Thoughts on Ontario knives

I have a Rat-3 I carry daily. It's been used pretty hard, I still carry it.

I'd buy an ESEE-3 the next time I was looking, but more for the larger handle.

I'd argue that Rowen does a better heat treat on 1095 and that ESEE's warranty and F&F are better than Ontario.

I'd also say that if I had to buy another Rat-3 from Ontario, I'd do so without worry for it's ability to be a knife.
 
Overall I'd say Ontario makes good stuff. Most of their large chopping knives I wouldn't take over my BK9, but the quality is there and they're worth the money.
 


M724 by Ontario, This Mil Spec auto knife also made by others and issued, as I understand, at onetime or another in pilot or parachutist survival gear. The curved, non-auto blade is a shroud cutter.

I also own a Bagwell bowie by Ontario named "The Fortress" from my former Cowboy Action Shooter days.

May have both extremes of Ontario knife company covered- like what I have.

Best.
 
Love Ontario!
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I am a fan of the Ontario Ranger and RAT knives. They are very affordable and fun to mod to fit your needs. I have noticed a significant attention to detail improve over the past year from Ontario. Great knives for the money for sure!
 
Ontario makes incredible knives at working man prices. I own the sp6, sp10, spax, sp46, sp45, and stealth ranger. Have owned the rat 1 and utilitac. The sp10 is easily the strongest chopper made! The steel quality of yhe 1095 is better than kabar/becker, a bit harder to sharpen but the edge retention is the best I've seen in this steel and the 5160 is amazing! The rat 1 is a smooth fast knife that can handle some big chores in a pinch. I highly recomend them!
 
Rider9195,
We supply some 154-CM to Ontario. Very good customer and local to us as well. You and anyone here on the forum are welcome to stop by for a tour of the mill any time you're in the vicinity of Akron NY. (About 30 minutes east of Buffalo.)
 
I traded into an Ontario SP51 a couple of years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised. That thing is a freakin tank, and I wouldn't hesitate to put it up against any knife of that size. For the price, its even harder to beat.
 
Ontario makes a GREAT product in the SP series. That is what my experience is with. I own, use & have batoned the snot out of the SP2, SP8, SP10, SP17, SP47, SP51, SP53, SP KUKRI. No issues at all. I also own a few BK-9's. No Ontario i have out chops it. But they are chopping beasts. Sometimes i just feel more comfortable batoning with 1/4" vs 3/16". My wood is crap & i get it for free & is wicked twisted & knotty. Made in America, is a quality hard use product & available at working persons wages. Hard to beat that. Ontario, KaBar & BK&T all ROCK !!! :thumbup: :D If their folders are as good as thier SP line, you should have no issues.
 
I was given a Spax as a gift and loved it. I recently purchased OKC's Kukri. Both are well made, thick steel and very durable. I would recommend this company to anyone that asked about it. I am looking at getting some of their smaller blades as well. Both fixed and folding. So I was wondering what were some of their better smaller blades? Around 3 to 5 inches.
 
+1 on the RAT II, its extremely affordable, and for the money you get a great knife. I actually meant to pick one up last saturday, but somehow I ended up walking out with the Ontario Kukri , lol.....I've been using it all week, and I love it! My first Kukri, and I'm hooked....now I need a HI.....
 
My Utilitac 2 was as smooth as my BM 940 or Para 2. Tell you the truth I think it was one of the best production folders I have ever owned. I now have a Ontario SP8 machete in my collection and it preforms very well with a little re-profiling.
 
Those Retribution folders are awesome, but unless I'm mistaken they are made by Fox.

I had a customer who loved Ontario products and I ordered a lot of fixed blades for him. I'd say that it is a pretty good product for the money. However, the finish can be a bit rough on some models. For example, I received a few Mark III Trench Knives with what I consider unfinished leather handles (a little sanding and some protective coating solved it).
 
Bought the RAT 1 when it came out a few years ago. I use it as a work knife in my construction job and it has turned out to be a great knife. I use it pretty hard sometimes for what I do and certainly don't take any special care of it (I clean it with charcoal lighter fluid sometimes) other than to put a dot of oil on the pivot. After about 4 years, it still locks up like a vault, which astonishes me. My only complaint? Wish the steel was just a bit harder.

Have the RAT 5 and RAT 7 in D2. Excellent knives. When I bought them, there was a tremendous amount of fan boy flame wars over Ontario or Rowe produced knives of the same design. I became convinced after reading the constant, ongoing, ceaseless flaming and screaming of the Rowe crowd that I had bought an inferior product.

Not so.

I took the RAT 7 and did my own tests to take it to the extremes of what I might use the knife to do. I took that blade knowing that it was D2, and having been warned by the ESEE fans that it would shatter, and chopped a seasoned white oak 2X4 in two. In fact, I was really surprised how well it did as it took quite a bit to get through the oak. Yes it was more dull, but not even a tiny chip. Next, took the knife (I was assured the points of the blades were quite fragile) and dropped it repeated point first into a hard stump from 6'. Only about 1/4 inch penetrated, but the point never snapped or bent. Did dull a bit, though.

Decided the fan boys were just that, and I bought a RAT 5 in D2 as well. This one came with a set of poorly fitted scales on it. I called RAT, spoke to a real human being, and he sent me out some new scales and stainless bolts. I had them in 5 days.

And of course, I have had the Ontario Mil-Spec machete now for years. It is my favorite. The steel is hard enough to be useful, and easy to touch up with a good file. Perfect for brush work.

So great products, fair pricing, excellent customer service.... what's not to like? :thumbup:

Robert
 
I forgot to mention in my earlier reply that I have a D2 RAT 3 from when they first came out and I've used it a lot, the coating is worn off, but it's still going strong. Excellent little knife.
 
gooeytek said:
I traded into an Ontario SP51 a couple of years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised. That thing is a freakin tank, and I wouldn't hesitate to put it up against any knife of that size. For the price, its even harder to beat.
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I couldn't agree more. I have a sp50 and got my son a sp51. Started out years ago with the 8" Tanto. I have bet the daylights out of them and they always come back for more. I highly recommend these knives. As Gooeytek stated, built like a tank and at super reasonable prices.
 
I have a 5160 RTAK II that I use primarily for a camping blade, mostly battoning firewood so I don't have to lug an axe around, and it's been indestructible in the 18mos or so I've had it. More recently I bought two RAT 2 folders and they've been really good value blades. On a side note, one of the RAT 2's I bought had such late lock-up I wrote Ontario (and sent them a pic) to ask them about it, and express my concern about possible failure and was promptly sent a new RAT 2 w/o even returning the questionable folder.

Superb customer service indeed, and as I understand it...they're the oldest US knife manufacturer still in existence (founded 1889), and if I'm not mistaken...still in the same building in NY for well over 100 years!
 
Ontario makes an incredibly solid knife. I bought one of their Ranger Shanks once and gave it to my brother. He used it to pry, whittle, dig and everything else. Then, there was time I was without power tools and trying to cut this sword down to a smaller size. My brother had the stupid idea that we should use the Shank. I eventually agreed and watched him baton through a 1/4 inch thick by two inch wide chunk of heat treated 1095 with that knife and a hammer. The edge was dull, but the blade was unscathed. The powder coating wasn't even screwed up. So, yeah. They make a pretty tough knife.
 
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