Ka-Bar BK9, 1213!

B

BladeSoFluffy

Joined
Feb 18, 2014
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5
I tried to post this thread in general knife discussion but no luck there, so I thought I might try it here! And I also did some changes from my original post.

Hi guys! I am new to this knife hobby, and I'm just getting started. I have done some research on my own, and I got to say the Ka-Bar seems to make some decent blades, and I have some question of my own. My intent is to buy one bigger blade for heavy tasks and a secondary/medium one for more of a back up/smaller tasks. I am really interested in the BK9 as a big blade I think I am going to be getting one; however, the Full-size Black KA-BAR 1213 was the choice for a secondary blade. But as I was doing some research, I noticed that the Big Brothers and 1213 are stick tang? The tang does go all the way to the end of the handle I believe; however, I had some "not to good" experience with stick tang knives in the past, let's just say it couldn't stand the mediocre task that I wanted to do, the blade was actually made from 1075 and it snapped where the blade and handle meets. So I'm wondering are there any knife out there that are very similar to the 1213, with similar design(full tang), similar O/A length, and same material(1095)? I did look up some other brand, and I found the TOPS Firestrike FS46 but the price are over my budget. Any recommendation are good! And go ahead throw me any knowledge that you guys might think it will be helpfull for a newbie like me!
 
If I'm correct, the 1213 is a 7 inch blade... which, to my mind, is a pretty big back up/secondary blade; especially when you specifically mention smaller tasks. I've got no experience with the 1213, so I can't comment on its durability; but, in keeping with my previous statement, if recommend a smaller secondary - something along the lines of a BK16 or ESEE 4, for example. (Personally, I bring my Enzo Trapper or Kellam Wolverine for small general tasks)
Another option would be to go with a slightly larger blade (ie ESEE 6) and add a Mora Companion HD to cover the small stuff - but then you're carrying 3 knives.
 
Ya, a 7" blade as a secondary knife might seem too big. But the knife will be used only if my BK9 are misplaced or somehow in anyways broke. And the 1213 can server the need of the tasks. I mean this secondary knife probably won't be used as much since BK9 can do most of the task. But a good secondary knife can be use to cut small rope, some food work or feathering so I don't have to pull out the big one. I really like the military/combat survival design! Like i mentioned, the TOPS Firestrike FS46 looks amazing and server the right desire I wanted, but the price....:( Do you have any experience with the FS46? Cause I am really considering ordering one. :greedy_dollars:
 
I don't... but there's one for sale on here. I saw it a few hours ago.
If you're going to go with a big spare; I'd consider something with a 3-4 inch blade for the little stuff. The Mora Companion HD is only around $15; and it will handle the basic cutting chores and food prep. You could piggyback it on one of the bigger sheaths; or just carry a pocket knife.
 
BladeSoFluffy said:
I tried to post this thread in general knife discussion but no luck there, so I thought I might try it here! And I also did some changes from my original post.

Hi guys! I am new to this knife hobby, and I'm just getting started. I have done some research on my own, and I got to say the Ka-Bar seems to make some decent blades, and I have some question of my own. My intent is to buy one bigger blade for heavy tasks and a secondary/medium one for more of a back up/smaller tasks. I am really interested in the BK9 as a big blade I think I am going to be getting one; however, the Full-size Black KA-BAR 1213 was the choice for a secondary blade. But as I was doing some research, I noticed that the Big Brothers and 1213 are stick tang? The tang does go all the way to the end of the handle I believe; however, I had some "not to good" experience with stick tang knives in the past, let's just say it couldn't stand the mediocre task that I wanted to do, the blade was actually made from 1075 and it snapped where the blade and handle meets. So I'm wondering are there any knife out there that are very similar to the 1213, with similar design(full tang), similar O/A length, and same material(1095)? I did look up some other brand, and I found the TOPS Firestrike FS46 but the price are over my budget. Any recommendation are good! And go ahead throw me any knowledge that you guys might think it will be helpfull for a newbie like me!
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The Kabar 1213 has a rat-tail tang that is not nearly as strong as the Kabar Becker fixed blades... The BK7 is much sturdier, in my own experience and from what my friends tell me. I've seen Kabar USMC's snap, but I've never seen a Becker snap.

The Kabar 1213's are pretty much fighting knives. If you just want it for that role, then you'll have no issues. I own two of them myself because I love the design and the look... but if I ever go camping or want a camp knife, I'll take the BK7 or BK9 hands down.
 
