Pretty much what the title says.
A friend of mine is looking into getting one of their K-bar clones (SP1/ 498), and after looking on their site I noticed they have some other interesting knives as well (for example their Ranger line).
I know they had (have?) a contract for bayonets, so I suppose they have some credibility, but honestly I haven’t really heard/researched much about them.
I did a search for OKC here but came up with rather muddled results. If this has been discussed before, my bad- feel free to point me in that direction.
So basically A) are their knives of good quality, and B) how do they stack up to other brands (ie, what brand[s] would OKC specifically be most comparable to quality wise). It’s not really an issue of what I or He would be better served by (I’ve been through most of those threads), I just want to know where they fit into the big picture with all the other companies out there.
…and you will find this same info, but here goes…OKC will not yield a ton of hits but Ontario + product name yields better results. I have a Ranger RD 6, and before I purchased it I did several weeks worth of research (musta watched every test on knifetest.com…which is where I recommend you go, as you can watch an RD 7 chop through a cinder block and make your own decision). You can find a better knife, but it will be hard to beat the price/performance of an Ontario (maybe a Cold Steel knife, they did rather well too). In the event you are willing to part with more $, get an ESEE, as it is very similar to the Ranger series but has a far better sheath and better fit and finish (the steel issue is debatable 1095 vs 5160). I have a couple of pictures comparing the RD-6 to a USMC issued KaBar.
The RD-6 is damn near a sharpened crowbar, and personally I am exceptionally happy with it (mine came sharp enough to shave with). I will purchase an aftermarket Kydex sheath (around $40), and still I will have spent less than I would have purchasing an ESEE (and the aftermarket sheath is superior to the standard that comes with the ESEE). Decide what you plan to do with this particular knife and purchase accordingly.
Yes, I’ve actually read through all 7 or 8 pages of the SHTF thread previously- it’s saved in my go-to favorites. Probably wouldn’t hurt to go through it again.
That KnifeTest site is pretty interesting. Nice to have somebody else to beat the snot out of a knife for you before you buy it.
Although I think he might be slightly in love with Busse…
I’m pretty impressed- if (as it seems to me now) Ontario’s kives are about on par with Rat/Esee/Scrapyard/certain other well known brands, I think it will work out nicely. I would be getting an aftermarket sheath for whatever knife I got anyway.
For my friends benefit, I’m going to assume their SP1/ 498 knives are about on par with a classic K-bar?
Whenever I had a Ranger, RAT or any knife with micarta slab handles held on by hex screws I’d epoxy the slabs on. Just like with firearms screws are bad. Vibration is the enemy, especially on larger blades that might see chopping.
With that said all mentioned brands are solid with high carbon steel. The classic Ontario line is decent with the Ranger line being guarenteed for life the same way Justin did before the merger.
Not sure about KBAR’s guarentee.
Sheathing is a consideration as well. Just like good tires are important on a high performance ride and its a place some companies slack in.
And the difference between 1090 and 5160 will not be noticed by the end user. The only downside to high carbon is it will rust if looked at funny. Other than that its great hard use blade material.
I own an OKC made RAT3 and RAT5. THe knives are good to go for the price, tough as nails. The only negative for me on both knives were the sheaths. I purchased a nice leather sheath for the RAT3 and a friend is making one for the RAT5.
In the event you are thinking about an Ontario knife, but you have reservation regarding the sheath, there are solutions to this. You can get a sheath just like those that ESEE uses from Chestnut Ridge
Also, Justin Gingrich (the Ranger series knife designer) is extremely approachable, and will do customization for your individual knife. You can see several examples on youtube (even one where someone ordered a 3/8" thick version). I plan to have my Micarta handle contoured and more jimping added.
I know that sheath is listed as “waterproof”, but I have a personal fear of placing my non stainless steel knife in any sheath that can retain moisture
You wrote: I will purchase an aftermarket Kydex sheath (around $40), and still I will have spent less than I would have purchasing an ESEE (and the aftermarket sheath is superior to the standard that comes with the ESEE).
What type of aftermarket Kydex sheath are you thinking of? Just curious (and lazy).
I went with a company called On Scene Tactical (if you look a few posts up in the thread you will see the link). You can order either a belt sheath or a molle sheath, but if you really want to go all out you can get an operator’s kit which comes with one of each and a few additional attachments. Each kydex sheath is custom built for the knife. My load out is all black (cept my damn chest rig…which I plan to change soon), so I ordered mine in black.
i have had my eye on an ontario ranger for a while now. knowing nothing about steel quality, its hard to make a sound decision on a gp knife. people really seem to like their ontario rats and rangers and i don’t think i can beat the price point on them. i may just have to pick on up.
Here is info on what elements are in different types of steel and the quality and uses there in, and what some industry leaders use. Long read suggest a quick scan before the long but very infomative read…Great little site…No affiliation.:no::haha: http://zknives.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml For the record I have a Rat 7 and have been very happy with it so far.
So basically A) are their knives of good quality, and B) how do they stack up to other brands (ie, what brand[s] would OKC specifically be most comparable to quality wise). It’s not really an issue of what I or He would be better served by (I’ve been through most of those threads), I just want to know where they fit into the big picture with all the other companies out there.
To answer your question ontario knives are great quality I have a few of their knives including the rtak ii and one of their ranger knives which I love (both). The ranger line is designed by the guy who use to own ranger knives Justin Gingrich who makes great knives I also have a custom made by him.ontario knives are up there with other good quality knife brands like kabars Becker line of knives and esse (esse is a little better quality and more expensive).
A big thanks for all the replies and help.
I actually will have a small review coming up here on a couple of OKC knives I purchased, as well as an ESEE6.
The Ontario knives are most definitely GTG. I BELIEVE, and I know if I’m wrong someone here will correct me :D, that at some point they have made knives under contract for the military, like K-Bar has. I assure you from my own personal experience, for whatever the hell that’s worth, that 1095 is a great, basic, tough as hell, high carbon steel. It will get crazy, shave hair sharp, you can beat on it, and it isn’t as hard to sharpen as D-2 or the new mega mongo super steels (m-2 or the like). For the money buy it and don’t be scared to use it.
