All About Pocket Knives

Just caught a video on YouTube of the new Rough Ryder Reserve knive RRR001 thru RRR003....carrying a hefty price of $39 thru $59. Anyone else seen this ? Not presently in stock but apparently will be available in the near future. Any takers when they become available?

No way for me.
They are fine for$8-$10, but that's it.

I haven't seen the video yet so maybe that will change my mind after I watch it.

Until then my thoughts are that the price defeats the purpose of the Rough Ryder brand.

I will check out the video though.

I watched the video and although I'm slightly impressed, it still wasn't enough to convince me to get one. The fit & finish does look nice but I question the authenticity of D2 steel coming out of China. I'd rather they kept the price down and used the same steel they use on the regular line.

I own several China made knives designed and sold by A.G. Russell. I don't mind paying his price for those because he uses stainless steel liners instead of brass and he incorporates a stop pin to eliminate the risk of blade rap. If Rough Ryder did just one of those things I might consider that Kayak. If they did both I probably would get on the notification list and buy one when they're released.

I see that one of the commenters pointed out that the first knife (One Arm Trapper?) has a dent in the edge caused by blade rap. I didn't see that until I went back and looked but sure enough, it's there just as big as you please.

I applaud SMKW for their efforts. I really do but I'm just not interested. I need a little more for those prices under this brand.

At first I scoffed, but I have to admit, I like these patterns. The Easy Open will be mine, but SMKW is showing out of stock on all three models.

https://www.smkw.com/catalogsearch/resu ... er+reserve


These days, the prices on Chinese knives are going up and up. I've seen them from companies like Real Steel which charge prices akin to USA Benchmades, Spydercos, and ZT.

These have not been released yet. SMKW has a habit of putting knives on the website prior to release.

In the video the narrator keeps emphasizing the excellent fit & finish of this Reserve line. It's obviously being used as a selling point. In my opinion, the regular Rough Ryder knives already have excellent fit & finish and they are much less expensive. The only thing these really have to offer that the regular line doesn't is unique designs (which is actually pretty cool) and D2 steel.

I like the RR's I have, but I sure hope that this is not the direction the company is going. I just don't think those prices are right.

The RR's i have bought, all under $20 have very good fit and finish, perfect blade action and very sharp blades that edge hold for more than one whitetail field dressing & skinning. The $50 RR's are not going to be any better. If they are going to be made in a different factory they might be not as good as the RR's from 5-10 years ago.
The thing to know about folding knives from China is that quality and price are not necessarily connected.
Shop by brands and find out which ones consistently send you the best knives. For tactical style the SanRenMu 710 for $10 was as good as my Small Sebenza that cost ~ $360 (?) Other more expensive brands were not as good. The SRM knives have very smooth action, you feel the zero friction smoothness as you open a blade. They are so finely made. But i have not bought any for years so i do not know if they still manufacture to this very high standard.
Do not assume that a more expensive Chinese knife will be better than a less expensive one. It could be worse. Buy a bunch of China knives, all different brands and see for yourself. Most will be good knives and a few will be exceptionally fine and these best ones might be the least expensive
kj

A $50.00 Rough Ryder?
Not me!

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 5:44 am The RR's i have bought, all under $20 have very good fit and finish, perfect blade action and very sharp blades that edge hold for more than one whitetail field dressing & skinning. The $50 RR's are not going to be any better. If they are going to be made in a different factory they might be not as good as the RR's from 5-10 years ago.
The thing to know about folding knives from China is that quality and price are not necessarily connected.
Shop by brands and find out which ones consistently send you the best knives. For tactical style the SanRenMu 710 for $10 was as good as my Small Sebenza that cost ~ $360 (?) Other more expensive brands were not as good. The SRM knives have very smooth action, you feel the zero friction smoothness as you open a blade. They are so finely made. But i have not bought any for years so i do not know if they still manufacture to this very high standard.
Do not assume that a more expensive Chinese knife will be better than a less expensive one. It could be worse. Buy a bunch of China knives, all different brands and see for yourself. Most will be good knives and a few will be exceptionally fine and these best ones might be the least expensive
kj

I have the hunting camo handle/black blade 7010, and it is very high quality. Actually better than a CRKT that cost double.

