Ontario SP5 Big Bowie v RTAKII

[Loves2stabU]

Wow! Thanks so much for the posts guys, especially you knife fury. That was one hell of a post. You made me aware of a few things I didn't know before.

 

[KnifeFury]

Wow! Thanks so much for the posts guys, especially you knife fury. That was one hell of a post. You made me aware of a few things I didn't know before.

Thanks. I have always liked large blades. I have owned about a 1/3 of those, held or seen in person another 1/3 and pondered over the rest. I just do not get the oppurtunity to use these type of blades as much, but like them!

Although, I must admit, I have been looking at more smaller blades as of late. If you stay at or under 8" you can always buy a large Spec Ops sheath if the original sheath is junk. There is something to be said about a nice sheath.

Also, I would seriously consider a Ranger Knife. Justin Gingrich (justingingrich@hotmail.com) is a very nice guy and can help you customize the blade for a reasonable price. Ranger Knives has a dedicated forum at Knife Forums. direct link:
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showforum.php?fid/72/
Note the Photo Gallery thread for ideas.

 

[Loves2stabU]

I just picked up a Swamp Rat Battle Rat. would highly recommend it if you can find one- they do pop up from time to time in the for sale area. It has a 9.3 inch blade, not quite a full flat grind but with this knife that just doesn't seem to matter much- blade geometry is excellent. It is amazingly light weight for such a large knife, 14.5 inches overall and just over 16 ounces. It would certainly handle the tasks you described, close enough to give it a hard look.

How do you order a swamp rat knife. I went tho their website but I coulnd't find a product listing or any pics of their stuff at all. I understand that they are a production busse line.

 

[Loves2stabU]

by he way, the kabar cutlass machete is .171" thick before powder coating.

 

[KnifeFury]

How do you order a swamp rat knife. I went tho their website but I coulnd't find a product listing or any pics of their stuff at all. I understand that they are a production busse line.

Keep an eye out on the "Busse / Swamp Rat / Scrapyard Knives For Sale" exchange on this forum...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=804

Also, note that both Busse and Swamp Rat have there own forums under the Manufacturer's Forums section.

 

[Horn Dog]

The SP5 is quicker in the hand than the RTAKII. It's a great bowie for the money. The RD9 is a good knife, but a bit heavier than the SP5. My favorite bowie is the Scrapyard Dog Father LE. You might want to look at the Browning Crowell-Barker competition knife, too. It is very quick in the hand.

For the money, the SP5 is the best. It is shown here with the RTAK and Gerber Utility.

 

[rifon2]

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[Munchi Kool]

10+
Fallknive Tor
Ontario RTAK
TOPS Armageddon
TOPS Steel Eagle 111A Hunter's Point
Wilson Tactical Kukri

A few favorites that you may need to dig a tad harder for...
Camillus-Becker Brute (9.5") & Patrol Machete (14" Blade)
Blackjack Anaconda II (10" Blade)

There are also many Kukri manufacturers out there, with HI being one of the better known...
http://www.himalayan-imports.com/ (http://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/)
http://www.khukurihouseonline.com/
https://torablades.com/
http://www.valiantco.com/

Warning. If you go down this large knife path (as I did), you will eventually end up with a Battle Mistress. I had a hard time passing up a Fat FBM (0.32" thick, 10" Blade - Wow).

If you are willing to go to a 9.0" or 9.5" Blade the options open up....
Fehrman Knives - Final or Extreme Judgment (9.5" Blade)
Chris Reeve Jereboam Mk II (9.0" Blade)
Fallkniven MC1 Mine Clearance Knife (9.5" Blade)
Fallkniven A2 (8.0" Blade)
ROS Arms Baby (9.0" Blade)
Ranger RD9 (9.5" Blade)
FOX Golok (9.0" Blade)
Wilson Tactical Camp Knife (9.0" Blade)
Entrek Destroyer (8 7/8" Blade)
Mercworx Proeliator (9.25" Blade)

Personally, I would go with either the Ontario RTAK, the Fehrman Final Judgment or a Ranger RD9. Good luck.

I have just spent several hours going thru the links supplied by KnifeFury and feel it necessary to personally thank him for all the time and effort put into this post!!!

