Go the Gov Tac the kabar usmc is cheap shoddy mass produced rubbish. Great for WWII but that was a long time ago.
Fredy, thank you for stating your opinion. Now let me add mine, The Ka-Bar (KaBar, Kabar - It's all good) Mark II Fighting/Utility commonly refered to as the Kabar F/U is as good of a knife today as it was 70 years ago, If not even better. Sure it's not made from the latest steel or have a full width tang, or have the latest buzz words in it's marketing. That doesn't mean it's not good. Read up on the Ka-Bar Subforum and you will learn that Ka-Bar has worked to Improve the heat treat and tang strangth while keeping the price of the knife low enough that most people can afford at least 1 of them. . . . SOG knives are great, especially the ones mentioned above and the Seal series (have not tried most of the newer models so can't comment), but again that doesn't take away from how good the Ka-Bar F/U is. Sure it's no BK2 (The Original sharpened Prybar), Busse or other 1/4" chop and pry fridges and cars apart knives, then again what is but those knives. Different knives for different jobs. Sure the Ka-Bar F/U could be ground differently to aid in slicing and the tang could be redesigned to handle battoning and the like better, but then it would be a different knife.
As I stated earlier in this thread I've had and used 2 Ka-Bar brand Mark II F/U knives over the years and neither ever let me down. The Shorty was my constant companion out on the ranch I grew up on, out in the hills and mountains and even out in the deserts of South Central Utah. The Full Sized F/U went up the canyon also and shows some signs of use, but there's no giving up in that knife. Forum Member and Modorator Mooze45 has used, abused and broken more Ka-Bar F/U's that most of us will probably own in our life times. But he still owns and collects them today. I sold my large Ka-Bar F/U last spring when money was tight to pay bills. Last fall when I had some extra money I tried buying an other but ended up getting a Western made Short Mark II F/U from late in WWII, an Actual WWII Western baby shark knife thats based off the Ka-Bar Mark II F/U. After cleaning up the knife I sharpened it, made it a custom leather sheath (the factory one is dieing from dry rot and there's no thread left, rivets hold it together) and put it to use. It's carved up Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Carrots, potatoes, onions, cellery, cabbage, squash, Bell Peppers, Chilis, fruits, cheese, bread and the like. It's made some Dutch Oven Chicken stews and Dutch Oven Chili. The patina it's developing from the kitchen use looks a bit like the factory bluing.
Not only has said 69 year old knife done Kitchen Duty, but it's also done Wilderness Survival and Bushcraft things. For instance I've made 2 bow drill spindles with it this month, a bearing block, the bow and it helped be refine the hearth board that was roughed out with a Machete. Can't forget all of the tent stakes, marsh mellow/hot dog sticks and general camp whittling that the knife has done in the last 4 months since I got it. My old Shorty Ka-Bar Mark II has gone through the same and more in the 4 to 5 years I had it. That knife now resides in the Road side emergency kit in the trunk of his car, after he put it through it's paces. Thats just 2 examples of Ka-Bar Mark II knives kicking trash today as they did 70 years ago and one has been doing it for 68 to 70 years.
Feel free to join us over in the Ka-Bar Forum to learn about the Venerable Ka-Bar Mark II F/U and their other knives.
Who knows if your posts impress Moose he might just loan or give you a Ka-Bar F/U to use. He's been know to do it.
Now back to our normal SOG Recommendations.
