*Sigh*...I guess it was her time...

DeadFall27

DeadFall27

Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
1,476
Yesterday, my buddy and I decided to try to have an over-nighter trip not too far from homes. As those of you here in CO know, the sudden snowfall made things interesting to say the least. I brought along my trusty Ka-Bar USMC that had been begging me for an outing for some time since my introduction to Beckers.

As the temp dropped, we got colder, and we needed to get the fire going. Because of this, I batoned 4-5" logs to make some kindling and after a couple logs, I heard 'PING!'. My baby snapped at the guard...I almost cried.

I do not blame Ka-bar, the knife or anybody but myself for this tragedy; she has been through hell and back with me for 4.5 years in the forests up here...I guess it was her time...


Should I contact Ka-Bar about this tragedy? I am ashamed at the fact that I broke my knife :(

I am sorry for the crappy cell pics, my camera doesn't want to connect to my damn computer now...what a sh*t day...

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Take care of your blades guys and gals, treat them right and keep 'em sharp.


Take care and thanks for reading,

-Deadfall
 
Sad to hear it broke on you man :(.

I've seen a few USMC's broken right there actually. Its because of the sharp corner there at the tang, it creates a stress riser, and after enough abuse, it lets go. I think Moose has broken 3 of them this way in his long and illustrious career.

But now that you know about Beckers, replace the USMC for the sake of having an old friend back, but the BK7 is built to take the kind of work you're used to, and should do just fine :D.

Good luck man :).
 
I feel your pain man, but I would say to mount your trusty companion on the wall and buy another. I'm a BK7 fan myself but it sounds like you already are on the Becker train, so if you're a USMC fan then just get another one of them.

Your story is a great illustration though that if the chips are down, the tang design can really matter.
 
I would use this loss as a reason for getting another and an upgrade too.
 
Out of curiosity, how long had you owned this particular USMC?

Seems a few years of hard use is kind of normal, but I'm just wondering :).
 
Man, bad timing on the breakage! I hope you guys had some sort of backup knife to finish up the work! I broke an old Ontario in a similar situation and know how it feels.
 
Thank you all for your replies.
I have had this girl for about 4.5 years of loyal use out here. She has chopped, made kindling, stricken firesteels and flint, made shelter and many more things for me.

My buddy had his old cheap POS hatchet to finish off the rest. I guess my BK2 will be my on-call workhorse in my rotation from now on. She will have to do until I find an old 2lb chopping axe head to re-handle.

I might contact Ka-Bar, but I am not sure if I want to bother them with something like this, it was my fault.
 
Yeah, they can break. Sorry for your loss.

They are some great blades, for sure.

I wouldn't contact Kabar, I would say that you got your money out of it over the last 4 and a half years.

Here's mine,

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And her replacement,

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Get you another one when you can, it feels good to smell the new again.

Moose
 
Let this be proof for naysayers who believe that the Ka-Bar rat tang does not have limits. This is just one of many examples. There are quite a few folks here who believe the Ka-Bar fighter is indestructible, mostly because it served with distinction in U.S. military history. That doesn't make it a bushcrafting knife. It is a fighting knife. In an emergency, you can use it for bushcrafting tasks, but this happens often enough (the blade breaking off at the handle). Combined with the weak tip, blade coating and full guard, this should turn most people off to this knife as a bushcrafting knife.

Now then, as a fighting knife, it's still a great choice, but it would be my last choice for bushcrafting. For those who say this is "normal..." It's normal only for a knife with a rat-tail tang. It is absolutely *not* normal for a full-tang knife of reasonable quality. Knives have jobs, just like people. The Ka-Bar fighter's job is fighting. For bushcrafting, I'd get a proper bushcrafting knife.
 
Well, I agree that it isn't designed to be a bushcrafter.

I also agree that its not indestructable.

I also agree that its a fighting knife, but there is a slight variation that we might have to discuss. Its the Utility that goes along with the Fighting. When they design was cultivated, it was intended to be as close to a "one knife fits all solution", or as close as it can come, for a soldier. Back when this knife was issued, soldier's did have to cut wood and foliage for cover, open up animals and help them out of their dinner coats, open up ammo crates, metal drums, and whatever else a soldier needed it to do, and that includes tickling an enemies ribs or opening their airways.

The knife grew to be an icon, and simply put, because soldiers could depend on them with their lives. You don't get that distinction, with such obvious flaws as to what you have pointed out. I have not broken a tip before, I have bored holes in wood, and pried with my American Legends before, on more than one occasion.

I have not seen a broken tip on a USMC Kabar, but I would love it if those that have, and can post pics up. I think I would enjoy that very much.

You are correct, they have served civilian and professional soldier alike, for a long time, and is STILL the best selling knife in all of KA-BAR's line of knives. The only thing I did to make one of mine a more adept woods knife, is to clip the top quillion off, and smooth it down to match the rest of the handle. All of mine have suffered abuse heaped on them for years before they gave up the ghost, and for the price, a replacement won't kill me wallet either.

On some points we will agree, others, we can discuss.

