Ka-bar for wilderness survival

J

J.C.

Joined
Nov 7, 2006
Messages
27
i know ka-bars have been around for years mainly used in the military, i was thinking about buying one, but how would they hold up in the woods not as a fighting knife but as a general use knife? for light chopping and light batoning.
thanks for any info
also any pics appreciated
 
it would probably work, but wouldn't be my first choice.

the blade is fairly straight without much belly, so it's probably not ideal for skinning.

the stick tang won't be as robust as a full tang.

the top guard is larger than i like for a GP knife.

i've got one, but i've never used it for anything approaching heavy use.

i'd rather have anything from ESEE, one of several ??B ark Rivers or something from one of the custom makers.

but that's personal preference. a new Ka-bar should be reasonably priced but there are plenty of other choices.

just because the Ka-bar wouldn't be my first choice doesn't mean it won't work for your uses.
 
stealthchaser13 said:
Kabar being used in the woods...
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i LOVE the part where he says that "wood on the ground WILL be wetter"

really? come to the Mojave and we'll see about that! :p

of course, the problem here is funding wood to begin with, not finding DRY wood. of course in most climates he's correct, but in single digit humidity where it might not have rained for months i'll take what i can get. :D

i'l also add that the knive in the vid is A Ka-bar, but not THE Ka-bar! it's bigger, heavier and the handle seems better suited to how it was being used than a standard Ka0bar.
 
A Ka-Bar was my field knife for many years before coming to BF.

The only mod that real;ly helps is to cut the top of the guard off, and smooth it down, allowing you to put your thumb up there for better control.

But to be honest, in that size of knife, an ESEE6 is a better way to go.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
But to be honest, in that size of knife, an ESEE6 is a better way to go.
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I have both blades and disagree entirely. As much as I love ESEE as a whole, I find the Ka-Bar USMC to be a more useful camp knife in the size/weight range of the 6. Mainly in chopping and batoning.

The ESEE-6 cannot chop at all - not to say the Ka-Bar is a great chopper itself - but in my experience it IS better than the ESEE; the weight and heft of the USMC is just situated better for chopping. I also find the Ka-Bar a better knife to baton with, regardless of popular opinion stating that flat ground knives split wood more effectively. That extra 1.25" cutting edge of a Ka-Bar blows any differences in grind effectiveness away entirely. I can't tell you how many times I've been batoning with my ESEE-6, only to overestimate it's size (mostly because I tend to cut down trees of similar size every time I go camping, it's just a bad hacksaw-habit), ending up getting the finger choil stuck in wood. Very annoying, when damn near all my other knives in that weight range can handle splitting 4-6" logs no problem.

However, the ESEE-6 WILL outlast a Ka-Bar under hard use. It's a much stronger blade. I've seen many Ka-Bars bend or break at the tang, and that's just a simple limitation of the design. An ESEE will never have that problem.

Ultimately, for a basic camp knife, I recommend the Ka-Bar. I really do love the ESEE's, but I think they're hyped up a bit much on this forum. Understandable, as it's a great company with a great product (and warranty!) but under real testing, I do not find the ESEE-6 to be that great of a knife. The 3 or 4, however... that's another story.
 
I've had my Ka-Bar Marine Corps since 1976... four years of USMC, and many, many years in the field being beatin' to death.

Still have it, always use it, and I couldn't/wouldn't ask for a more trustworthy tool.
 
I carried one for a while when I went through a more "military-minded" perspective on survival. I put it through h#ll in the bush... chopping, batoning, skinnig, food prep, you name it for about 5 years before I switched to an original SK5 SOG Bowie for it's thicker blade (some weight in a shorter more easily discrete package). The Ka-Bar was just fine when I passed it on to a friend, no physical damage at all. Talk to a 'Nam erra S.E.A.L. and ask their opinion of what can be done in the bush with a Ka-Bar.
 
The USMC Kabars are bombproof if you know how to use a knife. I've had mine for many years now, and it went through TONS of heavy use! I even remember hammering the blade, entirely, into a tree (I had to climb it). No problems, no failures, nothing but pure satisfaction. For the money, you cant go wrong!
 
The Ka-bar has a useless fuller, a too short of a grind, and a un-needed clip point.

Get yourself a good flat grind knife of 1/8" or 3/16" steel with a drop point.

Need an ax? Then buy an ax!
 
SirJames said:
The Ka-bar has a useless fuller, a too short of a grind, and a un-needed clip point.

