SP6 Fighter similarities to Kabar 1271 Fighter...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

Joined
Aug 4, 2013
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As I mentioned in another thread, I am very fond of my Ontario SP6. I collect knives, and the SP6 has some, what I would call, sexy lines. Now, I am pretty certain that the OKC Freedom Fighter, the Chimera, and the SP6, are all based on the same basic blade used to make their Marine Corps specific fighting/utility/bayonet. That said, the SP6 is labled Fighting/Fighter, and of course there is the Freedom "Fighter".
Now, to my question... Have you guys noticed the lines of the Kabar "Fighter" are very similar to the Ontario "Fighter" knives. Does anyone know which of the two firms used these lines on their knives first, OKC, or Kabar?
I just purchased a Kabar 1271 "Fighter", and though it's obviously not an exact duplicate of my SP6, it sure has the same basic lines incorporated into it.

My Ontario SP6 Fighter
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My Kabar 1271 Fighter
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Wow, thanks! That means the SP6 is the father of the Marine Corps bayonet... That's pretty cool!
 
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Thanks for pointing this out! I have the Kabar 1271 and I like it overall. But I don't like the serrated part, right on the strong part of the blade. I'll have to think about picking up an SP6!
 
PKJ,

The SP-6 was the daddy of them all. That was designed around 1993. The Freedom Fighter and OKC 3S and the Chimera all came later.
The KA-BAR Fighter was designed around 1997, first as the stainless Next Gen version and then the 1095CV version a couple of years later.
I authored both the SP-6 and the KA-BARS. The Freedom fighter, OKC 3S and the Chimera were all SP-6 adaptations. I took the design from the Randall #1 fighter so the real credit goes to Bo Randall.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
V.P. of Engineering
Ontario Knife Company
 
Toooj said:
PKJ,

The SP-6 was the daddy of them all. That was designed around 1993. The Freedom Fighter and OKC 3S and the Chimera all came later.
The KA-BAR Fighter was designed around 1997, first as the stainless Next Gen version and then the 1095CV version a couple of years later.
I authored both the SP-6 and the KA-BARS. The Freedom fighter, OKC 3S and the Chimera were all SP-6 adaptations. I took the design from the Randall #1 fighter so the real credit goes to Bo Randall.
Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Paul Tsujimoto
V.P. of Engineering
Ontario Knife Company
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Much thanks, Toooj... Love learning these kinds of tid bits about these products :)
 
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Now if we can only have Tooj and Ontario provide them in a 6” blade....
 
GrReaper said:
Thanks for pointing this out! I have the Kabar 1271 and I like it overall. But I don't like the serrated part, right on the strong part of the blade. I'll have to think about picking up an SP6!
Click to expand...
I totally feel ya on that one... I mean, yes, some of my knives in my collection have serrated blades, but I personally am not a fan of serrated blades. If there are two identical knives, except one is serrated and the other is not, I'd choose the not every time :)
 
So, it seems that I inadvertently been getting knives lately that Ontario's Toooj has had a hand in designing. Not only with some Ontario brand knives, but also with some KA-BAR knives that he's had his hands on too, while formally working with that company (Toooj having been employed by Cutco's KA-BAR firm before going to Ontario). Now I can see why these two firms have some similarities between them, and Toooj may be the biggest reason why. I think he may be one of the most off the radar gems in knife history. Anyhow, a couple of Kabar "Zombie Knives" (the Zomstro and Swabbie) have recently made it into my collection, and both were supposedly knives that Toooj had a big hand in designing. I think KABAR and Ontario have both been lucky to have/have had Toooj on board... A somewhat true unsung hero in the knife world.
 
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I thought the KaBar was way older than that? They were using them before WW2 I thought? My father used one in WW2! Like WTF?
 
jNemes65 said:
I thought the KaBar was way older than that? They were using them before WW2 I thought? My father used one in WW2! Like WTF?
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You're thinking about the 1217, used during WW2, not before.

They're talking about the 1271, two different knives.
 
Thanks again for clearing that up for me. Thought I was going nuts. Two different kinds of knives. That makes sense:
 
Old thread I know, but the more you look, the more you see Randall #1 influence. The Cold Steel R1 is a straight up copy, which they called a "classic" without mentioning Randall. I suspect there were some legal reasons they did not mention Randall. That was a way to get yourself a Randall without having to pay a Randall price. It was not inexpensive, but it was compared to a real Randall. The various OKC versions are a great way to "get your Randall on!"
 
Zanussi01, I suspect you are right. And I have no Idea what my NIB Seki made SOG Desert Dagger is worth, but same sort of thing I suppose.
 
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