I had a Ka-Bar when I was 11 or 12 years old, that had been dug up from under a tree, and I cleaned it up and fixed it up and loved the thing. How does a Ka-Bar end up all rusty under a tree in Hawaii in the mid-1970s? It probably saw service in the Pacific.
Wow , interesting story .. Although , i've heard some American soldiers were being trained in Hawai just before being sent to Vietnam , and a lot of the lads were using Ka-bars or cheaper knock-off of that blade ... Greetings from France
Could very well be as @D L said. Normally you would throw it into a lake or sea. Rust will take care of it there. Why would the Ka-bar been buried under a tree... Might be another reason as well. There can be several anyway. Interesting thing btw...
@@Ve-suvius I dropped and lost a Cold Steel 12" Bowie machete in a river while drunk on a float trip in 2010. I wonder how the 1055 carbon steel has held up to the rust. It's probably a small rusty butter knife with a big rubber handle in the Gulf of Mexico by now.
@@DL-ij7tf Haha 😋 Could very well be. The CS Bowie machete sure has a nice tip on it. Cold Steel has a hard time having their machete's at stock lately. "Wealljuggleknives" talked about many Cs machete's being discontinued. Though I have not read that anywhere yet.
I know the rubber is better in practicality, but the leather looks way cooler. And as Dave Cranterbembry always says, the most important element of survival and bushcraft is looking cool.
Buy both! Leather for the shelf and the polymer for use. I've got to get a leather one for the collection. This is definitely one blade I should have more than one of. Second kind of cool. The reality is my Swiss Army knife and mora comp HD sees more use, lol.
LMAO, a shallow, yet true statement! 😂 I had a leather handled one but my nephew was eyeing it and I gave it to him. In retrospect I'm kinda regretting it tbh, so I need a replacement. The leather has the best looks, no doubt, but in actual use and for longevity it's been trumped by kraton by a light year. The kraton fills the hand better and offers better grip, won't rot, etc.. well, it's nothing we don't already know. If I get another in leather just for looking cool when I'm bad-assing about, I'll do that rubber o-ring hack for the grooves to make it grippier.. I mean, if I were to plunge it into an insurgent it would be highly embarrassing to have it slip from my hand with all the blood and all.. just sayin' 😇
IMO, the leather looks very friendly and homemade. Which I like the look of, but it doesn't match the mass produced war fighting Ka-bar. The polymer reminds me more of that.
I have the leather version KA-Bar..My favorite hunting knife..I've used my Ka-Bar for skinning deer, chopping wood, cutting brush, and on the softer gentler way for peeling my apples and oranges. Best hunting knife I ever owned for the past 22-25 years. When I store it I always put a little bit of oil on the blade, not that it will rust but it's always good to do..Canada
I know this was posted 2 years ago, but honestly, "stainless" knives rust as well... not as easy as 1095 high carbon blades (which this is, with Cro Van added), but will still rust given the right conditions. Stainless isn't "free from stain / rust" it's Stain "less" than other high carbon steels. So there are only a couple types of steels that will just not rust period, and they are "purpose built", i.e. salt water diving knives.. So this will indeed rust if neglected, so putting oil on it for storage is an excellent idea.
@@DroneShotFPV unless its a salt water knife in H1 stainless steel its going to have spot rusting at best. But carbon steel is by far the best knife steel. Easy to sharpen and it holds an edge. I have a 1211 serrated blacked out Ka-bar and a buck 808 talon i prefer the ka-bar its lighter and still gets the job done.
@@sergeantsavage1988 I 100% agree that High Carbon is the best. My Japanese knives are all reactive cladding high carbon steel, and require excellent maintenance and care. I make knives personally out of 1095 mostly myself, but use other steels also, so I have experience with many different steels. I was replying to this comment because he said that it is not necessary to oil because it won't rust anyway, which is why I commented what I did that it absolutely WILL rust if not cared for, being carbon, and that even "stain less" steel will rust, as it's just stain LESS.
I retired my Marine Ka-Bar, but it still would work just fine for camping. I treated the leather handle with Armor-All over 40 years ago and it's solid as wood. When I got the original Ka-Bar Warthog fixed blade I treated the kraton handle with Armor-All, also. It had no effect on the steel pommel, and the Kydex sheath looks new. I recommend Armor-All for all these materials. Both my Ka-Bars are going strong after decades.
Can't go wrong with the Ka-bar! FYI: there's a few "Hacks" for those who might use one. A) Seen a few from WW2 where the Upper Guard was bent towards the Tip about 45 degrees. But I don't how well it would work in the Plastic Sheath. B) Go to Harbor Freight and get a set of "O" Rings and slide one each into the Grooves on the handle. Really cuts down on "Rotational Slippage." Also Wilson Tennis Grip Wrap works well, and you can always use both. C) The back of the Spine is easily made into a 90 degree angle for striking a Ferro Rod, which should be easy to mount a Holder for it. D) For the "Budget Bushcrafter", the Leather sheath fits the Old Hickory 7" Butcher Blade like a glove. E) And the Modern Sheath can be ordered separately, if a Military Person wishes to carry the Family Legacy into Combat. Hope this helps.
