Rough Ryder RR1961 Bolster Lock Medium Toothpick

Let me be clear, I do have a bias concerning this knife being called a bolster lock. Some my share in this bias, many will not. Despite this bias, I feel i can still give a fair review of the the knife, and by extension the series. And if you're into toothpicks and are looking for one that locks; this knife might be right up your alley!
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @knifechatswithtobias
Some of favorite channels:
/ @slick_slicers
/ @knifedetector
/ @bigrededc
/ @williamsknifelife
/ @thevineclimber
/ @rjsknives
/ @knifedelights7473
/ @singingtoad
/ @thelastranger
/ @thriftykaniffy
/ @j.o.venturesoutdoors
/ @stuffwedo
/ @randyswsg
/ @tobys-glue-bomber-circus

[@checkmatekingtwothisiswhit7685]

I love those Medium Toothpicks. Thanks Tobias

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Thanks. They are a nice, light knife for the pocket with a decent blade length!

[@checkmatekingtwothisiswhit7685]

Agreed. I recently picked up the 7 available now from case.

[@knifedelights7473]

Very interesting, Tobias! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this one.

[@LeashMechanic]

Love this one and glad to see it featured! I carry this one a lot and even bought a second to keep the original in nice shape. The lock release tab never gets in the way, in fact it’s actually pretty convenient. The saw-cut bone is beautiful. The color and the overall look of the knife reminds me of of being in an old favorite and very old off-strip casino called the Skyline in Henderson which has some of the best low blackjack table limits you’ll find anywhere and darned good deals on breakfast lol but anyway this knife blends in with their decor and looks like something that would be in one of their shadow boxes. One of my favorite gent’s knives! Thanks for doing this video!

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I have to admit, my only issues was with what they call the lock mechanism and the big R. But overall the knife is really nice. and you just don't see many locking toothpicks. And that Red Sawcut bone is some of the prettiest Rough Ryder has ever done. I hope to see more of it. And if they came out with the "Bolster Lock" line again without the Big R I'd buy it.

[@mikeadams2538]

Learn something new everyday! I had never heard of a bolster lock, of any persuasion. I bought a cherry red bone RR toothpick recently. You may be winning me over as a toothpick fancier….

[@Stans_Collectors_Universe]

I agree, it's a liner lock. Still a good looking knife. Thanks for sharing and God bless.

[@ericstarr9399]

A very pretty toothpick! Thanks for sharing! Definitely a liner lock and I agree it would be better without any cut in the bolster.

[@SpyderHeel]

Very good video! I wasn't aware that Rough Ryder brought back the bolster (liner) lock. It is indeed based off of an old idea. In the 1920's to late 1930's, Robeson manufactured several bolster (liner) lock knives. I believe there was a large toothpick, Barlow & a fishing knife. The fishing knife wasn't your typical toothpick based fishing knife. It was a spear point bare head jack, with a scaler on the spine & a caplifter on the spine, towards the ricasso, in the opposite direction you'll normally see a caplifter.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Interesting. Thanks for the information. I guess I should've guessed it wasn't a new idea but something rediscovered in a catalog. That fishing knife sounds really funky. I think "Bolster Liner Lock" would be a more appropriate name for the design. Again thanks for the info!

[@GlockNinja]

It looks like it's trying to be a liner lock and a frame lock.

[@propblast82nd]

Interesting piece, those Rough Ryder knives from SMKW are amazing quality for the price 👍

[@TonupTodd]

I bought this and the French tickler because they are different from the rest of the 4” toothpicks in my collection.

[@bdh3949]

Picked one up when they first came out, really liked it and its been in my edc holder since then, carry it often. I had no thoughts about what it should be but the action and the looks keep it close.

[@DBEdwards]

I own 12 ROUGH RIDERS. I LOVE THEM ALL

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I'm not surprised. They're a terrific brand. Thanks for dropping by.

[@davidkurle5418]

Good looking knife👍Thanks for your thoughts on it, buddy!

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Glad you found it useful. Thanks for dropping by.

[@Pocket_EDC]

It's hard to tell, just passively watching the video, but it appears the Bolster lock knife has either a shorter tang or, it is recessed further into the bolster (though what I can see in the video does not seem to suggest the latter). Would that account for some of the overall blade length difference? Perhaps not significant where the cutting edge is still less. Still, it is a great looking knife. I would agree, it is more representative of a liner lock.

[@RandysWSG]

That's a pretty neat knife!

