New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by dlr110 »

Dan my friend I knew I could count on you to respond. I knew if anyone on here could
educate me on these knives it would be you. I love the history too, about every knife
I collect. I have a saying I use "Even an ugly knife has a story to tell" meaning that
every knife that has been used has a history and a story of how we use knives. I would
have a few of these style knives just for the history and to be a part of my collection,
but I doubt very much I would carry one. Thanks for the great education Dan and I'm
ready to purchase all the other RRR series knives when they're available. ::handshake::

BTW I still say those toe knives are ugly. ::woot::
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Modern Slip Joints »

dlr110 wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 8:05 pm [...] What good is a Rhino, Elephant Camel toe [...?]
I have the same lack of enthusiasm for toe knives. The only use I could think of was spreading peanut butter. Then I noticed in the research section here it is written that toe knives are some times called English rope knives and their broad blades are held over rope and beaten through with a mallet. O.K. I suppose that might work as substitute for sharpening your knife if you lack sharpening skills. I have spent a day or two on boats including splicing eyes at the ends of 4" diameter nylon line making new mooring lines for my ship. Rope is easily cut with a plain edge sharp knife. Maybe another member can help us appreciate toe knives.
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Old Folder »

dlr110 wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:43 am Dan my friend I knew I could count on you to respond. I knew if anyone on here could
educate me on these knives it would be you. I love the history too, about every knife
I collect. I have a saying I use "Even an ugly knife has a story to tell" meaning that
every knife that has been used has a history and a story of how we use knives. I would
have a few of these style knives just for the history and to be a part of my collection,
but I doubt very much I would carry one. Thanks for the great education Dan and I'm
ready to purchase all the other RRR series knives when they're available. ::handshake::

BTW I still say those toe knives are ugly. ::woot::
Thank you so much David. ::handshake::
I agree that there is little, perhaps no demand for the Elephant Toe knife in today's world, and the new ones that are currently being produced are only made for nostalgic and collector interests. They do sell, there are many Elephant Toe collectors.
However, on the RRR ugly scale, I vote the "Barback" as number one ugly, only because of the blade placement.
Andy from Smoky Mountain has stated that some future RRR knives will have the same patterns as the current eight, just different blades and handle materials. I'm hoping they keep the Barback pattern for the future, I like the pattern, I find it to be very unique, just dump the cap lifter blade, narrow the width a tad and add a third blade, perhaps to include a Wharncliffe?
Overall, I think the Series 2 RRRs 005 through 008 will be very popular and sell quite well. I believe the "Nomad Folding Hunter" (Pattern 007) will be the first one to sell out. ::shrug:: At least that's my favorite of the four.
Below are just some of the Sunfish that Fight'n Rooster made many years ago with a variety of many different beautiful handle materials. And very close to identical in length to the new RRR Rhino Toe which measures 3.875" closed.
The listed prices are from Frank Busters 1994 catalog. I believe that the Fight'n Roosters are from 1990 and prior. Some were marked during the 1990 91 Gulf War.
I have many Fight'n Rooster knives, unfortunately, no Rooster Sunfish knives.

Dan
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Reverand »

To each his own, I suppose. Elephant Toenail knives are a very intriguing design to me, but I haven't bought one yet. I was unsure how they felt in the hand, and finally had the chance to pick one up at the Fellowship knife show a couple of weeks ago. That one was out of my price range, but I fully intend to buy one sometime.
I might not carry one often, but they have a good solid feel to them that I like as much as the look.
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Everything else is just a hobby.

