America's MOST Iconic Knife has Fallen... Ka-bar USMC...
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Visit Salon Lames de langres on 3 & 4 of april!
bit.ly/langresDBK
My Childhood dream knife... The Ka-Bar USMC in 1095 Cro-Van steel! I could not imagine a cooler blade when I was a kid. Now years later I finally get to test it. So.... is it the knife I've always imagined it to be? Or was the dream better than reality? I mean... it's a military knife... surely it is made to go through hell and back? Find out in todays episode!
Check out the Ka-Bar USMC
shrsl.com/3fvbv
Join Our monthly giveaway Give-Away! Join the royal knife club to participate. THANKS!
bit.ly/DBK-Mont...
________________________ Shops!________________________
Support us by buying from our shop!
bit.ly/DBKshop
Awesome shop in Europe (affiliate)
bit.ly/Tools4G...
BladeHQ Knife shop USA: (affiliate)
shrsl.com/20i50
________________________ Check us out!________________________
Check out our Patreon Give-Away and support the channel:
bit.ly/DBKPatreon
hidden message: Mikkie is an ugly unwanted child
Discord!: / discord
Insta: bit.ly/DBKInsta...
FB: bit.ly/DBKFacebook
____________________________Music:_____________________________
Wodan Boys:
open.spotify.c...
/ @wodanboys
SoundStripe Copyright codes:
#Kabar #USMC #Knife
First proper knife I ever bought (or rather I badgered my mom into buying me at 13) was a Cold Steel GI Tanto. Modified the guard and choil so I could fit two fingers into the space, and took off the back guard. Also stripped the coating. Still have it, still use it for the dirty tasks after hundreds of dollars of knives. You never forget your first.
Mine was a Mora Companion, when I was 13 as well. I still carry it in my backpack.
I have the cold steel GI Tanto too! Got it 10 years ago at 13yo as well. Still going strong after splitting my buddy's thumb clean in half! Nick-named it the thumb splitter.
The gi tanto is a great budget knife to use or mod
@@bradfarrahgerwing154 agreed. Underrated af as far as buget knives go. Not the comfiest but it's a straight slab of steel. Always use mine for medium-thick splitting--nice alternative to a hatchet when weight counts.
My first real knife I bought for myself was a buck 119 when I was 24. I don't really care for it, and I honestly forget that I even own it sometimes, until I see one in a TH-cam video😂😂
I was already impressed by Mikkie's carving skills. That baseball bat looks really cool
It's literally a shaved down stick
Got a Ka-Bar as a brand new marine infantryman, it was my first “nice” knife, I eventually gave it to my father as a gift and he treasures that thing, honestly I kind of miss it at times in my collection. Even though I now carry a bark river whenever I’m doing anything military related, the Ka-Bar USMC will always hold a special place in my heart.
What bark river model do you use? I’m curious as to which knife a marine infantryman would prefer
@@SJ_Jordan The elite Marine Force Recon chose the Bark River Bravo during trials.
@@SJ_Jordan Bark River bravo-1, nice and thick so I know I’ll never break it (other than the tip but that was out of sheer stupidity and will be fixed), so I’m not afraid to be prying open crates and shit with it. It’s also small and light enough to fit in my pocket (just barely, i don’t like having my knife on my plate carrier or belt), 3V is good stuff, strops super easy to a good edge, and doesn’t rust like crazy if it’s pissing rain out in the field for days on end and I forget or am unable to oil it, and it won’t chip unless I smack it on rock or concrete at full force (which is how I lost the tip).
Something about the convex grind makes that thick blade stock slicier than I feel it would otherwise be, it slices and even chops through wood real nice too which is appreciated when I’m building a little tarp shelter to keep my pack and sleeping bag dry.
Also, that handle is probably the most comfortable handle I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting my hands on, it just fills my hand in a way that maybe only the BRK Bushcraft Scout has been able to replicate. Speaking of the handle, having a little swell near the blade is nice so that in the 0.00001% chance i end up having to use my knife for defense rather than utility, I don’t have to worry about my hand sliding onto the blade, honestly the only downside to the knife is that those beautiful polished micarta handles get very slippery when wet, which really isn’t a huge deal because there is something preventing your hand from sliding onto the blade but could pose a problem if you’re trying to chop something like a branch or sapling down in the rain.
tl;dr it’s a fucking excellent knife that I’d trust my life to, would recommend, it’s also worthwhile getting a custom kydex sheath because most of Bark River’s leather sheaths kind of suck or aren’t really secure enough to be confident in
It is a True legend. 👍
"Military grade" is a fancy way of saying it's made by the cheapest contractor. They were designed for ease of manufacture, not to be amazing. I have my father's old one (made by Camillus) and I've jacked it up a bit over the years. Loose cross-guard & the blade's bent.
The company that made the better ones became popular fast
it's a balance. military grade to me usually also implies "durable but heavy" sort of a strong, cheap, light, pick two! scenario. not something i'd associate with fine-ness though
Though I am not crazy about your title I agree that you have pointed out many longstanding truths on the 1219C2 "K-Bar". We wouldn't recommend it for extreme use as you so eloquently demonstrated with the bat (very well done on making the bat). This knife was created to replace the dagger-style trench knives of WWI that were purely for fighting. It does a lot of things ok to good and that was the intended purpose - jack of all trades, master of none. You pointed out at the end of the video that many of the Becker Knives would be more suitable for such extreme usage and I couldn't agree more. One of the reasons 1095 was originally selected as the steel for this knife is that it bends before it breaks. To the military a slightly bent knife is still usable. This knife, at least from KA-BAR, hasn't been issued since the end of WWII. In fact, so many were made during WWII that surplus knives made in the 1940s were used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well.
