Chaparral Raffir Noble vs Vrango

[thewoodpecker]

Title says it all. Vrango is on MD for a very reasonable price but is it better than the Chap?

[SG89]

IMO, no. Vrango is beautiful, carries a little thick, ergos are nice, not a fan of the blade shape. To me the Chap is a better overall edc bc of the slimness of the blade and how slim it carries plus it has a wire clip.

[Sjucaveman]

I love my raffir noble chap. It's a looker and won't give you the wrong kind of attention with its blade size.

[Mushroom]

It really depends why you're buying and you're intended use. They're both really nice little gents knives. Spydergirl summed it up well!

I would say the Chaparral will carry better in pocket and slice better because of how slim it is. It has a thinner blade and is full flat grind. Also, the Chaparral is tip up only only compared to the Vrango, tip down only.

With that said, I do really like the Vrango for what it is. It's really unique, very well made, and worth having in a collection!

[TomAiello]

Chap for sure.

[xceptnl]

I was looming hard at the Vrango again on MD. I would choose that over the Chap personally.

[guywithopinion]

I have no version of the Chaparral. The Vrango is much more useful than it might appear. My index finger (medium-glove hands) runs almost the length of the spine, allowing for very tight control over the tanto portion of the blade, using it a bit like an x-acto knife. I find the recurve works well for opening envelopes, packages, even breaking down cardboard boxes, though a knife that small wouldn't be my first choice for cutting up boxes. It seems sort of like a hobby knife. If you were cutting pieces of a model off the plastic sprue, or cutting out a stencil or something, it would be great. Something about that, plus the aesthetic beauty of the knife, seem very traditional and gentlemanly, in spite of it being a titanium handled liner-locking knife.

Also, the Vrango won't be around forever, you could get the Raffir Chap later! :D

[Larry_Mott]

Also, the Vrango won't be around forever, you could get the Raffir Chap later! :D

Exactly the argument i was going to post! :)

[guywithopinion]

What does "MD" mean as it relates to buying the Vrango? I couldn't think of any retailers with that abbreviation.

[SG89]

What does "MD" mean as it relates to buying the Vrango? I couldn't think of any retailers with that abbreviation.

My guess is massdrop

[soulspy]

I just got a Vrango. The build quality is extremely high, but it is quarky. Tip-down only, kinda thick in pocket, some hard edges that get your hand when you reach into the pocket...These would all be deal killers if it wasn't so unique. It's being discontinued and that's why I went for it. It's on sale at one major retailer for a price I thought was really fair.

[ABX2011]

I got a Vrango for the collection after it was discontinued. I love the design but honestly I have no plans to carry it. It's very well made. The lock bar is a bit difficult to access. Not a fan of tip down.
I'm thinking about getting a Raffir Chap for general use.

[thewoodpecker]

I'm looking for a user and the comments here just confirmed what I was already thinking. Probably pass on the Vrango and get a Chap. It is a very interesting and well made design but for general use I think the Chap takes the cake.

[ABX2011]

A couple potential knocks on the Raffir Chap based on what I've read -
1. Slick scales effect grip and make for low pocket clip retention.
2. Some patterns of the Raffir are better than others.

[Sjucaveman]

I don't find my raffir excessively slippery, granted I usually don't need a knife with great grip when wet when I'm dressed to carry the chap.

[ABX2011]

I don't find my raffir excessively slippery, granted I usually don't need a knife with great grip when wet when I'm dressed to carry the chap.

That's what I figured.
Does the clip hold the knife in place when pocketed?

[this_is_nascar]

I'd never purchase the Noble without first seeing the pattern I'm getting.

[Sjucaveman]

I don't find my raffir excessively slippery, granted I usually don't need a knife with great grip when wet when I'm dressed to carry the chap.

That's what I figured.
Does the clip hold the knife in place when pocketed?

It's is somewhat more loose on dress slacks but hold fairly well, as good as any of my other wire clip knives anyway.

[PayneTrain]

Oh man. My two favorites of the past year! I've been carrying both a lot lately and I am in love with both, but the Noble Chap has a conventional blade shape that we're all familiar with and is probably the safer bet if you're looking for a user. Now I've been using my Vrango a bunch too and that edge has really come in handy at times whether it be the hawkbill shape holding whatever I'm cutting the way hawkbills do, or that point that it forms being handy for piercing into something as I draw into the cut. It's different, but it has some neat advantages and it can still slice an apple just fine (though cutting the core out of the slices can be awkward). If you just want a conventional slicer, it's the Chaparral for sure. If you're looking for something unique and undeniably cool, Vrango is tough to beat.