Moose
 
Sorry for the loss state-mate! Unfortunately, knives with this kind of tang design do have a tendency to break when you baton them. There is a reason most all good bushcraft blades are exposed full-tang (whatever that design is called). Buy a Bussekin or a BK-(insert number here) and you'll only cry the one time. :eek: Then beat 'em like a dead horse afterward. :D :cool:
 
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I don't see what the problem is with your picture Leadfoot. ;) Am I doing it wrong??? I must be doing it wrong... :p
 
Magnaminous_G said:
Let this be proof for naysayers who believe that the Ka-Bar rat tang does not have limits. This is just one of many examples. There are quite a few folks here who believe the Ka-Bar fighter is indestructible, mostly because it served with distinction in U.S. military history. That doesn't make it a bushcrafting knife. It is a fighting knife. In an emergency, you can use it for bushcrafting tasks, but this happens often enough (the blade breaking off at the handle). Combined with the weak tip, blade coating and full guard, this should turn most people off to this knife as a bushcrafting knife.

Now then, as a fighting knife, it's still a great choice, but it would be my last choice for bushcrafting. For those who say this is "normal..." It's normal only for a knife with a rat-tail tang. It is absolutely *not* normal for a full-tang knife of reasonable quality. Knives have jobs, just like people. The Ka-Bar fighter's job is fighting. For bushcrafting, I'd get a proper bushcrafting knife.
Click to expand...

Agreed my friend, but in my defense, I went out on my trip knowing its limitations as a hidden-tang fighting knife. I only own 1 bushcraft blade and I use it as such; the only reason that I brought my USMC is because she was begging for a trip since my BK2 entered the picture. In no way did I take my USMC as far as my BK2 or go out of its normal comfort zone. I believe that the cold weather had very much to do with this tragedy.

I appreciate your input and in no way do I wish to bash nor offend you in my response, I just simply wish to give my own imput as well. :thumbup:


Leadfoot2

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Leadfoot
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Funny stuff right here :D


SpyderPhreak

Sorry for the loss state-mate! Unfortunately, knives with this kind of tang design do have a tendency to break when you baton them. There is a reason most all good bushcraft blades are exposed full-tang (whatever that design is called). Buy a Bussekin or a BK-(insert number here) and you'll only cry the one time. Then beat 'em like a dead horse afterward.
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Well, I have a BK2 and a Bushlore, so such breakage is never a worry for those two. I must say that she had a good run and she did everything I asked her to well; that's good enough for me!

I must say that I have used hidden tangs a lot, and I love them dearly, but I think the cold and my state of haste plagued my technique and made perfect conditions for breakage. I have beaten on a hidden tang before with a micarta wrapped handle (still cannot convice my grandfather's neighbor to give it up :p) without issue. As said before, the 90 degree angled stress-points aided in the break as well.



Thank you for the kind words everyone!

Maybe I could salvage the leather and make a handle for another hidden tang blade! SHE SHALL LIVE ON!!!
 
they dont round off the tang at the blade tang junction, my kabar heavy bowie did that when i pressed too hard holding the knife sheathed against the wall going in a door the torque snapped it with virtually no pressure and i didnt know till i unsheathed a handle only knife.
ive gone forged only ever since and haventlooked back.
 
I feel your pain.
When I got orders for Viet Nam I knew I needed a real knife since my Dad, a bazookaman in WWII, had always told me, "A bayonet has only one purpose, and it isn't even very good at that!" I went to the sporting goods department of my local discount department store (no Internet in those days!) and saw a knife in the display case that looked like the one's I'd seen Marines use in the old movies -- except it was shiny. Still had the stacked leather grips, though. Since tactical black is all the rage these days I don't even see that model available anymore -- think: #1217 but with a shiny, plated blade. I asked the not-too-bright sales girl to see it, then wanted it. It had no slip attached and I asked her how much it was. She looked around the case and in the cabinets underneath, then came up and said, "I can't find the box or the sheath, so how does $2.00 sound?" Sold!
I roughed up the plating and put gun bluing on it, made a leather sheath, and carried that sucker for my full tour. Weeks before returning home I was playing mumbletypeg on the wooden floor of the hootch and heard that sickening "ping!" and the parts went flying. Damn! I'd hoped to bring that home and keep it with me forever. Certainly couldn't blame THAT on cold weather! :D
 
K-9 Handler - That is a great story. Usually it's the knife that wins at mumbletypeg. haha
 
Always look on the bright side...

Now you have a folder...
Or you could use it like an ulu...
Or grind the blade down and turn half of it into a tang and you have a new knife...

Hooray!
 
It's not just the size of the tang. It's the square shoulders as noted and, unless they have changed, heat-treating the tang to the same hardness as the blade. Those are two weaknesses that result from economical manufacturing practices -- to be polite.

Rat-tail tang knives have served in the woods with distinction for centuries. The first Europeans here doubtless carried them. Battle swords to this day do not have full tangs. So is telling the Scandinavians and Finns, in effect, that they don't know what they are doing when they make THE traditional bushcraft knife just a tad presumptuous?
 
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