sp43, so how is ontario's....

jbmonkey

jbmonkey

sure sure
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5160. how does it fare. I saw an old post said its hardened to 53 range? dont know that to be accurate? I own bucks in 5160 and they harden to 57/58 range. bucks heat treat seems to make it very tough and take a good edge and hold it well.

so i ordered a sp43. it will be my first ontario in 5160. curious on feedback from folks from their use. I expect it will be very tough but not hold a edge very long, but easy to sharpen.

thanks in advance.
 
I can only speak on my SP46 and SP49. Both awesome and worth the $$$. Same steel and same manufacturing process on the SP43 so my guess would be worth it.

This guy used a metal poker to baton his SP43 with everyday for 6 months:

Seems solid!

There are tons of reviews on youtube. Nutnfancy got me into the Spec Plus Gen II line:
 
so is hrc closer to 55-57 on ontarios 5160? doing some reading seemed to have seen this a couple times now.
 
Old thread, I know. I think 5160 is an awesome steel. Holds an edge pretty darn good. I have some that I sharpened once and still have not needed to resharpen, even after hard batoning. If you still have it, keep it.
 
I have a SP43, but have never used it lol.

It is actually relatively thin and after knocking the edge back a bit should, in theory, cut pretty well.

Being that they are hard to find, I may just hoard mine away.

I would bet it's very soft though. Most of the SP like is run like that.
 
forgot all about this thread. I've held onto my 5160s ontarios. added a few since this post back in 2018.
 
I went SP-51s and SP-53s, gave a way a few SP-53s because they are still in production, it seems they realized they needed to keep one big 5160 steel blade in production, it was suppose to be sunsetted like the SP-51, but hopefully they seen the light and keep one of the best choppers in production.

For my 5160 "Smaller Blades" I went with the RD series. I've only had one RD fail on me when it got chipped out on small green brush! Bad temper I guess. The RD series are tough. What I put my active RD TANTO through is well its a sharpened pry bar that can cut pretty dang well! I gave away about 4 or 6 RD6s (as they are still in production is why) to friends and relatives and they all reported back how the knife got them out of some sticky situtations. From using it to cut pine branches to under the wheels to get the SUV moving again, to it was the tool left after they got washed down stream after a rapid wipe out. It got them home to the warm glow of the computer screen and their Cheetos. LOVE that 5160!
 
Me too. I would never get rid of any of my Ontario SP knives, especially the 5160 blades. You just gotta love a steel that cuts other steel ! Lol
 
I am the person at Ontario Knife Company that developed the heat treatment for 5160 steel. I ran tests in my shop with a fairly sophisticated heat treatment set up (digital kilns, agitated quench tank, Rockwell tester) altering austenitizing temperature, soak times and tempering temperatures and then did a series of physical tests and metallurgical examinations to determine which microstructure performed the best. I found that the microstructure which cut the best and was the toughest had a Rc 53-55. When I designed the Spec Plus Gen IIs I specified them to made from 5160 steel with my heat treatment procedures (also water jet rather than laser cut to avoid the heat affected zone, added a snap temper and heavy duty tempering racks). My goal was to manufacture the best possible performing knives in an industrial knife production factory. I also played around with varying cross sections for some of the models (flat and saber grinds) to offer a choice in how the blades performed.
 
Dan Maragni said:
I am the person at Ontario Knife Company that developed the heat treatment for 5160 steel. I ran tests in my shop with a fairly sophisticated heat treatment set up (digital kilns, agitated quench tank, Rockwell tester) altering austenitizing temperature, soak times and tempering temperatures and then did a series of physical tests and metallurgical examinations to determine which microstructure performed the best. I found that the microstructure which cut the best and was the toughest had a Rc 53-55. When I designed the Spec Plus Gen IIs I specified them to made from 5160 steel with my heat treatment procedures (also water jet rather than laser cut to avoid the heat affected zone, added a snap temper and heavy duty tempering racks). My goal was to manufacture the best possible performing knives in an industrial knife production factory. I also played around with varying cross sections for some of the models (flat and saber grinds) to offer a choice in how the blades performed.
Click to expand...
thanks Dan for that information. ya still there at Ontario? I still have that knife and it has performed very well.
 
Dan Maragni said:
I am the person at Ontario Knife Company that developed the heat treatment for 5160 steel. I ran tests in my shop with a fairly sophisticated heat treatment set up (digital kilns, agitated quench tank, Rockwell tester) altering austenitizing temperature, soak times and tempering temperatures and then did a series of physical tests and metallurgical examinations to determine which microstructure performed the best. I found that the microstructure which cut the best and was the toughest had a Rc 53-55. When I designed the Spec Plus Gen IIs I specified them to made from 5160 steel with my heat treatment procedures (also water jet rather than laser cut to avoid the heat affected zone, added a snap temper and heavy duty tempering racks). My goal was to manufacture the best possible performing knives in an industrial knife production factory. I also played around with varying cross sections for some of the models (flat and saber grinds) to offer a choice in how the blades performed.
Click to expand...


Well hello there and thanks for the info.

You have a HUGE following for the SP line of knives. Especially the 5160 ones. It sure would be great if OKC came out with some new SP products. Like a Nessmuk and an Ulu knife and a 1/4" thick cleaver of traditional style with a hanging hole.

