Welcome Home...THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

iKnife Collector

The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel

A Daily Use Test Of A Rough Rider

Another forum member asked me a question in the chat room that intrigued me. He asked how well a Rough Rider knife would hold up to every day use. I really couldn't answer that question. I have 34 RR's but have actually only used one of them. It is a Sidewinder fixed blade and I only carry it when I go to the woods.

So I decided to put one to the test in daily use. At first I thought about ordering one for the test. But then I thought that with 34 RR's I surely had one suitable to test. My first inclination was to test a trapper. But no way was I going to use my Rifleman Series trapper after having so much trouble finding one. And I didn't want to use my Don't Tread On Me trapper.

And then I saw my RR718 Work Knife. Well if Rough Rider calls it a Work Knife, let's see how well it holds up to work! It is relatively small and will not add much weight or take up a lot of space in my pocket. That is where it will be for the foreseeable future. From right now it is my EDC.

The Rough Rider RR718 Work Knife is comparable to the Case Sodbuster Jr. in size and shape.

Comparing the Rough Rider Work Knife to the Case Sodbuster Jr.

Blade: RR-2 3/4" Drop Point, Case-2 3/4" Drop Point

Steel: RR-440A Stainless, Case-TruSharp Surgical Steel (Whatever that is)

Blade Thickness: RR-1/16", Case-1/16"

Blade Width: RR-9/16", Case 12/16" (I know, 3/4" but easy to compare!)

Pins & Liners: RR-Brass, Case-Brass

Scales: RR-Yellow Composition, Case-Yellow Composition (Yes others available but comparing)

Closed Length: RR-3 1/2", Case-3 5/8"

Cost: RR-$7.99, Case-$27.99 (On SMKW's web site)

The first step in this test is to establish a baseline. The knife is mint now. As soon as it arrived it went into my collection. It has never been used, carried, or sharpened. It has very good snap on opening and excellent snap on closing. When open the blade has no play or wobble. The scales are tight with no looseness or movement. The fit of the scales to the liners is perfect with no overlap or exposed liner. To test the beginning sharpness I pulled a sheet of paper out of my printer. It sliced all the way through it with ease. I then tested it on the hair on my arm. I now have a bald spot on my arm. And I have a hairy arm.

So it is starting out the test as a solid, sharp, and nice looking knife. I will use it for something every day even it is to just pick up a stick and whittle a while with it. I will add comments to this discussion to relate what I use it for and to tell how it holds up.

5 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on May 14, 2015 at 6:32

Charles, I find RR's to be most dependable. I carry and use one whenever I go to the farm. Almost daily. I have lots of knives, but that's the one I go to to carry and use. It is an enjoyable one to carry (an Allis Chalmers sowbelly). It has never let me down yet. I use it alot. Look forward to your test results. God Bless brother, Ken

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on May 14, 2015 at 8:51

Look forward to your final analysis, Charles.

I'm with Ken, in finding Rough Riders to be a dependable carry knife.

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on May 14, 2015 at 11:57

Thank you Charles, yes I can't wait to see how it holds up. Now that I think about not sure I have ever carried a Rough Rider for more thn a day or so. Interested to see how this plays out.

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on May 14, 2015 at 14:04

been EDCing my RR whittler, for several years now. Has held up through daily use. I've got one of the work knives, thst Charles is reviewing, and if his is anything like mine, he'll be pleases at the outcome.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 14, 2015 at 20:11

I give so many of them as gifts I have always just assumed they hold up to daily use well. It will be nice to see how this plays out. Not only how does the knife hold up but how do you like carrying it

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on May 15, 2015 at 14:28

Well the RR has had one day's use now. I don't normally do a lot of cutting in my daily activities. So yesterday the first thing I did with it was to pick up a piece of 2x4 and whittle some on it. I then pulled a piece of peeling bark off one of my maple trees and whittled it. Next was some of my typical cutting chores. I opened a box that my wife had ordered and used it as a letter opener for five letters. As a test I then cut up some 1/8 inch thick cardboard. It cut that easily.

To test its sharpness after all that I tried to slice a sheet of paper. It wouldn't nor would it shave hair. I then worked on it with my Smith's Two Step sharpener.

With some work I was able to get it to slice paper again. Although not as easily as the factory edge did. With the factory edge I could just push the knife through the sheet of paper. But with my edge I needed to use a slicing motion. I was also able to shave hair again but not as easily or as clean as the factory edge. Mechanically the knife is no worse for wear despite my putting quite a bit of pressure on it on the 2x4.

Carrying it is no problem. Its size and weight are not an undue burden in my pocket.

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on May 15, 2015 at 15:16

Interesting Charles, it did come back so that part is good. Maybe not as good as factory might be an issue.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 15, 2015 at 16:22

OK, well sometimes a factory edge is hard to re establish, lets see how this edge holds

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on May 15, 2015 at 19:03

I will say that it is still plenty sharp enough to handle all my normal cutting chores. I don't know what they use to sharpen at the factory but I am sure that it is much better equipment than I used. And probably done by a sharpening expert. I don't know a lot about sharpening. I don't know what angle my little Smith's uses. Is it the same as the factory angle? And what grit is it?

As I handle and use this knife I am liking it quite a bit. It has a good feel to it.

Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on May 15, 2015 at 19:12

I knew you would give it a good review. I had one just like it and I liked it, but I gave it away.. I gave away several knives this past year, men and boys really like to get them. I gave some to girls to, and they loved them as well.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on May 15, 2015 at 19:32

I just compared the paper slicing ability of the RR to my Case Mini Blackhorn and my Colonial Model 7001 Blackie Collins Quick Flick. They were all three about equal. The RR and the Case might have had a slight edge over the Colonial. The little Smith's sharpener has been used on all three of them.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on June 16, 2015 at 22:54

Well it has been a month since I have posted anything about the RR. So I thought that I should do an update. The reason I haven't updated before this is there has been nothing really to report. I have used the knife every day for something even if just opening the mail. A couple of times I cut up large cardboard boxes into small pieces to fit in my garbage cans. The knife has performed flawlessly. It still has excellent snap both opening and closing. In fact often at night while on the computer I will open and close it repeatedly just to hear it snap and to test its durability. The blade still has no wobble or looseness while open. The scales are still tight.

So far it has been an excellent knife.