Looking for Ontario Black Wind Katanas

V

Vortec MAX

Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
22
I know they are discontinued, but I would like to find one of each size. I found a place called Wildeals Tactical, but the main page on the site says the owner closed it down in 2007???

Anyone know where I might find some?

Anyone know whats up with Wildeals?

Anyone have feedback on the Ontario katanas?

Thanks in advance.

Mike
 
They're going to be very difficult to find, either new or used. They're also not worth the effort, from what I've read.

What's the purpose of wanting them so badly? We might be able to point you in the direction of something better.
 
HolyRoller said:
They're going to be very difficult to find, either new or used. They're also not worth the effort, from what I've read.

What's the purpose of wanting them so badly? We might be able to point you in the direction of something better.
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I want a simple sturdy blade with some heft behind it. I was leaning toward one of these because they are relatively inexpensive and are made in U.S.A. I also liked the size. A 30" blade is maybe more than I am looking for, but a 30" overall length sounds better.

I have also been looking at some Cold Steel or Cheness blades, but they are maybe a little fancier than I need and certainly more expensive. Both of those choices are also made in China. I know the blades are still high quality, but I guess it bothers me to pay so much for a product made where the wage base is so low. I also worry about the hardware being cheap.

You are right about the Ontario blades being hard to find. I still have not had any luck.

Mike
 
i can suggest something similiar to what you're looking for. this is going to be REALLY hard to believe, but the United Cutlery Ninjato is one amazing little sword.

my kid got me one, years ago. i cut the nylon webbing wrap off the handle, removed the black coating, polished the stainless, and made some micarta scales for it.

i know everyone says stainless is no good for sword steel, but that little thing has been put to HARD USE for a LONG time and never failed. it's no longer carried because i bought a Swamp Rat Waki, but i will never part with it, it's served me too well.

check 'em out they're only 20bux, unless mine is a fluke, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
 
I looked up the Swamp Rat Waki. I like that one ALOT! Is that U.S. made? Where did you get yours from?

Mike
 
Vortec MAX said:
I looked up the Swamp Rat Waki. I like that one ALOT! Is that U.S. made? Where did you get yours from?

Mike
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oh yea, you think you like it now, wait til you swing it :D unless i'm mistaken they're made in Kentucky. there is a Swamp Rat section on this site and Eric has a thread with instructions on how to pre-order, there are tons of color options.

they're quite expensive (imo), but warranteed for life which is almost unheard of with swords. check out the Swamp Rat section, lots of good info.

ETA - if you can live with the price tag of the Swamp Rat Waki, then you might also want to check with Justin at Ranger Knives. before i bought my Waki, i was talking to him about a custom build. seems like a good guy to do business with and it would mean being able to tweak the design to your exact needs.
 
I Googled the Swamp Rat Waki. I think this is the blade I saw that got me started on this quest in the first place. I thought I read about it in a magazine, but I went through every magazine I have and could not find the article. I think this is the "ONE". I remember seeing either pictures or video of a guy chopping wood and then cutting paper. In another scene, the guy put the blade in a vise and bent it waaay over, and it returned to center.

I found this video in my Google search:

Swamp Rat Waki

How much does it cost, and where can I get one?

And THANK YOU for posting the name of it. It has been driving me crazy for two weeks trying to find it.

Mike
 
What color/handle type did you get? What is G10? I saw the pics on the link, but I don't know what is what.

Mike
 
check this thread out

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=692746

there's a pic of a bunch of different combos, i had trouble figuring out which was which also. so, i asked and Eric listed (a few posts down) descriptions on the colors which really cleared things up for me.

i got a black blade with black/orange G10 handle because i bought a left over after pre-orders closed thinking that they wouldn't be re-opening. or atleast not 3 weeks later.

G10 is made from fiberglass, whereas micarta is either paper, linen, or canvas (i think the Waki's use canvas) with epoxy. there's people here that can explain it better than me, but (honestly) i feel there's no functional difference between them. i do think G10 feels a tad harder, but it's barely noticable. really it boils down to - do you want a two tone handle or do you want to save 50bux?
 
That link helped a lot! I sure appreciate you spending time to help me out. I am thrilled that you helped me figure out what that cool sword was. I have been trying to figure it out for awhile now.

Thanks again for your help zignal zero.

Mike
 
zignal_zero said:
oh yea, you think you like it now, wait til you swing it :D unless i'm mistaken they're made in Kentucky. there is a Swamp Rat section on this site and Eric has a thread with instructions on how to pre-order, there are tons of color options.

they're quite expensive (imo), but warranteed for life which is almost unheard of with swords. check out the Swamp Rat section, lots of good info.

ETA - if you can live with the price tag of the Swamp Rat Waki, then you might also want to check with Justin at Ranger Knives. before i bought my Waki, i was talking to him about a custom build. seems like a good guy to do business with and it would mean being able to tweak the design to your exact needs.
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Eric is set up in Kentucky, but Swamp Rat blades are made in Ohio.

Which only some Kentuckians consider a foreign nation.

The Waki is available now, but that's a limited time thing. Once pre-orders close you'll only be able to get them in the secondary market. At a higher price. If you want one, act now.
 
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