Agreed, this video is not a true representation of KA-BAR. I own over 40 of them. My USMC would NEVER be used for the tests shown on this video. My BK-7 would be more suitable, or better luck hurting my BK-2. This video should be labeled as an advertisement for other knives. Every knife has it's purpose, these authors clearly do not understand the purpose of the USMC fighting knife, or the fact the United States Marine Corps is not the ARMY.... If you're going to take a baseball bat to a knife, try my KA-BAR BK-2 or BK-7. Much love KA-BAR, these authors are having fun and that's ok. But a legend is a legend, period.
@@tybriner3138 Don't take it so personally
Why not update the design so that's it's stronger and in-line with similarly-priced modern competitors (e.g. Gerber Strongarm, Cold Steel SRK, etc)? the weak point is clearly where the blade passes through the cross-guard into the smaller rat tail tang, a similar design fault that I notice in other US military knives from that period -- Ontario's Air Force Survival Knife also snaps easily at the hilt for the same reason. I love the history behind your brand and how iconic a ka-bar is. However this issue has been keeping me from pulling the trigger and buying one since I started collecting knives a decade ago.
I am no expert, but it seems like changing the 90 degree corners where the blade transitions to tang to rounded "corners" and making the tang a bit wider would give a noticeable increase in hard-use durability without affecting the iconic profile of the knife.
Just because the military uses something does not always mean it's great quality. Many times it's about who can meet the contract at the best possible budget.
Given that it was designed as part of the allied surge in WWII, at the dawn of the cheap crap mass production trend, it never had a chance to be a good knife. The really amazing thing, is how long a ride it had. Almost as bad as the 1911.
That's basically how everything works. I was in the construction/ laser scanning business for about 12 years. Our company was hired as independent contractors for Architects, Engineers, Surveyors, Government transportation agencies, and basically anyone that had to do with construction, both private and public. I did planning/CAD/3D modeling work all over the U.S.
I say all that to tell you that I don't have a college degree. Never spent one day in a University (other than the ones I scanned, and helped plan). My company had so many high profile projects in my hands in my mid-20's, without any qualifications (bridges, subways, industrial buildings, public parks all mapped to my specs).
So yes, the government gets the cheapest contractors to do everything possible. Anyone who claims to get the job done for X price. I don't think I was ever urine tested for government jobs either.
@@Danielson1818 I too have worked many government projects. I can attest to every word you wrote. I’ll not bore everyone with a repeat. Cheers
@@Danielson1818 First job out of high school. Seahawk helicopter poertrain mechanic.
@@mdeamicis And it wasn't military?
I got a USMC kabar when I was like 11 and I have beat the absolute shit out of it and honestly only thing that I managed to break the guard on both sides but it still holds up amazing and holds a great edge
i hear such mixed reviews it makes me wonder if the market's just flooded with fakes?
@@asherael I think that's what's happening. I've heard it's one of THE most counterfeited knives out there. I have one otw and was crazy about making sure it came from a reputable source. It's the only thing I can think of that explains why some have it snap from barely using it and others have stuck it into a tree and jumped on the handle without breakage. The dramatic difference in reviews is otherwise mind boggling lol
@@audreyazwellit’s not fakes lmfao it’s literally just the design being weak as shit. it has a stick tang that’s stupid thin and has a 90 degree angle where the blade meets the tang. it will literally break from the slightest bends.
1095 at 58 hrc does not hold an edge lol…
Not trying to ruin the party but every north American is aware Buck is the most iconic American knife and universal
Yep, and it’s not even close. Not to mention, most areas of the military don’t issue knives. Servicemen buy their own for the most part.
Yet they suck
At least for us non Americans...the ka bar is what we've seen in movies so ...
Yup buck 110 is all over media when you start looking
Comparing a 1095 Cro-Van steel knife to a Buck 420HC is apples to oranges. That said, I agree Ka-Bar quality isn't very good anymore. I tried to offload mine, because my Cold Steel Recon Tanto is far better. No one would offer anything close to what I bought it for. All that said, it's not a "rat tang". It's a full length stick tang that's pinned at the pommel. Ka-Bar's mistake was making the stick tang too thin. The Ontario version was a thicker stick tang, and the Cold Steel Leathernecks have stick tangs that are twice as wide and thicker. All that said, Nutnfancy did pull-ups with the current Ka-Bar, and the stick tang held up just fine. Ka-Bars aren't really combat knives. They're mult purpose knives. They're meant for survival, fighting, and opening cans.
Buck knives are super American
The problem is you guys test it for stuff it was never meant to do. That wasn’t a bushcraft or survival knife. It was and is a fighting knife. That knife was made for personal protection and to kill. That’s it. Yeah it’ll do other knife things but that’s not what it was made for. Your test is the equivalent of testing a Ferrari for daily life chores and then bitching because it’s loud, uncomfortable and can’t haul a week’s worth of groceries. You guys are so far off into bushcraft that you forget not all knives are bushcraft knives.
Yes but it also shows the cheap knives as opposed to a better knife. Not a problem to me
dont forget the fact a k bar cost the military like 4$ in the Nam era so its a great knife for a fiver lol heavens sake they are still like 20$ and if all you do with it is stab people or cut throats or paracord its a great knife lol. Also GIs are issued folding shovels for the other tasks all the clowns use their combat knives for
It would be more like if the ferrari BROKE on the way to the store
You guys should do this with the OKC bayonet… M9 I believe… I would be very interested to see how it holds up, considering it’s intended purpose is to be mounted on a bayonet lug and used in a combat scenario.
