Rough Riders!

[joeradza]

Just received my denim work knife. It’s got a slightly lighter (about a 5) pull than the original making it pinchable. The covers are improved with no blemishes. The blade is sharp and centered and the back spring is flush closed and at half stop. It’s a hair sunken when open.

[dlr110]

Got mine today also. Looks like it's going to be a very good EDC knife.

[kootenay joe]

Wow. Those Wharncliffe blades look good ! Strong knife too i bet. Rough Rider continues hitting Home Runs with pretty well every new release,
kj
,

[PigStikr]

The denim wharnie Jerry you need one...mine I can not find one thing about it that I don't like put it in my pocket and put a Spyderco in the pile on the buffet--I'll carry this and a straight blade on my belt this season---mine has perfect snap comes off half stop perfect not hard...gotta come up with a lanyard cord....everyone should have one of these if you like a quality knife...I been buying RR's now since early 2k years the only one I have ever had a problem with is a cork screw on one my bar tenders has to much spring and hard to get open it's the one that is shaped like a keg...I'm with KJ how much longer can they keep selling for such prices I've got RR's I got late at night on Ebay auctions for less than $5.00 with free shipping back in the day...they are hard not to like.....they have a 4" straight blade I should have bought that I'll get next payday.....

[doglegg]

If you fellows keep buying these it may turn out to be the club knife for this year!

[jerryd6818]

The Wharncliffe pattern I posted above, leaves me cold. I won't be providing a new home for any of those. I'm lukewarm to the Bow Trapper I bought and one was plenty. However I am hot, hot, hot for the Blue Denium Work Knife. I like this one a lot but I do think it needs a lower bolster. (I'm not a bare end fan-boy)

[Stanwade]

Jerry-- if you had one of these in hand, you might change your mind.. this is my fourth one..I keep giving them away..as much as I LOVE my old Queens, Keen Kutters etc...I really LIKE this knife for some reason..(in no way does this imply that I believe they rival the quality of most american-made knives, because they just don't , no matter what anybody says)

[Doc B]

Mine...on the trail...there was some plant booming bright red, in the background.

[PigStikr]

I got another RR2181 delivered yesterday it's just as nice as the one I'm carrying I'll gift the extra one on X-mas----them knives are sold out already.....

[Old Folder]

My two (2) Rough Ryder Denim Micarta #2181 are scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.
The RR2181 and all four (4) of the smkw "Bow Trappers" are sold out at smkw and on their second backorder.
Dan

[dlr110]

My two (2) Rough Ryder Denim Micarta #2181 are schedules to be delivered tomorrow.
The RR2181 and all four (4) of the smkw "Bow Trappers" are sold out at smkw and on their second backorder.
Dan

Dan how popular do you think RR's are getting?

[PigStikr]

I think they're a lot more popular than people want to say out loud...

[Old Folder]

My two (2) Rough Ryder Denim Micarta #2181 are schedules to be delivered tomorrow.
The RR2181 and all four (4) of the smkw "Bow Trappers" are sold out at smkw and on their second backorder.
Dan

Dan how popular do you think RR's are getting?

I believed that RR's are becoming more popular month by month David.
The sales of Chinese manufactured knives sold through Smoky Mountain Knife Works is a good example, many of the new stock Rough Ryder knives sell out within a couple days. You can't say that about "Case XX" Why? Not just the lower price, but RR's are excellent quality.

W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. have just over 350 employees. Can you imagine the response on AAPK if we received notice that "Case XX" was to be sold to SMKW from Ronson?

"All future Case knives are to be made in Zhanjiang China. The famous DOT Numbering System will be replaced with tiny Red Flags."
It could happen. Who believed that a Cigarette lighter company would be the future owner of W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co?
Who believed that "Queen" knives would be made in China. The list goes on and on.

The quality of RR's are on par with any American Knife Company.
My only regret is that I did not begin purchasing RR's sooner than I did. I've missed out on some great issues.
Dan

[dlr110]

Thank you Dan.
I love the fact that I can buy a quality knife that is not going to break the bank. The series collections like the Buckshot or the Tobacco Road series was a very good idea and I think it attracted customers to buy more than one knife in order to own the complete series. It will be interesting to see how long this popularity will last.

