Rough Rider Knives

[BrokenCamillus]

I decided to get a few Rough Rider knives from SMKW. Since they're inexpensive I figured what the heck. They look like nice knives. One will be a birthday present for my youngest who turns 7 in two months, and the others are for me to try to ruin through infrequent use.

I decided to get three different styles to try to figure out if I'd like to collect any particular style of pocket knife. The more I read these posts and write them the more I remember knives I've had. Does anyone remember those tiny little pocket knives that are about 1-1/2 inch long? I wish I knew where mine went. I think I have two of them.

Well, if you know what they're called let me know. And give me your opinion of Rough Riders as well.

[olderdogs1]

I have bought some of the most recent Rough Riders for carry knives. They have bone handles and are pretty good quality. I only paid 6.50 per knife. I don't know how they would stand up to heavy use but they appear to be better quality than the frost knives that I have seen. The collectability is of course not there although Jim Parker did put a nice section on them in his knife encyclopedia. I seem to always have some people who wnat a cheap knife to carry and I think they fit the bill as well as any for the money.

[BrokenCamillus]

I got my rough Rider knives from SMKW Thursday afternoon, and I'm pleased to say that they are very good quality knives. I bought a Canoe, a Peanut, and a Doctor's to see if I'd be interested in collecting these styles in other brands. I must say the fit and finish is very good to excellent.

I bought all of them in the red jigged bone and they make a very nice set. I know that these knives are not now collectible, but if this quality can be maintained I see them being collectibles in the future. With any luck the quality is lasting, and future generations will lose their bias against Chinese knives and add then to the ranks of the lesser collectibles.

I would think these knives were made in Hong Kong instead of mainland China. That island city has been known as a "New Japan" for over a decade, and I can't imagine any place else in China that would be interested in creating such nice traditional designs in what seems to be a contract brand. I would be interested in reading the information that Jim Parker has gathered about the Rough Rider brand.

I'll try to get some pictures later today. Has anyone figured out the name of the little knives I was reminiscing about in my first post of this thread?

Thanks for the interesting post Olderdogs1.

[derf red bone]

Knife World Publications March 2006 has a whole article on Chinese knives.
It was very interesting and another article in Knife World but I can't remember which issue talked about Chinese 440 steel is tempered just as good as Japanese steel and from the few knives that I have purchased I'm very impressed with the workmanship and beauty of their bone handle knives. My heart is still with American Made...but we have to consider their line of knives are very pretty and pretty well made. The Dog Leg Whittler is the best knife I 've seen in a long time. The price is something every working man can afford.

[tank]

I'm really impressed by the Rough Riders quality. SMKW does a great job of insuring the quality of knives they contract. ( i think rough rider is one of SMKW's contracts). Here's a set of brown jigged Rough Riders I recieved Saturday as a birthday present. I was quiet pleased

[jfarmer]

I will not have a China knife in my collection. I intend to support the few remaining USA knife makers that we have left. No offence intended.

James

[BrokenCamillus]

jfarmer, I hope to add more American made knives to my "collection" as well. I learned a long time ago never to say No to something that's affordable just because it isn't American made. If you applied the American made logic to everything else you buy you wouldn't have much other than your house.

I don't take offense, maybe no one will make a collection out of Chinese made knives, but to deny the value they represent to users who would like to check out knife styles while owning a knife that they can abuse is a little short sighted.

It's not so much a matter of thinking the Chinese knives are superior to anything else, I don't think anyone expects them to be. The good news is that there is a less expensive choice to the $40.00+ dollar Case or $55.00+ dollar Robesons that collectors want and users feel are too expensive to put in a pocket with their keys and spare change.

Worry not my friends, the Chinese knife will only get better because of your demands, but maybe American makers will have stepped up to make a low price line that isn't as exclusive by then.

[jfarmer]

I'm not denying anyone of anything. I simply said I won't have the chinese knives. I don't feel I am being short sighted. I have a lot more opinions of all the china merchandise that is being dumped on us but I won't go into that. I am entitled to my opinion as you are yours and I will leave it at that.

James

[zeke]

hi . im pretty new to all of this ,but i am considering getting some rough riders in the next month toward my collection. iknow buying a u.s.a. made knife is going to go up in value as with all u.s. made stuff. just like a gibson will always increase more than an epiphone, but as far as myself i just want to collect for fun. im not looking to sell my knives in the future for a small fortune and if a chinese knife is good looking and well built and i can get it for 8 bucks well then i consider just as special as any other knife i have. like i said im only doing this for fun and just want handsome looking knives and good quality.

[zeke]

I'm really impressed by the Rough Riders quality. SMKW does a great job of insuring the quality of knives they contract. ( i think rough rider is one of SMKW's contracts). Here's a set of brown jigged Rough Riders I recieved Saturday as a birthday present. I was quiet pleased

those look really nice tank especially on a home camera even more so than internet pics. thanks for that. olderdogs do you know where i might buy a copy of the knife encyclopedia you spoke of?

[Hukk]

Well, I think of Rough Riders as good knives to practice knife repair with. If I don't like what I did, I can just throw it in the trash. There are better Chinese knives out there, Rough Riders come near the bottom of the list, you get what you pay for.

[zeke]

Well, I think of Rough Riders as good knives to practice knife repair with. If I don't like what I did, I can just throw it in the trash. There are better Chinese knives out there, Rough Riders come near the bottom of the list, you get what you pay for.

what are some of the better chinese made knives hukk?

