Rough Ryder Reserve Stabilized Oak Kayak RRR018 Pocket Knife

Review of the Rough Ryder Reserve Stabilized Oak Kayak RRR018 Pocket Knife. The Kayak sports two modified styled blades in D2 steel, one resembling a sheepsfoot and the other a wharnclife. The satin finished bolsters, pins, and shield are nickel-silver, with brass liners. This is the first Rough Ryder Reserve offering a natural handle material. 3-5/8" closed length. UK Friendly.
Join TK's Commado Club for 2.99/mo.
Exclusive access, custom emojis, & more.
/ @thriftykaniffy
#ThriftyKaniffy

[@BigRedEDC]

That Stabilized Oak looks really good! The blades are definitely modified versions of a sheepsfoot and wharncliffe but that's what makes it a Kayak!! Thanks as always TK!!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks JB, the blades are modified so much that in reality naming them is just a matter of opinion. Call them whatever you like as far as I'm concerned. Cool handles.

[@skcamerican]

That’s a handsome knife. I have the original, and like it. The blades are strong, and great for whittling and working. I don’t mind the width. This one’s prettier, for sure. Looking forward to more natural covers!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I didn't pick up the original, kinda glad I waited for this one. Thanks Su.

[@TRONABORON]

That color tone is nice!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Indeed a lovely looking handle on this. Thanks, Tronaboron.

[@diverdave2179]

Excellent views of the knife TK, the oak is eye-catching.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I hope I did it justice. It's a really nice knife with some quirks.

[@byronkennedy7912]

Thanks TK. The stablized oak covers look really nice. I actually like the thicker body stock for better grip.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

There are some advantages/disadvantages to the wider body.

[@WVKnifeEnthusiast]

love the handle materials. good looking knife. Thanks for sharing!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Oak Burlwood seems to be what it is. Very nice! Thanks WV.

[@WVKnifeEnthusiast]

@@ThriftyKaniffy no problem TK! Always enjoy your videos.

[@checkmatekingtwothisiswhit7685]

Thank you TK for an “around the world” look at your beautiful new knife.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Hope you enjoyed the look, Check. There's some nice things to like about it.

[@jamesomalley4556]

Great to see some slip joints !

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Always. Thanks James, much appreciated.

[@mikehook2835]

Love it, just got my first RRR A 016. Thanks for showing it to us.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Sure thing. I had to check this one out to see what the handles were all about. They are nice.

[@JoseGonzalez-yx6vm]

wood material looks really good, nice modern design on the blades, thanks for showing it!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks again Jose, I always appreciate the support.

[@jimclonan]

Hi. I think you for the review thrifty Caniff he. I purchased one of these knives about a half year ago and I liked it so much that I bought a second one and gave it to my son as a gift. With all these small critiques that you pointed out, I still like the knife very much. I carry this in my pocket every day in a little leather sheath and therefore it is my EDC.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I always like to hear what my viewers are carrying so thank you very much for the feedback. The Kayak is a well built knife.

[@Pocket_EDC]

Nice knife. The RR Classic Carbon II Canoe is similarly wider then the normal Canoe. Compared to say the Red Fox Canoe, overall it is wider and the blades themselves are thicker.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yep, that's right. The oak is nice, but it could be thinner.

[@davidkurle5418]

Those covers look great. Nice to see RRR going in this direction. Thanks for the look at the Kayak, buddy!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Any time! I do like the direction that hints at for futurre RRR.

[@darren3258]

Another Amazing review , this channel is one of the reason why I started my own collection, I'll keep my eye open for this one in the UK 🇬🇧 what a great knife 👍

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks Darren. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@knifedelights7473]

Thanks for sharing TK! It is a nice looking knife and looks to have a good build.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thank you KD. It's well built, chunky even.

[@gadgetgus]

Gorgeous coverings & snap! 😊 I may get one to try for whittling 😉 Thanks for your insightful video TK, Atb Gus 👍

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I suspect it would work well in that capacity. Thanks Gus, glad you enjoyed it.

[@LegionTacticoolCutlery]

God I love this Stabilized Oak! I have the Micarta version but I think I may need to get one anyway!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

They are very nice. Smooth as heck.

[@mikecurtis2585]

That oak looks great 👍 very nice pattern! I like that one!!!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

The wood handles are a really nice departure from the normal RRR handles. I hope they continue down this path.

[@robertbudnik3318]

Great review Thrifty! This one is going on my wishlist.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Good to know Robert, please let us know how you like it. Thanks!

