Ontario Knife Co. 8668 Rat-7 Fixed Blade Knife 7" Drop Point 1095 Black Carbon Steel Blade 5" Tan Micarta Handle for Outdoor, Tactical, Survival, Bushcraft, and EDC

This knife has now de-throned my Becker BK-7 as my favorite outdoors knife, something I never expected it to do.I originally picked one of these up at Cabela's because I loved the simple elegance of the overall design, and it came with an attractive walnut handle and leather sheath. I have since made a custom leather dangler sheath and replaced the original walnut handle scales with the OKC original Micarta scales. This review reflects the knife in its original OKC form.First, the specs, in case something got missed in the product description:Manufacturer: Ontario Knife Co.Model: RAT-7Overall length: 12.25"Blade length: 7.0", cutting edge 6.5"Blade thickness: 0.19"Weight: 12.6 oz.Blade steel: 1095Blade style/grind: exposed full tang (no skeletonizing), drop point, full flat grindHandle material: MicartaSheath: my own custom leather danglerI actually had a chance to test this knife out on an 11-day hiking/backpacking trip through the Grand Circle in northern Arizona and southern Utah. I had the option to take a Becker BK-7, which was a knife I was rather familiar with already, but decided on this one because, a) the overall package was lighter and more compact vs. the oversized factory sheath of the BK-7, and the blade itself has a slimmer design which made it easier to wear, and, b) it didn't look so "tactical" in comparison so as not to draw as much attention on the trail. Considering that I wore the knife 24/7 while on that trip, the more "woodsy" look of it looked more in place with a group of hikers than a fighting style knife. The weight difference, while only a few ounces when considering the sheath, was a factor when considering my loadout. During this trip I essentially put this knife through a trial by fire (pun intended) considering for a large part of it we did not carry an ax or hatchet. Paired with my small folding saw, I was able to accomplish pretty much every task that came up during our trip. I did A LOT of firewood prep, and considering I was with a Boy Scout troop, I used this knife constantly to show them how to build a "one-log fire." Between the inexperienced abuse at the hands of the younger scouts and the considerably heavy use I personally put on it, it came out winning in almost every area. Properly cleaned, this knife also excelled at food prep, building log walls for windbreaks, cutting though webbing and cargo straps when one of ours broke and wouldn't release, and fashioning ad-hoc hiking sticks out on the trail. The overall balance and ergonomics are, in my opinion, one of the best in ANY knife I've ever used. Being a large blade, it actually wields like a much smaller, lighter blade because it's so balanced. The handle design is very comfortable and rather large, which I like, with no discernable hot spots or uncomfortable countouring. Even with a somewhat blocky profile, the handle was still fantastic feeling and the Micarta provided an improved purchase on the knife over the walnut scales. Batoning with this knife while processing firewood was incredibly easy, and the blade edge held up very well during hard use. The Micarta also absorbed the punishment much better than the walnut scales, the originals having broken beforehand (the reason I ordered the Micarta ones). The Micarta scales also make this knife balance much better, being heavier and denser than the wooden ones. In my opinion, the wood scales are a downgrade even if they look better.To summarize, the good:- excellent balance- great ergonomics- very tough steel and edge; excellent edge retention- epoxy powder finish actually held up very well- great fit and finish- perfect size for a field knife- razor sharp out of the box- great handle- excellent slicer- good chopper- great jimping--not too aggressive, but enough so to provide added tractionWhile I really struggled to find genuine complaints about this knife, there were a couple of things I think could be better, but not by much:- choil isn't very large, so for some might be impractical or unsafe to use as a finger choil- handle doesn't have a pronounced hook or swell near the pommel, so while chopping there is somewhat of a feeling it could slip out of my hand. A lanyard solved this issue- for some, the knife might be a bit too largeMy overall impression of this knife is that it's a great knife, very clean and elegant in its simplistic design; there's no showy or gimmicky designs like exaggerated ergonomics, over-aggressive jimping, funky blade grinds or geometry (looking at you, Tom Brown Tracker), and no serrations. Serrations simply aren't necessary with this design. The knife feels good in the hand--balanced, quick, and ergonomic in spite of the somewhat blocky handle scales. The palm swell on the handle is just right providing both comfort and purchase.Conclusion: This is an EXCELLENT survival knife, one which was originally designed specifically as a SURVIVAL knife: not specifically tactical and not specifically for bushcraft. It has since become one of my two all-time favorites along with the OKC Ranger Series RD-6. As far as value for the money, you cannot beat this knife. It performs and feels very much like a knife in a much higher price category, which is why I bought a second one to keep in a go bag. Highly recommended.

The last of the Ontario RAT knives? As I have many Ontario blades, I generally find the factory edge to be poor to ok. This RAT 7 came factory sharp. I am hopeful that I have the last of the 1095 steel. The handles are very comfortable and rough enough that when wet you will have superior grip. The sheath works well for me, but then I am not needing a combat ready sheath. All in all a great blade for camp and the bush.

I make every attempt to be fair and honest in my reviews, however you can probably tell from the title of this review that I am already impressed with this knife.Simplicity is its beauty. If you are looking for a workhorse, you don't search under racehorses. If you are looking for a sports car, you don't search for 1 ton trucks. This is in the 1-ton truck category. And I can tell it will be a workhorse. Made with 1075 Steel, which is high carbon Spring Steel, it may not maintain an edge quite as well as 1095 Steel, but it will be as durable or more durable. 1075 will not polish to a high gloss shine, so the blade is powder coated black, best for tactical situations.I am not going to complain about the blocky handles because you can see from the picture that they are blocky. And they fit my hand perfectly! My hands are about medium size to maybe medium large.The 7-in blade has a nice balance to it, and will carry your swing well into a branch. It kind of rattles around in the sheath, which although not leather, should hold up well through the life of the blade. Perhaps hold up even better than leather in damp environments.The one thing that I noticed that I was not extremely pleased with, was on the front quarter of one side of the blades the grind seemed to change. It's not a big deal for a knife that is going to be used for extreme duty, simply a little disappointing in a moderately expensive knife. As I said, overall I am very pleased and look forward to years of good service from the OKC RAT 7.UPDATE: The RAT 7 is difficult to find through any other dealer. And although the description on Amazon says it is made of 1095 steel, according to the OKC site description the steel is 1075. I double checked, so one of the two descriptions is incorrect. However, either steel will provide good service life, toughness, durability and sharpness.