Rat 6...well I got one. Here is what I learned about it. And well putting it here as a last hurrah I guess for a product I grew to really like. And its an FFG blade I KNOWINGLY got to boot! (People who know of my whining about FFG blades will understand that one.)
The sheath is <INSERT A UBER WORDY STUFFED 1 MILLION PAGE UBER DESCRIPTION HERE> functional, but for woodsy stuff I grab one of my older RD6 ones and plopped it in one for the folder for thingies or folder knife in the pouch for field animal murdering trips. But for what it is, its a good sheath in its own right.
Blade use, about as much and hard as I use the RAT7 for. Not the heavy abuse use of an RD line, but good enough it seems. Chopping limited for its blade profile and standard FFG limitations and lighter weight. But it can be done, but I didn't get this knife for uber choppering and tree murdering. I got other bigger blades for that.
For game and camp duty stuff, it seems to do pretty dang well. Its a non coated blade so its good to go for food duties. (I always rub 91% alchie on it though before any food cutterizing). It works good on fish you "harvest" (See no mention or torturing of when you "Play" the fish on your line before you murder it for dinner!) from net or line. And for large critter cutting seasons it works well as well.
Bushy stuff...well the choil is nice for close in work, the handle is a good size to be able to handle things with the handle. Some would say "Its to Long!" or "To Big" for being a "TRUE BUSHY WHOOSHIE KNIFE!", but to those I say is just get the smaller and shorter less capable blade if you want one like that. Reason I got this model was the blade length for a more multi-tasking blade for use. But that's just for me it works out for.
Cons many will whine about is the edges can be pretty dang sharp on the spine or even choil area. But I can live with that, and fire steel it makes a big spark throwing machine. When I got mine, its sharpness wasn't super uber duber sharp, but one honing with my Razor Edge Rat Trap Honer, it came out pretty dang sharp!
The Rat 6 is just a good S35VN general purpose knife. I Didn't get the Black Bird was because I wanted a thicker and more durable knife that can work out of its size class if needed. And it seems to be able to do that. Yes I tested its Froing (Batactitoning Tyrannical Botanicals!) capability and it works find for being an FFG blade. For me the RAT 6 is a good light to medium duty blade (Some call my medium duty as hard duty) that can do decent knife duties with all tasks given it to it.
Now then, the cost for an S35N knife is "high", but its a pretty good bargain for how much your getting and for the knife's capabilities. For me its a good compromise, even if its an FFG blade. For me all the parameters I got it for works. If you want some thing smaller or shorter, get it. Really for the cost, there are many other options out there that are more durable and more "Cost Effectiveness" of what I normally get a knife on, but I got this knife for its S35VN attributes while I could afford it and while they are still available. If I wanted a knife for heavy hard use in S35NV, I got one as my BK72 performs that job perfect (large critter cutting).
The one "Mod" I might do is swap one set of scales is to G-10 if blood and guts become an issue for the micarta scales if one becomes a dedicated butchering blade.
I liked the knife so much I blew the "other" S35VN blade budget on was ANOTHER RAT 6.
I got two pretty good knives with date on box Feb 23, OKC might of been hit and miss on some QC, so I ordered mine from a good general purpose knife site I frequent when I have no idea on who to trust. I had a bait and switch for an Ontario SS machete, and two fake gerberstrong arms on the big on line seller. That way I believe they would of taken them back if there was a severe quality issue.
The sheath is <INSERT A UBER WORDY STUFFED 1 MILLION PAGE UBER DESCRIPTION HERE> functional, but for woodsy stuff I grab one of my older RD6 ones and plopped it in one for the folder for thingies or folder knife in the pouch for field animal murdering trips. But for what it is, its a good sheath in its own right.
Blade use, about as much and hard as I use the RAT7 for. Not the heavy abuse use of an RD line, but good enough it seems. Chopping limited for its blade profile and standard FFG limitations and lighter weight. But it can be done, but I didn't get this knife for uber choppering and tree murdering. I got other bigger blades for that.
For game and camp duty stuff, it seems to do pretty dang well. Its a non coated blade so its good to go for food duties. (I always rub 91% alchie on it though before any food cutterizing). It works good on fish you "harvest" (See no mention or torturing of when you "Play" the fish on your line before you murder it for dinner!) from net or line. And for large critter cutting seasons it works well as well.
Bushy stuff...well the choil is nice for close in work, the handle is a good size to be able to handle things with the handle. Some would say "Its to Long!" or "To Big" for being a "TRUE BUSHY WHOOSHIE KNIFE!", but to those I say is just get the smaller and shorter less capable blade if you want one like that. Reason I got this model was the blade length for a more multi-tasking blade for use. But that's just for me it works out for.
Cons many will whine about is the edges can be pretty dang sharp on the spine or even choil area. But I can live with that, and fire steel it makes a big spark throwing machine. When I got mine, its sharpness wasn't super uber duber sharp, but one honing with my Razor Edge Rat Trap Honer, it came out pretty dang sharp!
The Rat 6 is just a good S35VN general purpose knife. I Didn't get the Black Bird was because I wanted a thicker and more durable knife that can work out of its size class if needed. And it seems to be able to do that. Yes I tested its Froing (Batactitoning Tyrannical Botanicals!) capability and it works find for being an FFG blade. For me the RAT 6 is a good light to medium duty blade (Some call my medium duty as hard duty) that can do decent knife duties with all tasks given it to it.
Now then, the cost for an S35N knife is "high", but its a pretty good bargain for how much your getting and for the knife's capabilities. For me its a good compromise, even if its an FFG blade. For me all the parameters I got it for works. If you want some thing smaller or shorter, get it. Really for the cost, there are many other options out there that are more durable and more "Cost Effectiveness" of what I normally get a knife on, but I got this knife for its S35VN attributes while I could afford it and while they are still available. If I wanted a knife for heavy hard use in S35NV, I got one as my BK72 performs that job perfect (large critter cutting).
The one "Mod" I might do is swap one set of scales is to G-10 if blood and guts become an issue for the micarta scales if one becomes a dedicated butchering blade.
I liked the knife so much I blew the "other" S35VN blade budget on was ANOTHER RAT 6.
I got two pretty good knives with date on box Feb 23, OKC might of been hit and miss on some QC, so I ordered mine from a good general purpose knife site I frequent when I have no idea on who to trust. I had a bait and switch for an Ontario SS machete, and two fake gerberstrong arms on the big on line seller. That way I believe they would of taken them back if there was a severe quality issue.
)). So I gave him that one and my 498m that I know he would use as both were are good to decent wilderhood knives. (498m has a straight solid spine with no false swedge making it a great $30 1095 wonder knife) Then remembering all the OKCs that "Got away" from me or the back ups I thought I could get later...like the AFGHAN, RAK, TFI... I went and got another RAT 6 instead. They seemed to of almost gone poof from the internyet at the common list price. But where I got my G-10 KC scales for my two RAT 6s I got one from there. This one is probably going to keep its original handles, considering where I got it from, a little irony for the steel there I thinked.