nice knife, with some touch ups
937391
Ok, first off i want to discuss the sheath. It is excelent! I am not sure if some of the bad sheath reviews had recieved a different sheath or what, but from some of the crap sheaths i have seen before (and from ontario), this sheath is top notch. There are two straps that hold the handle, they snap shut, and have adjustable velcro straps, and hinges on them, so you can tighten them if u so please. One complaint with the sheath was rattle, but i don't notice much, as a matter if fact i think my esee 6 with factory sheath rattles more. I imagine it is most likely a sheath that gets used for various models, because it can hold a knife up to 6.5 in. Blade length. I know because i stuck my esee 6 into it and the knife fit perfectly.

Now, with that being said, im not quite sure i will be carrying this knife in its own sheath. What i am talking about here is more asthetics than anything. Or personal preferance i should say. The knife itself (i got the tan rbs afghan) has an almost rustic look/ feel to it, so i may carry it around in the condor rodan leather sheath i have, and use the ontario sheath for my esee 6 if i want to mount it to my backpack. The esee 6 looks right at home in it, and though i normally prefer to carry my fixed blades with a paracord strap under my left arm (strap over top right shoulder) around the ribcage area point down, there may be times i want to mount it molle.

Now, on to the knife itself. The blade length, and thickness seems about perfect for most camping/bushcraft uses. It arrived semi-sharp so i put a better edge on it. The machining on the micarta handles looked a little bumpy on the top so i sanded them down, and ended up sanding the entire scales because i liked the way it dulled the finish and blended with the blade. Speaking if the scales, out of the box the micarta had an almost shiny/plastic-y look that i didn't like. But the fine grit paper (and red scotch-brite pad) took care of that. After sanding the handle looked a little closer to wood, which i liked. Also, i don't bother with tuff-cloth or any other overpriced lubricants on my carbon blades. Just a thin coat of vaseline works wonders imo. I also applied a light coat of vaseline to the scales, which gave them a dark brown (stained wood) look, although im not sure how that will hold up in the long run, i have never purposely added vaseline to micarta before, so i guess well see.

As a side note, to eliminate any confusion between models i just wanted to adress the "RBS" thing. I have seen reviews on other rbs knives thatvsaid they were the same as otger models. That is not true. There are the ranger knives then there are the ranger bush knives. The basic knife shape/design is the same on both, but the Ranger Bush Series (RBS), come with a thinner blade that is usually a different type of steel (1095 instead of 5160 for example). So the original afghan may have a 1/4 thick spring steel blade, but the ranger bush has 3/16 thick 1095 (which i prefer for hard use knives)....just to clear that up.

Overall, i love the knife and sheath, tho im not convinced they belong together. Just a preference tho. Have no fear, if u like this knife in this sheath together it will hold up quite well i am sure. I think all these people who cry about how crappy sheaths are, just want a fitted kydex to come with every blade. It is cheap enough ( and not too difficult, check youtube) to make your own kydex if thats what you want, it just takes a slight amount of time ,money, effort, and miniscule "smarts", which i guess some people lack in. Good knife and sheath, buy it!
2209504
First off, this knife gets a three star rating because the description was off and the knife itself was shipped unfinished.  Since I have had time to have this blade finished for me, it is quite a solid piece.  I still wish the blade was heavier, the description said it was 3/8 of an inch thick, it's really about 3/16, so it's light, but the steel is very strong.  The handle was unpolished when it arrived and had potential slivers sticking out, but since I've sanded and polished it, it's a great grip.  The sheath is fantastic, I really like the soft leather and it is easy to get in and out, and the side knife is perfect and beautiful.  I wish I hadn't paid so much for an unfinished knife ($175 with shipping, handling, and taxes), but now that I have it sharpened, polished, and straightened out, it is one of my best knives.  The shipping was late also, but that is a side issue.

