Swamp Rat knives.

[LuckyLeftFoot]

So I'm going to pull the trigger on a swamp rat knife. I've never read a single bad thing about them. I'm just struggling to make a choice. I'm looking at both the rodent 6 and rodent 7. Their blade sizes would fit my kit perfectly. I'm just not sure if the extra money for the R7 is worth it for an extra inch of blade. Does anybody have experience with either or both? I would appreciate any input.Thanks,Lucky

 

[grunt soldier]

I have played with both. great knives. neither one will leave you wishing you had gotten more. what are you purposes for it? is it living in a bag or belt carried ect. will that extra inch hinder you in the long run. Use to I would have said just buy the bigger one but I have noticed more and more lately that I am able to get most my wood chores done with a 4-5 inch blade no problem.

If you talking end of the world well the extra inch will definitely help in batoning larger logs and chopping but I don't think it will make a huge difference.

 

[LuckyLeftFoot]

Its main suppose would be an "all around" camp knife. I know there is no do all knife, but you know what I mean. I really like the looks/price of the rodent 6, but I already have a bk2, so I'd be afraid the blade lengths would be too similar. I don't know if that's crazy of not. My normal camping kit is a folding saw, my bk2 or esee 4, and my izula 2. I would have just gotten the sykco 711, but their sold out so that's out the door. If I drive to a campsite it will be in my bag till I get there, but if I'm hiking in it will live on my belt. I just don't know if the extra inch of the R7 will make its capabilities outshine the capabilities of the R6.

 

[Limpy88]

For an all round knife I would get the ratmandu. I picked the ratmandu over the 6, the 7 was never a consideration for me. Because I have a Bussey b11 for the big stuff. I would say a 6 would be better alround than the 7.

 

[kawtech87]

I am still kicking myself for not ordering the Ratweiler while they were available. I have a Rucki and as far as a "woods sword" goes it is freaking awesome. Not much it won't chop down. Personally I like the handle shape on the Rodent 6 better. Looks like it would be more comfortable than the 7. But having not handled either I don't know.

 

[NathanJefferson]

I have a 6, I don't like it because of the top guard... just can't get around that. the 5 and 7 both look great and feel great, but the ratmandu is just about perfect IMHO. It might be a little small for a lot of battoning but you can do it, and just about anything else.

 

[LuckyLeftFoot]

So the guard just gets in the way on the 6 or it inhibits the functionality of the blade? I've had some questions about the comfort of the 7. The handle just looks awkward. I'm just trying to be sure I make the right choice since it's an investment. I'm drawn towards the 6 due to the fact that the guard makes it appear combat oriented as well as "survival" oriented. While I don't think I'll be using it in a combat situation I just kind of dig the looks of it. Do you really think that the 7's lack of top guard and extra inch of blade give it that much of a leg up over the 6 or is it more of a personal preference? I've tried to research the 7, but there don't seem to be many reviews on it. I wonder why that is?

 

[LuckyLeftFoot]

So the guard just gets in the way on the 6 or it inhibits the functionality of the blade? I've had some questions about the comfort of the 7. The handle just looks awkward. I'm just trying to be sure I make the right choice since it's an investment. I'm drawn towards the 6 due to the fact that the guard makes it appear combat oriented as well as "survival" oriented. While I don't think I'll be using it in a combat situation I just kind of dig the looks of it. Do you really think that the 7's lack of top guard and extra inch of blade give it that much of a leg up over the 6 or is it more of a personal preference? I've tried to research the 7, but there don't seem to be many reviews on it. I wonder why that is?

 

[DaKruiser]

I love the way the R6 feels in hand, the top guard doesn't bother me at all, even when chocked up using the choil. I honestly like it better than the Busse Team Gemini, but I like INFI that much better than SR101, ( SR101 is still awesome steel! ​), so I own a TG. Just so I help you all that I can, the R7 feels great to me too,

Get both, they're not hard to sell, and you probably wouldn't lose much if any on either one,

 

[irishfan]

I have had a couple of the Rodent series knives and just couldn't get used to the grip. I really wanted to like them but the grip just did not feel right to me but the Ratmandu is quite nice I must say.

 

[NathanJefferson]

So the guard just gets in the way on the 6 or it inhibits the functionality of the blade? I've had some questions about the comfort of the 7. The handle just looks awkward. I'm just trying to be sure I make the right choice since it's an investment. I'm drawn towards the 6 due to the fact that the guard makes it appear combat oriented as well as "survival" oriented. While I don't think I'll be using it in a combat situation I just kind of dig the looks of it. Do you really think that the 7's lack of top guard and extra inch of blade give it that much of a leg up over the 6 or is it more of a personal preference? I've tried to research the 7, but there don't seem to be many reviews on it. I wonder why that is?

