FRANKLINVILLE — The Ontario Knife Co. has been sold to an out-of-state interest and is expected to close by the end of the month, the Olean Times Herald learned Thursday.
The move would put 56 employees of the Franklinville cutlery out of work effective July 27. Ontario Knife makes tactical, outdoor and home edged products. Before moving to Franklinville, the company had its roots in Naples, N.Y., where it was founded 134 years ago.
The parent company, Elma-based Servotronics, which is primarily involved in manufacturing aerospace components, announced plans to sell Ontario Knife on March 30.
Its always sad when a long-running American company finally succumbs. I have no experience with Ontario knives but everything I read says their RAT series of knives were quite good. Being a sentimentalist, I ordered some of their knives right after having this news brought to my attention.
For knives, I use Spyderco folders, Glock field knives, and Becker designs from KaBar. And, lately, the Mora knives for less tactical uses like fishing and hunting (good knives at a great value, by the way.)
H/T to the person who told me the news in email.
It’s been around 15+ years since I last got any of there knives just for the reason I got a so we say few, but they where always great fro the money.
We also have a few as welll, mostly Air Force Pilot Survival knife, a standby in the outdoor community. :Like the Glock Field 78 and 81 knives, a knife you can push without worrying if your ‘really expensive’ knife was going to get damaged. ESSEs and Folding Rat 1 & 2 are also well made too.
I was just about to order some of their kitchen knives, the most notorius being the butcher knife. Their design is classic and the blades are of good old carbon steel. They are widely regarded as having one of the best quality for the price in the entire industry.
Da*n, this is really the everything shortage!
Thanks for the heads up from Italy,
Daniele
If you’re referring to the hickory series, then you might have an experience like mine. I ordered one from midwayusa and got one with an absolutely terrible grind: wavy and inconsistent. Probably made on a Friday afternoon. I how you get a good one.
Well. That sucks all to be damned. I have one of their Marine Raider Howie knives. Great knife.
I hope the new owners don’t do what the idiot that bought Marbles did. Basically he is nothing but an import operation. All knives being made in Taiwan. And they are junk. I have a couple of the classic, make that “real” Marble knives. I also like the Ka Bar knives. I have three of those. The Condor knives are excellent as well. And they are reasonably priced. It is amazing how many high quality knife makers there are these days. So at least we won’t have to look far for replacements for the high quality knife companies that have been reduced to trading on a once great name and reputation.
Sir, you may want to take a look at the Cold Steel Black Bear Bowie knife, it might pull at your purse strings. Very similar to the old Western Bowie blade, as well as your Ontario model.
Darn,
I do want another of their Air Force survival knife.
If I recall they make the Old Hickory butcher knives as well.
For good affordable folders I like the Emerson designed Kershaw made ones. Good knives made of decent steel at a price where if one gets lost or damaged it’s not a big deal.
If they move the company to a red state and carry on as before, no harm, no foul.
If they take the name and start slapping it on imported chinesium crapola, a pox on their house.
cough*Shrade*cough
They have sold the name to Blue Ridge knives
I feared as much. I couldn’t find their website a few weeks ago and now it says they are in a transition. Very sad. I wonder who will be the prime bayonet contractor now. More of our industrial base gone.
Kershaw ZT (Zero Tolerance) are well constructed blades but mostly folding tactical lock blades. When I think of Ontario, fixed blade design is what I see.
Well. Just blame it on the Chinese Poodle in the White House.
Ontario Knife Company was sold to Blue Ridge Knife Company located in Virginia. Price was $2.1 million.
Take a trip to Post Falls ID.
Buck is still making FINE knives.
Son stopped the other day, asked
about seconds, wow, what a deal.
Check it out crew, or order a custom
built one . You can’t loose.
Buck knives rule! My 105 is 38 years old, has done more deer than i can count, since it has done many friends deer as well. it still looks new thanks to a factory “spa treatment” the 119 is an unbeatable classic bowie
Thanks Baja! My first Buck knife was from the seconds bin, way back when Buck was still in El Cajon, CA. I haven’t made that sojourn to Post Falls, yet, but will! Brings tears to my eyes, and lots of good memories from the heart! I STILL have that knife!!!
John in Alaska
I have no insight into the specifics of why this company was sold, not do I know anything about the company’s financial health and wellness, nor anything about their product quality, and I am sad to see a US manufacturing company go away, BUT, isn’t the reality that some businesses fail (for many different reasons), and as a consumer, I’d want to choose from the best, rather than having a few “less than the best” mixed in among the best. It’s not always true, but if consumers truly wanted Ontario’s products, perhaps we wouldn’t be seeing this news?
Oh, theres definitely a form of entrepreneurial Darwinism going on. If a business cannot continue as a going concern, it fails and is replaced by another. Thats how markets work. However, that doesn’t change the fact that its still a bit sad to see a storied name disappear.
I’m not at all a knife guy – they are about as appealing to me as screwdrivers are: Simply a tool.
But at the NRAAM in Dallas a few years ago I bought some Ontario combat knives – they were a deal, and handy. My AF survival knives are also from Ontario.
This is a shame, and hopefully the name will continue on, with equal or better quality.
I, too, am quite concerned about what happens with the OKC brand. I’ve enjoyed using Old Hickory knives in my kitchen all my life and have given kitchen sets to many young couples as a wedding gift. If you’re looking for American-made, you might check out the Dexter Russell knife company in Massachusetts. I find them similar to OKC in quality and price.
Benchmade knives are made in the USA and quite possibly the best quality “large production” US-made knives out there today. I own some Spyderco and Kershaws, but prefer Benchmade everytime.
Really? https://gearjunkie.com/news/benchmade-destroys-guns-oregon
Yeah, I agree that wasn’t very smart of them as a company. The optics were pretty bad. I don’t think it accurately reflects their company or its view of the 2nd Amendment though. Like most things, there’s more to the story than can be conveyed in a meme.
https://www.recoilweb.com/benchmade-anti-gun-we-ask-them-to-explain-147462.html
After researching it, I’m satisfied that Benchmade is not an anti-2A company (like Dick’s or others that could be named). And they still make exceptional knives. But feel free to spend your money elsewhere if you’re not convinced.
Google benchmade political donations
Several years ago was in Olean Ny and visited outlet store,had good selection. Old Hickory boning knife was my go to kitchen knife until lost in a fire
The Ratt line is a rip-off of the EZEE brand knives of which I have an EZEE-4 and love it. It made short work of my son’s first buck (9-pointer).
I was curious so I hit up the big A and the Ontario knives are very expensive overall. Around $20 less than the EZEE of the same size. Never had anything against Ontario. If I can find them on discount for the US made models, I’d strongly consider adding a couple.