KA-Bar Fighting/Utility knife question

dawsonbob said:
If you get serration's on your KA-BAR, the spirits of all we former Marines will haunt your every waking moment. I'm just saying . . .
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Hate to open can of worms... but I think serrations on a soldier's knife isn't such a bad idea. I mean I know it is classic... have no clue when they started putting serrations on knife. I don't really like serrations personally, but I can see how it can be useful to a soldier. Sure you can teach everyone about proper knife care etc, but there will be enough people who will use it to open canned food, for digging etc. When it comes to emergency one at least can saw through a rope or a throat, even if blade is very dull.

Now I will go and hide under my bed :)

For general outdoors, definitely no serrations. And cut off the top guard too... :) Now I need an exorcist for sure. I think I saw a ghost under my bed where I'm hiding.
 
I've never been a fan of stacked leather, but, for an icon like the USMC knife, it wouldn't be right unless it was stacked leather. And definitely NO serrations.

I bought a couple of Kabar Pilot knives a couple of years ago, they had been in storage since being made, mid 1980's. They are all dry rotted, but not totally. I melted Sno Seal and rubbed it in several times. They'll never look brand new, but they are perfectly serviceable, and with care, will last the rest of my life.

Take care of your stacked leather, and it will probably look brand new 50 years from now. I still prefer Micarta, but it's a very subjective thing. Nothing wrong with leather.
 
effer said:
Hate to open can of worms... but I think serrations on a soldier's knife isn't such a bad idea. I mean I know it is classic... have no clue when they started putting serrations on knife. I don't really like serrations personally, but I can see how it can be useful to a soldier. Sure you can teach everyone about proper knife care etc, but there will be enough people who will use it to open canned food, for digging etc. When it comes to emergency one at least can saw through a rope or a throat, even if blade is very dull.

Now I will go and hide under my bed :)

For general outdoors, definitely no serrations. And cut off the top guard too... :) Now I need an exorcist for sure. I think I saw a ghost under my bed where I'm hiding.
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Actually, effer, as much as it pains me, I have to agree: serration's could be useful on a combat/utility knife — just not on that Holy of Holys . . . the KA-BAR.:D

You're on the right track, IMHO, in that serration's will help in a lot of cutting situations one faces in combat, and they'll keep on cutting longer than a plain edge will.

I mentioned in another thread awhile ago that most of us weren't knife nuts back then, and couldn't have cared less about all the niceties. We didn't know a darned thing about knives, other than that they were used to cut things, pry things, dig small holes, etc., so we used — and were happy with — whatever we had. What we most often had was the ubiquitous KA-BAR, a knife we came to have a great deal of faith in. We, most of us, anyway, developed a certain fondness for the old girl just the way she was issued, and still feel that way today.

While I still love the KA-BAR, I have to admit that, if I were designing a knife for the modern Marine or soldier, it would probably have serration's on it. Remember that serration's weren't something commonly available in the late thirties/early forties when the Marine Corps adopted the KA-BAR. If they had of been, a lot of we old fogies would be fondly remembering an entirely different knife.

As it is, though, don't be messin' with my classic KA-BAR: leather handles with no serration's is the only true KA-BAR. Anything else is, well, something else. Don't know what it might be, but it's not the KA-BAR so many of us have come to love.

In all honesty, I far prefer a Becker BK-2 to the old KA-BAR, but that's just me.

You can come out from under the bed now.
 
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It seems definitive then. Thanks for all the responses guys, I really didn't expect that many!
I not sure how serrations became a part of every comment, but I was against them anyway :p

I probably should have mentioned that I have a KA-BAR Kukri which has a kraton handle which is very comfortable. However I agree that a leather handle will give it a soul. An organic element.

One problem I have herd of is that it can be uncomfortable, but is that just an issue of wearing-in?

Sorry but I have my mind firmly set on the plastic sheath. I think it will work better, and it makes the knife seem more official (I don't know how to put it, but its how I feel).

Thanks again for the help ;)
 
Sorry but I have my mind firmly set on the plastic sheath. I think it will work better, and it makes the knife seem more official
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Well that's just plain dumb. Get the USMC stacked leather handle with leather sheath. Treat the leather with a leather preservative, mink oil, leather conditioner from a dept. store. Or even spray Rem-Oil and wipe down - whatever. The plastic sheaths suck and you'l get what you bought - a chintzy piece of plastic - oops "official plastic" and your rig will look like a train wreck. :grumpy:

3rd Marine Division USMC 1967 - 1970
 
If you really have your heart set on the plastic sheath, go for it -- but order a spare in leather. (or do it the other way, get it with the leather sheath and order a plastic one in addition)
lots of places sell just the sheath.
 
