So, I won a KaBar USMC a little while ago from one of Mooses contests (THANKS MOOSE!!), and I purchased a KaBar ZK War Sword for myself around the same time (got here on the same day actually). That was a bit over a week ago now, and I still hadn't done any sort of review. Well, I'm going to try go correct this right now.
Last night I went up into the mountains with my wife and my little sister and her new BF and had a campfire. I took the knives, but didn't take any photos (was dark when we got there).
I live in an apartment (super ghetto, it looks like a shed), and because of that, I can't just randomly take down limbs or trees with my knives in the name of a test. So this morning, I went out in search of something to cut and use in the test. My landlord was out and about, so I asked him what I might be able to use. Short story, is that I found some wood to hack away on and test out the blades a bit, and I am not going to get evicted because of it.
Initial thoughts, USMC:
I pulled the knife out of the package, and thought that it was beautiful. Its a classic for sure. Its also my first knife with a leather handle (or sheath actually), so I was interested to see how it felt.
The knife was pretty sharp out of the box, but not incredibly sharp. It could cut some hairs off of your arm if you went over the same spot once or twice, and it cut paper easily.
The grinds were good for the most part, but the tip is a little bit off. The part above the swedge is a bit larger than it should be, and because of that the shape of the blade is a bit different than what I imagine it is normally. It doesn't affect how it performs, but if I ever decide to put a sharpened swedge on it (not likely), I'd have a bit more metal to wear through before I could get it to look right.
Those things aside though, the USMC was nice. I liked how comfy the handle was when I was working with it, and I also like the light weight. It didn't tire my hand, wrist or arm when using and/or holding it, which I consider a good thing. I've also discovered that I like knives with a pommel or at least something that swells at the end, to help you hold onto it. This has one.
When I hold one, I can't help but feel like I'm holding a part of history. Theres a reason they are still making this one.
Initial thoughts, ZK War Sword:
To be honest, when I first received this knife, I thought it was nice and long, but for the length, it was a bit thin (vertically if viewed from the side), and I was worried about its durability with my intended use for it (camp knife, batoning, chopping, etc). It also felt a bit thinner than what I'd expect it to be for a .20in thick blade.
After inspecting it a bit more closely, I found that I was a bit justified in feeling it was a bit thinner than I was thinking. The Full Flat Grind on the right side of the knife actually cut away part of the spine on my knife, making the spine narrower than it should be.
Its kind of funny. I now own 3 KaBar produced knives (4 if you count the Archeron I guess, I forgot about that one), and not one of them has had the grinds perfect. I know most peoples knives are just fine, but I just find it odd that all of mine have been a bit off. Either way, I'll still use them, as it doesn't really affect how they perform.
The War Sword has a sharper spine than any of my knives. It throws great sparks. Unfortunately for me, I suck at making fires with firesteels, so this hasn't helped me out much yet
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The War Sword came pretty sharp as well (a touch sharper than my USMC if I had to guess), but the angles on the edge on this one were pretty different. One side was about 20ish degrees while the other was almost 30.
The sheath is actually pretty nice, and I like the huge pocket, and the fact that the Archeron comes with it.
I also really like the coating that comes on the Taiwanese KaBar knives. I feel like it is a bit more durable than the coating that comes on the American Beckers. It seems like it comes off more gradually, and more evenly, but that could just be me. Either way, it starts out with much more texture.
Initial thoughts, ZK Archeron:
First off, this knife came for free, so I can't be too unhappy about it any way I think about it. That said, I was disappointed with my particular archeron.
Mine was crazy dull. Duller than any knife I have ever purchased (that I can recall anyway). It wouldn't even come close to cutting paper, or hair. For that matter, I don't think it could have cut me. It did sharpen up just fine though.
The only thing I have to say about it, is that it is smaller than I thought. I knew it would likely be a three finger knife, but because the knife is so thin vertically, there isn't much to hold onto, and it kind of disappears in your hand. The most comfortable way I found to hold it is to actually hold it like there is a choil on it. So I might try to put one on it someday, just because.
Here is a photo of it next to my Gerber Paraframe. As you can see, its quite small. My main feeling about it is that the blade is a bit to long for the handle, and that it is a bit more slender than I like. Then again, its my first small fixed blade, so maybe I'm just not used to them yet. Anyone with a BK11 or 14 want to chime in about this part?
The photo, for size comparison. Notice how the blade on the Archeron is actually longer than the paraframe, while its handle is shorter, and thinner.
Performance, USMC:
Well, I did get a chance to use this classic a bit, and have to say that it is pretty comfortable, even though I haven't used it enough to break in the handle at all. I managed to cut through about ring finger sized twigs without a backstop with it, and the handle was comfortable in pretty much all positions, even in a rearward grip. And more importantly, it felt secure in all of those grips, which isn't something I can say about the War Sword.
The knife felt lively in hand, and it is much lighter than my other knives, so it was easy to use for extended periods of time.
It seems to whittle and carve pretty well, but the upper guard gets in the way sometimes. My wife really likes this knife though, even though she thinks its too large. Sounds to me like she might like a leather MK1...
