Rough Rider & Related Slipjoints

Checked my swayback work knife with the unknown, AKA 'Quickcelluloid' handle material: no cracks but has shrunk back from the end of the knife and bolsters. Currently quarantined from the others.

 

Just In!
RR2040 Classic Carbon Barlow and RR719 Old Yellah with badge shield Barlow.
(RR2040 matches my RR1740 Classic Carbon large stockman)
(RR719 matches my RR603 large stockman and RR597 full size trapper)

RR2040:
Gap upper half cover/bolster, pile side; Cover cut wrong; Cosmetic.
Slight gap, pile side bolster/liner; Cosmetic.
No other noticeable to naked eyes gaps.

Half Stops;
Primary Clip Point: F/F/F
Secondary Pen: F/P/F ; Cosmetic
(F= flush/ P= proud/ S= sunk)

No blade rub; Primary clip point is leaning a hair to mark side; Cosmetic.
Primary and secondary pull is a “5” out of the box. Both have good talk, no discernable blade wiggle.
Even grinds, both blades arm hair shaving sharp out of box.

*/*\*/*\

RR719: (does not have half stops)
Lined bolsters Mark side has small amount dried white epoxy in the groove; Cosmetic
No noticeable to naked eye gaps.
Both blades centered.
No discernable blade wiggle.
Pull on both blades is a “5” and smooth
Even Grinds, both blades arm hair shaving sharp out of box.

 

Great review! Thanks for the information, been looking at the carbon. Don’t want to pay shipping for just one RR, so I usually add them on to an order to get to the free shipping.

 

This is my second Classic Carbon. I also have the RR1740 large stockman.

IMHO, if there is a pattern you like in the "Classic Carbon" series you like, and your budget can withstand the hit, you should get it/them before they're sold out. (who knows if there will be a second run? I sure don't.)
Both of mine are keepers. I strongly suspect the cover/bolster gap, and bolster/liner gap on the RR2040 are a fluke. None of my 60 or so other Rough Ryder/Rough Rider have them.

 

I nabbed a cub lockback with buckshot bone. Pretty cool little knife. It looks very good and is sharp. I'm taking my small cotton sampler out of the rotation. Let's see how the cub flows....gonna get some pocket time this week.

 

Got this one in today. Quality seems above standard RR level, which is not bad to begin with. Blade is well centered with even grind and good walk and talk. I would say the pull is above medium, maybe a six. It was sharp out of the tube, but is shaving now after a little ceramic stone work. I probably would have liked it even better if it was a sheepsfoot blade, rather than the one-armed style, but no complaints.

 

Just replaced the blue aluminum scales of the RR2103 If the VG10 series. I haven’t finished yet but was too excited and had to grab a picture.

 

Any chance someone could have been admiring your knife and dropped it? I don't doubt it is possible the material can and will shrink, but it looks kinda "dropsy" to me.

 

Awesome! Looks great.

 

thank you very much. Pretty proud how it turned out

 

I believe it. The black covers on mine are receding heavily as well. Micarta doesn't do that. We've all been duped.

 

Any possibility a bad batch of Micarta got through QC of whatever company made it?

Have y'all with this problem notified Rough Ryder/SMKW?
I'd guess this would fall under their lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects.

 

Can we see pictures of yours also?

 

Hmm I'll check mine later see if it looks like they're shrinking. It never really looked like micarta to me however I assumed it was a paper micarta. Although it looked and felt like Bucks phenolic resin they use on fixed blades. Though I've never seen or heard of it shrinking and dimensional stability is listed as one of its qualities.

 

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1rzVsAl5sRuHRPXmnrKz11B_0TYBMZllb

Take notice of the obscurations occuring around pins and collar as well as receding from the liners.

 

That is what I am seeing in mine, somewhat uniform shrinkage evidenced across the covers. The photos Alan posted looked more like what I have seen from dropped knives, than from knives that have cover shrinkage.

 

i'll wager another 6 months to a year mine has developed more cracking.

Editted to add, mine stays in a humidity controlled room. So its neither drying out or overly saturated.

 

It is very disappointing to see shrinkage like that from a material that should be stable. Myself and someone also also noticed that our previously centered blades, became off-centered. The only explanation I can think of for that would be due to the cover shrinkage. These knives might be literally pulling themselves apart.

 

This is a RR 1751 Canoe....... G10 handles.... The G10 is pulling away from the bolster and liner..... It appears they bonded the G10 to the liner with red epoxy.....