Cold Steel's Kabar Clone

[Horn Dog]

I thought the Becker BK7 was the new and improved version of the Mk 2. The "Ka-Bar" Marine Combat is pretty generic. I have them by Ka-Bar, Ontario, and Camillus. And Case has a version as well. I'd be willing to bet that the Cold Steel version is as good as any. The Ontario version that I have is pretty rough. It not nearly as nice as my Ka-Bar versions.

 

[JTC]

Here's a short video posted on Youtube(not me). An unboxing with a quick over view. The tang looks to be pretty substantial.

http://youtu.be/er-WyvzPr_8

 

[shortwinger]

Yet another reason to hate cold steel.

This is silly on several fronts. First off, your post probably sold more CS Leatherneck-SF's than Cold Steel's own advertising! The USMC fighting knife was a "type of knife" not a single companies's knife, just like a Bowie knife is not the property of any single company. Any knife maker is allowed to make their own version of a drop point hunter or bowie or tanto and most knife companies do it without attacks. The only reason to hate Cold Steel over this is fear.

But I wouldn't worry about the Leatherneck SF, the company stinks, the sheaths are crap, the tangs are weak, the handles probably won't last and that SK-5 will never make it as a reputable knife steel! But good news is on the horizon. Cold Steel has decided to stop sending thugs to your house to force you to buy their products! I'm sure they will be out of business soon! Wa whoooo! No more videos of that crappy SK-5 doing easy things [that no one else shows their knife doing] like cutting and stabbing stuff..... I wish Lynn would just do magazine and table top reviews like everyone else and stop showing off by cutting lots of stuff and then showing the edge!

You have to lighten up a bit, nothing, repeat, nothing will ever take the place of the USMC Ka-Bar unless Ka-Bar stops making quality blades and that isn't likely to happen. A bit of new high profile competition can only make Ka-Bar stronger and keep the USMC model going strong.

 

[Moosez45]

nothing, repeat, nothing will ever take the place of the USMC Ka-Bar unless Ka-Bar stops making quality blades and that isn't likely to happen. A bit of new high profile competition can only make Ka-Bar stronger and keep the USMC model going strong.

I couldn't agree more. Very well put, 'winger.

Moose

 

[bladelover30]

surely the fact that they draw inspiration from your design says your doing something right. The only problem with this is that ive seen so many companies with this design. kabar,
spec plus, ontario and fox knives all have knives with a similar design. It would be nice to see something original form cold steel but i think this borrowing of style from the legend that is the ka bar will continue with many companies.

 

[Thomas Linton]

surely the fact that they draw inspiration from your design says your doing something right. The only problem with this is that ive seen so many companies with this design. kabar,
spec plus, ontario and fox knives all have knives with a similar design. It would be nice to see something original form cold steel but i think this borrowing of style from the legend that is the ka bar will continue with many companies.

It does not look like a "Ka-Bar," as many posters have pointed out. "Inspiration" was from a flat grind clip-point" like the Navy Mk I of WWII.

 

[philwar]

Yet another reason to hate cold steel.

Haters never need a reason to hate. A reason is just the cherry on the cake.

 

[GRIM 62]

No more word from the OP.I guess the post did'nt go as intended.

 

[philwar]

No more word from the OP.I guess the post did'nt go as intended.

Dontcha just hate it when a bashing post turns into a reasonable one?

 

[wildmanh]

The Combat knife now lovingly refered to as the Kabar was designed by a Military comity based on the Marbles Ideal Hunter. USMC Mark II Fighting knife, or Mark II for short. The first company to produce the design was Camillus. Case, Kabar (Union Cutlery), Western and others also produced the design durring and after the war. Today the design is know as a Kabar Fighting knife because Union (Kabar) had the best Marketing even thought they produced less of that pattern then Camillus and possibly others.