I love it when non experienced people talk about weapons they don't understand. You can carve and peal with that Ka-Bar. The butt cap can be hammered on. It's also used to put down ward force if you know what you're doing. I prepped and ate meals for a months with my Ka-Bar. I had to do unspeakable things too. Survival is the whole point why the Ka-Bar was made. I carved out a cup and a bowl with my Ka-Bar. I wouldn't carry anything else into combat or the woods.
I have the same orignal Ka-Bar I was issued 53 years ago when I joined the Marines the 1st thing Gunny said this is Not a can opener it's made for 1 thing and 1 thing ONLY
Marc, You are correct. Mine has seen more collar bones than any other part of the human body and never failed to end to fight, Never. I wear mine horizontally behind my right kidney.
I purchased the partially serrated version a few years ago. On my knife shelf, it sits beside my uncles Navy Mk 2 knife, issued, I think, in 1943 or 1944. The Navy version did not have the leather sheath, rather it is made of some type of plastic with a heavy canvas belt loop. Like the new version of the sheath, the old one is also ambidextrous, even the retaining strap. The stacked leather handle is in great shape. I do prefer the feel of new handle material. In both cases, I love the round handle because it feels go, no matter how you hold it. I have gotten a bit spoiled with the Parkerized finish on the old one. It has gotten worn smooth with use over the decades. Both the main edge and the swedge are razor sharp. It is now in retirement.
USMC!!!! Gideon. Long time subscriber, and love your work...But as a 25 year career Marine, your continued reference to "Army" and "Soldiers"..."Soldier knife" in this video, is just a little bit misplaced. The original Ka-Bar fighting knife was officially adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 1940s, at the outset of and during WW II. The Ka-Bar "Mark 2 Combat/Fighting Utility knife" was issued to Marines who carried pistols, M-1 Carbines, the BAR, and machine gunners, as riflemen already had their bayonets. Later, it was issued to ALL Marines. Prior to the USMC adoption of this knife, the term "Ka-bar" didn't even exist in common language. I joined the Marines in the 80's, and retired in 2005, and my personal, original issue " Mark 2 Combat/Fighting Utility knife" (Ka-Bar) is over 35 years in my possession. Thousands of active and former Marines still have their original issue Ka-bars at home as, probably still employed as a utility tool or standby home/personal protection weapon...or at least stored with reverence in a place of honor. I still use mine for everything from yard work to opening the mail, and keep it under my bed at night. Though the knife has been used and adopted by other services within the US Armed Forces since its inception, the "Ka-bar" fighting knife is, without question, a time honored part of Marine Corps lore and tradition for 75'ish years. With respect to all who have served, in any service, but they all would agree that there is a reason the USMC Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is embossed on the Ka-bar sheath. Thank you, and Semper Fidelis!
Conan. First off, let me say that you are 100% correct about the origins of this blade. my father was issued his Ka Bar when he went into the Marines, and he served 2 tours in Viet Nam with it. when he died in '82 it was passed to me. I carried his knife for the 10 years I was in the ARMY, 8 of those spent with the 3/75th RANGERs. I still have that knife, and it means the world to me, and will be my son's when I die. when I was in the ARMY, I often caught $#!t for having a " Jarhead" blade, but when they learned where it came from, it was given it's due respect. I have a lot of knives I use for a lot of tasks, but my Ka Bar will always be my go to defense weapon. all respect to you, and all of our brothers and sisters who wore their uniform with honor. hooah
Other Than Intended Purpose it was a popular knife while i was in 3rd Batt as well. I carried it during my time there and beyond. My Ka-Bar did two tours in Iraq. It has been retired a while now but I still have it and it is a prize possession of mine.
Ka-bar's success in WWII is largely due to a genius marketing strategy. Ka-bar made sure that supply crates for ammo, weapons rations etc shipped with a knife that could be used for marines to open the crate.
True, but if the knife wouldn't have held up or been enjoyable to use, it would have been quickly thrown aside, and GIs would have grabbed other blades.
@@JohnB-dr8sk yes, that if they had acces to other blades.....if Ka-bar was the only one, then.... Im thinking about buying tanto Ka-bar, i like tanto tip over classic one....
And Ka Bar knives were secondary or ditched when service members got ahold of a Randall. Those knives outperformed all others from ww2 ,Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq (again).....Game ,Set , Match....
As a member of a recon lrrp team this blade was made for hunting . In Honduras if you make noise on recon you ain't going to live long. No one battoned wood with it. We rucked 2 week patrols and this blade was quiet and kept cricket's chirping like nothing happened. All this blade does is rips groin to brisket. These videos on turning swords into plowshares are entertaining. If you want a camping knife buy one for that . If your ass is in the Bush and you don't want to be found this blade will assist if you don't use it as a prybar this blade takes names AATFW
I love my USMC Ka-Bar, with leather sheath. I bought the plastic sheath later as it's better for carrying on the trail. The one down side I found with mine is that there were some sharp edges on the guard where it meets the handle, but a quick file down took care of that. A true classic. Keep 'em coming my friend.
