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Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
The RAT legacy lives on with a different badge
Bought this and its bigger brother the Avispa as I've been disenchanted with the new Ontario Model 1 that's supposed to be the predecessor of their previous RAT 1 knife. I have numerous RAT series knives; over a dozen in the RAT 1, RAT 2, series as well as two RAT 3 and a RAT 7 in fixed blade configurations and I've always been super impressed with them. Best bang for the buck in their respective classes. Since Ontario's rather ugly split with Jeff Randall from Randall Training and Adventure however and the dry up of the old RAT series knives found to buy, Ontario's new "Model 1" has replaced the old "RAT 1" which in a recent conversation with one of Ontario's telephone associates I was assured was the exact same knife in construction and quality. When I asked why then they have since changed its Lifetime warranty policy on the old RAT 1 to 1 year on their new "Model 1" I was given the old badda be badda ba response with no clear explanation other than to "rest assured if anything happened with a purchase of their new "Model 1" that I would be taken care of". Suffice it to say, I'll pass on Ontario's new copy of Jeff Randall's great original RATs. A "you'll be taken care of" isn't what's written right on the box of Ontario's new copy of Randall's RAT. It says "1 year". As for the Zancudo I bought here and the Avispa I also found and bought elsewhere, I can't say enough about them other than to say that if you were a fan of the old RAT 1 or RAT 2 knives BUY these new ones. Sharp... shaving sharp out of the box, butter smooth deployment, rock solid frame lock lock-up, and great ergonomics make Esse's folders great knives to own. I love my old RATs and am sorry to see them as history now but the Zancudo and the Avispa are sure to pick up right where they left off. Buy a Zancudo as I did and you won't be disappointed.