I have found it contains the most informative and comprehensive list of large/long bladed knives for the person trying to make headway in the search for their first big knife.

Again, many thanks.:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

 

[longbow]

If you only want a bowie for fighting or s.d. look at the Onatario Bagwell series. I have the Fortress and without a doubt the finest handling bowie I have ever owned. Mine is put together extremely well and has the top clip sharpened for back cuts. It is over a .25" thick at the ricasso also. It is lite in the hand perfectly balanced. It ain't a camp knife although if hard pressed I suppose it could be. But the main function of this superbly crafted bowie is s.d. keepem sharp

 

[Bill Bond]

I have the SP5 and the RTAK.

The worse thing about the SP5 is the very cheap sheath.

The RTAK sheath is nicer but it has too many extra things on it I would never use.

I prefer the blade shape of the SP5.

Still not sure if either one is a keeper yet.

 

[The Moose]

If your looking for fighting knife i would probbly go with dark ops knife they seem like theyre made for that, or a stryder BT maybe, Hope this helps :]

 

[The Moose]

Oh and maybe look at ranger knives too, Great buy.

 

[Bill Bond]

The RTAKII needs handle work. It did not fit in my hands well . I found it to flat, wide and uncomfortable to hold and work with. I would not be too much of a problem to do this with a file or drum sander.

I agree. I have XL hands and the grip is still too big.

 

[KnifeFury]

I have just spent several hours going thru the links supplied by KnifeFury and feel it necessary to personally thank him for all the time and effort put into this post!!!

I have found it contains the most informative and comprehensive list of large/long bladed knives for the person trying to make headway in the search for their first big knife.

Again, many thanks.:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

No problem. It did not take that long since all of these were bookmarked! But thanks again.

Eventually you need to just start buying and see for yourself. Good luck!

 

[Loves2stabU]

Yeah right, I really want to get those "proprietary alloy" sawtooth blades w/ "tactical blood grooves" stuck in some guys rib cage

If your looking for fighting knife i would probbly go with dark ops knife they seem like theyre made for that, or a stryder BT maybe, Hope this helps :]

 

[m40]

So far the only thing I see are the TOPS Armageddon, the Ontario SP5, and the Ontario RTAK II.

I'm a big blade junkie, and have probably dropped a new car worth of cash on all manner of them over the years. With that said, expensive doesn't usually mean better. There's a few exceptions of course, but you really can get a LOT of blade for a little money.

Most of the large blades by Ontario are unquestionable deals. Yes, the sheaths suck. Also, the handles aren't the most comfortable for strenuous use. HOWEVER... all of this is easily remedied.

I started with an Ontario Spec Plus Survival Bowie, and ended up with something quite different. The handles are a hard molded rubber, but not so hard you can't reshape with a little elbow grease (whittling and sanding), or even on a small belt sander.

I chose to reprofile the edge as well as the backside to drop the tip lower and convert the back edge to something more usable on the backslash. I profiled the handle after one of my favorite all time hard use handles... Scrap Yard. The tighter I can clench a fist around a handle, the better. Fat handles that don't let you form a good fist are useless to me. No real control during hard use.

Here it is next to the original profile:

The dangler style sheath is okay for limited use, but you'll probably want to replace it eventually. I will probably do a new sheath for this one in leather or Kydex. In the meanwhile, I wrapped it in about 30 feet of paracord and added an external pouch for some goodies.

This one really was a fun project, and I plan on doing a second one. Hopefully I'll strip the coating and work it to mirror finish on the next go around. Mirror finishes cut deeper on the chop, and scuffs can be buffed out. Coatings come off... period. Nobody has yet invented a coating that will really withstand extended chopping on hardwoods. If you want to keep it black, you're actually better off using 99 cent WalMart spray paint than some expensive bake-on epoxy coat. That way you can just touch it up when you get home. Simple and effective.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do, but remember that you don't have to leave it stock. If it's going to be a 'user', then feel free to modify it to your liking for fit and function. Even if you really screw it up, no problem... it doesn't have to be pretty to be a working blade. In fact, sometimes the uglier the better... that way you've got no worries about mucking it up a bit. There's nothing more comical than seeing some nancy haul a safe queen into the woods and then be afraid to really use it.