Kabar Short (5 1/4 inch)?

F

FMJ Hunter

Joined
Dec 27, 2010
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What do you think of it, with the synthetic handle, plain edge (I hate serrations)? Strong enough tang to perform most camp tasks? I expect a lot out of my blades, so I will hope this knife will be able to do everything from cutting tomato to splitting small wood pieces for tinder.

I only ask because of hearing rather negative things about the somewhat weak tang design... so why not come to the center of all knife knowledge!? ;)

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I found the handle a bit small for my hands, but the Kabar is a good little knife. Not being full tang, I would not do heavy batoning with it. As for the Kraton handle, it is probably longer lasting than the original leather washer handles. Certainly it is less vulnerable to changes in humidity. For harder use knives, you may want to look at Kabar's Becker line.
 
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I do actually have a BK7, but found a great deal on the short Kabar classic, $37. It is full tang, I don't know what you mean...
 
FMJ Hunter said:
I do actually have a BK7, but found a great deal on the short Kabar classic, $37. It is full tang, I don't know what you mean...
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It is full length tang. A full tang is when you have two slabs of wood or other handle material attached to a tang that is the full handle width, like on a butcher knife, or your BK7. But since you already have the Becker for hard use, the little Kabar should serve you well for lighter duty. It's a good little knife at a good price.
 
Virtuovice did a Youtube review of the Kabar Short Kabar where it was pitted against the RC-3 and Ferhman Peacemaker. He spoke very highly of it and it excelled at skinning a deer.

[youtube]fXt57pC2AME[/youtube]
 
FMJ Hunter said:
Oh O: I never knew that. Hmm.. so no batoning huh? Even splitting the small stuff, like kindling?
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That should be no problem at all, FMJ Hunter. I wouldn't try to split a 5" thick log down the middle with it, but if you take your time and split out thinner sections at a time, the knife should do fine.
 
I preffer the one with the dropped pomel. If that makes sense. You know like on the leather ones. But for me I made a mistake and bought the Ka-Bar Becker BK2. Wished I had bought the much longer nine incher. Chopping is what I wanted mine for. You just have to face it. Two knives for camping is inevitable. A very large one for chopping etc. And one for meal preparation.

my opinion only

Daniel



FMJ Hunter said:
What do you think of it, with the synthetic handle, plain edge (I hate serrations)? Strong enough tang to perform most camp tasks? I expect a lot out of my blades, so I will hope this knife will be able to do everything from cutting tomato to splitting small wood pieces for tinder.

I only ask because of hearing rather negative things about the somewhat weak tang design... so why not come to the center of all knife knowledge!? ;)

kb1256.jpg
Click to expand...
 
dispatch 510 said:
Never figured out the batoning thing. Carry a small axe.
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Same here.It seems like a kind of fashion/trendy thing, all these people doing the 'batoning thing' and judging their knives in that one task.
I though knives are primarly for cutting (and stabbing Zombies ?).
And having spoken to a few guys who stay in the woods for longer periods they tend to stay away from wood splitting at all. They just put the wood lying around in the fire.Bigger pieces too ,No need for them to split it first.Yu can let the fire burn a large branche in two pieces or just put the ends of the large ones in the fire .

A small axe is a very good option if you want to do some splitting.
They are made for stuff like that.
 
Good combat knife, classic design. Not a good cutter. Factory grind is very thick, but can be re-profiled, if you care to spend your time. You can easily baton with it, just don't go "stupid" on it.
 
What effer says.You can baton with it ,just don't go into that very thick wood ,hard wacking on the blade kind of batoning like some do.
If you stay away from that,you'll be fine with the Ka-bar ,which is a good knife i think.
 
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I was out in -10 centigrade weather a couple of days ago using my full length kabar to split some wood (nothing too big). The blade ended up chipping. I'm disappointed.
 
I've the leather shortie, and after a couple mods, it's a very nice hunting knife. I stripped the coating, convexed the edge, and chopped off the top half of the guard. It now is very good at most camp tasks, save food prep- too thick stock for that.
 
"I found the handle a bit small for my hands"

It was way too small for my hands. I bought one sight unseen off the internet hoping it would be similar in size to the full size with just a shorter blade. When it arrived it looked like someone took the real deal and shrunk it to 3/4 size.

I sold it the next day and got a full size model.
 
Get one. You want to, so go for it.
It's a very good knife that will last you forever and can handed down for generations to come.
Baton with it. Make kindling no troubles.
Splitting rounds with it would be ridiculous.
Buy one and go out and use it.
 
GaryXD said:
"I found the handle a bit small for my hands"

It was way too small for my hands. I bought one sight unseen off the internet hoping it would be similar in size to the full size with just a shorter blade. When it arrived it looked like someone took the real deal and shrunk it to 3/4 size.

I sold it the next day and got a full size model.
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Yeah that is more or less a critic on this model ,the handle size.
The regular size fits my hand perfect(I love that handle size and form) and I havent got big hands at all.
The handle size is a fact to take into considering ,but everyone is different.
I find the handle on the for example ESEE-4 also on the small side.Some guys claiming to have big hands say it fits them perfectly,while me ,with hands that are of finer build than some woman's hands, experience the ESEE4 handle as a little too short.The Ka-bar short seems to be in the short handle department.

Tastes and experiences differ with people :rolleyes:
 
There isn't much you couldn't do with a short kabar, if you go about the right process with it. For instance, say you want to split a 24" diameter log. Grab the Kabar, make a wedge out of another piece of wood, then find a suitable baton and viola! Instant splitting setup, it can help to sink the blade into the log a bit first, then put the wedge in the separation you made.

The Kabar is a solid knife with a good bit of history, much like a buck 110 once you have it in hand you get a real feel for what it can take and what it can't, at least that was my impression, doesn't feel like a full tang 1/4" thick batoning machine and it isn't, just a stout handy knife.
 
It is a very affordable knife, so you really can't go wrong.
Just remember it was designed to be, primarily, a combat/fighting knife.
It will do everything you want it to do. As stated by others, don't baton anything over 2" thick.

Kabars are great knives, that's why the design hasn't changed since WWII.
 
Sword and Shield said:
I've the leather shortie, and after a couple mods, it's a very nice hunting knife. I stripped the coating, convexed the edge, and chopped off the top half of the guard. It now is very good at most camp tasks, save food prep- too thick stock for that.
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I'm planning on getting one in the near future and doing just that to it. Not too worried about the coating, but I'm going to take off the top of the guard. I'm actually debating taking off the top and bottom of the guard. That would make it one bad ass puukko style knife. :thumbup:
 
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