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Posted: 11/8/2004 8:24:44 PM EDT
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So what's the general consensus on these knives? I'm kind of tempted to pick one up, or add it to the Christmas list. Are they well made? Do they hold an edge well? Is there anyone who makes a better knife of a similar design? (Keeping in mind that I probably won't want to spend too much on a knife that I won't carry with me a whole lot. Thanks, Wolffie |
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I think it is a great knife for the money. Well balanced, feels good in a reverse grip, good carbon steel holds an edge well. I beat mine like a redheaded stepchild and it is nowhere close to giving up. Great fighting & utility blade. Another great choice in this price range and size is the Becker BK7. It also uses a great carbon steel of a little thicker stock and feels good in the hand. Also comes with a better sheath than the KA-BAR. Either one, in my opinion would make a great defense or survival blade for the budget minded. Hope this helps. |
That does help, thanks. Personally another pro that the Ka Bar has is that I really like the looks, and the history behind it. My every day carry knife is a Benchmade 960, and the Ka Bar wouldn't get too much use on a daily basis. (I'd raise a lot of eyebrows with a fullsized Ka Bar  )Any other opinions? |
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My KaBar rides around in my car as my last resort. It's edge holding properties are good overall, and great for the money (if you're paying more than $40 for a standard issue KaBar, you're paying too much). The biggest characteristic of the knife is that it's huge and scary. Believe me, carrying one of these will get you noticed. If that's what you want, then it's perfect. If not, you might want to go with something smaller. As for smaller knives with a similar design/purpose... KaBar has a bunch, my favorite being the Impact series. Unless you get the D2 steel models though, you're going to be stuck with either 440A stainless or regular old carbon steel. SOG knives has about 20 various models to choose from, the most famous probably being the SEAL knife. They're made of AUS-6 and AUS-8 which are alright steels but better can be found. My all-time favorite knife though is my Benchmade Nimravus 140HSSR. The size is just right for me. Long enough where I can use it to cut through something thick, short enough where I can carry it concealed under a jacket without it being noticed, serrated edge, and the M2 steel on it is amazing. The only bad thing is the M2 is not stainless so it requires a wipe with the Tuf-Cloth every once in a while. The blade length is 4.5". If you want something a bit smaller and more practical, Benchmade used to make a Nimravus Cub in M2 (the cub is 30% smaller than the regular Nimravus). I have one and although I like the 140 more, the Cub is still a great little knife and for a lot of applications, probably more handy than the full-size. They're getting scarce but can be found if you look hard enough. The only real downside to anything other than a KaBar is the price. Either Nimravus will set you back 3-5 times that of a regular KaBar ($35 vs. $120+). Impact KaBars run around around $60 and up. SOGs run anywhere from $50-$150. Hopefully that helped, if you have any questions, feel free to message me. |
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Where are you getting new k-bar USMC fighting knives for $35? My dealer cost is almost $37. Back on topic, that is a great knife, especially for the money. It is a little weak in the hilt as previously mentioned, but also as previously mentioned it is not designed to be a pry bar. I have bent one of mine about 20 degrees using it that way like a dumbass, but I was able to bend it back easy enough and it has performed as new since. Get one, they are great knives and you won't feel like crying if you scuff it as opposed to some pretty $600 "field" blade. |
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There is an ad in the new SGN that has them for $32.30. Edit: NOw that I look at the ad in the SGN it is called Matthew's Cutlery, but they say they only sell to dealers. I wonder if there any dealers here that might want to put soemthing together for us to get a Ka-Bar at this price? |
Here's a Kabar I am recovering. It is a war veteran that was re-handled with plexi-glass disks! Then it was abused until the tang broke! That's when I got ahold of it, welded the tang, and handled it. It is almost shaped the way I want it now. I think it still has alot of life left in it.
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I bought from Matthews for years in the late 80's early 90's. About half off retail and GREAT specials. Tax number for resale is required but minimum order was only $50... 
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