Gerber Sheridan or KaBar Combat???

I'd pick the KaBar over the Gerber for the steel alone... 1095 kills 440A for this application.
 
Without a doubt, go with the Ka-Bar! The Gerber looks like its way to complicated to bring into action with all of its cutouts and bumps.

Ciao
;)
 
The Gerber has the "better" sheath. (The aftermarket is a way better option for a serious sheath.) The Ka-Bar is the far better knife for any serious military/utility option.

Ka-Bar 1271's virtues over the Gerber are:

Tougher steel--1095 over 440A;
Stronger tip design;
More belly for more useful slicing angles;
Personally, I like Kraton over Zytel for the handle material;
Bigger blade, can be used for light chopping in a pinch;
Flat hammer pommel, which is used more than you think.

The two advantages of the Gerber, other than the better factory sheath, are that it doesn't have the top guard on it like the Ka-Bar and it looks to be full tang constructed. However, there is enough handle on the Kabar to avoid the guard in most applications, and the Ka-Bar, for a stick tang knife, is still pretty tough.
 
thanks for the info... I think I'll go with either the Ontario Rat7 or the Swamp Rat Ratweiler. As for the use I'm looking for something tough that I can use for general purpose and also for something to use just in case if I go to Iraq. Thanks again.
 
Pvt.Orcutt said:
thanks for the info... I think I'll go with either the Ontario Rat7 or the Swamp Rat Ratweiler. As for the use I'm looking for something tough that I can use for general purpose and also for something to use just in case if I go to Iraq. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Also take a serious look at the Ontario RAT-5. It was developed with lots of military/leo input to be "handier" than the RAT-7 or larger "combat" knives. It also has a "glass breaker" ("skull crusher" pommel for the politically incorrect). A seven-inch or more blade will chop better, but the vast, vast, majority of the time, especially in arid areas, no one is chopping much of anything. The shorter five inch blade will do 99.99% of the jobs of the seven inch blade and be a way more comfortable EDC carry too.
 
That's a valid point and something I will look at. 5 inches is still big enough and probably easier to EDC than 6.5in. What about quality of Ontario? Are they as good as Swamp Rat?
 
Are they as good? That depends on what you mean by "good" because such a comparison seems to be no longer an apples to oranges thing. The comparable SRKW is unclear at the moment because the line is being revamped. There doesn't appear to be anything in the new line-up that is price competitive with the Ontario RAT-5. The old Howling Rat at $89.95 was closest, but the new ones closest to the RAT-5 come in at about $129.00 for the Bandicoot LM, which is smaller, and $139.00 for the larger Rat Trail. The RAT-5 is $85.00 or so at most places worth shopping at on the net.

Pros for the RAT-5:

Available now, not on a backorder, and for a lot less for a great knife. You could have one in your hand tomorrow if you like paying for overnight shipping. I think you can only get a Rat Trap right now from SRKW.
Canvas micarta scales are better than respirene-c handles on the old SRKW offerings IMO. I note that the new line-up for SRKW seems to have abandoned respirene-C.

Pros for the SRKW offerings:

SR-101 is considered "better" by most than 1095.
The SRKW is differentially tempered.
The Bandicoot LM is three-quarters of an inch shorter than the RAT-5, which might make it an even easier carry, the Rat Trail is a 6" knife which would of course be larger.
The SRKW gives you more chachet, especially now that it almost costs half again more than the Ontario product. At the comparative prices, it had better give more in a CDI sense.

Pushes:

The old Howling Rat was a partial double convex grind, the Ontario is a full flat grind, so that is really more of a preference issue than a performance issue if the new SRKW offerings are still partially convexed..
Both the Busse crew and the RAT team have no BS customer service.
The coatings are about equal and the knives will outlast them.
 
KaBar all the way, It's a much better knife wether you get kraton or leather. (I have both :cool: BTW the Kraton they use is better than most)
 
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