Compact EDC knives are convenient until you want a longer blade or a handle that gives your hand more room. A larger folder answers both needs, but only if you’re willing to carry it every day.
Price: From $54.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
The production CJRB Rodayo sits firmly on the larger side of that tradeoff. It combines a 3.78-inch AR-RPM9 drop-point blade with a G10 handle, liner lock, flipper, and ceramic ball-bearing pivot. Closed, it measures 5.02 inches; opened, it measures 8.80 inches overall and weighs 4.94 ounces.
That makes size the real buying decision. The Rodayo isn’t trying to disappear in your pocket. It’s a full-size folder for someone who wants the extra blade and handle that come with one.
A full-size blade and handle
CJRB specifies a 3.78-inch (96mm) drop-point blade with a flat grind. Depending on the configuration, the blade comes with a stonewashed or black PVD finish.
The knife measures 5.02 inches closed, so this isn’t a compact EDC design that happens to fit a long blade. The Rodayo is a substantial folder from end to end.
For buyers who find smaller EDC blades restrictive, that longer blade is the appeal. The tradeoff is a nearly five-ounce knife that takes up more pocket space than a lightweight, three-inch-class folder.
What to know about AR-RPM9
The Rodayo uses AR-RPM9 stainless steel. CJRB specifies a hardness of 59–61 HRC, though that’s the manufacturer’s figure rather than an independent measurement of this knife.
The steel’s name has a history worth understanding. Earlier Artisan Cutlery and CJRB marketing led some buyers to understand AR-RPM9 as a powder-metallurgy steel. Metallurgist Larrin Thomas of Knife Steel Nerds examined the material and concluded that it isn’t made through conventional powder metallurgy. He identified spray forming as the most likely process.
CJRB now describes AR-RPM9 as spray-formed stainless steel. The distinction matters: buyers shouldn’t see “RPM” in the name and assume they’re getting a conventional powder-metallurgy premium steel.
That doesn’t make AR-RPM9 unsuitable for an everyday knife. It means the Rodayo is better judged on what the finished knife offers than on an assumption about its steelmaking process. We haven’t tested this Rodayo, so its edge retention, sharpening behavior, and toughness remain hands-on questions.
A conventional, general-purpose blade
CJRB gives the Rodayo a drop-point profile and flat grind rather than a more specialized cleaver, Wharncliffe, or reverse-tanto shape. The blade’s shape is familiar; its length is what sets it apart from a compact EDC knife.
CJRB describes the Rodayo as an everyday workhorse and promotes its long cutting edge as an advantage. Those are manufacturer claims, not conclusions from our testing. What the specifications establish is a relatively large blade with a conventional, general-purpose profile.
Familiar handle and lock
The handle uses textured G10 scales, and a liner lock secures the blade when open. Neither feature is unusual for an affordable folder, but the Rodayo’s proposition isn’t an exotic lock or handle material. It’s a full-size knife built with familiar components.
At 5.02 inches closed, the handle has more physical room than one on a compact folder. CJRB describes the grip as secure and hand-filling, though comfort and security depend on hand size, finger placement, contouring, and texture. The dimensions tell us there’s plenty of handle; they can’t tell us how it will fit your hand.
A manual flipper on bearings
The Rodayo is a manual flipper running on ceramic ball bearings. CJRB calls its deployment smooth and decisive, but we haven’t handled the knife and can’t verify the feel of its action.
The documented distinction for buyers is that it uses a manual flipper and bearing pivot, not assisted opening. How well the finished action works will take a hands-on assessment.
The idea behind the name
CJRB says the Rodayo draws on the spirit of an Old West working knife. Its name comes from a local pronunciation of California Rodeo: “ro-day-o.”
That backstory explains the styling more than it changes the buying decision. This is a large modern folder with G10, stainless steel, and ceramic bearings, not an ultralight or minimalist EDC knife.
Who is the Rodayo for?
The CJRB Rodayo makes the most sense for someone who finds compact EDC knives too restrictive and is comfortable carrying a larger folder. Its 3.78-inch blade, long G10 handle, liner lock, and bearing-mounted flipper offer a straightforward full-size setup.
If minimum weight, compact dimensions, or a premium blade steel top your list, look elsewhere. The Rodayo’s advantage is also its compromise: at 4.94 ounces and 5.02 inches closed, it asks for more pocket space in return for more blade and handle.
Price: From $54.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
The specifications are clear about that tradeoff. Whether the grip, action, and cutting performance deliver in practice is a question for hands-on testing.
