Monday, August 30, 2010

Aircraft Survival Egress Knife (ASEK)

Ontario ASEK

1095 Carbon steel blade
Hardness RC 50-54
Zinc Phosphate finish to inhibit rust
Serrated edge and sawteeth on spine
One piece molded handle with spear holes
Handle molded over guard, serves as an insulator
Butt cap can be used as a hammer
Lanyard hole
Tip of butt cap can be used to score or break glass and Plexiglass
Flame-retardant Nylon sheath with Kydex® insert
Two leg protectors with straps
Anodized aluminum strap cutter accessory concealed in sheath 
Replaceable blades Thickness: .1875"
Length: 5"; 10 ¼" Overall
Weight: 1.3 lbs
Made in the USA 
The Ontario ASEK has proven itself to be a reliable survival knife time and time again.  Ontario has had government contracts for years and after using the ASEK you may know why.
The U.S. Army includes the Ontario ASEK in its Air Warrior survival kits, which requires the knife to be capable of several things including: The ability to cut through fuselage aluminum, break Plexiglas, and safely slash retention straps.
The one piece handle has a contoured rubberized overmold, and is ribbed for a sure hold.
The cross guard has holes for lashing to a spear and the same rubberized overmold as the handle, creating electrical insulation from the blade.
The butt cap is suitable for use as a hammer, and includes a glass breaker tip and lanyard hole.
The aluminum strap cutter - which is stowed in the sheath - can easily handle most cords (including the standard 550 cord, obviously), and has a standard screwdriver end.
The OD sheath is flame retardant nylon with a kydex insert and has multiple mounting options: Belt loop, ties for LBV gear or straps for leg mounting.

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But What About the Gerber LMF II ASEK?


A fair question, as the Gerber LMF II ASEK is a serious contender.  The two knives are very similar, as they were developed to the same specifications, so I think a lot of it comes down to personal preference.
There are notable differences though, including the blade steel.  The Gerber LMF II ASEK uses 12c27 SS, which in my opinion for survival is slightly less desirable than Ontario's 1095 Carbon Steel.  12c27 SS is more rust resistant, but the trade-off being that 1095 Carbon is easier to sharpen.
It's also worth noting that the Geber sheath has an integrated sharpener, which despite being only a quick fix type of sharpen, can still come in handy.
The truth of the matter is that the Ontario ASEK and Gerber LMF II are largely the same in terms of performance, so for me it comes down to preference and availability.

4 comments:

  1. wats up dude checkin my friends out love the blog bro love back?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh i totality want one of those knives, Thanks for the info.

    http://ionvash.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Keep up the good posts, I need good comparisons of good combat gear.

    ReplyDelete