A lot of guys were issued the Cammilus and Kabars when I was in the Army 71-78 . Remember well my Sgt telling me "Time to fix that knife " He took a hacksaw and removed the top guard . We all did this and it makes the knife far better . A hell of a great knife for general camp use and processing large game . Thanks for the review .
Kitty Ren - The top guard is used to deflect an opponents knife during a knife fight and a knife fight is very rare in modern warfare . The top guard gets in the way for "choking up " on the blade to do fine cutting work . The bottom guard is adequate to keep the users hand from sliding on to the blade and being cut . ATB
I was just looking at videos for the Becker Harpoon and noticed this one. This is the first Ka-Bar I bought in 2003. Really just to have one and it's still new in box and has the 2003 brochure in the box too. I recently got the 5011 model with the green handle that's this knife in a polymer sheath instead of the basic leather. I've always liked Ka-Bar knives and have quite a few now. Good stuff.
I own a lot of kabar constructed knives, mostly (Becker), but I also own the Turok as well as 2 Ka-bar USMC knives, leather stacked and the rubber handled, both USMC knives are brilliant, the rubber handled one goes nearly every where on 1 day out, the leather is for my collection, regardless it's a timeless peace that will not let you down, well recommended, especially with the elements here in Scotland.
The guard on the EK knife is designed to be removed. If you loosen up the scales you can move them up higher to hold the guard in place so it doesn't rattle anymore. That's something you can't do on the 1211 if the guard comes loose.
An old favorite that I carried for years in combat zones. I'm really happy to see the sheath upgrade, but wish they had left the pommel strap off. It slows down deployment and even if you leave it unsnapped can hang the knife up in the draw, which burns precious time under duress. Having also trained for years in knife CQC, I've come to the conclusion that anything I have to manipulate to get into the fight, fixed or folder, is a straight utility knife. I also wish they had strengthened the tang. If you projectile it the percussion can bend it at the hilt. Now someone's going to say "why would you throw your knife away..." I always carry two. Projectiles distract while you close distance. Still, may have to pick one up just for old time's sake. Only one I have is the leather wrapped, but it's engraved as a gift so no field use for it.
Becker, which is now a subdivision of KaBar, makes really good field knives that are very affordable. They're 1095 carbon steel and keep a great edge. Some find their handles to be too slick, but wrapping with golf club or some other sports wrap fixes that. You can also get after-market micarta scales.
Snap it closed around the belt loop instead of the pommel. Snug, not flopping and out of the way. But the full-size kabars don't snap in to the sheath with a lot of security, so.. it's not super secure without the snap strap on the pommel if you're in the rough n' tumble.
As a Marine myself....i have to ask what was your MOS I was a grunt ..and can 100% no fighting unit have been issued anything but a standard issue Bayonet for years ...I am many more brought our own Kabars ....or others but the main reason is those Bayonets just weren't sharp enough out of the armory to do dirty work...also your bayonets were inspected just as harshly as your Rifles so you didn't use it for digging cutting hacking I also can't think of any real scenario where I would be in a knife fight that I wouldn't rather have the bayonet on my rifle Just saying if I was in a knife fight . I know how to use the e 7 inch blade single edge blade especially on the defense But still prefer as a grunt to have thst double edge pointed bayonet on the end of my rifle ..and the Kabar as a secondary should it get to that ...hell any sharp tool ..even an e tool is deadly close quarters But Marines used their Kabars or any secondary knife for driving pegs..opening MREs cutting rope ..digging in hard dirt etc ..because its extremely durable and maintains an edge and even if you can't slice something. You can beat it I love my Kabars ..and carry the mini on me anytime I can't carry a rami...its a quality tool for everything and yes for killing if you have too And for Marines since Nam ...they don't inspected by the armorer or platoon Sgt .
O311, 83-87. I do know a bayonet is functional but I am referring to a situation in which I do not have use of a rifle. I do have an AR with lugs so an M-7 or M-9 is an option. I am not a big Kabar fan mainly because of the tang. I prefer a true full tang in both length and width. My opinions are based on my personal preferences and as such are like all opinions. Thank you brother for your comment
As a Marine (0351) Wpns 2/2 (97-01) I, and almost every other Marine I knew, was not issued a Ka-Bar nor did we do any training with it. Corpsmen and staff NCOs were issued them but the knives were made by Ontario and in pretty awful shape, rusting in the armory, as I recall. Marines could buy them and carry them though.
I’ve had one of these with the leather scabbard for 3 years. Am finally putting it through trials on a week long camping trip in Southwest Virginia Appalachia.
I have a 1211 it's about 9 years old and it's still a great knife, I should've gone with a plain straight edge instead of the serrated but it's still a really handy blade though I've never really had use for the serrated part of it.
