{"id":2551,"date":"2018-04-30T09:53:39","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T09:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tacticalreviews.co.uk\/wp\/?p=2551"},"modified":"2020-03-16T19:12:34","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T19:12:34","slug":"knife-review-extrema-ratio-rao-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tacticalreviews.co.uk\/?p=2551","title":{"rendered":"Knife Review: Extrema Ratio RAO II"},"content":{"rendered":"

Extrema Ratio’s RAO II is an update of the original RAO which was developed back in 2006. Designed as a super tough, compact, survival and field knife, the brutish RAO was an immediate modern classic. In 2014, with improved ergonomics and a new drop-point blade, the RAO II widens the appeal of the RAO to those that found the original tanto blade a bit too specialised. On a personal note, this is one of those knives I knew had to be in my life, and it has not disappointed.<\/p>\n

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The Blade and Handle Geometry:<\/h3>\n

Most knife specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.
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Using a set of gauges and precision measuring equipment including a Vernier protractor, callipers, fixed radius gauges and the unique Arc Master adjustable radius gauge (the one that looks like a crossbow).
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These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular F\u00e4llkniven F1).<\/p>\n

Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.
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The ‘Balance relative to the front of the handle’ tells you if the knife will feel front heavy, or if the weight is in your hand (a positive value means the weight is forward of the front of the handle). The ‘Balance relative to the centre of the handle’ indicates how close to a ‘neutral balance’ the knife has in the hand.
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In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.<\/p>\n

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The blade is made from B\u00f6hler N690Co steel.<\/p>\n

New for 2018! BESS Certified sharpness testing:<\/span><\/h3>\n

The BESS ‘C’ scale of sharpness, developed by Mike Brubacher (Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale) will now become part of Tactical Reviews’ knife testing process. Initially this will be used to verify the sharpness of the factory edge and allow the knife to be brought to a minimum standard sharpness before testing a blade’s cutting performance.<\/i>
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