And the Winner is... RD-9! Again...

That is a GREAT Woodsman Mod!

I got three BK 9s, it was to be 2 but some shipping snafu they told me to keep the other one along with the second. They are just the secondary camp knives to me that are multi-tooly and can chop and since I got 3 one stays in the car also. But with no choil and that thumb ramp that gums up closer work use (for me that is) its their hard hitting hilts that make them the secondary camp knives to bring with my primary SP choppers.

My one Woodsman maybe my only one, but seeing that mod you did on the handle got me thinking again. Same thing as I typed earlier, its an in production all round use FFG multi-tool of a blade.

RTAKII on waiting list...got taxes to pay and all the fun stuff got to wait...

RD9, if available ones were not so high I'd of gotten a 3rd one. For ME its a great compromise FFG blade. Very solid hilt, 1/4" spine and great choil! Clip point I can live with and its capable of doing many things. Knifecenter dot com still has some. And some one told me you can get RD micarta slabs about $8 a piece from OKC if you don't like G-10 orange! For me the RD scales are great.

Its Knife to see a picture off all them together for comparison! :D
 
Roguer said:
The RD 9 has a REAL use choil, and a fill 1/4" spine are what make it more attractive to me. Now if OKC out a high saber grind on the RTAKII I'd be singing its praises or made a 1/4" spine saber grind RTAKII type I'd be all over that. The choil may "Cut down on Batoning Width!" some would say, but the RD9 is big enough for most batoning jobs.

For a more multi-toolish big FFG the Woodsman seems usable, with its choil and sharp edges for doing some scrapeiy stuff and such them bushy craftiness people seem to like to do. Its still a knife that can chop to me, but that's its point I think to make a knife that can cover all bases even if not as good as a smaller more unique niche knife but it can do them. If it was all I had in bad situation, I know I could trust my life on it. Just tennis tape the handles before going out!
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Yeah, I’ve even used the woodsman indoors, pulling out a door frame, sizing a new door, bathroom tile remover. I’m stupid with it sometimes it’s easier to remember where my knife is than: chisel, prybar, hammer, etc. It can take anything, even my full body weight. It does look better without it’s handles. When Ontario’s 5160 hits stone, metal, petrified wood it doesn’t make that sound that makes your stomache fall—it hardly even complains, despite the mind being trained to think something terrible has just happened! Not that I’ve ever done so on purpose.
 
Roguer said:
That is a GREAT Woodsman Mod!

I got three BK 9s, it was to be 2 but some shipping snafu they told me to keep the other one along with the second. They are just the secondary camp knives to me that are multi-tooly and can chop and since I got 3 one stays in the car also. But with no choil and that thumb ramp that gums up closer work use (for me that is) its their hard hitting hilts that make them the secondary camp knives to bring with my primary SP choppers.

My one Woodsman maybe my only one, but seeing that mod you did on the handle got me thinking again. Same thing as I typed earlier, its an in production all round use FFG multi-tool of a blade.

RTAKII on waiting list...got taxes to pay and all the fun stuff got to wait...

RD9, if available ones were not so high I'd of gotten a 3rd one. For ME its a great compromise FFG blade. Very solid hilt, 1/4" spine and great choil! Clip point I can live with and its capable of doing many things. Knifecenter dot com still has some. And some one told me you can get RD micarta slabs about $8 a piece from OKC if you don't like G-10 orange! For me the RD scales are great.

Its Knife to see a picture off all them together for comparison! :D
Click to expand...




Black Friday half off sale on the bk 9?! $72! Some of the Ontario’s were almost half off for a long time on at least one website that sells mostly lead. I think I saw an rd9 at dlttrading the other day, then an ns9, then a bk4–I had no funds but it seemed too good to be true. But even if you’re as dull as I am with blades I doubt you’ll need another—except for loss or theft—it’s practically unbreakable(except for the handle)
 
Roguer said:
That is a GREAT Woodsman Mod!

I got three BK 9s, it was to be 2 but some shipping snafu they told me to keep the other one along with the second. They are just the secondary camp knives to me that are multi-tooly and can chop and since I got 3 one stays in the car also. But with no choil and that thumb ramp that gums up closer work use (for me that is) its their hard hitting hilts that make them the secondary camp knives to bring with my primary SP choppers.

My one Woodsman maybe my only one, but seeing that mod you did on the handle got me thinking again. Same thing as I typed earlier, its an in production all round use FFG multi-tool of a blade.

RTAKII on waiting list...got taxes to pay and all the fun stuff got to wait...

RD9, if available ones were not so high I'd of gotten a 3rd one. For ME its a great compromise FFG blade. Very solid hilt, 1/4" spine and great choil! Clip point I can live with and its capable of doing many things. Knifecenter dot com still has some. And some one told me you can get RD micarta slabs about $8 a piece from OKC if you don't like G-10 orange! For me the RD scales are great.

