Ontario Knife Co SPEC PLUS Gen II SP-53

B

Blunt Forged Edge

Joined
May 15, 2012
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591
Greetings!

Did a search, but maybe my search skills on BF is lacking today. Just curious to know what ya'll think about OKC's SPEC PLUS Gen II SP53, especially for the price? Have you any experience with said knife or know anyone who has?

Thanks for your consideration!
 
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I have the SP2 Air Force Survival, SP8 machete, SP10 Marine Raider Bowie, SP17 Quartermaster, SP47 Camp Knife, SP Kukri. I have pounded the snot out of them while batoning, chopped with em, etc. I have no qualms about saying i would trust my life with any one of the ones i own. They are a top quality, hard use, American made product.

The one you mention is 1/4" thick & sabre ground. That is the one i would choose as well. It is a little stronger with the extra metal & the added weight will help it chop better IMHO. For seventy four dollars, it is a LOT of blade. NOTE: expect to have a custom sheath made for it if you really want to wear it. It will cost a little more than the knife did. It is money well spent.

It has been my experience, that to carry a large blade comfortably all day, you need to choose your custom sheath carefully. Things that i required for mine:
Kydex, but not the thickest stuff out there.
Large drain hole- so it wont easily clog up & can be cleaned out if it does.
Thumb ramp for quiet removal if needed.
MUST be held securely yet with NO blade wobble.
MUST make an audible snap/click when resheathed, so there is no doubt it is secured without looking.
Able to be put on/removed without taking your belt off.
Have a dangler w/HD hardware, so it moves with you & allows you to work, squat, bend, enter/exit vehicles, horses, atv's, etc..
Have a wide 1.25-1.5" elastic leg strap with QR buckle for same reasons as above.
Have grommet holes for attaching smaller knife sheaths to it or accessories or pouches or attaching to packs.
The entire thing must be smoothed on the edges all the way around, no sharp spots.

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Hope this helps. :D
 
Oh yeah, I expect a full review here when you get it. LOL I have been eying the SP51 & SP53 for a while now. :D
 
TwinStick said:
I have the SP2 Air Force Survival, SP8 machete, SP10 Marine Raider Bowie, SP17 Quartermaster, SP47 Camp Knife, SP Kukri. I have pounded the snot out of them while batoning, chopped with em, etc. I have no qualms about saying i would trust my life with any one of the ones i own. They are a top quality, hard use, American made product.

The one you mention is 1/4" thick & sabre ground. That is the one i would choose as well. It is a little stronger with the extra metal & the added weight will help it chop better IMHO. For seventy four dollars, it is a LOT of blade. NOTE: expect to have a custom sheath made for it if you really want to wear it. It will cost a little more than the knife did. It is money well spent.

It has been my experience, that to carry a large blade comfortably all day, you need to choose your custom sheath carefully.

Hope this helps. :D
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That's quite a selection of OKCs you've got. For the life of me, I cannot find my SP10 Marine Raider Bowie. Don't know about the one you have, but does yours have an uneven top swage grind from the left and right side same as with the hollow towards the edge? The one I had did. Maybe it was just the "seconds" that I had. Don't know for sure.

TwinStick said:
Oh yeah, I expect a full review here when you get it. LOL I have been eying the SP51 & SP53 for a while now. :D
Click to expand...

I'm marinating on this one and will sure do post my thoughts on it!
 
I purchased an SP53 today. It's on route via UPS.

I'll let you know first impressions, and offer a full review
after a camping trip in late June with it in Maine.
 
Does anyone have an issue with the HRC being 53-55? I'm sure it makes for a great blade to beat on, but seems a little too soft.
 
I have had no issues at all. Sharpens easily & hold an edge well. After using mine all day chopping, batoning & cutting, it literally took just ONE swipe on each side of the blade on my 12" butchers steel to have it shaving paper & hair again. Can't ask for much more than that on a sub eighty dollar blade.
 
Okay, the GEN II SP-53 came in today.

