Why isn’t my Rat 1 smooth after I take it apart

R

Ryan Bautista

Joined
Jul 28, 2020
Messages
2
I recently watched Nick Shabbazz’s video and followed all steps in taking the OKC Rat 1 apart. I followed all steps and when I put it back together the opening was so rough (note that before the disassembly the knife was butter smooth and had no trouble opening it)
I tried taking it apart to fix it again and again but nothing would make it better. Does anyone know why?
 
if the blade is rubbing causing it to not be smooth ... loosen the pivot and hold the blade to the side opposite of where it is rubbing or favoring and tighten the pivot back up and see if that helps. It usually works on frame or liner lock knives. If the blade is centered try disassembling it again and be sure the washer is centered on around the pivot as it's a bit larger than the pivot and if it is not centered it will mess with the action. And tighten the screws a little at a time alternating until all are tight.
 
Hi ya mate. I've only just joined the forum and I stumbled across your post whilst browsing a few of the knives I've got. Obviously, one of my knives is the RAT 1. I know I'm a year or so late on parade, but if you still have the rat 1 I think I know the answer to your problem..? The exact same thing happened with my rat when I took it apart soon after getting it. The two bronze washers, and the two ptfe washers look identical in every way to the naked eye,....but they're not. If you don't make a note of their factory pairing when you dismantle the knife, and you put them back in assuming they're all the same dims etc, that's when you get the problem. Your once smooth as silk brand new rat will not feel quite right when you flick it open, and if you look carefully, it's most likely the blade will also be off centre as well. No amount of trickery or adjustments will fix it unless the two bronze and two ptfe washers are paired together as they were from the factory, and also put back on the same side of the pivot as the factory build. Once you know this, the ptfe washers are easy to spot the difference, but not the bronze ones. The bronze ones will both have a slightly rough finish on one side only. That is the side that sits against the liners. The "cleaner" side of the bronze washers must be facing the blade. You'll soon notice that the ptfe washers are a minute amount different in size. One of them has a microscopically smaller OD than the other one. The smaller one goes on the lock side of the pivot. Whip the rat apart again and take a closer look. You'll soon see what I mean. Once you've sussed out which of the two ptfe washers is the smallest/largest,...the rest is easy. Dirty side of bronze butts up against the steel liners, and the smaller ptfe goes on the lock side. Do this and your rat will have a perfectly centred blade once again, and it'll flick open if a butterfly farts on it. I hope this helps you and anyone else who can't resist the urge to strip down their brand new Rat 1 cos they can't quite believe how a cheap knife can be so good. The Ontario RAT-1 is a superb knife without a shadow of doubt. I highly recommend them.
 
Cheers mate. Whenever I've used google to find out something about a knife subject that I have no knowledge of, the very first search result is always this fantastic forum. No matter what I was researching, it always led me to here first. So I thought it was a no brainer to apply for membership. I enjoy sharpening knives, but in the grand scheme of things I'd class myself as an eager to learn "knife novice". I've got 3 fixed blade knives that I use for different situations and disciplines, and I've got approximately a dozen folders. My folder kit is very diverse. I've got anything from Opinel no8,.... to SAK Champ,....to Ontario RAT-1,....to a Spyderco para 2. The Spyderco is the most expensive knife in my collection, and the Opinel is the cheapest. And I'll be perfectly honest with you Blue...? The one knife that I can't put down, and I'm constantly flicking open and shut without even realising what I'm doing in the front of the tv or sitting at the table each night,.....isn't the Spyderco. It's the Rat 1. I would choose the rat over the para 2 without a moment's thought. I still can't believe how silky smooth the Rat is. Once I realised my mistake and put the washers back into there correct uniform position, I constantly flicked it open and closed for a couple of evenings after work and I could feel it getting better and better. The liner lock gave me a saw thumb at first, but all of a sudden the Rat 1 broke in..!
It's truly at it's best now. The difference in the feel and the sound of the lock up between the para 2 and the Rat is remarkable to say the least. The Rat wins hands down in every department for sure. Super smooth and light opening, and it finishes off the cycle with a beautiful and gentle sounding "thomp" as it locks up. The Spyderco opens nicely as well, but I find that it lacks emotion. It's more of a hollow echoing lock up compared to the silky bass like thump of the Rat 1. Obviously this is only my own personal findings with both knives. I've now got my eye on two other knives Blue...🤔.?? One is cheaper than the para 2, and one is dearer. The cheaper one that I like the look of and sound of is the COLD STEEL CODE 4. (Average £120). And the one that has really got me drooling is the Fallkniven PXL in black micarta (average £290- £300). But I'm just dreaming about them at the moment Blue. £120 for the CODE 4 is a lot of money to me, let alone the Fallkniven at £300. My wife and my family come first before anything else mate. So when I want something special for myself it takes me a long time to save the pennies towards it.
Thanks for your reply and your welcome message Blue. Much appreciated mate. 👏🤝😊👍
 
jbmonkey jbmonkey hi ya JB, hope all is good your end mate.

