So, this is going to be a week of budget knives, where I highlight four different knives that are shockingly good for the money. This is the first of four.
I just bought this knife yesterday... would you recommend it be taken apart out of the box to improve the detent action or is it fine from the factory? I don’t have experience taking apart knives but I do have the ifixit kit with all the bits. I don’t have the lubricants you have (just Ballistol which is mostly used for cleaning rifle barrels and I do have pure silicone oil?) I. This video so I guess my question is it worth buying some or just leave the budget knife as is?
Nice to have a UA-cam knife nut who actually opens up his knives and puts them back together. Amazing how many UA-cam reviewers are unable to carry out this important part of knife ownership, but who are more than okay with pontificating on a knife after cutting paper with it a few times.
Just got into budget flippers and I have this and Civivi Elementum... is it worth taking apart these budget knives for better action or leave them be? I only have pure silicone oil and Ballistol which I don’t think would help. Any suggestions for a new guy?
A lovely knife the Ruike P801. I'm trying not to become a collector (I like to have a use for my knives) but the more I watch you and a few other folks, I am getting drawn into the Dark Side. The temptation is Ruikin' real.
Lol i feel ya. I originally started out just using my knives then I started collecting cheaper knives bumped up to Benchmades and ZT. Now I have such a problem Blade HQ probably knows me by name
I'm about three years into it now and there's no going back. It only gets worse, or better depending on your perspective. It all started with a $30 rat1 in aus8. My most recent purchases have been a Chris Reeve large sebenza 21, (2015 birthdate but in mint condition), with unique graphics and tiger's eye inlay, an umnumzaan, hinderer xm18 gen 6, microtech ultratech and socom elite. My collecting has evolved into quality over quantity. But if funds are tight, I'll still buy a Ganzo, or another sub $50 knife just to get my fix. Friends and family don't understand it but fellow enthusiasts know the deal. How is your collecting going? The knife Nick is showing here is an excellent value.
According to an Amazon review they have changed their design to make the knife cheaper to produce. They no longer mill out the area where the bearing washer goes and instead use a plastic washer with smaller ball bearings.
My Ruike P801-SB came with plastic housed bearings. I ordered some bronze housed bearings and now the action is fantastic, though that may be because I lubricated it a bit better and loosened up the pivot screw just a bit after tightening. Though, my brother ordered the same, and also said it felt smoother. Just a PSA for any new Ruike p801 owners. You can find the bearings at skiff made blades, and I'm pretty sure they also sell washers for knives.
I've had one for a few months now. It's like a $25-30 knife that's on par with domestic $60+ (and I do mean "plus") knives. This thing has no business being as good as it is for cheap as it is. Set aside the Chinese market issue... someone talented ground this knife blade. The plunge lines and grinds are more even and well done on mine than... some domestic knives that I won't mention that cost significantly more. Centering? Perfect. Sharpness? Superb out of the box. Great apex the entire length of the cutting edge. Detent is a bit strong, but that will also fade some with use and time. Over all... if some certain companies were to just buy this and rebrand it as theirs and sell it for $75... I wouldn't be non-the-wiser or upset with it. That quality is... that good. Like how Ganzo/Sanrenmu were a wake-up call to American knife makers a decade ago, let this, too, serve as a notice. Again, I get it. I know it's made in China, I know all about the currency manipulation, communist government nonsense and labor conditions there. I know you can't compare that to American labor markets. And I'm not. I'm comparing the knives. Again: someone that knew what they were doing and that was very, very skilled ground the knife blade in my hands. No amount of voodoo economics can make quality products.
Thanks, Nick, a very useful vid that I have put on screen both times I have taken mine apart. Your point about Wiha bits you've made elsewhere was shown true and your hints on reassembly with the blade at 90° and on blade centering were very apposite. Think I've got it down now.
Mine had some really strong loctite in it from the factory. When I finally got it open (with the hairdryer trick) I found the bearing retainer was plastic rather than the brass looking material in the video. Additionally, at some point they had cranked the pivot hard enough to leave tiny but visible bearing dents in the frame and blade. Despite all that the action has been great, although I'm considering trying to get another with the slightly different bearings and presumably no bearing dents to see if it will be even better.
