Bad Experience with a Ruike - Should I try again?

I

iareconfuse

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Mar 28, 2019
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Hello everyone, I'm obviously new here but not necessarily new to folding knives. I'm primarily a budget collector and user, so most of my knives are under $100. This brings me to the point of this thread. Sorry if this has been discussed or gone over before.

I recently was looking for a new EDC knife to replace my well used Kershaw damascus Skyline. I kept seeing rave reviews on YT of the Ruike P801. I kept reading rave reviews of the knife in blogs and forums, and decided for $30 how could I possibly go wrong with a bearing flipper using 14C28N instead of 8CR? Purchased one on Amazon, received it two days later.

Here's where the disappointment came in: The damn knife just wouldn't flip open! The detent was SO powerful that I had to get the blade started by pulling it out of the frame past the detent. It was so immediately disappointing that the primary method of opening the damn knife was literally impossible without hurting my finger. Not only that, but the blade was off-center about 1/8th of an inch towards the clip side.

Now, I realize that I can't expect too much from a $30 knife, but after owning a few inexpensive knives of my own that were fit and finished perfectly, and after going over the rave reviews I can't help but feel jaded about the Ruike brand. How could something so obviously defective with the knife get past quality control? Do they not at least open and close the knife just once before boxing it up? I didn't even cut the tag off of the knife. I was so disappointed I just put it back in the box and logged on to Amazon to request a refund. I don't think my expectations were out of line considering all that I've read, heard, and watched about this knife.

I really want to like the knife because it would fit my EDC needs perfectly and is aesthetically pleasing. I just need some convincing that I received a rare lemon, and that what I received wasn't the average.
 
Mine flips fine, centering is perfect.

Sounds like you maybe got a dud. Send it back and ask for a replacement.

It’s a fine knife that offers a lot for it’s price point.

The only issue I had was the pivot screws not having any Loctite, and needing tightened up a bit after about five months of use.

Plus, 14c27n is a great edc steel choice.

Whatever you decide, welcome to BladeForums!
 
I also think Civivi offers the best bang for the buck but let's take a minute here. Let's make sure this Ruike is really a lemon first. Have you tried adjusting the pivot screw? If that screw was over-tightened at the factory, that could throw off alignment and make the knife hard to open.

I know some companies don't recommend disassembly but whenever possible, I take a new knife completely apart. I clean, inspect, and properly lubricate the knife with a good non-toxic oil. Nicer knives are usually better but you never know when you'll find a little gunk or debris in there, or how good the factory lube is. It can make a difference.
 
iareconfuse said:
Hello everyone, I'm obviously new here but not necessarily new to folding knives. I'm primarily a budget collector and user, so most of my knives are under $100. This brings me to the point of this thread. Sorry if this has been discussed or gone over before.

I recently was looking for a new EDC knife to replace my well used Kershaw damascus Skyline. I kept seeing rave reviews on YT of the Ruike P801. I kept reading rave reviews of the knife in blogs and forums, and decided for $30 how could I possibly go wrong with a bearing flipper using 14C28N instead of 8CR? Purchased one on Amazon, received it two days later.

Here's where the disappointment came in: The damn knife just wouldn't flip open! The detent was SO powerful that I had to get the blade started by pulling it out of the frame past the detent. It was so immediately disappointing that the primary method of opening the damn knife was literally impossible without hurting my finger. Not only that, but the blade was off-center about 1/8th of an inch towards the clip side.

Now, I realize that I can't expect too much from a $30 knife, but after owning a few inexpensive knives of my own that were fit and finished perfectly, and after going over the rave reviews I can't help but feel jaded about the Ruike brand. How could something so obviously defective with the knife get past quality control? Do they not at least open and close the knife just once before boxing it up? I didn't even cut the tag off of the knife. I was so disappointed I just put it back in the box and logged on to Amazon to request a refund. I don't think my expectations were out of line considering all that I've read, heard, and watched about this knife.

I really want to like the knife because it would fit my EDC needs perfectly and is aesthetically pleasing. I just need some convincing that I received a rare lemon, and that what I received wasn't the average.
Click to expand...
Its Amazon... Get it exchanged for a new one.

Either way this model has a fair amount of quality control issues that are common. It's widely known.

Once u take it apart, it's yours. Don't exchange it after that. So avoid that route.
 
The action on the Ruike P801 I bought was nearly perfect right out of the box. Then I took it apart, cleaned it, oiled the bearings, adjusted the lockbar for slightly stronger detent, re-assembled it with locktite on all the screws, and adjusted the pivot tension for centering and lockup. I do this with every new knife I buy, so I don't really make judgments about a knife's ultimate quality until I complete this process.

After completing the above steps, I was totally satisfied (thrilled actually) with the action, lockup, and centering. It has been a great knife for me and a regular part of my rotation, often kicking knives out of my pocket that cost several times more than the Ruike. Also, the P801 carries very well in the pocket due to its slim and low-profile design.

So the P801 might be worth another shot if you like the design, or like others have said, you probably can't go wrong with Civivi (although I have not handled any Civivi and so can't speak from personal experience).
 
I know this seems obvious, but make sure you aren’t putting ANY pressure on the lock bar when trying to flip.
 