Overall, I'd buy it again if it were less expensive or came properly finished
4388285
I like the knife and the styled color, but I've had several CASE knives over the years and it seems as though the quality may be deteriorating.  The metal CASE label insert on the handle is raised slightly above the handle and also slightly cocked.  The edge of the metal insert is sharp enough to catch on fabric, i.e. your pocket or your skin.  The insert should have polished edges and be perfectly flush with the handle material.  Besides that flaw the knife is sharp, attractive and a pretty nice collectible.
122421
Great knife for the price, accidentally shaved off a few layers of skin without feeling it on it's factory edge.
2998545
Nice blade , toothy edge wasn't the best and brass guard was a bit roughly finished. I still very much like it though!
3507828
I love the light weight of this knife. Sharpness is perfect.
The gut hook needs a little work with a file or abrasive to prevent the problem people have mentioned in other reviews. On the top of the blade, the inside edge of the opening for gutting fish or cutting line is small enough that even my pinky finger will not go in and get cut, but the pointed part at the  beginning of this opening has a hard corner from factory machining. Touch it up with a file or some kind of abrasive and you're good to go. Now, as a test, I can drag my hand on it quite heavily and it's silky smooth and has no chance of nicking my skin.
A strong magnet did not attract any part of this knife (blade/rivets/lock).
For opening assist, the slot in the picture is not correct as mine came with a circle cutout...fine by me.
1145318
Nice knife, very sharp, only trouble is it's so nice with the Copper streams and inlaid Copper bands you don't want to use it? But I did and I really do like it. Only complaint is the logo will wear off quickly. Not a big deal, but they should do a better job with that. Other than that it's a very good knife, performs well on meat and veggies.
1762833
I found two flaws. The knife I received had a noticeable 1/32" gap between both woods on one side. I'll fill the gap with epoxy. They wouldn't have this problem, if they used just one species of reddish wood like they did with their smaller knife. That Elk Ridge knife was flawless and is why I ordered this one. The locking spring should have more spring to it, because it just barely locks the blade in the open position. Aside from these minor quirks, the design and overall quality is first rate at this price point. The blade opens and closes effortlessly. The stainless steel (SST) blade is thick as it should be and every other piece of SST is thick as well. The handle fits neatly in hand, though it's a fairly small pocketknife. It's pleasingly shaped and the price was reasonable.
2136775
Knife is solid. Sheath, not so much, throw it out. Knife is Perfect actually, just needs a cosmetic boost. Basically the 2 G-10 slabs are laid over the entire blade handle = full tang. I took mine apart and sanded the G-10 slabs VERY smooth. Tape them together on their ends, apart from the blade so they MATE. and groom the G-10 with small files and wet-or-dry sand paper. Get all the sharp edges off from the factory. "Round" everything except the 2 major finger ridges. Move on to the blade. I sanded mine with wet-or-dry sandpaper 400-2,000 grit, 100% of the black paint = GONE. Polish/Buff it with semi-chr@me metal polish. IT IS  a 99% mirror finish. Couple hours later, it is a beautiful knife now. But ya gotta WANT it.
864097
This is a good knife if you don't try to customize it! The size and weight are perfect for a neck knife, however when I tried to remove the handle scales all the bolts stripped and I had to drill them out. Then when I removed the black coating finish the metal underneath the coating was  not pretty. So I guess instead of a satin finish I'm going to have to stone wash it to hide all the imperfections of the steel. It didn't help that I had to sharpen the blade and the Kydex sheath was loose, but those two things were easy to fix.
1853170
I bought this knife because I've never had a fixed blade before (I've always carried folding blades) and wanted a solid boot knife. For the price, and because I found mostly positive reviews, I decided to go ahead and pick this one up.
First, the pros:
-The blade came nice and sharp in the box, although I have seen a few reviews state theirs needed sharpening. Luck of the draw I suppose.
- The sheath feels very sturdy, and the belt/boot clip is very tight, so I doubt I'll ever have issues with it slipping out of my boot on accident.
-While it did take about a week to get broken in, the knife and its sheath feel very comfortable in my boot, to the extent that I sometimes forget I'm wearing it.
-The knife has a solid feel in my hand, and I doubt the grip will ever slip unless I'm trying to cut through something very tough.
Now the cons:
-When I received the knife, the top screw on the grip was (and still is) a little loose. Plus, it's a small star style screw, the screwdriver for which neither I nor my friends have, so I suppose it will stay that way for awhile. Right now it isn't too much of an issue, but I'm concerned it will get worse over time.
-The sheath, while good quality, is leather, meaning it will dull the blade over time. I've only had the knife about three weeks, and I can already tell a slight dulling due to this (maybe 10%).
-While the grip is solid, it feels a little plastic-y, and I'm not sure if it will crack or break over time. It's not a major concern, but something which caught my attention.
-The serrations on the blade are filed flat on the back, and the black color goes right to the edge. Not a big issue, but it means that the blade only has that nice silver edging on the front, and looks a little less slick on the back (something which really surprised me when I first opened the box).
-While this isn't exactly a con, one thing which surprised me was that the color selected (blue, green, or tan) completely surrounds the grip. Based on the pictures I had assumed that the color was just a highlight around the lettering/edges of the grip, but in reality the whole side of the grip (except for a black line down the center where the two halves meet) is that color. Not a major issue, but another thing I wasn't expecting/could do without.
-Finally, the only drawback I've had with this knife is that it's got a very long blade. I didn't realize it when I bought the knife, but the blade is 4 3/4". While this makes it useful for serious cutting jobs, and makes it look damn cool/intimidating, it's over the legal carry limit (4" in my state, not sure how the law varies across the US, if at all). This means I have to be very careful when and where I carry it. While I don't think I'd have much of an issue if a cop found it while I', out somewhere casual such as a restaurant or at a park, I have to be mindful that I leave it at home when I go somewhere where it could get me in trouble, such as downtown with friends or to my campus.
Overall, I would say that this is a really good knife, despite the drawbacks, and I'm happy I decided to get it. If you're looking for a sturdy boot knife with lots of cutting/sawing power, and which will hold a nice edge, this is a good choice. For the money, I really can't beat it.
1222826
I love the shape and feel of this knife. Fits perfectly into your hands. The paracord on it gives a nice grip, however it's very cheap and comes loose easily. I plan on stringing on another line. The case is pretty nice, but a little difficult to get the knife out if you're in a hurry. The blade is dull, and you're gonna have to sharpen it, but it's an overall nice material. The fire starter works like a breeze. Strike it a few times and you've got yourself a fire.

