any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

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QTCut5
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by QTCut5 »

I guess a lot depends on what exactly it is you're looking for in a pocketknife...and, based on the variety of responses and opinions expressed in this thread, it's pretty clear that different people expect different things from a pocket knife and have vastly differing standards as to what makes any one particular knife brand acceptable or unacceptable. The only way to know for yourself if Rough Rider knives will be acceptable to you is to decide on your own personal standards/criteria. If low price is your primary concern then you'll probably be satisfied with RR. But, once you start factoring in and/or prioritizing other criteria, well, it becomes a bit more complicated. I would suggest that you get a RR and another knife of the same pattern that's made in the USA, like Case, and do a side-by-side analysis. Opinions of others will never substitute for personal experience. In the hallowed pages of AAPK I've read arguments over the merits of Ford vs. Chevrolet, Carbon Steel vs. Stainless Steel, the exact definition of a wharncliffe knife, and even which brand of mayonnaise is superior (to name but a few). So, as you stand teetering on the precipice trying to decide whether or not to plunge into the great chasm of the unknown and risk your hard earned $20 (or $9.95 as the case may be for a RR knife), just keep in mind that if you do end up regretting your choice, there will always be an inexhaustible number of other options for you to try until you find the one that meets all your demands, hits your sweet spot and satisfies you to the very depths of your soul. But, beware! because when that happens, the heretofore dormant Collector Beast lurking inside you will suddenly spring forth to colonize your brain and turn you into an insatiable, knife-prowling wolf that dominates and controls your every thought and action; your life will never be the same.
::uc::

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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by americanedgetech »

QTCut5 wrote: So, as you stand teetering on the precipice trying to decide whether or not to plunge into the great chasm of the unknown and risk your hard earned $20 (or $9.95 as the case may be for a RR knife), just keep in mind that if you do end up regretting your choice, there will always be an inexhaustible number of other options for you to try until you find the one that meets all your demands, hits your sweet spot and satisfies you to the very depths of your soul. But, beware! because when that happens, the heretofore dormant Collector Beast lurking inside you will suddenly spring forth to colonize your brain and turn you into an insatiable, knife-prowling wolf that dominates and controls your every thought and action; your life will never be the same.
::uc::

~Q~
This entire post was a good way to express the idea, but this quote was the sweet spot. ::tu::
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by supratentorial »

The effects of the competition from China is not an unknown. Many of us have been around long enough to see what has happened to the knife industry in the US. If buying American still meant something to more people, there would be more American manufacturers. In my opinion, choosing American made knives over Chinese imports is one of the easiest decisions that I can make. As glennbad said, there are lots of options available both new and old. I can easily make a choice based on my own values. At any price point.

General is an open forum and there are going to be a lot of differing opinions. The forum does have a "safe space" for discussing "Chinese Factory Manufactured Knives". That area is not as open. In an open discussion in general, it is less likely that there will be a consensus.

Even so, most of us have tip toed through this discussion. People will disagree but I think everyone is trying to be respectful of eachother.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Dinadan »

supratentorial wrote:Even so, most of us have tip toed through this discussion. People will disagree but I think everyone is trying to be respectful of eachother.
I agree, and I have been impressed by the restraint shown in this topic. Plenty of thoughtful comments here very politely posted.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by blademaker »

Very well said Q..!! I owned one RR, and I think its still in the hay field to join my other cheaper tools that found their grave much the same way. The good ones, I wipe off and put them away. I guess its a preference, and what your using it for...Collectable ...No... I've got one edc that I paid what I could buy ten RR's for..has cut everything from a hammock tangled in a brush hog to you name it...have yet to sharpen it .. just a few licks on a steel...Think the RR would have been on the stone already
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by philco »

If you want a good, cheap knife get a Rough Rider. It will serve it's purpose. If you want a high performance knife that will hold an edge till hell freezes over, maybe a Rough Rider is not for you. Then again, maybe you just need to learn how to sharpen your knife.

I see guys touting USA made knives in place of the Rough Riders, but unless you're buying from an American company that is STILL IN BUSINESS, buying American has zero impact. Supporting a company that has already gone out of business has NO impact.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by supratentorial »

If the purchase of that old knife was made in place of buying a new import from China, that's less money going to the competition from China. So that does have some impact. Buying from a US company that is in business is the best way to support the continued operation of US manufacturing. I agree.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by americanedgetech »

philco wrote:If you want a good, cheap knife get a Rough Rider. It will serve it's purpose. If you want a high performance knife that will hold an edge till hell freezes over, maybe a Rough Rider is not for you. Then again, maybe you just need to learn how to sharpen your knife.

