Please tell me a bit about Ohta knives

Andya27

Andya27

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Dec 26, 2013
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I've seen a few members on the forum post photos of Hiroaki Ohta knives in various threads. And they look stunning. I was thinking that for a first custom knife, an Ohta might be a good place to start.

I'd appreciate any input you all may have on his knives. Anything special I should be looking for. For those of you who own them, please tell me about their functionality. I'm not a collector, I'm an enthusiast, so I would plan to use any custom knife I purchase. I'd appreciate your thoughts on fit and finish, and if you would agree that an Ohta would make a good first custom.

Photos as well as advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 
I haven't bought any recently, but the ones I own are all excellent. His ff is great. I don't know where he gets his stag but those that I own have not shrunk at all, unlike some other stag handled customs I own. I do very much like the way he fits his stag.

The ones I have do not have a mill relieved pivot, something it seems many of the custom makers are doing. Mine have a high mirror polish on the liner interiors, this seems to eliminate some of the wear you might otherwise see on the tang.

I will say that the custom makers that post as members on this forum, could all make you as fine a knife.

Here's a poor pic of what I have from Hiroaki.
IMG_1428.jpg

The bottom one, his Small Camper", is always in my pocket. It's Peanut sized in length. Another pic of the "Small Camper".
IMG_1410.jpg
 
I have owned several and consider them to be an exceptional value in the custom Slip Joint world. F&F is right up there with what I consider a very attractive price tag. He like some other Japanese makers seem to have an endless supply of very nice stag if that is to your taste. A big plus is that they are fairly attainable without a wait. You will find several dealers/purveyors on the internet that have his knives on hand. I am not going to give out any names as I am not certain of their Blade Forums affiliation but a simple search will yield them.
 
An Ohta would make a fine introduction to the world of custom slipjoints. I am very fond of the one I have.

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- Christian
 
Thanks for the input. I did just take a stroll through the Knifemakers Market and saw that we do have a number of folks who can make a knife exactly as I would want. Peregrin - many thanks for that suggestion.

And ptradeco - it was on one of the Internet stores that I saw some of his knives. They do appear to be a very good value. But so do those being sold on the Forum.
 
Andya27 said:
Thanks for the input. I did just take a stroll through the Knifemakers Market and saw that we do have a number of folks who can make a knife exactly as I would want. Peregrin - many thanks for that suggestion.

And ptradeco - it was on one of the Internet stores that I saw some of his knives. They do appear to be a very good value. But so do those being sold on the Forum.
Click to expand...

If you can find one for sale on the forum it will most certainly save you money over an internet purchase. They do turn up every once in awhile. I believe there have been a couple just recently.
 
I just picked up one of his small friction folders…had it about two days and am thoroughly impressed. Haven't taken any pics yet, but the ironwood is beautiful and the fit and finish is better than anything else I have/had. The pics on the site where I purchased did not do this knife justice. It's amazing and I'm loving it so far. I'd definitely be in the market for a folder. This knife screams quality and great craftsmanship and it was priced well to boot. If I can get any decent pics I will post them as soon as I can. We're in the midst of our one winter storm per year!
 
Got mine just after Christmas. It's his 110 pattern, 3.5" with Clip not Wharncliffe blade. The stag is very dark, very gnarled & poppy and he fits it right onto the bolster. No grinding it away. High polish backspring & Rat-Tail bolster and a very impressive matte blade. Firm pull, which I favour. The line up between tang & spring is so good it looks like one piece when closed. I can find NOTHING to complain about this knife frankly.

I bought mine direct from him after looking at his on-line catalogue. Wait was I think, under three months and he was absolutely to his word on price, spec and delivery time. Japan Post is amazing, it got here (Finland) in three days right after Christmas. He sent me pix of the stag I could chose from, three different styles so you see what you are getting, and such stag!
It came in a nice hand made leather slip which is useful for carrying. This knife is exactly what I like and wanted, other people may have different tastes obviously.

I'm now wanting to get one of his Japanese style slipjoints, you can see work in progress under Today's Knives and New Knives on his website which is constantly updated.
 
Mr. Ohta is a very fine and charismatic person, and he makes excellent knives in a great variety of styles and handle materials. As mentioned by others above, his Stag and F&F are outstanding.

I admired his more traditional slip joints from afar for several years before I was able to acquire a very small example. I have since purchased several of his larger Wharncliffe bladed knives; one in person from Mr. Ohta.

I will caution that strength of Pull can vary. Most I have are almost perfect for me, but I have a large Wharncliffe with a pull that is North of #7.

I agree with all who have praised his F&F, his Stag, and above all his demeanor and his business ethics.

Some day I may venture into some of his more exotic offerings.

Mike H.
 
I have one of his friction folders and I think it is beautiful, ergonomically elegant and a great buy for the price.
 
I recently bought one, fit and finish was flawless however the blade was quite a bit off center. I decided to return it.
 
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