UPDATE: I got my RTAKII 125th Anniversary knife one day early. I really love this knife, it's a beast, highly well made, and razor sharp out the box. I hone all my knives when I first get them and this knife sang to me, it rang like a bell which I absolutely love that sound, it's really well made & finished. Mine came with a black leather sheath, not nylon or that ugly oversized green Nylon sheath so I really love this beast of a knife. I might get a kydex sheath and have my Esee 6 piggyback on it but we'll see. It's a shame that OKC has closed it's doors. I feel it's going to be like what happened to Camillus, bought by the Chinese and turned into a crap knife company. It sucks but it is what it is, I'm just glad I got my hands on an RTAKII knife to go with my Esee 6.
The RTAK II is my favorite large knife. If I'm outdoors for a long period of time, it is always with me. I am getting ready to buy a second one just to have. Good review of the knife.
I was head of security for 10 years in a private facility on 380 acres. This blade was attached to my side-by-side. Killed many snakes with it. And other rodents I was armed security but you couldn’t pull your gun out all the time when there was families and children. I love that blade. Retired now so it’s attached to my to my get home bag.
I own both the Junglas and the RTAK 2. Both are great knives. The price point on the ESEE is so much higher because it already comes with a nice Kydex sheath. By the time you buy one for the RTAK, you are in the same ball park as the ESEE depending on your choice. The ESEE feels more comfortable in hand as the grip is smaller. Grabbing it doesn’t feel like your grabbing a huge knife like when you handle the RTAK. I love the finger choil on the RTAK and that is something the Junglas doesn’t have. The fit and finish is better on the Junglas and it came razor sharp. I had to do quite a bit of sanding to improve the fit on the RTAK and had to spend quite a bit of time getting it sharp. I hated the powder coating on the RTAK so I stripped it. The powder coating on the Junglas was much smoother so I left it alone. Out of the box, the ESEE is a much higher quality blade. With a little love though, the RTAK is every bit as good and in some ways it is better. I’m just glad I own both and I can’t say I would part with either. I will be honest though and this is my true honest opinion. If you like putting work into stuff and making it your own, Definitely go for the RTAK. If you want something that you don’t have to mess with and will shave right out of the box, treat yourself to a Junglas. Either way, you are getting a great knife and a good value for your money.
If you brough that recently in the last couple of years it is 1075 steel. Still a better option that 1095 as its tougher but probly not as good as 5160 but if its heat treated well should still be good
5160 is some very tough stuff. I have zero complaints with it as far as simple carbon steels go. You can beat the snot out of it without to much worry. I have a couple knives in it, and I've never had a problem with the edges chipping or rolling, or tips snapping, etc. They've held up to everything and anything I've thrown at them. There's a reason the Nepalese use it in their kukris.
I absolutely love the design of the RTAKII over the Esee Junglas and I really regret selling mine. The only problem is I don't like 5160 steel and I prefer 1095. I remember that between the RTAK and the Becker BK 9, the BK9 stayed a lot sharper than the RTAKII which is why I sold it to begin with. I only kept the knives that stayed sharp longest with heavy use but I sure wouldn't mind having another TAKII as a weed and twig hacker out in the bush to pave the way and my Esee 6 for everything else.