GenIISP53_iii.jpg

GenIISP53_iv.jpg


GenIISP53.jpg

GenIISP53_ii.jpg


Thickness comparison next to the Victorinox Swiss Army Electrician

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Weightiness of the OKC GEN II SPC-53

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Knife in hand

GenIISP53_vii.jpg
 
First I thinned down the shoulders a little, then I beat the ever living crap out of that knife for months. For me it holds a great edge , one swipe on the ceramic rod and its shaving. Killer knife for the price.
 
I own older versions of the SP 19 Taskforce and SP5-95 Survival. They are two of the best values out there, and offer outstanding quality. The nylon/leather sheaths might not be as durable as Kydex, but they have never failed me. Dollar for dollar and pound for pound, the 19 is the toughest big bladed knife I've ever owned. It will certainly outlast anything I can challenge it with. The SP line excellent.
 
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I was looking at the SP52 when I came across the SP53 during my search. The Ontario catalog does not list too much on their specs and they look similar on paper. Other than the SP53 being a touch heavier can anyone post the differences between the two? Are the blade geometry or grind's different? They both look like they would be great performer's in the woods.
 
traveller said:
I was looking at the SP52 when I came across the SP53 during my search. The Ontario catalog does not list too much on their specs and they look similar on paper. Other than the SP53 being a touch heavier can anyone post the differences between the two? Are the blade geometry or grind's different? They both look like they would be great performer's in the woods.
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If I'm not mistaken, the SP-53 has the Saber Grind while the SP-52 a Flat Grind. Of course I stand to be corrected.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Saw this comparing the two amongst others.

[video=youtube;d884y3wJ2dA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d884y3wJ2dA[/video]
 
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[QUOTEIf I'm not mistaken, the SP-53 has the Saber Grind while the SP-52 a Flat Grind. Of course I stand to be corrected.

][/QUOTE]
Thanks for the vid, that pretty much explains what I need to know. I like the saber grind on the sp53 and will likely go with that.
 
yep, sp52 has a flat grind. Another vote for the sp line, solid knives. Currently have a 5-95, 19, 50 & 52, the 52 has handle mods, a leather frogged kydex with a fire kit pouch and been getting lots of love lately :D

EE10ED2A-orig.jpg


68A21053-orig.jpg
 
zuluninja said:
yep, sp52 has a flat grind. Another vote for the sp line, solid knives. Currently have a 5-95, 19, 50 & 52, the 52 has handle mods, a leather frogged kydex with a fire kit pouch and been getting lots of love lately :D

EE10ED2A-orig.jpg


68A21053-orig.jpg
Click to expand...

Can you please post some pics of the 5-95 & the 19. I have never heard of them. Thanks

Oh yeah---Damn you guys for making me spend more money i don't have !!! LOL :D

EDIT: i looked them up. Look like great blades. I am gonna drop the hammer on an SP 51 & SP53 in the next month or 2. The SP 51 looks like a larger version (kinda) of a BK2, only without the full width tang (meaning you can see it all the way around the handles).
 
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I'm amazed that u haven't heard of the 19 and the 5-95, twin! pretty cool blades, wish the 5-95 were still in production.

here's my 19. Took forever to convex and thin the main grind, thickest grind I've ever seen but it may have been part of the issue as I bought this as a factory 2nd (also had a small nick on the swedge)

sp4.jpg


stripped and mango'ed 5-95. Realized I didn't have any shots of this beast, so this shot sucks but that means I gotta take it out, play and snap some more

FA1A14DB-orig.jpg
 
Cool blades. I am happy that i am a black blade kinda guy. LOL Saves me the headache of stripping them & patina-ing them. I like black blades & rifles & pistols & shotguns. I have the KaBar versions of the SP51 & 53 (or is it the Ontario versions of the KaBars---not sure which ). I like them a lot but am thinking the 1/4" thick blades would serve me better for batoning & just give me a little peace of mind for durability. I have never broken a 3/16" blade mind you. But for flat out HD-ness, 1/4" blades ROCK !!!

BK&T }
KaBar } The best kept MADE IN AMERICA (most of them anyways) knife deals on the market. :D
Ontario }
 
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