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I agree. And there just aren't that many locking toothpicks

[@n8ram413]

I got the half hawk in the bolster lock series. The red sawcut bone, finish on the bolsters/liners and single blade half hawk are excellent. My biggest complaint is on mine the blade did have just a bit of give before hitting the liner lock. Meaning I could push the blade maybe about a eighth of an inch at the tip before it would hit the lock. It’s still probably relatively safe but I treat mine for all practical purposes as a slipjoint to be safe. To be fair, I would probably buy the same exact knife if it didn’t have the lock since I really like the series other than the lock. For me, if your gonna add a lock to something that doesn’t necessarily need one, I want it to lock up tight with no wobble or play. Otherwise, I’m not going to be comfortable using it as I would a locking knife.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I pretty much treat every folder as slip joint, especially liner locks and frame locks. I find they are the most likely to fail. I see them as a great safety feature but not really a replacement for a true fixed blade. I know of that slight give you're talking about with the half hawk. I think that is one of the more common issues I encounter with liner locks. It really doesn't instill confidence in the locking mechanism.

[@jeffjackson5331]

Beautiful toothpicks. It is wierd why they cut that bolster.

[@rockets4kids]

8:25 almost certainly for 3" knife laws

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I wouldn't doubt it. But hey, if it helps sells, I get it.

[@kathleensmith370]

I don’t mind the Big R but the bolster cut is weird

[@austinkokomainiac7352]

It does seem more like a bolster liner/frame lock. Not like the original Italian bolster locks. As long as you put that aside it seems like a nice knife. I need to pick up more toothpicks. I like them but I only have one fishing version I have had forever.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Absolutely. The knife is well made and the lock-up is excellent. IMO, everyone needs to pick up more toothpicks. But I might be a little biased.

[@gizmocarr3093]

Nice looking knife.👍

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

It is pretty nice. The lock does work but it does look a little funky.

[@anthonyrollins9825]

this bolster lock is inherently stronger , safer and more ergonomic in the hand , as you know common failing point for those brass liner locks is the brass deforming or wearing away over time rendering the lock inert or dangerous to depend on .... in my opinion this fixes some if not all of the safety issues with the original liner lock type of design.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I get where your coming from but all the did is rivet the liner to a bit of the bolster. I can't see how this in anyways strengthens the liner lock. If anything it has weakened it by drilling holes in it and the most crucial point of the lock up. If you want a stronger lock up than a liner lock, you're better off going with a lock back. Several test have been conducted that show the lock back is superior to both the liner and frame lock.

[@anthonyrollins9825]

@@KnifeChatswithTobias that would be a mistake on your part the cut out bolster part is prolly 30-50 times thicker than the simple brass liner strengthening the end of the liner where the deformation and bending usually occurs.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

@@anthonyrollins9825 you may want to check your math the bolster makes just the top part of lock 3 times fatter than the liner. The bolster slides into the channel and offers no significant support to the liner to act as a locking mechanism. If anything, the location of the bolster could very well cause stress fractures on the bone through normal use. I have sense found out that this type of lock was first introduced by Robeson back in the 1920s or 1930s. If it was found to be as significantly stronger as you suggest then it seems to me that it would've been adopted by numerous knife companies. It seems like A.G. Russell also played around with the idea but once again was not proven to be successful. Maybe some channel with the correct equipment can actually test this lock against other liner/frame locks. But as I see it, it really doesn't do much to make the knife any safer to use and does create a significant blemish to the bolster. But as I said before, it is a locking toothpick and there just aren't many options out there for people looking for a locking toothpick.

[@anthonyrollins9825]

@@KnifeChatswithTobias you got the point I was making , and if you want to check it its simple to prove use wood and nails , fasten the wood together so it mimics the liner bolster combo with a single portion hanging off the end and see where it breaks guarantee you its not going to be the doubled up portion tyvm good sir.

[@danedwards8535]

To be honest they are scaring up the bolster with the R trash.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

That Big R is what kept me from buying the knife for the longest time.

[@preppy890]

Nice knife, even if it doesn't follow your preconceived notion of a bolster lock

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

Not my preconceived notion. The release method used on automatics (and other knives has been called a "Bolster Lock" for decades. If a person was expecting a traditional bolster lock on this knife they would be sorely disappointed. But yes, it is a nice knife with a decent liner lock.

[@CRIS.V1891]

This are just semantics, they just played with the meaning of the words. Of course it is just a liner lock with the cut out bolster, but I don't like this idea. It messes with the knife look and doesn't ad any real improvement, to the locking mechanism like you said. To bad because it would of been a nice looking pocket knife, without that mangled bolster.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

It works well enough but I have to agree, riveting part of the bolster to the liner lock probably doesn't improve the lock up. I have since been told that Roebson did a similar back in the 1920's or 30's. It didn't catch on back then either. If there had been a noticeable improvement in the lockup then it would've been patented and copied by others; similar to the way every modern knife maker has a version of the Benchmade Axis lock.

[@CRIS.V1891]

@@KnifeChatswithTobias Wow back in the 1920's or 1930's what do you know, the same bad idea didn't catch back then either. Usually when you revisit a old idea is when you can improve on it either by adding your input to it, or because of the improvement of technology. That allows you to bring to life a good old idea that didn't work in the past, because of the short comings of past technology development's. But just to copy a past bad idea it's just dumb, if it was bad back then it will still be bad now. I guess some people don't think much before they act, and manage to get the same bad results over again. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️