Rough rider "razor knife" made into working one hand opening knife

MI Yeti · **on:** February 11, 2020, 02:48:36 AM

I was looking at some "one arm bandit" barlow knives. I wanted to try one out but did not want to spend much. Found a cheapie rough rider model 763, often called a razor knife or one arm lock back. It was about $15 and looked like I could modify it into what I wanted.

Like I though the notch on the front of the blade was not deep enough. It was too shallow to work on anything but the edge of a table. Took about an hour of careful work to get it to were I wanted it, then about another 30 minutes or so to clean up the burs, polish were I worked on it a bit and touch up the edge a bit.

Opens easy on the top of a pocket, edge of table, boot lace or whatever you can get it hooked onto.

It was a fun afternoon project that resulted in a strange looking but working knife. Decent knife for $15 and the time spent. I'll be carrying it for a while. Made a short video showing two ways to open it.

SteveC · **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2020, 03:47:31 AM

Nice job !

MI Yeti · **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2020, 03:50:36 AM

thanks

kottskrapa · **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2020, 04:07:57 AM

Nice work and interesting blade

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

nate j · **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2020, 05:47:39 AM

Nice job! That pattern is perhaps the original OHO folding knife.

Rapidray · **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2020, 05:54:10 AM

Cool video

Looks like it works great!

MI Yeti · **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2020, 07:45:16 PM

Thanks, I had fun making the video. Windows 10 has at least one useful program included lol

Vjeko Posavac · **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2020, 08:56:40 PM

Nice job!

It is allways good to see something new and interesting

Marcellus · **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2020, 02:16:44 AM

Nice work.

Had to watch video twice to see it's a lock back traditional. Best of both worlds.

The corner of the pocket opening appears a little dicey, but hey, they're your jeans.

MI Yeti · **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2020, 03:02:43 AM

Thanks

It's been a fun, and cheap project. The lock back is solid and is smoothing out nicely with use. I was a bit worried about cutting my jeans. That is why I opened it slow to make sure I did not lol. The force keeping the blade closed is fairly light so it dose not take a lot of force to open it. I saw that in a review of the knife and it was one reason I though it would work out well for what I wanted to try.

cody6268 · **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2020, 09:33:23 PM

Great job! I know a lot of people complain about the notches being sharp (particularly on the GEC Calf Pen; which is slated to be my new work knife), but that's the whole point of them, so they will catch on a pocket seam.

And besides, I don't think the majority of people who buy these know they are intended to be opened with only one hand. The style came out after the Civil War due to the high number of amputees. I was given a Boker USA 495 One Arm Razor Barlow by a friend, who'd had the knife since it was still being sold new in the '70s. I showed him how I could hook the cutout on the seam of my jeans and open the blade up with one hand; and he wasn't aware of the fact.

Seeing as this is a lockback, I may pick one up myself and attempt the same mod.

comis · **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2020, 08:44:39 AM

That's a job well done!

Quote from: cody6268 on February 15, 2020, 09:33:23 PM

Great job! I know a lot of people complain about the notches being sharp (particularly on the GEC Calf Pen; which is slated to be my new work knife), but that's the whole point of them, so they will catch on a pocket seam.

And besides, I don't think the majority of people who buy these know they are intended to be opened with only one hand. The style came out after the Civil War due to the high number of amputees. I was given a Boker USA 495 One Arm Razor Barlow by a friend, who'd had the knife since it was still being sold new in the '70s. I showed him how I could hook the cutout on the seam of my jeans and open the blade up with one hand; and he wasn't aware of the fact.

Seeing as this is a lockback, I may pick one up myself and attempt the same mod.

magentus · **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2020, 10:32:26 PM

N8ce tweak on an interesting knife

MI Yeti · **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2020, 03:04:12 AM

Quote from: cody6268 on February 15, 2020, 09:33:23 PM

Great job! I know a lot of people complain about the notches being sharp (particularly on the GEC Calf Pen; which is slated to be my new work knife), but that's the whole point of them, so they will catch on a pocket seam.

And besides, I don't think the majority of people who buy these know they are intended to be opened with only one hand. The style came out after the Civil War due to the high number of amputees. I was given a Boker USA 495 One Arm Razor Barlow by a friend, who'd had the knife since it was still being sold new in the '70s. I showed him how I could hook the cutout on the seam of my jeans and open the blade up with one hand; and he wasn't aware of the fact.

Seeing as this is a lockback, I may pick one up myself and attempt the same mod.

Thank you

Yeah it seems most people think it is for decoration. On some knives it is not much more than a decoration, guess the knife makers don't know what it is either lol

If you want one of the rough rider 736s get one while you can find them, pretty sure it has been discontinued. It is not on the manufactures site anymore.