Ontario SP46 Knife Review…

The Ontario SP46 Gen II Knife, designed by Dan Maragni, is a full tang flat grind knife made of 5160 high carbon steel with a generously sized Kraton grip (there is also a Sabre grind version of the knife labeled the SP47.) Both knives are large bellied knives and are also called “Pig Skinners.”  The SP46 knife has a total length of 11.098″, of which 5.574″ is the blade with a thickness of .1875

The sheath it came with when I bought the knife at the time was a very cheap universal sheath designed to fit many of Ontario’s knife models, but I modified the sheath a little to make due by cutting it to length and stitching the end with bank line.  I also thickly coated the sheath with plasti-dip spray …

knife in sheath after mods

factory sheath modification (cut off end to length and stitched with bank line)

They’re smart for providing a cheap sheath for two reasons: (1)they know most people are more than likely going to sheath the knife in their own custom sheath regardless, whether it be leather, kydex, hybrids, etc. (2) By giving the purchaser a cheap sheath that will get them by for a while, or until they upgrade the sheath, they can apply the money they would have invested in a high quality well manufactured sheath, into the important part, the knife, keeping the total cost down.

So far, after about a years time of owning and using the Ontario SP46, I’ve really found the design to be useful for just about any task I could wish to use it for.  It’s great for bushcraft, believe it or not.  I use it to take the place of a small axe (an Eastwood Campers Hatchet I own) when I want to carry less weight, which I know nothing could really take the place of an axe or hatchet, but I use the knife to baton with and it can take the beating and the robust Kraton handle absorbs the shock well.

A simple modification can be made with a hacksaw to the upper thumb guard and you’ve got the freedom to slide your thumb up onto the top edge of the knife for certain carving positions…

upper modification (cut off hand guard) for thumb access to knife

If there is one change I could make to the the knife or suggestion to the makers of the knife it would be to fill in the space where the knife doesn’t quite continue all the way to the handle at the bottom edge.  I don’t understand why they stopped the blade short there, about 3/8s of an inch is the gap you’ve got to fit an index finger into and it just isn’t enough.  Anyone know the reason for this in the design?…

my only complaint (would have liked to seen the blade run all the way to the handle at the bottom) It’s not quite big enough to slide index finger into

I started using the Ontario SP46 knife about a year ago. I was inspired to get the knife after watching a couple of videos by a youtuber named PAbushcraft.  Pabushcraft shows in his videos what the knife is like after years of hard use, and I mean HARD use.  You will see the wear and tear he’s done to his knife in the video.  I was impressed by the fact the steel had no chips or dings, from what I could see.  I will use my knife throughout the rest of year, strip the black coating and blue it, make my own custom sheath for it, or maybe have one made from kydex, yea, that sounds good, and do my own thorough review of the knife to give you a different perspective.  So far, I’ve had no problems with the knife, it has held an edge quite well, and has served me well for pretty much all my tasks needed in the forest.  I also carry something smaller in tandem with the SP46, which at the time is the Leatherman Wave…

here are two videos by PAbushcraft for a good look at the knife and its durability…