ka-bar USMC

R

Reece Matthews

Joined
Mar 17, 2011
Messages
22
i'm thinks of buying one of these is it good for processing wood, survival and hard use please post what thinks and some photos thanks.
 
The Ka-Bar USMC is a classic design that goes back to 1942. Its dead reliable, sturdy, and more than capable of handling anything you need it to do. There's a reason they're still a favourite 71 years later so go for it.
 
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Is it a great classic knife? Yes but you can also do a lot better for wood processing, survival and hard use than a Kabar USMC. What are the specifics you are looking for and a price range? For the three things you listed I would be looking at the Kabar Becker line of knives. If you have more money to spend then check out ESEE.
 
My MK2 USMC fighting knife, this one made by Camillus (not Ka-Bar) in upstate N.Y. before they filed for bankruptcy and went out of business.
I sent it to Jason Brous a year ago and asked him to re-profile the edge and sharpen the swedge.
I have it just to have a classic, no big deal.
Can literally shave my face with it.

Camillus2.jpg


Camillus7.jpg


Camillus9.jpg


Camillus6.jpg
 
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Reece Matthews said:
i'm thinks of buying one of these is it good for processing wood, survival and hard use please post what thinks and some photos thanks.
Click to expand...

No. Here's why:

1. Rat-tail tang.
2. Full guard.
3. Weak tip.

It is a fighting knife. It *can* be used in a survival situation, but so can almost any edged tool.
 
get the kraton handle version.
it will sort out issues associated with traditional stack leather.
imo, a longer, blade heavy knife would be better for "wood processing"
but nothing a little more brute strength can't handle
btw, i'm thrilled to see what's in the pipeline
seeing a integral smaller full tang fixed blade as just the thing for matters other tan wood processing...
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/994703_662674273750135_23944729_n.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/KABARKNIVES
 
I agree with jkulysses, there are better kabars you can buy for the purpose. It will break sooner or later for your philosophy of use.

Hope on over to the kabar sub forum over here under manufacturers. Ask for opinions and we'll all help you out.

Take a look at the Beckers, "Tooj handled" Heavy Choppers, and don't underestimate the JAB blades from designer Steve Johnson.
 
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I am just going to combine your "survival, and hard use" into wood processing... hence... lets just call it wood processing.... Anyways the standard KA-BAR Fighting Utility is a good all around utility blade. If you want something to carve with, yah... it'll do it. If you want something to chop with... sure... it'll do it. If you just want to sit around and open up cans of tuna and chicken noodle soup with it... no problem. You might even find that its a good toothpick too. Heck if you want to baton with it... go ahead. Yes, technically because of the tang and the sharp junctions under the guard/handle it can be perceived as a weaker design, but you start bashing just about anything with a log into another log there is a chance that things will break. Full tang designs can handle this stress better because well... more metal can sometimes equal more strength. If you like the design, get one. It is a good knife. Is it the best? Well I guess that is up to the owner.

 
Not my first choice but I have played around with it in that capacity. The Becker line would be a better option for that type of use.

I cut the top of the guard off mine so I could carve easier.

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If you want to get wood for the fire, this is the knife you need.

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I love both of my KA-BAR knives, I bought them for their reputation of quality.

That said I don't have any preconceived notions about them being particularly well suited for hard use against hard targets out in the field. They're fighting and utility knives designed to replace the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife and the M3 trench knife that were too fragile to handle matters like opening tin cans or cutting through roots.

Right now on Amazon the price difference between the USMC and the Becker BK7 is only $13. The weigh difference in the two is surprisingly minimal according to the stats. The BK7 would be the better choice.
 
I loved my KA-BAR it is a great knife and will handle a lot. The rat-tail tang does make it a issue as a survival tool though. But in my opinion it is a fantastic knive and everyone should experience it.
 
I love my Ka-Bar MKII USMC's (I have a few).

With that said let me answer your question.

No it is not a good knife for "hard use". It is an old design that was ment as a quick fix in a bad situation. The knife was made to be produced fast, get sent to the troops and if it broke while being used you went and got another.

Really the question is not can it stand up to "hard use" but do you understand the design and know how to use the knife. For me the knife can do many things because I know its limmits. I know its straingth and weekness. I can take it deep into the woods and pretty much know I can survive with it because I am not going to make it do things it was not ment to do. Somebody who does not understand the design will beat the crap out of it thinking it is a do all knife and will break it and then be screwed.

Can it baton? Yes it can but you should be taking the edge off of logs and not try to baton it in half. Can you chop with it? Yes but it is not going to chop like a bigger knife so you have to be patient and take your time. Can you beschcraft with it? Yes you can but you have to have practice as to how to hold and use it. Can you cook with it? Sure can. When I camp in a drive up camp site this is my brisket knife and it works well.

For buschcrafting the steel is a little soft but that is better than chipping so just learn how to touch up your edge and you will be fine.

Wht you may want to do is get one and use the heck out of it but expect it to break or bend and then learn from that experance and then in time you will become very good at useing this knife. It is better to know this knife and know how to use it than get a BK9 and still not know nothing.