Its a piss poor bayonet, to wide for effective penetration and the saw back hangs up on withdrawal. Old triangle is the best.
you could do a comparison between the Ka-bar and a German army knife such as the Km 2000 etc. It would be interesting to see the differences as one is basically a 100 year old design and the other quite modern, but yet quite cheap.
Glock knife too
And throw in the Glock knife just for the heck of it.👍🏻
Buck is the most American knife
The Ka-Bar i can get for around 100€ while the KM2000 costs around 160€ so how is the KM2000 cheap? The Glock FM78 counts as cheap in my book for a little over 30€ it's at least quite sturdy and stabby enough for the intention it was made.
@@scoobydoodoo7562 Kabar started making knives in 1898 and buck in 1902. So it has more history in the US.
The most American knife is buck, they've been around for a long time...
Lots of snobbery when it comes to knives these days ..
The Ka-Bar is a wonderful knife who saved the lives of more than one soldier in Vietnam , WW2 ....plenty of stories out there ..
Just don't use it as a pry bar or as an axe , it's not meant for that , and it will last you a lifetime ...
The ka-bar is a great knife & company. The "blessed DBK boys" are not ment to be taken seriously. Just look at the way they act. The only reason they have fans is because there are lots of like minded clowns out there just like them.
@@johnnyeas1431 Amen. The Ka-Bar had one purpose and it was to be sticking out of someone else's chest. Every story I've heard from old salty Marines is that they had complete confidence in that knife in CQB.
I have a USMC kabar just to have it. The history behind it makes it a legend.
Had mine with me 2nd Marine Division 2005-2009. This knife will last a lifetime....as long as you treat it like a hard use knife, not a hard use AXE. 😉
@@pennsyltuckyreb9800
True..mine is from 1985.
Use at as a knife and it Will be your best friend..
And it can takes a beating.
I never saw a ka bar broke in the way as in this video.
Strange..
I remember as a kid my uncle who was a USMC tanker in Vietnam telling me how much he hated the Kabar... he said "there are burn pits filled with diesel cans with kabar blades broken in them."
He told me the tanker crews sought out pilots knives and bayonets because they pried way better and stabbed way better.
Thr KABAR is not a great utility knife and its definitely not a knife designed for combat like any other dagger style MK2 type knives are.
I get a lot of crap from veterans when I mention this but the reality is military issue is usually the cheapest contractor who was willing to fulfill to the lowest standard...
British MOD survival knife is the opposite problem. Grossly overbuilt and you have to put on the secondary grind yourself. However with some tlc it is actually a very nice robust knife.
Agreed, take a look at the Ontario pilot knife. That’s why we buy our own.
It was designed as a consumable product during wartime shortages for hand to hand combat - it was never intended to be a survival or bushcraft knife. It was not designed for prying, batoning, hammering, nor cutting anything except flesh and soft bones. Not saying it can’t do all of that, it can - just don’t be surprised when it fails.
Yep, Fighting Knife is literally in the name. If you want to chop wood use a fucking axe. I don't know when people started believing you can use a knife as a claw hammer/do everything tool. If that was the case everyone would've stopped using every other tool already. It's not a lightsaber either.
Lots of american soldier's starting in ww2 ditched the kbar and carried german hunting knives and Randell made knives.
This was actually the first knife I ever bought. I don't use it, but it's so cool on a shelf.
My first knife too. I don't use it either.
The Ka-Bar wasn't my first knife, but I did get one fairly early in my knife collecting hobby. I've batoned countless logs and sticks with it. The guard has bent and been bent back. The blade now has a slight downward cant relative to the handle.
It's retired from use now, but I'd bet it could handle more use. Definitely a cool knife, although outdated and not tough enough for survival/bushcraft.
"The blade is at a slight downward cant relative to the handle."
- Introducing the Ka-Bar Combat Kukri. 🤣
Used my Ka-Bar in many combat deployments. I don't think it was ever necessary to hit it with a baseball bat. It served me through 23 years in the military and for the past 10 years. As I said in another of your reviews it is a combat knife, not an expensive survival knfe..
Most of these clowns would be better off with a eastwing hatchet. Proper tool for what the want to use a knife for. As i said proper tool for the job
It does basic knife functions.I hate having a round handle tho.
@@rickyspanish1173 because this knife is engineerd to cut flesh not wood and you have to do it fast. Less weight faster moves. Which point you do not understand?
@dyduz it's funny how they are confusing a fighting/utility knife for a survival knife. It says right on the care instructions "NOT TO BE USED FOR BATONING"
@@rickyspanish1173 the Mk 2 Fighting Utility knife replaced knives which had full metal hilts/handles before, and was designed with leather washers instead of those to both increase grip and reduce cost. If you want a KA-BAR with a full tang, KA-BAR has a couple options that are not the Mk 2
Well I’m not buying one of those
I've got a Ka-Bar. It's my go-to knife in environments that make steel rust quickly. I've never had to baby my Ka-Bar and I've never had an issue with it.
I left mine in Afghanistan, many other far better options.
Totally overrated blade living on its legacy from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Decent for its era but today there are far superior combat utility blades in production....even superior versions of the Kabar such as the TOPS American Combat Knife.
