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RC-3P Review
The following review of the RC-3 was completed by
"jdee" of Rustic Forge. For the direct link go here.
RAT
Cutlery Co., RC-3P
When the opportunity arose to become a
Distributor/Dealer for the RAT Cutlery Company we grabbed it for 2 main reasons:
1)The RAT range of Knives were a significant presence in the market; and 2) We
like to support those semi-production makers like Bark River and Ranger Knives.
I think it is important to state here that I have not been a supporter of
Tactical Style Knives nor coated blades. I am more of a traditionalist when it
comes to knives. Illustrated by the fact that 2 of my favorite Knives are the
Bark River Big Mountain Skinner and Queen Country Cousin. But as we are going to
sell these contemporary Knives then I wanted to be in a position of knowing
their worth or otherwise. I got the wallet out and purchased a RC-3P from our
first consignment.
The Knife and sheath come in a clear plastic
bag and the first thing that strikes you is the sheath. No wonder the sheath by
itself costs $41.00 as it is well thought out and made of quality materials.
Being a traditionalist I am not in favor of Kydex, preferring good quality
leather but the RC-3 Sheath System is quality and has many assets and
innovations. The sheath itself has some weight to it and I favored it in the
belt carry position. The Kydex itself hold the Knife securely and the Nylon
Velcro Keeper adds extra security if you don’t seat the Knife home properly.
For a “Tactical” Knife the RC-3 is
actually attractive. The Micarta handle with green liners again shows that
thought has gone into the design. I have handled a number of Ontario RAT-3’s
that have passed through the shop and in fact sharpened one. Whilst I liked the
blade shape I was not enamored with how it felt in the hand. But the RC-3 is
different in that its handle is very comfortable. My hand is probably classed
below average and the handle fits my hand nicely but mates with large hands had
the same reaction. The choil is big enough to be able to “choke up” and the
integral guard provides a safe handle whilst not being that big that it proves
inconvenient.
Handle Holds
1.
Basic Hold – good - enables you to choke up so there is less blade to hinder
you;
2.
Press Cut – good - the thumb rest has 8 grooves which provide grip without
cutting into the flesh;
3.
Thrust Hold – The “glass breaking pommel” makes this hold unsuitable and I
would not recommend it and would suggest you use the reverse stab hold or just
the normal hold as the guard and grip is sufficient to prevent slippage. BTW if
you don’t expect to use the pommel as is and find it inconvenient you could
have it rounded off;
4.
Thumb Press – excellent - this Knife is well designed for this hold being safe
and allowing good control of the blade; and
5.
Finger Hold – excellent – similar comments to “4”.
For an explanation of Knife Holds check out
our “Snowy
River Review”.
Blade Shape
I have always been attracted to the RAT-3
blade shape and in my view it is a true and effective “Drop Point” and this
Knife shows you how versatile this shape is when designed properly. Given the
blade is of a “tactical” or “contemporary” nature it is surprising that
it proves to be an ideal “Hunter” being able to field dress deer sized
animals and with the belly being sufficient to also skin. Not being able to use
it in a field test myself I asked a mate to check it out on a goat hunt and he
was that pleased with it he bought one immediately on his return.
This Knife also has a good point – too many
drop points lose their point due to bad design characteristics.
Out of the Box
The 1095 carbon steel (I have always liked
this steel for working blades – it has enough edge retention and toughness to
be an economic alternative to D2 and A2. Don’t worry about rust and longevity
just keep in mind that the famous “Kabar” is made of 1095 and many have
served their owners for a score or more of years) blade is 3-7/8” long with a
cutting edge of 3-3/8”.
The blade is 1/8” thick which provides
ample thickness for this type of Knife and is flat ground. The blade is 1-1/4”
wide at its widest which is more then average for this type of blade and is the
reason why the blade is a more then adequate skinner and slicer. The blade
starts to taper 1-3/4” from the tip and is .04” thick 1/8” from the tip.
Being a typical flat ground blade and being
.02” thick 1/8” from the edge gives this Knife its slicing ability. The edge
is .04” wide, even on both sides and set at 30°
The handle is grey Micarta with green liners
and an interesting outline on the flats, is well shaped providing no hot spots.
The handle is 4-7/16” long from the ricasso to the end of the pommel. It is
1-11/32” wide at the guard and 1-1/4” at its widest on the handle whilst
being ½” thick for its entire length.
Overall the Knife is 8-5/16” in length and
weighs 5.2oz and 9.3oz with the total sheath system.
Bench Testing
Due to my current health problems I haven’t
been able to get “bush” so I took the RC-3P to the Knife Testing Bench where
it proved itself on 3/16” manila rope (it reached 40 cuts and was still
cutting cleanly), leather, cardboard and a ½” pine dowel.
In the Kitchen it passed the carrot test;
sliced over ripe tomatoes easily and boned and trimmed a leg of lamb.
In these tests I couldn’t fault the blade
but at the end the edge was a bit tired but after 10 strokes on the grey rods of
the Sharpmaker it was easily shaving arm hair again.
Conclusion
The RC-3 despite its “tactical” looks and
coated blade is a fine Knife. I would recommend it for the following:
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Bushcraft;
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Camping, Hiking etc;
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Hunting up to the size of a Fallow Deer;
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A lightweight “survival” Knife;
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Police and emergency services duties; and
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Armed Forces – not having any experience in this area I base my suggestion on
the recommendations of others.
The RC-3 gives the impression of a
“Utility” Knife and has the advantage of being robust and pleasant looking
without one having to worry about scratching the blade.
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