SK-5 Carbon steel is the Japanese equivalent of 1080/1085 carbon steel. It has been used by a number of Custom makers on this forum and others, and production companies including Kabar and SOG along with more recently Cold Steel. Kabar Model #1248, #1249, #1277 (Heavy Bowie), #1279, #1278 (WartHog) to name a few are all made from 1085.

The Sheath reminds me of sheaths from Esee Knives the one that came with my Kabar made Becker BK2, a Black handled USMC Kabar I used to have and others that I've seen on the market. The nylon on my BK2's sheath is so flexible, if I unsnap the keeper strap the whole sheath starts flopping around. But the sheath from my old Kabar didn't flop around. I wonder if Cold Steel's sheath will.

The blade on the Cold steel is a Full flat ground with a Straight clip. It's a Generic Bowie style that you'll find all over the place. The Guard, handle and Butt Cap are the only parts of the knife that even resemble the Mark II. SOG's discontinued Government line of field knives used that style butt cap, Same with the ever populare Desert Dagger. Don't forget the current Gov-Tac and Daggert Series. Also Ontario, Case, and Boker to name a few also use that style Buttcap.

The design eliments are commonly used by lots of other companies. I can't see why so many people are getting butt hurt over Cold Steel using combinging them. A Kabar company Rep has even wished Cold Steel well. If the price is right, I might try to get my hands on one. Instead of trying to bring a company down, lets talk about the knives we like.

Personally I'd love to see Kabar come out with a full flat ground Fighting knife with their standard clip point. They did it with the Heay Bowie which I really like and use more then my BK9. So at least we know that they could do it.

 

[cccpull]

It doesn't look like a clone, but If the inspiration came from the KA-BAR, so be it. "KA-BAR" inspiration, the Marbles Ideal hunting knife.

 

[wildmanh]

It doesn't look like a clone, but If the inspiration came from the KA-BAR, so be it. "KA-BAR" inspiration, the Marbles Ideal hunting knife.

Exactly the point I was trying to make above with my long winded post. LOL!! Well that, and a few other points.

 

[markpmc]

I think this fits well in the CS line up.
The leatherneck is a bit shorter than the recon scout.
The recon scout is a bit shorter than the trail master.
The trail master is a bit shorter than the laredo bowie.

and we all know the laredo will do a great job of protecting you from wild car hoods and barrels.

They're just filling out their line of offerings. I'm a bit put off by the marketing and hype of CS products in general, but i likfe the full tang on the leatherneck.

 

[philwar]

The Combat knife now lovingly refered to as the Kabar was designed by a Military comity based on the Marbles Ideal Hunter. USMC Mark II Fighting knife, or Mark II for short. The first company to produce the design was Camillus. Case, Kabar (Union Cutlery), Western and others also produced the design durring and after the war. Today the design is know as a Kabar Fighting knife because Union (Kabar) had the best Marketing even thought they produced less of that pattern then Camillus and possibly others.

SK-5 Carbon steel is the Japanese equivalent of 1080/1085 carbon steel. It has been used by a number of Custom makers on this forum and others, and production companies including Kabar and SOG along with more recently Cold Steel. Kabar Model #1248, #1249, #1277 (Heavy Bowie), #1279, #1278 (WartHog) to name a few are all made from 1085.

The Sheath reminds me of sheaths from Esee Knives the one that came with my Kabar made Becker BK2, a Black handled USMC Kabar I used to have and others that I've seen on the market. The nylon on my BK2's sheath is so flexible, if I unsnap the keeper strap the whole sheath starts flopping around. But the sheath from my old Kabar didn't flop around. I wonder if Cold Steel's sheath will.

The blade on the Cold steel is a Full flat ground with a Straight clip. It's a Generic Bowie style that you'll find all over the place. The Guard, handle and Butt Cap are the only parts of the knife that even resemble the Mark II. SOG's discontinued Government line of field knives used that style butt cap, Same with the ever populare Desert Dagger. Don't forget the current Gov-Tac and Daggert Series. Also Ontario, Case, and Boker to name a few also use that style Buttcap.

