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Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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D2 Ka Bar vs 1095 Carbon Ka Bar
- Thread starter Peak_Oil
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2007
- Messages
- 69
does anyone have experience with the 440A used in the next gen ones? how does it compare to other steels that are used (i know 440A is not an "exotic" steel), how does it compare with 440C, AUS-8, VG-10, etc?
t1mpani
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2002
- Messages
- 5,494
I haven't used the Kabar in 440A, although I have one of the original Next Gens in 12c27 and have certainly had no complaints. Much as with the non-stainless steels, the lower-carbon stainlesses tend towards being more ductile than their higher-carbon brethren, at the expense of some deformation/abrasion resistance; though not near as tough as the tougher non-stainless steels. Again, you have to look at what you intend to use the knife for. No matter what steel it's made out of, the geometry of the Kabar doesn't lend it towards really fine cutting tasks. Don't get me wrong, it can be made very sharp, but it's still kind of a clumsy tool compared to many for the kind of chores where VG-10's and the other's properties will be an advantage.
Not my number one choice for this blade (admitted bias, as my non-stainless to stainless knives ratio is probably 5:1 or better), but 440A is one of the more rugged stainless steels and a decent choice for this type of utility worker. 12c27 was even better (same general characteristics but with much higher quality control in the production of the alloy) but 440A was cheaper. If ONLY the original Next Generation models had been available in plain edge...
Not my number one choice for this blade (admitted bias, as my non-stainless to stainless knives ratio is probably 5:1 or better), but 440A is one of the more rugged stainless steels and a decent choice for this type of utility worker. 12c27 was even better (same general characteristics but with much higher quality control in the production of the alloy) but 440A was cheaper. If ONLY the original Next Generation models had been available in plain edge...