The Ruike P801 Pocketknife: The Full Nick Shabazz Review

[@xKaidoh]

Hi Nick, just wanted to provide you a little extra info for your edification. Ruike is actually pronounced RAY-kuh, and is spelled completely correctly. The Chinese characters are 锐 - Ruì (pronounced RAY) 可- kě (pronounced kuh) which literally means "sharp." The strange spelling is from the standard Chinese pinyin system, the official romanization system. This system is based on the traditional Chinese phonetic system, which, the Chinese language being what it is, does not jibe with typical English phonetics.

[@NickShabazz]

This actually makes sense. Thank you!

[@Buzzby4020]

Thanks for clearing that up. Now Nick will be able to sleep at night.

[@xKaidoh]

Nick Shabazz No problem. Love your videos. Thanks for the hard work.

[@Pew7070]

Thanks xKaidoh! I was waiting for this explanation for the last 2 years. But now I would like to hear the original pronunciation of this word by a Chinese native. Maybe this will take less.

[@88yellowjacket]

There are no short vowel sounds in Chinese. Makes everything a bit easier to pronounce.

[@Booper2021]

Watching this...the wife told me not to buy anymore knifes after she goes to sleep........buying this now. Thank @nick Shabazz I'll have to deal with that tomorrow.

[@CadillacDriver]

How's it going after 2 years?

[@CadillacDriver]

The knife, not the wife 😂

[@rickyortiz1165]

Same. Haha

[@Cooldibs]

This $30 knife has better centering than my $267 940-1...

[@awesomises]

Yeah, I could also agree

[@Hosunlee89]

better centering than the $175 BM 550-1

[@n0k1ngs41]

Better than my $150 BM 950 Rift, too!

[@CadillacDriver]

No surprise. My Squid, 110, Rat 1, Beluga and Hussar have centering better than much more expensive knives I've handed.

[@charlescollier7217]

I'm surprised to hear about the failures people have experienced, because I have one, have never had any issues, and absolutely love it. Ruike, Steel Will, and others have already changed the calculus, as far as I can see. They've brought better steel, good build quality, and excellent designs to the table, all at prices that beat US competitors. I think THEY are why Ontario has put out D2 versions of its RAT folders.

[@Lokahi-fo-life]

Charles Collier I

[@CannibalChuck]

I like my Ruike. Purchased it from a trusted local retailer who liked them. The pivot did come loose but I was cutting a large red onion at the time. A little purple Loctite on the threads appears to have done the trick. Sandvik is a good budget steel which sharpens easily, is there don’t appear to be any real issues here. For the money, it’s a decent knock around folder.

[@peterhoarvlogs6506]

I've had this knife for many years now and i have yet to have any problems with it and it has outlasted nearly all of my other knives, so I'm not sure why everyone else had issues

[@Hungrybird474]

Facts

[@Buzzby4020]

I got a P801 and it's as nice as the one Nick reviewed. There are a lot of QC problems in the knife industry. I've had problems with $200 knives from top American makers that required returns. Now I appreciate how lucky I was to get a good P801.

[@dalton6786]

Mines perfect as well

[@nitrorc4life1]

Wanted to give an update, I have bought 3, 2 stone washed 1 blackwash models. All 3 where consistently good, and so far no issues with the one I use regularly for over a year now.

[@not-a-raccoon]

I'm admittedly kind of a knife snob, and I'm in love with this knife. Action is great, steel is decent (far better than 8cr garbage), and its hefty enough to feel like you can thump on it, and it carries well in pocket. No complaints at all.

[@TitoLukason]

Exactly, I prefer sandvik than 8cr...

[@rollyro71]

I felt like i was listening to 'Columbo' reviewing a knife! Very good, thorough review

[@domgreco7]

Your reviews are essential for buying knives as far as I’m concerned. Thank you.

[@vicariousjohnson9823]

This is a great knife. I've been carrying it ever day for over two months. For as good as it is, seems it should cost a lot more. Thanks for the review Nick!