My father was in the Marines from 55-85 in 1965 he was an instructor at a Raid school and taught knife fighting. Fast Fwd to about 1993 , I came home from school and he was using one of the K-Bars for some yard work. I made the joke/ Hey Jar Head bet you cant put that into the telephone pole. Well he did. He said he used to be able to stick it 9 out of 10 throws was pretty amazing as the knife is so big and heavy. was very impressed. Grew up hunting and camping with one. Knife and axe amongst others
My first deployment to Afghanistan I had the leather Ka-bar in it's leather sheath. Later I got the modern sheath. I lost that one in 29 Palms somewhere. I replaced it immediately and kept that one for years before I traded it to a Portuguese Marine I trained with on my second deployment. Carried a Morakniv on my third deployment but I replaced the Ka-bar again after i got out of the Corps and despite the fact that I have objectively better bush knives, my Ka-bar stays in my GHB.
You have by far the best edged presentations on UA-cam. Appreciate your work. On Ka-Bar, I use the 1213 and can really see no definitive difference between the 1211 except for the sheath. Ka-Bar makes three or four products that are very similar, and it is a good marketing strategy. Keep up the great comparos.
Just a mention, the older 1211 has a partial serrated edge. I got mine maybe 5 years ago or so, and it's a partially serrated KA-BAR stamped with 1211. I know KA-BAR can be odd with their designations (the 1282 and 1283, if I recall, are identical D2 steel models, but the number corresponds to the sheath type). There are also sub-models, too, I think the 1245 tanto being one of them where multiple revisions were made to both the knife and sheath. In short, it's probably better to say the Krayton-G version of the classic 7 inch straight edge with Kydex sheath. I still love my classic remaster of the WWII model, the 1217 (leather grip and sheath, and a 7" straight edge blade). Best part is, as long as the blade isn't too long, most of the KA-BAR knives work in the sheath you like most. So you can go classic stacked leather grip in a Kydex sheath, or a Krayton-G grip in a leather sheath. Whatever makes you happy.
Me and my dad found mine in a field about 15 or more years ago lol as a rusted pieces of steel but i recently buffed it ton fairly nice polish I wanna re-coat and put new edge but had to double look sure enough it has the serrated lower edge. Looks like they tanked beck in 2007 essential given away and this remake is about the only model from the original company in there line. What a cool piece of Americana
Just for reference. The crossguard is not to catch a blade. That only applies to fencing and these are not swords. It's to protect you from slicing open your own fingers when stabbing. When your hands are bloody and wet and stabbing,; its common for your hands to want to slide forward into the blade. Any fighting knife needs some sort of crossguard to prevent this . Otherwise you have to angle the pommel into your palm and switch the grip. Hard to do with a kbar
Actually.. original John Ek knives didn't have a guard. A good grip doesn't need a guard. When the hand doesn't slide due to grip shape, there's no need for a guard.
I had one of these about 2 years ago. It was a gift from a "friend" on Christmas one year. He asked for it back a year ago for some reason and I was like whatever. Then he tried then to sell it to me the next week. By this point I was very pissed. I knew he had gotten into drugs so I said no. Not sure what happened to it after that. I found a good deal on Amazon today and I can't wait to have my Ka-Bar back in my gun cabinet. :)
I think if the bk7 came with a similar sheath system it would be a great combat utility offering. I'm like you I hate nylon sheaths. I understand their purpose to keep price point down but man do they suck. Great review.
So I got a new one yesterday, thought I got a clone so I went to the website, and Ka-Bar says it will give the 1211 a single stamp from now on, which I think makes it a bit more durable. I like my new 1211.
Great job on this. It's hard to find a video that really fleshes out the capabilities of this knife. Most videos just compare the different types of knifes. Don't forget that it can also scale fish and cut game.
Best to use the knife as a knife and have an axe or hatchet as well as a smaller utility knife. But yeah, nice knife and good test to show how it holds up. It's going on the front plate carrier for me under the admin pouch. Cheers.
I'm a fan of the model 1317 (dog's head) with the larger sized pummel and lanyard hole. It is a leather stacked handle, but a bit of tweaking makes the leather handle rather excellent, if I may say so myself. I really do like the 1211, though, and this review was well done.
I have the 1209, a viet nam era knife, bought it for $16 new in 1968 in Richmond Virginia. You can find them in good condition for between $250-300 now. So I think I’ll keep mine. I was 13 when I got it.
As you showed it's a utility fighting knife and the upgraded version looks great. Personally I own the BK 16 which is fine for me. But thanks for your review.
Thank you 👍. A tip I saw to improve the handle (Maybe it was you. Can’t recall.) and it works great! Go to any hardware store and buy 5 black rubber / silicone O-rings. Slide / roll onto handle. One O-ring per groove in handle (Can’t recall the size of rubber O-ring I bought.) They fit very nicely into each groove and greatly enhance the grip. When they are on the grip they look like it came from Ka-Bar that way. Very cool hack ...
