Rough Riders!

[kootenay joe]

TF you are giving this $10 knife quite a work out !
Sounds like the whitetail population is pretty strong in your area. Here in south central B.C. the whitetail population is way down this year. Most hunters got skunked this season, including myself.
kj

[deltaboy]

Keep it up ! Great to see if being worked out! I just don't work my pocket knifes like I used too.

[edge213]

I have one serious question though. What is up with the nail nicks? Almost like a match striker even on the half moon nail nicks. It annoys me that it collects crud and is hard to keep clean.

Have you ever seen a similar nick on another knife? Or is this a RR only thing?

This is a Bulldog Cotton Sampler.

Jerry, what is the creature that is etched on the blade of this cotton sampler?

[treefarmer]

edge213,
Before Jerryd answers the question ask him why his critter only has 3 legs? Must be a newly developed order!
Treefarmer

[jerryd6818]

David, that's a Boll Weevil, the scourge of the cotton crop.


And as for you Mr. Smarty Pants Philip, the critter that was the hand model for the blade etch was this Greater Texas One Sided Boll Weevil. The artist was a seven year old.

[treefarmer]

Dang, Jerry! I had forgotten about the Greater Texas One Sided Boll Weevil! If I can get Miss Joy to leave for the doctor's office a little early, I'll check the little green traps on a couple of fields that we will drive by and see if any have showed up in the Florida Panhandle. If I find any, I'll let you know.
Treefarmer

[deltaboy]

I plan on getting a Cotton Sampler after the first of the year!

[americanedgetech]

I plan on getting a Cotton Sampler after the first of the year!

It's a very cool pattern Delta!
I think I will wait until I can find/afford a Northwoods sampler. It is a beautiful pattern, and a classic example of Americana.

I didn't mean to mix brands/posts but the cotton sampler in North... is't superb.

You all know that I am a Rough Rider supporter. Cheap, and easy... that's me!

[jerryd6818]

I plan on getting a Cotton Sampler after the first of the year!

You have a PM.

[deltaboy]

I plan on getting a Cotton Sampler after the first of the year!

It's a very cool pattern Delta!
I think I will wait until I can find/afford a Northwoods sampler. It is a beautiful pattern, and a classic example of Americana.

I didn't mean to mix brands/posts but the cotton sampler in North... is't superb.

You all know that I am a Rough Rider supporter. Cheap, and easy... that's me!

Those Northwoods knifes are great!

[deltaboy]

I plan on getting a Cotton Sampler after the first of the year!

It's a very cool pattern Delta!
I think I will wait until I can find/afford a Northwoods sampler. It is a beautiful pattern, and a classic example of Americana.

I didn't mean to mix brands/posts but the cotton sampler in North... is't superb.

You all know that I am a Rough Rider supporter. Cheap, and easy... that's me!

Those Northwoods knifes are great!

[deltaboy]

Rough Rider knifes are along with Marbles a best buy in my book.

[truck]

I probably have around twenty RRs and I'm really impressed with them. My favorite pattern of theirs is their sowbelly. Extremely well engineered and put together, plus very handsome to boot.

[WV Papaw]

I picked these RRs up for Christmas gifts on SMKW Black Friday sale. I’m pretty impressed with them overall and especially for less than $6 each. https://i.imgur.com/DZzdjFm_d.jpg?maxwi ... ity=medium

(My apologies for not getting the photo to show properly.)

[philco]

For future reference, here's the Rough Rider photo linked above:

[deltaboy]

Nice Plilco.

[treefarmer]

The Anonymously donated RR Trapper is still being used. Gotta' keep the ol' ball a rollin'!
I was sittin' in the shootin' house this evening and realized I hadn't cut a notch on the door jamb for the last deer I had killed from this stand. ( Kinda' like the old gun fighters used to notch their revolver grips. Hey, I know a Redneck in Orange County that notches his rifle stock, it's a mess after 40+ years!) So I whipped out the RR and notched the pine 2X4 door jamb. Here is a picture of the event to be preserved for those who are true RR fans.

RR doin' a little door jamb decoratin'.

Treefarmer

[deltaboy]

Cool way to mark your deers!

[jerryd6818]

Got this RR Mini-Trapper in today. This sucker is one smooth operator. The blades open and close as smooth as butter and the snap is sharp and loud. The pull on both blades is just right for me. I have to admit, I'm really impressed. Handles are slightly darker than I expected but not excessively. For a Pacific Rim knife, this is a dandy.

[Old Folder]

Nice Trapper Jerry D.
I love the smooth bone color.

[kootenay joe]

" For a Pacific Rim knife, this is a dandy."
I began buying RR knives in 2007 and was amazed with every knife. Never received even one with a significant issue. I was on BF back then and members posted lots about their new Case or Queen having blade play or bad rub, etc. I posted about the $10 delivered RR's being "pretty good" (i was trying to not stir anybody up). People posted i knew nothing about knives and from that point on i was seen as an enemy by many. But i still kept buying more RR's right up to the present. What amazes me now is that what were very good knives 11 years ago have become even BETTER in the last about 2 (?) years. The fit & finish is now excellent and consistently so. I still have not received even one RR folder that is a 'bummer'. My problem now is what do i do with 300 or more Rough Riders ? At least they only represent about $3000 tied up.
I would amend Jerry's quote to just " this is a dandy". Regardless of where it came from and regardless of price paid, it is still "a dandy".
I think i do not have that exact little Trapper. I think i need to get this dandy. Jerry do you know the RR # ?
kj

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

I have a list of RR knives that I want to buy, but every time I get close to pulling the trigger on some of them, a used Case pops-up and I spend money on that instead. Then, when I get the Case, I get a bit of buyer's remorse, because I know I could have bought 2 or 3 brand new RRs for what I paid for the nothing special, used, late model Case. Don't get me wrong - I also love the Case, but my bottom-feeder, cheapskate, value buyer gene kicks-in. The next month, the cycle repeats itself...

Does anyone know if the factory that makes RRs makes knives under any other names or for any other brands?

[Dinadan]

I do not have anywhere near as many as kootenay joe , but every now and then I think that my Rough Riders represent enough money to have bought a couple or a few fine Queens or Fight'n Roosters. I just have a hard time resisting knives and it is so easy to hit the buy button on a $15 knife!

Here is one of my latest Rough Riders. I have not seen a lot of these floating around Ebay, but it seems that there is always one or two.

[kootenay joe]

TFL, Smoky Mtn Knife Works owns the RR brand. They, like all brand owners, keep the manufacturer secret. I have bought a few of almost every brand of China made traditional style folding knives. None are as well made as the RR's. Some of the Steel Warrior knives are as good but not all. Maybe S.W. uses more than one manufacturer ?
My reaction also surprises me. I get as much satisfaction from looking at & handling my Rough Riders as i do from my Northwoods, or Queen, etc.
Same when i open up a new arrival, just as much pleasure as from an expensive knife.
The problem is custom knives. I like custom made knives and have some by Joel Chamblin, Ken Erickson, Jerry Halfrich, etc. and they don't really cut that much better than a Rough Rider. The difference in smoothness, handle fit, etc. is not huge. The huge difference is price, the customs cost about 80 times the RR price. How can i justify buying another custom ? (rhetorical)
kj

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

KJ: Oh, no - I'm not going down the road of actually having to *justify* a knife purchase - that path leads to a knife collector's hades...