I'd order the leather sheath to have it, and then get a good cordura sheath or have a kydex sheath made for it.

As for the handle, all of the leather handles I've felt good from the get go to me.
 
Leather feels better but again will wear differently than the Kraton. Did depends upon use. Would not get the serration.
 
I ordered the same Ka-bar as you're getting just recently, leather handle, plastic sheath.

I got the leather handle mainly because I like it's traditional look. There are plenty of knives around that are probably better for the woods and made with more durable materials that stand up to the elements (like micarta or G10) so if I really wanted a knife that could sit in the snow for ten years and be completely uneffected I'd just choose something else, but like you I wanted a knife with history and soul so I got the leather handled Ka-bar.

I got the plastic sheath because although I like the look of the leather one I didn't want this knife for a display case and I've heard a lot about how the leather sheath they sell today just isn't very good quality, I don't have one so I can't say for sure how good it is but to me it looks like a couple pieces of leather riveted together, can't tell if there's a welt or not. I didn't want to take the chance so I got the plastic one, it doesn't hold water and you don't have to maintain it with anything (more sno-seal for the leather handle), plus I don't think I've ever heard of somebody cutting through a plastic sheath.

So basically I decided that I could handle a knife made with a material that's not completely uneffected by the elements as long as it was still good quality and would last (which according to the folks in the traditional section, seems to be the case with the Ka-bars leather handle) but I didn't want a compromise in performance for a traditional look so I got the plastic sheath (mainly because of all the problems I've heard of with the leather one).

Even if the leather sheath is great the plastic one is probably just as good but with less maintenance, I think your choice is fine.
 
Ok guys thanks again, I bit the bullet and went with your overwhelming suggestions for full leather and obviously no serrations.

Thanks
 
FlyingKiwi said:
Ok guys thanks again, I bit the bullet and went with your overwhelming suggestions for full leather and obviously no serrations.

Thanks
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Did you pull the trigger on it yet? Don't forget to use some saddle soap or treatment on your sheath. When you pull it out you'll feel why it's lasted for so long. One bad-ass fighting knife.

And of course, when it arrives - Pics or it never happened!! :D
 
Hello All

Talk about perfect timing... I stumbled onto this thread just as I too began my quest for a KABAR, which officially started last night into this morning. I have already decided that I'm going old school classic with the stacked leather and a leather sheath:cool:

While my collection consists mainly of customs, Busses, Bark River, RAT(ESEE) and some Cold Steel:foot: (at least it's Carbon V:o), but I had an epiphinay, and it demanded a piece of cutlery history. Enter the KABAR!!:thumbup:

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what steel(s) was used back in the service days of WWII & Vietnam?
 
I don't know what steel was used, but a friend brought by his Grandpa's Korean war KA-BAR with a tiny bit of the tip broken. It was very heavy and VERY hard stuff. I couldn't touch it with a stone and used my machete file to quickly put a nice tip back on it.

After repairing it I sharpened it with traditional stuff (DMT stones) then put a matching patina back on it by rubbing apple peels for a few days until any shiny grinds matched the original dull color. It came out sweet! Looks like the original now. :D
 
I'm going to guess that Kabar's that were produced during the WWI, WWII, and Korean eras are made from whatever decent carbon steel they could procure in quantity at the time. I know that 1095 is the most popular steel for basic military knives, as it's cheap and does it's job very well.
 
I bought a Ka Bar about 7 months ago and due to a limited selection was forced to buy one with serrations, and the predjudice is true, its just not right, they offer no real advantage and it takes away from the historical look of the classic USMC Ka Bar, the hard plastic sheath got in my way alott as a turret gunner climbing in and out constantly, and the kraton is already breaking down, learn from my mistake, get a classic, leather, full straight blade, and im sure youll be 100% satisfied
 
Pomo0331 said:
I bought a Ka Bar about 7 months ago and due to a limited selection was forced to buy one with serrations, and the predjudice is true, its just not right, they offer no real advantage and it takes away from the historical look of the classic USMC Ka Bar, the hard plastic sheath got in my way alott as a turret gunner climbing in and out constantly, and the kraton is already breaking down, learn from my mistake, get a classic, leather, full straight blade, and im sure youll be 100% satisfied
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Welcome to BladeForums Pomo0331! :D

Thanks for letting these youngsters know where the rubber hits the road! :thumbup:

cziv said:
Well that's just plain dumb. Get the USMC stacked leather handle with leather sheath. Treat the leather with a leather preservative, mink oil, leather conditioner from a dept. store. Or even spray Rem-Oil and wipe down - whatever. The plastic sheaths suck and you'l get what you bought - a chintzy piece of plastic - oops "official plastic" and your rig will look like a train wreck. :grumpy:

3rd Marine Division USMC 1967 - 1970
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