Ka-bar Replacement?

J. Doyle said:
It helps, thanks. Though you are correct in saying you don't owe me anything. I asked because you made a few pretty dogmatic statements with not much else for support.

I'm not sure I agree with you saying it has to have a guard to be a fighting knife. I would think a fighting knife would be any knife one chose to employ in a fight, whether the aggressor or the defender.

But I've never been in a knife fight, don't plan to be in a knife fight or even consider knife fighting in my knife choices/preferences. I don't carry a knife for self defense.

My best bet would be that 99.9% of people who carry a knife with the idea of possibly needing it a knife fight, would be terribly surprised to find out it went nothing like they envisioned or planned and that the knife type/features didn't make a damn bit of difference in the final outcome.
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You make a fair point. I'm 72, been everywhere and done everything and just expect most others to see things the same way I do. I'll work on it, thanks.
 
That’s a minor design issue, especially given the number of detachable sheath systems / fasteners available today.
 
I only got a Leatherman issued to me in the Army. It doesn’t have any guards….😳
 
Deino said:
Full tang is great, but it is heavy. Soldiers try to shave out as much weight as possible to carry other stuff to unsure the success of the mission, and making sure that their mate are alive.
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You can get some really good full tang stuff that weighs less than the MKII. I think the Ka-Bar USMC is 10 ounces, while the Gerber Strongarm is around 7-ish and CS SRK about 8.

We weren't exactly ultralight hikers when we were in. We'd lighten loads here and there, but the knife tang configuration honestly didn't ever come to mind.

If I were to really consider the knife while counting ounces, I would probably have opted for no knife.
 
Velitrius said:
You can get some really good full tang stuff that weighs less than the MKII. I think the Ka-Bar USMC is 10 ounces, while the Gerber Strongarm is around 7-ish and CS SRK about 8.

We weren't exactly ultralight hikers when we were in. We'd lighten loads here and there, but the knife tang configuration honestly didn't ever come to mind.

If I were to really consider the knife while counting ounces, I would probably have opted for no knife.
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Not saying anyone is a light hikers. Just that some suggestion here are quite heavy. The Ka-Bar is a fine combat knife, as I mentioned in another post above, even with the full length stick tang. The SKR and Strongarms are about the same in construction, but a little shorter therefore lighter. They are also durable and popular.

Some suggestions here are way focused on durability, over 20% heavier while offering barely more utility than what issued or the common lightweight picks. Like the M9 bayonet for example, strong, heavy duty and overbuilt, but many don't like its weight, knife alone is one and a half time heavier than a Ka-Bar, hence the number of people getting their own knives. Those still carry it are either forced to do so, or like they say "they don't know any better". I wonder if you carried the M9 and what you do with it on the field.

Not carrying a knife is a valid option if you don't need it, but I think it is never the case.
 
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As much as I'd love to suggest something awesome, like a Battle Horse Battlelore, for mass production, military issue I'd probably go with the Morakniv Kansbol or a Morakniv Heavy Duty Companion. It's more knife than most people will ever need, functional, light, and easily replaced. I'm probably not going to favour some beast of a full tang knife because soldiers have more than enough weight to haul around as it is and will find excuses to leave it behind if it's too heavy (like guys did with full sized multi-tools).
 
I have the mora heavy duty companion, and concur - handle really is good and tougher than I expected, while also, utilitarian & light - under 3oz! and under 5oz with sheath. great stuff, use it all the time and so inexpensive I don't hold back, it just works
 
dirc said:
I have the mora heavy duty companion, and concur - handle really is good and tougher than I expected, while also, utilitarian & light - under 3oz! and under 5oz with sheath. great stuff, use it all the time and so inexpensive I don't hold back, it just works
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They are really stout for the little money you shell out for one. And if you want to save money, these are money saving units alright.

'Course, the military would end up shelling out $800 apiece.... like toilet seat money for one.
 
The Grendels said:
As much as I'd love to suggest something awesome, like a Battle Horse Battlelore, for mass production, military issue I'd probably go with the Morakniv Kansbol or a Morakniv Heavy Duty Companion. It's more knife than most people will ever need, functional, light, and easily replaced. I'm probably not going to favour some beast of a full tang knife because soldiers have more than enough weight to haul around as it is and will find excuses to leave it behind if it's too heavy (like guys did with full sized multi-tools).
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Velitrius said:
They are really stout for the little money you shell out for one. And if you want to save money, these are money saving units alright.

