Is anyone familiar with this knife as a WSK or all purpose wilderness tool?

So, I was flipping through a catalog over the Holiday and saw this knife from the 'Rough Rider' brand:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006LCRDY2/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B007NW3J2E&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1104SBJ2BJDRR8G55BCZ

It is the 'Saigon Sidekick' and seems a close approximation of the Tom Brown Tracker knife.

I would like feedback on this knife specifically (if possible), or on the Rough Rider brand in general. I've never purchased anything from Rough Rider before and have no idea of the quality. I don't however, feel there is any need to pay approx. $ 200.00 dollars for the Tom Brown knife.

I am aware that it is impractical under most circumstance to enter the bush for any length of time without a hatchet. I also am rarely anywhere without my multitool. I do, however, enjoy going into the bush for several days at a time with very minimal kit. Under these circumstances, I often carry my classic Kabar USMC knife with me, and no other cutting tool. I get by fine with this, but the Kabar design is not the be all, end all and has deficiencies in some areas.

I have a great respect for Tom Brown and I think the knife he designed has some good elements. I believe this knife was created before it was featured in the movie so I don't dismiss it as just a movie prop. Mr. Brown is a master of woodcraft and I like many of the features he incorporated into his design. However, as I said, $ 200.00 for a knife has never seemed necessary to me. When I stumbled upon this Rough Rider version for 1/10 the price, I figured it might be worth it.

My only dislike up front is that it is 440 stainless vs. 1095 Carbon steel. I have grown so accustomed to carbon steel blades that I tend to shy away from stainless. Still, there are many good knives made from stainless. I always feel like I will need a knife I can throw a spark with using just flint, but even I know this is not really needed for short multi-day excursions. Stainless doesn't throw a spark unless using a ferro-rod, but I always carry a ferro-rod, so I'll be fine.

So, just to restate: Any info on this knife? Any info on 'Rough Rider' knives in general?

Thanks.
Thank you, Paco. I didn't know there were different grades of 440 steel. I have a few folders that were made with 440, and they are good blades. I remember when 420 was considered good, then 440 was considered better. To be honest, I couldn't tell you the technical differences, but, as you said, I can certainly tell if a blade holds and edge or not.

For me, ease of sharpening and edge retention are of primary importance. I actually thought the heat treating and RHC was more important for this than simply the type of steel used. This is why I am wary ordering on-line where I can't feel the knife myself. My Kabar I can get shaving sharp (if I were so inclined) and can easily hone the edge in the field with the back of a leather belt. I've yet to find a stainless blade I like as much.

I'm leaving this question open a bit longer to see if anyone has actually used this knife. I am not keen on throwing money away. It is only $ 20.00, but 20 bucks is 20 buck



Best answer:
Answer by Paco
Just to offer my opinion here.... The Rough Rider knives are made in China, and while I admit that I am not familiar with this specific knife, I have generally not been impressed with the Rough Rider knives I have seen... Now I am NOT saying all Chinese made knives are "junk". That used to be generally the case with the majority of Chinese made knives, but is not necessarily so any longer. (In fact the Kershaw I am carrying right now was made in China, but has a blade of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, a blade steel comparable to AUS-8)... While China still produces a good many "lesser quality" knives, they have also actually been producing some knives of decent to very good quality recently as well. Over all they are improving from what they were just a decade or so ago............ Know too that there are three (3) varieties of "440 Stainless steel"....A, B, and C... Of these, 440C is widely accepted as the best of the bunch, and was, until a couple of decades ago, one of the top quality blade steels on the market, and found primarily in higher end knives, while a knife labeled simply "440 Stainless" was generally the lower quality 440A, or the slightly better 440B. If 440C was used the company was usually proud of this fact, and labeled it as "440C"... A good many higher quality knives today are still made with blades of 440C, altho with all the new high quality blade steels today the price of 440C has come down considerably, but is still considered a top grade stainless blade steel.... Just to toss this in, but due to new methods of heat treating, 440B, in many instances, has been much improved, and is also found in some higher quality blades today, but is still considered inferior to 440C... But 440A, or just "440 Stainless" is still, as a general rule, the lower quality blade steel.... And, as I am sure you realize, the quality of the blade steel is what dictates the quality of the knife. While design will play a part in the usefulness of a knife (depending on what you intend to use it for), it's "looks", or appearance have nothing to do with the knife's quality...... And while the Rough Rider knives I have handled and looked at were good looking knives, I was not impressed with the quality of their blade steel..... To me, if a knife will not take, and hold, a good edge, then I have no use for it, no matter how "pretty" or "cool" it may look.

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