[@Justinlmd]

Great video! Just adding my experience here as well: got the P801-SF in the mail this week and it is wonderful. My only complaint is the pivot loosening on its on, relatively quickly. Easily fixed with Loctite. Otherwise, excellent knife and incredible value!

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

I have one, and I think it's unbeatable value! Love the action, the build quality and the design! I will definitely buy some more Ruike's!!!

[@Cenobite1]

Had mine for a few days after seeing this video. Went through Amazon for piece of mind should a lemon be what arrives. It's so ridiculously good for the money I'm considering getting the blacked out version even though I don't need a second beater knife. I'll give this one some more fidget time before I do. I'm a collector and user which means I have "safe queens" and can be a knife snob; that said, I'm impressed with this "budget" knife. Love your reviews.

[@BrentonCarr]

Mine was fantastic. I have a whole range of knives in the price spectrum, this one bats above it's class.

[@megamaser]

I bought this originally as a white elephant gift and my cousin loved it so much and convinced me to buy one for myself. The next year I bought six of them and handed them out as Christmas gifts. So far all of them have had great fit and finish, no problems I'm aware of. It's a great steel for the price. I like the aesthetic and the blade is very practical. It's narrow and fits really well into my pants without me feeling it, so I carry it often. It is a little slippery but that's no big deal for an edc. I wouldn't use this as a camping knife though. Ruike has a larger one with green g10 scales in the same price range that's more ergonomic in the hand and better for the outdoors.

[@wamps3370]

Nick, I have 3 'Rake' P801's. Each purchased separately. All of them perfect. Like you, the only mark against them are the smooth scales; which are not a huge detractor to me. Fit, finish, ultra smooth operation are excellent-factor in the very reasonable price=winner, winner, chicken dinner! Like you I ended up putting blue locktite on the pivot screws. As always, great review Nick!

[@MrTJohnston]

I’m ready to make it, my wife not so much

[@tufloi]

I don't know why, but i love this dude's voice. I would absolutely include him in any dinner party for six.

[@stoneblue1795]

I think he could read from the phone book and people would stand and listen. It might take him all day to get past the "a" section with commentary, but that's all the fun.

[@tgrossner]

Just bought my third one of these. One that I used alot and sent off to a friend for sharpening, one that I sent to that friend as a gift, and now a 3rd just because. Great little knife for the money.

[@AlfredoRGuillen]

Love my P801. Couldn´t believe it was only $30 when I picked it up at Blade last year. One of my very favorites....awesome knife for the price.

[@TeddyRoooosevelt]

I like that the grind and end of the scales line up when open, as does the flipper tab and lock bar cut out... Nice detail

[@jello022170]

I enjoy watching your vids and your the best reviewer for knives. Take care from Montréal, Québec

[@thomaslanders1162]

Negative feedback aside, it's a good looking knife.. I think a lot of US makers (CRKT, Kershaw, Benchmade etc) do a ton of buisiness in large stores and sporting good stores and that's why they don't give a damn..Most of their sales are probably from a non knife guy that goes to Walmart or Dicks to buy one knife..If the Chinese co's ever get into those stores, the US co's will be in big trouble..

[@biomech7]

I wonder is there a way to swap the steel ball bearings for some other better ball bearings, like ceramic for instance? And where I can find ones?

[@jacobmanalang8162]

a guy in the jimislash fb group put clear griptape on his 801 to solve the slippery handle issue. i think it was part of the lean program idea board at his vasline factory. very kai zan six sigma

[@Lokahi-fo-life]

I love mine and I think it looks really really nice. For $30 don’t think I’ve ever bought a better knife for $30. I do agree with the slickness of the handle.

[@TitoLukason]

I got P801-SB, which is black wash finish. Imho much better looking than SF. Anyway, for that price nice finish and sandvik steel is all but good.

