Genuine USMC Kabar vs. Spec Plus Marine Combat

Diamond Cut II

Diamond Cut II

Joined
Sep 1, 2002
Messages
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Aside from the price, what would the advantage of the Spec Plus be over the original? Both handles are made out of kraton but the guard on the Kabar is carbon steel. The Spec Plus does not say what material their guard is made of(I'm assuming kraton?). They use two different sheaths but which is better, Kydex or black condura? The blade on the Spec Plus has a new powder coating and they say it(the blade) is thicker than the original, should this matter? Now a simpler question:) : What else does the Spec Plus knife have that the original USMC doesn't? Thanks for your time.


-DC2
 
If you want a Kraton handle, get a Black KA-BAR(same as the KA-BAR USMC F/U except for the handle).

Oops...chould have read the whole post...Anyway, the original KA-BAR had a stacked leather handle.
 
Get the Camillus Marine/Combat knife and don't look back. THe handle is leather coated in an anti-fingal material. The blade ahs better geometry than the Spec Plus (higher grind line, better cutter), and the quality control will be way better. Ontario Spec Plus knives can be good tools, but for the extra money of the camillus you'll get better cutting power, grind lines that will be even, a better handle, etc. And the price isn't all that much more. Camillus, by the way, made a gazillion of these during WWII. Ka-Bar, the actual company whose name got stuck to the knife, made a bunch too, but not nearly as much as Camillus. I have a Kabar Short, which is very nice. But Kabars themselves have better fit and finish (polished ahndles, etc.), while the Camillus version is a better cutter/rough use tool.
 
Ontario has a new version of basic Marine Combat knife, it is their Freedom Fighter, # FF-1, features steel guard, Kraton handles, threaded steel buttcap, the same epoxy-powder coating, and same sheath. Don't know cost. Assume the blade is just like their Spec-plus but didn't compare that closely. I have a couple of their knives and like them.
 
Years ago I got both the original leather handled Kabar and the SpecPlus Fighter. I can't speak for performance issues since I didn't use either one. The SpecPlus was sharper, but I think that's very variable with each piece for both brands. The one thing I thought the SpecPlus had over the Kabar was a more ergonomic handle. I ended up keeping the Kabar and giving away the SpecPlus though, but that was more for reasons of wanting to keep a leather handled classic than anything else. If you're comparing kraton handles for both, I think the SpecPlus's contours feels better than the Kabar's oval shape.
 
all I can think about when I get a knife with a Kraton handle is what I can do to switch the handles. Maybe I delude myself because I have a few knives with Kraton handles (which I hate) because of all the merits of the blade and sheath. I think about sending it out to a knifemaker to have wooden handles put on them, but that would cost more than the knife itself. So, in the end, I have these very serviceable knives with handles I hate.

Did I mention I hate Kraton?
Don't even get me started on Stag...
 
Agreed.., on the Camillus version.., much better knife IMO.


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
Thanks for the info, guys. I don't know, the Kabar just looks more appealing to me. I'm not going to use the knife I get much. Maybe I should've said that earlier. Sorry. But all these posts were very informative. If I plan on using a knife hard I'll buy the Camillus. Soon:) . Thanks again for your time.


-DC2
 
If you want a Kabar pattern, look for Camillus.
I've seen some of the Ontario Spec Plus stuff, and they look disgustingly bad, but I haven't seen the Marine Combat model.
I've seen a Ontario M9 with a wire edge and some kind of "coating" that rubs off the knife. The clip that makes the clip point is ground in on side, and the whole thing is generally bad IMO.
If you want to pick up Ontario stuff, get it at discount prices, they should make good beaters, but I'd handle it before I buy it.
 
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