If you make them, they will sell. I have quite a few of your blades. I love the fact that they are made about an hour and a half from where I live. If you could pass that information on, that would be great. Thanks
 
Dan Maragni said:
I am the person at Ontario Knife Company that developed the heat treatment for 5160 steel. I ran tests in my shop with a fairly sophisticated heat treatment set up (digital kilns, agitated quench tank, Rockwell tester) altering austenitizing temperature, soak times and tempering temperatures and then did a series of physical tests and metallurgical examinations to determine which microstructure performed the best. I found that the microstructure which cut the best and was the toughest had a Rc 53-55. When I designed the Spec Plus Gen IIs I specified them to made from 5160 steel with my heat treatment procedures (also water jet rather than laser cut to avoid the heat affected zone, added a snap temper and heavy duty tempering racks). My goal was to manufacture the best possible performing knives in an industrial knife production factory. I also played around with varying cross sections for some of the models (flat and saber grinds) to offer a choice in how the blades performed.
Click to expand...
Thanks for popping in and sharing.

Big fan of the SP line. They are the tools I reach for when it's time to get things done.

The value they offer and robust construction is outstanding. Being made in the USA is also a huge benefit to me personally.
 
Thank you for your kind words about the knives. I am still at Ontario but now work almost exclusively and remotely from home.

Mr. Twinstick- I will pass on your information to Ontario and appreciate your feedback. Fortunately or unfortunately I do not have a large role in deciding the direction of the company and what knives they decide to produce (I am absolutely useless when it comes to predicting the market trends. I am more of a technical guy which suits me just fine).
 
Thank you Dan the Managni! The 5160 line of SPs is great! I'm glad to see they seemed to be keeping the SP-53, I hope its still in 5160, that is probably the best chopper around for the price! Only reason I tote my SP-51 in the field is do to my bad sharpening skills on curved blades. My SP-53s get given away to family members and friends who reported they were of all great help. But yes I use them when not in the field frolicking around in the wilderhood. I saw the ranger line go ka-put, I hope its just a production cycling they are doing, the RD6 I hate to say is one of the best balanced bushcraft/survival blades I've seen. Though I dislike FFGs, the RD6 has a good enough of a wedgie blade, choil for the bushy stuff and still near bomb proof! Still glad I grabbed RD Tanto's when I could!

OKC 5160 is da BOMB PROOF stuff!

I still tell people the OKC 1075 blades are still great, the gateway SP-10 for every one still are the most used of the OKC blades I gifted away.
 
Dan Maragni said:
Thank you for your kind words about the knives. I am still at Ontario but now work almost exclusively and remotely from home.

Mr. Twinstick- I will pass on your information to Ontario and appreciate your feedback. Fortunately or unfortunately I do not have a large role in deciding the direction of the company and what knives they decide to produce (I am absolutely useless when it comes to predicting the market trends. I am more of a technical guy which suits me just fine).
Click to expand...

Hey Dan,
Thanks, I really appreciate it. I think that being able to communicate with the end users/consumers is awesome. There are 2 knife manufacturers that I ALWAYS recommend to any potential knife buyer and they are both in NY State, about an hour and a half from me. We are your grass roots fan club.

IMHO, there is nothing better than a hard use tool, Made in America, at a working persons wages. I know the availability of things is not what it used to be, but hopefully that will change. I think it would be great to see some more 5160 & maybe some other tool steel offered.

My favorite OKC blade that I have not used yet is my Signature Series RD-6 Ranger, by Justin Gingrich/OKC. 3/8" of S7 tool steel goodness.
 
I have posted an article on the Ontario website explaining the history and reasoning behind the change from 1095 to 1075 steel. Go to the Ontario website and click on the "Education" heading and then click on the somewhat psychedelic image of me (I had nothing to do with the image) and that will reveal the link to the article. I would be interested in any feedback.
 
Dan Maragni said:
I have posted an article on the Ontario website explaining the history and reasoning behind the change from 1095 to 1075 steel. Go to the Ontario website and click on the "Education" heading and then click on the somewhat psychedelic image of me (I had nothing to do with the image) and that will reveal the link to the article. I would be interested in any feedback.
Click to expand...
good article. yeah sure that pic is you and not the big lebowski.....😁

images.jpeg.jpg


thank you, and wow the 1095 diehard fans sure went nutty in the comments.......

here's the link for those wanting to read it...
.
ontarioknife.com

Dan Maragni Intro / 1095-1075 Switch

Ontario Knife Company Resident knife expert Dan Maragni introduces himself and explains the decision to make the switch from 1075 steel to 1095.
ontarioknife.com ontarioknife.com
 
Wow, The Big Lebowski, what an honor. The image was developed by Matt Catanese our Sales, Marketing and Design Specialist but I don't think he had The Dude in mind when he created it.

I was also surprised by "nuttiness" of the comments by obviously diehard fans of 1095. I have been working with the material for about 47 years and don't have that kind of emotional attachment to it.

Thanks for your link to the article.
 
its interesting there are so many comments about 1075 costing less than 1095 to purchase for knife companies when (not saying this is where OKC is getting their stock from but) the site i checked had the two steels at the same dimensions for the same price.
I know it takes a different and possibly more expensive process to heat treat 1095 optimally but i’d think that on an industrial scale any savings would be minimal. But i have no experience with that so maybe i’m wrong.
Just seems interesting that the comments about “being a money saving move” are directed at purchasing the steel when it appears they cost the same. Again, no experience but thats what it looks like to me! (That the two steels cost the same to purchase)
 
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