Kabar is well-known and ubiquitous. If a guy just wants something to 'do the job', without dinking around learning metallurgy, the Kabar is a safe bet. But I would surmize there are $25.00 Chinese knives that outperform the age old Kabar. I always wanted to buy one of those Chinese 'Rambo' knives, just to check it out.
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Kabar USMC fighting knife- still a great knife?
- Thread starter mickb
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The late Cliff stamp did a video where he showcased a cheap M-tech fixed blade he reground demolishing 2x4s. So yeah you are pretty much right on the money. Of course, not everyone has the means or skill to make all the needed changes to a cheapo knife to get the best possible performance out of it.
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Kabar would likely work well enough for many things. Survival and hunting had been for centuries with shards of volcanic glass or rock and pointy sticks.
There are definitely tougher knives, but there are also smarter techniques. There's a pretty wide spectrum of viable choices.
There are definitely tougher knives, but there are also smarter techniques. There's a pretty wide spectrum of viable choices.
You're wrong about the handle, which is replaceable as micarta and G-10 scales are sold. Note what Ethan had to say about the stock scales in this video, especially around the 2:00 mark:
Or you could just watch this test:
About the 2nd video, there also was an extensive thread about it.
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He's right. He's insane. I flinched every time he stabbed. He made it but he's crazy.
I could make the same video with a sharpened screw driver , doesnt make it the best tool for the job.
Im not saying it cant be done, I stabbed several with my Becker Bk-5 as per the other thread, but found that handle too precarious. If you are out of breath( having chased your dogs a quarter mile to where they hold the pig) pig is usually struggling, on uneven ground or reaching through brush to get the knife to it, or hands bloody or muddy, you may not be making strikes nice and controlled as 'ethan' there.
Nice vid though, I like the look of Bk-9's which is why I am considering one for a general pack knife.
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Yeah, hog and log rhyme, but I wouldn't say the risk of a stab to both is equal. Maybe if the hog is already as still as a log so there's no additional risk for miscalculating the stab or extra energy introduced in awkward directions at high forces from the less willing target. And then if the only injury you risk from a failed stab is from the edge itself and not from angry vermin literally at arms length from those disabled digits still fighting to get away.
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He’s right that the BK-9 isn’t a good pig sticker. Pointier is better for poking holes in animals.
The regular kabars work fine and aren’t delicate. I’ve used one pretty hard for digging holes while metal detecting, and have only managed to put a slight bend in it.
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And just as a counterpoint, I have used other brands of knives (not much more expensive than Kabars) for digging holes, prying, chopping, batoning and general abuse and they are still as straight as they day I got them.
The BK9 (as well as the BK7 and BK10) has a differently shaped tang, so the risk of slipping is even less (note the steel protruding underneath the front of the scale):
I'll grant you the BK9 isn't as pointy--the BK7 is much pointier but gives you 2" less of penetration. Gotta hand it to you on hog hunting, though; I wouldn't do it without a lugged spear at bare minimum.
If you want to try them on pigs, go for it. I have handled them in stores, risk of slipping too high for my liking and blade shape not ideal. My friend was after the knife in question and has bought a kabar now. The majority of stickers are slim or often handguarded, so he is happy. I know fellas who have used spears and swords , but just for fun. They are pretty ungainly, you are usually jumping out of a pickup or bike/atv or running through the brush, something small on the hip or pocket is best .Also you also want one free hand on the pig when you stick via the usual method. The dogs do most of the work, secure the pig by its face and ears and you approach from behind, grab the tail or leg which destabilises it, and do the business.
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Someone, somewhere will lose some fingers over that video. It is just a matter of time.
What exactly do you mean by "outperform?" The Ka Bar will still do what it was intended to do; be a utility knife that would do in knife fight. These blades have proved themselves over the decades. I think that people sometimes get so wrapped up in the "better" or the "best" that they forget that good enough is good enough.
Well that reduces it down to shank level. Pretty much any pointy metal thing will do in a knife fight. What I mean is, it costs a lot less to manufacture knives than it did 70 years ago, or even 40 years ago. But Kabar hasn't adapted to those changes, preferring obsolete manufacturing practices to the superior time-saving and cost-reducing technology available in the Third Millennium!
It is worthy of note that Kabar once presented a great value in a knife, but no longer does, because it failed to grasp what is available today in regards to labor savings for industry, and price reduction for buyers. It's not worth the emotional involvement in a knife model that could be of much greater value (price paid for what you get) if the manufacturer took the time to modernize.
I recently purchased 5 Buck 120's with D2 blade. D2 is more than what most knife nuts realize. But it is readily apparent that Buck Knives has reduced prices for top-quality knives through adoption of superior manufacturing processes!
It shows over every inch of the knife, sheath, and even the box! The product is superb, consistent, top quality, well designed, and perfectly balanced with attention to every detail, both functional and aesthetic! It has full-tang for strength in see-saw cutting and chopping.
The blade is noticably narrower than in days past, but thickness is about the same, so the knife is light weight. With a 7.5" blade weight can become a concern, as it did with the Buckmaster. The Kabar is to knives what a WWII Jeep is to automobiles. They might be fine quality, and get the job done. But they're both dinosaurs.
I meant everything in the nicest possible way.
Im all for dinosaurs. My guns are an 1892 design made in the third world back in the 80's. I dont own a smartphone. My GPS is over 20 years old. Wouldnt mind a willies jeep either come to think of it