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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Beavertail »

Has anyone here bought the Hedgehog or the Common stock?
If so could you give a review on them?
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Louisville.Boy1947 »

Beavertail wrote: Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:14 pm Has anyone here bought the Hedgehog or the Common stock?
If so could you give a review on them?
You asked for thoughts on the Hedgehog. I pulled the trigger on the Hedgehog as soon as it was available. I am satisfied. Good fit and finish. Excellent walk and talk. Fits in the pocket well....not as large as Center Swell Whittler (which I also have and like). Pull is equal on both blades; I would rate a 6 or 7 on a 10 scale. One thing I really like is the cross pin (that is what I call them that as I do not know what the correct term is) that the tang of the blades drops on to prevent blade rap. I do not know if the cross pin will work loose over time or not, but I really do not expect that to be a problem. The micarta is not flashy but has proven serviceable so far. I really do not have any complaints about the Hedgehog. I do not have the Common Stock so I can not comment on it. :D
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Beavertail »

Louisville.Boy1947 wrote: Sun Apr 25, 2021 1:55 am
Beavertail wrote: Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:14 pm Has anyone here bought the Hedgehog or the Common stock?
If so could you give a review on them?
You asked for thoughts on the Hedgehog. I pulled the trigger on the Hedgehog as soon as it was available. I am satisfied. Good fit and finish. Excellent walk and talk. Fits in the pocket well....not as large as Center Swell Whittler (which I also have and like). Pull is equal on both blades; I would rate a 6 or 7 on a 10 scale. One thing I really like is the cross pin (that is what I call them that as I do not know what the correct term is) that the tang of the blades drops on to prevent blade rap. I do not know if the cross pin will work loose over time or not, but I really do not expect that to be a problem. The micarta is not flashy but has proven serviceable so far. I really do not have any complaints about the Hedgehog. I do not have the Common Stock so I can not comment on it. :D
Thanks! ::tu:: ::handshake::
Tim
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Modern Slip Joints »

Beavertail wrote: Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:14 pm Has anyone here bought the Hedgehog or the Common stock?
If so could you give a review on them?
I bought two of the Common Stock knives but have not used them so I can only comment on their construction. I think the SMKW employee or the Chinese factory rep he worked with designed unique stockman and whittler assemblies. To inexpensively assemble knives with no blade rub they separate the blades with washers around the pivot pins. The washers eliminate the stockman's krinking operation. Another benifit is the blades open straight or parallel to the handle. In contrast the secondary blades of most whittlers form a V and in most two spring stockmans krinking causes the secondary blades to project from the handle at a small angle. The draw back is the washers make the knives fat. The gaps between blades are big enough for a quarter to fall in and out. Other wise all the blades of my Common Stock knives open and close smoothly with great snap.

A few months before introducing the first RRR knives SMKW sold four Marbles knife patterns with D2 blades and black Micarta sides. They were the same knives sold previously as RR knives with 440A blades. Even though they had mirror polished D2 blades they were barely over a third of the cost of RRR knives. However, both of the two Sowbelly Stockmans I bought have what collectors see as bad blade rub. I prefer the larger Common Stock size and one will make a good alternative to the scout/utility knife I carry in the summer. I like a bottle opener in my summer knife. The $60 is about what local hardware stores sell case slip joints for so $60 is not prohibitive for a good knife but it's not the bargain we usually get in RR slip joints.
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Beavertail »

Modern Slip Joints wrote: Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:57 pm
Beavertail wrote: Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:14 pm Has anyone here bought the Hedgehog or the Common stock?
If so could you give a review on them?
I bought two of the Common Stock knives but have not used them so I can only comment on their construction. I think the SMKW employee or the Chinese factory rep he worked with designed unique stockman and whittler assemblies. To inexpensively assemble knives with no blade rub they separate the blades with washers around the pivot pins. The washers eliminate the stockman's krinking operation. Another benifit is the blades open straight or parallel to the handle. In contrast the secondary blades of most whittlers form a V and in most two spring stockmans krinking causes the secondary blades to project from the handle at a small angle. The draw back is the washers make the knives fat. The gaps between blades are big enough for a quarter to fall in and out. Other wise all the blades of my Common Stock knives open and close smoothly with great snap.