I'm wondering if you might have the answer to something I'm interested to learn about, but I can't find the info I need..?

My new Buck Haxby is still my favourite bit of kit. It's always within arms reach, and I've developed a pleasant habit where I can't resist the urge to constantly play with it..🙄😁👍..!!

I know this Buck runs on bearings instead of washers etc. And this is the first ever knife I've owned that uses bearings.

Until I started doing some research recently, I didn't realise that there are different types of knife bearings..? Do you know what type of bearings my Buck is running on JB....?? I hope I'm not disturbing you mate, and there is honestly no urgency or importance for a rapid response. The Buck is still as superb as the day I got it. I always try to find my own answers to something I'm puzzled about, but if I keep hitting a brick wall I'm not embarrassed to ask for help and advice from someone who is far more knowledgeable about stuff than I am. I believe that the Buck bearings are made of steel JB..🤷‍♂️? But that's all the info I can find. I've used our forum to try and find my answer, but that's when things got even more confusing for me! 😬🙈😆😆...

I was expecting my answer to be a simple one? I wrongly assumed that the answer would be either "steel" or "ceramic"...??

But it's now dawned on me that there are other variables that I haven't got a clue about. Like I say JB,....there is nothing wrong with my Buck whatsoever mate. I'm just a keen knife novice who wants to eventually learn everything I can about knives and the different materials etc that each maker uses.

No rush my friend.

Respect

Tyson 🤝👌😊
 
Tyson Fury said:
jbmonkey jbmonkey hi ya JB, hope all is good your end mate.

I'm wondering if you might have the answer to something I'm interested to learn about, but I can't find the info I need..?

My new Buck Haxby is still my favourite bit of kit. It's always within arms reach, and I've developed a pleasant habit where I can't resist the urge to constantly play with it..🙄😁👍..!!

I know this Buck runs on bearings instead of washers etc. And this is the first ever knife I've owned that uses bearings.

Until I started doing some research recently, I didn't realise that there are different types of knife bearings..? Do you know what type of bearings my Buck is running on JB....?? I hope I'm not disturbing you mate, and there is honestly no urgency or importance for a rapid response. The Buck is still as superb as the day I got it. I always try to find my own answers to something I'm puzzled about, but if I keep hitting a brick wall I'm not embarrassed to ask for help and advice from someone who is far more knowledgeable about stuff than I am. I believe that the Buck bearings are made of steel JB..🤷‍♂️? But that's all the info I can find. I've used our forum to try and find my answer, but that's when things got even more confusing for me! 😬🙈😆😆...

I was expecting my answer to be a simple one? I wrongly assumed that the answer would be either "steel" or "ceramic"...??

But it's now dawned on me that there are other variables that I haven't got a clue about. Like I say JB,....there is nothing wrong with my Buck whatsoever mate. I'm just a keen knife novice who wants to eventually learn everything I can about knives and the different materials etc that each maker uses.

No rush my friend.

Respect

Tyson 🤝👌😊
Click to expand...
over in the Buck forum Jeff Hubbard moderates it and he works at Buck. sure he could answer this question. little bit harder since its not made in the USA factory where he could just walk down the line and look, but sure he could ask one of the folks involved in bringing it over. ill bet they are steel in that knife.

anyways post this question over in that forum and I'll tag Jeff and let's see what he says.
 
jbmonkey said:
over in the Buck forum Jeff Hubbard moderates it and he works at Buck. sure he could answer this question. little bit harder since its not made in the USA factory where he could just walk down the line and look, but sure he could ask one of the folks involved in bringing it over. ill bet they are steel in that knife.

anyways post this question over in that forum and I'll tag Jeff and let's see what he says.
Click to expand...
DOH...🙄! Sorry mate. I've only just realised that my post is on the Ontario rat thread, and not the Buck Haxby one that I started.

Can I forward my post to the Buck thread, or will I have to re write it...?
 
Tyson Fury said:
DOH...🙄! Sorry mate. I've only just realised that my post is on the Ontario rat thread, and not the Buck Haxby one that I started.

Can I forward my post to the Buck thread, or will I have to re write it...?
Click to expand...
ya could ask a mod to move it....might be easier faster to just rewrite or cut and paste it.
 
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