Well, I finally made it to the woods today w/ my RTAK II. First, I'd like to thank Mike for the excellent customer service, and wanted to present a quick testimony to the new RTAK II.
The temperature today was just about freezing, and we've had a little bit of snow lately, but I wanted to get out and use this beautiful knife. At the beginning of this test, my RTAK II was in new condition, although I did cut up a bunch of cardboard with it last week (known for dulling a blade). So, I went to the woods, and I found a nice, big, fallen pine tree just outside of Missoula MT, where I live. The tree was right at 9" in diameter, and it was definately frozen solid! It took me about 15 minutes to leisurely chop through it. I wore leather gloves for about half of the chopping, and didn't get any hot spots or blisters (even bare handed). I can't begin to say how impressed I was with its chopping capabilities. After the tree (and a few smaller trees that were laying next to the big one) was in two, I examed the blade, and noticed that... it was a little dirty from sap, but that was it! To prove the RTAK II's edge retention, I effortlessly shaved a patch of hair on my arm, as shown in the pictures. After returning home, I rinsed the blade with a little soap and water, and it literally looked like it did before I started. There is a hint of smoothness near the edge in the middle of the blade - the finish is pretty durable! Overall, I couldn't be happier with my RTAK II - it is clearly in a class far above the $90 that I paid for it. This is a great, American made, hard use knife that anyone can afford! Thanks again Mike and Jeff - you guys are great! (I'll be posting this review in a couple of different forums - so please, no accusations of spamming please!)
The temperature today was just about freezing, and we've had a little bit of snow lately, but I wanted to get out and use this beautiful knife. At the beginning of this test, my RTAK II was in new condition, although I did cut up a bunch of cardboard with it last week (known for dulling a blade). So, I went to the woods, and I found a nice, big, fallen pine tree just outside of Missoula MT, where I live. The tree was right at 9" in diameter, and it was definately frozen solid! It took me about 15 minutes to leisurely chop through it. I wore leather gloves for about half of the chopping, and didn't get any hot spots or blisters (even bare handed). I can't begin to say how impressed I was with its chopping capabilities. After the tree (and a few smaller trees that were laying next to the big one) was in two, I examed the blade, and noticed that... it was a little dirty from sap, but that was it! To prove the RTAK II's edge retention, I effortlessly shaved a patch of hair on my arm, as shown in the pictures. After returning home, I rinsed the blade with a little soap and water, and it literally looked like it did before I started. There is a hint of smoothness near the edge in the middle of the blade - the finish is pretty durable! Overall, I couldn't be happier with my RTAK II - it is clearly in a class far above the $90 that I paid for it. This is a great, American made, hard use knife that anyone can afford! Thanks again Mike and Jeff - you guys are great! (I'll be posting this review in a couple of different forums - so please, no accusations of spamming please!)