[@johnelder4273]

Thanks for the up close look at RRR knife. The thing that I have always loved about Canoe knives is the way they feel in hand with the main blade open. The smaller pen knife does not cause a hot spot when you use it. This knife looks like the full sized secondary blade would make this knife uncomfortable in hand if you grip it hard. Combine that with the exposed sharp edges caused by the overly tall/wide blades and it's nothing like the Canoe knives that I love. It is a handsome knife certainly and it would be a wonderful knife with traditional Canoe blades, although likely a bit heavy in pocket. It's not really a Canoe as it is, and I will pass on getting one. At $60 you are just $10 shy of a traditional Case Canoe which has all of the qualities a Canoe should have and is thinner and just as handsome. I do like RR and Marbles standard traditional Canoe knives especially the RR with the locking main blade. But, it was a great review!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It's not quite as comfortable as an original Canoe. The Kayak gets a away with some direct comparisons by diverting itself into something else. So if you're wanting a canoe look elsewhere, actually if you're looking for anything completely traditional, you won't find it with RRR.

[@angrytomshatnextdoor4770]

I love the handles if it was a single blade I might like that more. This canoe is just over $52 add smkw.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

The handles are nice, a bit iffy about the overall design. Thanks, Tom.

[@larrymarkowitz8386]

Hooray for wood covers!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

They're finally here! Thanks Larry.

[@jonrost5574]

I have so been wanting this one. Great video.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Hope you enjoyed it Jon, thanks for watching.

[@Goose_Gear]

I have this kayak and the RRR002. I'm really glad they added the pins for the kick because I had bad blade rap on both RRR002 blades. It took several sharpening to get past the rap.

[@Goose_Gear]

I also noticed they shrunk the etchings on the stabilized oak version.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

The blade etchings are smaller now, but they look kind of cheesy. Not sure why a stamp isn't used. I'm glad they made the corrections with the stop pins.

[@Goose_Gear]

@@ThriftyKaniffy do you think they are using etchings because the hardness of D2 steel?

[@chaddamron3877]

Luv the RRR blades but a cpl of the ones I've held -- that sharp tang edge has kept me from pulling the trigger on them - great looking knife tho -- killer vid my man

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

I wish they'd gotten that part right, Chad. Thanks for the feedback.

[@haveaknifeday6253]

The wood is actually a “burl” which is where the marble look comes from. I believe they could fix the issue of the thickness and the gap if the would remove the brass liners between the springs and springs that are NOT wider than the blade stock. If you open the blade and look at it from the back up to a light source you will see what I mean.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Yes, it must be to have such a tight grain. I know what you mean about the springs. It's definitely a lint collector.

[@jelkel25]

It's definitely good enough quality to be in the knife for life category so I don't begrudge the cost. For £60 you do have quite a few options out there so I would need to shop around first.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

In comparing just to other RRR knives, I'd say it's much closer to the top than the bottom. Thanks JK.

[@michaelbeams9553]

Nice knife , I could see using it as a dedicated whittler or tool box knife , but for daily pocket carry it seems a bit heavy / chunky . Maybe , a belt sheath ? Great review . Peace . Be Free .

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks for a having a look Michael. "Canoe like" is about as far you can go with the similarities.

[@alpine1600s]

I just noticed that this one and a few other RRR have nickel silver bolsters. Was looking for a pattern in which ones, black Micarta etc. but not finding any...🤔

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Do you mean among the RRR?

[@alpine1600s]

@@ThriftyKaniffy yep.

[@lukehorning3404]

Probably a dumb question but what is stabilized oak stabilized any handle material 🤔

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It's process to make it more durable and prevent warping etc. Thanks, Luke.

[@jeffjackson5331]

Very nice

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Thanks very much. Jeff.

[@jeffjackson5331]

@@ThriftyKaniffy you are very welcome

[@Mike-uh2gw]

The blades look very functional and the handles are good looking. Fit could be better at this price point. I would probably polish the wood but that my preference while the aligator snap tops it. This one would be a great user but you can get a nicer used case for the same price. American manufacturers should be sweating as the Chinese produce better quality products at prices we can't compete with.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It's not a perfect knife to be sure, but does have some top notch attributes like the action and handle material.

[@garrockwaters304]

I have never seen a RRR knife that was any better than the regular Rough Riders.In fact I find them a real let down. They are chunky and some features of these RRR knives don't make any sense. How designs these things? The regular RR knives are outstanding value and the workmanship is excellent. (mostly)

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

RRR have been very inconsistent IMO. Some are great, some not. Thanks, Garrock.

[@LegionTacticoolCutlery]

I say the blades are reversed American tantos!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Hey I won't argue. They really are non-traditional.

