Ontario 8604 RAT-7 Knife (Green)

Good Knife -few issues
I had thought long and hard on a new field knife for my pack..I wanted something with a minimum of 6" blade without any serrations and the ability to do light camp work. Now that being said, I didn't expect to use the knife to hack down tree (for that I packed a small camp axe and a bow saw), but if I had to I wanted to be able to rely upon it. I had looked at several options including the Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife,Ka-Bar Becker BK7 Combat Utility Fixed Blade Knife (7-Inch), ESEE 6 Plain Edge Clip point Coyote shth and the Cold Steel Recon Scout Black Kraton Handle with Black Blade. Initially I put the Recon Scout out of my purchases because I had serious concerns about the weight...
RAT 7 - Mixed Feelings
I have very mixed feelings about this knife, so i will break this review down to pros and cons. I wanted so badly to LOVE this knife, but after using it I cant say I love it and I cant give it my highest recommendation. Keep in mind im a knife collector.

PROS
I love the ergonomics of this knife. It just feels right when its in hand. Micarta handle is very comfortable
The 1095 steel is a great choice for all around survival/outdoors knife, better for dry environments.
love the full flat grind and blade shap. Blade coating also helps prevent rust, but dont expect the coating to last too long with hard work.
finger choil makes more detailed work easier/safer/more comfortable
This knife is a good chopper as it does have some weight to it.
Good solid construction
Ontario customer service is excellent
price-under $100, good value considering materials and construction

CONS
after buying this knife and using it outdoors...
Great Knife for Wood Processing
I'm sure I was in the same boat as many others when looking at this knife and comparing it with others in the category: Kabar's BK7 & BK9 and the ESEE 6. I didn't think I could honestly go wrong with any of those options. I wanted/needed something I could use in addition to my EDC blade when hiking/camping for wood processing (i.e. batoning firewood, large whittling tasks, etc).

A 7" blade was, in my mind, to be the minimum size I wanted which eliminated the smaller (and more expensive ESEE 6) and after seeing many YouTube reviews of both the Kabars and the RAT7 I hesitantly pulled the trigger on this purchase expecting to receive a less-than-desirable sheath and possibly a green micarta handle (as pictured, although I really wanted it in more of a brown color). I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up on my doorstep with the light brown micarta handle. The knife was extremely sharp and has a great balance of weight. The micarta handles feel good in the hand...

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