Performance, War Sword:
I've managed to use this bad boy a bit more than the USMC, so I have a bit more to say about it.
When I first got the knife, I thought it was a bit "dainty" for a knife of this length, and was worried about how tough it would be. I got to use it to baton some decent sized wood (calf to wrist size) last night, and it actually did pretty well for that. The tip comes to a spear point, but there is no swedge, so it doesn't tear up your baton too much. Also, even though I got it stuck in some pretty awesome knots, I didn't see it bending at all (but it was dark). So at this point, I've yet to baton tons, but it seems like it should hold up, which makes me feel better.
Here are some shots of it batoning some wrist-forearm sized wood. Also, I think these are the first shots I've seen of anyone actually USING their War Sword for anything, so enjoy these.
It also chops pretty well, which comes as no surprise considering its length. I was able to chop slightly bigger than thumb sized sticks without a backstop pretty easily. It was easy to use this knife to knock the twigs off of downed branches. I could clear whole arm spans with this one pretty easily.
The handle is pretty comfy, even if I do feel it is a bit small and hard to hold in the rearmost grip. It could really use some liners(FLeXX???) to help it fill out my hand a bit better (about average sized man hands). The problem is that while holding it in the rearmost grip, you're hands can easily slide off the end of the knife because is no swell or anything to hold onto. Because of that, I would say a lanyard on this knife is essential.
Comparison chop off:
Brought out my BK2 for reference, and chopped the largest piece of wood I could find (tiny). I gave each knife 10 strokes, and then we get to see how it turned out.
Photos of the damage after 10 strokes.
As you can see, the BK2 did pretty well. Its pretty heavy, and likely the sharpest of these knives. You can hold it very securely with the rearward grip and the lanyard. It was also easy to aim because of the short blade. It got through right around half of the branch.
The USMC didn't do well at this test. The light weight and lack of a lanyard hurt it here. I found it harder to aim, and because of that, it chopped through only like 1/4 of the limb.
The War Sword was really in its element. In 10 strokes (at the thickest end of the branch), I had almost completely chopped through the limb (could twist the branch in half at this point). My wife was watching this test, and commented how much better this was at chopping. I found it easier to aim than the USMC, but harder than the BK2.
For fun, I also tested to see how many strokes it took to cut through the branch with each knife. There are no photos... sorry. However, my wife got in on this part. I was proud.
BK2:26 strokes
USMC: 71 strokes
War Sword: 13 strokes
You can really see which one was better in this department.
I'll hopefully do another review on these blades later on when I've had more time to use them and figure out what their individual strengths and weaknesses are. Also, I have a BK9 coming, so you guys can expect a comparison review between it and the War Sword sometime after it gets here.
This is about everything I own, all in one shot. Don't make fun.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully this helps someone out there.
Last night I went up into the mountains with my wife and my little sister and her new BF and had a campfire. I took the knives, but didn't take any photos (was dark when we got there).
I live in an apartment (super ghetto, it looks like a shed), and because of that, I can't just randomly take down limbs or trees with my knives in the name of a test. So this morning, I went out in search of something to cut and use in the test. My landlord was out and about, so I asked him what I might be able to use. Short story, is that I found some wood to hack away on and test out the blades a bit, and I am not going to get evicted because of it.
Initial thoughts, USMC:
I pulled the knife out of the package, and thought that it was beautiful. Its a classic for sure. Its also my first knife with a leather handle (or sheath actually), so I was interested to see how it felt.
The knife was pretty sharp out of the box, but not incredibly sharp. It could cut some hairs off of your arm if you went over the same spot once or twice, and it cut paper easily.
The grinds were good for the most part, but the tip is a little bit off. The part above the swedge is a bit larger than it should be, and because of that the shape of the blade is a bit different than what I imagine it is normally. It doesn't affect how it performs, but if I ever decide to put a sharpened swedge on it (not likely), I'd have a bit more metal to wear through before I could get it to look right.
Those things aside though, the USMC was nice. I liked how comfy the handle was when I was working with it, and I also like the light weight. It didn't tire my hand, wrist or arm when using and/or holding it, which I consider a good thing. I've also discovered that I like knives with a pommel or at least something that swells at the end, to help you hold onto it. This has one.
When I hold one, I can't help but feel like I'm holding a part of history. Theres a reason they are still making this one.
Initial thoughts, ZK War Sword:
To be honest, when I first received this knife, I thought it was nice and long, but for the length, it was a bit thin (vertically if viewed from the side), and I was worried about its durability with my intended use for it (camp knife, batoning, chopping, etc). It also felt a bit thinner than what I'd expect it to be for a .20in thick blade.
After inspecting it a bit more closely, I found that I was a bit justified in feeling it was a bit thinner than I was thinking. The Full Flat Grind on the right side of the knife actually cut away part of the spine on my knife, making the spine narrower than it should be.
Its kind of funny. I now own 3 KaBar produced knives (4 if you count the Archeron I guess, I forgot about that one), and not one of them has had the grinds perfect. I know most peoples knives are just fine, but I just find it odd that all of mine have been a bit off. Either way, I'll still use them, as it doesn't really affect how they perform.