Buck knives are the most iconic American knife , especially the 119 and 121
120 is more iconic
I'd like to see them test out Buck's new pro series
Agreed i own a buck 119 special and it's a amazing knife
Buck knives suck today!
Exactly
Hey guys, thanks so much! There's so much folk out there, whose first "knife" was the KaBar - so did I more than 40 yrs ago. Still own it, it has seen lots of can openings, batoning and camp weekends and still is a nice knife. But since I came over the "British M.O.D. jungle knife" - it went into retirement... and I do agree: there's better knives out there. The M.O.D. jungle knife is a beast...
yes they should definitely try the MOD survival knife!!
This title is misleading, "Buck" is by far the most iconic American knife. Its so well known almost every north American knows buck is the most American knife , never met one person with this one, Buck is a good knife too.
They clearly forgot about Buck, not just for Americans but all north Americans , this knife is cool but if we talk about America's knife its Buck
The M.O.D. knife is a beast indeed but has a different purpose all together. It is for survival indeed but not for combat.
@@StevanOutdoor they should have used Buck instead
How dare you slaughter my sacred cows!?!?!?
When I bought my Ka- Bar back in the day I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Even after I joined the Army I bought a mini Ka-Bar that went with me to any and every field problem. I love those knives, even with all the other options out there.
Just purchased a mini about a hour ago. Steel and leather awesome stuff
I have an old mini (don't think the leather survived some war, as it was replaced with paracord) and a chinesium M7.
I like them both but the KA-BAR ends up on my hip more.
I got a Space Bar as a collector's item. There's no way I'd ever consider using it as a knife, but I love it.
Dude, I'm American and I didn't know we had a Space Force until I saw the cool blue Kabar.
@@adamjames1375 you don't lol... all smoke and mirrors....
@@adamjames1375 its designed for killing aliens
@@jbbolts they need taxes for the millenniun falcon and space fleet building plan, trust the government
I know a bat is much larger and gets more leverage in the swing than a baton would, but you didnt even hit it hard, alot of batoning tasks would require harder hits, so that was really quite terrible of the knife to break from that. Thats why full tangs are much better knives i guess :))
ka bar is full tang though...
@@MrZombiecorpse Nah brother, thats a stick tang or "through" tang.
@@NinjaHikage ...A full tang extends the full length of the grip-portion of a handle, versus a partial tang which does not. A full tang may or may not be as wide as the handle itself, but will still run the full length of the handle..." I always still considered it a full tang, but stick tang is a more accurate description i suppose.
It’s a fighting knife not a throwing knife, not a axe, not a survival knife, just simply a fighting knife.
While I was with the 82nd Airborne I mastered throwing my K-Bar...The K-Bar is sometimes difficult to pull out of a rib cage. To get around that rounding off the tip edge a little works wonders..Lol..
The Ka-bar was my first knife too! Got mine when I was around 10 years old. 39 years later my son has it.
Gentlemen,
Three things: 1) The USMC isn’t the Army! USMC means Marines. Army personnel are “soldiers”. Second, we always carried two blades. Semper Fi! Third, The USMC is the least well funded of all American Military branches. We get paid the worst, treated the worst, and have the worst gear supplied to us.
the marines getting the worst gear is literally the corps own fault. they refuse to change for shit.
It’s true power only activates if you’re a action movie star ⭐️
Never forget the USMC are a great fighting force not because they have the best gear, but because they make the best of what they get. They are a value force, that is massively effective even when given their small budget. The KA-BAR is revered nowadays not because it is good, but because it's a symbol of the deeds that have been done with it and what it's capable of when its use is maximized. That said, have some sense and don't buy USMC gear for personal use lol
The Marines do not have a small budget
@@samnottheotherone4363 compared to the army? Yeah they do, they get hand me down equipment too. They are the younger sibling that has to wear their big bros clothes and occasionally get bought a new pair of shoes
@@The_PotionSeller you're comparing them to the most highly funded fighting force in the world. The Marines alone have more funding than the entirety of almost any other nation's entire defense budget. Only like 7 countries spend more.
@@samnottheotherone4363 well yeah, America spends a retard amount of money on the defense budget. It only makes sense to compare inside the country, I'm not gonna compare the US marine budget to the British navy, or the Serbian military. Im gonna compare them across equivalents
@@The_PotionSeller out of the more than 150 militaries in the world the Marines are in the top 10 most well funded, every military has a small budget compared to the US army
You guys know Buck is basically the most American knife there is right not this one ?
Buck kinda sucks these days. I got my dad a buck pro skinner in s35vn because he likes buck but build quality is bad and it feels like crap. That is their flagship line and it not impressive at all.
The K bar as a quality product has gone down significantly over the decades. I inherited one from the Korean conflict, years later i bought one for camping You can tell the quality of the seel is completely different.
I think so also...
Still, they should have fixed the 90 degree tang transition.
That's a major weakness.
Why keeping that, when you can fix it for the better.
Stick tangs are fine.But the transition should no be a sharp angle.
Glad I bought a Glock FM-81 as my utility knife for camping now. People have proven it can take a beating and still keep kicking.
Even I bought Glock FM78 as my first fixed blade knife.
I'm not surprised the knife bended, same thing happened to my ka-bar (some 20 years ago). In my opinion it is just a weapon, not a tool at all!
I've got a beautiful linder Bowie knife, which could be cool to see tested by these lads. It's only 440C but the heat treat is great and it's a thick old slab of steel, so i feel it could stand up to martins ways haha.
your are Not very nice to the knives 😅
Best Knife channel!
