Difference between ESEE, Ontario, Rowan and RAT?

[Keil Carpenter]

I have just started my interest in knives so please bear with my noob questions:

1. I have an ESEE 6 knife which I believe is made by Rowan Manufacturing - Is ESEE the company that designed the knife and gave the blueprint to Rowan to create?
2. If Ontario has a knife called a RAT 7 dosent that mean that its an ESEE knife since they changed their name from RAT to ESEE?
3. I have read that Randalls Adventure and Training (RAT) changed its name to ESEE, if this is true then is the Ontario RAT and ESEE Knives all made under the same name?

I am so confused

 

[slight]

Here are some helpful links:

About Us page from ESEE's webpage

Page from ESEE on manufacturing

TL;DR the design Ontario makes came from Randall's Adventure Training (which was and is a survival training school) then the people behind the training school contracted someone on their own to make knives for them to sell under their name. They simply changed their knives line's name from RAT Cutlery to ESEE to avoid confusion. Rowen is the manufacturer.

Ontario RAT/RTAK are made by Ontario, Rat Cutlery and ESEE are made by Rowen Manufacturing.

The main difference is nicer fit and finish on ESEEs and their warranties.

 

[DeadboxHero]

I have just started my interest in knives so please bear with my noob questions:

1. I have an ESEE 6 knife which I believe is made by Rowan Manufacturing - Is ESEE the company that designed the knife and gave the blueprint to Rowan to create?
2. If Ontario has a knife called a RAT 7 dosent that mean that its an ESEE knife since they changed their name from RAT to ESEE?
3. I have read that Randalls Adventure and Training (RAT) changed its name to ESEE, if this is true then is the Ontario RAT and ESEE Knives all made under the same name?

I am so confused

1. Yes, Rowen makes ESEE knives
2.No the RAT knives are now owned by Onterio knife company
3. ESEE was RAT until they sold the designs and name to Ontario knife company.
Still wanting to make knives, they needed a different name, ESEE.

Rowen is an exclusive knife manufacturer that just Makes ESEE knives

 

[Gafishing]

Wow
Thanks for the info
I just learned a lot

Sent from my KIW-L24 using Tapatalk

 

[19-3ben]

Rowen is an exclusive knife manufacturer that just Makes ESEE knives

I thought they also make some knives for TOPS?

 

[GB940Rookie]

To make things more confusing, there were two different RAT knife lines. One was and still is made by Ontario Knives and the other was made for RAT Cutlery(now ESEE) by Rowen Manufacturing.

 

[19-3ben]

I thought they also make some knives for TOPS?

And come to think of it, Rowen also makes the BK12. So I don't think they can be called exclusive to ESEE.

 

[jdm61]

I may be wrong, but I think that Rowan used to make TOPS, but no longer.

 

[buckfynn]

TOPS has their own knife making facility and longer has ties with Rowen.

[video=youtube;JR7KLWx6aYg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR7KLWx6aYg[/video]

 

[DeadboxHero]

And come to think of it, Rowen also makes the BK12. So I don't think they can be called exclusive to ESEE.

 

[JD Mandrell]

Randall Adventure Training (RAT) Agrees to a line of RAT Knives made by Ontario

Randall Adventure Training and Ontario Part ways

Randall Adventure Training begins having "RAT Cutlery" knives made by Rowen, while Ontario continues their RAT line.

Randall Adventure Training, changes their name to ESEE to avoid confusion with the Ontario made RAT line.

 

[Gafishing]

Randall Adventure Training (RAT) Agrees to a line of RAT Knives made by Ontario

Randall Adventure Training and Ontario Part ways

Randall Adventure Training begins having "RAT Cutlery" knives made by Rowen, while Ontario continues their RAT line.

Randall Adventure Training, changes their name to ESEE to avoid confusion with the Ontario made RAT line.

Love it
Now say it in a Morgan Freeman voice.

Sent from my KIW-L24 using Tapatalk

 

[19-3ben]

And yet the BK12/RSK2 has always been a Rowen made knife, and unless KW's product description is out of date, it still is:

The Doug Ritter RSK® Mk2 is made in the USA by Rowen Manufacturing (best known for producing knives for TOPS and ESEE). The sheath is made in Mexico.

The plot thickens...

 

[InfernoOutdoors]

im not sure if this is the right place, kinda new to esees and was searching for the esee thread forever, then finally found out it was closed, LOL.
just wondering if anyone new if the RAT CUTLERY knives still have esees warrenty, and if they are the same quality?

 

[craytab]

im not sure if this is the right place, kinda new to esees and was searching for the esee thread forever, then finally found out it was closed, LOL.
just wondering if anyone new if the RAT CUTLERY knives still have esees warrenty, and if they are the same quality?

It says so in their warranty that they are covered. I have one RC-3 and it has compared in every way to its Esee 3 counter part.

https://eseeknives.com/warranty.htm

 

[Andy the Aussie]

if the RAT CUTLERY knives still have esees warrenty, and if they are the same quality?

..... Yes and Yes...