Alternative to Rukus?

R

Randanator

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Aug 19, 2018
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My dad had a Benchmade Rukus that I'm in love with, but he won't give it up.Being discontinued, does anyone know of another model that is similar, or another manufacturer that makes something close? Not a clone (I know that's a bad word around here) but the closest I can get without buying a real one for 500 dollars. Thanks!
 
I think the folks here may need a little more to go on. Is it the axis lock you like? Blade shape? Handle ergonomics? Size?
I’m more into traditionals these days so I’m likely missing anything new and comparable on the market right now...

But of the top of my head, if you like the Rukus
-Benchmade Crooked River
-Benchmade Contego
-Hogue X5
-Spyderco Shaman
 
spyderg said:
I think the folks here may need a little more to go on. Is it the axis lock you like? Blade shape? Handle ergonomics? Size?
I’m more into traditionals these days so I’m likely missing anything new and comparable on the market right now...

But of the top of my head, if you like the Rukus
-Benchmade Crooked River
-Benchmade Contego
-Hogue X5
-Spyderco Shaman
Click to expand...
The two biggest things for me are the size and shape of the handle (I have large hands) and those sweet, beautiful two tone micarta scales.
 
Randanator said:
The two biggest things for me are the size and shape of the handle (I have large hands) and those sweet, beautiful two tone micarta scales.
Click to expand...
Take a look at Hogue X5 then, they’ve got two sizes. Also many/most have micarta inlays in the handles. Might be kinda the look you’re after.
 
The 610 Rukus is a thing of beauty. I haven't been able to find a better EDC for my purposes. The eBay prices are, as you say, up around $500, but sometimes you can find one cheaper. And they sometimes show up on the market here for a lower price.

The mini-Rukus is a pretty big knife, too, and they are a lot easier to find and quite a bit cheaper.

Benchmade also made the 741 LUM Onslaught, which is almost as big as the Rukus 610. It has an Axis lock and 154CM steel. I'm not sure about the availability on the aftermarket, but it's an excellent knife with a thin, high-performance blade. The edge width at the shoulder is 16 thousandths (0.016 inches), which is quite a bit thinner and more aggressive than almost any other EDC of similar size.

At the spine, the blade stock is 0.1085 inches, vs 0.1490 for the Rukus. The Lum Onslaught will outslice the Rukus.

The big Onslaught doesn't get much attention on the forum, but most people get dazzled by apolcolyptic heavy blade stocks and forget what it takes to actually perform as a knife.
 
The Crooked River might be similar enough, and you can go to Benchmade website and customize it to your liking. I really like the mini Ruckus over the full-sized version. I had a few, sold them, and regret it!
 
I'd take a look at the 275 Adamas. To me, the Rukus was Benchmade's largest/ most overbuilt axis lock folder for it's time. That's kind of what the Adamas is today. It doesn't have the 2-color handle, but it is available in a couple different options (different colors, manual/auto, etc)
 
Randanator said:
The two biggest things for me are the size and shape of the handle (I have large hands) and those sweet, beautiful two tone micarta scales.
Click to expand...

In addition to the Benchmades already recommended (Adamas, Contego, Crooked River), you might also want to look at the Loco.

The Cold Steel 4-Max also comes to mind. It has some similarities to the Rukus, with its long handle and overall lines.
 
Take a look at the Protech TR-4. Big knife, well-made, comes in auto or manual. Protech will usually do different handle options at different times but they can get expensive if you're not doing plain black. Worth a look, though.
 
Update: he finally let go of the Rukus! Now it sits wrapped up in a hankerchief in a lock box and carried to weddings or special occasions. It's kind of a shame to not use it like it was intended for, but I couldn't bear the thought of losing it or getting it confiscated. I'll upload pictures when I can.
 
The big Rukus is a handful; that's why I got a Mini-Rukus instead. Picked it up at Carroll's Gun Shop down near Wharton, Texas, about ten years back. Still a lump in the pocket but quite a bit more portable. It's one of Benchmade's best models IMHO.
 
Randanator said:
Update: he finally let go of the Rukus! Now it sits wrapped up in a hankerchief in a lock box and carried to weddings or special occasions. It's kind of a shame to not use it like it was intended for, but I couldn't bear the thought of losing it or getting it confiscated. I'll upload pictures when I can.
Click to expand...
Carrying a rukus to a wedding. Love it.
 
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