Ontario Rat II Folder OD Green

I've had this knife for almost two years now, and I have to say that it's been really great. Just so you know where this review is coming from--I'm a dyed-in-the-wool knife guy. I've owned blades from Chris Reeve, Spyderco, Benchmade, and Great Eastern Cutlery. I am not afraid to spend money on a quality, hard-use knife, but with the Ontario Rat 2, you don't have to. For $30-50, you can put a solid knife in your pocket that will serve you well.So What's to Love?Ergonomics are great. The knife feels good in the hand, and the clip (when carried RSTU) adds a little bit of extra purchase for flicking. The thumb stud is a little rough if you've never used one before, but it's not as bad as the stud on my Sebenza 31. The dual washer system in the Rat 2 gives the blade a marbles-on-glass feel when the knife flicks open. And oh, that flick. What a satisfying sound this blade makes as it locks into place. It's absolutely delicious.There is also the ability to change the clip to suit your preference. I carry right-hand tip-up as it feels natural to me, but if you're a lefty or a tip-down person, then there are four positions that the clip can be placed. The pivot on the knife is also excellent. It has a flat spot on one side to keep it from rotating in the pivot hole.The liners are sturdy, though skeletonizing them might be a good modification for a little extra weight savings. But, this knife is very light as is. Finally, the Rat 2 comes sharp out of the box in both the Aus 8 and the D2. I put my own edge on mine with my KME and it's sharp enough to treetop hairs. The blade geometry and the generous belly also make slicing through all manner of stuff buttery smooth. Blade stock is decently thin, and the centering on this unit is spot on, even after tuning.What's Not to Love?On the other hand, there are a couple of things that might be helpful to you before you buy. First, this knife isn't going to be good for larger hands. I have medium-sized hands and it fits great. Larger hands should look at the Rat 1. It'll be a much better fit.Second, the clip does give a bit of hot-spotting if you're gripping really hard on the handle. It's not terrible, but it is there. If you have soft little milquetoast baby hands, then you should probably buy something else. Speaking of the clip, it is a bit stiff, which is great for not losing your knife. But it will be an adjustment to get it in and out of your pockets. Once you carry the knife for a few days you won't notice it much, but it's very stiff off the rip.Finally, the scales do have a bit of texturing to them, but they aren't super-grippy. If you work in wet conditions, then you may want to add a little bit of grip tape to the scales so they can give you a bit of extra security when you're holding the knife. The Jimping on the backside of the blade helps this issue a bit.Should You Buy the Rat 2?Absolutely. If you want a solid knife that isn't going to break the bank, then the Rat 2 is phenomenal. It's an awesome EDC for someone who isn't ready to spend upwards of $150-500 for their everyday carry. The D2 blade steel is better than some of the Spyderco value blades (8cr13mov yuck) like the Tenacious or the Resiliance. The Rat 2 is also small enough to not be obstructive in your pocket, but has enough belly to handle tough cutting tasks like opening Amazon packages and slicing the sleeves off your Three Wolf Moon t-shirt. Overall, it's a value folder that punches above its weight class. Buy one, beat the hell out of it, and then buy it again. You won't be sorry.

The RAT II is one of the best knives I’ve owned as far as value and price point. The knife is quite sharp out of box, a quick touch up makes it razor sharp in short time. The knife is lightweight and confident feeling in hand. The fit and finish of the knife is beyond others for the price. I had gifted several of these for Christmas years ago, and decided it was time for me to have one in the rotation. The AUS-8 steel is budget, but it is also so much better than 420 or 440 in cheaper knives. In use, it seems comparable to VG-10 steel, and it sharpens after use very easily. There is no wiggle or play in the blade up or down, or side to side. The closed blade centering is near perfect. It is everything you could ask for in a value priced EDC knife. The first thing I did when I got the knife was adjust the clip to the correct (tip up) orientation. You will notice all of the tiny clip screws have little dabs of blue Loctite on them, which is incredible attention to detail and usually skipped by knife manufacturers, especially at this price. I mentioned utility as a use for this knife in the title of my review. Not because I would exclusively use it as a utility knife, but it is priced so well that if you need to do some harder use type tasks, you won’t be out much money if you damage it. If you get nicks in the blade they will be easy to remove through sharpening. My only slight gripes of the knife are the finger groove and the soft opening detent. I like the finger groove of the knife in use, but if you want to ‘flick’ the knife open with the top of your thumb nail, pushing underneath the thumb stud, the finger groove creates a slight obstruction. This is easier to do with some of my other knives, but it can still be done. That being said, the finger groove is a unique functional characteristic of the knife which is worth keeping the way it is. The opening detent is perhaps a little too weak. I dropped the knife from waist height onto a hardwood floor, and had the knife open into the locked position. This could be more of a symptom of my tip up pocket clip carry orientation, but it is still the way I would be holding the knife if I were about to open it. Dropping a knife and having it open isn’t an unexpected scenario, but a little stronger detent on opening could prevent some of these instances. This could be corrected with a small change in design, but probably not worth it in a near perfect knife at this price. The knife overall is highly recommended. I also just ordered this knife’s big brother, the RAT I.TLDR: Order the knife, you will be happy with it.

If you're looking for a quality, lightweight EDC carry flip knife, this is the one for you. I have a ton of knives, some expensive, some cheap. This one is performing and holding a blade like my more expensive knives and ways virtually nothing. The casing is nice and easy to hold. Size is appropriate and the blade is strong and holds a nice edge.Get yourself one, or ladies, get your man one. He won't be mad about it. You don't realize how often you use and need a knife until you have one. Plus, it doesn't cost much at all when compared to most knives. And other knives in this price range tend to be garbage but this bad boy cuts way above its price range.

I love this knife. It's the second RAT 2 that I've had and I have no reason to look for any other knife. It checks all the boxes for me- lightweight, simple, blade holds it edge decently, is inexpensive. I can't justify buying a ZT or Benchmade because I tend to break or lose blades. It certainly isn't as well made as some of those expensive knives so don't expect ZT quality in a $20 RAT. However, that being said, I would still pay twice its current price for the knife.The action is smooth, the blade feels good in the hand, and it cuts stuff. What more do you need? Get one!

Very nice, everyone likes this product and very light to carry.