Kabar USMC fighting knife- still a great knife?

sgt1372 said:
I've got a 78 & 81 but, while they're good for stabbing, they aren't that good at cutting and would not IMO make good general field/camp knives.

Only bought them because I'm a Glock gun guy and thought I should own the knives too.
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I was leaning more towards the Pig sticking angle.

Most knives used for general camp chores, would not be good at stabbing.

Glock knives would be “ok” as general purpose knives.
 
Sgt 127 said:
I was leaning more towards the Pig sticking angle.
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Yes, definitely good for this.

Sgt 127 said:
Most knives used for general camp chores, would not be good at stabbing.
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The Kabar would be good for stabbing and probably better than the Glock because of the wider/slicier blade which can cause much greater damage both in & out. The Glock would be more like a spear, pretty much just straight in & out.

Sgt 127 said:
Glock knives would be “ok” as general purpose knives.
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We'll have to agree to disagree about this.
 
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I've got my Dad's Ka-Bar from 1952.
I would never bet against a guy who is wielding one...
 
I wish I still had my Kabar! I was in the dorm my first year of college. A girl I had dated when I was 14 came to visit me with her little brother. I said to the kid, "You want to see something really cool?" So I pulled out the Kabar.

He was mesmerized! He said, "Can I have it?"

I said, "No, but if you save your money you can buy one."

Somehow that kid made off with my Kabar. I'd had it since Boy Scouts, which wasn't that long before. I was so pissed! But, they lived in a different town, and I didn't have a car then. So, I had to let it go. Strange how you never forget those things.
 
mickb said:
Fella I know is after a decent knife. His use is some field work, camping use, also pig sticking with dogs. Currently uses a cheap boning knife of all things. He wanted something a bit more serious but not overkill, 7" blade as that works on even the larger hogs. I suggested the kabar-Im ex military myself but not from the US, the knife however is pretty well known to us. I have on ontario which is no longer stocked here. Frankly not being a knife guy I dont know a lot of other options and figured the kabar is a safe bet. How does it look these days to you advanced blade guys though? Metals, construction, fittings still considered respectable? Am I missing anything?

Edited to add, as I am getting a few recommendations for heavier bowies, esee and beckers etc. For pig sticking some degree of slimness is good, also needs a handguard to stop riding onto the blade when things are bloody. I had a look at the beckers and Esees and I dont think any are real great in these regards.
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I carried a Ka-bar for a while but got rid of it. Wasn't a big fan. Tip strength isn't great; I've seen a number of tips break off and even blades breaking. The hand guard can get bent up and deformed pretty quickly.
I'm not a big game hunter but a buddy is and said it wasn't very good for gutting.
 
AbjectTestament said:
I carried a Ka-bar for a while but got rid of it. Wasn't a big fan. Tip strength isn't great; I've seen a number of tips break off and even blades breaking. The hand guard can get bent up and deformed pretty quickly.
I'm not a big game hunter but a buddy is and said it wasn't very good for gutting.
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There's always the possibility that he can't sharpen a knife properly...
An old-timer that I knew; once gutted a deer with a .348 WIN casing that has been stomped shut with a rock, and then sharpened with the same rock...
 
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The iconic USMC fighting knife or Ka-Bar, has a nice profile and has worked well for 80 years and more. Today, it will do as well with the tasks described as it would have done in 1945. However, the original spec is for carbon steel and leather handle. There are now better materials available. Ka-Bar offers a modernized knife of the same form with a D-2 blade and synthetic handle. Some on this forum have a less favorable view of D-2.

There may be "better" knives for the tasks described. Equivalent in length and form, but with modern alloys and materials. One question might be, "How much better does it need to be?" In part, it may come down to knowing how much your friend wishes to spend.
 
Bob Denman said:
An old-timer that I knew; once gutted a deer with a .348 WIN casing that has been stomped shut with a rock, and then sharpened with the same rock...
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Love this story! There must be a longer version that goes into how he went off without a knife of any sort. Need a campfire and ardent spirits to go with it.
 
What about a better boning knife?

Anyway. OP.

Basically for pig sticking you need to run with it. Stab with it. And then be able to clean it.

Boning knives have a lot going for them in that department. A kabar might be a step down.

Pig hunting companies do boning knife sheaths. Which is an indication of how popular they are.

Mabye Martini or F dick
 
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Steely_Gunz said:
Kabars are just fine on a budget. Personally, I like the 8" fighter model better. If they ever offer it without serrations, I'll buy 2.

I would also suggest he look at the Becker line, and there are several TOPS knives thst would easily fit the bill. However both the Beckers and the Tops are going to be heavier and more costly.

Honestly, anything upgraded from a boning knife is going to be an improvement.
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I believe they finally do make the Kabar Fighter model without serrations 👍
 
As shane45-1911 shane45-1911 mentioned, they are ok knives, but im not a fan of the rat tail tang. For his purposes it would probably be alright. I know it is not a common occurrence, but my Kabar broke while batoning wood with it.

It was probably 5 or 6 years ago now, but it got bound up in a bad knot to where the blade started to bend. Flipped the wood and started to try to knock it back out, hitting the blade and handle... handle took 4 or 5 hits then completely snapped off.

I hate their marketing lmao, but I'd honestly take a look at TOPS. A quick search on their website shows 12 pages, or 224 total different fixed blades 😵‍💫. I'm sure many of those have been discontinued, but you get my point.
 
The Ka-Bar is good to go for hog hunting. If you took the time to sharpen the swedge it would be even better.

As touched upon earlier by sgt1372 sgt1372 , the kraton version will be a bit more impervious to the elements, and the sheath will be more secure.

I have used the leather stacked handle for hunting hogs, and it works fine.

A couple of things to think about:

The polymer sheath offered with the kraton version will retain the knife better than the leather sheath. I have lost a Ka-Bar by it falling out. The kraton will be noisier though, but this is not an issue when dog-hunting. If you are stalking pigs, then it will.

The leather handle rings will need a copious amount of leather treatment. After washing a few times, the leather rings will shrink up and cause the guard to loosen. The treatment will help alleviate that.

I prefer the guard on the Dog's Head model, but it comes with the leather sheath. I have learned to use Ranger bands to keep the knife from falling out.
 
Here is a picture of my youngest daughter's waist pack. She also carries a backpack with more kit to include water, first aid, GPS collar responder, etc.

This kit is for taking out hogs, cleaning them, and for stitching up dogs. This is her second Ka-Bar DH, as she also lost her first one.

This kit has been through about 20 pigs.

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VorpelSword said:
Love this story! There must be a longer version that goes into how he went off without a knife of any sort. Need a campfire and ardent spirits to go with it.
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There is; but I was trying to be as brief as possible.
He lost the knife during a tough two-mile tracking...
 
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