Get yourself a good flat grind knife of 1/8" or 3/16" steel with a drop point.

Need an ax? Then buy an ax!
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Well, not everyone would agree with that. In fact, I would venture that most wouldn't agree with that.

I carried a KA-BAR in Vietnam, and it served me — and numerous others — very well. In fact, it has served American fighting men very well since WW2 in many places all over the world.

It served me well as a civilian, too, as it has served many others.

The KA-BAR is a truly fine knife. If you don't like it, don't buy one. To the original poster, though, I have to say that you won't go wrong with a KA-BAR — it's a great knife.

If it were me, I'd probably be looking at a Becker, instead: I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that yet.
 
SirJames said:
The Ka-bar has a useless fuller, a too short of a grind, and a un-needed clip point.

Get yourself a good flat grind knife of 1/8" or 3/16" steel with a drop point.

Need an ax? Then buy an ax!
Click to expand...

I just love how opinions are so often stated as facts around here :rolleyes:

In my opinion the fuller isn't useless at all, it does exactly what it was meant to do, it lightens the middle part of the blade leaving the tip of the blade heavier for chopping when needed. It also works pretty well when holding the blade in a pinch grip and using it for scraping or more tedious tip work.

The grind is not as short as some scandi ground blades used in bushcraft all the time. It offers a pretty good compromise of slicing ability and durability.

And the sharpened clip...while being illegal in some places can serve more that one purpose. Among other things having a secondary edge has proven useful to me on more than one occasion in the bush.


dawsonbob said:
Well, not everyone would agree with that. In fact, I would venture that most wouldn't agree with that.

I carried a KA-BAR in Vietnam, and it served me — and numerous others — very well. In fact, it has served American fighting men very well since WW2 in many places all over the world.

It served me well as a civilian, too, as it has served many others.

The KA-BAR is a truly fine knife. If you don't like it, don't buy one. To the original poster, though, I have to say that you won't go wrong with a KA-BAR — it's a great knife.

If it were me, I'd probably be looking at a Becker, instead: I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that yet.
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Well stated Bob, my father was a Marine in Korea. While it wasn't his all time favorite woods knife he did show me just how well it would work in many instances.

While I could easily think of several better choices for the bush the OP mentioned this knife specifically and asked how it would do. In the "one-knife" scenario in my mind...if I had to choose just one knife for bushcraft and survival...the standard issue Ka-Bar earned a position on the short list a long time ago and is still there.

.
 
mistwalker said:
I just love how opinions are so often stated as facts around here :rolleyes:

In my opinion the fuller isn't useless at all, it does exactly what it was meant to do, it lightens the middle part of the blade leaving the tip of the blade heavier for chopping when needed. It also works pretty well when holding the blade in a pinch grip and using it for scraping or more tedious tip work.

The grind is not as short as some scandi ground blades used in bushcraft all the time. It offers a pretty good compromise of slicing ability and durability.

And the sharpened clip...while being illegal in some places can serve more that one purpose. Among other things having a secondary edge has proven useful to me on more than one occasion in the bush.




Well stated Bob, my father was a Marine in Korea. While it wasn't his all time favorite woods knife he did show me just how well it would work in many instances.

While I could easily think of several better choices for the bush the OP mentioned this knife specifically and asked how it would do. In the "one-knife" scenario in my mind...if I had to choose just one knife for bushcraft and survival...the standard issue Ka-Bar earned a position on the short list a long time ago and is still there.

.
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You put it very well, Mist. I think that there are thousands who feel the same way, that the KA-BAR has earned a place on their short list (certainly on mine). Funny how a blade like that endures over the years. Could it be because they got it right in the first place, and sell it at a very good price point?

You brought up an interesting point in that the OP asked specifically about this knife. In this thread people, for the most part, have stayed pretty much on track. Often a thread like this goes off on a tangent about everyone's favorite knife, and ignores the OP's question. This thread has been good in that respect, and your answer very good, too.
 
dawsonbob said:
You put it very well, Mist. I think that there are thousands who feel the same way, that the KA-BAR has earned a place on their short list (certainly on mine). Funny how a blade like that endures over the years. Could it be because they got it right in the first place, and sell it at a very good price point?

You brought up an interesting point in that the OP asked specifically about this knife. In this thread people, for the most part, have stayed pretty much on track. Often a thread like this goes off on a tangent about everyone's favorite knife, and ignores the OP's question. This thread has been good in that respect, and your answer very good, too.
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I think so too. I think it has endured so many years with very few changes because it is relatively simple yet very functional. Exactly what a good field knife should be.

