Rough Ryder Black Reserve Smooth Bone Copperhead Lockback RR2563

RR Black Reserve Smooth Bone Locking Copperhead

Torn between four and five stars because I’ve fallen in love with the knife itself but people should know there can be cosmetic flaws. The one I saw in a new product video inspired me to buy it right away before they sold out. The video example was perfect and beautiful. The one that came to me had a noticeable dye flaw on one scale which by itself is no big deal since bone doesn’t always take dye evenly but flipping it over the bone on the other side was totally scratched up as if it had been dragged over a piece of coarse grit sandpaper and attempted to to be covered up with a bad spray paint job. I can run my fingernail over it and feel all the scratches. The knife on that side looks like it’s spent some time sliding around in a toolbox, which even though I might do that shouldn’t be the case with a brand new knife. In addition on that side the hammer or punch that drove in the main pin missed the pin and placed a highly noticeable circular indentation in the bone surrounding that pin. Does it affect function? No, the pin is seated fine it’s just cosmetic. Aside from those things though the knife is super heavy duty, solid and strong. It’s overbuilt in a very good way. I bought it to be a reliable working knife and that it certainly is! Lockup is fantastic and no blade wobble whatsoever! As a knife it’s everything I’d expected and hoped it would be and beyond. It will do all I ask of it perfectly well. It feels great in the hand and is extremely well-balanced. I’d feel bad returning a perfectly good tool over cosmetic issues, I’d feel like a Karen even asking and given the low price it wouldn’t be worth the time and expense of returning anyway so I’m going to keep it. Other than the cosmetic issues it’s a dam fine knife and will be fun to use. I’d rate the knife itself, materials and design five stars. If my review were over cosmetics in a collector’s piece I’d give it three (or maybe even two), so I settled on four stars.

Thomas S.