best k-bar

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LONE WOLF

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What is the best k-bar style knife. I own a Ka-bar brand one and it is cool but i wonder how it stacks up against the case, ontario and camillius ones.
My Ka-bar is the full sized leather handled plain edged USMC model. :D
 
The KABAR brand is by far the most consistently ground and finished product out of all the makers of this style of knife. The Camillus offering is more in line with post WWII production quality. Fast and cheap. They work but aren't too pretty to look at. The grinds are all over the place - sloppy! The Ontario models are worse, thats why they have the current Mil contract. Make um cheap and you win :)

My "dream kabar" would be produced by Ka-Bar but drop all the blade stampings USMC etc. Simply KA-BAR USA would be fine. Drop the EGA off the sheath and use a better grade of leather. Go back to black coated brass hardware. More like the WWII product. In other words, a blade anyone can carry regardless of branch of service. Marines can buy the USMC version, everyone else can have the generic model. Great field knives you don't cry over if lost or broken. At least I never did :)
 
i like mine. i waterproofed the handle with sno-seal and its been good. it is the biggest good knife i own. plus a good price too :D
 
If its your one "good knife" I'd say invest in a better sheath. Spec-Ops or Eagle make a great nylon sheath with a pretty sturdy liner. Lots of pretty colors to choose from as well. Used within its design parameters i.e. cutting stuff, it should last a lifetime. Outside of cutting stuff, its not a prybar, or jackhammer, or carjack, or throwing knife or whatever else folks have done with them. A great compromise cutting instrument.
 
im ordering one of those kydex ones from SMKW for around 20 bucks.
I have never thrown it. though i do throw my cs bushman(at least until i lost it :( )
 
I have been collecting Ka-Bar Knives for quite a while now and although all are good knives I would have to go with I carried while in the Army, a fix blade Ka-Bar 12" over all length leather handle.

SFC
 
The toughest Ka Bar knives are probably the extreme series with the D2 steel.
I'm not 100% sure though.
 
The original Kabar is the best.

2nd is the Camillus version. If you can hand pick yours, you might find one with even grinds lines.

I have several made by Kabar and Camillus, the blades seem harder to sharpen on the Camillus but edge holding seems to be equal. The Kabar handle feels better so I use it more.

All these knives need to have the top portion of the guard hacked off and filed flush to the leather in order for them to really be useful tools. You don't see the top guard on the Next Generation knives!

Also, I prefer the leather handles over the rubber ones. Leather seems to develope a tacky grippy quality and won't cause blisters but the rubber handles give me blisters fairly easily....I have one of the first "Next Generation" Kabars in 12C27 steel that would be just perfect if it had a leather handle!

Ontario's quality on these knives is so poor they're not worth considering.

Collecter
 
The latest issue of TK has Karwan's article on modifying the standard kabar into the configuration you describe. Years ago he had the same article in Fighting Knives. Great ideas actually.

Dan
 
Next Generation with Sandvic 12C27 is probably the best.

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Guard is much more comfortable, but I prefer double guard (better for blockong opponent blade with top part of your blade). Kidrex sheath for Ne Generation - cheap amd owfull, I agereed - better be something like new Nivramus has IMHO. Extreme has serration I do not consider as quality knife property, and they do not make plane edge at all.

I wish somebody will start making it out of ATS-34 or CPM S30V or even M2 with TiAlNi.

Thanks, Vassili
 
That nex gen sure looks cool :cool: . Its made out of the same steel (12c27) as victorinox SAK's right?
 
The plain old Kabar with 1095 carbon steel blade will be tougher than ones with blades made of either D2 or 12C27 (or any other stainless for that matter). The D2 will hold an edge longer and the 12C27 model is stainless and more elegant, but the 1095 is less subject to breaking.

People chop the back half of the guard so that they can put their thumbs on the spine of the blade when doing finer work.
 
I have a D2 tool steel Impact Spear point with an Eagle sheath and I love it. Holds an incredable edge. But the grinds are really off. I took it to get it sharpened by Walt Hessen before he passed away and he said he couldn't believe that Ka-Bar let it out of the factory.

The hollow grinds on each side just don't match up. I looks like the knife is 2 slabs of steel put together and someone moved the left side up before welding them together. The point doesn't pierce as well as I would like. But it still took and awesome edge and is holding superbly well.

I did cord wrap the handle with black paracord to match the black coating on the blade. It works well as of now, but as we all know a Knife Knut in never satisfied with a knife unless he can do something new to it. :D

I have been looking at a D2 Next Gen Ka-Bar for a while but still have some many wants I can't decide what to get. It's a pain in the butt! But atleast i know I'm not alone. ;)
 
Well I have a KABAR- Says KABAR- Olean N.Y. on one side of blade / USMC on the other...Is this a good KABAR or one of the cheap ones... :confused:
 
I bought a warthog impact folder (plain edge) today. I'm testing it at the moment, but it seems to be very cooool :)
 
Dogmann said:
Well I have a KABAR- Says KABAR- Olean N.Y. on one side of blade / USMC on the other...Is this a good KABAR or one of the cheap ones... :confused:
Click to expand...


Its a good one!
 
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