[@Qwerty_Q101]

I have 1 since 5 years ago and is still rocking...now I found it in Amazon again and bought 2 more...no matter you say about budget knives, is not necessary to have a fancy expensive knife made of some rare steel to have the job done...everything else is just fashionism

[@kimwjustice]

Looks like disassembly voids the warranty, just so you know. FWIW, I just got one of these and it looks like it was properly made (fingers crossed). I like it a lot, so thanks for the recommendation! Looking at the warranty sheet, I find this language: "The warranty won't cover misuse, abuse, disassembling, and other man-made damage, also the normal wear and tear."

[@bigrube420ify]

I love my p801 its fucking scary sharp and mirror finished edge from factory i appreciate that

[@bradb5094]

Mine has been great. Scary sharp from factory and super smooth action. Bummer it isn't consistent, apparently.

[@david37922]

Just got my P801-SF in the mail from BladeHQ ($29.95+$2.99 shipping), perfect blade centering, excellent quality & very sharp out of the box. Great value, I'm impressed!

[@Kennyb1980]

Got this knife very recently but must admit I was pleasantly surprised, don't know about the comments you mentioned about detent or lock failure but mine is a new work knife, keep up the great reviews, thanks from the UK 👍👍👍

[@Mrplacedcookie]

I like the "simple" design. 14c28n Swedish Sandvik steel ok to go.

[@convex7456]

Jorgen Sandstrom gets scalpel sharp

[@kevinweaver4265]

Hi Nick, since you are a Delica lover, I forward the following; Since 1990, the Delica has been an EDC staple-and for good reason. For one, it was among the first affordable pocket knives that could be opened with one hand, even with gloves. For another, it’s lightweight, compact, and carries on either side thanks to the four-way pocket clip. A couple years ago an idea was tossed around the Spyderco forums for a Delica made with Super Gold (SG2) steel, a high-performance powdered steel manufactured in Japan. While there was plenty of interest, the project never came to fruition after Spyderco founder Sal Glesser deemed it unfeasible due to the high cost. Now, thanks to the strength and size of the Massdrop community, we’re bringing the project back to life! This limited-edition run of 1,000 pieces features the classic black FRN handle, but with super-premium blade steel that's never before been used on any Spyderco. As a subtle nod to the Super Gold steel, the lock bar is coated in a matte gold finish.

[@miruina]

i own one of these, and have gifted 3 of them they're amazing values. the only issue i've ever had is the action being a little gritty, took it apart and the copper washers had like crimps or something interfering with the bearings left them out and it was perfect.

[@puma51921]

Agree. This is a nice knife. I am surprised how much I carry and like mine.

[@macmccartney5760]

I have the p801sf, its great, I mean its no pm2 but for 30 bucks, can't beat it

[@briantaylor9266]

Nice review of a nice knife. It has a flipper tab, thumb studs, and runs on bearings. Those are all things that set off the alarms at Canada Border Services Agency, so for a Canadian to mail order it from a US (or Chinese) supplier means confiscation at the border. BUT I can order it direct from Ruike Knives Canada, at a competitive price! Jeez, we're screwed up in this department!

[@mikeoxuge9453]

Brian Taylor amazon ca has it too for around $60 CAD

[@stoneblue1795]

But you got legal government inspected weed. ~ You win.

[@dadsplusbikes366]

Um Blades Canada??

[@kuramatd]

I was excited to receive my Ruike P801 via Amazon a few months back. I carried it for about 3 days before I decided to go ahead and return it. The centering was spot on, it came razor-sharp, but it just never really flicked well. I thought I would carry it for a few days and see if anything changed with use, but the detent was just awful on mine. Additionally, the blade developed two pretty bad chips while performing basic EDC tasks. I understand at $30 this should be a value, I just couldn't keep it with those kinds of issues already. I'll probably end up ordering another one later on down the line, but I'm giving the Steel Will Cutjack Mini some time for now.

[@thymii]

"basic EDC tasks"? And you chipped it? My P-108 is still kicking after some months, but I guess that 14C28N can be kinda brittle with that added chromium content. The flipper gets painful I agree. Especially with sweaty hands the finger will just roll over and that feels super annoying. Just realized you are talking about a different model.... Oh well...