🇺🇸☦️🇺🇸 PLEASE TEST “EXTREAM RATIO” KNIFE ! Thanks you. ❤️
I completely agree with your thoughts on this knife. It's allure for me is it's storied past with many documentaries publishing it's fame, but the one thing that has kept me from adding it to my cart is its weak point, where the blade meets the rat-tail tang at the guard/handle. It has always appeared to me that that area is lacking and you guys just confirmed that and regardless of whether you Babe Ruth-ed it across the forest with a baseball bat or not it still shouldn't snap like that. While I may never actually add one of these knives to my collection, I will tell you what I just did add to it.... my 5th Bark River knife. lol
What model Bark River did you just buy? Just curious
@@1mataleo1 The 1909 Michigan Bowie w/ stacked leather handle... and that sucker is SHARP! ( in looks and blade edge 😎)
Personally, I don't think they are worth the asking price. I get all my knives used. I love my short KA-BAR (got it from a buddy who got it from an army buddy, guessing it saw Vietnam or a hard job in the middle east because the leather was replaced with paracord, I love that little thing)
But my chinesium M7 bayonet works quite well too. The point on KA-BAR is stronger but you can't beat the control the M7 gives you.
I used to be very hard on knives and saw no correlation between price and durability (was using folders back then, and some generic "USA" brand made in china went through sod, cleaned up saw cuts in wood and concrete board siding, ect. where many more expensive ones failed me. With fixed blades it's easier to judge quality (like the 90° cut to the tang you mention in the KA-BAR is clearly a weak point.) however I would still never put alot if money into a blade again.
It's just so hit and miss I feel like once you get a good one that works for you, go with it.
*increase the tang thickness/ width and to compensate make the grip thinner..... NOW a winner
I cannot believe that the kabar is so fragile. Thanks for the video.
It's not.
You beat on something with a hammer long enough it will break. Its a knife not a club or a hatchet
@@TheOfficialDB72it most certainly is. it literally bends from the slightest sideways pressure.
@@brianjohnson6053plenty of knives that can handle what this knife took and not break.
"it would not survive because it has a rat tang"
Morakniv companion: *death stare*
I'd only give the Kabar a 4 out of 10. I had one, and a pilot survival knife, and gave them away. They don't cut worth a damn, they are weak at the handle, the guards are stupid. Maybe it's a good fighting knife, but I will never do that. At the current price of a Kabar, there are literally hundreds of knives I'd rather have. My grandfather carried a Marbles knife in WW2.
The pilot survival knife really sucks
Personally I would go with the gerber strongarm or cold steel SRK and the Ka-bar as a sticker
I always thought the K-bar was an overrated knife and I would never depend on it in a survival situation! And yes I've owned a couple of them and gave them away for that reason!
And you live in survival situations daily lol. My eastwing hatchet will out perform all you Gucci blades
I think a lot of the newer K-BARs are counterfeited even if they are marked or claimed to be 'Made in the USA. I've seen this at gun shows Mil-Sup stores.
The knife was not originally designed as a combat knife, it was a utility design. that's why the guard faces backwards into the hand. Now their combat versions have straight guards, like their new tanto design. They are made just for utility. No one says how many of thes knives did break in combat. The second knife you hit, you hit the blade!
Blade length is perfect for a shoulder to heart hit
@@brianjohnson6053Astonishing!
Ka bar ... Cooking knive ...... ok ..... Perfect 🔥🔥🔥✌️😂✌️😂✌️😂✌️🍀🍀🍀🔥
I'm glad you're showing just how bad the Ka-Bar is. Retired 1stsgt U.S.M.C 30 years. I have broken well over a dozen of them. Most of us in the military carry blades we purchased. Thanks guys for another great video. Keep up the good work.
Yea for sure. Bought a Gerber Strongarm ages ago because I wanted an upgrade and didn't have a lot of cash at the time. Thought I would use it for while and then get something nicer. Years later the Strongarm has taken a beating and looks basically new.
You got that right 1Sgt. The Ka-Bar and M7 bayonet were issued and I had to carry them on me but I also carried a Buck 110 folder in a nylon pouch. I used that whenever I actually needed a knife for something. Semper Fi.
@@bena3341 you know how it goes. The always take the cheapest bid and produce junk. Then say here ya go guy's!now go defend your country ! Can't count how much gear I bought out of my own pockets.
I'd blame the user not the tool
This is one of my favorite channels to watch on TH-cam. I bought my first bark River knife because of DBK. Great video guys! Keep up the good work.
I love my Gerber Strongarm which is as "just OK"-knife but a very good prybar ;-)
Yea my Strongarm is my cheapest fixed blade. But it's also the one I would grab first if shtf. It might not be the best but it will never let you down.
@@bena3341 Yes! I have done so much with mine it just feels like a natural extension of my hand. Even the Gerber Prodigy and LMF 2 are not the same despite very similar overall shape and performance. If I really need to do a finer job there is still a folder or multitool around ;-)
@Douglas Pantera they are so light and compact you may carry 3x at the same time ;-)
I have managed to break a KA-BAR Extreme D2 fighting knife with a serrated blade. It broke right at the high point on a serration. I still have a older KA-BAR with a phosphate coated blade, mint condition leather handle that isn't the modern rounded kind, it has a better shape like a Randall model 1 handle.
I am using my 1990s Camillus branded kabar and that thing is a tank, the Camillus handles are big and round, with a lacquer coat. It actually makes shavings like a mora and batons like a beast its crazy how good the old 1095 Crovan is.