I got the 1211 because i didn't wanna seem like a wanna be marine, but i did want the military proven ,u.s. made reliability, the kraton handle is amazing as well
Thanks for another great review. I did not know that Ka-Bar bought Ek Knives. Thanks for that information. Ek is actually a name (pronounced like 'heck' without the h), and this company was named after it's founder (John Ek). It's actually the Swedish word for Oak, if you're wondering what kind of name it is. My impression of most of the Ek Knives designs is that they are *really* combat knives, with features specifically designed for damaging another person's body (stiletto-like, double-edged) ... and not for practical uses that don't involve gross bodily harm.
Great video from 6 years ago👍🏻. Have you ever checked out the Cold Steel Leatherneck? Its heavier duty and in my opinion a big improvement over the classic Ka-bar, better sheath and better price point to boot. Thanks for the great videos
I had to have a KA-BAR and in fact selected this 1211 model. I consider it a decent fighting blade, but I prefer the SOG Tech Bowie blade & handle shape. The KA-BAR often goes in the hydration pack while mountain biking.
I got similar knife (D2, 1282) and I am getting the 1216 sheath because it looks so much better than the one I got with my knife. I love the durability and utility of Ka-Bar knives.
Gideon thank you for saying that the John ek is "a big no, no" I was going to buy that for a woods knife/ back up blade. now that I know the guard looses up I will not be buying it. i have the 1211 and it is as awesome as you say it is.
I plan on getting one of those next from their company. I just purchased the BK-2 last month and love it. The only problem was getting it out of it's sheath which is difficult and I just have to wait for it to get easier to remove. It was the first knife I purchased from them, but I have many other knives and love them too. The BK-2 seem to be a great knife and I love the material it is made from and the handle is nice and thick for my large hands. I am not crazy about the nylon webbing attached to the sheath as it just goes all over the place.
Yep....an excellent version of this Marine combat tested blade. I like it a lot and that sheath as well. If you ever have a chance to obtain an original WWII eagle head bayonet snap it up. Mine was presented to me by my father-in-law who was a Marine Officer who fought in the Pacific (including Iwo Jima) and in Korea. That was the real deal and most used of all blades by the USMC in hand to hand combat. Mine was made by the American Fork and Hoe company (the largest producer) and is a large solid tang deadly work of art, crafted in American steel.
As usual, nice review of the Ka-bar fighting utility knife. I unfortunately bought the EK knife bowie by Ka-bar but got it half price. Hopefully I don't have the same issue with the guard, if I do I'll just tack weld it with a tig welder.
I love this knife! It's not my go to bushcraft or survival knife by any means I use it general purpose tasks. It also goes with me hunting and fishing. I primarily use it for cleaning large game and killing snapping turtles.
I prefer the Ka-Bar D2. With the shortened handguard, you can get finer control over the blade than with the 1211. Also, the slightly larger dog head pommel allows you to add a tie down or a lanyard. I also replaced plastic sheath with a nylon sheath because mt knife rattled around too much in the original plastic sheath.
I bought my first Ka-Bar which is a D2 Extreme and I Love it. It is my SHTF blade only. I've bought quite a few Cold Steel and never been happy with their "sharpness". The Ka-Bar was scary sharp out of the box, plus it is really intimidating.
Really good review. I have the same knife but black handle and sheath. I love the balance of the blade being more toward the handle. It is easy for me to sharpen.
My Ka-bar isn't even a Ka-bar anymore. It (most likely) started as a short, somewhere lossed it's handle, true edge and false edge. Now paracord, a convex grind about a cm wide (which starts at the indent, showing how worn the blade is) make for a surprisingly good blade. I treat it like crap, a quick hone usually fixes it, at most a couple hours with a stone. I though it was original, soldier purchased utility knife when they had the trench knives (that could open a can of whoopass but not a can of beans) cause of KA-BAR OLEAN NY / *USA* marking .... but I think the shorts have always had that. Probably my favorite blade, I think the M7 bayonett would probably baton and fight better; but I don't really baton or fight, that's what axes and guns are for. But as far as skinning, prying, food-prep, driving flathead screws, cleaning a pipe or opening a can I go for the "toothpick" KA-BAR every time.
These blades are different from top of blade to bottom, near the bottom kbar actually keeps the steel softer, as to have it bend not break, so it would be just as robust as many other survival knives, but yes it is not great for finer details bushcraft, but it can be done,
If you're trained in knife fighting, then you know that you're supposed to grasp your knife handle with your finger knuckles lined up with the cutting edge. One reason for doing so, is to keep your original grip & prevent the knife for moving around in your hand.
One thing I didn't like about this version is that the Kraton handle is thicker than the leather one. It really wasn't necessary and I found it less comfortable, ended up selling it.
