Has anybody done a test between the BKs and Ontario Spec Plus Gen IIs??

brewcitymike

brewcitymike

Joined
Aug 26, 2011
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The title sums it up. I'm wondering if anyone has compared them. I figured the match ups would be
BK2/10/12 vs SP47
BK9 vs SP50
BK3 vs SP8
BK7 vs SP6(this one is Spec Plus gen1 which is 1095 whereas the genIIs are 5160)
Then I thought a few that somewhat matched where the SP53 vs the Brute but I know not many people have brutes but the SP53 really matches perfectly with the Ka-bar Cutlass machete and then there's the BK11/14 vs the SP41 but the sp41 has an ugly way to long handle compared to the nice skeletons on the Bks. If you happen to own any of these combos you should do comparison and post it.

Here's the porn:D
bk2 vs sp47
bk2.jpgontariosp47.jpg

bk3 vs sp8
ontariosp8 and bk3.jpg
bk9 vs sp50
ontariosp50.jpgbk9.jpg
 
I can add some input here. These are my findings. YMMV.

BKT,s that i own: BK2, BK3, BK4, BK5, BK7, BK9x2, BK10x3, BK11x3, BK13x4, BK14x2, BK15x2, BK16x3, BK17.

KaBar,s that i own: #1248 Cutlass Machete, #1249 KUKRI Machete, #1279 Grass Machete, #1278 WartHog, #5600 Johnson Adventure Potbelly, #5602 GameStalker, #5599BP Piggyback.

Ontario's that i own: SP2, SP8, SP10, SP17, SP47, SP51, SP53, SP KUKRI.

You should know up front, that with stock edge, with zero touch up, the BK&T's & the KaBars will almost always out chop the Ontarios. Once the edges are equal, the blade thickness comes into play. For pure chopping power, i'm gonna tell ya right now, the KaBar Kukri is #1 out of them all, the KaBar Cutlass Machete is a CLOSE 2nd. These two blades are sleepers to be sure. I batoned 4 days of fire wood recently with the Cutlass Machete, for no other reason than it was on top, of the first knife bin i opened. I got it stuck many times in the wood & batoned the living snot out of it, :o even hitting the handle a few times on purpose, just to get it out. I have a new found respect for it & it is flat out awesome. Yes, i know this is abuse by many, but it is just a normal day for my blades. If i certainly had to pick one for the end of days, i would pick a 1/4" thick one for sure, simply out of default in my mind, thicker = stronger in my mind. Along this line of thought, my $21 Ontario 12" modified machete is also a chopping machine & embarrassed someone with a $300 blade once. It chopped through a 2x4 with 2 less chops than his & was $279 cheaper to boot. :D I would say that most times 3/16" or less will out chop 1/4" but not always. Many variables, knots in the wood, different densities in same piece of wood, muscle strength, fatigue, etc. Many young'ins could probably out chop me with my own blades. :grumpy: Thats life.

Enjoy the knife journey my friend.

I love all my blades & would not get rid of any. Some chop better than others, some are designed different than others. I like that. You simply CAN NOT go wrong with any of the blades that I own & the above list is nowhere near all of them, it is just those 3 Mfgs. I also like the fact that there are still top quality, Made in America blades, made at affordable prices. Some may need the blade edge touched up, some may need squared handles shaped to fit your hand. Those things are no big deal to me nor should they be to any knife enthusiast. Not sure if this help you or not but i hope so. :D
 
^^^ what? no USMC??? blasphemy!!! :D I might get a warthog one of these days. I prefer my Beckers but also like my Ontarios, haven't compared them. OTOH, I need to pit my Junglas against my Boomslang...
 
Unless you thinned the edge on the Boomslang, my money is on the junglas. If you did thin the edge on the Bslang, then it should be interesting. Mine was eh-so-so before i thinned the edge, once i did, it became a chopping machine ! HUGE improvement.
 
I have a BK2, BK10, Condor Rodan, SP46 (full flat grind version of the sp47), and an original Kabar 1247 Warthog. I love the warthog but I'm a little paranoid to use it since it's discontinued. The Ontario is actually not terribly different in feel and balance from the warthog so I'm very fond of the SP46. (after trimming off the top guard)

Despite the Rodan being thinner, the feel and balance of it is similar to the BK2, though the BK2 is heavier.

I have played with all these knives a bit but haven't done a head-to-head (-to-head-to-head-to-head) comparison yet. I plan on doing one eventually but my normal testing ground is in a creek bed in town and we've had a whole lot of rain lately. When I do I'll do a YT vid on it and post it.
 
bigghoss said:
I love the warthog but I'm a little paranoid to use it since it's discontinued.
Click to expand...
i decided recently to be a dummy and go ahead and strip one side only to find out that i liked it black better, especially with the baton marings in the coating..

On to the thread, I can tell just from experince that the 1247 Kabar Warthog will outchop the Bk2 by a mile, but it depends on what your using it for. If you want to baton all day, I'd grab the Becker..
 