This was my second large chopper knife after watching Nutnfancy's testing. My first one was the predecessor to the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri. I can't remember what it was called, but I bought it used in an area gun store for $80. It had the 12" long, 5/16" thick spine but the belly was a bit wider than the kukri. Maybe it was the All Terrain Chopper. I also own the st st Gurkha Kukri, which is a chopping beast as well. I pulled the trigger last year on the "Aurora Borealis Kodiak Chopper" from a Canadian Knife Designer & while a bit heavy, it wins the chopping/splitting contest. Steel: SK-85 57-58hrc Handles: G10 OAL: 15.25 inches Blade: from handle 9.75 inches sharp 9.25 inches Thickness: approx 0.27 inch Weight: approx 1lb12oz (sheath add 7oz) Sheath: kydex with nylon belt loop
i have had ontario sp51 for 6 or 7 years i have beat the hell out of it toughest knife ever my thoughts on big knives have changed since i purchased it but once in awhile i use it.it always stays in my truck with a survival kit.i am glad i chose it over the bk9 at the time.the rtak was one in the list i just didnt want flat grind for that purpose,i do like it and for 70 you cant go wrong
The Ontario RTAK and ESEE Junglas have different grinds- only the RTAK is full flat from the spine, the Junglas has a flat saber grind. Consequently, the Junglas is better for batoning and less likely to bind. The 5160 RTAK is also more likely to chip out when chopping vs the Junglas in 1095, which rolls, if anything. My RTAK chipped twice on its first outing... and it looks like yours did too. The Junglas comes with the best factory sheath I've ever seen, easily worth $80 and it has more features than your custom kydex- coupled with a Rowen heat treat and ESEE's "no questions" lifetime warranty, it's a no brainer. Ontario is renowned for poor QC. The RTAK comes with a rattle box of a nylon sheath with a flimsy plastic insert... you even bought a new sheath- how much did that cost?
@@MichaelTravis12c27 yeah, watching him baton with that thing was tough after using my skrama last summer.. 80crv2 is a much better steel than 5160, and the scandi grind on the skrama makes it bind much less than a full flat
Opinions very. For me the Junglas does everything I need and the Rowen heat treat is spot on. 👌 The Warranty, Hard to beat it hands down !! Which blade is the best , that answer is in the hand of the beholder . Thank you for the review.
Hey Matt hope all is well up there, I reviewed the rtak and used it for a while what a blade lol had tobget rid of it it was scaring ppl here ! I'm not kidding . Scared sencless
@@MB-jg4tr Dan Maragni explained to me that 1075 is better than 1095, even for the Old Hickory line. He is responsible for the steel consolidation at OKC. He is very knowledgeable and talented. But my experience with 1075 tells me otherwise, lol. I definitely prefer 1095 in smaller knives.
@@sopwithcamelus less carbon is usually more suitable for hard use chopping, and makes sense on larger blades. But Higher carbon is better for edge retention, ease of sharpening, and how sharp an edge can be produced quickly. The OKC downgrade to 1075 shows a noticeable negative difference very quickly when I compare my 1970's 6" butcher knife to a new 7" one I bought about 6 months ago. Their decision to change steel was purely economic, don't let anyone tell you any different. And they aren't being upfront giving easy disclosure about the change, which happened 2+ years ago. I won't be purchasing from them again any time soon unless they get their act together. Russell Green River Works blades are better anyway.
While I'm an esee guy, I can appreciate 5160 steel. Do I think it's better than esee's? No but for the price point you really can't go wrong with that one. It depends on the heat treat as well and while I've never used any Ontario knives, they've been around a minute. I also appreciate you as a reviewer, not bashing another company simply because you prefer another steel. Great video.
Nice video. You could have made it another 10 minutes longer that would"ve been awesome. And I have an RTAK 2 and I like it but the micarta handle could be a little bit smaller and more just fitting for the hand. It's cool though.
The RTAK is not better, nor will it ever be better than the Junglas by ESEE or the BK9 by Becker. The reason being that Ontario can't match the heat treat used by these companies. It's the heat treat that makes the steel. You can have the best steel in the world, and improperly heat treated it is a turd. Ontarios biggest problem is inconsistency. You might get a perfectly heat treated knife and the next one is a turd. With Becker and ESEE you are sure that 99% of the time you have a good one. I love 5160 steel. Used it for years chopping two cords of wood a year. It is extremely tough when done properly. I don't think Ontario has it done properly based on what I have seen. Don't believe me, process a deer with your knife. Cut down all the leg bones, I am sure you will take a dime sized divot out of the blade. I did. My ESEE did the same thing with no damage.
