# Ontario 'Spax' tool **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149 "2010-06-06T06:19:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/1 "2010-06-06T06:19:19Z")
A while ago a friend gave me [one of these](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Specialized-Fighters-Phosphate-Overall/dp/B001CXPKEK). He didn’t need it, and thought I might like it. I get the axe bit. The hole is apparently for opening fire hydrants. (Conveniently, there’s one across the street from me. I should try it for size.) But what’s the deal with the pointy bit? It’s edged, as can be seen in the picture. What’s it (meant to be) used for? ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/2 "2010-06-06T06:54:01Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > A while ago a friend gave me [one of these](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Specialized-Fighters-Phosphate-Overall/dp/B001CXPKEK). He didn’t need it, and thought I might like it. > > I get the axe bit. The hole is apparently for opening fire hydrants. (Conveniently, there’s one across the street from me. I should try it for size.) But what’s the deal with the pointy bit? It’s edged, as can be seen in the picture. What’s it (meant to be) used for? probably for prying things open. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/3 "2010-06-06T13:19:34Z")
The pointy bit is for breaking tempered glass such as car windows. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/4 "2010-06-06T13:43:16Z")
Huh. I’d think a glass breaker would be more of a spike, and a sharpened edge wouldn’t be needed. I suppose it could be used as a lever, getting the end into something and using the rounded part of the blade as a fulcrum; but that doesn’t explain the blade. Holding the tool as if I was going to strike with the skinny end, the top corner of the blade would make contact with a surface first, rather than the whole face of the ‘blade’. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/5 "2010-06-06T14:13:30Z")
Doesn’t look that good against zombies, so I guess I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/6 "2010-06-06T14:32:36Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Doesn’t look that good against zombies, so I guess I’ll pass. Well, you could twist their noses off with the hydrant wrench. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/7 "2010-06-06T15:36:56Z")
I looked again, and I mis-interpreted the sheath in the background as a glass breaking pin. :smack: But, it does all this and more… _smash glass, deflate tires, chop through cars, rip tile, egress from a burning building, pry rebar, cut wood, break locks, go through doors and open manhole covers_(From [Tactical-Life](http://www.tactical-life.com/online/tactical-knives/from-concept-to-combat-ontario%E2%80%99s-sp16-spax/?thisissue=features).com) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/8 "2010-06-06T21:48:00Z")
The wrench doesn’t fit on the hydrant across the street from me. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/9 "2010-06-07T12:50:59Z")
I’d never heard of this tool before, but now I want one! :smack: Is there a reason to buy [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Specialized-Fighters-Phosphate-Overall/dp/B001CXPKEK) for $139.95 as opposed to this [cheaper one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Spec-Plus-Spax/dp/B00190XOW6/ref=pd_sbs_sg_1) for $77.99? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/10 "2010-06-07T12:59:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The wrench doesn’t fit on the hydrant across the street from me. Well, you don’t live in Ontario… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/11 "2010-06-07T14:04:48Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I’d never heard of this tool before, but now I want one! :smack: > > Is there a reason to buy [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Specialized-Fighters-Phosphate-Overall/dp/B001CXPKEK) for $139.95 as opposed to this [cheaper one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Spec-Plus-Spax/dp/B00190XOW6/ref=pd_sbs_sg_1) for $77.99? The former comes with a camo sheath, and the latter comes with a ‘leather/cordura’ sheath? I don’t know. When I was poking around for information before starting the thread I found one page that no longer carried the one in the second link, but did have the other one. There are others that have a ‘lightening hole’ instead of the wrench. It looks like the first one (and mine) is an ‘SP 16’ and the other one isn’t. I have no idea what the differences between the tools are. They look the same to me. [The cheaper one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Spec-Plus-Spax/dp/B00190XOW6/ref=pd_sbs_sg_1): > [@](#): > > 8 in. plain edged full tang blade of 1095 carbon steel with epoxy powder coating. Handle of Kraton polymer. 13.13 in. overall. Includes combination leather/cordura sheath. [The more expensive one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Specialized-Fighters-Phosphate-Overall/dp/B001CXPKEK): > [@](#): > > Features include comfortable handles manufactured with a Kraton® polymer or Gnvory®, 1095 epoxy powder-coated carbon steel blades, full tang construction, wide, razor sharp edges, combination leather/cordura sheaths. It’s an interesting tool. For small work such as paring down fire wood I generally grab my replica 18th Century tomahawk. I think I have a hatchet around here somewhere too. The Spax is much sharper and would do a better job. But I don’t often have need for a hatchet. It’s not something I’d buy for myself, though I appreciate my friend sending it to me. I don’t even know how the sheath is supposed to be worn. There’s a thigh strap, as you can see in the picture, and a couple of loops that look like they can accommodate a belt. It looks like it should have ‘Alice clips’ (or whatever they’re called, that replaced the LC-1 web gear), but it doesn’t have them. It would be a nifty thing to have in a survival kit, but I haven’t been flying in a while. Even if I were, there’s no room in a helicopter for a kit. I’d have to be flying fixed-wing (which would be over mountainous, wooded areas) to carry a kit. Camping? Sure, but I have my backpacking stoves so I don’t need to chop wood. Cool thing for the ‘collection’, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/12 "2010-06-07T15:16:43Z")
Maybe I could justify it by saying I need it to reduce the size of some of the larger hickory chunks for my smoker? Want to be sure to keep fingers out of the way though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/13 "2010-06-08T23:09:04Z")
During the Vietnam-US war era, a friend of mine worked in an Air Force parts crib in Taiwan. He had an interesting collection of expensive and otherwise useless AF gear. He had some ASH Receivers, (wall-mounted ashtrays with sliding covers,) and he had a couple of wicked looking fire axes, similar to yours. He said they were designed for hacking into, or out of, aluminum aircraft. I don’t think his had the pentagonal fire-hydrant hole. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/14 "2010-06-09T05:35:00Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The wrench doesn’t fit on the hydrant across the street from me. This says the hole is for your fingers. > **[Life Support International, Inc.- Solutions For Survival](https://lifesupportintl.com/)** > > For over 35 years, Life Support International (LSI) has delivered top-tier survival solutions to the aviation, marine, and tactical sectors. Leveraging world-class engineering and extensive industry expertise, LSI has equipped thousands of teams... ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/15 "2010-06-09T05:40:13Z")
I think they made that up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/16 "2010-06-09T05:42:35Z")
Here’s a youtube video review. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/o4dyBTlhuIo/maxresdefault.jpg "(Semi) EXCLUSIVE: Ontario SPAX-16 Rescue Axe, One-Handed Wrecking Crew") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4dyBTlhuIo) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/17 "2010-06-09T05:55:07Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Here’s a youtube video review. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4dyBTlhuIo&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4dyBTlhuIo&feature=related) Well, that certainly answered my questions! Good find! It would be a good thing to have if I were still in L.A. in case of an [earthquake](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceY2zAMkCqQ). Up here, maybe not so much. OTOH, Mt. Baker (volcano) is just about 50 miles away, and the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate seems to be somewhat active and is capable of a ‘megathrust’ quake. . ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ontario-spax-tool/542149/18 "2010-06-10T17:04:51Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I’d never heard of this tool before, but now I want one! :smack: > > Is there a reason to buy [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Specialized-Fighters-Phosphate-Overall/dp/B001CXPKEK) for $139.95 as opposed to this [cheaper one](http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Spec-Plus-Spax/dp/B00190XOW6/ref=pd_sbs_sg_1) for $77.99? The one linked in the OP has dropped to $109.95.