What do you use your USMC for?

Semper Praesidio

Semper Praesidio

Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Messages
1,184
So, I am a firm believer that knives are tools. I personally struggle with the concept of a "safe queen" (and freely admit this is a personal preference; no offense intended to anyone who collects knives that don't get used - it just isn't me).

There is so much nostalgia and history surrounding the KA-BAR USMC knife. I handled one at my local gun shop today and I really want to pick one up...but what do I do with it? I'm used to banging away on my Beckers for the various tasks I do. The USMC just doesn't seem to have the heft that even my tweeners have. So, I guess two questions:

1) Am I just totally misjudging this blade?

2) What do you do with your KA-BAR USMC?

Feel free to answer one or both and/or post pics of yours in action!
 
I've got a bit of nostalgia around the whole design, so I've struggled with how to use it and still keep it pretty.

At this point it's mostly listened to how good looking it is, and been used to trim unruly pies into a more well behaved shape.





Hasn't met a pie it can't tame yet.
 
DunkEm said:
I've got a bit of nostalgia around the whole design, so I've struggled with how to use it and still keep it pretty.

At this point it's mostly listened to how good looking it is, and been used to trim unruly pies into a more well behaved shape.
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I dunno - sounds like an important task to me. [emoji6]
 
Well ... before I discovered BK&T's, my 1217 and SOG NW Ranger were my primary fixed knives.

Now they're essentially 'safe queens' and only get taken out for pics and fondling.
 
TravisH said:
Well ... before I discovered BK&T's, my 1217 and SOG NW Ranger were my primary fixed knives.

Now they're essentially 'safe queens' and only get taken out for pics and fondling.
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Therein lies my dilemma since I discovered BK&T first [emoji53]
 
Well, I got a vintage USMC that has been rehandled with a big chunk of aluminum scales that I would be comfortable doing anything that I could do with any of my Beckers(except the 2 since its the sharpened pry bar, or maybe ones "designed for chopping").The weight of the aluminum is great. Haven't chopped anything with it yet but sure could take down 6" trees fairly easily. For how old and corroded it is I'm surprised how solid it still is. I'm buying a newer one and going to rehandle it with some heavy material. I also had a D2 Extreme and sold it like a damn fool. I bent the tip stabbing/prying it into some wood so got turned off by that but changed my mind after getting this other one. There's not really much (within reason) couldn't do with it.
 
considering it was designed expressly for stabbing overhand, downward, near the cartoid/collarbone and into the heart, aka "sentry kill", it does what it's designed to do pretty well, I'd say. Lots of kills attributed to it doing just that. It's also utilitarian, and solid as a rock. I don't own any beckers for comparison, but the Kabar has seen a lot of hardcore shit, and that's good enough for me.
 
DunkEm said:
I've got a bit of nostalgia around the whole design, so I've struggled with how to use it and still keep it pretty.

At this point it's mostly listened to how good looking it is, and been used to trim unruly pies into a more well behaved shape.

Hasn't met a pie it can't tame yet.
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A USMC cutting apple pie?

il_570xN.338195443.jpg


'Murica!
 
kaotikross said:
considering it was designed expressly for stabbing overhand, downward, near the cartoid/collarbone and into the heart, aka "sentry kill", it does what it's designed to do pretty well, I'd say.
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No argument there - just don't really engage in this activity much... [emoji2]

kaotikross said:
It's also utilitarian, and solid as a rock.
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I don't doubt it. A blade design with such a history of service in our armed forces obviously has something going for it. Just trying to figure out where it fits into my philosophy and collection.
 
Most of the time I carry my USMC when the BK9 is either too heavy for the setting, or I can't carry my BK14 as a companion blade. The decrease in size and weight tends to make up for that fact.
 
Charlie_K said:
Most of the time I carry my USMC when the BK9 is either too heavy for the setting, or I can't carry my BK14 as a companion blade. The decrease in size and weight tends to make up for that fact.
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So you find it can handle all of the tasks that the BK9 can?
 
bigghoss said:
Yup. I can choke up on it and I think it looks cool to boot. I think it looks like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie.
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I like it. Especially with the black handle. Grinding off that side of the hilt makes sense for that purpose. Thanks for the pic!
 
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