TwinStick said:
Unless you thinned the edge on the Boomslang, my money is on the junglas. If you did thin the edge on the Bslang, then it should be interesting. Mine was eh-so-so before i thinned the edge, once i did, it became a chopping machine ! HUGE improvement.
Click to expand...

indeedy-dee, after the stripping and mango patina, off to the belt she was taken. An impressive monster she is!

90debaaa-orig.jpg
 
I too own the ka bar kukri and its a beast. By far the best $40 or so I ever spent on a knife. It came shaving sharp to my surprice and after two occasions of chopping small logs into kindling the edge is exactly how it was out of the box. Oh and you own way to many beckers I think you need to check in to BK&T rehab;) The comparisons I was most interested in was the bk9/sp50, and the bk3/sp8, and since you have em both you should do a chop off with the cutlass machete and the sp53 I love to see the carnage they leave behind. So how do you like the grass machete?? I've been debating pulling the trigger on one for quite some time cuz in the pic I have in a catalog it looks like it has a weird grind?? Whats with the double grind-is it two levels of hollow grinds or something??
KabarHeavyMachete1.jpg


TwinStick said:
I can add some input here. These are my findings. YMMV.

BKT,s that i own: BK2, BK3, BK4, BK5, BK7, BK9x2, BK10x3, BK11x3, BK13x4, BK14x2, BK15x2, BK16x3, BK17.

KaBar,s that i own: #1248 Cutlass Machete, #1249 KUKRI Machete, #1279 Grass Machete, #1278 WartHog, #5600 Johnson Adventure Potbelly, #5602 GameStalker, #5599BP Piggyback.

Ontario's that i own: SP2, SP8, SP10, SP17, SP47, SP51, SP53, SP KUKRI.

You should know up front, that with stock edge, with zero touch up, the BK&T's & the KaBars will almost always out chop the Ontarios. Once the edges are equal, the blade thickness comes into play. For pure chopping power, i'm gonna tell ya right now, the KaBar Kukri is #1 out of them all, the KaBar Cutlass Machete is a CLOSE 2nd. These two blades are sleepers to be sure. I batoned 4 days of fire wood recently with the Cutlass Machete, for no other reason than it was on top, of the first knife bin i opened. I got it stuck many times in the wood & batoned the living snot out of it, :o even hitting the handle a few times on purpose, just to get it out. I have a new found respect for it & it is flat out awesome. Yes, i know this is abuse by many, but it is just a normal day for my blades. If i certainly had to pick one for the end of days, i would pick a 1/4" thick one for sure, simply out of default in my mind, thicker = stronger in my mind. Along this line of thought, my $21 Ontario 12" modified machete is also a chopping machine & embarrassed someone with a $300 blade once. It chopped through a 2x4 with 2 less chops than his & was $279 cheaper to boot. :D I would say that most times 3/16" or less will out chop 1/4" but not always. Many variables, knots in the wood, different densities in same piece of wood, muscle strength, fatigue, etc. Many young'ins could probably out chop me with my own blades. :grumpy: Thats life.

Enjoy the knife journey my friend.

I love all my blades & would not get rid of any. Some chop better than others, some are designed different than others. I like that. You simply CAN NOT go wrong with any of the blades that I own & the above list is nowhere near all of them, it is just those 3 Mfgs. I also like the fact that there are still top quality, Made in America blades, made at affordable prices. Some may need the blade edge touched up, some may need squared handles shaped to fit your hand. Those things are no big deal to me nor should they be to any knife enthusiast. Not sure if this help you or not but i hope so. :D
Click to expand...
 

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  • kabarcutlassmachete.jpg
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So since you guys brought up the boomslang I gotta ask has anyone pitted one against what's practically it twin brother-the Fiddleback Forge 14" machete? I have A FF 14" and I love it and the boomslang has been in my sights for a while now, though now Condor has released so many more great looking choppers I don't know which to buy first,lol. So lets add to the discussion the battles between the Condor BS vs FF 14" and how about we say the SP50(8.85" cutting edge) vs Condor Kumunga(9.5" cutting edge). Now I know the FF is significantly larger but the 12" FF machete doesn't resemble the BS at all. But although the BS's blade is a couple inches shorter. it's also 3/16" thick and the FF machete is only like 3/32" thick. My only real issue with the BS is the long @$$ handle.lol

Well here they are
fourteen_inch_med.jpgboomslang.jpg
ontariosp50.jpgcondor_kumunga.jpg
 
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The handle is actually very comfortable on the Boomslang, and the length lets you choke up or slide down for fine work, or to get more length for leverage when chopping.
The Boomslang is actually a damn fine blade for the buck. (DOES NEED THE EDGE THINNED) The Junglas will probably out chop it even with the edge thinned, just because Esee does a very very good job on their grinds, where Condor is still improving theirs.
Imho though the Boomslang is much more comfortable in hand, while the Esee has a MUCH better sheath(if you like Kydex), and a Lifetime warranty.
As far as Ontario, they make a good blade, but I am not thrilled with their handles. I personally feel that Kabars are more ergo and comfy, and Kabar/Becker blades are (in my personal opinion) as good or better, depending on the knife. I always sand the rubber handles though to stop them from hot spotting so much.
 
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