The Ontario Rat line is one of the most well-known knife lines in this community. I've always hesitated to pick up a Rat 1 or 2 before, but I'm glad I've finally gotten the chance to try one. This is a fantastic knife, and one that I highly recommend.
For a $30 knife, the quality of this Rat 1 is great. The fit and finish is good, the action is super smooth, and there are no quality issues. I was shocked at how smooth the action is. Most budget blades have kind of gritty or tight action, but that's not the case with this blade.
The overall design isn't anything fancy. It's a design that just works and will function well with whatever you throw at it. I don't think the Rat 1 is the best for EDC, just because of how big it is. However, I'll be using mine for hiking/camping and for those times when I need a beater knife. It would really excel at those purposes, as this is a beefier and bigger knife.
The blade shape is simple and looks nice to me. It's a bigger blade, over 3.5" overall, but the actual cutting edge is only 3.25". That's a lot bigger than something I'd typically carry for EDC. Again, that's why I think this knife is better suited for camping and beater type usage. I personally wouldn't necessarily want to carry something this big everyday. The steel on this version is AUS-8, which is a perfectly adequate steel. I know there's lots of steel snobs out there, so if you want a slightly better steal, spend the extra $10 and get the D2 version. The one thing I wasn't the most excited about with the blade was the thumbstuds, but I've grown to like them a lot. Since the action is so smooth, using the thumbstuds isn't that big of a problem. I do occasionally miss the thumbstud when I'm trying to open the blade, but that's more my fault. There is also some jimping on the thumb ramp that nicely adds some extra grip.
Handle wise, the Rat 1 has killer ergos. The knife feels like it just melts in my hand. The edges of the handles are rounded off, so there are no sharp corners digging into your hand uncomfortably. The scales are a plasticky type material, which I'm perfectly fine with. I know some people hate plastic scales because they feel cheap. I've grown to love them, since they make the knife lighter, can have added textures, and have a wider range of colors. They've got a a slight texture to them, but they still feel pretty smooth in the hand. The lock on this knife is a liner lock, and I've had no issues with it. Lockup is pretty solid. The clip isn't anything special. It's your typical clip that carries well. This knife is on the heavier side, but surprisingly when I carry it in the waist band, I don't feel it all that much.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a budget blade coming in around $30. That's a phenomenal deal for this awesome knife. I'd definitely pay that for a knife that will last you forever. There's all sorts of color variations if you're not into the plain black. You can also buy the $40 D2 version if you want a better steel than AUS-8. I like that Ontario has so many options with this blade.
All in all, this is one of the better knives I've tried this year. I don't have any complaints about it at all. I've got this particular one on loan from a fellow knife YouTube guy, Hydra572HQ. I was so impressed with this knife when I first got it from him that I went out and ordered one for myself immediately. I've had the chance to try out a few things on loan from different people in this community, and this is the first time I've ever actually gone out and bought whatever I had on loan. I think that kind of speaks to how great this knife is. I was always on the fence with picking this knife up, because it seemed so overhyped. Luckily, I was wrong, and I found a great blade. This is one of the better mid-sized knives I've tried in a while. I really liked the Native 5 I had, but the Rat 1 beats it for sure. The Rat 1 is cheaper, has better action, and has better ergos than the Native 5. I highly recommend you pick up a Rat 1 and even a Rat 2 as well. I'm even more impressed with the Rat 2 I picked up alongside the Rat 1. You can expect to hear my thoughts on the Rat 2 soon as well as a comparison type post. You can't go wrong with a Rat either way. This is one of those knives that I think every knife lover needs to own. Thanks for looking! Also, huge thanks to Hydra572HQ for loaning me this! Go check out his YouTube channel here!
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