Tag Archives: Rat Kydex

Ontario RAT 5 First Impressions

by GunGuy

I was shopping for a 1095 carbon steel knife that I could take hiking and possibly use as a bushcraft knife. I decided on purchasing an Ontario RAT 5 as it was reasonably priced and well reviewed. When I received the knife I new that it might come with a sad specimen of a cordura sheath. Upon opening the box the knife was solid and really well made. There were no marks on the blade and the micarta handles were properly fitted.

The cordura sheath was a bit sad looking if you compared it to a Kydex sheath but it was perfectly serviceable. The cordura sheath had a plastic insert so the knife did not damage the sheath. Ideally the sheath would be made out of Kydex because the knife is made out of 1095 carbon steel and the cordura sheath would retain moisture and hasten rust. The positive aspects of the cordura sheath was that it had a small pouch for a sharpening stone and that the sheath also had molle straps that could be used to attach to a chest carrier, bag or on a belt. I plan on upgrading to a Kydex sheath from knifeworks.com after an upcoming bushcraft knife class that I am taking. Here are some pics in the mean time.

RAT5_Top

RAT5_Right

RAT5_Left

Cordura_Sheath_RAT5

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