Ka-Bar

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cleardiddion

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I was wondering if the top tapered edge of the Ka-Bar knife is supposed to be sharpened.
Some people I know seem to have put and edge on theirs but there are also plenty of people who have kept it in the factory issued state.

Thanks in advance for the info!
 
Some are, some are not. The sharpened false edge, can make considered to be a "dagger" so be carful if you are carrying it. Mine came sharpened both top and bottom from the factory, and it seams most I have seen these days are.
 
I don't prefer double edged knives or sharpened 'false' edges.

The training I have occasionally uses the weak hand to add force to a push cut and what might be described as grappling with the knife.

For example, the opponent grabs you by the throat. You place the knife across his arm, grab the back of the blade with your other hand, and pull like Samson attempting to plane his muscles from the bones.

Obviously, you would need a butcher's gloves to use these techniques with a double edged knife.

But, that's simply a matter of personal preference and personal training. If your preference and training utilizes effective techniques with double edged knives or sharpened false edges, go for it.
 
I've found the sharpened swedge to be. . . . .

very useful on my KaBar. It is ground at shallower angle than the main edge and as such I've used it as a chopping edge for cutting cord, small branches, minor bones on game and so on. It can save considerable wear and tear on the main edge and the round handle on the stock knife makes it easy to use this feature by just rotating the knife in your hand. You need to be mindful of the possibility of damaging the tip of the blade so think before you start whacking away at something.
 
I can't imagine any reason to sharpen the upper false edge on my KaBars for my use... my late Dad's old So. Pacific WWII KaBar (USN - he was CG - on troop ships.) has no evidence of ever having been sharpened there. Of course, my new models, a USMC and Pearl Harbor Comm., are both so sharpened - go figure!

Stainz
 
I have a Brand new KA-BAR Army that I just got. No, on it, it is not. I have a Camillus Ka-bar clone that does.
 
One top is a modern "replica" Kabar by Kabar. According to the box and literature in the box, it was made to the same specifications as the original. The false edge is sharp.

Below is an original WWII USNMK2 Kabar, made by Kabar. The estate it came from, was owned by a Boston based WWII Navy vet. This was a knife he "liberated" from the service. He apparently was cruising offshore looking for U-Boats.

The false edge is sharp. I thought the square fullers were interesting.

ModernKabarnexttoUSNMKIIbyKabar.gif
 
"Ka Bar" knives were made by many different companies during all wars, including Ka Bar and Camillus. There are no "clones" or "replicas" (unless you want to consider cheap versions made by companies that never had and never will have a mil contract to manufacture them).

Like kleenex is said in place of tissue, regardless of whether it's a Kleenex product or not, and Coke is said in the south, whether the orange soda be consumed is a Coca Cola product or not, KaBar has become a generic term for the USMC Fighting Knife (regardless of who the manufacturer is).

So, there are no "replica" KaBars, just USMC Fighting knife style knives made by various manufacturers, some of which had contracts to manufacture them for the U.S. military for decades.
 
hso, you're very wrong here. Very wrong, but I don't have time to discuss it.
The U. S. Marine Corps submitted requests for a prototype to two knife companies. K-Bar and Casexx. Both built the knife (USMC Utility/Fighting Knife). Both were submitted to the same rigorous testing by each company. Both passed all tests. The Marine Corps bought knives from both companies and used them and formulated their own evaluation. Both knives passed all the Marine Corps tests in a timely manner.
The Marine Corps went with K-Bar because K-Bar had submitted the lowest bid.
After World War Two K-Bar ceased production of this knife. It was peace time, the U.S. military forces were becoming smaller and there were thousands of these knives in military warehouses all over the world.
Then we got bogged down in a dirty, nasty little place called Vietnam, and again Headquarters United States Marine Corps turned to K-Bar.
I can positively guarantee you sir, that the only companies who have ever received an invitation to make a bid and submit a prototype for the USMC Utility/Fighting Knife for the United States Marine Corps were Casexx and Kabar.
There were many copies but they are all fakes and charlatans.
The USMC knife became so popular during World War Two that the other branches of service got Kabar to make the knives for them with their own logo on the side, such as USA. See photographs next post down.
Thank you. Good evening to you sir....
 
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You skipped right past the Korean "conflict" and went straight from WWII to Vietnam. Any reason why? Surely we used sharp, pointy things in Korea...right? Thanks in advance...
 
Yes sir, it was about the time that the Korean Conflict (I was a tiny little baby back then but I prefer to call it a war) was ending that Kabar ceased all production. I am not sure of the exact date. I just know they quit producing them for awhile.
During the time they were out of production all sort's of 'authentic fake copies' showed up in military surplus stores, sporting good stores, and various other civilian stores, hawked and pushed as 'an authentic copy' of the famous Marine Corps knife....
ADD ON....All Casexx's came with the 'slash edge' sharpened for use in fighting. After the dust settled and Kabar had the contract, the Marine Corps started fine tuning. The K-Bar's guard was bent to a 9 degree angle to deflect another knife blade or wire. The pin in the butt was improved upon. The leather handles had grooves cut into them to improve the grip.
I could tell you a lot about the testing Kabar and Case put those knives through to. Throwing a few double handsful of them into a wet, humid and hot room full of rotting vegetation to simulate jungle conditions so they could tell how the leather handles would hold up. Driving the knives into a 4x4 and then using a machine to bend the blades back and forth to approx. a 90 degree angle many many times to see if the blades were going to break....
 
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I have always wondered how the Case Kabars looked. Thank you for posting the pictures Gentelman of the Charcoal. Is the false edge sharpened from the factory on the current Case products, or is it presently just a false edge?
 
mp510--sharpened. THE 'K-BAR' IS NOT A 'MODEL' OF A KNIFE....
mp510, you missed the whole point here. They are NOT Case Kabars. They are the prototype of the USMC Fighting/Utility knife. The case is the Case. The Kabar is the Kabar.
Case build's many knives. Kabar builds many knives. They are two separate knife companies. There is only one Kabar knife and that is one made by Kabar. There is only one Casexx knife and that is one made by Casexx.
The USMC Fighting/Utility knife is not called K-Bar because of the model. It's called K-Bar because that is the knife company that's make's it for the Marines.
If the Marines had gone with the Casexx one, it would have looked exactly the same, but instead of being called 'The K-Bar' then it would be referred to today as 'The Casexx".
I just don't understand here what is so difficult about this, but I'm through with it....
 
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I've a Camillus "Kabar" that I obtained through unofficial channels in SEA that followed me home. The false edge is sharp.
 
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