Stick tang. The 1213 has a stick tang, approximately 17/32" across. A rat tail tang is approximately as wide across as a pencil. How many times does it have to be said, either by Toooj or anyone else working at KA-BAR that it's a stick tang before this misconception is killed off once and for all?
 
darkdomino said:
The Kabar 1213 has a rat-tail tang that is not nearly as strong as the Kabar Becker fixed blades... The BK7 is much sturdier, in my own experience and from what my friends tell me. I've seen Kabar USMC's snap, but I've never seen a Becker snap.

The Kabar 1213's are pretty much fighting knives. If you just want it for that role, then you'll have no issues. I own two of them myself because I love the design and the look... but if I ever go camping or want a camp knife, I'll take the BK7 or BK9 hands down.
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The Kabar 1213/1215/1218/12anything-else variation of the 1219C2 Fighting/Utility Knife from Kabar does NOT have a rat tang. Repeat after me - it is NOT a rat tang. A rat tang is a SMALL DIAMETER ROD usually WELDED to the blade of a knife or sword for use in ornamental/decorative/useless knives and swords.

A TAPERED tang gradually gets smaller as the distance from the blade increases. It can taper from top to bottom or from side to side or both. A TAPERED tang can resemble a RAT tang when the tang tapers along all 4 edges/sides.

The Kabars are Fighting/Utility knives. NOT just Fighting knives. Yes they can be used to fight in an emergency when the S has hit the fan and you run out of bullets, but I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts that since they first came out in 1943, the 1219C2 has killed way more boxes, bags, cans, crates,etc than people, dogs, cats or rats.

The classic definition of a FULL tang is a tang that extends from the blade all the way through the handle to the pommel. A HALF tang only goes half way from blade to pommel and 3/4 Tang goes, you guessed it, 3/4 of the way.

A tang that is not exposed for the length of the handle is a HIDDEN TANG. Depending on the blade width, you could conceivably have a FULL, HIDDEN tang that is wider than the blade. Would look kinda dumb, but you could do it.

A tang that IS exposed for some portion of the handle on both sides of the handle is called a FULL-WIDTH TANG.

These terms can be combined to accurately describe the tang of a knife. You can have a FULL HIDDEN tang, a FULL-WIDTH FULL tang, a FULL-WIDTH HALF tang, etc.

So the 1219C2(variant) has a FULL, HIDDEN tang. It has been called a STICK tang for a while. Because a lot of sticks that fall off trees are small and roundish, people have started assuming that a STICK tang is a RAT tang.

Oh, by the way.... some other examples of where usage of FULL, HIDDEN tangs (aka STICK tangs) as found in the 1219C2(Variants) occurs in such small fighting knives as Broad Swords, Bastard Swords, Hand-and-a-half Swords and Katanas.

Charlie_K said:
Stick tang. The 1213 has a stick tang, approximately 17/32" across. A rat tail tang is approximately as wide across as a pencil. How many times does it have to be said, either by Toooj or anyone else working at KA-BAR that it's a stick tang before this misconception is killed off once and for all?
Click to expand...

CK - It will continue to happen as long as people refuse to use the proper term and continue to pass on what amounts to urban legend. They believe everything on the innerweb is true. All we can do is keep beating the dead horse until it learns to sing.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
CK - It will continue to happen as long as people refuse to use the proper term and continue to pass on what amounts to urban legend. They believe everything on the innerweb is true. All we can do is keep beating the dead horse until it learns to sing.
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If it was a pink horse it would've been singing on its own already.
 
The OCD in this thread is off the charts. I think some of you need therapy or something if this is what riles you up.
 
Bladesofluffy why don't you look at the kabar mark 1 navy knife as a back up to the Becker bk9. Good steel and thin enough to place a razor edge on ! Jake
 
darkdomino said:
The OCD in this thread is off the charts. I think some of you need therapy or something if this is what riles you up.
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People are bemoaning a well established, quality product and basically saying it's nothing more than a decorator piece. They're saying the KA-BAR is no better than a piece of chinese Gerber junk, and they're not even getting the facts straight.
 
Charlie_K said:
People are bemoaning a well established, quality product and basically saying it's nothing more than a decorator piece. They're saying the KA-BAR is no better than a piece of chinese Gerber junk, and they're not even getting the facts straight.
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Rite on my friend ,you couldn't strike a blow hard enough to brake one of them! I have handled 100s of them that came back if they were junk those guys would have let you know. :). Jake.
 