Hay Arron Kabar has the Dogs Head Utility knife that has off centered top guard giving you perfect thumb control, it also has the tear drop pummel. Basically its like their D2 Extreme but with leather and 1095, it comes with a leather sheath but it does fit into their kydex sheaths that you can buy separately. I think it would be an awesome knife for your channel to review because its almost non existent on UA-cam, only a couple reviews which is sad for such an awesome design that many guys would totally dig. Call up Kabar I'm sure they would send ya a freebie 😅 considering you increase these folks knife sales with your vids you shouldn't have to pay for um at all IMHO.
The Kabar is undoubtedly a very good knife. The sheath itself is also made of very good material. I have this knife, but I have a complaint: the cloth to which the sheath is attached (by rivets) is not a good transition. On my very first outing with this knife strapped to my hip, the rivets popped out of the holes and the button holding the handle also tore out of its slot. I don’t know what caused the accelerated wear, but I was carrying a 60 lb. ruck sack for about 3 miles in hilly terrain. My best guess is my waist belt on the pack was rubbing against it with decent pressure. I could have paid more attention and prevented this from happening, but .... In any case, this is a good example of what could happen in any survival situation, and the bottom line is that the cloth did not “survive”. The sheath design needs more attention, in my opinion. But I have no complaints against the knife, which took its beating quite well. Very solid!
Pumped for your thoughts on the Turok. Just picked one up on impulse, haven't had the chance to put it to work. Sharpened it, took a great edge and the edge was superbly ground. Not always the case with outdoors blades.
Awesome to hear. Sometimes impulse works out. Love your channel, just picked up a Steel Will Druid on your recommendation as a backup field dresser to my KOA Alpha Wolf. Really dig it. Any plans to review some KOA? I have the Bush Camp as well, really like it, great treatment on their d2. Wonder how you would see it stacking up to some of the Fallkniven and others you've used in its size range.
I have had my K-Bar for over 10 years now and I love it I smash it off everything. And i Carry it everyday , The Pomel on it I hit it all the time break stuff glass rocks use it as a hammer put nails in with it still going strong I should do a review with my cable are you sure you were a really can do with one because I put them to the test
I have to leather handle version. I am planning to get the rubber handle version. I think these are great knives and they are totally underrated. I know there definitely better blades out there, but the price will reflect it. I think this knife is above the rest when it comes to quality and price. And now, with the better sheath, there is very little competition to it. I also feel this knife is well suited for urban SHTF use. And also the weight for the size of blade is light enough to carry as an EDC if needed.
I just broke mine this weekend batoning wood. Granted I hit a knot where a limb came out, but I wouldn’t trust my survival to it. The little rat tang is too narrow to be bullet proof.
@@gideonstactical I just ordered a Jarosz Chopper yesterday after watching your review. It was that or the Esee junglas 2, which I don't have the funds for.
From experience, cutting wood like he is doing is the quickest way to getting blisters on the little finger. To avoid blisters, the knife needs to "roll" in the hand, so the knife should have a slight hook at the
I'm just wandering why so many people keep saying that its "perfect" for cleaning large game when all I've ever needed was a three inch blade. I showed a buddy of mine who hunted his entire life and used big blades and a saw to field dress game. He didn't believe me when I told him all I need was my pocket knife. A big knife, maybe. Its all about comfort to the user. But there's no reason to ever saw anything off of an animal. Cut around the ball joint and call it a day.
I don't mind the 1211 version but the only two issues I have is the handle is small for my hand and the sheath in Canada for EDC is a really bad idea I got detained for it looking like a handgun holster but other than that it's a great knife I give 5 outta 5
Oh my god, holding this makes an attacker think twice. It slices so fast. If you hold it, you feel this is not a bushcraft knife. It's a killing blade. The somewhar smaller tang is made so on purpose to give the blade a lot of swing. Do not be mistaken, it's a strong blade, designed to rip up humans. The lenght of the blade and the low weight of the knife so you can draw it fast, makes it a dangerous weapon. It's a long razor on steroids.
Hi Aron,,,,,, Question For You Sir,, Since You Know Blades & Knife Steels !! What Be Your Opinion IF,,,,,,They Made A Kabar With 3V Steel ???? Same Thickness & All Just With That Super Steel ?? I Got The S.R.K With 3V & It's The Best I Had. Just Looking For Your Opinion IF Kabar Used That Steel. Thanks & Keep The Reviews Coming.
Ever tried the Cold Steel Leatherneck in D2 with the DLC coating ? Goes for around $68.00 . 3/16 in thick , D2 steel , hollow grind , upswept guard ( like you said would be better on the KaBar ) Great Knife . Blows the KaBar out of the water (IMHO). Maybe thats why you did not show them together ?? Good video though , keep up the Good work Aaron . P.S. Yes , I know it's not American Made , everything can't always be perfect .
Should consider comparing the 1211, leatherneck and mtech Ka-bar clone altogether. I wonder how the clip points of the latter two will fare to prying wood like in the video.