[@davidh0159]

"I'm 12 so it amuses me greatly". Love that. Nice review, Nick. I like that you're doing a

[@werner134897]

High quality review. Thanks. I got it yesterday. I'm impressed. 2 gripes: The weight was very noticable to me. And the flipper tab is too slippery. But for 32 euro I am very happy to use it for edc (rather than a 300+ euro knife).

[@randywess1352]

I bought three of P801 Ruike knives and they all were great.

[@oscarmedina1597]

I have two of these and have not experienced any of the issues some folks are complaining about.

[@scottyh.6992]

I have used this knife for a month now and I have grown to really like it. I don't care for the thumb studs though, I wish it was a flipper only. It really glides through cardboard!

[@JPuckett89]

This is my current EDC. Absolutely no complaints from me other than what you mentioned. Solid knife, insane value.

[@sergemaster]

Is it just me, but is blade nearly the spitting image of the discontinued Kershaw Piston? Me thinks so..

[@charlesfox9580]

Totally agree. Super product for $30. I’ve had mine for several months, carry occasionally, and am still very pleased. I have added other RUIKE knives to my collection, like them all except P135, it’s a bit too angled fo me. Nick, keep up the great work, treasure your comments.

[@anteck7goat]

Glad to see this get on the big screen

[@dr.roundbottom31]

Ive been a huge fan of this model for while and I have purchased 3 over the past few years and every one of them was great functionally and my original is still my edc and its still kicking 2+ years later. The other 2 I gave as gifts and they loved them

[@matthiast3943]

Hey Nick what knife is in your opinion better, The ruike p801 or the real steel h6 ?

[@attic42]

Nick! Thanks for the review. Been wondering when you might get around to looking at the P801. As a budget-minded collector, the P801 and the Sanrenmu Land 9010 are some of my favorites, but I lean towards the P801 just a bit more due to the slim, rather unique, pocket friendly flipper design. On the other hand, while I EDC my P801s more often, I enjoy the smooth action of my 9010s just a bit more. I own multiples of both these knives, and, for what it's worth, I haven't experienced any of the issues you mentioned some people gripe about. Hey, I noticed that Sanrenmu 7046 that you snuck in there for a second. Can't wait to hear what you think about that one, too. As always, please keep the content coming! Thanks again!

[@TukaSlave]

I have had the Land 9010 for quite a while, and a Rat One copy, and a variety of other mainly Senrenmu knives, but the main problem with all but the Rat One copy is the short handles. This P801 seems to be long enough, and I just love the flipper design. I have ordered one in any case. NB, the Rat One copy and Land 9010 are my only impressively large knives, but they require a wrist flick to open quickly. This Ruike (Ray-kuh) should be fast and smooth. I hate to wait...

[@ronaldventola2465]

Please say that the thumb studs are useless, not just "a little hard..." . Any adjustment (adjustable by disassembly and gentle bending the bar in or out) of the frame lock that makes the knife flick by the pocket pecker makes the thumb studs feel like they welded the blade in place. For the price they could have saved another dime by eliminating the thumb studs.

[@MobiuSphere]

All the reviews I've seen have been fairly glowing, so I'm glad you mentioned the inconsistency, I might not have found out otherwise.

[@NoOne-ex4sx]

My experience with this knife isn't great. The looks and action are fantastic, but that's about it. I don't know if I got a particularly faulty model or if it was a first iteration prototype from how bad it was lol, but the frame lock barely went in enough to secure the blade. I could 100% see an accident happening with some poor soul losing their fingers. Additionally, the screw came loose slightly every time I deployed it, meaning the blade would shift and I would have to manually retighten it every 2 weeks or so. And the pocket clip was cheap and bent too far outwards, eventually it started falling out of my pocket. Disappointed but I guess you get what you pay for.

