Does anyone make a K-bar style with a full flat tang?

[tony281sc2]

Hinderer recently made a run of KaBar knives, and he even licensed the design and name from KaBar themselves. I'm pretty sure his have a full tang.

Yup, I believe there are still some out there if you search. Full tang and 3V steel a bit pricey tho

 

[Drop bear]

That is pretty sexy.

 

[StrangeDaze]

I really like the Tops US Combat Knife
Tops also makes the Desert Nomad which is pretty close.

 

[Bill Siegle]

The newer Spartan/KaBar collaboration is a pretty sweet full tang style with a KaBar blade

 

[knarfeng]

Spartan has some large fixed blades made in the KaBar facility. 1095 CroVan, full tang.

 

[Blue Sky]

They do now

This one might make me break my “no new fixed blade” rule.

 

[StrangeDaze]

This one might make me break my “no new fixed blade” rule.

I don’t know why but i’m not loving the handle aesthetic

 

[XtianAus]

I don’t know why but i’m not loving the handle aesthetic

I heard it is getting a slight change

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Depending on your budget and what country of origin you are comfortable with, Nedfoss makes a pretty beefy D2 full tang Ka-Bar-like knife.

I do reviews for Amazon Vines, and I have to say...pretty dang good knife if a bit heavier than a standard Kabar. The handle is long and thin and more rectangular than the rounded stacked leather or polymer of the Kabar, but it gives you plenty of purchase. The sheath is really good and fits very well.

I beat on my example a lot, and short of trying to snap the tip off ala JoeX, it's held up well. Is it my first choice for a survival or coma t knife? No, it's a tad too heavy for me to pack around. However, will will the tang hold up to more abuse than a standard Kabar...yeah, no question.

 

[w]

This middle one is from spartan blades but is made by kabar

 

[VorpelSword]

@jbmonkey I know what you are saying,and you are right of course, but they are more than half width pretty close to full width actually.

Randall considers them full width tangs. The tangs are 7/8”, the blades are around 1-1/8 wide. So technically not full width they are pretty close and certainly are not stick tangs.

I think if they had two slabs for handles and the tang showed all around you would consider them full width tangs. But the micarta handles have a channel cut for the tang, so it’s hidden on the bottom. But the handle doesn’t change the width of the tang.

Any knife with a full width tang is not going to feel as lively and quick in the hand as a nice Randall 1-8 for example.

Randall Made offers several handle shapes for the #16 Special Fighter. I am guessing that this is why the tang is the way it is. I ordered one for an active duty Marine back in 2000, and chose their "Border Patrol" handle profile. Looks like the tang is sized slightly under the thickness of the blade at the choil and rectangular in section. This would allow the cross guard to slip over the tang. That would streamline assembly. The synthetic handle is bonded to the tang in some way. The knife I bought survived a hard deployment to Iraq in 2004-'05 where itwas carried in combat.

 

[w]

Randall Made offers several handle shapes for the #16 Special Fighter. I am guessing that this is why the tang is the way it is. I ordered one for an active duty Marine back in 2000, and chose their "Border Patrol" handle profile. Looks like the tang is sized slightly under the thickness of the blade at the choil and rectangular in section. This would allow the cross guard to slip over the tang. That would streamline assembly. The synthetic handle is bonded to the tang in some way. The knife I bought survived a hard deployment to Iraq in 2004-'05 where itwas carried in combat.

 

[rio]

This one might make me break my “no new fixed blade” rule.

me too and Budget version will be made of 1095. Premium line in s35vn or magnacut

 

[VorpelSword]

Thanks W". Yeah, that is the one!. Igf I wert buying today, I would specify their "sawtooth grind" without the teeth for a more aggressive look.

In any case, the young Marine Lt. also got a CRK "Green Beret" for that deployment. When he came back, he said the CRK seemed to be a more rugged knlife and left the Randall home when he deployed again.

 

[w]

Thanks W". Yeah, that is the one!. Igf I wert buying today, I would specify their "sawtooth grind" without the teeth for a more aggressive look.

In any case, the young Marine Lt. also got a CRK "Green Beret" for that deployment. When he came back, he said the CRK seemed to be a more rugged knlife and left the Randall home when he deployed again.

 

[VorpelSword]

Bought one in 2004 just before they went over to Iraq. The CRK Green Beret was a pretty new model for them back then. Had to get a "jump qualified" , so-called "combat sheath" for it. I had ordered the special black waxed sheath but in end, had to get one for the Randall Made too. Spec Ops for both I think.

The Randall was bead-blasted to a dull grey to kill glint and had the top clips false edge sharpened in -theater. The CRK GB remained stock except for use-wear.

 

[VorpelSword]

But we are way off topic.

To come back to the OP: There is a Ka-Bar version with a D2 blade and bonded synthetic handle that looks really good to me, while Cold Steel offers a near copy clone of the Randall #1 at a soldier's price point.

 

[klchi2015]

Are you referring to a Kabar USN MK2-style knife with a full tang?

 

[StrangeDaze]

Tops steel eagle or zt 0060

 

[norcalAF]

The ZT needed and upgrade to the sheath. The Hest 6 is just awesome!