The design eliments are commonly used by lots of other companies. I can't see why so many people are getting butt hurt over Cold Steel using combinging them. A Kabar company Rep has even wished Cold Steel well. If the price is right, I might try to get my hands on one. Instead of trying to bring a company down, lets talk about the knives we like.

Personally I'd love to see Kabar come out with a full flat ground Fighting knife with their standard clip point. They did it with the Heay Bowie which I really like and use more then my BK9. So at least we know that they could do it.

Thank you for an excellent informational post. All new to me. :thumbup:

 

[EarlFH]

How many imitation Cold Steel tantos have been made? There must be at least a dozen companies making them so close that you have to look twice to see if it's an original. I don't see Cold Steel whining, and crying about it. If someone doesn't happen to like a particular knife company, then every new knife buyer who wants to be part of the "in crowd", gets in line to put them down also. Quit pissing, and moaning about it, and get a life. If you don't like it, don't buy it. I'd rather have a Cold Steel knife, than dozens of others on the market, including a Marine Corps, kaBar. I'm not bitching about KaBar either, as I happen to own several of their knives, just not that one.

EarlFH

 

[EarlFH]

It doesn't look like a clone, but If the inspiration came from the KA-BAR, so be it. "KA-BAR" inspiration, the Marbles Ideal hunting knife.

Well I'll be damned! Those crooks at Marbles copied KaBar's design, 20 years before KaBar ever made their first one! Imagine that?

EarlFH

 

[Thomas Linton]

How many imitation Cold Steel tantos have been made? There must be at least a dozen companies making them so close that you have to look twice to see if it's an original. I don't see Cold Steel whining, and crying about it. If someone doesn't happen to like a particular knife company, then every new knife buyer who wants to be part of the "in crowd", gets in line to put them down also. Quit pissing, and moaning about it, and get a life. If you don't like it, don't buy it. I'd rather have a Cold Steel knife, than dozens of others on the market, including a Marine Corps, kaBar. I'm not bitching about KaBar either, as I happen to own several of their knives, just not that one.

EarlFH

Yes, and the maker who developed the basic design for the "American Tanto, " Bob Lum, didn't complain about Cold Steel's copying.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Well I'll be damned! Those crooks at Marbles copied KaBar's design, 20 years before KaBar ever made their first one! Imagine that?

EarlFH

The fuller on the Ka-Bar is moved up away from the primary bevel. WM though the fuller on the Ideal eliminated resistance to cutting.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Well I'll be damned! Those crooks at Marbles copied KaBar's design, 20 years before KaBar ever made their first one! Imagine that?

EarlFH

The fuller on the Ka-Bar is relatively narrower than that on the Ideal and moved up away from the primary bevel.

The first 1919C2 was created in the style of a commercial hunting knife that was produced by the Union Cutlery Company. And the Union Cutlery Company took their idea from a wildly successful “Ideal” hunting knife made by the Marbles Company. The Marbles knife had fullers that were quite wide and deep and were positioned lower on the blade. This ingenious design allowed the Marbles knife to be successfully flat-sharpened (by holding the blade flat) on a flat stone while in the field.

On comparing the Marbles knife to the USMC 1919C2 (or the Union Cutlery knife for that matter), one will immediately notice that the fullers on the latter two knives are much narrower, not as deep, and placed higher on the blade than those on the Marbles knife. These differences unfortunately negate the true purpose of the design and are rendered useless in terms of sharpening advantages. While the fullers on the Marbles served a valuable purpose in the field, it was completely lost to the designers who copied it.

U.S. Militaria Forum

Others conclude that WM believed the fuller on the Ideal allowed easier cutting of thick material (moose; deer) because less steel would be in contact with the material being cut.

Take your pick of the above -- or none of the above.

 

[pitdog]

Tang looks great !