I bought this and unfortunately needed to return it. I was looking for an EDC and being in a corporate office setting I didn't want something that was to overtly big/showy and this knife is a bit too big. I ended up getting a Leek when it went on sale on Slickdeals a few weeks back and she's sitting in my rear pocket as I write this. I find its the perfect size. Having said that this is a very very good knife. Im new to folding knives so I cant really compare but the thing is solid and very well built.
This is my favorite budget knife right now. Glad you are doing a review. If they made a fancier version with high end blade steel and sculped titanium scales for around $100-150 I would probably buy it too. I would recommend they remove the thumb studs as well, as they really don't provide any functionality in their current location. Love the size in the pocket, action, and cutting profile of the knife though.
Such a solid knife for the money. I don't have a problem deploying it with the thumb stud, but I have relatively thin fingers. I could see if you had meaty fingers it might be more difficult.
Agreed. But the new ganzos, the fh11 and fh21 are great values as well. LTK just put up a video with test results of the d2 steel used in them and came back as real d2, HRC around 61. Great actions running on steel bearings, deep carry clips. $25 knives. Spend a little more, $42.50, and you can get a civivi baklash which I'm having a hard time replacing in my pocket.
Both pivot screws can indeed be removed. The pivot bar itself is also machined flat on only one end so as to ensure it won't spin freely. Smart construction for easy dis and re assembly. Also, mine has gaskets on each side of the pivot. Couldn't tell if yours does as well. This knife is awesome.
i own this blade and 6 other Ruike knives. I think these are the best budget knives on the market. this knife 's only fault is that deployment by thumb stud is sub-par. flipper action is x-cellent.
I like this video. Maintenance is great. But.... if you follow along to clean your knife, be aware of the stop pin. On my P801 the stop pin easily fell out. Jumped to the floor. Then (like the wily minx it is), hid forever. Without it my P801 is flippy floppy. And I am sad.
Get a little extension retrieval magnet from harbor freight and run it along the floor all around where you dropped it. I’ve been there many times myself and almost always find it eventually.
Nice video! Very simple and well done design. Looks like a very decent knife for the price. Not to "Nick" pick (couldn't help myself), but you put the bearings in backwards. :P
Yes I glass spray or legs lights are better than windex speakers daily streaks windex. I learned that from another store on and I say I'll come you never told me this is like I like to be good for something
Not that these videos aren't well produced, but it seems excessive to make a maintenance video for every knife that you review. They're really not that different.
MKC people like seeing the internals of knives, especially on knives that are several hundred dollars. When there's things like internal milling and names/ production number hidden inside it helps justify some of the prices with the extra work done. It's also nice to see stop pins/pivot systems/ ceramic or steel bearings or bronze phosphor or Teflon washers. It's not always visible from the outside, and even if it is, it's still nice to see the amount of effort a company puts into their work. If he didn't take it apart, aside from hearing in his review that it's on bearings (didn't think I heard him right) which is crazy for a 30 dollar knife, I probably wouldn't have known and just assumed Teflon or bronze phosphor.
Nick Shabazz pay no attention to these silly comments and keep pulling them all apart. I ought a Ruike after seeing you pull one apart just because I was able to see it's build inside and out. Great work Nick! :)
So, this is going to be a week of budget knives, where I highlight four different knives that are shockingly good for the money. This is the first of four.
I just bought this knife yesterday... would you recommend it be taken apart out of the box to improve the detent action or is it fine from the factory? I don’t have experience taking apart knives but I do have the ifixit kit with all the bits. I don’t have the lubricants you have (just Ballistol which is mostly used for cleaning rifle barrels and I do have pure silicone oil?) I. This video so I guess my question is it worth buying some or just leave the budget knife as is?
Nice to have a UA-cam knife nut who actually opens up his knives and puts them back together. Amazing how many UA-cam reviewers are unable to carry out this important part of knife ownership, but who are more than okay with pontificating on a knife after cutting paper with it a few times.
Just got into budget flippers and I have this and Civivi Elementum... is it worth taking apart these budget knives for better action or leave them be? I only have pure silicone oil and Ballistol which I don’t think would help. Any suggestions for a new guy?
Finally a budget knife. And what a knife it is! Fantastic product.
Got to love a 30.00 knife with better fit and finish than some more expensive knives.
Yeah,I got one,the fit and finish is just incredible,at this price point
A lovely knife the Ruike P801. I'm trying not to become a collector (I like to have a use for my knives) but the more I watch you and a few other folks, I am getting drawn into the Dark Side. The temptation is Ruikin' real.