I see guys touting USA made knives in place of the Rough Riders, but unless you're buying from an American company that is STILL IN BUSINESS, buying American has zero impact. Supporting a company that has already gone out of business has NO impact.
supratentorial wrote:If the purchase of that old knife was made in place of buying a new import from China, that's less money going to the competition from China. So that does have some impact. Buying from a US company that is in business is the best way to support the continued operation of US manufacturing. I agree.
I agree w/ both of these posts but there is one more thought to add.
I may be mistaken but who is really certain where the parts in the USA made knives are coming from?

I mean everything from the metal used for the pins to the polishing compound used on the wheel(s).
How about the tooling itself? Or the light fixtures in the facility?

The pens, and paper in the office or even the paint on the walls?

See, I believe the problem is in the way America has grown so powerful, in (historically) such a short span of time.
We outgrew our manufacturing capabilities! There are too many consumers, and not enough manufacturers here. This fact can not be blamed on China. This is something we have to own.

Yes... I do get it, and I try my best to support everything in my community. There is a point of diminishing return tho. I can buy free range, no antibiotic bread but the wrapper, and the oven, and the pans, and everything in the factory came from China.

I think the issue is too big to address realistically on a knife forum.
Patriotism... YES!
Living in America without ever touching an American Made product that has had something to do with a product that came from China... No.

Every drop fills a barrel but we need inexpensive infrastructure to maintain the standard of living we enjoy. The 1950's are gone.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Mumbleypeg »

americanedgetech wrote:
See, I believe the problem is in the way America has grown so powerful, in (historically) such a short span of time.
We outgrew our manufacturing capabilities! There are too many consumers, and not enough manufacturers here. This fact can not be blamed on China. This is something we have to own.
Sorry, but I have to disagree!

Get in your car and drive across the USA. Get off the interstate highways and onto state highways. Drive into the towns, big and small. Look at all the vacant, shuttered factories - you'll find them in every town. Then come back here and say you still believe that statement. The manufacturing was here. We did not outgrow it, we killed it.

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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by americanedgetech »

Where do you point the blame for those closed down industries?

China?

I blame the heads of those companies (in a sense) because they could not find or develop a method of manufacturing that could compete with any other country in the world.

If GREED were not begining at the top then materials, and real estate, and labor would be cheaper here. WE ARE GREEDY in America.
The steel manufacturers charge more than any other country. The laborers want more, the skilled workers nave to re-pay college loans so they need to make more than the laborers (even tho they work 1/10th as hard). The university staff need bigger houses, the real estate developer wants more because the staff make more, The tires you are driving across America are made from imported chemicals because DuPont wants more for their products.

WE made this problem by wanting more. I'd rather it be the year 1850, and not one word of this would apply but it is not 1850 or 1950... It is the world we made, and we have to find a way to change it or accept it.

I do not disagree with you at all. In fact I completely agree BUT I am seeing what I am looking at, and I am describing it to the best of my limited ability.

On topic tho... RR knives um.... yeah Hmmmm. ::hmm::
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Chayes »

Thanks for all the input guys. Jerry answered all my questions when he directed me to an entire thread devoted to rough Riders. As the OP I think we can put this tread to rest. I just got 2 RR to see their quality for myself and as a novice they seem acceptable at an entry level to see what I like. I do acknowledge that they have some nice looking models and the quality is better than I expected. I'm working my way into the more serious collectibles as my knowledge and confidence grows. Maybe finding the Buck Cutlery sleeveboard was a fluke for me as a novice but it did give me more confidence based on the comments and posts I received. Thanks again guys..
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by americanedgetech »

I think everyone here can relate Chayes.
Even the PROS started off knowing less than nothing.

The day your Mrs. sees the CC bill for a rare/vintage knife from Paraguay, ::dang:: will be the day you have risen to the pinnacle of collecting.
RR knives have their place as a decent knife for us beginning collectors. I won't back down from that.

BUT, once the education provided here (and other places) sets in... The world is your oyster! ::woot::

Thanks for the thread C.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Chrisnang319 »

No doubt like many of you I found this board looking for a consumer opinion on Rough Rider knives. I like classic old school pocket knives and want a couple to carry around and use every day. What I’m going to say will no doubt get me dog-piled but hear me out. We are a nation of people from somewhere else. All that we make and do isn’t genuinely from our culture. Anyone own a Nikon or Canon camera? They’re both Japanese brands that started by copying German Leica. Do you love Schrade Old Timers and Uncle Henry knives? One of the founders moved to Solingen Germany to learn how to make better knives and had to flee Because of the Nazis. Toyota and Honda have plants on American soil and technically make American cars by employing Americans to do so. If you are as American only as you claim to be then you should only buy a Honda... a Japanese brand built by American hands. There are very few things that are 100% American made but I bet if you dug into the history of those things they have origins from somewhere else. Because that’s what an American is. If you want to pay $80 for a knife because it’s not made in China that’s your prerogative. Personally I think think it’s very American to effort to offer a price point that anyone can afford by sourcing the best deal on manufacturing. Oh I almost forgot- who loves those new Dodge Challenger muscle cars? Chrysler is currently owned by Alpha Romeo... an Italian car company.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Mumbleypeg »

