Ontario ON8848CB-BRK Rat-1

I bought this knife based on reviews I found on different forums and YouTube. Just google or search YouTube, youʻll find a TON of information and reviews on this knife. One of the best reviews is by Nutnfancy on YouTube. Hereʻs my thoughts:BLADE:AUS8 steel. Itʻs decent steel... Sharpens up easily, and keeps an edge. It was extremely sharp out of the box, and I personally prefer FFG blades, so that was another plus for me. Nice jimping on the top of the blade that helps with grip when cutting. The thumb studs are solid. When closed, the blade on my knife sits exactly centered. NO blade-play whatsoever. Up, down, left, right...itʻs solid. The satin finish is nice. I like how the RAT logo contrasts on the blade. Very cool. (Iʻve seen reviews on the black finish, and people are saying that it comes off way too easily, and really is there just for looks. So Iʻve decided to stay away from it.) The blade has a nice belly, and is shaped for a lot of different utility tasks. The blade shape and FFG is one of the main reasons I looked at this knife in the first place. Well, that and the price.HANDLES:Another reviewer said these were G10. I donʻt think so, and I donʻt remember what I read in the blade review forums...but I think itʻs Zytel or something. But it feels like G10. The finish is really nice on the handles. The finger choil up front is deep, and it fits my finger in nicely. It gives good solid control in hand. Itʻs not as grippy as my Spyderco Tenacious, but itʻs in that same style: sort of a smoothed out grip. Iʻm not sure how it will hold up covered in blood (I hunt wild boar) or even just water...that remains to be seen, but I donʻt think it will be a problem. (Iʻll update this review if it is) I really like the coyote color. It complements the satin blade very nice. IF it were G10 handles, the knife would be even MORE AWESOME. But then again...the price on this knife would probably jump as well.BUILD:Well made. Torx screws hold it all together and the pillar/liner construction looks strong. I donʻt mind that this knife is made overseas. Itʻs well done. (Good quality control in manufacturing) I know others have said this, and I agree...if Ontario would have skeletonized the steel liners, that could shave an ounce off the weight. But the weight (5 oz I believe) is fine to me. It doesnʻt feel that much more heavier than my Spyderco Tenacious in my pocket.CLIP:I like that the clip is 4 way adjustable. Tip down, Tip up, left, right... you can set it up the way you want. A definite plus. Itʻs a long clip too and sits relatively deep in the pocket. The only thing I donʻt like is that black paint. I felt that a stainless clip would match the blade better. Iʻve seen pics and videos of this exact knife after a year or two of use...and the chipped black finish on the clip looks kinda cool... gives it that "Boba Fet" worn in battle tested look. So itʻs not a deal breaker, and I think over time itʻs going to give this knife some personality. If I end up not liking that look...Iʻll just take the clip off and buff off the black finish myself. Easy enough.EDC-ability:Itʻs a little big for a TRUE EDC knife in my opinion. But to me, a TRUE EDC blade would be a Kershaw OSO Sweet, or Spyderco Dragonfly, or something similarly sized. (Those are the two I own and carry as EDC, so theyʻre my only comparisons) BUT, lately Iʻve been carrying larger sized blades: Spyderco Tenacious, SOG Flash 2, and now the RAT-1. I donʻt feel itʻs too big at all. I like that itʻs a little bigger, and my EDC blades become medium sized tactical folders. So, YES on the EDC-ability for ME.It was $40 dollars which is a little more than I wanted to pay, (I was hoping for around $30-35) but itʻs fine...I figured it was due to the demand for the coyote brown. For the price...this knife is STILL a very good deal. Regardless of it being made in Taiwan...itʻs well built. It blows my mind that there are folks comparing this knife to other more expensive blades and complaining about the steel, or not being made in the US, or the lack of G10 scales...??!! IF this knife were to be made that way...it would be MUCH more than $40 dollars! So judge it for what it is. Itʻs a $40 dollar knife that will take whatever you throw at it. AND it has a limited lifetime warranty. Not bad for a budget folding knife made in Taiwan. (And the plain black handle version can be bought right here on Amazon for $27 bucks!!!)If youʻre looking for a HIGH value, MID sized, LOW (to MID) priced, budget (IMO) folder...the Ontario RAT-1 fits that bill. Itʻs well worth the price. 9 out of 10 for me. *If the clip was stainless, and the liner skeletonized to drop weight...DEFINITE 10 at $40 bucks for the Coyote handles, and $27 for the black handles!!! Get one...!!!.

Amazing knife, especially for the price. If I was handed this knife and was told to guess the price, I'd expect this to be a $75 knife. Some of my reasons why are...+ No play in the blade (side to side movement)+ Razor sharp the moment you get it, it can shave the hair on your arm.+ The liner lock is solid and centered.+ The blade is centered.+ There's 4 different spots for by our pocket clip, so left handed people aren't left out.+ Fits very well in the hand.

Good quality knife (although the first one I received had a defect under the washers and was returned). 4 stars for overall package, however, now that my knife collection has significantly increased, I rarely use it. It's weight is comparable to competitors in it's price range i.e. Kershaw and Schrade (I don't mind that), it's thickness is similar to competitors in it's price range (I actually prefer thick handles), I just don't like how far the handle places the cutting edge from my hand for a choked up hammer grip (1 star deducted). In this price range, it's hard to beat, as I don't own the other two brands I listed as competitors, but have tried my friends' versions. Most of the one handed opening folding knives I carry in it's place are 3-9 times it's price. In it's price range, the Buck 110 LT (which I sometimes carry) is not adjustabe, has slight lock rock, and is not as easy to open one handed as this knife. The only other dedicated folding knife I carry in it's price range is a modified Opinel #9, but the Opinel is not a modern folder. It's a good knockaround knife for general use, however, if you start to carry more, you might prefer some of the lower priced Spyderco, Benchmade, or even Buck offerings, even though they are 2-3 times the price. Even with my preferred knives, I'm happy that this is in my collection and it handles cutting tasks well.

Super knife! I have owned and carry an Ontario Rat II for about a year. Though this knife is much bigger, I feel it will serve well in my EDC bag. The AUS 8 is razor sharp and holds a good edge, while being easier to sharpen than the super steels. The action is very smooth, and with a minor amount of tuning opens with a "flick of the wrist". The price is almost a steal! Buy It!

This knife is one of my favorites to EDC. The AUS-8 Steel is my favorite because it stays asharp. I hand sharpen all of my knives and i put a 19 degree angle on them if theyr'e AUS-8. I get this knife razor sharp after i strop it. As far as materials go i dont particularly like the grip of the handle. When it gets wet it gets slippery and ive cut my hand on it when i was using it on a deer. The jimping needs to be rougher but the choil for your pointer finger feels great. The pocket clip is reverse everything. I prefer right tip up carry. The liner lock on the knife took some breaking in. Also the iner lock doesnt look like it can be used and abused. This is a medium use EDC knife in my opinion. The only other knife i prefer over this is the Zero Tolerence 0350 but thats also because its a $150 knife and its G-10 handles are very grippy. Sadly i lost my 0350 and now i look forward to EDC'ing this knife. Also just to add this knife flies open when you put gun lubricant on the pivot. Its faster than my Kershaw Leeks Assisted opening which is impressive(: Do yourself a favor and buy this knife because i promise you wont regret it! With best of luck shopping-Alex N.