Kabar Next Generation 440A

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dougk16

Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Messages
54
Hi everyone,

I think I've read every article in these forums with regard to the NG Ka-bar (and then reread them), but still haven't heard anything conclusive about the newer 440A models. There are some discussions of the older models (made with svandik steel or some such) with positive remarks, but has anyone actually used the newer 440A version? My thinking is, it's Ka-bar, so they must have a very good reason behind choosing this steel over the more obvious 440c or other types, but I don't know what these reasons could be besides the higher stain/rust resistance.

Thanks for any input,

Doug Koellmer
 
my only logic here would be the lower carbon content (and therefore more stain resistance) as you mentioned..maybe it's possible that they've improved their heat-treating & are capible of producing a higher percentage of martensite?
 
Hi there. I have one of the early NG models with the swedish steel. It is nice. The only reason I suspect they changed was due to costs. Maybe it was getting to expensive for them to import the swedish steel and decided to get the cheaper 440c steel. Both of them will have great rust resistance, that is why I think it was more due to the cost than anything.

Another thing they changed is the way they contoured the butt cap on these. The originals had more of a rounded look instead of the flat look that is on the current ones. Again for costs I suspect. Plus the finish on the newer ones is darker. That I do like.

The newer ones will still be a nice knife but not as nice as the originals IMHO. Only because of the steel and the finish.

I wish they would have kept the swedish steel.
 
I have a few in 440c and the svandik steel. The 440c models perform well for there price range. The D2 next generation's are by far the best.
 
My friend has the D2 version and the butt pin falls out in any heavy use. Its a nice knife besides that. Sorry no advice on that steel.
 
Thanks for the input. The D2 steel is a little out of my price range for the moment, otherwise there wouldn't be a question about which to get.

jcs71 and ashtxsniper, maybe you just made some typo's, but the new NG's are made from 440A, not 440c. If they were made from 440c I wouldn't have started this thread in the first place ;)

I'd be surprised if the 440A NG wasn't good for the price, but at the same time, at the very least from a marketing standpoint because of 440A's poor reputation, I'm surprised Ka-bar chose this steel

Oh well, the only way to find out is to buy it.
 
I'm not sure how steels get bad reputations but it often seems someone has a bad experience with a lesser quality blade in a given steel and the mythos is created.

Overall heat treatment is usually a key factor and some folk have a better handle on it than others. 440 series steels have been used in premium cutlery for decades.

The only large blade I have in this grouping is a Gerber BMF, which i believe is 440A. The sucker is hard. Hard enough that Gerber pasted a rough grit diamond "stone" to the back of the scabbard. i don't know what the actual hardness is but the blade is as hard to sharpen as a big blade I have in ATS-34 (De Leon). Both blades have great edge rentention. Again, if not mistaken, 440a should roughly equate to the performance of AUS-8, or better. Now, I do have several blades in AUS-8 and some are condsiderably harder than others.

Back to quality control and overall heat treatment. I guess I just get disheartened to see a steel knocked down without putting it into better context.

Cheers

GC
 
I agree horseclover, that 440A probably doesn't deserve the bad reputation, but it has one regardless. If Ka-bar can get it up to 57 rockwell hardness, then it shows the heat treatment is most important, but a lot of people simply have had bad experience with 440A on a crap knife and the prejudice understandably sticks. I myself am one of these people and that's why I'm asking questions about this knife :)

Going back to the hardness, I noticed that Ka-bar gives a range (55-57 for example) for the RC. Does this mean I'm taking a chance that I get a 55 RC blade? Or maybe the edge is 57 for maximum edge retention and the rest of the blade is 55 to increase overall toughness/flexibility?
 
My bad, I didn't realize I put 440c. Now I will admit I don't know how 440a, 440b-which Randall uses, and 440c differ from one another. If someone gets one with the 440a blade steel let me know how it performs and holds up.
 
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