[@chads9179]

My thumbstuds had a gap. They weren't tightened down. Kept the knife, liked it enough anyway and wasn't worth the time/energy for sending it in for a replacement.

[@drpoppyseed]

I had to use the warranty to replace a broken clip. They didn't require any proof of purchase and shipped me a new clip in just a few days.

[@bluefrog8670]

Bought one and as much as I want to like it, I have constant problems deploying it. No go for an edc, maybe still good for formal occasions or something.

[@a_storm_inside7026]

I opened and closed it like 20 times and the blade is already touhing one side of the handle when closed. Blade has minor wiggle. Havnt even used it but one time. How do i straighten the blade again?

[@NickShabazz]

Try tightening the pivot screw?

[@a_storm_inside7026]

@@NickShabazz which one is tge pivot screw?

[@a_storm_inside7026]

@@NickShabazz the one you tightened?

[@totschopper]

Ch seems to have Their own designs,I haven't seen any clones. Amazon sells counterfeit products as well. Jusayin

[@moneymark7660]

whats Ch?

[@brucemack3687]

I love mine for the blade. The detent is a little strong and the blade tip had an unequal grind with Sharpmaker 40 degrees inclusive not touching the left tip. I had to reprofile.

[@spike4628]

As much as I hated to do it to such a beautiful stretch of stainless steel, I put black rubber adhesive backed Gear Gripez in strategic places. It works. They're available from Fenix-Store.com.

[@craigolejarz3814]

Just picked one up 2 weeks ago, must have gotten lucky, good centering on the blade, nice detent, and it flips out hard, I'm pleased with my $30 purchase.

[@mikelikesknives428]

I have this knife and I really like it. The price makes even more attractive. Thank you for the review.

[@LtSurvival]

Got 4 of these Ruike, my first was the P801 and yes the detent is a little lite but a well made knife none the less. the best one up to now out of the 4 i got is the P108-SB with the Blackwash finish.

[@0smodius]

I'm glad you mentioned the quality issues, I was very disappointed with mine. The scales aren't lined up correctly on the pivot end of the handle, so if you hold the knife in your hand with your thumb on the back of the blade, one side of the handle is higher than the other and it's very noticeable. If you grip tightly the knife will pivot because your thumb is putting force on one side of the handle only. It's a real shame because I like the knife otherwise and given how cheap they are I've considered gambling on another one, but after hearing I'm not alone I might pass.

[@buckaroobunnyslippers]

Happy I got this one a few months ago thanks to your excellent review. Great action and worth the price, but the slipperiness and all steel weight keeps it out of my EDC rotation. Also took off the thumb studs, as the anodizing was uneven on delivery and they're basically just decoration. It's going in the tool box.

[@csharpewalls]

I love my Ruike P105 so I’m sure I’ll be purchasing this one soon.

[@grimflipz]

I own this knife and it's in my edc rotation. The frame screws on mine are crazy hard to remove. I bent a few bits trying to remove them. Fortunately all you have to do is remove the pivot screw and the blade comes out. So thats OK for me.. Also this knife has caged bearings. I would recommend this knife for sure!

[@Shrike_AFK]

This or Steel Will Cutjack?

[@MrBlessed70]

Good review!Ruike are absolutely killing it in terms of value to quality to price.14C28N is my favourite budget steel-more of mid-tier quality!!

[@kerryrwac]

Most people would expect you to rake Ruike over the coals . The new P865B looks interesting .

[@TheReligiousLeft]

I also bought the Ruike P121 which is also very good. Blade reminds me of a sinkevich

[@williamjc7195]

I have this blade and 6 more. All are excellent. I made minor adjustments, a bit of oil and "good to go" :)

[@yogurt666]

Great review. Just picked one up and it is indeed a heck of a value. Detent dialed in fine and well centered. Only problem was what you found: the pivot is self-loosening. Did a little loctite solve that for you?.

