Ontario Knife Company

Ontario Knife Company (OKC) was an American manufacturer of knives and military tools. On August 1, 2023, OKC was acquired by Blue Ridge Knives and subsequently closed.^[1]

History

Ontario Knife Company was founded in 1889 in Naples, New York. It is currently located in Franklinville, New York, in Cattaraugus County, where most of their products have been manufactured.

Military production

The company has historically supplied the U.S. military with products such as^[2]

• ASEK (Aircrew Survival and Egress Knife)
• Model 499 U.S. Air Force Survival Knife
• Model 498 Marine Combat Knife, Ontario's version of the original Ka-Bar
• Mark 3 Navy diving/survival knife
• Spec Plus SP6 Fighter and SP13 Tango
• Spec Plus SP25 USN-2 Navy knife
• Spec Plus SP26 USN-3 Navy pilot's survival knife
• M7 Bayonet
• OKC 3S U.S. Marine Corps Bayonet

OKC's "Randall's Adventure & Training" survival knives were designed in conjunction with Randall's Adventure & Training, an outdoor survival training and expedition company. The lineup includes the original RTAK (formerly produced by Newt Livesay Blades), and the TAK-1 and RAT-7, both of which have been adopted by the U.S. military.^{[citation needed]}

Ontario Knife Company has also collaborated with other designers^[3] such as Justin Gingrich, Bram Frank, and Bowie Knife knife-maker Bill Bagwell, introducing lower cost renditions of several of Bagwell's designs.

Civilian production

Ontario sold many of its military models for civilian use, and also produced a number of sporting/outdoor knives designed explicitly for the civilian market. In addition to these, Ontario Knife Company produced a range of other cutlery and tools including Old Hickory kitchen cutlery, industrial and agricultural products, and sci-med scientific tools and instruments. Ontario Knife Company was also a major supplier of private label blades and knives.

References