kabar mark1 or sog nw ranger 2.0

S

steelcraft

Joined
Apr 8, 2012
Messages
17
Hi guys, these two knives look really similar. Which one is a better choice? Any idea? Thanks a lot for your input.:thumbup:
 
I'd lean towards the Kabar, because of their superb warranty and the fact that I have had better experience with their 1095 than SOG's AUS8
 
I'd go for the Kabar. I have one and it's quite a nice knife - I've been quite satisfied with it so far. As Vanguard41xx said, it's also backed by a pretty sweet warranty and made with (imho) better materials than the SOG.
 
If hardened to the same hardness, the edge retention of 1095 Cro Van is about the same as that of AUS8. (And according to the Boker and KaBar specs, they are both about the same hardness.) If there is a difference in ease of sharpening, you couldn't prove it by me.

1095 Cro Van is tougher, but in a knife of this design, I don't see toughness as a big driver in steel choice.

The main advantage of AUS8 is that it is stainless. If you prefer stainless, your choice is obvious. I have a Taiwan-made Boker knife and am pleased with the build quality.

Personally, I bought a KaBar Mark 1.

I bought a KaBar Mark 1 because:
* I specifically wanted a 1095 Cro Van. KaBar does a good job with that steel.
* I splurged a bit a bought the leather handled model. It is very comfortable in use and I prefer the leather handles to rubber, mostly for the aesthetics. Personal preference.

100_3164.jpg
 
I can only speak for the NWR as I don't have the Kabar. It is a good knife for the money , great handle for different grips , and the flat ground blade is a nice slicer and easy to sharpen. I like Aus 8 for a general purpose stainless and this one seems pretty good.

What puts me off on the Kabar is the big round pommel. Just a personal thing . One thing you may not like about the SOG is the sheath. Servicable , but rather cheap and flimsy. I made my own pouch style for it. The NWR also fits well in the nylon sheath for the Seal Pup Elite which you could get separately. Very nice , tough nylon sheath with a pouch on front.

Welcome to Bladeforums. :)
 
knarfeng said:
* I splurged a bit a bought the leather handled model. It is very comfortable in use and I prefer the leather handles to rubber, mostly for the aesthetics. Personal preference.
QUOTE]

I prefer the leather handles too. Just wonder is the leather sheath any good compare to the plastic one?
Click to expand...
 
I made a great sheath for my cousin's fiancee, as he was also disappointed with the NW Ranger sheath. He mentioned that on the forums, that was one of the main complaints about this knife, so I thought I would post a picture of the completed sheath.
photo.php
 
I like both of these but have neither. I've read the NW Ranger fits small and medium hands well. I think it has an edge over the Mark 1 Navy knife, but the sheath is not very good and it costs about $10 more than the Ka Bar with the Kraton handle. I didn't buy one of either of these, because my PAL RH50 has a slightly shorter blade and fits well in a nice Marbles leather sheath. For hunting, I think the PAL is the better of the three. If I was into bushcraft and other non-skinning chores, I think I'd get the SOG and a different sheath but I might just go for the Kraton Ka Bar.

Joe
 
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