honest, I'm not into knives with can openers, cap lifters, scissors and other leatherman/sac type tools. I doooo like a good punch blade though ;-))). Oh ya, and tooth picks.

Best regards

Robin

Buddy, I am with you all the way on that! I have tried more than once to become one with a multifunction knife, but just don't use the other tools on the knife at all. Just the cutting blades. Not sure why that hasn't worked for me as they are so popular and invaluable to so many.

I also find a lot of good use for the punch blades, and bought a medium Boker "Cattleman" that I like and use a lot. Quality is very good, and the blades and tools are 440C, hardened to something very usable.

The spey blade is quite thin and it makes a really razor sharp slicer, and it has a long nail nick in it as well. The punch is sturdy and usable (although I sharpened it up on my belt sander), and the price was well south of $15 with shipping when I bought mine on the 'bay. At about 3 1/2" with rounded bolsters, the knife slips in your pocket and disappears. One of the things I really liked about this knife is that it doesn't look like any of its off shore cousins at all due to its unusual sleeve board style design along with its choice of blades. I carry it a lot and it has been a good little work knife.

Robert

 

[Pipeman]

Buddy, I am with you all the way on that! I have tried more than once to become one with a multifunction knife, but just don't use the other tools on the knife at all. Just the cutting blades. Not sure why that hasn't worked for me as they are so popular and invaluable to so many.

I also find a lot of good use for the punch blades, and bought a medium Boker "Cattleman" that I like and use a lot. Quality is very good, and the blades and tools are 440C, hardened to something very usable.

The spey blade is quite thin and it makes a really razor sharp slicer, and it has a long nail nick in it as well. The punch is sturdy and usable (although I sharpened it up on my belt sander), and the price was well south of $15 with shipping when I bought mine on the 'bay. At about 3 1/2" with rounded bolsters, the knife slips in your pocket and disappears. One of the things I really liked about this knife is that it doesn't look like any of its off shore cousins at all due to its unusual sleeve board style design along with its choice of blades. I carry it a lot and it has been a good little work knife.

Robert

Hey Robert
This is pretty much my Grail knife, never leaves my pocket. Although, I'm usually carry a few others too. ;-))) For the price of this one you can buy a dozen RRs. ;-))

Best regards

Robin

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[midnight flyer]

Hey Robert
This is pretty much my Grail knife, never leaves my pocket. Although, I'm usually carry a few others too. ;-))) For the price of this one you can buy a dozen RRs. ;-))

Best regards

Robin

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When the knives get into that price range, they have to be a grail knife for me! I am at the point where I could carry a different knife every day for a couple of months and not use the same one twice, so the RR and their brands have become an inexpensive vice for me.

That Northfield is a great knife, and it has my favorite design of a punch/awl as it actually works better than any I have tried. I really like the teardrop design, and I recently got this one

as my first tear drop. I was surprised at how easily this heavy, useful pattern carries.

As far as the quality of that Colt, it is scary good. My pic doesn't do it justice. The checkering style of jigging is crisp and precise, the fit and finish are remarkable. I feel like I have a $125 knife in my hands when I use it. Better yet, it gave me an opportunity to buy a tear drop to try out. I can't believe how comfy this is in the hand, and like the big spear main on yours, this knife will do some work.

Thanks for the pic! I just hope one of those doesn't come up on the exchange.... *yikes!*

Robert

 

[Pipeman]

When the knives get into that price range, they have to be a grail knife for me! I am at the point where I could carry a different knife every day for a couple of months and not use the same one twice, so the RR and their brands have become an inexpensive vice for me.

That Northfield is a great knife, and it has my favorite design of a punch/awl as it actually works better than any I have tried. I really like the teardrop design, and I recently got this one

as my first tear drop. I was surprised at how easily this heavy, useful pattern carries.

As far as the quality of that Colt, it is scary good. My pic doesn't do it justice. The checkering style of jigging is crisp and precise, the fit and finish are remarkable. I feel like I have a $125 knife in my hands when I use it. Better yet, it gave me an opportunity to buy a tear drop to try out. I can't believe how comfy this is in the hand, and like the big spear main on yours, this knife will do some work.

Thanks for the pic! I just hope one of those doesn't come up on the exchange.... *yikes!*

Robert

Hi Robert, I got this one on the exchange for under retail. The best thing about RR knives other than they are worth MUCH more than the price, is the ability to try out many great patterns without dropping a bundle. I have turned litterally 100s of people onto pocket knife love with RR knives. IMO they are the best deal knives on the market. That's a very nice looking swell end you have, I may have to get over my dislike for the Colt logo in the bolsters. ;-))

Best regards

Robin

 

[JPD1998]

As far as the quality of that Colt, it is scary good. My pic doesn't do it justice. The checkering style of jigging is crisp and precise, the fit and finish are remarkable. I feel like I have a $125 knife in my hands when I use it. Better yet, it gave me an opportunity to buy a tear drop to try out. I can't believe how comfy this is in the hand, and like the big spear main on yours, this knife will do some work.