[Hukk]

Steel Warrior for one, I don't care for Frost brand even though he carries the Steel Warrior. IMO it is the best Chinese knife made even though I do not like some of the designs, I do recognize a well built knife. On Rough Riders it seems to depend what factory they came from, some are junk and some are OK. I usually carry a Chris Bostwick folder or a Wendell Carson Swayback trapper, I'd rather save up and buy/use customs. 1 good custom is better than 10 cheapies!

[El Lobo]

Well now,

At the risk of some incoming ordnance...

Rough Riders and Steel Warriors are inexpensive slipjoints, made by slave labor, controlled by the Chinese military. They do offer you the chance to try different patterns......they don't have much collector value, but are often misrepresented by sellers regarding country of origin, especially pearl and other exotic handle materials.
You can't make them become a valuable knife, just because you want an opportunity to have a particular pattern. They MAY be an OK user...but they are made by slave labor, at an attractive price point, in massive numbers, flooding our cutlery industry.

Now, before you all say...look at your telephone, computer, or whatever...I'm allowed to express my opinion, just as you might express a positive opinion for these knives, and there are many other options. I'm not a fan of these knives... they do sell very cheaply...because they are cheaply produced, from average materials.

To each his own. JMO.

Bill

EDITED: To remove a poorly formed sentence, that may have been inappropriate to the discussion.

[jonet143]

i agree bill. my toyota truck is made in japan, not china. china has but one goal. that is the defeat of western democracy. they furnish technology to ALL terrorist groups and nations, north korea especially. every dime they make off our free trade agreement provides finance for their regime of human rights violations. and they're laughing at us. the u.s. backers of these knives are in it to make $ regardless of the long term effects on the u.s.a. i consider this to be an act of domestic terrorism. i have a few chinese knives (gifts from well meaning friends)and i use them as cheap, throw away practice for repair, modification and knife torture
i will buy any knife and other products as long as the country of origin is not an enemy of the free world. the extra money spent is better than saving money at the expence of freedom. and freedom is what they will take from us if they can. german steel my ass.

again this is my opinion

[SFC ADP]

There was this knife Company that used to make some pretty good knives called Schrade, but due to a flood of inexpensive knives from overseas, and rising costs in the U.S. they were forced to shut their doors.
This is just an example of what happens when support goes to the cheaper, less expensive knives.
That $50.00 Case you bought over the $6.00 Rough Rider, in 20 years you could probably still get $50.00 for you Case knife, and may be lucky if you can give the rough rider away.
If your into Firearms, same thing happened to Winchester, had to close their doors (though I heard somewhere the name was bought up by another company now) but due to over-seas competition, they could not keep up.
Me, I do my best to stick with American Knives, sometimes German, and I try to stay away from Chinese, Pakistan, and other "Junkers"

[Hukk]

El Lobo, Johnnie, and SFC ADP, you are all 100% correct IMO. My only use is for practice, I don't collect them and never will. AND, as Johnnie said "they furnish technology to ALL terrorist groups and nations, north korea especially. every dime they make off our free trade agreement provides finance for their regime of human rights violations." Care to guess who gave them the technologies that they have? WE DID! The profiteering technolgy companies have given them the technical edge to financially bankrupt many companies in the United States. They use German names for many cutlery companies and most people don't even know. They do make JUNK, but some Chinese knives are crossing the line and have quality. That is NO REASON to buy them. 1 US custom is better than any 10 Chinese knives!

[olderdogs1]

I agree with Hukk and also don't collect them. I don't think that it is going to keep the average knife customer from buying one to use however. They generally are only concerned with the price and quality. Same way with anything foreign. The average person just doesn't have the knowledge and even if he did most would still listen to their pocketbook. Zeke, check your PM and I will help you with the question you posed to me.

[jonet143]

hukk, good point. even as the greatest nation on earth(i am an american and proud of it) we are sometimes our own worst enemy.

[smiling-knife]

Hi... Here is my 2p worth. There would be no Chinese (export) knife industry if it was not for US based companies contracting their production to China to take advantage of cheaper labour and materials costs. The knife companies (e.g. Rough Rider), as far as I know, are not owned by the Chinese. I suspect that the vast majority of the profits are not going to China and its allies, but returning to the US. I am not defending the situation. I am in 100% agreement that it is a real shame that traditional companies like Schrade went out of business because many people seem to be more concerned about saving few dolars than buying a quality product. Just my opinion. s-k

[jonet143]

hey s-k, my last post on the previous page stated that every dime made by the chinese is and will be used against freedom. i also stated that the u.s. companys involved were out to make $ no matter what the results are down the line. the u.s. companys makes more money i'm sure but how the chinese profit is used is my concern. and i bet their profit goes a lot farther than our pork ridden defence money does.

again these are my opinions and not intended to offend anyone.

[SFC ADP]

My analysis is this, If an American company is contracting their knives to be made in China, I am not going to buy them. If collector circles follow the same rules, it sends a small message. Will it still happen? Sure it will. But I would rather have my hard earned dollars staying here, than going to China. Only over-seas knives I hold any interest in would be German, and England. But normally I am sticking with names back here at home.

Just my 2 cents!

[orvet]

Speaking as a Vietnam Veteran...........
I think we dodged too much Chinese steel in Vietnam to start buying Chineese steel in the form of knives.

Just my $.02,
Dale

[jonet143]

thanks for your service to the u.s. orvet and i agree.

[zeke]

so ultimately do you guys being alot more experienced than me think that i would be a lot happier in the long run buying a 50 dollar case knife than 5 rough riders? i mean would that be the smartest decision on my part being a new collector and all?