Questions about the Ontario 499 Air Force Survival Knife.

[usarng13m]

Hey all, I'm new to the forum and need some advice on a purchase. Lately I had been looking around for a good work knife, and came across the Ontario 499 Air Force Survival Knife, which I ordered and will be receiving in a few days. After my purchase, I read some reviews and noticed that the knife and sheath have a few flaws. Apparently, after prolonged use and exposure to moisture, the stacked leather handle on the knife as well as the leather on the sheath will shrink and deteriorate. One customer had said, a good way to preserve handle and sheath is to use a substance called Neetsfoot oil. But how would I go about applying the oil to the leather? Do I simply slather it on there, or is there a soaking process of sorts? Also, other customers had mentioned using other substances, someone even suggested to coat the handle in beeswax. Is the neetsfoot oil the best way to go in preserving the leather? Or are there better options because I'm looking to get many years of usage out of this tool. If anyone has this knife, and can offer anymore advice on how to properly care for this knife, that'd be welcomed and greatly appreciated.

 

[Angus McGunnigle]

I have the same knife. I use Obenauf heavy duty leather protectant on both the handle and sheath. Rub it on generously and let it sit overnight, then wipe off the excess the next day.

You are gonna get a lot of opinions about the knife itself.
IMO you did not waste your money and it's a good product. You may want to thin the edge out a bit, cut off the top guard, regrind the tip, etc. There are some great mods that folks have done to the knife. I did the mods I described and it works better for me now. It's your knife to do with what you want. Enjoy it and use it.

 

[TwinStick]

The Ontario SP2 (Spec-Plus) is also a GREAT knife. It can be had for around $35-$40 + shipping. It is not a rat-tail tang. It is much wider, yet not a "full" or "exposed" or "extended" tang.