First of all welcome to AAPK. Glad you found it and signed up. Your post is interesting, but you left out the “elephant in the room”. COMMUNISM. I find it interesting that you mention fleeing “because of the Nazis” as justification for one of your examples, but your post seems an attempt to justify buying a product for which at least part of the proceeds directly supports the Chinese Communist Party. All of the examples you give in your post are the result of free-market entrepreneurship, not a communist government whose stated goal, and by their actions, is the subjugation of its people and the free people in other locales (Hong Kong is but one example).

There are other posts here from members in love with Rough Ryder knives (you probably haven’t found it yet but there is a subforum titled “Knives Made in China” https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... m.php?f=79). There is debate over the merits and shortcomings of the product. But those Rough Ryder fans don’t wish to discuss the oppressive government under which they are made, nor the human rights record, labor practices nor any other unsavory aspects of that government and the ‘culture” it dictates. Nor that by buying the product they are funding the actions of the CCP. They call it “Politics”. I call it facts. And therefore many including me choose not to buy knives made in China.

Your signature doesn’t say where you’re from but regardless I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving. ::handshake::

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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Montanaman »

Well stated Ken ::tu:: Chrysler is owned by Fiat, also.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by marinaio61 »

My opinion on RR knives after having only one is; if you're aim is to collect representations of the classic traditional patterns or "cool" adaptations of those patterns they are not a bad way to go. I don't collect things, I buy knives to use so I'm more interested in function over style which leads me to buy a SAK or, if I must buy China made, a Buck. I find the quality of China made knives varies quite a bit based on who the parent company is; Buck seems, in my limited experience, to have consistently tighter quality control within the same price range as RR. I also appreciate the more refined blade grind of Buck knives over the brute force approach of RR which seems to me to make the knife too thick and heavy for comfortable EDC pocket carry.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

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Chrisnang319 wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:45 am No doubt like many of you I found this board looking for a consumer opinion on Rough Rider knives. I like classic old school pocket knives and want a couple to carry around and use every day. What I’m going to say will no doubt get me dog-piled but hear me out. We are a nation of people from somewhere else. All that we make and do isn’t genuinely from our culture. Anyone own a Nikon or Canon camera? They’re both Japanese brands that started by copying German Leica. Do you love Schrade Old Timers and Uncle Henry knives? One of the founders moved to Solingen Germany to learn how to make better knives and had to flee Because of the Nazis. Toyota and Honda have plants on American soil and technically make American cars by employing Americans to do so. If you are as American only as you claim to be then you should only buy a Honda... a Japanese brand built by American hands. There are very few things that are 100% American made but I bet if you dug into the history of those things they have origins from somewhere else. Because that’s what an American is. If you want to pay $80 for a knife because it’s not made in China that’s your prerogative. Personally I think think it’s very American to effort to offer a price point that anyone can afford by sourcing the best deal on manufacturing. Oh I almost forgot- who loves those new Dodge Challenger muscle cars? Chrysler is currently owned by Alpha Romeo... an Italian car company.
Actually, Alfa Romeo does not own Chrysler. Alfa Romeo, Chrysler Fiat, Maserati, Citroen, Peugeot, and others are all owned by a huge Dutch based company called Stellantis.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Madmarco »

Chrisnang319 wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:45 am No doubt like many of you I found this board looking for a consumer opinion on Rough Rider knives. I like classic old school pocket knives and want a couple to carry around and use every day. What I’m going to say will no doubt get me dog-piled but hear me out. We are a nation of people from somewhere else. All that we make and do isn’t genuinely from our culture. Anyone own a Nikon or Canon camera? They’re both Japanese brands that started by copying German Leica. Do you love Schrade Old Timers and Uncle Henry knives? One of the founders moved to Solingen Germany to learn how to make better knives and had to flee Because of the Nazis. Toyota and Honda have plants on American soil and technically make American cars by employing Americans to do so. If you are as American only as you claim to be then you should only buy a Honda... a Japanese brand built by American hands. There are very few things that are 100% American made but I bet if you dug into the history of those things they have origins from somewhere else. Because that’s what an American is. If you want to pay $80 for a knife because it’s not made in China that’s your prerogative. Personally I think think it’s very American to effort to offer a price point that anyone can afford by sourcing the best deal on manufacturing. Oh I almost forgot- who loves those new Dodge Challenger muscle cars? Chrysler is currently owned by Alpha Romeo... an Italian car company.
Some good points you made Chris! ::tu:: I'd also like to ::welcome:: you to AAPK! ::handshake:: 8)
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by tvic »

