Help Identifying Ontario Knife Wanted

[Aragorn243]

I spotted this knife at an antique shop this morning and my first inclination was to just buy it but looking at Ontario's website, the asking price is about what they want for new items of this type right now so it seemed more prudent to figure out exactly what it is. I have had no luck finding an example of this anywhere. The little information I found on dating these puts this in the modern production era but when exactly that starts, I don't know, post-Vietnam is all I could find but that's over 50 years now.

Currently out of production as not offered for sale anywhere. Homemade scabbard with it dated in the 90's so not much help there either.

[browningautorifle]

Looks like the older style of handle...

[Aragorn243]

It does, older machete style. But the lettering in parallel is what makes it post Vietnam. It's a nice piece, I may end up getting it anyway but then again, if it isn't military issue, not something I really collect.

I suspect Ontario stamped US on just about anything over the years, issue or not.

[browningautorifle]

Might be worth getting on spec because it's very odd. Has a slight cantilever angle and it doesn't look to have been home ground by the original lines and the angle of the edge. You can find 12" blades for sale but not like that one. Maybe a special order long past? Might be worth getting anyway.

[Flying10uk]

You could see what sort of deal/price reduction you might be able to get out of the antique shop.

[Aragorn243]

The antique shops I hit are mostly co-ops meaning they have hundreds of different dealers in the building so finding the actual seller at any given time to make a deal is difficult. Not saying it can't be done but for a $45 item, probably not worth the effort. I made a deal for a Perrin revolver I bought at this place a couple years ago but that was several hundred dollars.

I live close to a LOT of these co-ops and several flea markets which you can wheel and deal with. Shops are open all week, inventory doesn't change very fast, flea markets only weekends and usually something different.

[Flying10uk]

I go to a similar sort of place fairly regularly with lots of vendors with a "unit" and the owner of the establishment running the till. The way that it works at this place is that they will normally give you a 10% discount on the ticket price if the item is priced at £10 or more unless there is a code on the ticket "N.T" = No Trade which means the vendor won't discount or there is a code such as, for example, "T5" which means the vendor would take a £5 discount.

A relative who use to go to the same place couldn't understand why I always got a discount and they rarely did until I explained that the item had to be priced at £10 or more to get a discount.

[Aragorn243]

I stopped in today and picked it up. I did end up getting a 10% discount.

[browningautorifle]

I stopped in today and picked it up.

Some nice clear pics when you can? Maybe we can figure out something about it yet...

[Flying10uk]

I did end up getting a 10% discount.

Money saved is money earned.