[@lordfinklebottom7278]

I got this knife and yeah mine has a weak detent. A flick of the wrist and it's fine but I wish that the detent was stronger on mine. Also I wish that the spacers were blue too. That's just cosmetics tho

[@shotgunbowen]

2:21, bless you.

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

Perfect timing.. dropped on my lunch break.. thanks Nick.. nice looking blade for sure.. Great video 👍👍👍👍

[@mroqqq7871]

Just bought one, waiting for it to arrive. Hope so i won't be dissappointed, it will be with me as EDC.

[@SliceyDicey]

"You don't have to rely on sketchy sites that promote counterfeit goods to get it." - PREACH IT, BROTHER NICK!!!

[@RonBrumleve]

A co-worker looked over my shoulder as I watched this video while on break. He noticed you kept using the term "detent" and he asked me what exactly that means - what makes a good detent vs. a bad one, etc. Do you have a video explaining such things?

[@charlesmanning6218]

Great review. Incase this info is worth anything: I bought a knife from bladeHQ with an issue, and when I told them about it they differed me to the manufacturer. Months later I had it fixed, but the point is This should be kept in mind when buying from online stores. Could have been an isolated incident by an employee who made a mistake, but from now on I’m just gonna say “I changed my mind.” Which works with Blade HQ.

[@HaesslichG]

Just saw one of these in person. It's very reminiscent of the ZT 0450... and the grind on the one I handled was perfect. And mirror polished even. Needless to say, it's coming home with me.

[@makanmonkey]

It's pronounced as "Ray-Ke(r)" it's a Chinese name in Pinyin, not in English. The Latin alphabet is used for many languages aside from English, just as Italian, French, German words in the Latin alphabet do not "torture the English language" either.

[@pinkbrisingr78]

Thanks for your always well thought out & detailed vids man!

[@abc456f]

Guess I got a good one. Also have the 128sb. No issues whatsoever. Great values. Chinese made crkt or Kershaw? I'll take Ruike, for heaven's sake!

[@shallmaneser]

will we see a review of that green sanrenmu???

[@jackfarmboy]

I will always call it a " Roo-iick". Sorry not sorry ...... Love my P801. First one came perfect. The second one had one eeny meeny minor issue ( most people wouldnt call it an issue) still great though.

[@davidr9876]

Looks like a frame lock Land 910 (by Sanremu)

[@RidenourMedia]

I've been waiting for this review. You pretty much said exactly what I thought you would, but I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the reason I no longer carry this knife, which I actually loved, is that it became unsafe. I stuck my hand in my pocket to find that the detent hole had worn away, and the knife fell open. I have trouble trusting them after an issue like that. The bent blade was forgiveable, the overly locktighted, soft screws that stripped was unfortunate but price point believeable, but the safety issue means that I'm likely to completely avoid this brand for quite a while, if I ever return.

[@Tom_H327]

P-108SF8675309. They should call it the Ruike Jenny. I bought one of these based on this and the review by BirdshotIV.

[@The4cp]

I've heard about the inconsistency, but when they are good they are good. Calling it rake is impossible. Ryuky Maybe.

[@davisssamuel]

I'd like to see titanium scales (textured) with maybe (though a stretch) S30V but more likely a VG10. I'd pay a solid $80 bucks for that.

[@justaamateur6533]

That woud still make it over 100$...

[@wis1024]

14c28n is actually better than vg10 in most tests I've seen here on youtube

[@beltransanchez5571]

This or the RAT 2?

[@KINGACE9]

This

[@brucemcintyre2383]

Kershaw uses Sandvik on their Leek. Not a bad steel. My son-in-law loves his Leek.

[@marybethfields1166]

You are saying it right I watched the video on it..

[@systrex]

I've been seeing this knife all over the place lately. Seems cheap but I'm still intrigued.

[@DavidWilson-vq7fl]

I have one of these and carried it every day for almost a year before I got my Laconico Keen. The Ruike P801 is a great value knife that performs extremely well, and it kicked other knives out of my pocket that cost many times its price. I would not hesitate to buy other Ruike knives in the future.