EDIT: you broke that one easy, I do not think the modern ones are at the same level as the old ones.
The best ones were never the ones made by KABAR. If you look at the good fighting knives out of Vietnam or WW2 era (such as the USMC fighting knife or pilots survival knife), they were ground with a better edge, had a better shaped handle, and made by Camillius, Case, or Ontario.
D2 isn't very tough. It's meant for above average edge retention and wear resistance for a cheaper price. A knife designed for fighting just isn't gonna be that heavy duty.
WINKLERRRRRR!!!
GOTTA REVIEW A WINKLER!!!!!!
WINKLER!! WINKLER!!
WINKLER!!
WINKLER!! WINKLER!!
When I deployed to Iraq well over a decade ago, I had a Gerber LMF on my vest and a Gerber 06 Auto (I think that’s what it was called) in my pocket. I never had the chance to carry the Kabar but my faith in the Gerber knives is unrivaled. You guys are absolutely right… I needed to feel like what I had with me would hold up to anything that may come my way. I’m grateful I never had to consider using my knife for anything but opening MRE’s but if I had to, I would have trusted them. I put those knives through hell and back. I’ve pried doors open with that Gerber and no issues. Edge retention was shit and I didn’t know shit about knives then but even now, I would feel safe with those knives. If I were to deploy tomorrow, Fallkniven S1X hands down. That and a Worksharp field sharpener. Great video guys. If anything, it shows what happens when you buy for aesthetics instead of putting in the research and money.
get yourself a trc millie cuori. That thing will never breaks.
If I was to deploy again I'd personally take my Bark river bravo tope recon in 3v and I do agree a worksharp field sharpener I have one sitting next to me now and I've sharpened everything on this thing from maxamet to S110V and even magnacut it surprisingly is able to get hair whittling edges if you truly put in the time and just using what is on the tool no other strops or anything!
Yea never been a fan of the Kabar. My Gerber Strongarm has taken an absolute beating for years and it's pretty much indestructible.
@@Cutecumball that thing is never available to buy!
@@howardvarley8795 you just have to be lucky lol
Great videos guys. Maybe you can test the Buck 119 or the Buck OPS boot knife.
I agree, buck is the most American knife. Surprised Europeans dont know that
Ka-Bar is a fighting knife and it is the contemporary popular name for the combat knife first adopted by the United States Marine Corps in November 1942 as the 1219C2 combat knife (later designated the USMC Mark 2 combat knife or Knife, Fighting Utility), and subsequently adopted by the United States Navy as the U.S. Navy utility knife, Mark 2.
Real Marines know Ontario is the the company infantry rifleman carry. Kabar is just for wall hangers and shadowboxes. Ontario is the real DOD contract blade
Mors Kochanski once told me that he tried out a couple of ka-bars, since people always raved about them. With his typical bushcraft tasks, they both broke where the blade met the handle.
That's a rat tail -tang for you.
I love Mors and all but he was inconsistent in his knife choices and advise. He advised in his book to carry a knife, preferably full tang, that you could jam into the side of a tree and stand on with your full weight.
Yet, the guy carried Moras most of the time which are stick tangs as well and nowhere near as tough as a Kabar USMC.
You are NOT going to break a Kabar with "typical bushcraft tasks". If you think what you watched above is typical bushcraft tasks for a knife then you got warped by these yahoo $300+ knife peddlers.
I carry my pack axe with me along with whatever belt knife I have.
@@thymii Tons of "rat-tail" tangs out there that have been going strong for centuries. Also, the Kabar doesn't have a "rat-tail" tang. It's a full length stick tang that is pinned at the bottom in the pommel.
@@pennsyltuckyreb9800 I suppose leukus have been through a lot of hard use without them failing like this ka-bar did, yeah. They traditionally have quite a narrow tang inside the handle too.
@@thymii It just comes down to the TH-cam knife generation today expect their knives to be axes....without being axes.
Please please please review the glock knife! It’s actually super tough military style knife for only 30 dollars
As a kid, I wanted a K-Bar. Joined the Army instead of the Marines, got a Benchmade Nimravus tanto and never looked back. Got a Benchmade Autostryker my first deployment fresh out of boot camp and that knife will retire with me next year. Still have both knives, abused both, they lasted. Glad you guys put this video out because I was beginning to look at finally getting a K-Bar. Now I definitely will not be getting one.
I hope you have sone cool guns if your dropping that much on your knife!
Cause u testing cheap imitations Ka-bar knife, my own one is beautiful AMAZING and IMPRESSIVE ✊💪👊
The marine corps in Vietnam actually greatly preferred the western W49 or the case 1836 bowies, but the W49 has long been out of production and the case 1836 is now only in stainless and more wall hanger status to me
I know many people will disagree, but a tacticak knife should be a survival knife, it should be able to do bushcraft and be tough as nails. A soldier is more likely to need to survive in the wilderness for a few days then have a knufe fight lol.
Our fathers and grandfathers taught us to use the right tool for the job. I think if you just use it as a knife it will probably perform just fine. A shovel is for digging holes a hatchet is for splitting logs, a pry bar is for leverage etc. A combat utility knife is good for combat and basic utility knife functions.
True but that said! A car is for driving yet sometimes it crashes, slips or things happen you don't intend to. It's nice to know if your car is safe in those situations. For me this is why we do these tests with the knives. You'd use it 90% of the time for knife tasks but what if the need arises to use it otherwise? Can it do it or not. This knife can't survive things a lot of knives in its price range can while still functioning as a knife the same or better. This is our point of view on this.
