Ontario supplies their knife all over the world and are a major supplier to the U.S. Government and its military. The Ontario 490 M9 Bayonet and Scabbard in olive drab green is currently used by the U.S. military. Modified stainless steel blade with milled sawteeth on back.

Black oxide non-reflective finish. Textured thermoplastic nylon handle. Fits on M16, M4 and AR-15. Includes M9 scabbard with quick release holster made of thermoplastic nylon.

So in this article we’re going to review Ontario M9. And we will cover all the good and bad aspect of this knife. So that you can decide if it’s really worth a purchase for you or not.

Key features

  • Made of highest quality material
  • Manufacturer: Ontario Knife Company
  • Ontario knife Co 490 M9 bayonet and scabbard – OD
  • 7 inch plain edge blade

Detail Review

The Ontario M9 Bayonet is a fixed blade knife and one of the few American made bayonets are available today. The 7″ plain edge blade is thick with a .24″ blade thickness and a flat bevel grind and an HRC of 53-57. A zinc phosphate finish over the 420.

Modified Stainless Steel is tough and corrosion resistant. The Ontario M9 Bayonet comes with a nylon sheath which features a Bianchi Clip.

Blade

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The knife is made up of quarter inch thick 420 modified stainless steel. As it is primarily made as a bayonet and as a thrusting weapon, so 420 modified steel is a good choice. It is a good steel for the field use and has good rust resistance.

The blade has a black zinc phosphate finish on it which adds an extra protection against corrosion. It has a flat bevel grind and doesn’t come razor sharp from the factory.

Which is acceptable as it is meant to be bayonet not skinner so thick and hefty blades are not intended to be razor sharp. It is drop point edge and the swedge has tip on one side and flat on the other.

That is to make a scissors effect with wire cutter on the sheath, which I will cover in a bit. At the back it have saw teeth, but they got a very much file type of feel to it.

They are little fine and not the jagged saw teeth you might expect. They can be an effective aid in a combat situation or if you are trying to cut a rope or cords.

For batoning, I don’t think this is the right kind of knife. It is for cutting, not chopping down trees. Obviously if you DO want to baton wood with a knife, you should use a full tang knife with high quality steel.

The M9 is not a true full-tang knife as the blade and tang are joined (screwed) together under the plastic handle. So you can possibly baton with it and it can hold itself quite well but there are probabilities for you to snap the blade off at some point.

So get a full tang utility knife if you really must baton wood or better get an axe!

Handle

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The handle is made up of kraton and feels tough in the hand. As it is a bayonet, at the front there is the ring for the muzzle, it goes over the muzzle of the rifle right through the hole. At the back, there’s a spring loaded clip that attaches to the bayonet lug on the underside of the rifle.

At the bottom there’s a screw for disassembling the knife. That way you can clean the knife anywhere you want, especially when you are on the field and there are all sorts of dirt on the knife.

Overall it’s a good oval kraton handle for a bayonet. It has all the necessary attachments for a bayonet.

Sheath

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The sheath is made up of thermoplastic and nylon. It is very sturdy and tough, tougher than most of the sheath. There is a ballistic nylon strap for holding the knife in its place. And a flat piece of spring steel inside the sheath to hold the knife firm against one so as to prevent rattling.

At the front portion there is a screwdriver tip for easy dismantling of the knife in the field and a system for wire cutter.

As for attachment it comes with a bianchi belt clip which can be attached to any belt and lots of holes for any kind of attachment system. Overall a very nice sheath. It’s full of features and a perfect fit for this knife.

Pros
  • High quality and durable knife.
  • Comfortable and easy to use.
  • Very sharp and easy to sharpen.
  • Good quality sheath is also provided.
Cons
  • Not very useful in day to day uses.

Field Test Video

Conclusion

Overall Ontario 490 M9 Bayonet is good knife. This is a real heavy duty knife issued to the military. As for civilian use, you are mostly going to be using this as a general purpose utility knife.

As a bayonet it’s not suited for many tasks. So if you’re someone who is looking for a bayonet which is easy to sharpen, have a good build quality. And you want occasionally use it for general purpose utility work then it might be a good choice for you.

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