Case "kabar" style knife added to my collection...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

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Aug 4, 2013
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Yup, the Case "kabar"... a knife that is made by the Ontario Knife Company under Case contract. My understanding is that Case submitted samples to the military during WWII, but Case never received any contracts to make them. Anyhow, this specimen made by Ontario for Case, has a black phosphated finish ("parkerized") on it's metal surfaces. Blade has the Case brand stamped into it, along with Bradford PA, and U.S.M.C.
The date on the blade is 1998. What is usually found on the upper edge of a kabar (a false edge), is actually sharpened on this model. Leather handle is not as nicely done as on my commercial Kabar, but the parkerized blade looks more right to me on this knife than the powder coated kabar. Still, both are nice specimens in their own right, imo. The sheath is a nice leather, and seems well made. I have the all black Ontario version on it's way to me, so I will get to compare the case/ontario with the ontario soon :-) Anyhow, seems like a cool addition for the collection :-)
 
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Here one can see the sharpened upper edge (no false edge here). The box came with a factory sticker that places it at a 2014 date, but the date on the blade is 1998. I imagine Case had many blades made for them by Ontario under contract, and maybe that old inventory has simply not run out yet... idk.
 
Thanks... I know Case has offered these for quite a while, but they don't seem to be big overall sellers (atleast it seems that way to me). But, I do collect some case traditional folders, so it seems right to get this Case/Ontario knife for my collection. With my already having a couple kabars, and an Ontario on the way, I may track down a Camillus version soon. Oh so many directions to go in in this knife collecting hobby... sheesh! lol! ;-)
 
Great addition Jimmy!!! :thumbup::thumbup:

The Case 334 is my favorite version of the Ka-Bar style knife!

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Ah, nice pic of yours :-)
Is your specimen dated? I see many online are dated 1989, while others are dated like mine, 1998. Maybe Ontario made a batch for Case that lasted until 1997 or 1998, and then another large batch was made, and maybe they are still selling from that 1998 inventory... Hmmm. In any "case", alot of maybe' coming from me, huh! lol! ;-) Btw, is the top edge on yours sharpened as well, or was it left as a false edge? Thanks, buddy :-)
 
Mine is a '98 (the one I lost in the fire was a '77...bought around '82 I believe) and yes, the top edge is sharpened.
 
Thanks!

Wow, 1977... did not know that the Case specimens dated that far back. Maybe they have sold better than I thought, lol! :-)
 
Btw, I am not expecting the all black Ontario version that's headed my way to be an overall looker... But, since they make these Case knives, I do expect it will likely be of similar/equal quality. Fingers crossed,lol! ;-)
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
Btw, I am not expecting the all black Ontario version that's headed my way to be an overall looker... But, since they make these Case knives, I do expect it will likely be of similar/equal quality. Fingers crossed,lol! ;-)
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I also lost two of those Ontarios (along with and orig Camillus USN MKII) in the fire. The all black "issue" versions were fine knives just not as finely finished on the handle.
 
Thanks for the heads up on the Ontarios... I am glad that your collecting of knives continues, even after your previous losses. Chin up, my friend! :-)
 
I always find the hmmmm on things... Seems the Case box that the knife comes in labels the steel used for these knives as CV (chrome vanadium)... But, most sources online list this product as 1095 steel. Actually, the Ontario firm that makes them for Case, uses 1095 for their own branded versions (which they have sold to the Marines under contract). So, did Ontario make these in CV (a modified form of 1095) for the Case contract, or are they made using standard 1095?... There goes my hmmm again! ;-)
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
I always find the hmmmm on things... Seems the Case box that the knife comes in labels the steel used for these knives as CV (chrome vanadium)... But, most sources online list this product as 1095 steel. Actually, the Ontario firm that makes them for Case, uses 1095 for their own branded versions (which they have sold to the Marines under contract). So, did Ontario make these in CV (a modified form of 1095) for the Case contract, or are they made using standard 1095?... There goes my hmmm again! ;-)
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Welll... it depends on when it was made.

Ontario uses straight 1095 steel these days. And if Ontario were making them today I would bet dollars to doughnuts that the alloy was straight 1095.

But, in the early 90's Ontario made the Cold Steel "Carbon V" bladed knives. Cold Steel "Carbon V", Case "CV", and Kabar 1095 CroVan are all extremely similar to one another in composition. If the knife were made from "Carbon V", you could call it "CV" and it would be hard to call it a fib.
 
Btw, while I was wiping down and admiring this new knife of mine, I decided to check what my 2013 edition Case catalog had listed as blade material... it states 1095. So, other than the CV on the box label, almost everything I have seen has the knife as 1095. I guess me thinking it's 1095 is close enough either way, lol! ;-) The phosphate on my specimen is about as black as I have ever seen a parkerized finish to be. It was bone dry when I received it yesterday, but a little oil today completed it being nice and even blacker. Love the phosphate finish on this sort of knife... gives it that "all business" look :-) The last company I know to get a military (Marine Corps) contract for a kabar pattern knife, was Ontario (which makes these Case knives). May finally be a thing of the past for the Marine Corps to order them, since the Marine Corps now orders their Ontario bayonets that are supposed to do the knife thing and bayonet more all in one.
 
Ahh, seems kabar used to sharpen their false edges...

The swedge used to be sharpened but some states say that it's a double edged knife so we stopped. Sorry. However, if you take a file.... Hope this helps.

Best Regards, Paul Tsujimoto Sr Eng Prod Dev and Qual KA-BAR Knives
 
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Well, got my Ontario Marine Corps knife today. Except for it's black finished leather handle & sheath, and the blade/sheath markings, it's obvious that the Ontario knife company makes the case knife... They are essentially the same. This has the same color "parkerized" blade (shown right out of the box and without proper oiling on the blade). The top edge is sharpened just like on the Case knife (not a false edge). This, just like the Case, has a serious business look about it. The black seems to come off pretty easy on the handle, but a little permanent black marker and some black shoe polish should make things right for the knife to fit in my overall display scheme :-)
 
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