EDC Review: Ontario Knife Co RAT 1

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Born from the mind of Jeff Randall, the Ontario Knife Company (OKC) RAT Model 1 is arguably the most recommended budget folder on the planet. Touted as a survival knife, the Ontario RAT 1 has graced the pockets of survivalists, bushcrafters, and EDC enthusiasts for nearly two decades. I’ll bet my right kidney that it’s one of OKC’s top-selling pocket knives. In this Ontario Knife Co RAT 1 review, we’ll find out if it lives up to the hype.

Randall’s Adventure and Training (R.A.T.)

Before we get to the meat, I think it’s important to talk about the inspiration for the Ontario RAT 1. For those curious, R.A.T. is an acronym for Randall’s Adventure and Training. Started by Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin in 1997, R.A.T. provides professional training in all things outdoors. Such training includes:

• Survival Training
• Bushcrafting
• Expedition Guiding
• Tracking
• Single Rope Technique
• Land Navigation
• Search and Rescue
• Wilderness First Responder

If that wasn’t impressive enough, the R.A.T. crew is also considered a leading voice in research, design, and testing of survival/adventure gear. They have their own machine, fabrication, sew shops, as well as destructive testing capabilities. So how does this relate to the Ontario RAT 1? Back in 2002, Randall’s Adventure and Training entered into an exclusive collaboration with Ontario Knife Company to manufacture the RAT series of knives. Since then, Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin have started their own line of survival tools called ESSE Knives. Although much has changed in almost 20 years, OKC maintains the rights to produce the tried and true designs of the original RAT series.

Blade Steel and Design

AUS-8 Steel

AUS-8 is Japanese-made stainless steel that is popular in the budget knife arena. It’s not a “super steel” by any stretch of the imagination. However, it’s not Chinese-made steel with a serial number for a name. Sort of a middle-of-the-road type of steel. If you enjoy periodically sharpening your knives, AUS-8 is the steel for you. That said, edge retention is surprisingly good, sharpens easily, and will take a wicked edge. Also, with 14.5% chromium content, AUS-8 has excellent corrosion resistance. If you’re looking for a RAT 1 with better edge retention, OKC does offer a D2 version as well. What you get with better edge retention, you’ll lose some corrosion resistance in D2.

Drop Point Blade

The Ontario RAT 1 is undeniably a drop point knife. The dead giveaway is the convex spine that curves down from the thumb stub to the point. You’d be hard-pressed trying to convince me there is a more general-purpose and utilitarian blade shape. Drop points naturally provide a larger belly. Combining a large belly with a full flat grind and what you have is a recipe for a slicing machine. 

Testing the Ontario Knife Co RAT 1

Like my other knife reviews, I preface the testing sections with this disclaimer — I do these tests based on my needs. Although the Ontario RAT 1 is a perfectly capable EDC knife, I primarily use it as a companion to a camp knife. That’s not to say I don’t EDC the RAT 1, I do so fairly often. In any case, I want to see how the RAT 1 performs in terms of survival tasks. This mostly revolves around food prep, starting fires, and whittling/light wood processing. I have no doubts in the food prep department, so the focus will be on the latter two.

Striking Ferrocerium Rods

I don’t proclaim to be a master survivalist. But I know some basic rules when it comes to surviving the wilderness. Along with finding water and shelter, being able to build a fire is essential. Benefits of having a fire include water purification, warding off animals, warmth, and cooking meat if you’re able to catch some. This is why I always have a ferrocerium rod when out exploring mother nature. 

Without getting too much into the weeds, ferro rods are versatile fire starters. When scraped with a sharp edge, it produces sparks over 5000°F. Here’s the best part — it will shower sparks in rain, snow, high humidity, low humidity, extreme cold, or unbearably hot weather. That is to say, ferro rods are unaffected by climate. The Ontario RAT 1 is one of the best knives I’ve used when it comes to striking a ferrocerium rod. Each strike produces a firework display of sparks. You can thank the sharp 90° spine on the blade.

Whittling Test

I’ve had the RAT 1 since August 11th, 2017. Trust me when I tell you this knife can feather stick with the best of them. There will be no feather sticks today my friends. I typically carry a larger fixed blade along with a pocket knife while out in the woods. This way I can process larger pieces of wood and reserve the pocket knife for more intricate tasks. That being said, I want to test the OKC RAT 1’s ability for controlled cuts.