If the RTakII had saber grind it would have been the perfect large knife. The full flat grind on a wide blade makes the tip way too fragile in any steel. Thanks for the video
I can never understand it.......really it's about last ditch survival or base camp carry. So why not carry "a real chopper" because we all carry an extra 4-5" prep/bush knife. Leave the hatchet home and chop/baton with a CONDOR 10 1/2" or the 12" Condor village" Parang built and meant for that job making life a ton easier if your in a "Real survival mode" or base camping. Plus the silky will cut through with alot less effort on 5" and larger dia. without excepting far more energy which should be conserved. Also it is all compact being carried right on the parang sheath with extra paracord for your needs.
Neither one has any geometric feature to raise the point of balance or increase chopping efficiency. They're like giant kitchen knives, no real thought behind the design, I don't know what they are for. A knife for chopping needs to have a high point of balance achieved by getting broader towards the tip and needs to have belly curve to have a sharper contact angle to bite wood better. Kershaw camp 10 is a good example of this. It only weighs 18 ounces but will probably outchop the 22 ounce knives in this video easily. A straight edge knife with consistent or decreasing width throughout it's blade length is simply not an efficient design, it has no real advantage except to maybe make drawknifing slightly easier. If you're using a knife instead of a hatchet it's handling should be as close to a hatchet as possible.
the Junglas is a very high saber grind. it has a great heat treat. You just cant kill a Junglas,great grip. 11 inches blade and a superb sheat with great retencion and 4 locks and molle. i have given my Junglas knives a convex grind edge. I have two Junglas regular blades and one Junglas II.
@@AlaskanFrontier1 It's really sad... For all of Ontario's imperfections, they were one of the best values going and I'm gonna miss complaining about their grinds.
No offence but that knife doesn't hold a candle to the Junglas or the Junglas 2. You will see in time if you use that knife what its for that edge will chip like crazy.
UPDATE: I got my RTAKII 125th Anniversary knife one day early. I really love this knife, it's a beast, highly well made, and razor sharp out the box. I hone all my knives when I first get them and this knife sang to me, it rang like a bell which I absolutely love that sound, it's really well made & finished. Mine came with a black leather sheath, not nylon or that ugly oversized green Nylon sheath so I really love this beast of a knife. I might get a kydex sheath and have my Esee 6 piggyback on it but we'll see. It's a shame that OKC has closed it's doors. I feel it's going to be like what happened to Camillus, bought by the Chinese and turned into a crap knife company. It sucks but it is what it is, I'm just glad I got my hands on an RTAKII knife to go with my Esee 6.
The RTAK II is my favorite large knife. If I'm outdoors for a long period of time, it is always with me. I am getting ready to buy a second one just to have. Good review of the knife.
How is this still holding up
I was head of security for 10 years in a private facility on 380 acres. This blade was attached to my side-by-side. Killed many snakes with it. And other rodents I was armed security but you couldn’t pull your gun out all the time when there was families and children. I love that blade. Retired now so it’s attached to my to my get home bag.
That's pretty rad!
I own both the Junglas and the RTAK 2. Both are great knives. The price point on the ESEE is so much higher because it already comes with a nice Kydex sheath. By the time you buy one for the RTAK, you are in the same ball park as the ESEE depending on your choice. The ESEE feels more comfortable in hand as the grip is smaller. Grabbing it doesn’t feel like your grabbing a huge knife like when you handle the RTAK. I love the finger choil on the RTAK and that is something the Junglas doesn’t have. The fit and finish is better on the Junglas and it came razor sharp. I had to do quite a bit of sanding to improve the fit on the RTAK and had to spend quite a bit of time getting it sharp. I hated the powder coating on the RTAK so I stripped it. The powder coating on the Junglas was much smoother so I left it alone. Out of the box, the ESEE is a much higher quality blade. With a little love though, the RTAK is every bit as good and in some ways it is better. I’m just glad I own both and I can’t say I would part with either. I will be honest though and this is my true honest opinion. If you like putting work into stuff and making it your own, Definitely go for the RTAK. If you want something that you don’t have to mess with and will shave right out of the box, treat yourself to a Junglas. Either way, you are getting a great knife and a good value for your money.
