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Do You Buy Rough Riders to Use or to Collect?

Many people have a Rough Rider! What is your opinion?

Tags: collect, reasons, rider, rough, use

6 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Ring on July 4, 2013 at 23:38

I've a few unique patterns that caught my eye. I give them to my grandchildren. They like the different colors and unique patterns.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on May 13, 2015 at 22:43

My Rifleman series folding hunter was sharp enough to slice paper and shave hair right out of the box. Also my Rifleman series six blade stockman was sharp enough out of the box to cut me with three blades at the same time when I let it slip while opening all six blades to take pictures! OUCH!

Steve Hanner said:

That's so odd though...it makes me wonder do they ship that way for safety and then you sharpen them or do they just ignore the fact that people like a knife to be sharp out of the box?

Sue OldsWidow said:

Same one I got, won't even cut a napkin,,,thought about hot butter though....lol....mine must have got past the Inspector 10 for sharpening!

Tobias Gibson said:

That's odd Sue. In all of 90 Rough Riders the only one not capable of shaving hair right out the box was the Hunters Buddy. (a small fixed blade mad in Pakistan). I find them as sharp as any Case knife and sharper than Bear & Son. I actually have that same Swell Center Lime Green Jack knife. Just tested it again. Took the hair right off my arm, and cut through heavy card stock like hot butter and easily whittled a piece of pine nice and pointy.

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on May 13, 2015 at 23:56

I just pulled a Rough Rider knife out of my collection to run a test on it. I am going to see how it holds up under daily use. It is mint, never used, carried, or sharpened. To test its sharpness I sliced through a sheet of paper with ease. I then shaved a spot on my arm. It passed both tests with flying colors.

It is a RR718 work knife. SMKW sells it for $7.99. It is comparable in size and shape to a Case Sodbuster Jr.

I am going to start a new discussion in the Rough Rider group and chronicle daily what I use it for and how it holds up under use.

Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on May 14, 2015 at 6:33

I have several, but I like user knives better than collectors.

Permalink Reply by Doug Thrower on May 14, 2015 at 9:53

I buy for use, all my knives with only a few exceptions are users. So, I do both.

BTW, I have the Diamond Jim with the boot and it's one of the few knives my wife like, because of the boot.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 14, 2015 at 19:52

Charles,

I love this idea! Cant wait to see how it performs and how you feel about carrying it
Charles Sample said:

I just pulled a Rough Rider knife out of my collection to run a test on it. I am going to see how it holds up under daily use. It is mint, never used, carried, or sharpened. To test its sharpness I sliced through a sheet of paper with ease. I then shaved a spot on my arm. It passed both tests with flying colors.

It is a RR718 work knife. SMKW sells it for $7.99. It is comparable in size and shape to a Case Sodbuster Jr.

I am going to start a new discussion in the Rough Rider group and chronicle daily what I use it for and how it holds up under use.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on May 14, 2015 at 19:53

Doug,

Thats how you hook the wife on knives, trust me it only takes one
Doug Thrower said:

I buy for use, all my knives with only a few exceptions are users. So, I do both.

BTW, I have the Diamond Jim with the boot and it's one of the few knives my wife like, because of the boot.

Permalink Reply by Ugly Old Guy on August 21, 2017 at 12:44

I buy to use.
My opinion of Rough Rider is they are the best value out there.
I only have 40 or so, but nevertheless, I can say I've never had a dud.
I've never had a gap anywhere wide enough for tissue paper to fit, never had any blade wobble (even after years of use) the springs have always been flush open or closed, and where applicable, in the half stop position.
So far, they have all been arm hair shaving sharp on all the blades, have had no to miminal blade rub, even on the two spring 3 blade stockmans, and other designs where blade rub is common or "just part of the design". The blade pulls have always been between a 5 and 6. All the blades have been well centered, as well.
In addition, I've yet to have to hit them with a sharpening stone, even after years of sometimes heavy use. A couple swipes on a leather strop ... or at worse the bottom of a coffee cup, has kept them shaving sharp.
I cannot say the same for the other brands I own, be they new or near 90 plus years old.
All things taken into consideration, I think Rough Rider (and maybe a Marbles in one of the few patterns Rough Rider does NOT make, and perhaps a Marbles Ram Horn Barlow) are all I really need.
SMKW even saw fit to bring the Carbon Steel Colt knives back as a Rough Rider line.
Personally, I cannot see spending more for a knife. The returns for the higher price knives are not worth paying 2 to 10 times more, in my opinion. I cannot see how a GEC is worth 10 times more than a Rough Rider, for example. (not to mention that at GEC prices (or even Case prices, for that matter) I would be afraid to use it, out of fear of damage or loss.