The War Sword has a sharper spine than any of my knives. It throws great sparks. Unfortunately for me, I suck at making fires with firesteels, so this hasn't helped me out much yet
.The War Sword came pretty sharp as well (a touch sharper than my USMC if I had to guess), but the angles on the edge on this one were pretty different. One side was about 20ish degrees while the other was almost 30.
The sheath is actually pretty nice, and I like the huge pocket, and the fact that the Archeron comes with it.
I also really like the coating that comes on the Taiwanese KaBar knives. I feel like it is a bit more durable than the coating that comes on the American Beckers. It seems like it comes off more gradually, and more evenly, but that could just be me. Either way, it starts out with much more texture.
Initial thoughts, ZK Archeron:
First off, this knife came for free, so I can't be too unhappy about it any way I think about it. That said, I was disappointed with my particular archeron.
Mine was crazy dull. Duller than any knife I have ever purchased (that I can recall anyway). It wouldn't even come close to cutting paper, or hair. For that matter, I don't think it could have cut me. It did sharpen up just fine though.
The only thing I have to say about it, is that it is smaller than I thought. I knew it would likely be a three finger knife, but because the knife is so thin vertically, there isn't much to hold onto, and it kind of disappears in your hand. The most comfortable way I found to hold it is to actually hold it like there is a choil on it. So I might try to put one on it someday, just because.
Here is a photo of it next to my Gerber Paraframe. As you can see, its quite small. My main feeling about it is that the blade is a bit to long for the handle, and that it is a bit more slender than I like. Then again, its my first small fixed blade, so maybe I'm just not used to them yet. Anyone with a BK11 or 14 want to chime in about this part?
The photo, for size comparison. Notice how the blade on the Archeron is actually longer than the paraframe, while its handle is shorter, and thinner.
Performance, USMC:
Well, I did get a chance to use this classic a bit, and have to say that it is pretty comfortable, even though I haven't used it enough to break in the handle at all. I managed to cut through about ring finger sized twigs without a backstop with it, and the handle was comfortable in pretty much all positions, even in a rearward grip. And more importantly, it felt secure in all of those grips, which isn't something I can say about the War Sword.
The knife felt lively in hand, and it is much lighter than my other knives, so it was easy to use for extended periods of time.
It seems to whittle and carve pretty well, but the upper guard gets in the way sometimes. My wife really likes this knife though, even though she thinks its too large. Sounds to me like she might like a leather MK1...
Performance, War Sword:
I've managed to use this bad boy a bit more than the USMC, so I have a bit more to say about it.
When I first got the knife, I thought it was a bit "dainty" for a knife of this length, and was worried about how tough it would be. I got to use it to baton some decent sized wood (calf to wrist size) last night, and it actually did pretty well for that. The tip comes to a spear point, but there is no swedge, so it doesn't tear up your baton too much. Also, even though I got it stuck in some pretty awesome knots, I didn't see it bending at all (but it was dark). So at this point, I've yet to baton tons, but it seems like it should hold up, which makes me feel better.
Here are some shots of it batoning some wrist-forearm sized wood. Also, I think these are the first shots I've seen of anyone actually USING their War Sword for anything, so enjoy these.
It also chops pretty well, which comes as no surprise considering its length. I was able to chop slightly bigger than thumb sized sticks without a backstop pretty easily. It was easy to use this knife to knock the twigs off of downed branches. I could clear whole arm spans with this one pretty easily.
The handle is pretty comfy, even if I do feel it is a bit small and hard to hold in the rearmost grip. It could really use some liners(FLeXX???) to help it fill out my hand a bit better (about average sized man hands). The problem is that while holding it in the rearmost grip, you're hands can easily slide off the end of the knife because is no swell or anything to hold onto. Because of that, I would say a lanyard on this knife is essential.
Comparison chop off:
Brought out my BK2 for reference, and chopped the largest piece of wood I could find (tiny). I gave each knife 10 strokes, and then we get to see how it turned out.
Photos of the damage after 10 strokes.
As you can see, the BK2 did pretty well. Its pretty heavy, and likely the sharpest of these knives. You can hold it very securely with the rearward grip and the lanyard. It was also easy to aim because of the short blade. It got through right around half of the branch.
The USMC didn't do well at this test. The light weight and lack of a lanyard hurt it here. I found it harder to aim, and because of that, it chopped through only like 1/4 of the limb.
The War Sword was really in its element. In 10 strokes (at the thickest end of the branch), I had almost completely chopped through the limb (could twist the branch in half at this point). My wife was watching this test, and commented how much better this was at chopping. I found it easier to aim than the USMC, but harder than the BK2.
For fun, I also tested to see how many strokes it took to cut through the branch with each knife. There are no photos... sorry. However, my wife got in on this part. I was proud.
BK2:26 strokes
USMC: 71 strokes
War Sword: 13 strokes
You can really see which one was better in this department.
I'll hopefully do another review on these blades later on when I've had more time to use them and figure out what their individual strengths and weaknesses are. Also, I have a BK9 coming, so you guys can expect a comparison review between it and the War Sword sometime after it gets here.
This is about everything I own, all in one shot. Don't make fun.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully this helps someone out there
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