Hey, everyone, all good points, and I have enjoyed all the opinions - all well said. I agree that we should buy American whenever we can, but, we all know we can’t buy exclusively American in the time we now live in - unfortunately. Case will always be my top brand, and 95% of what I have is Case. But I’ve seen some of those colorful, usually with a Southwest look, RR knives that I can’t get buying American - and $15 or $20 is not a big strain on my budget. And, if this makes sense, I don’t buy Chinese knives that are identical to an American knife (bone, for example). If the “look” I want is available from an American company, I’ll pay more to get the American version. To answer the original question, I think the RR knives are a darned good quality for the money, but Case is, IMHO, a much better knife.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by bigshot »

Chayes wrote: Sun Sep 24, 2017 1:20 pm I really like the canoes and have been scanning eBay to see offerings and Rough Rider really shares the market offerings. Anyone know about their quality? I assume that they're made in China.
I’m going to be posting a lot of reviews over the next few weeks. I ordered about three dozen Rough Ryders of all different kinds over the past month and they are high quality tools with a high level of fit and finish. They aren’t “safe queens” or status symbols. They are everyday users that will last you decades of use. A lot of people have started to collect them lately. There’s a lot of good info on YouTube.

For a quick tip… the high plains and buckshot bone series are fantastic. And the Kayak in the Reserve line is a large knife that is built like a tank if that is what you’re looking for.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by Madmarco »

tvic wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:16 pm Hey, everyone, all good points, and I have enjoyed all the opinions - all well said. I agree that we should buy American whenever we can, but, we all know we can’t buy exclusively American in the time we now live in - unfortunately. Case will always be my top brand, and 95% of what I have is Case. But I’ve seen some of those colorful, usually with a Southwest look, RR knives that I can’t get buying American - and $15 or $20 is not a big strain on my budget. And, if this makes sense, I don’t buy Chinese knives that are identical to an American knife (bone, for example). If the “look” I want is available from an American company, I’ll pay more to get the American version. To answer the original question, I think the RR knives are a darned good quality for the money, but Case is, IMHO, a much better knife.
Just FYI TVIC, the knives you are referring to are the Rough Rider "Southwest" series! I'm currently trying to acquire the Dr.'s pattern! I'm totally attracted to the bright colorful materials and it will strictly be for my display, it will never get used! 8)
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by marinaio61 »

Chayes wrote: Sun Sep 24, 2017 1:20 pm I really like the canoes and have been scanning eBay to see offerings and Rough Rider really shares the market offerings. Anyone know about their quality? I assume that they're made in China.
I'll spare a repeat of my issues with my RR canoe and just give my impression of the knife. I have a Buck Canoe and an RR Canoe; the Buck is well made, has refined hollow grind blades, an excellent slicer, not too thick or heavy for pocket carry and no obvious defects; the RR is of obvious lower quality, quite bulky and heavy for pocket carry and thick but sharp blades, perhaps better for push cutting than slicing. Not a lot of difference in performance between the Buck heat treat 440 and the T10 however after breaking down half a dozen cardboard boxes the T10 really needed resharpening. The price I paid for the Buck canoe was $22 and change and for the RR $17 and change. I wouldn't repeat the RR buy for that little price difference.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by bigshot »

marinaio61 wrote: Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:50 pmI have a Buck Canoe and an RR Canoe.
Isn't the Buck 389 canoe made in China? That doesn't have 420HC, it has regular 420. Rough Ryder uses 440 on most of their knives I believe. That should have slightly better edge retention than regular 420.
americanedgetech wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2017 3:25 amI may be mistaken but who is really certain where the parts in the USA made knives are coming from?
I'm curious what kind of American computers these people are typing out their opinions on, and what kind of Made In America cell phones they use. Those are the industries where China is beating us, not old fashioned pocket knives for Grandpas to collect.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by dlr110 »

Opinion. Excellent designs, good materials, outstanding prices, and surprisingly they operate just like a folding pocket knife. That's all that's important to me.
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Re: any opinion on Rough Rider knives?

Post by marinaio61 »

Yes bigshot, the Buck Canoe is made in China, that was the point of the comparison. The blade steel on the RR Canoe is a high carbon coated with titanium to minimize rusting, also eliminates the possibility of establishing a patina. In use cutting cardboard the Buck blade has outperformed the RR; the RR not only didn't slice as well as the Buck due the blade configuration but it went dull pretty quickly as well so while it might have a 1095 grade steel blade it isn't as good as the SS on the Buck, I suspect the heat treat. You can continue to push for RR but my personal experience is all that matters to me, a little hands on reality goes a long way.

At any rate, I've wasted far too much time talking about a knife brand I'll never buy again and people are going to buy whatever they want anyway.
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