I have a Ka-bar extra heavy bowie, it is very good quality. It came sharp, & has a cutting power not to dissimilar to my kukri.
Ka-bar
- Thread starter FerlasDave
- Start date
I have a ka-bar Next Gen,Anybody know if there are any online reviews or tests for this knife,As I would be interested in seeing how it would stand-up to heavy use.
Cheers
Cheers
Well that depends... Is a ka-bar knife a bowie knife? It looks like one to me so that means it's always been a fighting knife. The original bowie knife was more like a butchers knife and was made by the local blacksmith for James "Jim" Bowie because he was in some kind of trouble and there was a guy out to get him and after they had their duel, the guy who wasn't Jim Bowie (forget who) shot him and his friends stabbed him, then Jim killed the one man and chased off his friends. That's known as the sandbar fight and although he used a fairly ordinary knife there, he eventually designed a fiercer looking fighting knife and again used it to kill some people, this time it was assassins. That's when bowie knives became popular and that's the model that although changed a bit by everyone who makes it is still pretty much the same, and that knife is a fighting knife.rg598 said:
Just thought I'd throw that in there...
I don't see why there's such controversy over whether it's suitable or not and whether it's a fighting knife or not. It's clearly on the thick/heavy/solid side, but it's still usable.
Davey, why don't you buy one and see if you like it for bushcraft, and post us some photos? Or maybe someone that owns one could help him out by doing the same, first.
Davey, why don't you buy one and see if you like it for bushcraft, and post us some photos? Or maybe someone that owns one could help him out by doing the same, first.
Yes by all means try a Kabar and see if you like it I have carried and used a Randall #1-6 = 6in blade for everything for years all over the world
and It works for me I also carry a Case moose pocket knife
with two 4 in blades that I use for smaller stuff.
But in south America I have seen a machete used for everything also and they are good with them.
In the end a knife is a personal choice.
A Kabar is not a true Bowie knife. A Bowie is a knife with a 12in blade
sharpend on the top for 3 to 4 in's With a 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 wide blade
1/4 in thick and a bear of a knife. While the Kabar is just called a bowie
I thought the term bowie refers to any large belt knife with a clip point. Where is that information from? It seems pretty specific for a knife that was made a long time ago and I'm pretty sure no one has the original. I think bowie knives are just a style of knife, like a bushcraft knife, they're all pretty similar but with some variations. There doesn't seem to be a set thickness, length or grind for bushcraft knives but they're still called bushcraft knives just like bowie knives, there are alot of knives that are called bowie knives and they're all pretty much the same but with slight variations. I mean the original bowie knife was pretty much a butchers knife, the other one was more of a fighting knife and although his original was huge, the style doesn't have to exactly match his to be considered a bowie knife. The clip point was originally sharpened and the ka-bar's clip isn't but as someone mentioned, soldiers often sharpened the clip themselves.
Anyways, hope I didn't sound aggressive there or anything, didn't mean to.
Back on topic! If you want to use a ka-bar knife for normal woodsy kinda work that's fine and it should work. I mean it's sharp and fairly strong so it should be able to handle everything. The fact that it's a fighting/utility knife does make it a bit less efficient though as far as I can tell without owning one myself. I mean it's designed for fighting and the odd cutting chore whereas other knives are pretty much designed completely for cutting wood and things like that so obviously their going to be more effective, but it all comes down to whether you feel comfortable using it. I mean alot of people who used them in the military continue to use them in the woods because that's the knife their comfortable with and so for them, it probably works just as well as a bushcraft knife. The only thing I don't really like about it, is that it's a fairly large knife but only has a rat tail tang (I think...). With a larger knife you're more likely to do harder work with it and because it has a rat tail tang it's not going to be as strong. Of course people seem to do amazing stuff with moras so it shouldn't be a problem.
Man that was a long post!
Anyways, hope I didn't sound aggressive there or anything, didn't mean to.
Back on topic! If you want to use a ka-bar knife for normal woodsy kinda work that's fine and it should work. I mean it's sharp and fairly strong so it should be able to handle everything. The fact that it's a fighting/utility knife does make it a bit less efficient though as far as I can tell without owning one myself. I mean it's designed for fighting and the odd cutting chore whereas other knives are pretty much designed completely for cutting wood and things like that so obviously their going to be more effective, but it all comes down to whether you feel comfortable using it. I mean alot of people who used them in the military continue to use them in the woods because that's the knife their comfortable with and so for them, it probably works just as well as a bushcraft knife. The only thing I don't really like about it, is that it's a fairly large knife but only has a rat tail tang (I think...). With a larger knife you're more likely to do harder work with it and because it has a rat tail tang it's not going to be as strong. Of course people seem to do amazing stuff with moras so it shouldn't be a problem.
Man that was a long post!
Just to bring the actual discussion down a notch...I love these 'sharpness tests'. Just watching him slash apart 10 plastic bottles reminds me endlessly of the Cold Steel videos. Ah, terrifying yet hilarious.
My experience with US-issue Ka-bar: tough. strong knife that took a good edge and had plenty of raw chopping power BUT too big and awkward to handle for detailed wood-carving etc.
Ted W
Ted W
I havent use the one i have. But i think it should work great in the woods. They are realy sheap here. http://www.knifesupply.com/eshop/10...=http://www.knifesupply.com/kabar_knives.html
Seved
Seved
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i like them, they are a tried and tested design, many people swear by them.
if they where cheap tat then the marines wouldnt use them. a soldior uses his knife for preparing food and general chores far more than as a weapon, its a versitile tool and for davey's way of using a knife id say its great. before Mearsy started using his woodlore knife bowie types where the general standard in outdoor work, may not be in fashion but they still have a place.
as for steel, correct me if im wrong but its 1095 high carbon, same stuff you get with a carbon mora, good steel.
if they where cheap tat then the marines wouldnt use them. a soldior uses his knife for preparing food and general chores far more than as a weapon, its a versitile tool and for davey's way of using a knife id say its great. before Mearsy started using his woodlore knife bowie types where the general standard in outdoor work, may not be in fashion but they still have a place.
as for steel, correct me if im wrong but its 1095 high carbon, same stuff you get with a carbon mora, good steel.
I consider that a very honest appraisal. I'm impressed.
Our Harleys are our Land Rovers.
As for the knife I don't have a view. Interesting thread. But at the end of the day a Knife is JUST a knife.
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