Much like the netting needle I whittled using the Giant Mouse ACE Grand, I like to make and carve useful tools. Since survival or bushcraft doesn’t mean you have to be uncivilized, I decided to whittle a fork. From shaping the handle to forming the fork tines, this will be the perfect test for knife control. I found the Ontario RAT 1 performs superbly when dealing with any type of cut. The belly of the blade efficiently slices large swaths of material when doing basic shaping. The tip is equally controllable when dealing with the precision cuts required for the fork tines. As a bonus, the RAT 1 remained sharp throughout the whittling process. Even after hours of whittling red oak, it still passes the paper test with flying colors.

Ontario Knife Co RAT 1 Fit and Finish

Nylon 6 Scales

There’s not much to report here. The scales are well-made with nicely rounded edges. As a result, I’ve had no issues with hotspots, even after hard use. The RAT 1 scales have light texturing and are adequately grippy. Some may find them a bit too slippery with cold hands, but the deep finger choil allows for a firm hold. Ergonomics are good with plenty of real estate on the 5” (127mm) handle.

Stainless Steel Liners

There is no milling or skeletonization in the stainless steel liners. Not surprising from a budget blade. Sure, you could shave a bit of weight by milling the liners, but I happen to like the weight. This is especially true for a hard-use outdoor knife. There’s something about a heavier blade that provides confidence in hand. Coupled with solid lockup, I can push the OKC RAT 1 as if it were a small fixed blade knife.

Pocket Clip

For the good, tension is strong with the spoon-type pocket clip. After over 4 years, the clip holds just as well as the day I unboxed it. Another great thing about the clip (or knife in general) is that it’s fully ambidextrous and has tip-up/tip-down options. Doing the math, that’s four different carry configurations. As for the bad, the coating on the pocket clip is thin. Even the most careful person won’t be able to avoid the paint wearing off. Also, it’s not a deep carry clip. Those of us who like to carry tip-up will find a substantial amount of knife peeking out of the pocket. You get half the amount carrying tip-down. Lucky you.

Disassembling the Ontario Knife Co RAT 1

To say the Ontario RAT 1 is screw-heavy would be an understatement. There are a total of 15 screws for full disassembly. In any event, with a good micro-bit set, disassembly is straightforward. You’ll need a T10 for the pivot screws and a T6 for everything else. There are a couple interesting points to note:

First are the teflon washers. They go between the blade and the ubiquitous phosphor bronze washers. I’ve taken apart many knives, but I have yet to see the same bronze/teflon washer combination. It’s always been one or the other. There has to be a reason why they are there, so don’t lose them. If you do happen to lose any of the washers, screws, spacers, or clip, Ontario does sell a replacement parts kit. 

Second, when reassembling the Ontario RAT 1, there’s a fine balance when tightening the pivot screws. It’s more important to get a smooth action than trying to perfectly center the blade. It only takes about a 1/8-turn to either make the action too tight or have an incredibly off-center blade. This may just be my particular knife. 

Finally, this is a knife you’ll want to clean often. Let me rephrase that — This is a knife you’ll HAVE TO clean often. This relates to my point above. The tolerances are so tight, any dirt or grime in the pivot will ruin the otherwise good action of the RAT 1.

Final Thoughts

Let’s face it, all of us either have or could use a beater knife in the EDC lineup. While I use all my knives, the Ontario Knife Company RAT 1 is most certainly my top budget beater. I get that it isn’t the McLaren 765LT Spider of the knife world. The OKC RAT 1 is more like an early 2000s base model Toyota Camry. What it lacks in stylistic flair, you get ultra-reliability at an affordable price.

From a price to value ratio, it’s hard to beat the Ontario RAT 1. For sub $40, it’s a knife I’d throw into a toolbox, tackle box, or survival kit. At that price point, I’d be willing to buy three and never be without a knife. Although it’d be sad if I ever lost my RAT 1, a replacement would be ordered as quickly as I can hit the Amazon “Buy It Now” button. If you’re looking for a reliable budget beater, look no further than the Ontario Knife Company RAT 1 knife.

Technical Specifications

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OKC RAT Model 1 AUS-8 (Review Knife)

There are a plethora of handle materials, colors, and blade steels to choose from. Check out the many version of the OKC RAT Model 1 on Blade HQ.