So you're completely right you should use the right tool for the right job when you can
@@DutchBushcraftKnives so be prepared buy a hatchet. Have one in my pickup just in case
I really like your videos and your knife testing. Even when I’m disappointed by some of my favorite knifes performance.
Sorry you got some kind of animal 🦓 poop on your hand. I can sympathize, it has happened to me. It’s especially bad when there is no convenient place to wash 🧼 off. Though I did kinda laugh when it happened. “Sorry”
Kabar is a case of successful marketing. They got one of their knives shipped with every wooden crate of ammo and rifles to be used as an opening tool. That's how it got into the hands of Marines and became ubiquitous.
Blasphemy, what do the Dutch know about warfare. They rolled over when the Germans invaded. Stick to raves and pot.
Bravo guys!!!!!! Thank you for SHOWING us the real limitations of an iconic combat knife. Keep up the good work, you’re nailing it. Your talent will be getting you many, many more subs. You certainly deserve it.
Real limitations? How many infantry men stabbed their knife into wood and tried to hit a home run with it with a fucking baseball bat? Answer: 0
Clowns from the word go.
@@1858remmie , yup, they don’t take themselves too seriously and use humor in their videos. They test the shit out of the knives and tools on their videos. They have plenty of subs and many more coming. Piss off!!!
You know in Vietnam they broke open steel bands on supplies with a m16 barrel and wondered why they wouldn't shoot straight. Use the right tool for the job
A USMC surplus Kabar sold for $1 used about $1.50 new in 1960. As kids we were tough on these Kabar knives. And never had one break on us. But lost many throwing knifes in ghd woods. We even made spears out of them to throw at old trashed cars & engine blocks. Never broke a one. Not even when a kabsr went through my left foot playing chicken with a neighbor. Bones No Problem. My foot and New shoes,, big problem. Knife Through both of them & through the sole! Hell of a way to win a game. Modern Kabar reproductions suck hard. That really heavy feel isn't there. A old kabar will go straight to point in a horizontal free fall almost instantly on the drop
“Well maybe you shouldn’t be such a goddamn pussy” is such an accurate depiction of Americans. I know because I am one lol. I love the Kabar exposure. It’s a classic knife but it’s too engrained into people’s “idea” of a knife for people to move from the design
This knife is a pos!!!! I wouldn’t use that knife to open cardboard boxes.
I dunno if I'd say the knife has fallen exactly. When you use the knife to do all the ordinary stuff you'd do with a knife and when you use the knife to fight with the knife will hold up it's a tool designed for the job it's meant to do. In the past when firearms were less consistent the knife might be pressed into service as a weapon but also might do some light utility stuff. But I agree it's really not the knife to choose for someone who is doing bushcraft or "survival" stuff. Nowadays the chances of you using a knife in a fight are really low and the chance that you might use one to dig a hole or break/hammer something or make a fire are much higher.
For simple knife tasks the grinding angle is too low. I have to regrind it so it can actually cut
I'm literally never touching a ka-bar again. Just like camillus, they should be ashamed.
Okay fellas, you know that I love you two crazy bastards and all that you do for the knife community but I am actually from Olean NY born and raised (yes it says OLEAN NY on the side of your KABAR) and the thing that you need to understand is that this knife was not designed as a survival or a fighting knife at all... What they did was they saw a need for the military to have knives and this was during a time of war when materials were hard to get so folks tended to appreciate what rhey did have a bit more and they would use it to the best of its abilities and not try to break the damn thing! Also the design was originally a hunting knife and Kabar just slightly modified it so that th3 soldiers could use them and they could be made fast and cheap with little materials and the knife is still made today because it is iconic and many people have memories of their grandfather or father having one so they want one themselves but if you were to take a modern designed kabar like the BK2 and do whatever the hell you want to it you are not going to be able to break it and some people do prefer a high carbon steel that is easy to sharpen because if you're out in the wilderness and your 3v knife goes completely dull then what are you going to do? Nothing, but with a properly heat treated 1095 blade you could sharpen it on a rock or simply strop it on your pants and get it to cut again... So before you go and bash a knife please know the full history and facts behind it, I mean how do you think anything was made in during the world wars, it was completely different than where we are today... Now if you want to buy knives and break them just for fun hell have at it but try and break a BK2 and see how far you get....
Great comment man and absolutely no hate for the usmc of course. It is a legend but is does not stand the test of time (even though it still looks great). Of course if you look after the knife it serves you well! We have made a video about it earlier where we showed that. Thanks for the history info!! The knife is a legend, but we stand by the fact that there are better knives for the price which just have a better design! Cheers man!
Also they have done vids on the Becker bk2 as they love it.
“...the thing you need to understand is that this knife was not designed as a survival or a fighting knife at all..”
Although the basic specifications were inspired by existing blades, such as the Western States L77 and prior-issued Mark 1, it was quite literally designed from the outset as a dual purpose knife, which is why its official description in the USMC supply system was “Knife, Fighting Utility”.
Sources: My time in the USMC looking up the NSN’s, official designations, and cost of various weapons in the SASSY microfiche files, and knife-depot . com/pages/all-about-ka-bar-knives “USMC Colonel John M. Davis and Major Howard E. America 🇺🇸 worked with Union Cutlery Company to design a knife that could fill the [combat utility knife] void left by the lack of an officially issued knife.”
You bring up some interesting points but that doesn't excuse the absolutely garbage heat treat the steel has. There are plenty of knives with similar steels and tangs that would never bend or break like that.
