Tak 1 thoughts
- Thread starter bj264
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OntarioKnifeCompany
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- Jan 3, 2013
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We're a little biased, so we weren't going to chime in. This was the expected answer though. Glad you like it!
I'm really drawn to this knife. I think because it reminds me of the Rat1 blade shape. I have a Rat1 and love it. My concern is that the Tak1 might be a bit thicker and longer than I want. The BK16 is just the right size. But the Take is aesthetically what I want. Also with the BK16 I would immediately mod the knife but the Tak1 I wouldn't need to mod. So basically its the width and length of the Tak that I'm unsure of.
I like it better than my 16, and the 16 is an awesome knife. The main reason I like it better is the handle. I can comfortably wear gloves with this knife where as on the 16 there isnt enough room for a glove with my big hands.
Here are some comparison pics.
Keep in mind, the TAK handle was not comfortable out of the box. I had to do a lot of reshaping on the belt sander to get it contoured and comfy, but that took all of twenty minutes. Get one, you wont regret it. Oh and you will want to thin the edge a bit.
Here are some comparison pics.
Keep in mind, the TAK handle was not comfortable out of the box. I had to do a lot of reshaping on the belt sander to get it contoured and comfy, but that took all of twenty minutes. Get one, you wont regret it. Oh and you will want to thin the edge a bit.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2006
- Messages
- 52
I have had the TAK as my first true hunting knife. Mine is about 18 years old. The handle is long enough for my 4 1/2 hand. The blade shape naturally alows for effecient cutting and also does not have a choil. I think that the overall quality is excellent. You would have to spend triple the price to get a custom knife at this price.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2005
- Messages
- 327
The tak is an awesome knife. It has sat on my side for 9 years now and it efficiently does every thing I ask of it. It's not a baton ER but in a pinch it will do it without crying.awesome knife
=MAX=
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- Aug 6, 2006
- Messages
- 2,118
TAK1 is awesome for deer process, mine has done several deer, even did one from start to finish, all steaks etc...holds an edge and sharpens so easy.
I used to own 4 but kept 2..........2 is 1 ....1 is none
Get one asap.
ill try to upload pics next week
I used to own 4 but kept 2..........2 is 1 ....1 is none
Get one asap.
ill try to upload pics next week
I bought one in December. I have used it in the woods to process some fatwood and some minor wood carving and batoning. I have not skinned anything or filleted any fish with it, but I think the full flat grind and blade shape would work well for that, although the blade is quite thick. For frame of reference, I have previously used fixed blades primarily for field use in the Army as an infantryman or special staff officer assigned to airborne infantry. I used a knife mainly for cutting weeds and sticks clearing fields of fire, cutting roots while digging fighting positions, opening crates, and of course, opening MRE's. Most of the time I used a Cold Steel SRK or the Pilot's Survival Knife (mine was made by Camillus, but same spec as Ontario 499).
Here's what I like about the TAK:
1. It came sharp with almost perfect grinds. I've used a fine stone and a strop to refine the edge a little, but it didn't really need that.
2. It seems like it would be impossible to break.
3. Blade length is a very useable real-world length.
4. Scales are real canvas Micarta.
Here's what i don't like:
1. Knife is incredibly handle heavy. The full tang means it balances at almost the middle of the handle. Did no one at the factory cut anything with this knife for any extended period of time? The tang should have been skeletonized at the factory to help the weight distribution. I know this knife was designed by some guys who are revered as jungle survivalists/ knife designers, but did they really have to throw out a couple of thousand years of common thought as to how a knife should balance when they designed the TAK?
2. Micarta scales are blocky and slightly over-sized for tang.
3. Sheath insert doesn't exactly fit the blade and so it rattles. However, the MOLLE strap is nicely integrated. Black color is so 1980's tactical. Tan or Coyote brown would be much better for military use and would match the scales better.
4. The choil is a waste of blade space. Again, I know that's how it was designed by some knife experts so one can choke up to do fine work, but I would would much prefer it if the blade edge extended almost to the handle for more leverage. I'm not too fond of putting my fingers near the edge of the knife, but I know some do teach this.