[@jerseyknifeguy6382]

I have the older one…… there is too much space in between the blade wells…… anyway I didn’t care for mine but to each there own….. stay well thrifty

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

That puts some people off. Not a huge deal for me, I have other things I'm more opposed to with it. Thanks Pete.

[@jerseyknifeguy6382]

@@ThriftyKaniffy I hear ya but I’ll tell ya she’s a pretty piece!!!! Stay well buddy…… check out the joker cocker it’s a big lockback but it’s so good

[@gizmocarr3093]

If you like, a traditional Canoe, this one is not the same pattern. It is a Hulk of one. Stabilizes Oak is not a natural material unless it looks like one. You would not know what it was without reading the description. The whole line of Rough Rider Reserve models do not conform to traditional made patterns. There well-built knives but not close to traditional designed patterns. All of them are modern slip joint knives with the idea of making a knife heavier and thicker makes it better. The reason most people don’t carry a Buck 110 in their pocket, is because of the size and weight of the them. That is the reason I like a traditional pocket knives in the first place. Other reasons, is what they look like, what there made from how they are made by hand and who made them. The Rough Rider Reserve Knives should come with Kydex belt sheaths instead of metal tubes. 🤔🤣😂

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Turns out it's burlwood, from an oak. So it's natural, but not the type of oak you might first consider. I agree RRR have always meant to be modern traditional and then people complain they aren't traditional enough in whatever sense. Some of the arguments are valid, maybe others not so much. My thinking is that if you're going to include these style bolsters whether a a canoe or something else then they should probably contain the back of the tang. It's kinda the basic feature of them being shaped the way they are. RRR chose not to, so okay, smart?, dumb? I dunno seems like a wasted opportunity to improve the knife. New packaging idea...cryogenic chambers. Thanks Gizmo.

[@gizmocarr3093]

@@ThriftyKaniffy I think the Reserve Barlow you have is one that is a great design, but some of the others are puzzling for to me.🙂🙃

[@kjgas6945]

It is a fine knife👍👍🤠🤠🎯🎯🗡🗡🔪🔪

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Appreciated KJ. Thanks for the support.

[@kjgas6945]

@@ThriftyKaniffy 👍👍🤠🤠

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

I like the looks of the oak but I’m not a fan of the blades on this chunky monkey. Good review.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

If Andy designed this one I'd have to say it's pretty much his M.O. I feel like there's times he cant seem to find a good middle ground.

[@KnifeChatswithTobias]

@@ThriftyKaniffy it’s an AA knife.

[@WilliamsKnifeLife]

I like that RRR is getting away from total micarta. Natural wood 🪵 means each knife should have a unique cover.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Very true, couldn't agree more.

[@pauljosephbuggle3722]

You didn't give the weight.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Actually I did, 14:39 Thanks Paul.

[@pauljosephbuggle3722]

I stand corrected, thanks. My wee obsession is weight. A slipjoint over 3 ounces starts to worry me. I have (and like) the Classic Carbon Canoe and it's a touch above. I suppose I'm a one blade guy.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

@@pauljosephbuggle3722 I've noticed that if I condition myself to a heavier knife for a week or so, the weight becomes less of a concern for me.

[@felinebline7154]

Yup blew it on the tang bolster its. 12.00 "canoe minus". Too thick. Design and build out lacking. Looks like a match break pull. 14..$17 tops 60 plus ship and tax only with my lobotomy. I like the Canoe pattern rather canoes unstable Frankenstein cousin... Great review. RR lost me.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Well Rick, that TK Premium black label is gonna be your nemesis I'm thinking. No arguing your sentiments.

[@felinebline7154]

@@ThriftyKaniffy Unless its a product built and delivered befitting a Premium product. I own a Baladeo 6.00 in my home. The thing is faultless! 6.00. Who releases that kind of stuff? We deserve far better.

[@lewisgreenway5065]

Like the covers but that's about all definitely pass on this one.

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

It diverts from a canoe a bit much for some tastes. Thanks Lewis.

[@jamesbranham2217]

Iwas liking it until made in china.. 10dollar knives ok.. 60 dollar knives made in China I'm out

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Fair enough. Thanks, James.

[@randygilberthorp4125]

You dont test sharpness not to good of review

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

Ok👌

[@garrockwaters304]

An expensive failure for a knife! Even a good fit and finish cannot make up for design failures that some of these RRR knives have. Come on man!

[@ThriftyKaniffy]

While I agree that I'm not always a fan of the design decisions made on these RRR knives the affordability allows me to overlook some of it. There just isn't a lot of competition for unique traditional style knives made to this quality standard in this price range. Brother knives being one main exception.