A few months before introducing the first RRR knives SMKW sold four Marbles knife patterns with D2 blades and black Micarta sides. They were the same knives sold previously as RR knives with 440A blades. Even though they had mirror polished D2 blades they were barely over a third of the cost of RRR knives. However, both of the two Sowbelly Stockmans I bought have what collectors see as bad blade rub. I prefer the larger Common Stock size and one will make a good alternative to the scout/utility knife I carry in the summer. I like a bottle opener in my summer knife. The $60 is about what local hardware stores sell case slip joints for so $60 is not prohibitive for a good knife but it's not the bargain we usually get in RR slip joints.
Thanks for the feedback! ::handshake::
Tim
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by QTCut5 »

Not a fan of RR knives, but I got a Hedgehog and a Kayak mainly because I like the blades. I feel the overall construction of the Reserve line is somewhat better than regular RR. They do seem very similar to the China AG Russell knives I have owned...wouldn't surprise me if they were made in the same factory.

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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Beavertail »

Old Folder wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 11:37 pm They're baaaaack!" (#4.1)

Andy, from smkw added the below comment today 02/17/2021:

"Here's what the design mockup looks like. This is a separate file from the actual design files that shows the round in comparison to one another. For size comparison, the Triple-R 008 Common Stock is 4.25" closed."

"They're on their way and will be added to the smkw online store as soon as we know exactly when they will be in house. Pricing will be available at that point as well. ~ Andy"


RRR Roundup.jpg
Dan
Hey Dan,
Have you heard any word on when the Rhino toe and Noise folding hunter will be available?
I keep checking but I keep getting "out of stock".
Tim
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Old Folder »

Beavertail wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 5:06 pm
Old Folder wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 11:37 pm They're baaaaack!" (#4.1)

Andy, from smkw added the below comment today 02/17/2021:

"Here's what the design mockup looks like. This is a separate file from the actual design files that shows the round in comparison to one another. For size comparison, the Triple-R 008 Common Stock is 4.25" closed."

"They're on their way and will be added to the smkw online store as soon as we know exactly when they will be in house. Pricing will be available at that point as well. ~ Andy"


RRR Roundup.jpg
Dan
Hey Dan,
Have you heard any word on when the Rhino toe and Noise folding hunter will be available?
I keep checking but I keep getting "out of stock".
Hello Tim,

No definite word yet Tim, many collectors continue to ask SMKW on the arrival date of the 006 & 007, the same answer is continuously provided by Smoky: "There on the boat."
It appears that the 006 Rhino Toe Wharncliffe, and the 007 Nomad Folding Hunter have been "On the Boat" for close to 5 months now.
The mice on board the boat are most likely dying from starvation by now.
Personally, I think that there was a production problem (situation) in China. It does not take a ship 5 months to transverse the Atlantic ocean, even if the ship was involved in the earlier Panama Canal situation.

SMKW's website always states "Out of stock" on all their knives that they do not have in stock yet. (Website designer's false news.) When I read "Out of Stock" I assume that the out of stock knife was sold out and a resupply may be in stock soon? However, the 006 and 007 RRRs have never been in stock. It is somewhat misleading, one would think they are all sold out. (No disrespect for SMKWs web designers) Perhaps they you should just re-adjust their terminology that would end the confusion.

I also check with SMKWs site almost daily. Perhaps the future series #3, RRR 009, 010, 011, 012 will be in stock before the 006 and 007 arrive?

Dan
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Beavertail »

Old Folder wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 9:44 pm
Beavertail wrote: Thu May 06, 2021 5:06 pm
Old Folder wrote: Wed Feb 17, 2021 11:37 pm They're baaaaack!" (#4.1)

Andy, from smkw added the below comment today 02/17/2021:

"Here's what the design mockup looks like. This is a separate file from the actual design files that shows the round in comparison to one another. For size comparison, the Triple-R 008 Common Stock is 4.25" closed."