A kabar 1213 will never be as sturdy as a BK7. That's just the way it is. If a stick tang was the same as a full tang, every company would save money on metal and use stick tangs... But they don't, because there is a difference.

In fact for any serious outdoor work, I don't settle for anything less than full tang. That's just my preference. I'm not insulting the 1213 or anyone that uses it.
 
darkdomino said:
A kabar 1213 will never be as sturdy as a BK7. That's just the way it is. If a stick tang was the same as a full tang, every company would save money on metal and use stick tangs... But they don't, because there is a difference.

In fact for any serious outdoor work, I don't settle for anything less than full tang. That's just my preference. I'm not insulting the 1213 or anyone that uses it.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with you that a BK2/3/4/7/10/12/9 will always have stronger than a Kabar 1219C2 variant. This a physical fact. The blade and tang are thicker, there is no offset for the tang to be hidden.

What chaps my patootie is the use of the wrong terminology in the effort to bolster a viewpoint and is consequently results in misinformation being promulgated on and on and on.

The OP applied the term RAT tang to a Kabar 1219C2 variant incorrectly, again putting another bogus post in the never to be emptied, internet garbage bucket.

I don't like the term "STICK tang" because it is imprecise and doesn't correctly describe the construction and most people don't use it properly.

You said you don't settle for anything less than a FULL tang.

Again, per my post - The definition of a FULL tang is that the tang extends the FULL length of the handle.

Kabar 1219C2 variants are FULL tang.
ALL Beckers are FULL tang. (To be precise, most are EXTENDED FULL-WIDTH FULL tang knives because the tang EXTENDS BEYOND the pommel/handle.

So, Beckers (made by Kabar) and the Kabar 1219C2 variants are ALL FULL TANG knives.

One is a HIDDEN FULL tang knife and the other is a FULL-WIDTH FULL TANG knife.

ANY company that makes HIDDEN tang knives is using the same construction. And there are LOTS of them.
 
That sounds like the argument a lawyer would make. Well my rat tail tang goes to the base of the handle so I can call it a full tang! Even if it's accurate, it's misleading to customers and I'm not in support of playing "word games" when it comes to tools that could save someone's life... Or even break and hurt them because they assumed they were working with a level of tool strength they didn't have.

The reason these stick tangs and rat tail tangs have a bad name is because they are what you usually see in cheap mall-ninja swords and fixed blades. I think your issue is with these companies making cheap knives who have changed public perception.
 
You guys are awesome with all these information! I went camping with my buddies for 4 days and came back with all these super suggestion! I ended up ordering TOPS Steel Eagle Series(111 107 105), couldn't helped, but the design and that 1/4 thickness! Hopefully I get them buy the Friday! And I also ordered BK9 AND BK7!!!!!! And again I couldn't stop my hands from ordering them!!!!
 
New to the knife world have a couple folders: Buck 110, Spyderco Byrd Raven, and a Buck Bantom. I want to get more into camping and bushcraft. I've done a lot of research, watched many youtube videos and think i've made up my mind and want to invest in a Becker BK-7. Now i live in Northern Ontario, Canada. Just wondering if anyone on here can help me out with where to get the knife at a decent price, and if you just want to reply with any helpful tips on other gear thats great and id appreciate it.
 
Hey, outofdoors94! I ordered all my blades/items from eBay.com or amazon.com, not the .ca ones. Look around for the best price/seller and go ahead and buy them. Now here is the tricky part:
1.Sign up with Kinek(/www.kinek.com), this company allow you to ship to them and pick up with a low price.
2.Once you signed up you need to chose one of the Kinek near you and they will sent you all the info you will need.
3.Now on eBay.com, when you confirm the address, type in the Kinek point you have choose.
4.eBay will now ship that item to the Kinek point and not to your Canada address.
5.Cross the border and pick it up!
6.Remember, all knives must be declared!(canada.usembassy.gov/traveling_to_canada/bringing-weapons-into-canada.html)
7.And don't worry, there are no tax or anything if the item are made from USA, the free trade act will take care or that.

Let me give you an example. I ordered a BK7 at eBay.com, and I entered the Kinek point address near me when I check out, after 3 days Kinek sent me an email saying my item have arrived, so I cross the border and pay my $4-5 fees from Kinek, they give me the item, cross the border back to Canada and declared the item when they ask, you don't have to go in to the building just that booth when you drive through. And there you go!

If you don't live near the border, go to warriorsandwonders.com, that's your best bet for price(at least that's what I can find). Good luck!
 
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