Ontario Knife Company Rat I Folding Pocket Knife, Black Coated AUS-8 Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade, Coyote Brown Nylon Handle Knife, Everyday Carry Knife – ON8846CB

This knife is, in a word, excellent. I have carried it every day for the past 6 months and I am amazed with the quality and durability of this knife. One common con of this knife is the black finish on the blade. It looks great out of the box, but chips and scratches very easily with only medium use. Personally, I think a worn finish on a blade looks pretty cool. If you whip out a blade that looks like it has been heavily used that translates to automatic respect in my book. Some of my favorite features about this knife that I think Ontario really did right are as follows: it feels really superb in the hand (I have medium sized hands with thicker thumbs, but it really works for me), the lockup is very good, in fact it is the best liner lock I have ever seen, the blade centering is perfect, the clip is great, and I really like that there are 4 different possible placements of the clip, the steel is decent, it holds a very sharp edge, and the thumb gimping is excellent- very grippy but does not tear up your skin. Some of the cons I have noticed: I would like the handle scales to have some better traction, the pivot is a bit stiff and does not flip out easily, takes some practice and thumb strength to open with one hand, the thumb studs are basically flush with the handle scales, and it is difficult to get my thick thumbs onto the stud to get it open, and for some people, this knife will be way too heavy or large for every day carry (personally I like the size and weight, it makes the knife feel solid). I would definitely recommend taking the knife apart and cleaning and oiling it regularly, especially if you carry it regularly, but that being said, I have no doubt that this knife would still be extremely reliable without ever being cleaned or oiled. This thing is a ton of quality for the money. I have not done a torture test with this knife, but I have put it through some pretty tough work for a folder; stuff like prying and twisting with the blade, very hard cutting, hacking wood, and other similar things. The blade has never chipped and I have never let it get very dull. Bottom line, this knife is one of the best value edc and medium duty folders I have ever seen (~$36 when I bought it). I would trust my life to this knife, and it will have a place in my pocket until it breaks.

I wanted to wait to write this review after I spent some time using this knife. I've now used/owned this knife for 6 months and I've put it through a lot. This is a fantastic knife! The bald comes razor sharp and I've maintained it by simply using a strop and some simple compound. This is even after I used it to baton small river birch trees down on multiple occasions to make/improve my duck blinds. This knife is a tank! I love the AUS 8 steel! I did bend the locking mechanism after hacking down a nearly 3 inch thick tree, but a simple bend with the pliars has it back like new. The black coating is pretty strong and when you do wear some of it off- you've earned it. Frankly I like the look of the blade more after some of the coating is worse off. I purchased this knife to use and it has not disappointed. I'll be buying another as well as the rat 2 for EDC as the rat 1 is slightly large for work as I wear a suit, but fits comfortably in jeans. I'm also looking at the rat 7 or Esee 6 fixed blades as they are more appropriate for the kind of use I need while duck hunting. You can't beat the value on this knife though. I highly recommend purchasing.

I saw some Nutnfancy vids on this knife and I thought that I might as well try it. The POU of this knife is EDC but honestly I would consider this a tactical knife. It is a little on the heavy side at 5 oz, but for its size its fine.It deploy EXTREMELY fast! Faster than some autos. Lock up is solid with no play in any direction. Perfect all around blade shape. AUS 8 steel is great but will rust on you, though, but I've never seen it happen. The scales kinda grippy and excellently done. Nice pocket clip but it could be deeper. Gimping kinda sucks, but just dremel it and your good to go. The coating on the blade is basically crap; I think its just paint. But hey, worn knifes look epic! It comes really sharp out of the box, too. The liners are not milled out, which adds to the weight.Overall, amazing knife for the price. I don't think there is a better knife for this price. Scratch that, I know there isn't a better one! Good weight, feel, out of the box sharpness, belly, and deployment speed. epic knife :)

This knife is awesome. Good price point, and really easy to sharpen. I like the ergonomics of this knife but definitely feel like there is some things they could have done to make it even better. Really wish they had engineered a flipper on the back of the blade to make opening the knife a lot quicker and easier. Overall though it is solid option and sits in the pocket nicely without protruding too much or feeling too heavy or bulky.

I’ve kept an OKC RAT II on me for years. It’s lasted through countless camping and hiking trips and 2 deployments, and is still going strong. The RAT I just feels like a heavier duty and slightly larger version. Holds a decent edge and sharpens easily. I like the ability to move the pocket clip, though I do wish OKC had made all the the RAT line’s clips a “deep pocket” rather than sticking up between 1/4” and 1/2” from the pocket. Not a deal breaker, just something to understand if looking at this as an EDC.

This is one of the best pocket knives, I own, and the fact that I got it here online for cheaper than anywhere else makes it even better good steel holds an edge for a very long time. Hardly needs touched up. Open in a flash. Be careful.