Connor_MacLeod said:
I took it apart, cleaned it, oiled the bearings...
Click to expand...

Did this & added the following...

1ps8ePQ.jpg

1UrIr60.jpg


Thee best $20 ever spent.
 
I just bought one of these while on vacation because I thought I lost my other knife. Mine is perfect. Flips great and falls shut with a little bump or two. Centering is perfect and the edge was nicely ground. Mine does have a pretty strong detent but nothing like you experienced.

For $30, it's a lot of knife IMO. I think you just got a dud. It's very possible some had the knife before you, jacked it up by messing with it and then returned it. If you like the knife, I would get another one. Heck, it's only $30.
 
I've heard good things about this knife, but I don't like the plain jane metal design. Maybe you got a bad copy.

But maybe you should have gotten the Kershaw Atmos instead for $30. Buttery smooth action, and amazing design. And this knife has really changed my perspective on 8cr13mov. If it's done well, as it is in the Atmos, 8cr is pretty darned good. It holds an edge well, and gets crazy sharp with minimal maintenance. I am loving the Atmos so much, I have been leaving the Delicas and my PM2 at home.

QxTNHRl.jpg
 
Since it’s Amazon, I’d just exchange it or return it. It’s very possible that you could correct it, but probably not worth it.

I have heard lots of praise for the P801, but nothing I’ve seen shows anything like the quality that I’ve got for $42 from Civivi. The skeletonized, mirror polished and anodized liners show what kind of effort they put into their knives. They use budget steel (albeit one of the better ones) and steel bearings in their cheaper line, but they seem to be made to the same quality as all of WE’s other knives. I was blown away by how nice my Civivi Praxis is for a budget knife.
 
It’s possible the pivot was over-tightened to get it past customs agents who try to shake out a blade. This might also be the cause of the off-centered blade. You could gently and carefully try to loosen the pivot a touch. If the blade moves toward center you might also be fixing the stiff action.

Otherwise, return it.
 
I've handled the Atmos. It feels good in hand. The action is nice. Even if the heat treatment is perfect, that 8Cr13Mov keeps me from buying it. It makes me sad to see otherwise great designs coming out of Kershaw or CRKT around the $30 mark and still using 8Cr13Mov. Kershaw uses 14C28N on some of their American-made knives. I think we can all agree that 14C28N is a better all-around steel. If Kershaw released the Atmos in 14C28N at a competitive price, I might get one. The thing is that Ruike is using 14C28N here around the $30 mark.

The Civivi knives that keep coming up as alternatives use 9Cr18Mov in the $40 range. That's also a step up. So are the Tangram knives in Acuto 440 for those kinds of prices. With the market taking these steps forward, I feel like buying new knives in 8Cr13Mov is taking a step backwards.
 
Cosmodragoon said:
I've handled the Atmos. It feels good in hand. The action is nice. Even if the heat treatment is perfect, that 8Cr13Mov keeps me from buying it. It makes me sad to see otherwise great designs coming out of Kershaw or CRKT around the $30 mark and still using 8Cr13Mov. Kershaw uses 14C28N on some of their American-made knives. I think we can all agree that 14C28N is a better all-around steel. If Kershaw released the Atmos in 14C28N at a competitive price, I might get one. The thing is that Ruike is using 14C28N here around the $30 mark.

The Civivi knives that keep coming up as alternatives use 9Cr18Mov in the $40 range. That's also a step up. So are the Tangram knives in Acuto 440 for those kinds of prices. With the market taking these steps forward, I feel like buying new knives in 8Cr13Mov is taking a step backwards.
Click to expand...

Generally, I largely agree with you. I am not a fan of 8cr13mov, and I wish the Atmos had a better steel. But in real life usage for most folks, especially office types like me, it really doesn't matter as much as you would think. I hesitated on buying the Atmos for a long time because of the 8cr blade steel. But now that I have one, I don't regret getting it one bit. After all, 8cr13mov still cuts. And one benefit it has is that it sharpens up very easily. But I agree that if they released the Atmos with a better steel, I would be all for it. The design, action, and everything else deserves a better steel. But do I still think the current Atmos with 8cr is an amazing knife? Absolutely, especially at $30.

Here is an interesting video. S30V vs. 8cr13mov

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="
" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Cosmodragoon said:
Ruike is using 14C28N here around the $30 mark.
Click to expand...
The problem is low hrc. Super easy to sharpen. Here's a real Steel in 14c28n... Real Steel and ruike are made in the same factory. They are basically the same.

oGf76bj.jpg

Note: the acceptable range of 14c28n is 55-62hrc and this is 55.x hrc

Iirc Kershaw runs there's around 58hrc.

You may want to re think your theory on Knife. Steels being better than one another. If the ht isn't great it's not gonna be better than something else. Stick with something like a civivi they have pulled off a good ht on there 9Cr18MoV iirc.

But regardless, look past steel names and look more at heat treatment and geometry. I mean for $30 you'll be hard pressed to find a knife with a good heat treatment .. Acceptable maybe.


Edit: added more...

Here's an ongoing chart... It's not going to tell you the performance of those knives, only what's specified.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OepNr_D4lqbdTFqdqWl1rmAd4bOzPzJe6J0iEWrdJGU/htmlview
 
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