History of the Rough Rider Knife

Origin

• Rough Rider knives are manufactured in China by a U.S. company named Rough Rider.

  Both the company and product were named in honor of the Rough Riders cavalry of 1898, the 1st American Volunteer Cavalry regiment, which fought the Spanish in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. According to historical records, 2,000 men were handpicked as the best horsemen and fighters the U.S. Army had to offer at the time. The Army wanted a cavalry that already knew how to ride and fight, so it could be deployed quickly with little training.

  The cavalry won a decisive battle at San Juan Hill that summer and became known as Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, in honor of the colonel who led the charge. The death toll of the regiment due to fighting and tropical diseases was heavy, however, and the men were called home after about four months.

Function

• Rough Rider knives are multi-function pocket knives. The company manufactures a line of tools especially for whittling, though many woodcarvers said the pocket knife also worked well for whittling.

Reputation

• The company Rough Rider Knives says it honors the reputation of the Rough Riders by using only carefully selected, high-quality materials and patterns in the knives they produce. They are respected for their affordability and quality by knife collectors and wood carvers.

Size

• Rough Rider pocket knife sizes run from slightly longer than the diameter of a dime to more than 8 inches in length.

Warning

• As with all knives, Rough Rider knives should be handled with care.