Rough Edge EDC: Exceeding budget knife label with Rough Rider

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – It’s no surprise to anyone who reads this space that I love pocket knives.

I have loved knives since I was a kid and got a souvenir knife when we visited Yosemite.

But I’ve recently rekindled that love affair and have been exploring modern and traditional pocket knives.

There are some amazing models out there on the market, complete works of art and craftsmanship. And the constant innovation with different types of locking mechanisms is a marvel in itself.

But at heart, I’m a budget knife guy. I prefer to spend $50 or less — actually I love to stay in the $30 to $40 range.

If I spend more, I don’t want to use it for fear of damaging it or worse, losing it. And to me, having a bunch of “safe queens” or in my case a “desk drawer queen,” that never gets used and never sees the light of day in real activity, is a total waste.

To give you an idea of my tastes, I’ve always said my holy trinity of knives are: Victorinox (Swiss Army Knives); Cold Steel (known for its super sharp blades and popularizing the American-style tanto blade); and Buck (one of the most well-known knife companies in the world with its hunting knives and other flavors).

I recently have been exploring other brands though, while keeping a close watch on my wallet (insert joke here after I nearly lost my wallet a couple of weeks ago).

This past week, I got my first Rough Rider knife. Rough Rider is known for its budget blades that exceed expectations considering the price point.

I’ve heard it called a “premier budget” brand. Don’t laugh. If the small sample of size of the one I just got in the mail holds up, that is a pretty apt description.

Rough Rider is the house brand for Smoky Mountain Knife Works, a Tennessee-based retailer that bills itself as the largest knife store in the world.

Rough Riders are available directly from the SMKW.com website and other retailers.

Note: The spelling of the Rough Rider name is wildly inconsistent.

It can also be seen spelled as Rough Ryder in stories about the knives and the brand and even on the SMKW website. But I am going with Rough Rider because that is what was actually printed on the box I got with my new knife and that’s how most people in the knife community seem to be spelling it.

Anyway, I picked up a Desert Fox folding hunting knife from Rough Rider. It is listed at $19.99 on the SMKW website. With tax and shipping, it came out to about $25.

Frankly for the price I paid, I am blown away. It has a super sharp clip point blade, black and orange micarta handle that kind of gives it a reverse “tiger” look and an orange “desert fox” shield on one side. It’s sharp, and not just the blade.

The website said it was a slip joint but it is actually a liner lock, which speaks to the language of my childhood with the knives I have traditionally carried.

My new knife is actually longer than my regular EDC carries (Cold Steel Double Safe Hunter, Vosteed Raccoon or my Victorinox Sentinel), and it doesn’t have a pocket clip.

I don’t want to mess up its absolutely gorgeous micarta handles so I am exploring getting a leather sheath for it.

More on that in a future column.

But for the price, I am truly impressed by Rough Rider.

I also like the name. The company takes its name as a homage to Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War.

That is an historical reference I dig.

You can find out more about Rough Riders and Smoky Mountain Knife Works by clicking here. There, you can also explore an amazing inventory of dozens of brands. Truly, a great selection.

SMKW has been around since the late 1970s. This is the second time I have ordered from them and I got my package within three to five days each time.

The first order was during the busy holiday season and it made it to me in plenty of time before Christmas.

By the way, I have christened this column as Rough Edge EDC. Look for it on a semi-irregular basis at KTSM.com.

Editor’s note: Dave Burge is a web producer and digital reporter for KTSM.com. All the gear he mentions or reviews has been paid for out of his own pocket. He can be reached at dburge@ktsm.com.

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