Ontario 499 Survival Knife

Fri Apr 27, 2012 4:05 am

This is my newest knife. It’s a Ontario 499 used by a few branches of the US Armed Forces. And of course MADE IN THE USA. The 499 is a “heavier” knife. But I like that because it gives it a good feel and hell what do you want a light little girl knife for survival. Now the 499 has a leather handle which I love. Feels great when you hold it. I went and put a few coats of leather oil on it just to make sure its protected. The blade is 1095 carbon steel which is capable of high RC hardness. The down side would be that it will rust, so probably good to pull it out every once in awhile and oil the edge. The whole knife its self is covered in a dull black finish. Which I like because it makes me want to use the knife and not worry about messing up the nice finish. Plus it will not reflect light (great for sneaking around). The saw on the back of the blade is ment for air craft steel so I wouldnt expect it to cut a branch down. Then theres a 1 inch area that is double sided blade toward the tip. I think this is a nice touch. should help when stabbing into something or slashing. then there the 2 holes for making your knife into a spear. Just in case you need to spear a bear or mountain lion or whatever you fancy to spear in your free time. The butt of the knife is a “nut” shaped piece of metal and works great for hammering. It also appears that they double dipped it for a tougher coating, so hammer away.

Now for the knifes sheath. It is made out of thick leather and appears to be made to last. Not only is it stitched but also riveted. There are multi holes around it for using rope and hanging it around your neck. It also has a thin metal wrapped around the bottom, to keep the knife form poking through. If you own enough knives you know this is a problem with leather sheaths and I find this to be a great addition. The sheath also has a sharpening stone with its own pocket. I mean really what else do you need? You pick this knife up and bam you are ready to get stuck out in the woods for a night.

You can pick this knife up for $40-$50 new. Overall length is upper 9’s and I can’t wait to take it the Redwoods this summer and put it to good use.