[kootenay joe]

I was lucky and discovered RR in 2007. I made a very 'mild' post in BF saying that for $10 (delivered), the RR knives seemed well made and arrived with very sharp blades. The responses were very negative. People still believed that everything coming from China was "junk".
Since then RR has upped their standards even further. Many of the series brought out about 2010-2015 (very approximate dates) are some of the very best, especially those with bone handles.
But, can this high quality workmanship last 'forever' ? I think the factory that makes the RR traditional style folders is not the same factory that makes the tactical style folders or the few FB's that are from China. The tactical style folders are good but not as good as SanRenMu (SRM) or Ganzo and others, whereas the traditional style folders overall are the best of any of the Chinese brands.
I think the popularity of RR traditional style folders will remain strong as long as the quality remains high.
Here is a whitetail i dressed out with a Rough Rider "Trapper Series", trapper knife in 2010. Slickest, easiest field dressing i ever did.
kj

[TripleF]

Got mine today....purty happy.!!!

[Old Folder]

Another great picture Scott.
I should receive my Denim Micarta today also.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

In my experience working for several manufacturing companies that have either done mfg in China or purchase parts made in China, the Chinese make the quality you pay for. If you just ask for the cheapest part without good specs AND you don't manage the quality you receive, then you will get cheap cr@p. On the other hand, if you provide them all the specs and you work with them to make sure what you get meets the specs, then you will get high quality products.

The reality is that when knife companies have both US-made and China-made lines of knives, they are ASKING the Chinese to make cheaper knives with less attention to detail than what is made in the US. It is not that the Chinese can't make it better, it is that the knife company simply doesn't think it needs to be better.

[dlr110]

Got mine today....purty happy.!!!

Me too Scott !!!

[jerryd6818]

Got mine today....purty happy.!!!

Scott, I think you're going to be pleased with your purchase.

[kootenay joe]

TFL, thanks for the explanation re: quality of goods from China.
kj

[Colonel26]

TFL, I spoke on the phone once with one of the VP’s of Buck knives. He asked me to call because I’d sent in an email letting them know how disappointed I was that a China Buck knife my wife had given me was sooooo much better than a brand new 301 USA knife I just bought. My email was very polite and I went over the differences point by point.

I’m our conversation he told me that he personally had been to China to set up their own factory there. He said that one of the reasons their Chinese Bucks were so good was they controlled the whole process AND they made them so inexpensively tha they could afford to just destroy any that weren’t up to their standards. But they couldn’t afford to be as selective with the USA made knives. He made it right though and I got a new, better USA 301.

[Colonel26]

I got my first ever RR. I was bombed tonight. I must admit, it’s a well made knife. And unique too. I like it.

[jerryd6818]

Cool. I didn't know those have pocket clips. Interesting. Congrats Cuz.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

TFL, I spoke on the phone once with one of the VP’s of Buck knives. He asked me to call because I’d sent in an email letting them know how disappointed I was that a China Buck knife my wife had given me was sooooo much better than a brand new 301 USA knife I just bought. My email was very polite and I went over the differences point by point.

I’m our conversation he told me that he personally had been to China to set up their own factory there. He said that one of the reasons their Chinese Bucks were so good was they controlled the whole process AND they made them so inexpensively tha they could afford to just destroy any that weren’t up to their standards. But they couldn’t afford to be as selective with the USA made knives. He made it right though and I got a new, better USA 301.

Yes - it is all about managing the parts, processes, people and the quality expectations - and that doesn't change just because you are in a different country. My understanding is that when Buck went to China with their traditional models, they went all-in. The wanted to make sure the product was Buck quality, and that meant controlling all the details including the special heat treatment they put on the steel. That's a different mindset than what some of the brands do, where they want to make sure their USA line continues to be their "premium" line that commands premium prices. (*cough* Spyderco *cough*)