'Course, the military would end up shelling out $800 apiece.... like toilet seat money for one.
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There is the Mora Pathfinder. The name itself allure to the military, so are some of its features like 7in/17cm blades, Molle sheath, Heavy duty Mora blade stock (3.2mm thick, same as Ka-Bar) full length stick tang. So functional dimension wise it is as good as the Ka-Bar, but less than 2/3 the weight. It is cheaper as well.

It lacks of a guard, but adding that wouldn't change anything much. I wish they make a stainless version of it, it doesn't need to be 14C28N, even 12C27 is more than capable compare.
 
Deino said:
There is the Mora Pathfinder. The name itself allure to the military, so are some of its features like 7in/17cm blades, Molle sheath, Heavy duty Mora blade stock (3.2mm thick, same as Ka-Bar) full length stick tang. So functional dimension wise it is as good as the Ka-Bar, but less than 2/3 the weight. It is cheaper as well.

It lacks of a guard, but adding that wouldn't change anything much. I wish they make a stainless version of it, it doesn't need to be 14C28N, even 12C27 is more than capable compare.
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Interesting that they don't offer a stainless one. Heck, even the Companion offers a carbon steel and a 12C27 option.

I don't think that having no guard is a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination.

Another knife I think would be fun to issue is the Cold Steel Kobun. Stout, cheap, available. Gave one to my son's buddy when he joined up. He thinks it's cool as heck.
 
This came up in my feed, just a few hours back.

Lotta' good options here, in my very humble opinion...



 
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A Mora basic is around 80.

Oh you meant USD, never mind 😉

I don’t know anything about the military but it will not stop me from proposing say a cold steel leatherneck SF? Isn’t that a relatively inexpensive ka bar lookalike but with a stronger tang?

(An interesting side discussion could be, if the Right Honourable Mr Secretary of Defence asked you to seriously cut down on expenses, what very low budget knife would get the job done?)
 
The Zieg said:
One thing that would get in the way of adopting the Peltonen or Terävä would be the grind. The "Scandinavian" edge is not traditional in the US and would meet with some opposition.

I never gave my reasons: The sissipuukko (ranger puukko, in English) is light but extremely durable. It is inexpensive. It is made in a democratic nation with open elections and strong labor protection. It is grippy. It is suited for both utility and fighting. It slices nicely. It is easy to sharpen. Cons are, of course, it's not made in the U.S., it has a "Scandi" grind, it is not really stainless (though not 1095 level rust prone), and it has a funny name. BTW, this is a mixed bag of my reasons and what the AS committees would report.

But I like them and if I were serving in a role that could justify carrying a sheath knife, I might very well carry the M95.

As is is, I work outdoors and carry a puukko style knife almost every day, in any weather. I don't have to stab anyone (בָּרוּך הַשֵׁם), but I can be pretty stupid with a knife edge sometimes and I tend not to use stainless. I'm not the model for a knife-carrying soldier, though.

Zieg
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So, just quit calling it a scandi grind. It’s a saber grind.😆 It still has the Sissi thing to contend with, though.
 
The Zieg said:
One thing that would get in the way of adopting the Peltonen or Terävä would be the grind. The "Scandinavian" edge is not traditional in the US and would meet with some opposition.

I never gave my reasons: The sissipuukko (ranger puukko, in English) is light but extremely durable. It is inexpensive. It is made in a democratic nation with open elections and strong labor protection. It is grippy. It is suited for both utility and fighting. It slices nicely. It is easy to sharpen. Cons are, of course, it's not made in the U.S., it has a "Scandi" grind, it is not really stainless (though not 1095 level rust prone), and it has a funny name. BTW, this is a mixed bag of my reasons and what the AS committees would report.

But I like them and if I were serving in a role that could justify carrying a sheath knife, I might very well carry the M95.

As is is, I work outdoors and carry a puukko style knife almost every day, in any weather. I don't have to stab anyone (בָּרוּך הַשֵׁם), but I can be pretty stupid with a knife edge sometimes and I tend not to use stainless. I'm not the model for a knife-carrying soldier, though.

Zieg
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I’m sure you’ll find some nickname that will work in the us military. You are already using our “Carl Gustav” grenade launcher, named after his majesty the King of Sweden, and apparently it is renamed “the goose” by army rangers.
 
A Busse Hell Razor 2. I’m sure that with bulk pricing, the US Military can get them in the $250 range.
 
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