"They're on their way and will be added to the smkw online store as soon as we know exactly when they will be in house. Pricing will be available at that point as well. ~ Andy"


RRR Roundup.jpg
Dan
Hey Dan,
Have you heard any word on when the Rhino toe and Noise folding hunter will be available?
I keep checking but I keep getting "out of stock".
Hello Tim,

No definite word yet Tim, many collectors continue to ask SMKW on the arrival date of the 006 & 007, the same answer is continuously provided by Smoky: "There on the boat."
It appears that the 006 Rhino Toe Wharncliffe, and the 007 Nomad Folding Hunter have been "On the Boat" for close to 5 months now.
The mice on board the boat are most likely dying from starvation by now.
Personally, I think that there was a production problem (situation) in China. It does not take a ship 5 months to transverse the Atlantic ocean, even if the ship was involved in the earlier Panama Canal situation.

SMKW's website always states "Out of stock" on all their knives that they do not have in stock yet. (Website designer's false news.) When I read "Out of Stock" I assume that the out of stock knife was sold out and a resupply may be in stock soon? However, the 006 and 007 RRRs have never been in stock. It is somewhat misleading, one would think they are all sold out. (No disrespect for SMKWs web designers) Perhaps they you should just re-adjust their terminology that would end the confusion.

I also check with SMKWs site almost daily. Perhaps the future series #3, RRR 009, 010, 011, 012 will be in stock before the 006 and 007 arrive?

Dan
Thanks for the reply Dan. ::handshake::
I got the Hedgehog and the Common stock and am very happy with them.
I posted a photo of a display I made out of an old flag case. It turned out pretty good.
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Louisville.Boy1947 »

I communicated with Andy Armstrong on 4/29 and got the following reply:

"Thanks for the kind words. The Nomad and Rhino Toe were on a different shipment than the other two. They're slightly delayed but on their way. I have no time frame I can really give you other than the fact that they're done and in the middle of the shipping/customs process.

Andy Armstrong
Lead - Product Development and Branding
Smoky Mountain Knife Works"
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by bigshot »

I just got the RRR002 Kayak in the mail, and I have to say that I am totally sold on this knife. It's as well made as any knife I own... no wobble, blades straight down the middle, no gaps anywhere in the springs or scales. It has the perfect pull and snap, the blades are nice and solid feeling with a beautiful finish. The design is great too. Pretty micarta, nice brass liners. Ten out of ten on this one.
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by QTCut5 »

Didn't even know the RRR009 had been released yet (C'mon, Dan...you're slipping! :lol: ), but I just found & bought this EZ Open Tan Micarta Sway on eBay for $38.79 (free shipping). I haven't received it yet, but if it's as nice as my Kayak and Hedgehog, I think I'll be very happy with it...after all, it is one of my all-time favorite traditional patterns. ::nod::

3.75" Closed Length
RRR EO Wharncliffe.jpg


Here's a link to the Sway at SMKW
https://www.smkw.com/rough-rider-ez-ope ... rta-rrr009
We are all just prisoners here of our own device.
In the master's chamber they gather for the feast.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.
(Eagles: Hotel California)


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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by bigshot »

I've got one of those babies on its way to me too.
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Old Folder »

QTCut5 wrote: Fri Nov 05, 2021 3:45 am Didn't even know the RRR009 had been released yet (C'mon, Dan...you're slipping! :lol: ), but I just found & bought this EZ Open Tan Micarta Sway on eBay for $38.79 (free shipping). I haven't received it yet, but if it's as nice as my Kayak and Hedgehog, I think I'll be very happy with it...after all, it is one of my all-time favorite traditional patterns. ::nod::

3.75" Closed Length
RRR EO Wharncliffe.jpg



Here's a link to the Sway at SMKW
https://www.smkw.com/rough-rider-ez-ope ... rta-rrr009
I posted information on the new RRR009 & RRR001BM on the below link back on October 12th.
Go to the top page of this below link for info on your new EZ Open. This was a "Proto" copy from Smoky, so there are no markings on the blade.
Let us know your opinion upon arrival.
https://allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_ ... 49#p958849

I suppose I should have kept it within this link. :oops: My mistake.

