All About Pocket Knives

filework is mostly for cosmetics it does not improve the function or cutting ability of the knife.

Hello Troyclay, welcome to the forum. You need to get one in your hand and take a look at it. Filework on a knife, if done by a true craftsman, is a thing of beauty! There are several here who are true craftsmen. MM of the previous post is one of them. I have 2 customized knives both with filework. Two different kinds of filework and though it doesn't enhance the workability of either knife....... they are both a joy to look at. Kelley

I agree. After muskrat man posted and included links to his site, I found the photo at the site below. That filework is truly a thing of beauty and definately an enhancement to the knife.

Good Job, muskrat man!

http://muskratmancustoms.freehomepage.c ... 1199393797

i have 3 rough rider knives they are hard to sharpen and do not form a very sharp edge...the steel must be low grade...

I have seen some advertised as 440C which I don't believe. They do have 440 on the tang, I never saw one with 440C on the tang. Believe IT, if it were 440C it would say 440C not 440.

They are 440A, should be faily easy to sharpen. They advertise them as being real sharp right out of the box. They are, BUT it's because of the STEEP angle they put on the edge, not because of anything else. That edge will also wear out very quickly.

Whoops, I should add that if you are having trouble getting an edge THEN a diamond hone may work wonders. With some blade steels that are harder than 60 Rc a diamond hone or use a Lansky system with the diamond hones will definitely help. I seem to have better edges with D2 - D2, and CPM S 30V I prefer a diamond hone. I must have a couple dozen stones but I use the diamond stones on hard tough steels.

Rough Rider does not fall into that category but ANY TIME you have trouble getting an edge, use a Lansky or similar system so that the correct angle is maintained on a knife edge, I also do this, some days nothing seems to go right - I don't fight it, I just switch what I'm doing.

OK I have a couple of Rough Riders that I would like to take a crack at rehandling or maybe even doing some file work.Is there a good book that deals with doing this? Most of the knife books I look at deal with making the blades and tempering them.
Thanks
17saws

OK I have a couple of Rough Riders that I would like to take a crack at rehandling or maybe even doing some file work.Is there a good book that deals with doing this? Most of the knife books I look at deal with making the blades and tempering them.
Thanks
17saws

stop over in the customized and tutorials section, tons of information over there about re-handling, etc. There's a few guides, plenty of pictures, and all the encouragement you could ever want. Be warned though, it's addictive

For filework buy the DVD by Dwayne Dushane. Texas knifemakers may have it. This link will take you right to it.

http://www.ccinstructionalvideos.com/du ... orking.htm I think it's $40.00 plus shipping. A wise investment.

this is a big post for a 10 dollar knife , i like rough riders , there the best 10 dollar knife i've ever seen. i'm a self employed contract gas rig welder here in gods country ARKANSAS, i need to butter up some of these guy i work for at times. so i buy these knives by the dozen and simply give them to some of the people to call me out to fix what they break on these rigs around here. every once in awhile when that tool pusher or whoever pulls that knife out, he thinks about o'le jarod and gives me that call to come out and make some money

rigwelder wrote: this is a big post for a 10 dollar knife

It sure is. I don't really understand why folks like them other than they are cheap. Advertised as the sharpest knife you can buy, BS, it's just the angle they sharpened it at nothing more so I've never seen one stay sharp very long. Though I'm not much for Chinese junk. I see the Steel Warrior that Frost puts out for $2.00 or so more as being a VASTLY superior knife. I keep seeing these Rough Riders as being advertised as 440C - They're NOT, I've only seen the knives with 440 on them. IF they were really 440C you can bet your last dollar that it would be stamped with 440C, not 440. They just WANT you to think 440C when it's not. I don't pay them much heed, good to toss when trying something new and it doesn't work out. I must have put a dozen in the trash.

I know a good knife when I see one and I own many. I own a Rough Rider sodbuster with the liner lock and it takes a razor edge and holds it. I use this knife to cut bait and gut fish in a salt water environment. The steel is highly stain resistant. I purchased the knife because the price was right, the knife looked good and had a good snap. I figured if it lasted the fishing season the $12 I spent on it would be money well spent. It's on season II now and it's still in very good shape. Those are the facts, untainted by jingoism, or opinion.
The economic strategies of the East are a different topic.

I have never owned one nor will I ever, but if it has worked that hard and good for you, I would say you darn sure got your $12.00 worth!

PS. What is Jingoism?

hey 'smoke - jingoism is a fancy word to describe 'hostile patriotism'

anybody else tired of this post gettin' drug back up?

Cinco0219 wrote: The steel is highly stain resistant.

Yes it should be as so should 440B and 440C. All 3 metals are identical - EXCEPT for Carbon, which we know is the biggie as far as hardness and egde retention go.

440A min. 0.65
440A max. 0.75

440B min. 0.75
440B max. 0.95

440C min. 0.95
440C max. 1.20

You can't find 440A or B barstock but 440C is readily available and because of the Carbon content 440C will always be far superior. The numbers are readily available. I'm not saying 440A is bad, 440C is just better and always will be.

Thanks TM! I sure am glade it weren't perzactly what I thought it might be!