If anyone can compare their experience with the "D2" in Chinese SMKW knives to the D2 in a U.S. brand, please do. Young fellas who own very few knives and take those that they own to work every day are in a better position to acquire experience than a retired collector who doesn't put much back yard duty on any single knife. I bought SMKW recently introduced black Micarta D2 Marbles slip joints but they just arrived so I can only comment on their fit and finish. Blade polish is pretty darn good for under $20. My worst complaint is that when closed the Sowbelly Stockman's blades are tight against each other so they are going to acquire rub marks pretty quick. Despite that I'll probably buy a second one. I have no reason to believe the Marbles are made in a different factory than Rough Ryders. Even if they where, the rolls of strip steel that are fed int the robotic manufacturing machine probably would come from the same outside source.

Rough Ryder brown stag bone is more attractive "stag" than a some of my knives with real stag have. If SMKW combines it with D2 I'd happily pay a premium for the combination.

Edit to add a comment after looking at the RR Reserve knives on SMKW site. For under $20 SMKW Marbles knives have the same black canvas Micarta and D2 tool steel blades with deep swedging, half stops and match strike pulls. Other than different patters and possibly better fitting, what paying three times the price for RR Reserve knives will get you is the Marble's blade and bolster mirror polish down graded to satin finish. It's going to take consistent customer praise of better fitting in the RR Reserve knives to make the line sell well enough for it to continue.

In my opinion, it's a test run to see if the market will buy a more expensive RR. If I am correct, I hope the experiment falls flat on it's face.

I really dislike the trend toward using more and more expensive blade steels in pocket knives. Granted D2 is not "super-steel", but the entire concept is annoying. I think it is a complete waste of money to spend 4-5X more for a knife with super-steel. I see it as marketing department BS. Is a super-steel "superior" - sure. Do I *need* that marginal superiority in my pocket knives? Heck no. It's just another case of "mine is bigger than yours" - just like pixel count in digital cameras and 0-60 times in cars. If I need to spend all day cutting through jungle vines, I'm not going to be using my mini trapper pocket knife!

jerryd6818 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 4:53 pm In my opinion, it's a test run to see if the market will buy a more expensive RR. If I am correct, I hope the experiment falls flat on it's face.

Me too, Jerry.
If it's a success, we can probably say goodbye to the $15-$20 Rough Ryders.

Modern Slip Joints wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 4:48 pm If anyone can compare their experience with the "D2" in Chinese SMKW knives to the D2 in a U.S. brand, please do.

Taiwanese-made First Tactical "Krait Spear" in D2. Chipped when breaking down boxes (hit copper staple, which should not have hurt it). Didn't hold edge as well as expected, and it was a new knife. American-made Benchmade Bone Collector Mini in CPM D2. Bought used from here, definitely saw a lot of use before I got it. Still pretty danged sharp. I've used it hard, and on abrasive materials. Still really sharp. D2 period is tough to resharpen. I'm still working on getting a usable edge on my Queen Railsplitter.

I think Chinese D2 is no where near American D2.

I am a big believer in: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
The stainless steel used for blades in the traditional style Rough Riders works exceptionally well. They arrive with a shaving sharp edge and edge hold well for much longer than you expect. If you use one enough to dull the edge it re-sharpens up easily and then again edge holds well. These blades work 'perfectly'. There is no need to change to D2 steel. I doubt they will edge hold significantly longer and they will take much longer to re-sharpen.
To those who hunt, i encourage you to use a traditional style RR to field dress (& de-bone if you have to pack out) your next deer. And then post back here with how it went.
kj

Like many who have voiced their opinion I see this as a big jump in price for possibly the same or lesser quality. I plan to watch and see what BUYERS say once they get them in hand. My feeling now is that I could put $60 (that is the price of the RRR003) "toward" the price of some early Hen & Rooster knife or a down payment on a G.E.C. Time could change my mind but I doubt it.