Overall, it need some tune up, but I like this knife.
1916532
good knife,love it's size,the handles and the engraving
3058354
This is a DECENT knife on its own. I would put four stars even though I love this knife but if you want a REALLY GOOD knife, customize this thing! Get a new sheath, strip the coating, get the micarta handles. Then you will have an outstanding knife. On its own this is a decent knife but after customizing it it will be outstanding! So please spend the extra money and customize this, it's worth it!
1795518
A really nice weight to this piece, very good for chopping through items.
The balance is pretty good, slightly blade heavy but directional balance is spot on.
The finish for my money is not that of a more expensive katana. The blade, handle & scabbard are finished well but it has that conveyor belt/factory finish to it.
Unfortunately my one arrived with chips of varnish and black paint missing from the scabbard.

This will need more of a custom touch to finish it to a (showroom) finish.
The blade is sharp but not surgical sharp as I like them to be.

I will polish the blade, collar (Habaki) & (Sepa) spacer as the finish is not great and the overall fit into the the scabbard (Saya) is too tight at the collar this will need adjustment. I will let it settle for a few days as the wood maybe swollen (Possibly wood expansion from traveling by air).

8/10
2 points off for lack of focus on fit and finish from manufacturers side, But for a piece of this price it is very good indeed.
After many tests this cold steel blade shows extreme strength and durability.
After sharpening and cutting rope, bamboo, beef carcass and piercing steel drums, this is a worthy blade which will be a beautiful functional piece once it's finished properly.

It will cut.
4253763
I do like this knife because of its traditional pattern. I like the profile of the blade and handle very much and like the little razor blade acid etched onto the blade. I do understand it is Imperial brand by Schrade which typically is lower quality and it is expected. So let me get down and tell you what is good and what is bad.

PROS:
-Aesthetically, it looks the part of old timer traditional fruit knives
-Blade length is plenty for the SS102 model. I almost purchased the larger brother with a 4 1/2 inch blade but this knife at 4 inches is plenty long for cutting my apples and oranges on campus. Thickness matches the spring in width which makes it more robust than a Wenger Swiss Army knife. It flexes only slightly.
-The color of the handle is more white than yellow. Like a soft eggshell white.
-Very easy to open the knife. Can do it with thumb and pinky although I prefer a stronger pull.
-Handle is very long and easy to grip. It is two millimeters shy of 1/4 inch in thickness.
-Very light to pocket around.
-Inexpensive purchase.

CONS:
-Not very sharp out of the box. Would cut fruit with factory edge if needed but a good knife is a sharp one. Not a lot of faith in the steel which is 7Cr, a cheaper Chinese steel. I stropped the edge which made it sharper, but for the knife to cut well, I will need to see how it takes an edge on my Spyderco Ultra Fine stone. If I can get it sharp, I will be very happy with this knife and say the knife deserves a four star rating.
-Spring tension allows a very easy opening of the blade. It won't shake open as the spring keeps it sucked into the handle. I do prefer it to be a bit strong so it lasts over a life time and opens easier with time. I have a feeling it will become really loose over time and I will have to squeeze the knife and use a soft mallet to hammer the pins down a wee bit tighter.
- Some prefer a half stop on their pocket knives as a safety precaution.(the blade stops at a half open position then the user must continue opening the knife fully) This knife opens and closes fully without one.
-Mine came a bit dirty from grease on it. I need to wipe it clean.

Overall, a cool knife with a what I believe a too easy to open back spring and subpar steel. I plant to use this stricktly for food or maybe on a picnic. I think it will do its job but if you want a knife with better steel and possibly materials, I would suggest the Great Eastern Cutlery versions, or A.G. Russell. Sodbuster patterns are great options too.

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FOLLOW UP 2/18/14

I edited my post and gave this knife another star up from three to four as it did take a surprisingly good edge on my spyderco stone. Not quite as keen as an 8CrMov or 9CrMov steel but with the sharpening and stropping, the edge has been much improved to be worthy of the title "Razor Blade Stainless" on the blade. This will see pocket rotation and use. I may even put a convex edge on this blade with my belt sander and finish it off by hand with a high grit sand paper to make it a fearsome slicer.
2373267
Love the knife, not a fan of the faux edge on the back but aesthetically it is very pleasing.