So I broke my Rat Daddy

[rcb2000]

Ugh,,, my condolences!!! That's a nasty break, it looks like it made a sharp right turn at that knot huh?
I've always wondered what happens when you send in a knife that hasn't been offered for a while, interested to see what they do.

 

[hhmoore]

Tough situation, to be sure - but it seems that you're setting yourself up for disappointment, with your comments about current value and secondary market pricing.
I don't know how the Swamp will deal with this, so I can't offer any comments on that...but I AM interested in the outcome.

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

I'm also interested. I dont know for sure as its a DHT blade, but I'd try and give it a sharpening if they give you an answer that you don't like.

 

[AZTimT]

Ouch. Not the typical place you want to have a giant rat tooth gap serration, but... depending on the answer you receive only you can decide what you wish to do. Worst case, it could be made a recurve all the way back to the choil.

I would make a very polite, yet earnest request to get them to make you a new one out of current through hardened SR-101 or even SR-77 if they don't have an old warranty blank on hand especially if you are willing to wait indefinitely for it to happen. One might presume they could very easily cut out a new blank or a dozen with current steel if they just plug the design into the computer handling such things. Keep in mind they are working on a of a batch of ganza INFI CGFBMs that have not all shipped out yet so maybe there is an idea there to ponder, shop credit wise if you could somehow swing that kind of deal with making up the difference. It's anyone's guess.

I wonder if this kind of result along with the change in SR-101 composition and cost is part of why DHT went away?

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

I would make a very polite, yet earnest request to get them to make you a new one out of current through hardened SR-101 or even SR-77 if they don't have an old warranty blank on hand especially if you are willing to wait indefinitely for it to happen. One might presume they could very easily cut out a new blank or a dozen with current steel if they just plug the design into the computer handling such things.

I'd wager quite a large sum here that for one no blanks will be available, secondly there will not be a new Rat Daddy made of current bar stock. Quite simply, these are production knives which are made at the given price point via large batch machining. Making a single knife blank might seem easy enough, but consider that they must stop production on a large scale just to make that one knife. Hardly a feasible chore with a large amount of order pending fulfillment, hence if they are out of blanks you get shop credit.

On the bright side, I would imagine that the shop would offer to repair that one for you if you so choose. It looks like you didn't chip past the hamon, so there is a bit of edge life left in the blade. If you don't want to go this route, enjoy your new Rodent 9….. BTW, I might suggest ordering a pair of Rodent 3 with your shop credit or KDSH….

 

[Bigfattyt]

Man, that is a chunk. Sad to see.

The problem with the oldies, is that you get the original value (if they can't find a blank, or replace it).

They don't warranty for the increase in value which a lot of the oldies experience.


I remember the last time I was harvesting some fat wood form a very dense stump cut I had. It was hard enough to bounce my maul 20+ times before it cracked!

I pounded my FBMLE through it with a heavy wooden maul. I was shocked I got no edge damage, but I was worried about blowing a chip out like that when the knotty sapwood would twist and give. But, I was not to worried, because the model was still plentiful, and not a long discontinued old model.

 

[dman62]

That totally sucks man. It's definately new knife time.

 

[stjones]

I had EXACTLEY the same damage on my Rat Mastiff a few years back. Pounded it through some frozen cedar NewYears 2013/14. I am sorry to say that I received a $240ish shop credit as it's replacement. No where near the value of the knife or what I paid but it was something to put toward the next knife. I have since been VERY hesitant to smash on SR101. Tyrade still tries to show me how awesome and strong it is but I have a hard time trusting it.

I am very sorry for your loss bro. Hard to see a beautiful oldie like that die.

 

[Hard Knocks]

So the through-hardened models we have now are at RC 58-60. Anyone remember the recipe for the DHT models? Obviously the edge is harder than the spine, but does anyone have the numbers?

 

[Tyrade83]

I had EXACTLEY the same damage on my Rat Mastiff a few years back. Pounded it through some frozen cedar NewYears 2013/14. I am sorry to say that I received a $240ish shop credit as it's replacement. No where near the value of the knife or what I paid but it was something to put toward the next knife. I have since been VERY hesitant to smash on SR101. Tyrade still tries to show me how awesome and strong it is but I have a hard time trusting it.

I am very sorry for your loss bro. Hard to see a beautiful oldie like that die.

I have to add my condolences on the loss of an old beauty like that. In all the beatings I've put on SR101, I've I only ever chipped the old differential HTed stuff. The newer stuff with the homogenous HT seems tougher to me.

 

[Tyrade83]

So the through-hardened models we have now are at RC 58-60. Anyone remember the recipe for the DHT models? Obviously the edge is harder than the spine, but does anyone have the numbers?

58-60 for the edge and around 44 for the rest IIRC

 

[SpyderPhreak]

FWIW, I incurred some damage to my 1311 this past summer that appears to be about the same size as the chipped-out part of your blade. The difference is that the 1311 didn't break, but instead a semi-circular area of the edge took a permanent set. This happened while batoning through some pine, and I didn't immediately notice it and continued using the knife. The craziest part is that a week earlier I had chopped up some seasoned mesquite without issue.