I love the your dog! But I don't get all this woodsman stuff. The 1211-1214 KABARs are primarily fighting knives, aren't they? Well, you did successfully demonstrate it's a tough knife. But if you want to do woodsman stuff, wouldn't the KABAR Becker BK-2 be the better choice?
![The LEGENDARY KABAR WW2 Fighting Knife [What You NEED to Know!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6kEYm61ChJg/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a Ka-Bar when I was 11 or 12 years old, that had been dug up from under a tree, and I cleaned it up and fixed it up and loved the thing. How does a Ka-Bar end up all rusty under a tree in Hawaii in the mid-1970s? It probably saw service in the Pacific.
Wow , interesting story .. Although , i've heard some American soldiers were being trained in Hawai just before being sent to Vietnam , and a lot of the lads were using
Ka-bars or cheaper knock-off of that blade ... Greetings from France
More likely a murder weapon.
Could very well be as @D L said.
Normally you would throw it into a lake or sea.
Rust will take care of it there.
Why would the Ka-bar been buried under a tree...
Might be another reason as well.
There can be several anyway.
Interesting thing btw...
@@Ve-suvius I dropped and lost a Cold Steel 12" Bowie machete in a river while drunk on a float trip in 2010. I wonder how the 1055 carbon steel has held up to the rust. It's probably a small rusty butter knife with a big rubber handle in the Gulf of Mexico by now.
@@DL-ij7tf
Haha 😋
Could very well be. The CS Bowie machete sure has a nice tip on it.
Cold Steel has a hard time having their machete's at stock lately.
"Wealljuggleknives" talked about many Cs machete's being discontinued. Though I have not read that anywhere yet.
I know the rubber is better in practicality, but the leather looks way cooler. And as Dave Cranterbembry always says, the most important element of survival and bushcraft is looking cool.
Buy both! Leather for the shelf and the polymer for use. I've got to get a leather one for the collection. This is definitely one blade I should have more than one of. Second kind of cool. The reality is my Swiss Army knife and mora comp HD sees more use, lol.
LMAO, a shallow, yet true statement! 😂 I had a leather handled one but my nephew was eyeing it and I gave it to him. In retrospect I'm kinda regretting it tbh, so I need a replacement. The leather has the best looks, no doubt, but in actual use and for longevity it's been trumped by kraton by a light year. The kraton fills the hand better and offers better grip, won't rot, etc.. well, it's nothing we don't already know. If I get another in leather just for looking cool when I'm bad-assing about, I'll do that rubber o-ring hack for the grooves to make it grippier.. I mean, if I were to plunge it into an insurgent it would be highly embarrassing to have it slip from my hand with all the blood and all.. just sayin' 😇
Amen to that!! :)
IMO, the leather looks very friendly and homemade. Which I like the look of, but it doesn't match the mass produced war fighting Ka-bar. The polymer reminds me more of that.
Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors Go AHEAD WITH WHAT DAVE SAYS COOL WILL GET YOU KILLED IN THE REAL WORLD.
I have the leather version KA-Bar..My favorite hunting knife..I've used my Ka-Bar for skinning deer, chopping wood, cutting brush, and on the softer gentler way for peeling my apples and oranges. Best hunting knife I ever owned for the past 22-25 years. When I store it I always put a little bit of oil on the blade, not that it will rust but it's always good to do..Canada
I know this was posted 2 years ago, but honestly, "stainless" knives rust as well... not as easy as 1095 high carbon blades (which this is, with Cro Van added), but will still rust given the right conditions. Stainless isn't "free from stain / rust" it's Stain "less" than other high carbon steels. So there are only a couple types of steels that will just not rust period, and they are "purpose built", i.e. salt water diving knives.. So this will indeed rust if neglected, so putting oil on it for storage is an excellent idea.
@@DroneShotFPV unless its a salt water knife in H1 stainless steel its going to have spot rusting at best. But carbon steel is by far the best knife steel. Easy to sharpen and it holds an edge. I have a 1211 serrated blacked out Ka-bar and a buck 808 talon i prefer the ka-bar its lighter and still gets the job done.
@@sergeantsavage1988 I 100% agree that High Carbon is the best. My Japanese knives are all reactive cladding high carbon steel, and require excellent maintenance and care. I make knives personally out of 1095 mostly myself, but use other steels also, so I have experience with many different steels. I was replying to this comment because he said that it is not necessary to oil because it won't rust anyway, which is why I commented what I did that it absolutely WILL rust if not cared for, being carbon, and that even "stain less" steel will rust, as it's just stain LESS.
@@DroneShotFPV .,
Have had this version for years now. Excellent value. Appreciate the time and effort you put into these vids! Take care brotha!
Spec-Op 4 thanks my friend!!!
I retired my Marine Ka-Bar, but it still would work just fine for camping. I treated the leather handle with Armor-All over 40 years ago and it's solid as wood. When I got the original Ka-Bar Warthog fixed blade I treated the kraton handle with Armor-All, also. It had no effect on the steel pommel, and the Kydex sheath looks new. I recommend Armor-All for all these materials. Both my Ka-Bars are going strong after decades.
