The Best EDC Knife You Never Heard Of: OKNIFE Rubato 2 Review

In my line of work, you start to form correlations. From blade steel and handle materials to blade shape, lock mechanism, and size, you begin to understand what will work best in certain situations. My main goal in finding the right knife is always EDC — what can I carry every day that I can recommend to people so they can as well? 

OKNIFE is a brand I hadn’t heard of until it reached out to me to test out its XEN-OAL. I was plenty familiar with its sister company, OLIGHT, but OKNIFE lives in the shadow of its sibling. In the world of knives, it can be tough to get a footing unless you’re shining in the light.

In working on that review, I researched OKNIFE to find that it had a series of knives, some of which were affordable and desirable. However, none of them were the Rubato 2, which is an OKNIFE knife living only on the OLIGHT site and the subject of this review.

So, the following is a review of a great EDC knife that I have come to enjoy and rely on over the last month. Made from 154CM and Micarta and featuring a ballbearing pivot and crossbar lock, it checks off a lot of boxes for those of you interested in a knife for everyday use and the great outdoors. However, I think it suffers from the fact that it’s living on the wrong website and, therefore, not getting the attention it deserves.

In short: The Rubato 2 from OKNIFE is a low-maintenance, dependable EDC knife that costs $100. The only problem is that not enough people know about it.

Design and Features

Currently available with Micarta or aluminum handle scales, the Rubato 2 is a mid-size folding knife designed for everyday carry and outdoor use and abuse. Both configurations feature a 154CM sheepsfoot blade.

The Micarta version, which I am testing and reviewing here, has a black stonewashed coating on the blade. 154CM, the early 2000s “it” steel, is stainless and known for its high level of abrasion resistance and edge retention.

The Rubato 2 features a crossbar lock mechanism with a pull that is shorter than the industry standard. This is customary of Kizer knives like the Drop Bear, which the Rubato 2 shares many design characteristics with.

Kizer makes the Rubato 2 for OKNIFE, so this is no surprise. This shorter pull allows for a quicker response when deploying the blade, as well as when it comes time to put it away.

The sheepsfoot blade is meant to be used for common, day-to-day tasks as well as utility ones. Unlike the uber-universal drop point style blade, sheepsfoot blades are great for cutting, slicing, chopping, and shaving — all without the worry of the tip puncturing whatever material you’re working with (including yourself).

First Impressions

When the Rubato 2 arrived, it was a lot more knife than what I had expected. Again, my only experience with the brand was the XEN-AOL, a slight, lightweight frame-lock knife made from new, space-age materials.

The Rubato 2 is a chunky knife that feels overbuilt for its purpose. The action was fast and precise. The ballbearings around the pivot provided an opening and closing experience that required very little effort.

The short pull on the crossbar lock proved to be just as effective in opening the knife as its bright blue thumb studs; popping the blade out of the frame pocket with an impressive eagerness.

Overall, I had a very satisfying feeling that the Rubato 2 was going to be a reliable resource that could handle the cold and unforgiving winter we’re having here. It felt ripe for an active outdoors person who buys a knife here and there to rely on — one that would require little maintenance due to the materials OKNIFE decided to use for it. 

This leads me to mention that I am still blown away that 154CM, the knife steel that people were bending over backward to get 10 years ago, has now been relegated to value-branded knives. It’s still considered a premium stainless steel. Just because new knife steel comes to market doesn’t mean that the one it’s usurping is anything less.

I am stoked to know that you can get it on a knife — with grippy Micarta handle scales and ballbearings around the pivot — for less than $100.

In the Field

Within minutes of its arrival, I threw a lanyard on the Rubato 2, put it in my back pocket, and started our daily life of adventure together. I’m not one to avoid the hiking trails this time of year because they’re covered in ice and snow. That’s what Sorel boots and thermoses of hot coffee or tea are for.

Since the middle of January, the knife has been cold and wet for a few hours every day. Moisture is the enemy of metal, and it failed in its attempts to tarnish any of the metal on the Rubato 2.

At this point, aside from some pocket lint, everything on the knife still looks and functions like it’s brand new. I haven’t even felt the need to hone the edge — and I have cut through copious amounts of kindling, fruits and veggies, and the average amount of Amazon boxes that a growing lad goes through in a week.

Actually, I take that back. While admiring the Rubato 2 during the editing of this review, I noticed how well the Micarta scales have been patinaed. The combination of blood, sweat, ice, grit, and friction from riding around in my pocket has enhanced the already admirable character of this durable and reliable cutting tool. 

I should also add that the ergonomics of the knife are really impressive. The knife’s spine is generally flat, while the belly swoops and curves. This leads to a substantial grip that doesn’t require a lot of force to keep in place in your hand.

It also allows for both grunt work and precision work to be done to tedium without tiring out your hand. And the slight jimping is just enough to add a little extra texture when you’re pushing or pulling with the Rubato 2.

In Conclusion

I am still perplexed as to why the Rubato 2 exists on the OLIGHT site and not the ONKIFE site. However, a quick Google solves that problem, as you can find this knife on a variety of websites. I bought mine on eBay because the $70 price tag was hard to ignore. 

So, here’s where I drop the big bomb — if this knife had MagnaCut for steel, it would be twice the price. However, as much as I appreciate that epic steel, I honestly prefer 154CM over it. Knives like the Rubato 2 reinforce why, at least for me.

Anyone new to knives or who’s more casual about what they carry, there’s no denying 154CM’s spot on the Mount Rushmore of blade steels. In recent years, it’s been pushed down the list, and demand for it has dropped.

What that means is that you can get a premium stainless knife steel that is tough and reliable for cheap. Put together in a setup like the Rubato 2, you can get a knife that you can rely on for years without worry for under $100.

We’re at a strange point in time where foreign brands are building knives just as well as domestic brands for a fraction of the price. Some are junk. Some are gems. I wish more people knew about the Rubato 2, and I hope that after this article gets published, they will.