Im really wanting a.........

B

bladeboss

Joined
Mar 6, 2012
Messages
3,530
Ka-Bar USMC. No, im not asking to buy one (thats a no-no :))
Im asking about the knife in general. I have heard so much about them. They look sweet, and i have read reviews in which a single knife was mentioned, and it lived through 2 wars. They must be good to some degree for them to be used as a standard-issue to Marines. Also, they must be a good design because it seems like every company has a fixed-blade shaped like one.
I have heard where they tend to break in half, and the 1095 steel will rust easily.
I dont like rust.
But, is it true?
What do YOU think of the knife, and what do you think of Ka-Bar in general? I have never owned or even "fondled" a Ka-Bar knife ever, so im unaware of the quality.
 
My dad was a marine and his ka-bar broke right at the hand gaurd. I think ka-bar is a good company I have one of their zombie killer folders and it's really nice for the money.
 
well, I don't have one, but I want one. I love the blade design, I like the stacked leather handles a lot. I just wish that they weren't as prone to breaking at the handle. Oh well, just be careful and they won't ever break.

My grandfather has one (an older one) and I hope one day that I will get it, but I don't know. I will have one by the end of this summer I predict though, most likely a newer one. I may actually buy 2 and strip one of them, and change the color of the leather washers (i dont know how though)

Also, one of the "grail" type things for me is basically a kabar USMC with the same blade dimensions except 18 inches and extend the handle by 1.5 its original length, and make it stronger. sooner or later I will get one (aka: have one made)

oh, and for pictures sake

usmc_kabar2.jpg
 
If the knife is going to break, that is where it's going to happen. Check out the KA-BAR forum.

That said, KA-BAR is by far and away my favorite knife company. They're customer service is top notch. The classic USMC KA-BAR is a fine knife. I had to have one in my collection simply because of its history and design.

If you are going to use it as a combat/fighting knife, you can do a lot worse. However, it's likely not the best choice for outdoors/bushcraft work. If you are keen on batoning, or some other such nonsense, you might want to look for something else. Check out the Becker Knife and Tool, which are produced by KA-BAR. You will find a lot more that is geared for such purposes.

That said, if you did decide to use the USMC for bushcraft and whatnot, I'm sure it will be just fine. Thousands of men and women have used that both on and off the battlefield for years.
 
After enough abuse, they do tend to fail right at the sharp angle right after the ricasso as the tang goes into the blade.

They are good solid knives though, and will last a good long time before they break. Generally when they do break, its because of excessive chopping and battoning. I know that Moose has broken 3 of them in his days. He said his last one broke after three years of splitting wood for his wood burning stove at home.

I have one, and it feels like a very solid knife. The stacked leather is very comfortable as well.

If you're looking for a similar knife that you can beat on without fear that it will break, try checking out the Becker BK7.
 
bladeboss said:
Ka-Bar USMC. No, im not asking to buy one (thats a no-no :))
Im asking about the knife in general. I have heard so much about them. They look sweet, and i have read reviews in which a single knife was mentioned, and it lived through 2 wars. They must be good to some degree for them to be used as a standard-issue to Marines. Also, they must be a good design because it seems like every company has a fixed-blade shaped like one.
I have heard where they tend to break in half, and the 1095 steel will rust easily.
I dont like rust.
But, is it true?
What do YOU think of the knife, and what do you think of Ka-Bar in general? I have never owned or even "fondled" a Ka-Bar knife ever, so im unaware of the quality.
Click to expand...

I have one, stripped it. Tuff-Cloth or any kind of oil every now and then will handle rust. I love the knife, and I'm sure it's awesome for sticking people and whatnot. However, it doesn't have a full tang, and I severely dislike that. It also seems like it doesn't want to take an edge nearly as easily as my other knives. I think knives have come a long way since then, and while I find it to be a very respectable knife, you won't see me trusting my life or even my work to something that isn't one solid piece of strong steel. Are you looking for a fighting knife or a hard use tool? A lot of other Ka-Bar stuff is really nice as well, some of it full tang.
 
Personally I'm not a Becker fan, but that would seem to fit what you're looking for.... I've yet to hear a bad thing about them . I think a bk-7 will do you.
 
bladeboss said:
and the 1095 steel will rust easily.
I dont like rust.
Click to expand...

You'll have to get over this. 1095 is one of the toughest steels that you can get for a reasonable price, and it will rust. If you buy a stainless steel knife even for several times the price of the KaBar it might not rust but it won't be as tough.
 
Slap a patina on if you're worried about rust, and maintain the knife every once in a while.

The USMC is a great knife. They CAN break under heavy use (read, batoning frequently for 4+ years), but they're quite durable, especially given all the gripe about stick tangs. If you want an inexpensive knife that you can abuse, however, I'd go with the BK2, or any of the other Becker lineup. The BK2 in particular is a TANK of a knife:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ting-the-BK2-to-the-test-so-you-don-t-have-to
 
bladeboss said:
I want a good-looking, fixed blade knife that i can beat the hell out of without worrying about breakage or bending.
Preferably under $100.00
Click to expand...

