- Ontario RAT Model 2 · Drop Point3″ blade · 0.093″ spine · 2.7 oz · ~0.9″ tall
Ontario RAT Model 2
The Ontario RAT Model 2 is a 3" drop point folder in AUS-8, flat ground. The handle is Nylon 6, secured by a liner lock. Its spine is 0.093" against a 0.118" median for EDC folders here, so it slices better than most and tolerates less abuse.
- Blade
- 3″
- Weight
- 2.7 oz
- Steel
- AUS-8
- Price band
- Budget
Everyday carry and general utility
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against knifecenter, bladehq.
- Cutting edge
- 2.75″
- Spine thickness
- 0.093″
- Blade shape
- Drop Point
- Grind
- Flat
- Steel
- AUS-8
- Closed length
- 4.1″
- Weight
- 2.7 oz
- Lock
- Liner
- Deployment
- Manual
- Handle material
- Nylon 6
- Country of origin
- Taiwan
Why a drop point
The default hunting and EDC shape, and the safest general answer. The spine curves down to the tip in a convex line, which keeps the point low and strong and leaves plenty of belly for skinning. It is hard to make a drop point bad at anything.
Every drop point here →About AUS-8
Japanese mid-tier that aged well: tough for its hardness and very easy to bring back.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All AUS-8 knives
What owners say
Drawn from 222 owner discussions of the Ontario RAT Model 2 since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- Owners keep them for a decade or more: one bought theirs the week it launched in 2014 and has used it in the garage, camping, the yard and the office for twelve years, and another still has the AUS-8 RAT 2 they bought in their mid-teens twelve years ago.
- AUS-8 is easy to keep sharp: the twelve-year owner says it sharpens easily and takes a wicked edge, has had no chipping on a Sharpmaker and strop, and another owner touches theirs up on the bottom of a coffee mug.
- Work abuse does not finish it: one owner rotated an AUS-8 RAT 2 at work for five years even after buying better knives, and another retired theirs only after five years of abuse with it still serviceable.
- It carries light and small: one new owner could barely tell it was in their pocket, the twelve-year owner moved to it because the RAT 1 was too big, and an owner of both says it folds slimmer than a Tenacious.
- The handle and action win people over: one owner who was lukewarm at first came to rate the ergonomics as excellent and the opening as satisfying, another calls the opening smoother than anything else at the price, and a small-handed buyer says it fits well.
- It is easy to customize: owners fit aftermarket scales such as a Lego-style set, and two bought Way of Knife mystery builds at $75 plus $25 for titanium scales, one weighing theirs at 3.6 oz.
- It makes a natural gift: one owner hands them to new coworkers as a welcome present, and another bought several for friends and family when they cost about $25.
What owners flag
- Lockup tends to go late: an owner of seven RATs says they start around 50% and creep to 75% or more with use, and another found their D2 RAT 2 locked later than their AUS-8 one despite adjusting the pivot and body screws.
- Closing is awkward next to a Spyderco: the same seven-RAT owner says the lock bar is far harder to reach than on a Tenacious.
- Hardware needs attention: one owner's blade has worked loose despite careful pivot tightening, one knife user advises thread locker on every screw of a sandwich-built knife like this, and one owner found after a scale swap that the blade would not stay fully closed.
- It is small for hard work: several knife users weighing it for construction work called the RAT 2 too small, two of them pointing to the RAT 1 instead, and one new owner wished they had bought the larger model.
- Prices have climbed: one owner remembers RAT 2s at about $25, while in January 2026 knife users quoted $41 for AUS-8 and $50 to almost $60 for D2, and a shopper in Canada saw $80 to $100.
- The stock clip and handle draw complaints: one owner never liked the clip, and another found the grip unremarkable and the action poor for fidgeting, preferring their cheaper Mini Praxis.
Garage, camping, yard and office duty for twelve years is how one launch-week owner describes their AUS-8 RAT 2, and they are not alone: two owners used one as a work knife for five years, and two others hand them out as gifts. At 3 in of blade and 2.7 oz it is the size two owners chose after finding the RAT 1 too big or bulky.
AUS-8 is part of the appeal: owners say it sharpens easily, the twelve-year owner has had no chipping, and one humid-climate buyer picked it because D2 rusts on them. The lock draws the complaints, with lockup that one owner of seven RATs says creeps later with use, a lock bar that is hard to reach to close, and a pivot that worked loose on one owner's knife. Owners swap scales or buy modded Way of Knife builds.
Against the Spyderco Tenacious, opinions split: one owner of both kept the RAT because it felt better in hand, while others say it is too small for construction and the Tenacious closes more easily. Long-time RAT fans now point to Kizer, Vosteed and QSP knives at similar money as the RAT 2's price has risen to $41 to $60.
Should I get the RAT 2 in AUS-8 or D2?
Rust decides it for some: one owner bought AUS-8 because D2 rusts on them in a hot, humid coastal climate, and a FedEx courier says their D2 work knife rusts badly from sweat. On toughness, one knife user cites 8Cr as nearly twice as tough as D2, while another calls D2 tough enough for daily abuse if rust is not a concern. AUS-8 owners praise how easily it sharpens.
RAT 2 or RAT 1?
One owner moved to the RAT 2 the week it came out because the RAT 1 was too big for their purposes, and another who found the RAT 1 bulky for everyday carry bought RAT 2s as gifts for their size. For construction work, two others recommend the RAT 1 instead, and one new RAT 2 owner regretted not buying the larger model.
RAT 2 or Spyderco Tenacious for work?
Opinions split. One owner of both gave their son the Tenacious because the D2 RAT felt better in hand, and another owner of both uses their D2 RAT 2 as a go-to beater. Others call the RAT 2 too small for construction, and one owner of several of each says the Tenacious has better lockup and far easier lock bar access for closing.
Does the RAT 2's lockup get worse over time?
One owner with seven RATs says lockup starts around 50% and creeps past 75% with use. Another could not improve late lockup on a D2 RAT 2 by adjusting the pivot and body screws, though they did not expect it to affect durability.
Is the RAT 2 still worth buying in 2026?
One knife user calls it a baseline reference for what a pocket knife is. Others, including one who carried a RAT 2 for almost a decade, now see better value in newer budget knives, citing $41 for AUS-8 and $50 to almost $60 for D2 in January 2026.
What is a Way of Knife mystery RAT 2?
A modified RAT 2 sold for $75 with the shop's choice of scales and at least two modifications, plus $25 for titanium scales. One buyer's titanium build weighed 3.6 oz, about 0.8 to 0.9 oz more than stock, and another buyer had to refinish a design they did not like.
Features
- Liner lock
- Flat grind
- Made in Taiwan
- Stainless blade
