Ontario Bushcraft Woodsman

The end result will look pretty similar to what's there already. What has happened is that Dan Maragni did some research and found an engineered hardwood that is capable of standing up to the kind of abuse these will take. bghorn nailed it, the spot he circled in red was a point of concern for us. To address the potential for breaking or chipping, we explored multiple possibilities, and this was the best way to keep the overall look of the knife (the engineered hardwood is extremely attractive) without sacrificing performance.

I'd like to hear more about everyone's thoughts on the sheath. To this point, the only negative feedback I've received is that people like leather sheaths for their bushcraft knives, especially when paired with wood handles. That's a fair point and one for us to keep in mind, but if there's anything beyond that, please let me know.
 
After some time with my Bushcraft, I am looking forward to the Woodsman with great anticipation.

I am a little bummed that the walnut scales are going away. They oiled up real nice on the BC.

As to the sheath, leather would be my first choice, but the nylon Desantis sheath works well enough. It is actually growing on me more all the time. But the red color seems unnecessary. It doesn't lookmso bright outdoors. But I would love a more subdued color scheme.

Do we have a definite thickness on this knife yet? Some of the pre-order sights are just saying it is a thick knife.
 
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I'd be happy with a Kydex or leather sheath. I actually liked the Kydex sheath that was on the 125th anniversary SP8 when I handled it. If it came in a dark brown color or a color that was subdued then I'd be happy. I like leather but it might add to the price. Hopefully you guys get this out soon! As far as how thick it is, a 1/4" is good for me. I've been looking at Busse/Swamp Rat/Scrap Yard company knives that come in at a 1/4". I'm going to be so broke this year!
 
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OntarioKnifeCompany said:
I'd like to hear more about everyone's thoughts on the sheath. To this point, the only negative feedback I've received is that people like leather sheaths for their bushcraft knives, especially when paired with wood handles. That's a fair point and one for us to keep in mind, but if there's anything beyond that, please let me know.
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I haven't seen the sheath that you're planning to ship with these knives but I will say that the nylon sheaths that ship with most of your knives suck. The sheath for my SP46 is just garbage, the sheath for my SP5 is OK but needs some lashing points (kydex would have been 1,000 times better though), the sheath that came with my RTAK II was OK quality but I'm just so sick of the bulky nylon with plastic liner sheaths. I just hate the design in general and I wish it would go away.

A good knife needs a good sheath and a good sheath has multiple options for carry and attaching items to the sheath as well as holding the knife securely while still being able to draw and sheath the knife one-handed. It doesn't necessarily have to be jump-ready but it shouldn't just fall out if it's upside-down. A good sheath like that costs a little more and I'm fine with that.
 
Kydex (brown idealy) or leather
Condor knives has some very nice leather sheaths on inexpensive knives. It's not true that a basic but sturdy leather sheath is expensive.

Anyways I would prefer anything except a nylon sheath
 
bigghoss said:
the nylon sheaths that ship with most of your knives suck
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Agreed. Maybe I shouldn't be saying that, but we're aware of it and trying to do better. It sounds like you won't be a big fan of this sheath, since it is a large nylon one with a plastic liner. That said, it's custom manufactured by DeSantis to fit this knife, whereas a lot of those older sheaths were made to a size and general shape. The lesson has been learned and we do our best to make sure each knife comes with a high quality sheath. Everyone here knows that quality is an area of emphasis for us, but sadly you just can't turn an entire catalog around in one action. It's a process, and it's ongoing. We'll get there. I look forward to the day I can hop on this forum and we can all talk about how OKC knives are flawlessly ground, razor sharp, and come with amazing sheaths.

We'll get there.
 
OntarioKnifeCompany said:
Agreed. Maybe I shouldn't be saying that, but we're aware of it and trying to do better. It sounds like you won't be a big fan of this sheath, since it is a large nylon one with a plastic liner. That said, it's custom manufactured by DeSantis to fit this knife, whereas a lot of those older sheaths were made to a size and general shape. The lesson has been learned and we do our best to make sure each knife comes with a high quality sheath. Everyone here knows that quality is an area of emphasis for us, but sadly you just can't turn an entire catalog around in one action. It's a process, and it's ongoing. We'll get there. I look forward to the day I can hop on this forum and we can all talk about how OKC knives are flawlessly ground, razor sharp, and come with amazing sheaths.

We'll get there.
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The fact that you guys are listening to user feedback is great.
The knife is always much more important than the sheath but it's annoying to have to ditch the nylon one and pay an extra 25$ for a kydex sheath.
I'm pretty sure it would take less time (and probably money) to make a kydex sheath rather than a nylon sheath with an insert.
 
It's refreshing to hear a manufacturer's rep speak so bluntly without any b/s. I like that. As far as the nylon sheaths, yeah, I know that most of 'em don't have any retention and the knife moves around inside, but this is true of almost every production maker, not just Ontario. As a matter of fact, I have a bunch of knives from a certain manufacturer near the Rockies with a great reputation for tough knives, and their nylon sheaths are exactly the same crap, despite their knives costing 2-3 times as much as Ontario. So I'm fine with Ontario's value pricing for their knives. It's not hard to make some modifications on those nylon sheaths or even order some inexpensive leather supplies and make your own leather sheath. I'd rather pay less for a very good knife with a crappy nylon sheath than pay an arm and a leg for the same knife with a custom fitted leather sheath.
 
I use my Falcon for what people call "bushcraft", pretty much anything I do in the woods. As a belt knife it's perfect. Same size as a puukko in a much stronger package and capable of doing everything I do with my puukko style knives. I actually like the sheath and I am not a fan of kydex in the woods, or even tooling around the farm. The webbing to attach it to my pack is a very nice feature. When I get one of the larger chopper knives you make someday I hope it will still have the option at least to get the basic sheath. In the woods they are better than the kydex options and don't make noise when brushing against trees and such in the woods. One thing I would like to see with the basic sheaths though is a color option, even if it cost more I would prefer a coyote or OD sheath.

Just my two cents.
 
mastiffhound said:
I read somewhere that the RC was only going to be 53? Is this true?
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That sounds about right. This one is really meant to take abuse. You can get 5160 up to 60, but you're increasing the potential for chips and cracks when chopping or batoning. Dan Maragni has studied 5160 extensively and finds that it really should be 53-55, rather than going higher.
 
I'd rather have the sheath that the Rat7 and Rtak came with. Leather looks nice but isn't that great in wet weather. The kydex sheaths aren't as functional unless you strap on some nylon bags. I'm happy w the quality of the stock sheath. Pouch is perfect size for a fire steel and a folder. Has lots of options for strapping on backpacks and dangles nicely on the belt. Dries up quickly. Nice big buckle for the pouch. If it breaks it's easy to switch to the velcro that's there already. Perfect sheath in my opinion

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Added a couple pics to those not familiar w the sheath
 
To this point, the only negative feedback I've received is that people like leather sheaths for their bushcraft knives, especially when paired with wood handles.
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I may stand out as an exception, but to me a bushcraft knife is a knife that may get wet, and otherwise exposed to the elements. Inert substances such as micarta for scales and kydex (or nylon) for a sheath (along with a drain hole the way stock Esee sheaths are built) is ideal. I love my older leather washer handle style knives with their leather sheaths, and they have held up well. I'm not saying it's a real strong negative. It's just one more thing to be concerned about.
 
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