Lol i feel ya. I originally started out just using my knives then I started collecting cheaper knives bumped up to Benchmades and ZT. Now I have such a problem Blade HQ probably knows me by name
And I have to say it's almost all Nick Shabazz fault. And that is not a bad thing
Same here... I blame Nick.
I'm about three years into it now and there's no going back. It only gets worse, or better depending on your perspective. It all started with a $30 rat1 in aus8. My most recent purchases have been a Chris Reeve large sebenza 21, (2015 birthdate but in mint condition), with unique graphics and tiger's eye inlay, an umnumzaan, hinderer xm18 gen 6, microtech ultratech and socom elite. My collecting has evolved into quality over quantity. But if funds are tight, I'll still buy a Ganzo, or another sub $50 knife just to get my fix. Friends and family don't understand it but fellow enthusiasts know the deal. How is your collecting going? The knife Nick is showing here is an excellent value.
According to an Amazon review they have changed their design to make the knife cheaper to produce. They no longer mill out the area where the bearing washer goes and instead use a plastic washer with smaller ball bearings.
I've had one of these for a very long time... It is an absolutely incredible knife for the money.
Awesome knife I love mine. I just disassembled and cleaned mine this morning before the video posted lol
I believe Spyderhole and BM could take a lesson from the simplicity side of this knife. In and out in 8 minutes... ~ amazing.
A great flipper with bearings for $30 what a buy, nice quick video.
My Ruike P801-SB came with plastic housed bearings. I ordered some bronze housed bearings and now the action is fantastic, though that may be because I lubricated it a bit better and loosened up the pivot screw just a bit after tightening. Though, my brother ordered the same, and also said it felt smoother.
Just a PSA for any new Ruike p801 owners. You can find the bearings at skiff made blades, and I'm pretty sure they also sell washers for knives.
I've had one for a few months now. It's like a $25-30 knife that's on par with domestic $60+ (and I do mean "plus") knives. This thing has no business being as good as it is for cheap as it is. Set aside the Chinese market issue... someone talented ground this knife blade. The plunge lines and grinds are more even and well done on mine than... some domestic knives that I won't mention that cost significantly more. Centering? Perfect. Sharpness? Superb out of the box. Great apex the entire length of the cutting edge. Detent is a bit strong, but that will also fade some with use and time. Over all... if some certain companies were to just buy this and rebrand it as theirs and sell it for $75... I wouldn't be non-the-wiser or upset with it. That quality is... that good.
Like how Ganzo/Sanrenmu were a wake-up call to American knife makers a decade ago, let this, too, serve as a notice. Again, I get it. I know it's made in China, I know all about the currency manipulation, communist government nonsense and labor conditions there. I know you can't compare that to American labor markets. And I'm not. I'm comparing the knives. Again: someone that knew what they were doing and that was very, very skilled ground the knife blade in my hands. No amount of voodoo economics can make quality products.
Thanks, Nick, a very useful vid that I have put on screen both times I have taken mine apart. Your point about Wiha bits you've made elsewhere was shown true and your hints on reassembly with the blade at 90° and on blade centering were very apposite. Think I've got it down now.
Mine had some really strong loctite in it from the factory. When I finally got it open (with the hairdryer trick) I found the bearing retainer was plastic rather than the brass looking material in the video. Additionally, at some point they had cranked the pivot hard enough to leave tiny but visible bearing dents in the frame and blade. Despite all that the action has been great, although I'm considering trying to get another with the slightly different bearings and presumably no bearing dents to see if it will be even better.
I just realized mine also has the plastic bearing retainers. I never noticed that they were different in this video than on mine.
I bought this and unfortunately needed to return it. I was looking for an EDC and being in a corporate office setting I didn't want something that was to overtly big/showy and this knife is a bit too big. I ended up getting a Leek when it went on sale on Slickdeals a few weeks back and she's sitting in my rear pocket as I write this. I find its the perfect size. Having said that this is a very very good knife. Im new to folding knives so I cant really compare but the thing is solid and very well built.
This is my favorite budget knife right now. Glad you are doing a review. If they made a fancier version with high end blade steel and sculped titanium scales for around $100-150 I would probably buy it too. I would recommend they remove the thumb studs as well, as they really don't provide any functionality in their current location. Love the size in the pocket, action, and cutting profile of the knife though.
