Favorite Ka-bar?

i have an old old Ka - bar chefs knife 10'' like a sabatier , cant find any info on it ??
super nice to use , steels well .
just upgraded to a chroma 301 chefs knife will see how it dose .
 
I have 8 ka-bar knives.The one I keep reaching for is the original USMC classic.I really love that knife.We've seen a lot of territory together.
 
Here's my problem, I've got an Ontario M9 (old handle, since wrapped with 550 cord) and it doesn't feel like I'm getting a good grip on it. Will I have a problem with a standard kabar?
 
Beppo said:
SuperC, did you get that "Army Kabar" issued to you in the Army? Was it actually an Army Kabar? I had no idea such a knife existed, I only thought they made the standard USMC fighting knife, and that the US Army and US Navy editions were just "Me, too!" versions, since they're exactly alike.
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No, and yes. The 7" blade MK2 sold today was never a US Army issue in WW2. Only the Marines and the Navy got the MK2 and for the most part they only saw use in the Pacific Theater. [The genuine WW2 Marine Kabars did not have USMC marked on their leather scabbards. That was a Vietnam era commercial gimmick done when Kabar reintroduced the MK2 and which is a real quick way of judging the rigs age.] The real WW2 MK2s had either a plain leather scabbard (which didn't like either salt water or jungle humidity) or the USN sheath pictured. [There are also small differences in the blades made during WW2 and the looklike clones Kabar has been selling since Vietnam which allow experts to tell the knives themselves apart, but that is a different thread, and already done in Mr. Levine's section and elsewhere.] Of course nowadays you can buy a MK2 'lookslike' with any stamping or markings you want on them, and in fact as of a few years ago there is even a National Supply Number (NSN) for the MK2.

Africa and Europe however was Army's war (Marines were not invited) and the Army knives were different. Both the 6" Army Kabar "Commando" and the Cattaraugus 225Q (also called a Commando by some) pictured were in Army inventory along with a half dozen other types of edged or pointy tools. The Cattaraugus (and a similar Case knife) was issued with crates of Army K-rations and was initially intended for use by Quartermasters to open (or close) crates (which often had metal straps and nails). Amazingly, it was soon discovered to be a decent all around knife too and they were even occasionally used to stab enemies with. Somehow a few were 'lost' by quartermasters and other soldiers were soon spotted wearing one. (I believe there is even a famous photo of "Chesty" Puller wearing one, so Marines like it too.)

The Kabar Commando was issued first as a Survival knife stowed with life rafts on US Army bombers. Back then there was no US Airforce (USAF) and all of the big bombers belonged to the US Army Air Forces (US AAF), so the knives did too. You can legitimately consider it the first pilot's knife as more than one has been seen on pictures of bomber pilots and the web gear they wore when not in their plane. My father was AAF (Africa, Sicily, etc.) on a bomber and he had one too even though he was just a gunner/photgrapher.

The Kabar Army Survival knives were popular in Africa and Europe as it was a year or two into the war before the US Army intentionally issued a fighting knife. The US Govt also issued them to Coast Guard crews as well as State Defense Forces (Home Guard) and other lesser known forces. They were also available in Army PXs for years after the war. Understand that if you read or talk to a WW2 Army vet who fought in Africa or Europe or was stationed anywhere but the Pacific, and he writes about or mentions having a Kabar, the 6" one pictured above is probably what he meant as the 7" MK2 (or the earlier MK1) simply wasn't issued to the Army. My understanding is the ones with the blood groove (fuller for the perfectionist types) were either early WW2 bomber life raft issue, Home Guard issue, or later sold in PXs to soldiers needing a knife of their own, while the similar ones without the fuller were made for Coast Guard raft use.

Kabar, at the end of WW2, with the cessation of their contracts took the unsold knives and used them as filler for a concrete pour for a new building sometime around '47. Many were found there rusting in the foundations when that building was torn down in the 70s. For reasons not known to us mere mortals Kabar never resurrected the design although they did give the name Commando to a more modern, lesser knife.

As stated earlier I often use mine when doing landscaping, hunting, or light work in the woods. It is a very nice knife. You should add one to your collection if you can find one.
 
I don't own a Kabar but I wouldn't mind picking up the Army logo knife or the mini Dozier folder.
 
superc said:
[The genuine WW2 Marine Kabars did not have USMC marked on their leather scabbards. That was a Vietnam era commercial gimmick done when Kabar reintroduced the MK2 and which is a real quick way of judging the rigs age.] .
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Ka-bar reintroduced the commemorative model in 1976. Just a little outside the Vietnam war. Its amazing how many people try to pass these knives off as "Vietnam War" marine issue, etc, etc.

A "real" Vietnam issue kabar was manufactured by Camillus & a small contract by Conetta. Of course WWII issue knives were certainly carried by Marines in Vietnam, given to them by uncles, father, etc. A few Utica manufactured mark 2's could also be found in storage. Makes for a very interesting discussion.
 
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