I'm an ESEE fan. For something the thickness and length of that USMC I'd suggest the ESEE 6. However, the Becker BK7 is in the same range and is probably cheaper. Not sure about their warranty, but the knives are definitely comparable in strength. There is also the Cold Steel Recon Scout, the ESEE 5, and the BK2, the Scout being about the length of the USMC, the latter two being about 5 inches blade wise.

ESEE6
esee-6.jpg


ESEE5
esee-5.jpg

ESEE5-THICKNESS-OD.jpg


Becker BK2
becker+bk2+2.jpg

IMG_0055.jpg


Becker BK7
becker-bk-7-combat-utility-knife.jpg


Cold Steel Recon Scout
0140.jpg


All very, very heavy duty and all 7 1/2 inches or under.

Another thing to mention. Becker has a decent warranty from what I hear, someone else will have to back that claim up as I'm not entirely familiar with it. ESEE has a lifetime warranty on the knife, rather than the person. As far as I know it is a no questions asked replacement policy. Either way, you should feel free to beat them all to hell without worrying if you'll be out a knife at some point.
 
Beckers are full tang knives and can take a beating (and are made by Kabar). Check out the BK17!
 
If you don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on a nice outdoor blade, try the Condor Bushlore. It uses 1075 for the steel and walnut for the handles. It comes with a fairly dull edge but it was def. workable, i put a full scandi edge on mine and i gotta say, it gets loads more use than my ESEE 4 and cost less than half the price. It also comes with a fantastic leather sheath. Get it from 42 blades, he'll set you straight.
 
seelow123 said:
If you don't want to spend a whole bunch of money on a nice outdoor blade, try the Condor Bushlore. It uses 1075 for the steel and walnut for the handles. It comes with a fairly dull edge but it was def. workable, i put a full scandi edge on mine and i gotta say, it gets loads more use than my ESEE 4 and cost less than half the price. It also comes with a fantastic leather sheath. Get it from 42 blades, he'll set you straight.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've been eyeing those since someone posted about them recently. They seem like great values, but it looks like most dealers are out of stock right now.
 
bdmicarta said:
If you buy a stainless steel knife even for several times the price of the KaBar it might not rust but it won't be as tough.
Click to expand...

:confused::confused::confused::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: Never owned a Fallkniven have you?



For the OP.If you use the USMC Fighting Utility as a knife, not a pry bar or axe, it will outlast you.
 
RemyKaze said:
I'm an ESEE fan. For something the thickness and length of that USMC I'd suggest the ESEE 6. However, the Becker BK7 is in the same range and is probably cheaper. Not sure about their warranty, but the knives are definitely comparable in strength. There is also the Cold Steel Recon Scout, the ESEE 5, and the BK2, the Scout being about the length of the USMC, the latter two being about 5 inches blade wise.

Another thing to mention. Becker has a decent warranty from what I hear, someone else will have to back that claim up as I'm not entirely familiar with it. ESEE has a lifetime warranty on the knife, rather than the person. As far as I know it is a no questions asked replacement policy. Either way, you should feel free to beat them all to hell without worrying if you'll be out a knife at some point.
Click to expand...

Becker has effectively the same warranty as ESEE does, but they reserve the right to not warranty the product if it was smashed to death on purpose. As long as you're not intentionally breaking the knife(kinfetests.com style), or blatantly abusing it (throwing, dismantling buicks, etc), you should be covered.

Also, Beckers are usually quite a bit cheaper than ESEE knives. I would say the steel is pretty comparable in quality and HT, and the difference is that ESEE knives come with Micarta and a kydex sheath, while you'd have to add those to the Beckers. Once you do that, the prices come out pretty even.

Also, 1095 is proven, and is a great choice for an outdoors knife (as long as you're not a diver). I have a stripped BK2 that I have done almost nothing to keep rust off of it other than make sure to put it away dry and there isn't even a hint of rust on it. As long as you're smart, it should be just fine for you. But if you're looking for a knife to strap to your boat, I'd look somewhere else (H1 for instance).

Good luck :).
 
crazyengineer said:
well, I don't have one, but I want one. I love the blade design, I like the stacked leather handles a lot. I just wish that they weren't as prone to breaking at the handle. Oh well, just be careful and they won't ever break.

My grandfather has one (an older one) and I hope one day that I will get it, but I don't know. I will have one by the end of this summer I predict though, most likely a newer one. I may actually buy 2 and strip one of them, and change the color of the leather washers (i dont know how though)

Also, one of the "grail" type things for me is basically a kabar USMC with the same blade dimensions except 18 inches and extend the handle by 1.5 its original length, and make it stronger. sooner or later I will get one (aka: have one made)

oh, and for pictures sake

usmc_kabar2.jpg
Click to expand...

Are you aware of the Kabar Big Brother in two versions? I've got the kraton handled one and I like it a lot more than my USMC knife.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top