"Ka-Bar" sword in BudK catalog

Storm Crow

Storm Crow

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Apr 12, 2006
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I was at a buddy's house yesterday to do a little video of a knife/sheath rig I just completed, and came across a BudK catalog that had fallen out of his pickup. I thumbed through it to amuse myself with the horrors therein (and was sufficiently horrified) when I came across this interesting little tidbit: http://www.budk.com/product/US-Marine-1942-Soldier-Sword-&-Sheath/174746.uts

It's *not* made by Ka-Bar, but I sure wish they would build a non-craptacular rendition of this. The only thing I don't like about the general design (cheap stainless steel and inadequate tang don't count here) is the big choil ahead of the guard. Get rid of that, build it in Olean, New York, out of good 1095 with a beefy tang and a decent sheath, and I think I'd save up to buy it. I don't buy many commercial blades, either. Do have a Ka-Bar, though. :)

I heartily encourage anyone tempted to *not* buy this one. Look at the comments on BudK's website and you'll see that anyone who has actually tried to use this has had the tang snap on them about five hits in. Sounds like a good way to get yourself accidentally stabbed in the gut.
 
I couldn't agree more. I like the basic concept, but it's just a CCC wall hanger, and not even full tang like a lot of the other CCC wall hangers are. If it was built the way Storm Crow suggests, with that beefy tang peened through and welded into the pommel like a genuine KA-BAR, they'd have something worth a $125. Throw in a KA-BAR styled sheath and that's $150, easily. Also, ditch the serrations. Those are worthless. I also enjoyed the fools going outside and trying to hack stuff with the thing. One glance at the pommel would have told the story. One guy even said it would be "functional in combat". LOL. Maybe, if your opponent was some pool noodles-again, MAYBE. Also, I fully concur on the choil. you'd never be "choking up" on this thing, it's not meant for any kind of detail work, your hands should never be above the guard on it. If you watch the BUD K video, the reviewer also calls the fuller a "blood groove". I'm sure more than one 300 lb 25 year old in tactical black was giddy with excitement as he placed his order from Mom's basement.
 
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BTW..does anyone know if there's an actual historical precedent for this sword-like-object? Was there an actual WW2 version of this, ever? I'd be very interested to know. I googled it, and all I could find was everyone and their brother selling the junker we already discussed.If no, I suppose they just chose "1942" as a random WW2 date for "authenticity".
 
I e-mailed Ka-Bar with the link, and the lady e-mailed back to say she forwarded it to the product development team for them to take a look at. Even if they go ga-ga over what an awesome idea it is and decide to make a decent version, it'd be at least a year before anything was available, I'm sure.

Nope, no historical precedent. '42 was the year the Marines adopted the Ka-Bar knife, hence the "etching" the guy in the video was so impressed with.

I actually kind of like the serrations as a novelty. They use them on some of the Ka-Bar models, including some of their tantos, so it fits in. I could take them or leave them on the sword. None of 'em have that big ol' honking choil, though.

I'm curious what CCC stands for. :)
 
It looks like the standard "tactical ninja" type small crappy sword, fitted with a guard and a stacked leather grip like a Ka-Bar. Storm Crow I'm already planning to make some swords with stacked leather grips here soon, you should too! :D
 
I'd prefer something more along these lines, personally. More like a messer.

KaBarSword.jpg
 
That's not a bad-looking design, 42Blades, though I'd go with a guard that's not so wide m'self. One of the things I liked about the BudK version was that it used a tanto tip very much like what Ka-Bar already offers. It looks like something that Ka-Bar would already be making, minus the out-of-place choil and poor execution.
 
Storm Crow said:
That's not a bad-looking design, 42Blades, though I'd go with a guard that's not so wide m'self.
Click to expand...

The great thing about long guards? You can make 'em shorter. :D :D :D

You can't see it in the square profile view, but there'd be a "D" side ring on it as well.
 
Maybe someday. Too many other fun toys in queue ahead of it for now. Getting stuff into production is a lengthy process.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Maybe someday. Too many other fun toys in queue ahead of it for now. Getting stuff into production is a lengthy process.
Click to expand...

Man, you ain't kidding!

Mecha - I'm starting to mess around with slab handles on some big stuff. Stacked leather is probably way down on the list. Been thinking some about stacked rubber, though...
 
Oooh...I'd love to see stacked rubber! Maybe have a pommel nut on it so you could easily replace the washers when they eventually dry out.
 
CCC= "Cheap Chinese Crap" ;) Also, i like the rubber washers idea- a lot, and the grosse messer, with perhaps just a bit less "heft' to the overall blade. I do understand to take it too far, and you no longer have the same concept we're discussing, so it's a fine line, i suppose.
 
Hell ya 42blades! My dastardly plot is to use stacked leather/rubber with copper, brass or bronze discs like every 5th disc or so! It's gonna look great I think, and there are a lot of materials and colors to be used, and patterns that could be made!
 
That thing might be good for cutting Marine Corps birthday cakes, but that's about it, I imagine.

Neat (but not very practical) idea, but poor execution.

Just for the hell of it, I wouldn't mind seeing short sword-sized versions of some popular knives, like the Chris Reeve Green Beret or the BK series, but I bet the prices for them would chill the marketing efforts before they got off the ground.
 
It wasn't so long ago to be forgotten in time but the Ontario Black Wind thingie had some limited demand.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/902580-Ontario-Black-Wind-Katana-and-Swamprat-Waki

A KA-BAR factory version is a similarly limited interest type of blade and I would imagine not very interesting to bean counters rationing profit.

There have been a number of somewhat similar takes on the theme and stacked leather grips anything but unfamiliar. What would be a riot would be a Chinese producer complaining about copyright infringement if someone else produced large runs of stacked leather leatherneck katana. Don't forget the boot, belt and pocket clip ;)

Cheers

GC
 
OK.. as a combat disabled former Marine I have to chime in on this one... I have always taken umbrage at the abuse of the term KABAR... its bad enough that a company uses the word as a company name... please note Ka-Bar is not the original maker of the KABAR knife. They are just capitalizing on a well known abbreviation... the KABAR knife is an acronym for Knife Accessory to the Browning Automatic Rifle... it was first issued to Marine machine gunners because you can't put a bayonet on a crew served weapon....some try to argue about this but visit the Marine Corps History Meusem and get over it.

To add insult to injury you have crap blades that market on a vaguely similar aesthetic to a KABAR and claim to be associated with the USMC... and yes 1942 is a random date... the KABAR was first issued in 1918

In my book all these guys should be charged under the Stolen Valor Act.
 
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BladeForums is acting weird and not letting me post everything I typed in one post, so I ended up breaking it up. Sorry about the aggravation.
 
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Atavist - Thank you for your service! But everything I've read in the past on the subject and re-checked just now prior to responding runs counter to your history. The KA-BAR ricasso stamp was used since 1923 (on switchblades, no less) by Union Cutlery after getting a barely legible letter from a trapper who had used one of their blades to kill a bear.
 
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