The reason why you see so many Chinese knives in D2 and titanium is because those materials in China are less expensive, Chinese steels are of equal quality to American standards.
As far as price goes, I disagree that SMKW is using this as a "test" to increase the price of future RR knives. If they wanted to raise prices, they would, they do not have to sneak in the back door, or run acceptance tests.
Lets not forget that Rough Ryder is owned by an American Company, "Smoky Mountain Knife Works." No way would SMKW falsify steel content. It would be very easy for a "Metallurgist" to perform a test on D2 Steel.
I know of no other Knife Company that sends you a money back, 30 day "Return/Exchange Form" with every knife that you order.

I highly doubt that SMKW would cut corners, or allow anyone else to use a lower quality steel than they say they are using.
When Kevin Pipes founded the Rough Ryder brand, he had one vision in mind: Create a line of quality traditional pocket knives at an affordable price.
Now, a higher than normal price surfaces for a new knife series and the conspiracy theories have started.

The Rough Ryder Reserve Swell Center Whittler (#RRR003) features three D2 tool steel blades all with a brushed satin finish, deep swedging, half stops and match strike pulls. The spear point main blade is 2.8", and there are smaller secondary pen and coping blades. The handles are black canvas Micarta with brushed stainless steel bolsters, brass liners, and nickel silver pins and the Triple-R Arrowhead shield. This classic whittler pattern is 4.5" closed, 7.3" with the main blade open, and weighs 4.65 ounces. Comes packed in a collectible Rough Ryder Reserve Tube Tin and includes a Rough Ryder microfiber cleaning cloth.
I think the price is appropriate.

When they become available, yes, I will purchase them.
If you observe the pictures of the RR Reserve knives, you will notice that the higher than usual price may very well be understandable.
https://www.smkw.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=rr+reserve

Below is the new "Rough Ryder Reserve" (RRR 001-002-003) video that pertains to the knives that are talked about in the above posts. The video is a little over 23 minutes and takes a little over 6 minutes before the RRRs are actually shown. However, it is a very informative and well done smkw video with great descriptions.
They also talk about a fourth knife to be added to the Rough Ryder Reserve series in the near future.
Funny, waiting on the new and anticipated RRR series has been kind of like waiting on the new "Stimulus Payment"
Dan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IwjP-poB_g

Dan, i enjoy reading your posts. They always are sensible, informative and well written. Thanks.
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:30 am Dan, i enjoy reading your posts. They always are sensible, informative and well written. Thanks.
kj

What Roland said!

Madmarco wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 4:55 pm

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:30 am Dan, i enjoy reading your posts. They always are sensible, informative and well written. Thanks.
kj

What Roland said!

Thank you so much kj and Madmarco.

The three new Rough Ryder Reserve (RRR) knives are now available from smkw.com if you have interest.
I ordered all three, and will post my opinions and pictures after receiving them.
Don't hesitate, there is much interest in these new RRR additions and others are scheduled to be added to the series.
Dan

https://www.smkw.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=RRR

Old Folder wrote: ↑Fri Oct 30, 2020 8:14 pm The three new Rough Ryder Reserve (RRR) knives are now available from smkw.com if you have interest.
I ordered all three, and will post my opinions and pictures after receiving them.
Don't hesitate, there is much interest in these new RRR additions and others are scheduled to be added to the series.
Dan

https://www.smkw.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=RRR


rrr001_rrr002_rrr003_sq.jpg

The blue one with the curved blade end? A man told me that it is for people with no thumb nail etc. to catch it on you belt loop to open it. It works but is that really why the shape?

mrwatch wrote: ↑Sat Oct 31, 2020 3:26 pm The blue one with the curved blade end? A man told me that it is for people with no thumb nail etc. to catch it on you belt loop to open it. It works but is that really why the shape?

Basically, yes. I've read that those type of blades were designed during the Civil War because so many soldiers lost an arm in the war.

The blade is also commonly referred to as a "One Arm Man" blade.