Whats the deal with SWAMP RAT???

L

loki88

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Apr 30, 2004
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I was wondering, i been frequented the Bladeforums a lot the last months and found out that VERY frequent there is a new Swamp Rat ? Can anyone explain how and why they produce so much different knives? I am always atracted by the pics but the IMO stiff pricetag keeps me away from them, Also the fact that they are VERY tough, High profile ( mostly fixed) combat knives keeps me away from buying one. Because i am a user instead of a collector the possiblity of carrying one is very limited because of the suburban community i live in and the work i do as a LEO.
Are they custom pieces, semi custom, or does every model goes into production?

Thx
 
you have me a little confused....compared to knives of similar quality (generally small, high-end production to semi-custom houses), SRKW blades are pretty inexpensive. Compared to large production outfits, they make relatively few different styles. So I guess my question is, who are you comparing them to that they have both more models and higher prices?

As for which model might suit you, they just released a folder if you can't carry a fixed blade. For a small fixed blade, look to the rat tail. The bandicoot is also very reasonably sized for urban carry, if you're used to carrying a knife on your belt at all.

SRKW is a full production outfit. Check out swampratknifeworks.com for more details.
 
Checked out the website and indeed was pleasantly surprised by the pricetag on those knives. Regretably i can't carry a fixed blade on my belt, so i will have to wait until the folder hits the beaches to check them out. I should have done more info on Swamprat before asking in hindsight stupid questions. It seems to me that i was confused by the swamprat knives and the busse combat knives wich have similar appearance and mixed them together. I need to do more research before posting, my fault

Greetz
 
Hey Loki, don't worry about your question. It is Swamp Rats mission to blur the line between production and custom knives. I think they do an amazing job at that. Another great thing about both companies is that they draw a cool and helpful following. I am new to forums myself and have misfired on a couple occassions and people don't sweat that...unless it is a FLAME post. Glad to have you around. Lot's of respect for LE types. Props :cool:
 
Indeed i have been scanning "bladeart" as well, and i thought is should be very obvious wich one was "custom" and what was high end mass production, but there also seems to be an symbiosis of machined parts combined with hand work. If u just look at the whole Sebenza story (as an example) it's difficult for a newbie like myself to figure out wheter these knives are worth their price by construction/materials/design, or that there price is mostly influenced with the amount of handlabor or rarety involved. I sometimes see knives with specs that aren't extreem but seem to have pricetags around 700 $, by sheer manual labor, while i see knives where i presumed that just by looking at them tought they where much more expensive (SRK). As i am a USER in everything i purchase, i would feel bad about shelving a mint 700 dollar knife, because i couldn't stop myself from using/wearing it. I'm now waiting on a Spyderco Civilian to arrive and i am already worried which knife to wear with it, because if the Civilian is the only knife around i will use it eventualy for a purpose it was not designed for. :-). As i am on a cop salary and have a family of four i still have to give an (small) explenation for every large purchase i do, so just buying a knife as an "object d'art" is untill now beyond my possibility.
Untill them i will stick with a good production type knive.

Greetz
 
Maybe it's just me but I wasn't able to find a picture of the folder on the website. There is an entry for it in the purchase section but no pic. and detailed description like the others. Bit of web updating needed I think.
 
The prototype:

SR_Folder_Closed.jpg


SR_Folder_Open.jpg


More info here: http://www.swampratknifeworks.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=001388;p=1
 
Nice folder!!, Can anyone explain why there is a choil in the blade? I thought this was ment to place a finger in, but looking at the pictures it looks a little small for that purpose?
 
Loki, Welcome to BladeForums and to The Swamp!!!!

Some choils are large enough to fit a finger to accomodate choking up on the handle of the knife and changing the balance point of the knife relative to the hand gripping it. Others are quite small, nowhere near big enough to fit a finger into it. The small choils, like the one on the folder, are to allow the edge to recede a bit over time due to metal being removed by sharpening

The size of the folder prototype choil was discussed rather extensively in a few threads already. The good news (at least to me ;) ) is that the choil on the production version of the folder is smaller than the one on the prototype model pictured.

We are currently awaiting Eric's posting of a picture of the production version of the folder. Hopefully in the next couple of days.
 
I'm waiting to see how strong the new folders are. I'm tempted to buy one but I'm always wary of the first model of anything. I'd be REALLY keen to read some reviews from people who get them. I'm looking for a folder that can cope with a fair amount of abuse, preferably without having go to the expense of something like a Strider sng. My Sebbie is my expensive folder.
 
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