My RTAC ll came razor sharp...people dont like the sheaths on most Ontarios but they are perfect if you attach them to a pack with molle webbing.
@@jared8530 you can do the same with the Junglas sheat too
If you brough that recently in the last couple of years it is 1075 steel. Still a better option that 1095 as its tougher but probly not as good as 5160 but if its heat treated well should still be good
5160 is some very tough stuff. I have zero complaints with it as far as simple carbon steels go. You can beat the snot out of it without to much worry. I have a couple knives in it, and I've never had a problem with the edges chipping or rolling, or tips snapping, etc. They've held up to everything and anything I've thrown at them. There's a reason the Nepalese use it in their kukris.
Exactly!
So far my favorite 5160 steel knife is the OKC RD6 with a kydex sheath, I love that knife. I highly recommend it.
5160 is great!
I absolutely love the design of the RTAKII over the Esee Junglas and I really regret selling mine. The only problem is I don't like 5160 steel and I prefer 1095. I remember that between the RTAK and the Becker BK 9, the BK9 stayed a lot sharper than the RTAKII which is why I sold it to begin with. I only kept the knives that stayed sharp longest with heavy use but I sure wouldn't mind having another TAKII as a weed and twig hacker out in the bush to pave the way and my Esee 6 for everything else.
I watched (and listened) this, with my headset on and I kept waving my hands at all the mosquitos :) But great review!
How can I tell if the one I'm getting is 5160 or 1095?
This was my second large chopper knife after watching Nutnfancy's testing. My first one was the predecessor to the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri. I can't remember what it was called, but I bought it used in an area gun store for $80. It had the 12" long, 5/16" thick spine but the belly was a bit wider than the kukri. Maybe it was the All Terrain Chopper. I also own the st st Gurkha Kukri, which is a chopping beast as well.
I pulled the trigger last year on the "Aurora Borealis Kodiak Chopper" from a Canadian Knife Designer & while a bit heavy, it wins the chopping/splitting contest.
Steel: SK-85 57-58hrc
Handles: G10
OAL: 15.25 inches
Blade: from handle 9.75 inches sharp 9.25 inches
Thickness: approx 0.27 inch
Weight: approx 1lb12oz (sheath add 7oz)
Sheath: kydex with nylon belt loop
I see, that's a pretty cool knife too! Thanks for sharing!
i have had ontario sp51 for 6 or 7 years i have beat the hell out of it toughest knife ever my thoughts on big knives have changed since i purchased it but once in awhile i use it.it always stays in my truck with a survival kit.i am glad i chose it over the bk9 at the time.the rtak was one in the list i just didnt want flat grind for that purpose,i do like it and for 70 you cant go wrong
Very true, thank you for watching!
The Ontario RTAK and ESEE Junglas have different grinds- only the RTAK is full flat from the spine, the Junglas has a flat saber grind. Consequently, the Junglas is better for batoning and less likely to bind. The 5160 RTAK is also more likely to chip out when chopping vs the Junglas in 1095, which rolls, if anything. My RTAK chipped twice on its first outing... and it looks like yours did too.
The Junglas comes with the best factory sheath I've ever seen, easily worth $80 and it has more features than your custom kydex- coupled with a Rowen heat treat and ESEE's "no questions" lifetime warranty, it's a no brainer. Ontario is renowned for poor QC. The RTAK comes with a rattle box of a nylon sheath with a flimsy plastic insert... you even bought a new sheath- how much did that cost?
I'm looking at getting a Kukri as my next big knife purchase 🤔
That would be awesome!
