Camp/Survival Knife..KaBar KA1271 or Ontario ON3S . ?

J

JGarth

Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Messages
496
Hi,
I'm considering these (KaBar KA1271 or Ontario ON3S) two knives for my 2 older grandsons for use as a camp / survival knife. I would really appreciate any comment(s) with respect to them for that function(s).
Thanks,
John
 
Ok I own both and personaly I use the k-bar much more. It gets sharper and holds an edge longer. Plus on ebay you can get them for around $60 where the on3s cost about $100-$120. The on3s is not near as comfortable as the kabar. We all know about how poor ontario grind lines are and the on3s is no exception. It took me 3 hrs to reprofile the edge with a coarse diamond stone where the 1271 only took me about 5 mins of sharpening and it was scalpel sharp. Also the sheath on the on3s has a retention spring that mars the finish quickly and I dont think the finish would hold up as well. I love them both but the only way I would choose the on3s over the 1271 would be if I was carrying my ar-15 in the woods since the knife is a bayonet. Your choice whatever works for you.
 
Ash,
Thanks ..... I always like the KaBar line ... simple, durable, & reliable....
served me well in Nam....
John
 
What is a camp/survival knife? I used to think that meant a rather large, super strong bladed beast with a lot of steel. I have a knife like that. Never take it out.

Now I'm starting to think that smaller is fine for food prep, woodworking and the like. I think a 4 to 5 inch fixed blade would be a good choice. Bark River Fox River or Clip Point Skinner would be good. Benchmade fixed Griptilian or Outbounder would be nice too...
 
Depending on how old they are and what they are really going to be doing with the knife, may I suggest the Ontario Air Force Survival knife. I have been using it on camping trips for the last couple years and love it. You can get and keep the edge sharp fairly easily. Also, it gives the advantage of a plain straight blade knife, but also has a saw back which I have found to be very useful. Also, you can pick them up for about $30.
 
A,
They are 15 & 16, and very responsible. Basically just a few camping trips during the summer...maybe use during hunting season a little for setting up blinds, etc. I'll look into the one you mentioned.
Thanks,
John
 
abiggs said:
Depending on how old they are and what they are really going to be doing with the knife, may I suggest the Ontario Air Force Survival knife. I have been using it on camping trips for the last couple years and love it. You can get and keep the edge sharp fairly easily. Also, it gives the advantage of a plain straight blade knife, but also has a saw back which I have found to be very useful. Also, you can pick them up for about $30.
Click to expand...

the knives mentioned above are a little small for my taste. They are great for the minimalist camper who wants to keep his carrying weight issue down.
 
Ash,
I looked at it. I agree...a bit on the "small" size. Nice price for it though.
Thanks,
John
 
you might look into the ontario spec plus line if you can reprofile an edge. If you are looking at knives around $100 look into the sog seal 2000 or sog tigershark. If you could find a few black coated blade Cold steel Trail Masters I would recommend them to but they are getting hard to find and there price is going up quick. Another good choice is the becker bk7. All of these can be had on ebay way lower than msrp. The ontario spec plus fighter ( SP6) has the same blade design as the ok3s. They are made by the same company and the cost is less than half. Just remember that the ontario grind lines are not always the best but a little shapening stone time and they are great. hope this helps
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top