Its Knife to see a picture off all them together for comparison! :D
Click to expand...

My rd9 handles are due for replacement, I’m waiting for something on their site to go clearance to avoid shipping charges. Got an rd9 there at ontarioknife.com for $103!
 
I don't care for the RD scales... but a little time with a half round file makes a huge difference. Between the thickness and my impression that they run the 5160 a little soft, my RD7 doesn't get used much anymore; but I used to like it a lot.
I do have a NS9 that I've never used - just loved the look of it.
 
The 5160 steel in the OKC knives is what lets me use abuse them with out fear of breaking, and if I can keep dingy away from them so he don't bend them :cool:, they should last a good long time. And then there is the generous warranty on them if they do break! But the 5160 steel's toughness that literally got me out of a few jams due to my lack of planning/anticipating/andworldjustryingtoplainkillme.
One failure I had was an RD 7 that chipped out on 1/8" in twigs! I reground the chips out and still it chipped. That's the only 5160 failure I had, now I chop test every OKC knife, but it was an earlier production blade before their enhanced QC was initiated.
The RD 9 just works as a good all round work tool, IF you don't mind the FFG, the clip point and the semi shorty handle, as I said earlier, for me its a great compromise knife.
 
hhmoore said:
I don't care for the RD scales... but a little time with a half round file makes a huge difference. Between the thickness and my impression that they run the 5160 a little soft, my RD7 doesn't get used much anymore; but I used to like it a lot.
I do have a NS9 that I've never used - just loved the look of it.
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I’ll use it! If you’re tired of looking at it, that is.
 
To be honest, I don't think I've even laid eyes on it in almost three years. It's not bothering me at all, lol...and, last time I looked, they were available new for less than it would take to get me to sell (being discontinued, but not sold out, will do that)
 
I see the ns9 for about $118 and change, can’t find the rd9 wherever I look though!
 
I don't even remember the prices I was seeing when i was considering selling. The RD9 has been discontinued for a few years, I think - I'm not surprised you aren't finding it
 
hhmoore said:
I don't care for the RD scales... but a little time with a half round file makes a huge difference. Between the thickness and my impression that they run the 5160 a little soft, my RD7 doesn't get used much anymore; but I used to like it a lot.
I do have a NS9 that I've never used - just loved the look of it.
Click to expand...

That's what so knice about the RD scales, they got enough material to mod them any way you like!
I'm not Metallurgist but for what I use my RDs for they work. Yes one has to sharpen them maybe a bit more than a harder more brittle knife but for the job my 5160 knives do they work. As I say for me they are a compromise knife that full fills the need i have for them. For me the thickness for the FFG blade was important as it helps with the heavy wood working. My little brother said he had to sharpen the knife one per deer he processed, skinning and such to let it hang if that's any thing to use as a guide.

I gave most of my RD6s away not because I hate them but I wanted people I care about to have at least one hard use useful general purpose knife for when they get lost again...or again...or again in the wilderhood. They stopped complaining how "heavy" it was till they really had to use it. They usually are on their get out of trouble set ups.

Keep the RD7 for just in case or you could send it to me for disposal. :D
 
Ok, finally found it, couldn’t by browsing the site had to actually have google locate a blade on a site I shop all the time!?
 
The g10 will last longer than micarta, but I wish the color wasn’t orange. Wish I hadn’t spent so much already, but I should get at least one more. If Ontario still has the micarta replacement slabs, buying 2 sets should get my total high enough to avoid paying shipping. I wonder how knifecenter still has these, since they’ve been discontinued at least a year?
 
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My guess is that they don't have them in stock (at least not at their main facility), given the Typically ships within 5-7 days notation
 
bk9 or bk20 all day on soft woods, but in the northeast we have shrubs that have local names like “spirit’s arrow” that no one has ever heard of that make ebony or quebracho feel like chopping pine by comparison. I don’t know if okc’s 5160 knives are “too soft” but I do know I’d rather steel or sharpen my blade once at the end of the day rather than remove 8 or 9 1/2 millimeter chips several times a day.
 
If your going to get a chopper the SP-53 would be the one to get as its cheaper.

But the RD9 is a great all round multi-tool for me as I can live with the shortish handle, the clip point and FFG of the blade.

Knifecenter usually has things in stock or some thing like that and I would get what i ordered.
 
The sp53 was selling for $45 a month ago? They still have some left? I don’t use mine, though, nor my sp51, and I like the versatility of the rd9. You can poach ginseng with it, cut loose and eat larger animals trapped in snares and then get shot before supper!
 
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