KABAR is a trash of a knife that is only ONLY GOOD for fighting even that's really a stretch. I would never take that knife and pack it into a bug out bag.
I respectfully disagree that it’s a bad knife.
When you’re not trying to beat the shit out of it with a baseball bat
Finding FatWood is like finding gold
Poor Maarten in this one
Honestly you guys are better at food prepping with a Ka Bar than me,
I never had good luck doing that
Plus it is really just A modified hunting knife design
So really it’s not a fighting knife.
I would call it a generalist
Yea man i get you. Maybe the classic “jack of all trades, master at none”
But yea its just a cool knife. It can do basic knife jobs and keep up but i would not like to depend my life on this one!
Cheers mate! Have a good day!
@@DutchBushcraftKnives I understand that you wouldn’t want to depend your life on it.
Like I mentioned it’s not a survival knife
If I was forced to give it a label?
I’d say maybe Camp Knife
@@jnzupka A military knife should be a survival knife. Most other military knives are designed as such.
@@bena3341 again it’s a modified hunting knife design.
If I had to put it in a specific category.
Camp Knife
My Father always told me to be cautious with these flimsy knives, they are collectible not combat knives... loll
These knives are designed to stab people, not camp with. It’s like complaining that a Porsche can’t handle a mud trail. This is a silly video.
Can you guys try some friction folders please?
Like svord peasant and the nomad.
Any knife will break if you abuse it the way these guys do. All they like are expensive bushcraft knives, most of which can't take the same abuse they put on a Ka-Bar. If you think Morakaniv's are sturdy knives, your opinion is severely skewed. If you compare a Ka-Bar to a $300-$400 full ttang super steel knife, you're just being dishonest.
Idk, When I’m researching a knife, I try to ask “Does it do what it’s *supposed* to do within reason?” Just my opinion.
It's good at what it's supposed to do. Which is butchering the enemy. As for a woodcraft knife, better than nothing, but not even close to my first pick.
everyone pls don’t use your kabar fighters as bushcraft knives these were designed to be mass produced combat knives. why anyone would take a fighting knife with a stick tang out in the woods to abuse it is beyond me.
Why you would use this for combat is also beyond me! For that task there would be cheaper and better knives
I have to agree with the video makers. My first carbon steel knife was a Ka-Bar. Everyone told me that Ka-Bar was the knife to have. If it was half the price they ask for it, it might be decent. As it is, it's way too expensive for what it is. If you're looking for another one, hit me up. I'd like to sell it! My Cold Steel Recon Tanto, at $45, is a far superior knife in every way. The Beckers are much better too, but they are more expensive for the same blade length. I couldn't bring myself to buy one when a Cold Steel Recon Tanto is $45 (longer and stronger blade), and an Ontario SP6 Fighting Knife is like $38. You have to sharpen the Ontario yourself, because it comes full from the factory, hence the price. However, it has a better handle, a stronger tang, and I trust 1075 to be tougher than 1085 Cro-Van. Yes, the new MOLLE sheaths aren't very good, but they're better than the old Cordura sheaths that Ontario shipped them with, when their Spec Plus knives were still made out of 1095. The Ka-Bar isn't a bad knife, and it would be decent in a fight. I also think it's a decent survival knife, if you don't abuse the shit out of it like these guys did. There's no reason to do a tip test on a clip point blade. That's not what they're made for. All that said, there are much better knives for the price. That's the thing that gets me. This should be a $40 knife. EDIT: I meant the Cold Steel Recon Tanto is longer and stronger than the standard Ka-Bar, not the Ka-Bar Becker BK7.
I am NOT surprised at all. The Ka-Bar USMC knife is an over-hyped blade that is actually crap and NOT intended for ANY heavy-duty use. Anyone that tells you it is has never used one or looked into its design purpose. It is a light-duty blade, for common soldier field tasks like opening boxes digging, light duty cutting, and as a LAST DITCH defensive weapon, not much more. The tang/handle is not sturdy, the steel is low grade and the heat treat sucks. Sorry fanboys (not you guys), but that is FACT.
Ka Bar short is nice self defence knife, but is absolutely useless for bushcraft or survival. I was actually suprised that it handeled even a little bit of batoning.
name one time a USMC Kbar failed in combat or was repeatedly hit w baseball bats? I always like when 2 little short cosplay guys who never served in the military comment on the military.
The knife works perfectly. The knife is an useful killing machine. I’m sorry you’re disappointed you stabbed a fucking stump and then hit it full throttle sideways, with a baseball bat and the knife bent. It’s a thin fighting knife. Good steel, good handle, good design, excellent price. High quality stuff. Let me go make a video of me trying to use my handgun as a hammer and then bash on it compared to other weapons better suited to hit nails with such as a shotgun.
The Ka-Bar was always over-hyped. Ppl used to argue with me as though it were a magic weapon forged by dwarves. Utter crap. There are better fighting knives out there; history is full if them.
This is a good video for stupid people who avoid the facts Kabar has design flaws for what it is advertised for. It's just a hunting knife due to stick tang I wouldn't trust.
The glock knife is just better. Sorry ka-bar 1911 boomers
I bent my Kabar over years 20 ago. I made it straight again and sold it. For me, one of the worst military knives. Thanks for the video and it is bad to see, they didn´t improve it at all:-( FM
Remember that military knives are made by the lowest bidder so it's not a surprise
I'm surprised it broke so easily. Ontario is the most recent military contractor for this knife. I wonder if their knife would fair any better.
i hope you got paid the big bucks to wear that shirt eww