Which is better: The Ka Bar Marine or the Camillus?

The General

The General

Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Messages
3,625
As above!

I have a 1095 Ka Bar USMC knife and a D2 Next Generation Fighting blade.

Is the Camillus made from the same steel (1095)? What are the major differences? Which is better?


W.A.

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"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto
 
IMHO comparison questions belong on the Reviews and Testing Forum ... actually, this particular question has been answered there more than once (by others as well as by me); try the search function....


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-Cougar Allen :{)
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This post is not merely the author's opinions; it is the trrrrrruth. This post is intended to cause dissension and unrest and upset people, and ultimately drive them mad. Please do not misinterpret my intentions in posting this.
 
General, I have used MK2's from both makers, and continue to do so. The KA-BAR feels better in my hand, due to the thinner, more profiled grip. Both knives use 1095 steel, and are the same thickness, and pretty much the same profile, although there is a little difference at close comparison. The KA-BAR has a black epoxy paint finish, the Camillus is milspec parkerizing. Prices are pretty much the same at around 30-35 dollars here. As far as strength, durability, etc. both are probably identical, as they are contructed pretty much the same way using the same materials. For what it's worth, Camillus has made more knives for the military than anyone else, and they have excellent customer service. The current contractor for the MK2 is Ontario Knife Co. As for the D2 and the Next Generation version made by KA-BAR, I feel they are a waste of money as they really don't do anything any better from a user's standpoint. You can buy 3 or 4 of the real MK2's for the price of one of these things. With knives and other tools, you've kinda got to ask yourself, "Better than what?" I mean, if a knife does what you want it to do, and you are satisfied so far, why spend more money for something that is "better"? Just my thoughts, regards, Clayton.

[This message has been edited by Clayton Hufford (edited 01-05-2001).]
 
General,
Thanks for the interest, but I will not offer and opinion as to which is better. I won't promote my products by deriding another. The KABAR brand 7" knife is a well made piece, but the major difference is that the CAMILLUS 7"Fighting Utility Knife[also know as the MARINE COMBAT KNIFE] is Mil-Spec, the KABAR is not. Whether this means a hoot to the given customer depends, but alot of folks DO want a mil-spec piece. Obivious differences,....

KABAR-oval handle cross section
CAMILLUS-round handle cross section[milspec]

KABAR-black powder-coat finish
CAMILLUS-parkerized finish[milspec]

KABAR-leather handle is polished nicely
CAMILLUS-handle is treated with a black, thick antifungal paint/dye[milspec]

In general, the KABAR is nicer finished[polished leather, etc], but also more expensive. Both knives are 1095 carbon steel. The CAMILLUS knife is mil-spec, the KABAR is not. We have been making the mil-spec 7" fighting utility knife for the armed forces since it inception, and pioneered some of it features. Although we don't currently hold the main military contract[Ontario does, because the had a lower bid last time], we still act as a secondary supplier. We supply the PX system, for instance, with all of their 7" fighting utility knives.

Either way, you get a helluva knife.

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Stay Sharp!
Will Fennell
Camillus Cutlery
www.camillusknives.com
 
Thanks for that, it answers the question perfectly. I will get one soon! Consider me another customer!

Sorry if I trod on any toes by posting here!

W.A.

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"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto
 
Will - Just curious, do you off hand know who made the 1st version of the knife? I don't really know too much about them. Thanks for you insights.
 
There are two real world differences - the handle and the blade.

The Kabar handle feels better and rotates less in the hand.

The Camillus blade has a better grind, and is easier to touch up (with cold bluing pens) when scratched, but the Kabar finish is more scratch resistant in my experience.
 
Branspop, Camillus manufactured the first MK2's, and thanks to Tom Williams I have the records to prove it. The military designed the first MK2, which was a POS due to the fixture of the buttcap. Camillus fixed the knife, and manufactured more MK2's during 1942 alone than KA-BAR(UNION) did throughout WW2. Camillus made almost 700,000 MK2's during WW2 while KA-BAR made 110,000. Camillus has made more knives for the U.S. military than any other manufacturer, and continues to make the MK2 to military specifications. In short, Camillus made the first U.S. Marine Fighting Utility Knife(MK2), and is the only company to make the knife continually since it's inception.
 
Why does Kabar have its name synonymous with the Marine Fighting Knife? When I was in training, the knives were called Kabars despite being made by either Ontario or Camillus.
 
In my opinion, it was/is marketing. While KA-BAR was busy advertising the knife, Camillus was busy making them.
 
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The pommel has a steel pin running through it and through the tang of the blade. The first MK2 had a nut that held the pommel on, and it broke easily, which is why the pinned version introduced by Camillus was issued, and copied by the other contractors.
 
Clayton Hufford - Thanks for the info. I haven't handled any of their products, but the folks like Will sure seem like nice folk.
 
Will, Could you describe the current heat treatment? I believe I read that it is much improved over the years.
 
Don't let the round profile of the Camillus fighting/utility get you down. Some prefer a round profile, I don't, so I took one of these beauties, clamped it flat in a vise (used wood pieces to protect the blade), and sanded the sides of the handle to give it a slight oval feel. I used a file to put the grooves back, then applied black shoe dye to match. Hard to tell it wasn't factory done. I also drilled a hole in the buttcap for a lanyard -- boy was that buttcap hard! I've done these slight modifications on a couple of knives and the users always liked them, as I have. It took about an hour to do all above.

Bruce Woodbury
 
Jeff,
I'm not sure what you want me to describe about the heat treatment. Yes we have markedly improve the heat treat of the Marine Combat knife, especially in the last 4-5 years. More technology, more understanding, means more consistancy. We have made a large leap in our overall performance.

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Stay Sharp!
Will Fennell
Camillus Cutlery
www.camillusknives.com
 
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