The Ka-Bar MKII USMC is an awesome knife but you have to know how to use it. I recamend you get one and I suggest you use it often.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
No. Here's why:

1. Rat-tail tang.
2. Full guard.
3. Weak tip.

It is a fighting knife. It *can* be used in a survival situation, but so can almost any edged tool.
Click to expand...

agreed. i'd also add:
4. sabre grind. not as sharp as full flat grind and the flats get stuck when batoning
5. the top of the tip which can be sharpened gets stuck in your baton when you hit it.

it'll work, but it's far from optimal.

I'd go with an esee 4. esse 6 is ok but at that size I'd rather get a gransfors bruks wildlife hatchet.
 
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I bought one, used it for a while, and didn't care for it. I don't think it's much good for food prep compared to knives designed for food prep. For chopping wood I'd rather have a much larger knife or a hatchet. Even a $10 Jeep brand hatchet from Big 5 will be MUCH better chopping wood than a Ka Bar.

Something that was a big surprise to me was the handheld chainsaw. It's a chainsaw blade with two comfortable handles. It sawed through a 3" branch in five minutes and took up no more room than a Magic 15 square. Here's one possible example:

http://www.hsn.com/products/portabl...ferralID=e699b4cf-d0b5-11e2-9389-001b2166c62d
 
I won a USMC in a giveaway here. When you hold it, you feel like you have a piece of history in your hand as it has an amazing legacy.

Then I got a Becker BK-7. When you hold it, you feel like there's a not a lot the world could throw at you that you and it couldn't handle together.

The USMC is a great knife, but the BK-7 wins hands down any day of the week
 
I had a USMC Ka-Bar I abused the hell of as a teen. Never batoned with it but I did use it as a throwing knife, prybar, and chopped up some fairly thick branches of unknown origin and put it through alot of stuff I'd be mortified to put even my best knives through today (I admit I didn't treat my knives well as a kid) and other than a few small nicks in the blade which were easily grounded out and some loss of the finish, it stood up like a champ.

I really regret giving it to a friend of mine especially since he won't even sell it back to me lol. That being said I would NEVER treat a USMC Ka-Bar (or any knife for that matter) like I did my old one. In fact knowing much more about knives today than I did at age 14, I'm very surprised mine didn't break, especially the tip at least. Also while I'm not as much an outdoorsman as I'd like to be, I agree their are alot better knives out there at similar prices that fit your criteria better.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
No. Here's why:

1. Rat-tail tang.

It is a fighting knife. It *can* be used in a survival situation, but so can almost any edged tool.
Click to expand...

OK - Soap box time.

I have kept my fingers quiet on this for a while, but I finally have to chime in about being verbally precise. In this post, width means the measurement of the knife handle from edge side to spine side, as if one is looking down on a knife laying on its side..

The Kabar USMC (and all its cousins) does NOT have a rat-tail tang. It has a full length Half Tang.

A Rat-Tail tang TAPERS toward the pommel end down to nearly a point. It looks like a rat tail, hence the name. It is almost always a hidden tang, but can be an extended tang as well if it is long enough.

A Partial Tang stops part-way down the length of the handle. It may also be categorized be a Rat-tail, Half or Full tang, depending on the shape/size of the tang .

A Half Tang is the at least 1/2 the width of the handle but not the full width. It extends the length of the handle.

A Full Tang maintains the same width as the handle for the length of a handle (may even be wider than the scales of the handle).

An Extended Full Tang or Extended Half Tang extends beyond the handle length and usually is used as the (or part of the) pommel for use as a hammer. While rat-tails can extend beyond the handle and threaded for the pommel, they are not considered Extended tangs.

The first MK2s had a rat-tail appendage for the pommels to be peened on, but the tang itself was a half tang. The later MK2s that were pinned (like those being produced today) do not have a rat-tail, they are simply full-length half tangs, NOT true Rat-tailed Tangs.

That being said, are the half tang USMCs weaker because of the tang design? YES and NO. They are weaker than a full tang would be, true. They are also stronger than they would be if they constructed with a rat-tail tang.

Off Soap Box.

That being said - I have 25+ MK2s ranging WW2 Kabar/Camillus/Robeson/Pal to VN/PVN Camillus/Utica/Conetta/Imperial models to 1990+ Ontario/Kabar/Camillus. Four of the newer ones are users, The 1942-1975 (plus 1 1983/87 MSI) are in my non-user collections.
 
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^ Also it's a hollow grind, not a sabre.

Now back to being silent on the Mk2 attacks as I would still suggest something else from kabars lineup
 
It's pretty much a hunting knife with a double guard and a black coated blade. It will work for most things. Personally, I think there are knives better suited for outdoors usebut I wouldn't feel bad with a Ka-Bar USMC. With a few mods it works quite well (getting rid of the top guard, convexing the edge, perhaps getting rid of the coating). If you plan on using it, get the synthetic sheath and not the leather one, it's thin and flimsy.

Here's mine. It's been through a few SAR training courses and horseback riding trips (sorry for the crappy pic).

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