The top guard is a personal preference first and a functional preference second. I LOVE the way it looks - way cool! but I don't like the way it fits in my hand. I've heard that the top guard can make battoning a little harder cause it will tear up the 'hammer' as it hits the protruding guard.

If you want to take the 6 for a test drive shoot me a PM - I'd be willing to meet you on the north side of indy and let you borrow it for a week or so if you'd like.

 

[tradertator]

You'll either love the feel of the Rodent series or hate it. Personally, I don't care for it but I love Swamp Rat's & Busse'kin stuff. Incredible bang for buck blades and as already pointed out, they are really easy to sell (even heavily used) down the road if you get tired of it. If I were looking for a general purpose camp knife, I think the Mean Street is tough to beat.
Anniversary Mean Street CG - BUSSE COMBAT KNIFE CO.
Mine is an old, non anniversary model that I picked up in a trade a few years ago. The INFI steel they use is incredible stuff too, holds a great edge and easy to touch up. I've used mine to skin out numerous whitetail with, as well as packed it along on numerous camping trips with great success. Seldom have I found a task that it wasn't up to, but when I have, a Gransfors Small Forrest Axe made short work of it. It's small enough too that I've found it easy to carry daily without looking like some Rambo wannabe dingus

 

[Hillbilly]

I've got a couple of the R6 knives. All of them have the top guard removed. The R6 has a handle similar to the M series, and is quite different than the rest of the R series. I actually like the handle on the R7 and R9, but I have big hands and that handle seems to fit better in large hands.
The R6 is a good solid knife.

 

[ViperJock]

Not to thread jack but since it has been mentioned already... At what point is a knife too long and you just need a machete instead? What does one do with a 7" knife that cannot be accomplished by a 4"? I'm looking for my next knife and I love the great info in threads like this. I was actually thinking of going for an Esee 3" but then I thought, I don't have a longer 6-8" knife. Am I missing out?

 

[flatlander]

Not to thread jack but since it has been mentioned already... At what point is a knife too long and you just need a machete instead? What does one do with a 7" knife that cannot be accomplished by a 4"? I'm looking for my next knife and I love the great info in threads like this. I was actually thinking of going for an Esee 3" but then I thought, I don't have a longer 6-8" knife. Am I missing out?

To sum it up quickly, I can do small things with a big knife but not the other way around. Ever had to make a litter? Plane a piece of wood to make a flat spot? Get a parachute out of a tree? Trust me, you'll wish you had a 7" knife insted of a 4-5" knife.

Bob

 

[LuckyLeftFoot]

Not to thread jack but since it has been mentioned already... At what point is a knife too long and you just need a machete instead? What does one do with a 7" knife that cannot be accomplished by a 4"? I'm looking for my next knife and I love the great info in threads like this. I was actually thinking of going for an Esee 3" but then I thought, I don't have a longer 6-8" knife. Am I missing out?

I usually take a couple different options with me when camping or hiking. When I camp it's a folding saw or my HB forge camp axe, a medium size blade, and my izula II. I just want a larger blade. I've played around with my rotation quite a bit and I think a 6-7 inch blade will provide me with everything I need! While I love HUGE blades my Ontario SP53 just stays around the house, it's just too big and heavy for me to lug around. I love my BK2 as well, it's just been lacking the length I want. Also, I just like collecting knives, and I don't have anything in that length yet. So there's that.

 

[LuckyLeftFoot]

If your not a fan of it maybe you'd be willing to sell it? I know a guy that might be interested in one.

 

[ViperJock]

To sum it up quickly, I can do small things with a big knife but not the other way around. Ever had to make a litter? Plane a piece of wood to make a flat spot? Get a parachute out of a tree? Trust me, you'll wish you had a 7" knife insted of a 4-5" knife.

Bob

Thanks Bob. That's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. It seems like a large knife is used as you would use a machete if you were carrying one? Would you carry a large knife if you also had a machete?

 

[LuckyLeftFoot]

Thanks for contacting me Nathan. I guess I can't respond via DM because I've not met the minimum posts. I talked to Trissy at swamp rat and we got it sorted out. The long wait begins. Once again I appreciate your input and you contacting me.