The Ontario RTAK II is a large knife manufactured in the United States.
The visually impressive 17 inch tool was originally made from 1095 high carbon steel with a 10 x two inch blade that is 3/6 inch thick along the spine and weighs 1.4 pounds. Later versions use 5160 high carbon steel.
This large knife style is often used as a wilderness tool for light-duty wood processing and erecting primitive shelters, effectively replacing the traditional hatchet and providing knife-oriented work options for the user.
The Ontario RTAK II is well suited for controlling farmyard overgrowth and as part of a vehicle’s get-home kit when travelling in remote areas.
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The handle has a full tang for superior strength and has removable canvas scales for cleaning after hard use. The rear of the handle of the Ontario RTAK II can be gripped for maximum chopping power and has a lanyard hole for optional safety. A thick textured coating protects the high carbon steel. The drop point design makes for a reasonably strong blade tip good for batoning through wood.
The Ontario RTAK II is not without shortcomings. The handle swell is too thick to be comfortable for long periods. The blade is flat ground from spine to edge, which sacrifices edge durability for batoning and chopping.
The out-of-the-box edge would tear but not slice paper. The knife rattles in the plastic liner of the sheath.
In tests, the knife proved it had excellent chopping power on par with a hatchet. Using the stock edge, the Ontario RTAK II easily batoned through wood. The spine showed no signs of baton damage, even near the tip. The coating was resilient to scraping but did wear.
The edge chipped only after contact with a knot in the wood, which was not surprising given the narrow blade profile.
Fortunately, the knife sharpened easily with a strong convex edge that raised the chopping and cutting performance of the knife to a level well above stock.
The Ontario RTAK II would make a fine addition to any knife collection. Although there are superior products on the market, one cannot go wrong with the strong performance of this tool compared to its moderate cost.
<p>RTAK II Specs</p>
- 1095 or 5160 steel, 1.4 lb.
- 17 inch overall with 10 inch blade
- two inches wide with 3/6 inch spine
- Drop point for batoning
- Lanyard hole
- Canvas scales and removable with an Allen wrench
- Textured blade coating to prevent corrosion
- Good fit and finish
- Mostly good handle. Handle rear can be gripped to maximize chopping power.
- Despite long blade, weight favours the handle rather than balanced at the choil.
- Has a finger choil but blade too long for delicate work.
- Sheath is nylon and functional, including a small pocket and different carry style options. Knife edge will cut the handle straps when drawn unless you are careful.
- Handle palm swell is too thick.
- Will tear paper out of the box but not slice paper or shave arm hair. Fine for chopping purposes but could be better.
- Flat grind from edge to spine produces a thinner blade profile but sacrifices edge durability, which is important when chopping.
- Overall length is too much for everyday carry unless in the wilderness.
- Knife rattles in the sheath liner.
- Replaces a hatchet for light wood chores and delimbing trees with the added benefit of being able to do knife specific tasks.
- Cutting overgrowth in farmyard.
- Vehicle knife for “get home kit” when traveling in remote regions.
- Wilderness camp knife for chopping firewood and erecting shelters.
- Excellent chopping power on par with a hatchet.
- Using stock edge, batoned through frozen wood easily. Spine showed no signs of damage even close to the thinner metal of the tip. Coating lost texture with light work and scraped off steel in friction lines under heavy load. Re-sharpened easily. Successfully took a convex edge that sliced paper easily and performed better under heavy work.