5. Coating is starting to come off spine after a couple of whacks with a pine baton. I figured this would happen eventually with use, so not a big problem.
I really wanted to like this knife as-is. I have used a lot of Ontario products in the Army (bayonets and seat cutters, I believe) and I purchased one of their military machetes, which I really like. The balance on this knife and the handle just wore me out trying to carve with it, though. Did I sell it? Of course not. I went to Lowe's and bought a carbide 5/16 drill bit (should have bought a 1/2 in.) and chucked it into the drill press. So far I have drilled three holes in the butt part of the handle and two in the front. With a bunch of filing and grinding with a mini-tool, I have been able to connect the three rear holes. This hasn't helped much at all, but it has a little and I may keep drilling/filing until I can get the weight distribution right. Again, the factory should have looked at this and skeletonized the tang somewhat. See an Enzo blade or a Becker BK-16 tang if you don't understand. I know there are folks that demand a "full" tang, but they must not actually carry or cut much with their knives. I have also hand sanded the lower edge of the scales to make them fit better and to round the part near the fingers. If you do this, take care not to bevel the inside edge that goes against the tang, or else it will make the gap between scale and blade bigger. I have also bought a cheap leather pouch type sheath from a knifemaker supply and wet fit it to the knife and dyed it. I like it much better than the nylon sheath, but that's a personal preference.
I will keep and use the TAK-1, but I think it would be a much better knife if the factory skeletonized the tang to even out the balance between blade and handle and did away with the large choil.
Here's what I like about the TAK:
1. It came sharp with almost perfect grinds. I've used a fine stone and a strop to refine the edge a little, but it didn't really need that.
2. It seems like it would be impossible to break.
3. Blade length is a very useable real-world length.
4. Scales are real canvas Micarta.
Here's what i don't like:
1. Knife is incredibly handle heavy. The full tang means it balances at almost the middle of the handle. Did no one at the factory cut anything with this knife for any extended period of time? The tang should have been skeletonized at the factory to help the weight distribution. I know this knife was designed by some guys who are revered as jungle survivalists/ knife designers, but did they really have to throw out a couple of thousand years of common thought as to how a knife should balance when they designed the TAK?
2. Micarta scales are blocky and slightly over-sized for tang.
3. Sheath insert doesn't exactly fit the blade and so it rattles. However, the MOLLE strap is nicely integrated. Black color is so 1980's tactical. Tan or Coyote brown would be much better for military use and would match the scales better.
4. The choil is a waste of blade space. Again, I know that's how it was designed by some knife experts so one can choke up to do fine work, but I would would much prefer it if the blade edge extended almost to the handle for more leverage. I'm not too fond of putting my fingers near the edge of the knife, but I know some do teach this.
5. Coating is starting to come off spine after a couple of whacks with a pine baton. I figured this would happen eventually with use, so not a big problem.
I really wanted to like this knife as-is. I have used a lot of Ontario products in the Army (bayonets and seat cutters, I believe) and I purchased one of their military machetes, which I really like. The balance on this knife and the handle just wore me out trying to carve with it, though. Did I sell it? Of course not. I went to Lowe's and bought a carbide 5/16 drill bit (should have bought a 1/2 in.) and chucked it into the drill press. So far I have drilled three holes in the butt part of the handle and two in the front. With a bunch of filing and grinding with a mini-tool, I have been able to connect the three rear holes. This hasn't helped much at all, but it has a little and I may keep drilling/filing until I can get the weight distribution right. Again, the factory should have looked at this and skeletonized the tang somewhat. See an Enzo blade or a Becker BK-16 tang if you don't understand. I know there are folks that demand a "full" tang, but they must not actually carry or cut much with their knives. I have also hand sanded the lower edge of the scales to make them fit better and to round the part near the fingers. If you do this, take care not to bevel the inside edge that goes against the tang, or else it will make the gap between scale and blade bigger. I have also bought a cheap leather pouch type sheath from a knifemaker supply and wet fit it to the knife and dyed it. I like it much better than the nylon sheath, but that's a personal preference.
I will keep and use the TAK-1, but I think it would be a much better knife if the factory skeletonized the tang to even out the balance between blade and handle and did away with the large choil.