Such a solid knife for the money. I don't have a problem deploying it with the thumb stud, but I have relatively thin fingers. I could see if you had meaty fingers it might be more difficult.
Best bang for the buck knife I've found. Along with the P108
Agreed. But the new ganzos, the fh11 and fh21 are great values as well. LTK just put up a video with test results of the d2 steel used in them and came back as real d2, HRC around 61. Great actions running on steel bearings, deep carry clips. $25 knives. Spend a little more, $42.50, and you can get a civivi baklash which I'm having a hard time replacing in my pocket.
I love my 801 its a great little knife for 30 bucks.mine came with a mirror finish edge so its scary sharp
Good, now there will be a knife that nick reviews that I can buy.
Can't wait for the review!
Both pivot screws can indeed be removed. The pivot bar itself is also machined flat on only one end so as to ensure it won't spin freely. Smart construction for easy dis and re assembly. Also, mine has gaskets on each side of the pivot. Couldn't tell if yours does as well. This knife is awesome.
Funny cause mine spins freely
@@defaultusername123 I may have been mistaken. I don't recall.
i own this blade and 6 other Ruike knives. I think these are the best budget knives on the market. this knife 's only fault is that
deployment by thumb stud is sub-par. flipper action is x-cellent.
Nice work!!
Hi Nick, how about a review on the "ifixit" tools youre using?!
Thank you for informations for this concrect knive!!!❤
Can I use wd-40 to lubricate the pivots? Please reply
The T6 screws are so tighted on mine I broke several screwdriver bits, any tips on how to take them of ?
Just found a new way to unstick locktite-a hairdryer,works great
Soldering iron on the screw works great for me.
My is not locking anymore should I just tighten the pivot?
Hello Nck! Where can i purchase ball bearings for this knife?
I like this video. Maintenance is great. But.... if you follow along to clean your knife, be aware of the stop pin. On my P801 the stop pin easily fell out. Jumped to the floor. Then (like the wily minx it is), hid forever. Without it my P801 is flippy floppy. And I am sad.
For $30 I'd just buy a new one.
Get a little extension retrieval magnet from harbor freight and run it along the floor all around where you dropped it. I’ve been there many times myself and almost always find it eventually.
that's the thing about canadian makers, there are a few with really outstanding prices for the quality.
Canadian? This knife is made in China.
ball bearings??
Nice video! Very simple and well done design. Looks like a very decent knife for the price.
Not to "Nick" pick (couldn't help myself), but you put the bearings in backwards. :P
Brian Taylor How can you tell they are backwards?
Really simple set up. I have the black washed version on it's way.
Lmao this is in my pocket today. Cant wait to see the review
They changed the bearings to nylon on the newer ones apparently....so disappointed.
can someone pls give me some advice!??? i keep stripping these small screws,what am i doing wrong?!?!?!?!
Thanks a lot.
Yes I glass spray or legs lights are better than windex speakers daily streaks windex. I learned that from another store on and I say I'll come you never told me this is like I like to be good for something
Nice one
i came on my one of these knives once before :)
Does it function nice regulary
My blade on this knife is completely cocked tonthe side when closed.
Do you know of any aftermarket clips if you happen to not be big on blue?
Brogan Marcotte satin it with 220 grit or get it bead blasted.
They make an all-black wash version that doesn't have any of the blue accents.
If you place a phone call to this company, the calls are cheerfully answered as they pronounce it "RAKE". Everyone got that now?
Not that these videos aren't well produced, but it seems excessive to make a maintenance video for every knife that you review. They're really not that different.
MKC people like seeing the internals of knives, especially on knives that are several hundred dollars. When there's things like internal milling and names/ production number hidden inside it helps justify some of the prices with the extra work done. It's also nice to see stop pins/pivot systems/ ceramic or steel bearings or bronze phosphor or Teflon washers. It's not always visible from the outside, and even if it is, it's still nice to see the amount of effort a company puts into their work. If he didn't take it apart, aside from hearing in his review that it's on bearings (didn't think I heard him right) which is crazy for a 30 dollar knife, I probably wouldn't have known and just assumed Teflon or bronze phosphor.
Would you rather have less content? 😊
Nick Shabazz pay no attention to these silly comments and keep pulling them all apart. I ought a Ruike after seeing you pull one apart just because I was able to see it's build inside and out. Great work Nick! :)