As I mentioned, I'm working on a review of the Rough Rider Bartender knives but as bartender/waiters are patterns I collect that review is turning into a monster as I go about comparing the RR bartenders to other bartenders.  In the meantime, I figured I'd write a review on the Rough Rider Ulu Skinner, (RR 776)

Below is the Rough Draft of what appears at:

Rough Rider Reviews - ( blindkat.hegewisch.net/RRR/ )

Several more pictures at the website. I'll get to those Bartenders soon, I hope.

Rough Rider Ulu Skinner (RR 776)

One of the more interesting fixed blade knives offered by Rough Rider is the Ulu Skinner (RR 776).  Other companies offer a similar knife, including Frost’s gut hook skinner in the Bone Collector line.  I have to admit that I bought this knife not knowing what in the world I was going to do with it;  I’m not a big time hunter and even if I was, I really doubt I’d be using this knife my skinner of choice. I bought the knife simply because I liked the way it looked and figured I find a use for it later.

As with most Rough Rider’s the knife is made in China.  The Knife features a hollow ground 440A razor sharp stainless steel blade and full tang construction.  The handle is composed of two slabs of zebra wood secured by two rivets. The wood grips are nicely sanded and fit the hand quite well.  A beveled finger hole is cut in the back of the wide blade to allow the user to insert an index finger or thumb for a more positive blade control. The spine of the blade is also grooved to provide a non-slip grip with a finger or thumb.  The hole is ample enough to allow finger or thumb to pass through comfortably.  It does allow for a very firm grip on the knife when the finger hole is used.  In fact the blade really does become an integral part of the hand when held in such a fashion so control is exceptional and quite firm.

The primary role of the knife is to separate the skin from a animal and while I have not done so; I believe the sure grip and sharp blade would be quite effective at doing such a task.  It would also be excellent at scraping bits of meat and such from the hide.

So far I have used to the knife to scrape glue and bits of paper from wood and other surfaces and it worked quite well.  I’ve also used it for cutting up chicken, as well as cubing frozen beef and pork. I can attest that it is an excellent knife for use around the kitchen, especially when it comes to cutting up any types of frozen food.  I’m certain it would also do quite well on thawed food.

The Sheath:

My only complaint on the sheath is the size of the belt loop. It will hold up to a 2 inch belt with is probably sufficient for just about everyone.  I am of the mindset that a belt loop needs to be large enough to accommodate a standard web belt.  Other than that, the sheath is really quite nice. I thought the knife would catch on the securing strap when drawing or replacing it but it doesn’t. It comes out quite easily.  It is little harder to replace it but that has more to do with the size and shape of the blade.

The sheath comes with a sharpening stone which is kept in a small pocket on the front.  I prefer a larger stone but this one would come in handy in the field. Of course you could also carry a small pocket knife in the pouch instead of the stone, if you prefer.  A peanut or any single blade knife less than 3.5 inches closed should fit the pouch.  I should mention, it is also difficult to remove items from the pocket when the ulu skinner is sheathed.  Items can more easily be removed or returned to the stone pocket when the knife is out of the sheath.

Overall

Overall I’m very pleased with the ulu skinner. It looks nice, has come in handy around the kitchen, and would also be nice around the camp fire. It is an easy grip knife with more uses than I had first imagined.  The wide short blade is only limited by the user’s imagination.  I now know why these wide belly skinners are gaining in popularity.

Specifications:

    Name: Ulu Skinner

    Model number: RR 776

    Style: Small skinner

    Country of origin: China

    Overall length:  7 inches

    Overall blade length (guard to tip): 4  inches

    Blade style: Wide belly skinner with finger hole

    Blade steel: 440A Stainless

    Handle material: Zebra wood

    Tang:  Full tang (Visible)

    Handle Length (guard to pommel, inclusive): 3.0 inches

    Guard:  None, the blade’s choil acts as guard.

    Tang stamp: Obverse - Rough Rider Reverse - Made in China/RR 776

    Other identifiable marks: None

    Pommel:  None

    Bail or lanyard: None

    Sheath: Ballistic nylon with stone pouch.