KaBar USMC Fighting Knife, before and after

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Folderguy

Joined
Jun 26, 2010
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Here are some before and after shots of my new KaBar USMC Fighting Knife.

I wanted the knife to look like it has been used, and roughed up a bit, as I think this kind of knife benefits from looking like the tool that it is, a tool that has been used and given good service.

Here's what the knife looks like right out of the box.

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These next photos show what it looks like now. It's already captured my heart. Thanks for looking.

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seelow123 said:
good job, gives it a very unique look, dont you just love the look of those ka-bars
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Sure do. This is my second. The other one is a full size tanto with both edges wicked sharp and a forced patina too. Kraton handles. They are great knives.
 
Folderguy said:
Sure do. This is my second. The other one is a full size tanto with both edges wicked sharp and a forced patina too. Kraton handles. They are great knives.
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is that the one with 440a? id be all over that if it was 1095
 
kozak6 said:
Is that a mustard finish?
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There's another thing. The peroxide/vinegar/salt solution works really quickly. In less than 5 minutes it's really doing a number on the steel. So what I did was let it get going, foaming strongly, and then rinsed it off to stop the process. I didn't want the blade to become too dark. Then after water, I used a solution of baking soda and water to positively halt the process. Then scrubbed the blade down with paper towels to get the excess off the blade, and there was some there. I repeated this whole process two more times, reprofiled the edge on a Worksharp and then put the peroxide/vinegar/salt solution on the blade again to even out the patina, and then finally resharpened the knife. After all that, I covered the blade with One Lube from Slick 50, heated it up, then wiped all the excess off. After that, I hit the blade with a couple of coats of RenWax and buffed it. Looks pretty good now.

The sheath was stained with mahogany leather stain, rubbed clean, then used neatsfoot oil all over it, and finally a couple of coats of shoe polish, oxblood color, then polished to the way it appears in the photos. It has the feel of oil tanned leather.
 
I was wondering if you sanded off the epoxy coating, or did the chemicals strip it off?

Thanks!
 
Yeah, for me, faking a used look doesn't sit quite right. I feel like a knifes gotta "earn" that look. Its like getting those fake muscle implants to look buff. The knife does look good though.
 
LG&M said:
But have you used it? When I want a knife to look used I...Use it.
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Have I used it? Sure I have! And I've managed to improve it, IMHO, over the way it came out of the box, too! For instance, the polished leather rings are slippery out of the box. Not any more! I simply accelerated the break-in period of a great knife. How has the knife been used so far? Hmmm... let's see: cut up some cardboard boxes, cut paracord, cut leather strips, opened a doggone plastic clamshell pack, pounded some 10d nails into wood. Funny thing is that the knife doesn't show any wear due to these simple tasks, including the nail pounding. That pommel is not bad for beating in nails, at least up to a reasonable size.

Now if I go out and use it to dig up roots or something like that, I'm sure it will show that, but so far, noting noteworthy or marks on it. Oh well, it's a pretty tough knife, I suppose.
 
bobusx said:
Yeah, for me, faking a used look doesn't sit quite right. I feel like a knifes gotta "earn" that look. Its like getting those fake muscle implants to look buff. The knife does look good though.
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Thank you!

I tell you what. You put those chemicals on your skin (they sure got on my hands) and then try to get that staining off using varnish remover, toluene, acetone, and rubbing alcohol, and realize that stain has penetrated a bit, and you'll feel the "earned" part of the process. Only way I could get my hands to look normal was to sand them with wet or dry 600 grit.

As for using the knife for some tougher stuff, well, there haven't been any wolverines or other four legged critters so far to come after me to see how well it will penetrate with a powerful thrusting motion, so that will probably not occur any time soon. Would this knife dress a deer? What do you think?

On some other forums and some custom knifemaker's websites, I've seen plenty of custom knives with forced patinas, with brand new sheaths that look all beat to hell, the knives too. Brand new knives looking like they'd been to hell and back. And they go for a pretty penny. Are those "fake" too? Not in my book. They are simply awesome works of art. To each his own.
 
Folderguy said:
Thank you!

I tell you what. You put those chemicals on your skin (they sure got on my hands) and then try to get that staining off using varnish remover, toluene, acetone, and rubbing alcohol, and realize that stain has penetrated a bit, and you'll feel the "earned" part of the process. Only way I could get my hands to look normal was to sand them with wet or dry 600 grit.

As for using the knife for some tougher stuff, well, there haven't been any wolverines or other four legged critters so far to come after me to see how well it will penetrate with a powerful thrusting motion, so that will probably not occur any time soon. Would this knife dress a deer? What do you think?

On some other forums and some custom knifemaker's websites, I've seen plenty of custom knives with forced patinas, with brand new sheaths that look all beat to hell, the knives too. Brand new knives looking like they'd been to hell and back. And they go for a pretty penny. Are those "fake" too? Not in my book. They are simply awesome works of art. To each his own.
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+1:thumbup: i love the looks of a knife that has been stripped, i also like the look of truly used knives. its your knife, do what you want with it
 
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