Extrema Ratio's RAOII heavy duty folder. Field Test and Review
Extrema Ratio's heavy duty folder the RAOII, the latest in the evolution of the RAO series of big folders from Extrema Ratio of Italy. Constructed from Austrian N690 stainless Cobalt alloy steel, super tough Aluminium alloy 6082 for the handle scales and brass washers. Comes with a great Molle compatible sheath and diamond plate sharpener. Lifetime warranty on the knife and 6 years on the scabbard.
I found the RAOII to be comfortable to use without gloves. In sub zero temperatures you would need to wear gloves since the handle/grip is metal. This is one super tough folder with the capacity to double as a fixed blade as required, by the simple insertion of a safety locking pin which makes it impossible for the blade to close unless the knife was destroyed.
To lubricate the pivot contact areas, I recommend high quality mountain bike lubes, as they tend not to attract dirt, are high pressure lubes and resist water. Like any folders, don't overdue it with the lube.
The drop point blade is great and I liked it a lot, I'd also like to see a fixed blade with another 2.5cm or an inch longer blade of similar geometry from ER at some stage.
The RAOII is really a two handed opening operation. You can do some fancy pants flicking of the blade open, however, I don't recommend this as it will just put undue stress on the mechanism. Leave it to the show offs and teachers of knife fighting.
I put the RAOII through a lot of tests I'd only subject a fixed blade to and it didn't fail or disappoint me.
Who is this knife for?
Designed primarily with with an end use in military operations, outside of this arena, as I demonstrated in the video, can suit those who might prefer such a compromise between a folder and fixed blade but not a compromise with quality. Non obtrusive non aggressive design can be carried in pouch/sheath without attracting attention. I wore this knife EDC (in the closed position) for over one month, no one batted an eye lid!
Downsides: like ALL FOLDERS, the mechanism must be kept very clean in order for it to function properly. I wouldn't recommend the RAOII for desert environments or any sandy environments where it may be difficult or impossible to keep this knife mechanism clean. The weakest link/point in this folder will be the small spring which applies pressure to the roller locking bar. However, should this spring fail the knife can simply be used as a fixed blade, so this is a real failsafe and very much an effective "plan B" from a military standpoint and based on the design this is not surprising coming from ER.
Bottom line: The RAOII is a very tough sturdy folder, well made, lockup first time everytime, no liners or frame locks to adjust. Just feels sturdy. Good resistance to corrosion. XLNT blade shape! and came deadly sharp with a hand ground edge.
I used Loctite 243 to re lock the small locking screw which has to removed in order to tighten the main pivot. 243 (Blue) is perfect for Aluminium and stainless untreated alloys. Plus it's NOT permanent, as the last thing you want to do is to use the wrong Loctite!
Video thumbnail shows image of RAOII after busting up some resin saturated pinewood, otherwise known as "Fatwood"