A beast of a knife....I've seen plenty of 1095 steel blades break....5160 steel blades not so much...big blades like this 5160 should be the standard.
I’m an ESSE guy, but do to your excellent review I will research this one. Nice job!!!
Thank you! I hope it helps ya!
I could be wrong but i am pretty sure they changed their steel again to 1070.
Oh, the website said 5160
Great video
Thanks
It's a nice sturdy piece. Was undecided between this or an RD9. Think this is going to be the winner.
I have beat the mess out of my RTAK2! Love that knife!
That's awesome!
That’s a tremendous choice. Try a Skrama some time. My Junglas hasn’t seen any woods time since I got mine many years ago.
How is the edge on your Skarma?
@@AlaskanFrontier1 good enough that I haven’t done any real modifications to it. It also holds its edge quite well.
@@MichaelTravis12c27 yeah, watching him baton with that thing was tough after using my skrama last summer.. 80crv2 is a much better steel than 5160, and the scandi grind on the skrama makes it bind much less than a full flat
Opinions very. For me the Junglas does everything I need and the Rowen heat treat is spot on. 👌 The Warranty, Hard to beat it hands down !! Which blade is the best , that answer is in the hand of the beholder . Thank you for the review.
still
using the Rtak 2 brother?
Hey Matt hope all is well up there, I reviewed the rtak and used it for a while what a blade lol had tobget rid of it it was scaring ppl here ! I'm not kidding . Scared sencless
Ah that's tough, people are too sensitive!
Thanks for the review, please provide links for blade and custom sheath.
How would you compare this to the KA-Bar BK9?
Beautiful state. I hope it doesn’t burn down like my home state Oregon.
Wow okay.
Yea these fires are getting bad.
Love this blade
Sadly the current RTAK-II uses 1075 steel.
Most of the Ontario line went to 1075. Even the Old Hickory butcher knives. Company has been consistently been going downhill for the last decade.
@@MB-jg4tr Dan Maragni explained to me that 1075 is better than 1095, even for the Old Hickory line. He is responsible for the steel consolidation at OKC. He is very knowledgeable and talented.
But my experience with 1075 tells me otherwise, lol. I definitely prefer 1095 in smaller knives.
@@sopwithcamelus less carbon is usually more suitable for hard use chopping, and makes sense on larger blades. But Higher carbon is better for edge retention, ease of sharpening, and how sharp an edge can be produced quickly. The OKC downgrade to 1075 shows a noticeable negative difference very quickly when I compare my 1970's 6" butcher knife to a new 7" one I bought about 6 months ago. Their decision to change steel was purely economic, don't let anyone tell you any different. And they aren't being upfront giving easy disclosure about the change, which happened 2+ years ago. I won't be purchasing from them again any time soon unless they get their act together. Russell Green River Works blades are better anyway.
DAMM '' HOORS '' !
While I'm an esee guy, I can appreciate 5160 steel. Do I think it's better than esee's? No but for the price point you really can't go wrong with that one. It depends on the heat treat as well and while I've never used any Ontario knives, they've been around a minute. I also appreciate you as a reviewer, not bashing another company simply because you prefer another steel. Great video.
That's a fair point! Thank you for the feedback!!
🌲🦅🌲 thank you for posting stay safe and healthy out there 🦅
Thank you!!!
Do they still make it in 5160?
No. Ontario answered in June 23 to my mail that is 1075.
Nice video. You could have made it another 10 minutes longer that would"ve been awesome. And I have an RTAK 2 and I like it but the micarta handle could be a little bit smaller and more just fitting for the hand. It's cool though.
Hahaha thank you! Yeah the handle is definitely a little large for me but not too bad
You can modify it to suit your hands. A Dremel, a couple of beers and skills is all you need.
