have to get this off my chest: KA-BAR can't put a decent factory edge on the USMC

[snow and steel]

I sort of expect to get flamed for this but...

I've been wanting a classic USMC KA-BAR for some time today. I went into my local cutlery shop and looked at one - the edge was off center from the edge of the blade. So I asked to see another one - this one had an uneven grind. A third was fairly straight, but the tip looks like it was sharpened a second time as it is not even with the rest of the edge and at a different angle. A fourth was as non-centered like the first. I'd been on the hunt for some time, so I decided to bite my tongue and took the third one, but already had it in the back of my mind that I would have to send it out to someone like richardj to get it reprofiled and sharpened correctly.

The real rub is this is the SECOND time I went KA-BAR shopping and found them all to have bad edges.

My question is someone obviously does this for a living there at the factory - why can't they do this right? Am I the only one who has noticed this? Do I have unrealistic expectations?

 

[jbmonkey]

Oh kabar isn't alone. It's rare I get any production company knife with a proper edge.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Last time I bought a Queen traditional it was dead dull, and D2 to boot.

 

[Jeff S1]

No flames your way from me. I bought one from Tomars last year and looking down the spine, the right side grind was left of center on the tip. It looked like pure junk and poor QC to me. I just fixed it myself, but thought there was no reason for it to leave the factory that way in the first place. I am sure the pile on's will start shortly, but you are not alone on this one. And yes the upgraded glass reinforced sheath option I got with it, dulls the blade. Folks can defend that one all they want, but it is true.

 

[fetzer85]

When I got the US Army version it came with a great even edge on it that easily popped off my arm hairs. This was maybe 3 months ago from the 'large river in South America' website.

 

[Yo Mama]

Edges on all my Kabars have been shaving sharp, and grind lines were good/perfect. Let Kabar make it right. They will want to know about the QC.

 

[Franciscomv]

I've got a few Beckers from Ka-Bar and they all came with good edges.

However, I've handled a lot of their USMC knives and the edges on those were kind of hit or miss. A customer of mine ordered all of the different commemorative models (and sometimes more than one of each), plus a couple of regular ones. The edges on some were OK, but there were others with uneven grinds and stuff like that (nothing that I think would really affect performance), the bevels were differed from one knife to the next, some had a sharpened clip and others didn't and so on.

 

[Tallahassee]

I have several USMCs, and they all came sharp from the box, including one from the Exchange that was NIB/never used.
No complaints, and the grinds look OK to me. But hey, these are ~$50 knives. I also have a Gen 2 in D2 that's a little pricier, also looks fine. But I don't doubt people who say their grinds are off. I agree with the suggestion to send them to KaBar and let them correct them.

 

[snow and steel]

If I'm going to send it out, I'll send it to RichardJ who I KNOW will do it right. It'll cost me the same, and I'll have no worries.

I just wish they did it right the first time - then I wouldn't have to send it out at all.

 

[Hairlesstwinkie]

What you're seeing is not uncommon. I had to reprofile my Kabar. I tend to reprofile most of my knives that I would use.

 

[littleman]

I sort of expect to get flamed for this but...

I've been wanting a classic USMC KA-BAR for some time today. I went into my local cutlery shop and looked at one - the edge was off center from the edge of the blade. So I asked to see another one - this one had an uneven grind. A third was fairly straight, but the tip looks like it was sharpened a second time as it is not even with the rest of the edge and at a different angle. A fourth was as non-centered like the first. I'd been on the hunt for some time, so I decided to bite my tongue and took the third one, but already had it in the back of my mind that I would have to send it out to someone like richardj to get it reprofiled and sharpened correctly.

The real rub is this is the SECOND time I went KA-BAR shopping and found them all to have bad edges.

My question is someone obviously does this for a living there at the factory - why can't they do this right? Am I the only one who has noticed this? Do I have unrealistic expectations?

Last time I bought a Queen traditional it was dead dull, and D2 to boot.

that problem with Queen to but once i got it right it is a good edc.holds a good edge

 

[A Justice]

I personally wouldn't send it to Ka-Bar; I think you probably just have heightened expectations from being more detail oriented, and you're noticing things that don't really affect function and 90% of people wouldn't notice.

Why I wouldn't send it back - I sent a knife into another well known manufacturer a few months ago that had uneven grinds, and also chipped during the first use (I highly suspect improper HT) and even though they fixed the chip, the edge was 10x worse than it was when I bought it. I've started to notice uneven grinds and other flaws on not only most of my production knives, but most the knives that go through my hands - everything from Spyderco and Buck to Case and Kershaw. There is rarely a knife that I do not see some sort of issue with, and I handle a couple dozen from various manufacturers every month.

I used to try out lots of guns by buying a new one, and if it didn't suit me I would let it go for approximately what I paid for it. I have a hard time reselling new knives I decide not to keep because of small flaws - even if I did sell them, I'd have to turn around and put all the perceived flaws I find in the description, even though they're brand new and I paid full retail from Blade HQ and other trusted sources how do you turn around and ask a comparable price for a knife that I perceive to have flaws?

I guess it comes with experience that you see what is common and what to expect, and with a little more experience you know what other people expect and what would be considered a notable flaw by the majority of knife enthusiasts; I'm still lacking that level of confidence apparently.

 

[killgar]

If you get some decent sharpening equipment and practice with it, you won't ever have to send a knife to someone else to get it sharpened. Knives that get used will eventually get dull. All the more reason to learn how to sharpen your own knives. Learn how to sharpen, and a sharp knife will always be just a few minutes, or seconds away.

No one likes to spend their money and receive a knife with a bad edge, but it happens. With decent sharpening skills, such an occurrence is easy to resolve without the need to ship your knife to anyone.

 

[McVeyMac]

I will second everyone's observation that this scenario is very common from many manufacturers. Second, how does the manufacturer know how you are going to use the knife? Learn to sharpen and put your own edge on it that suits the way you will be using the knife. Obtaining this skill will pay big dividends for the rest of your knife buying life. Is it too much to ask that a manufacturer put even grinds on a knife? No. But rarely does this happen. They have skilled workers, and they have what I will describe as apprentice workers. If you get a knife from one of the older skilled workers, you will be happy with the result. If not, take matters into our own hands and make the edge the way you want it.