Thanks for the pic! I just hope one of those doesn't come up on the exchange.... *yikes!*

Robert

Try the Colt Rail Splitter.

It is one of the best made knives I own and I have quite a few slipjoints that cost much more.

 

[bdev]

Wow.....the more I see pictures of these Colts, the more I want to get one. How do they compare to the Rough Riders?

 

[JPD1998]

Wow.....the more I see pictures of these Colts, the more I want to get one. How do they compare to the Rough Riders?

IMO, they're a real step up. They cost more and come in more up-scale packaging. I think I paid around $20 each for the few I have.
I've compared RR and Colt side by side and they don't appear to be made in the same factory.

 

[midnight flyer]

Hi Robert, I got this one on the exchange for under retail. The best thing about RR knives other than they are worth MUCH more than the price, is the ability to try out many great patterns without dropping a bundle. I have turned litterally 100s of people onto pocket knife love with RR knives. IMO they are the best deal knives on the market. That's a very nice looking swell end you have, I may have to get over my dislike for the Colt logo in the bolsters. ;-))

Best regards

Robin

Robin... will keep an eye on the exchange. As far as the RR line goes, I have had only good luck with them, and I am thinking of getting some of the Barlows to have branded with my company logo to give to my upper end clients.

Don't worry about the shield and the "C" on the bolsters. I was more put off by the blade etching as at the time I got it the blade etch was two tone. However, once it was reprofiled a bit, the metal I shaved off the blade to get the proper edge was on the rag I used to wipe oil/metal shavings off, and it rubbed the gold wash right off.

The "C" will soon lose your attention, and the shield looks great on that crisply cut scale.

Like others have said here, I think the Colts are a step up from RR, but on the other hand, I have a couple of RR Barlows that any manufacturer would be proud to claim as their product.

Robert

 

[Samon]

I shortened the blades on this one earlier, I felt they were too long so I ground them down to under 3" and reshaped them as close to the original as I could! didn't have to take much off - maybe 5mm and now it's a hassel free pocket knife (UK law).

 

[Pipeman]

Robin... will keep an eye on the exchange. As far as the RR line goes, I have had only good luck with them, and I am thinking of getting some of the Barlows to have branded with my company logo to give to my upper end clients.

Don't worry about the shield and the "C" on the bolsters. I was more put off by the blade etching as at the time I got it the blade etch was two tone. However, once it was reprofiled a bit, the metal I shaved off the blade to get the proper edge was on the rag I used to wipe oil/metal shavings off, and it rubbed the gold wash right off.

The "C" will soon lose your attention, and the shield looks great on that crisply cut scale.

Like others have said here, I think the Colts are a step up from RR, but on the other hand, I have a couple of RR Barlows that any manufacturer would be proud to claim as their product.

Robert

Hi Again Robert, IMO the Barlows are one of the best patterns RR makes, a very solid knife. Great choice.
I love the small Barlow they build and even though I wouldn't call it a barlow the 3 blade "barlow" is an amazing knife. Here it is with the Case stockman. I did a cutting comparison between the Case and the RR Out of the box and the RR Crushed the Case.
Best regards

Robin

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[bdev]

IMO, they're a real step up. They cost more and come in more up-scale packaging. I think I paid around $20 each for the few I have.
I've compared RR and Colt side by side and they don't appear to be made in the same factory.

Yeah.....the nail nicks are different. RR has those serrated (don't think that's the word but it's close) nail nicks that I'm not a fan of.
Would you happen to have a pic of the rail splitter looking down on it? I'd like to get an idea how thick it is. Or....if no pic...how about a measurement.

Thanks.

 

[Will Power]

Very interesting that 3 blade 'Barlow' it actually looks like a Saddlehorn. What other blades does it have & what is the pattern No. ?

Thanks, Will

 

[JPD1998]

Yeah.....the nail nicks are different. RR has those serrated (don't think that's the word but it's close) nail nicks that I'm not a fan of.
Would you happen to have a pic of the rail splitter looking down on it? I'd like to get an idea how thick it is. Or....if no pic...how about a measurement.

Thanks.

Here's a shot from a slightly different angle, but I'll measure it when I get home from work.




They make this whittler too



Also a double lockback, very similar to the old Case Lockhorn/Longhorn
That one is a tad over 4" closed, but it's not bulky.

 

[Pipeman]

Very interesting that 3 blade 'Barlow' it actually looks like a Saddlehorn. What other blades does it have & what is the pattern No. ?

Thanks, Will

Hi Will
A pen and a spear if I remember correctly. I'll check for the pattern number and post it here.

Best regards

Robin

 

[Nixelplix]

I see it being described as a 3 blade jack knife, RR430

 

[black mamba]

Josh, I think that one has different covers. The one Robin shows is a RR379-- I've got one, too.

It's 3-3/8" long closed.

 

[Nixelplix]

Ah! I think you're right Jeff.