The RTAK is not better, nor will it ever be better than the Junglas by ESEE or the BK9 by Becker. The reason being that Ontario can't match the heat treat used by these companies. It's the heat treat that makes the steel. You can have the best steel in the world, and improperly heat treated it is a turd. Ontarios biggest problem is inconsistency. You might get a perfectly heat treated knife and the next one is a turd. With Becker and ESEE you are sure that 99% of the time you have a good one. I love 5160 steel. Used it for years chopping two cords of wood a year. It is extremely tough when done properly. I don't think Ontario has it done properly based on what I have seen. Don't believe me, process a deer with your knife. Cut down all the leg bones, I am sure you will take a dime sized divot out of the blade. I did. My ESEE did the same thing with no damage.
If you think that knife is awesome, try to find one of the original Newt Livesay RTAK knives upon which this blade is patterned/based.
That wont be easy
@@AlaskanFrontier1 I hear ya. I have three or four of them. Plus a dozen or so of his other knives.
Good review , thanks for sharing , God bless !
Thank you!!
Ahh, I'm itching.
If the RTakII had saber grind it would have been the perfect large knife. The full flat grind on a wide blade makes the tip way too fragile in any steel. Thanks for the video
If an individual bust that blade, they better learn to use one..
@@brianmaxey7568 Most people don’t know what a knife was actually designed for! Cheers
what is your mosquito repellent. Seriuosly
None.
@@AlaskanFrontier1 Iron Man
Isn´t it pronounced junglass as in jungle?
I am not 100% sure hahaha
No, hoon glas .. the j is pronounced like an h
do they have the same warranty as esee?
Sadly, I do not think so.
great! now i don't feel pressured to save for a esee. they seem so overpriced
True! I do not think they are horribly overpriced especially considering they come with custom kydex sheaths. But the RTAK is awesome!
Matthew I gotta stop watching your videos. You're making me want to buy more knives haha!! ! That kydex sheath is beautiful.
Right? I have a bad habit... Thank you though, I have to agree it came out even better than I was expecting
I can never understand it.......really it's about last ditch survival or base camp carry. So why not carry "a real chopper" because we all carry an extra 4-5" prep/bush knife. Leave the hatchet home and chop/baton with a CONDOR 10 1/2" or the 12" Condor village" Parang built and meant for that job making life a ton easier if your in a "Real survival mode" or base camping. Plus the silky will cut through with alot less effort on 5" and larger dia. without excepting far more energy which should be conserved. Also it is all compact being carried right on the parang sheath with extra paracord for your needs.
Neither one has any geometric feature to raise the point of balance or increase chopping efficiency. They're like giant kitchen knives, no real thought behind the design, I don't know what they are for. A knife for chopping needs to have a high point of balance achieved by getting broader towards the tip and needs to have belly curve to have a sharper contact angle to bite wood better. Kershaw camp 10 is a good example of this. It only weighs 18 ounces but will probably outchop the 22 ounce knives in this video easily. A straight edge knife with consistent or decreasing width throughout it's blade length is simply not an efficient design, it has no real advantage except to maybe make drawknifing slightly easier. If you're using a knife instead of a hatchet it's handling should be as close to a hatchet as possible.
the Junglas is a very high saber grind. it has a great heat treat. You just cant kill a Junglas,great grip. 11 inches blade and a superb sheat with great retencion and 4 locks and molle. i have given my Junglas knives a convex grind edge. I have two Junglas regular blades and one Junglas II.
Hmm that's interesting. I have a Junglas II as well!
That looks like an RTAK 2 in 1075, not 5160.
Sadddd
@@AlaskanFrontier1 It's really sad... For all of Ontario's imperfections, they were one of the best values going and I'm gonna miss complaining about their grinds.
No offence but that knife doesn't hold a candle to the Junglas or the Junglas 2. You will see in time if you use that knife what its for that edge will chip like crazy.
Good to know
5160 is awesome but I prefer Esee's Lifetime no BS Gaurantee
You picked the RTAK II because you can't say Junglas!