Ontario Rat II Linerlock Desert Tan D2

This knife hits way above its weight class. I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a fan of D2 steel or Ontario knives until this knife came along. I purchased an Ontario M9 from an army surplus years ago to match my Buck/Phrobius M9. I took that knife kayaking with me not long after I got it. We stopped on a river bank to camp for the night. I pulled out that m9 and struck it multiple times to assist with cutting wood. After about 5 strikes the blade snapped in half lengthwise. I was extremely disappointed. In terms of D2 I don’t feel like it holds an edge any better than plain old 440c Or AUS-8 and it’s far more difficult to sharpen than most steels. I saw some videos on Blade HQ on this knife where they praised it up and down so for the price I figured why not give it a try. So far this knife has been excellent. It came razor sharp and held its edge very well. I’m pretty hard on knifes and I’ve been collecting since I was a kid so I’ve seen good pocket knives and this one is a winner. For the money I don’t know if there is anything that I can say is obviously better. The handle is grippy and the thumb stud doesn’t protrude so much that it gets in the way but is just the right size. That blade, while plain and boring looking is perfectly functional and has just enough belly so that you can get a good slice when cutting stuff even though this knife is on the small side. I was out w some friends a few months back camping and we wanted to cook chicken fajitas. I pulled this knife out and used it as my primary utensil for cutting the chicken and cooking and it did very well. The real test was when some friends and I Went hunting this past winter. We shot a deer and needed to do the gutting and skinning. We had better tools with us for this chore but decided to give it a go with the Rat 2... we started with the gutting part and used it for about half of the whole process. After this trip it wasn’t quite as sharp as it was prior and needed sharpening. Gutting and skinning takes a toll on a blade so I don’t give it any before remarks first losing a little of its sharpness. I pulled out my lansky sharpening system and within 10 minutes it was wicked sharp again. I’m convinced the heat treat on this knife is superior to other D2 blades I have like the CRKT Pilar and Benchmade mini infidel. It just holds its edge really well. Not m390 or Elmax well but Far better than other bargain bin steels. Anyway, it’s a steal at $50. Ontario has a winner.

VERY nice design.. slim, ergonomic, smooth as silk opening and fits hand well.. D2 Steel is awesome, especially at this price point. Only negatives: 1) Thumb stud placement makes it so you need to use a littlecaution on opening and closing, to avoid potential to cut yourself... 2) Liner lock seems to almost be 2 stages... in stage one, you can close the blade about 20%, then must exert a little extra effort to close it the rest of the way.. maybe this will smooth out with use.DON'T let the negatives mentioned stop you from buying.. For the money, this is the best knife going, and the negatives are NOT deal breakers...

I have used this knife as my EDC for 2 years now, that encompasses use in yard work, whittling and camping (not bushcraft) and it's an overall decent knife that holds up well given it's price point. I sharped my own knives, and it will gets sufficiently sharp and hold an edge for an average amount of time. Sweat and dirt has caused some speckles of rust to appear on the blade around the thumb stud, but I believe that was from my own negligence and not cleaning the knife for several days after use. The handle feels cheap, and the joint connecting the knife also feels relatively flimsy; while I would warn against use a knife blade to pry stuff open to begin with, definitely don't try it with this one. I find the thumb stud can be a bit hard to use due to how close it is to the handle, but this can be trained around.

I love the ergonomics, fits great in the hand. Reversible pocket clip. Crisp locking. Easy to flip blade out quickly with a flip of the finger. Firm and sturdy lockup with audible click. Love this knife. Hard use D2 steel is not for those who throw this knife in a tool box for years and don't use it. Keep it on you for those daily tasks.

Just got this knife today and it is everything that the thousands of people who reviewed it on the internet said it was. It is extremely sharp right out of the box and the blade deploys with almost no effort, very smooth with the thumb studs. The belt clip is extremely tight. It was very difficult to move it at all or to get it over your pocket/pants/belt, etc. I know this can be replaced but I'm not worried about it, maybe it will loosen up with use. The D2 steel is high quality and has been proven to hold up overtime. The handle seems to be plastic or possibly polymer as it is very hard, but it DOES have grip to it The scales actually have a texture to them that you can feel. Nice touch. If you are looking for a cheap knife that has every feature that people are looking for this is it. The ONLY negative thing I can say about it is that it is made in Taiwan, not the USA.

Outstanding pocketknife. We’ll designed, practical size and good D2 steel. Very sharp. I highly recommend this product.

The overall is great. It came sharp shiny. It give positive clicks when locking and unlocking. However, the oversight is when the blade is folded, if you run your finger around it, it catches the very sharp tip of the blade. It is not properly measured.

This is a well made knife for the price. Love the D2 steel. Sharp and tough. Everything functions as advertised. Moved the carry clip for tip-up carry, which I prefer. Scales are decently grippy, not smooth and slippery like some I've tried. I recommend it.