No information on the other two RRRs for this 3rd series (yet).

Dan
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Old Folder »

bigshot wrote: Fri Nov 05, 2021 4:13 am I've got one of those babies on its way to me too.
Post your opinion upon its arrival bigshot.

Here are more RRRs you may be interested in. 10 so far, more coming in the future.

RRR Series.jpg
Dan
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by bigshot »

I've got all of them ordered except for the Rhino Toe and Barback. I should have four more when the mail arrives today, and the last one by Tuesday. I have a really nice Sunfish and it is cool and unique, but I don't see myself ever using it for much. I don't think I could be happy with the Barback I'm afraid. That narrow part in the blade to accommodate the cap pull... and the fact that you can only use the cap pull with the knife closed... Every time I looked at it, I would get irritated by the design. My design sensibilities override my desire to "collect the whole set". I also didn't order the blue denim one arm knife. I prefer the brown. My collection is focused on black handles and materials like stag and natural bone. I don't like the flashy colors.

I did order a bunch of the normal priced and carbon steel models to compare. I'm interested to see how they square up. I've never even considered them in the past because they just seem to be too inexpensive to possibly be good. After seeing the Kayak, I'm rethinking that assumption.
bigshot

Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by bigshot »

Here are the ones I have so far. (Next week I'll be getting the brown one arm and the lock back.) I've cleaned them up and oiled them and played a bit with them. Here are my thoughts.

Rough Ryder Reserve Swell Center Whittler D2 Black: $49.99 GRADE A-
Perfect- no flaws of any kind. It's a very large knife. Beautiful BIG main blade. The secondary blades are tiny in comparison. They let this one down a little. I kind of wish the coping blade was a bit larger, but it is OK as it is and that main blade is gorgeous. One design issue... The nail nicks on the coping and pen blades are partially obstructed by the swell center. I like the look of the knife, but the difference in size between the blades makes it look odd.

Rough Ryder Reserve Easy Open Sway Back Tan: $30.48 GRADE A+
Perfect- no flaws. Really nice blade. Gorgeous micarta. This one is a gem. I would really like a larger version of this. I've got a Case Sod Buster ordered. I'll be interested to compare it. This could be a useful work knife- even more so if it was a bit larger.

Rough Ryder Reserve Hedgehog D2 Black Micarta: $43.64 GRADE A+
Perfect- no flaws. VERY sweet knife. Not too big, not too small. This would be a perfect every day carry knife for me. This and the kayak are my favorites in this series so far.

Rough Ryder Reserve Common Stock D2 Black Micarta: $51.69 GRADE A+
Perfect- no flaws. My favorite large Stockman is the Buck 307. The Buck is a little more streamlined looking, but I actually like this one better than the Buck. Bigger main blade, half stop, nicer looking handles. I rarely use the spay blade on my Buck. The bottle opener will get more use when I'm out in the wild having a wild time.

Rough Ryder Reserve Kayak D2 Black Micarta: $75.00 (secondary market) GRADE A+
Perfect- no flaws. The natural color micarta is beautiful. It's more gray than tan. This is a very nice knife. Both blades are fantastic. My favorite medium/large knife from this series. I like it even better than the stockman.

I'll comment on the one arm and lock back when I get them.
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Re: New Rough Ryder Reserve knifes to be available at SMKW

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

I added this razor Barlow to an order I made to SMKW. I must say that I am really impressed with this knife, the packaging, the soft cloth and the metal tube with soft foam in both ends to protect the knife. For 40 bucks this is an amazing knife. D2 tool steel blade. The centering is perfect and the run up is tight. Wish I needed another EDC, because this one would get a lot of use.
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