Tools of the Trade: Doug Ritter RSK Mk1 Survival Knife Review
Any good survivalist will tell you the knife is probably the most important survival tool. During my Standard class at the Tracker School, Tom Brown, Jr. told us all “If you’re in the woods and you have a knife, it’s not a survival situation.” That’s how important, and useful, it is to have a good survival knife in your kit, but a good knife can get expensive. That’s why Doug Ritter, the founder of Equipped to Survive, teamed up Mel Pardue of Benchmade, to create the Doug Ritter RSK Mk1.
At only $118, the Mk1 delivers an affordable knife without sacrificing reliance or durability. The knife features a 2.44 in. drop point blade made of durable S30v stainless steel, Benchmade’s patented AXIS lock, a sturdy Griptilian handle design, and only weights 2.82 oz! The knife also has a pocket clip for everyday carrying. The Doug Ritter RSK Mk1 is perfect for people looking for an affordable, durable everyday utility knife that won’t let you down when things get rough.
I thought about buying this knife from the first time I saw it. When I worked at Coyote Tracks in New Jersey, two of my colleagues had this knife, and used it every day. When I had some extra money to spend, I ordered the knife off of AeroMEDIX.com. They delivered my knife promptly and with no troubles. The knife came with a soft bag to store the blade in, but after taking the knife out of the box, I’ve worn it almost everyday, so I haven’t used the storage bag much. The blade came really, really sharp and ready to use. Almost immediately, I felt like I could trust my life in this knife.
A lot of “survival knives” come with unnecessary bells and whistle, like hollow handles, serrated blades, etc. All these extras look great, but don’t serve much purpose in the field. A real, good utility knife should be made to cut and carve, and this knife can certainly do that! The wide blade makes me feel like I have a lot of control over my carving, and I have had no trouble carving traps and fire kits out of all kinds of wood.
A good survival knife needs to be extremely durable. You don’t want your knife to break when you need it the most! Folding knives often sacrifice strength of a fixed blade knife for the convenience provided by the hinge, so whenever I get a folding knife I really put it through a beating in order to test its strength. The RSK Mk1 features Benchmade’s patented AXIS lock, an ambidextrous locking mechanism that locks the blade open when a small steel bar slides into place over the knife tang. This is my first folder that features the AXIS lock, and I’m impressed. I’ve split logs with this blade without any problems with the locking mechanism.
The only complaint I have with this knife is that it doesn’t do as well as I hoped in water. I’ve taken this knife swimming a few times, and the knife developed some rust in the hinge. The hinge still works fine, but I won’t take this knife swimming anymore. If you’re expecting to need your knife in a marine environment, I’d recommend getting a knife specifically suited for that purpose.
All in all, I’m really impressed with this knife. Its strong, sharp, and simple, all qualities of a great knife, and at only $118 this knife is a real value buy. I highly recommend this knife to anyone looking for a good knife to carry with them everyday.
Double Life Rating: 4/5
Doug Ritter RSK Mk1 | $118