A section of the edge about 1" long by about 1/2" high bent to one side, by as much as about 1/8" in the middle of the bend. The edge itself is still perfectly sharp and undamaged (no chips or rolls), and the knife still does its job just fine. For that reason, I have not tried to repair it yet, and I'm not sure if I will because I'm worried that it might chip out like yours did when I try to bend it back the other way. I haven't contacted the shop either, as I don't know if I want to send it in for fear that they'll tell me that it's ruined. If it does finally break, maybe I will at that point. At least I can still get more use from it for now, and it is entirely possible it will be fine for a long time to come.

I can take pictures of the damaged area if you'd like to see some.

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

I would. Thanks

 

[Tyrade83]

FWIW, I incurred some damage to my 1311 this past summer that appears to be about the same size as the chipped-out part of your blade. The difference is that the 1311 didn't break, but instead a semi-circular area of the edge took a permanent set. This happened while batoning through some pine, and I didn't immediately notice it and continued using the knife. The craziest part is that a week earlier I had chopped up some seasoned mesquite without issue.

A section of the edge about 1" long by about 1/2" high bent to one side, by as much as about 1/8" in the middle of the bend. The edge itself is still perfectly sharp and undamaged (no chips or rolls), and the knife still does its job just fine. For that reason, I have not tried to repair it yet, and I'm not sure if I will because I'm worried that it might chip out like yours did when I try to bend it back the other way. I haven't contacted the shop either, as I don't know if I want to send it in for fear that they'll tell me that it's ruined. If it does finally break, maybe I will at that point. At least I can still get more use from it for now, and it is entirely possible it will be fine for a long time to come.

I can take pictures of the damaged area if you'd like to see some.

I've done this to a few blades. Sometimes small ones, and some big enough it can be used like a gouge to peel half moon shaped strips of wood. The smaller ones I've left them alone, and not worried about it as it doesn't really hinder chopping, but I did have to have my NMFSH LE replaced under warranty with a new one as it wasn't regrindable.

 

[SpyderPhreak]

So, my damage isn't quite as bad as I remember it. Either it was never quite that bad, or maybe it has bent back a bit during use? Who knows. As measured, the damaged area is about 3/4" long by just over 1/4" high up the blade, and deflected about 3/32". I'm not going to worry about it right now, and won't at all unless it gets worse.

Here's the best pic I could get. Not great, but I couldn't get a better view. The damage is centered at 7.5" from the handle, just aft of the 8.5" sweet spot of the blade.

 

[Hard Knocks]

58-60 for the edge and around 44 for the rest IIRC

So the edge hardness itself should be comparable between the through-hardened and the DHT models. Thank you sir.

 

[FloridaBlade]

I broke my Rat Daddy on a recent camping trip. I contacted Swamp Rat for warranty service, but I'm really afraid of what their answer will be. They've asked me to send it in for inspection. How do you fulfill a life time warranty on a knife that is no longer made, is currently worth 3 times the original price, and has no equal in your current lineup? A $248 shop credit wont even get me a Rodent 9 which is smaller, to begin with. Ugh!! I'm literally sick over this. That knife was a beast. A real classic...

Looks like you broke it on a knot.
I'm always careful around knots; they can be hell on steel, saw blades, etc.

 

[adrock1978]

Tough situation, to be sure - but it seems that you're setting yourself up for disappointment, with your comments about current value and secondary market pricing.
I don't know how the Swamp will deal with this, so I can't offer any comments on that...but I AM interested in the outcome.

I'm not trying to imply that I should receive current market value. I'm just saying I'm in a tight spot with this particular scenario. It's too bad to fix, to old to replace, nothing really comparable, currently available. At this point, without having an answer from SR, I don't want to come across as bitter, or disgruntled, in the least, but a "no questions asked, lifetime warranty" doesn't feel all warm and fuzzy when you're on this side of the fence with a broken 20 year old knife. But it's a business. I understand there's only so much they can do. It just hurts... it's a freakin Rat Daddy...

 

[adrock1978]

And honestly, looking at it now, a recurve may be my best option. Assuming it won't break again.

 

[Father & Son Traditional Sharpening]

I'm not trying to imply that I should receive current market value. I'm just saying I'm in a tight spot with this particular scenario. It's too bad to fix, to old to replace, nothing really comparable, currently available. At this point, without having an answer from SR, I don't want to come across as bitter, or disgruntled, in the least, but a "no questions asked, lifetime warranty" doesn't feel all warm and fuzzy when you're on this side of the fence with a broken 20 year old knife. But it's a business. I understand there's only so much they can do. It just hurts... it's a freakin Rat Daddy...

This may come off as a bit insensitive, but let's be real….. it's just a knife. Expensive or not, it's a chunk of steel that's meant to be used. Tools wear out or break eventually, it's just a fact of life. There's really never a great time for a tool to break, but at least you weren't relying on this at the time of failure. Whatever price you paid secondhand means nothing here, as the warranty has always only covered original retail price. If it was too much of a loss to stomach for something like this to happen, the knife should have been residing in a glass case…. where things go we don't want to get broken. If nothing interests you from the Swamp right now, just put the store credit in your back pocket (metaphorically of course) and wait for new models which I am sure will be coming soon…. or order something just to sell it and buy what you're really interested in.

And honestly, looking at it now, a recurve may be my best option. Assuming it won't break again.

This may be possible, but consider that the hamon won't be too far behind the new edge and this will significantly diminish the remaining lifespan of the tool and ultimately the second hand value.