Ontario knives/spec plus/ anyone have/any good?

I have both the Marine Raider Bowie, SP-10, and the
Frontiersman Bowie, SP-18. Both are awesome, tough,
affordable versions of classic American Bowies, the
Carlson's Raider Bowie of WW2 for the SP-10, and the
Bill Bagwell series for the SP-18.

The Raider is thicker, and heavier, makes a great chopper,
digger, pounder, yet is still functional as a fighting
Bowie and has a metal guard. It would be my first choice in the woods as an all purpose big knife.
The Frontiersman is still pretty thick, but it is much faster and feels lighter, it would be my first choice in the unlikely event of a knife fight. The lack of a metal handguard makes it look less like a fighting knife, more like a long black hunting knife.

The beauty of the entire Spec Plus line is the opportunity to sample a variety of blade sizes and styles in rugged, affordable packages, with generally similar grips so you can compare blade shapes. On a camping trip I did not hesitate to let a friend borrow the Raider, this would not happen with a precious mega-buck masterpiece. I have abused both of them against cardboard, carpeting, wood scraps, rags, and homemade training dummies. Of course there are superior blades available, but these are great, tough values. Think of them as sharp trainers.
 
i just got my Ontario SP-6 fighter in the mail, the blade is long and it feels scary sharp on both edges. rubber handle/rubber guard ? i must be expecting to much (no Kydex) as the cordura nylon sheath leaves something to be desired. i know, if it came with kydex it would cost $75. not sure if it's a keeper, i wish everything came with kydex... looks like a great cheap knife if you can live with the sheath which would probably be fine for field use.

only took three days to get here..
 
Joebe, use it ,beat the snot out of it, work it hard just don't let it set in a drawer. Ontario's are
for using and learning on. Don't worry about the sheath. Your next blade can have better
one. ENJOY.......
 
I broke a couple of inches off the tip of my Marine Raider Bowie doing some not-to-heavy prying. They did replace it no problem though.
I have gotten good hard use out of several of their blades, but I would probably trust something like a Busse or something else that is built for tough performance and hard use and warrantied to back it up and proven by notable hard users (not just titles) when my life depends on it.
 
those rubber handles are just something i can't warm up to, i never liked Pachmyer grips for that same reason, they always catch your shirt and they rub bad if you don't wear a shirt between you and the grip. next gunshow i am buying an Ontario Bagwell (fortress) with the leather sheath, the kydex sheaths are set up with the same frog stud which seems odd, a wide belt loop seems more practical. if your going to carry you mine as well carry BIG.
 
If you want a cheap nice with kydex sheath I would recomend the MK3 MOD 0. It is only around $40 and is 440A stainless steel. It is military knife made by ontario so it has the typical military "worn out" look. The only drawback is the weak tip strength. But If you screw one up you can get another without cleaning out your wallet.
 
I bought an SP-6 Fighter not long after they came out. It was wickedly sharp out of the box, handles well, and feels comfortable to me (though of course that's going to be largely a matter of personal preference). I can't say the curious leather/ballistic nylon hybrid sheath was anything to rave about -- mine was oozing a little bit of glue from one seam -- but I can live with it.

I have the largest of the Spec Plus tantos, and it's a pretty darned heavy blade -- not as quick as other tantos of that size -- but feels solid enough for all that.
 
I have a frontiersman and have to agree with Chutethemall, it's surprisingly quick in the hand and easy to manipulate
 
A number of members have recommended the Becker line over Ontario.
If you are a somewhat careless person like myself it might be wise to choose Spec Plus. I still have a scar on my left thumb where my Becker Patrol Machette slipped from my grip and the blade cut a chunk of flesh out of my thumb. The handles on the Becker knives are very slippery, and there is no guard on any of them. As a result I have cut myself with two different Becker knives, which slipped from my grip.
The handles on the Spec Plus line are much more sticky, and the integral guards, while much inferior to metal guards, are still better than no guard at all.
 
W.T. Beck;

I can't imagine you saying that the Becker line does not have a guard! The handle has an integral guard and unless you are dipping the handle in slick-50 I don't see how you can cut yourself from it slipping in your hand. You must be completly letting go of the handle and letting the whole blade slip onto your hand. Or, maybe you are just accident prone or clumsy...sorry you cut yourself but I don't think is the fault of the Becker handles.
:confused: :rolleyes: :eek:
 
Hello Muzzlepup,
Like I said I am a bit clumsy, but nevertheless it was quite easy for the Becker knives to slip from my grip when I was holding them with the blade upturned. The center part of the handle on the Beckers is recessed, but in my opinion it is too shallow to give a secure grip. Also the sloping portion in front is rounded and slick, and can simply roll over one's hand if the blade is pointed upwards and one is not holding it tightly. IMO handguards should be straight and perpendicular to the handle, especially if they are short, so they will not roll over one's hand. Technically I guess you can say the Beckers have guards, but IMO they are poor ones, especially given the slick finish on them.
If you will recall the original question of this thread was about the Ontario Spec Plus knives, and some readers suggested the Becker knives as superior to the Spec Plus line. I was just pointing out that the Spec Plus knives have more grippy handles and wider, straighter guards, which is certainly an advantage for myself and should be for anyone else who is a bit clumsy.
 
W.T. Beck;
I guess that no knife can be all things to all people and if the BK&T line does not suit you then is best to find something that does. The handles on the Bk&T line CAN be roughed up a bit so they don't have the "slippery" feel or even wrapped with tape but it best to get a knife that you don't feel a need to do a buch of modifications on. For me the Becker line fits very well after using them. At first I did not like the feel of the handle but with use have come to feel very secure with the Bk&T handles. I feel that for the money, Camillus and BK&T have an extreme winner and I have owned Busses and other pricey knives but still go back to the Becker line.


;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top