It's easy for us to forget the original question and start offering opinions...it's only natural to want offer advice to someone. I am trying to watch myself on offering advice and just stick to the questions at hand :)

As for others...personally I'd take my Fallkniven A1 given the choice between the two (both on the desk at the moment as I considered that thought) for a similar knife, because of its thicker blade and weight forward design it too chops like a larger blade than it is, it is a little shorter, has a stronger tip, and the handle is really "grippy"... but it isn't in the same price range. After looking at them at Blade I'd also take one of the new BK2s over my standard Ka-Bar because it is thicker, has a Full Tang and I really like the new tang extension Ethan added. However... at the moment I suppose I'd be taking the Bushfinger I just got from Andy because I don't seem to be able to put it down for long :) Good thing I've also been studying bushcraft from the European perspective for a few years eh :D .
 
The Ka-Bar was based on the Marbles Ideal and noone can dispute it's role in the evolution of woodsman's tool.
I know ALOT of guys who have used, are still using this workhorse. I know an old AF SERE instructor that only used his Ka-Bar while serving and still uses the same one today in his own school.
Now the real question is do you prefer "Ka-Bar", the old Camillus or Ontario models?
Not looking to hijack, just kidding.
 
mistwalker said:
I think so too. I think it has endured so many years with very few changes because it is relatively simple yet very functional. Exactly what a good field knife should be.

It's easy for us to forget the original question and start offering opinions...it's only natural to want offer advice to someone. I am trying to watch myself on offering advice and just stick to the questions at hand :)

As for others...personally I'd take my Fallkniven A1 given the choice between the two (both on the desk at the moment as I considered that thought) for a similar knife, because of its thicker blade and weight forward design it too chops like a larger blade than it is, it is a little shorter, has a stronger tip, and the handle is really "grippy"... but it isn't in the same price range. After looking at them at Blade I'd also take one of the new BK2s over my standard Ka-Bar because it is thicker, has a Full Tang and I really like the new tang extension Ethan added. However... at the moment I suppose I'd be taking the Bushfinger I just got from Andy because I don't seem to be able to put it down for long :) Good thing I've also been studying bushcraft from the European perspective for a few years eh :D .
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Yeah, I'm usually tempted in the same way, and I'd certainly second the vote for the BK-2 — my favorite all around SHTF knife — or, if the OP likes 'em a little longer, the BK-7.

The A1 is a really nice knife but, as you said, probably out of his price range. Same goes for one of Andy's knives; they're outstanding knives, but maybe a wee bit much for the OP.:D
 
harpoon41 said:
The Ka-Bar was based on the Marbles Ideal and noone can dispute it's role in the evolution of woodsman's tool.
I know ALOT of guys who have used, are still using this workhorse. I know an old AF SERE instructor that only used his Ka-Bar while serving and still uses the same one today in his own school.
Now the real question is do you prefer "Ka-Bar", the old Camillus or Ontario models?
Not looking to hijack, just kidding.
Click to expand...

Well...hard to say on some of this...I broke the only camillus one I had being stupid and trowing it at an oak tree one winter when I was 16 (did that with two knives, a Buck 119 at age 14, and that one at age 16...learned my lesson, don't throw my knives now), can't really judge the quality of the knife by that and my Camillus pilot knife served me well for a few years of rough duty. I bent the crap out of the Ontario I had while Batoning, gave the case as a gift shortly after buying it so never really used it much, but never had any issues with the Ka-Bar at all. I'm guessing I like the Ka-Bar better, I just recently traded for a newer issue one because I was starting to really miss the old one :) I do know that I prefer the oval handle of the Ka-Bar to the round handles of the Camillus, Case, and Ontario.
 
dawsonbob said:
Yeah, I'm usually tempted in the same way, and I'd certainly second the vote for the BK-2 — my favorite all around SHTF knife — or, if the OP likes 'em a little longer, the BK-7.

The A1 is a really nice knife but, as you said, probably out of his price range. Same goes for one of Andy's knives; they're outstanding knives, but maybe a wee bit much for the OP.:D
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I like the BK 7 a lot don't get me wrong, but I'd take the new 2 over the 7

Yeah, I know. Got the A1 in a trade though so can't complain.

As for Andy I've been drooling over his work for two years. Handling his knives at Blade was nearly more than I could bear not having the money at the time. In the end I'm glad I didn't as this one just suits me perfectly. Using it completely took the sting out of the price, definitely worth the expense!
 
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