Can't go wrong with the Ka-bar! FYI: there's a few "Hacks" for those who might use one. A) Seen a few from WW2 where the Upper Guard was bent towards the Tip about 45 degrees. But I don't how well it would work in the Plastic Sheath. B) Go to Harbor Freight and get a set of "O" Rings and slide one each into the Grooves on the handle. Really cuts down on "Rotational Slippage." Also Wilson Tennis Grip Wrap works well, and you can always use both. C) The back of the Spine is easily made into a 90 degree angle for striking a Ferro Rod, which should be easy to mount a Holder for it. D) For the "Budget Bushcrafter", the Leather sheath fits the Old Hickory 7" Butcher Blade like a glove. E) And the Modern Sheath can be ordered separately, if a Military Person wishes to carry the Family Legacy into Combat. Hope this helps.
I love it when non experienced people talk about weapons they don't understand. You can carve and peal with that Ka-Bar. The butt cap can be hammered on. It's also used to put down ward force if you know what you're doing. I prepped and ate meals for a months with my Ka-Bar. I had to do unspeakable things too. Survival is the whole point why the Ka-Bar was made. I carved out a cup and a bowl with my Ka-Bar. I wouldn't carry anything else into combat or the woods.
I have the same orignal Ka-Bar I was issued 53 years ago when I joined the Marines the 1st thing Gunny said this is Not a can opener it's made for 1 thing and 1 thing ONLY
My D2 KaBar is a can opener too. :D The black paint is pretty beat from it, but the edge is no worse for wear 17 years later.
To kill
Marc, You are correct. Mine has seen more collar bones than any other part of the human body and never failed to end to fight, Never. I wear mine horizontally behind my
right kidney.
@@josephmonaco4503 fool shut ur ass up...u havent stabbed anyone......call of duty doesn't count chirujo.
@@josephmonaco4503 Sure tough guy. I'm sure you also have a massive 20 inch killer too right? 🤣
I purchased the partially serrated version a few years ago. On my knife shelf, it sits beside my uncles Navy Mk 2 knife, issued, I think, in 1943 or 1944. The Navy version did not have the leather sheath, rather it is made of some type of plastic with a heavy canvas belt loop. Like the new version of the sheath, the old one is also ambidextrous, even the retaining strap. The stacked leather handle is in great shape.
I do prefer the feel of new handle material. In both cases, I love the round handle because it feels go, no matter how you hold it.
I have gotten a bit spoiled with the Parkerized finish on the old one. It has gotten worn smooth with use over the decades. Both the main edge and the swedge are razor sharp. It is now in retirement.
USMC!!!! Gideon. Long time subscriber, and love your work...But as a 25 year career Marine, your continued reference to "Army" and "Soldiers"..."Soldier knife" in this video, is just a little bit misplaced. The original Ka-Bar fighting knife was officially adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 1940s, at the outset of and during WW II. The Ka-Bar "Mark 2 Combat/Fighting Utility knife" was issued to Marines who carried pistols, M-1 Carbines, the BAR, and machine gunners, as riflemen already had their bayonets. Later, it was issued to ALL Marines. Prior to the USMC adoption of this knife, the term "Ka-bar" didn't even exist in common language.
I joined the Marines in the 80's, and retired in 2005, and my personal, original issue " Mark 2 Combat/Fighting Utility knife" (Ka-Bar) is over 35 years in my possession. Thousands of active and former Marines still have their original issue Ka-bars at home as, probably still employed as a utility tool or standby home/personal protection weapon...or at least stored with reverence in a place of honor. I still use mine for everything from yard work to opening the mail, and keep it under my bed at night. Though the knife has been used and adopted by other services within the US Armed Forces since its inception, the "Ka-bar" fighting knife is, without question, a time honored part of Marine Corps lore and tradition for 75'ish years. With respect to all who have served, in any service, but they all would agree that there is a reason the USMC Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is embossed on the Ka-bar sheath. Thank you, and Semper Fidelis!
Conan. First off, let me say that you are 100% correct about the origins of this blade. my father was issued his Ka Bar when he went into the Marines, and he served 2 tours in Viet Nam with it. when he died in '82 it was passed to me. I carried his knife for the 10 years I was in the ARMY, 8 of those spent with the 3/75th RANGERs. I still have that knife, and it means the world to me, and will be my son's when I die. when I was in the ARMY, I often caught $#!t for having a " Jarhead" blade, but when they learned where it came from, it was given it's due respect. I have a lot of knives I use for a lot of tasks, but my Ka Bar will always be my go to defense weapon. all respect to you, and all of our brothers and sisters who wore their uniform with honor. hooah
Other Than Intended Purpose it was a popular knife while i was in 3rd Batt as well. I carried it during my time there and beyond. My Ka-Bar did two tours in Iraq. It has been retired a while now but I still have it and it is a prize possession of mine.
The difference between the USA and USM knife during WWII is the last letter.
Amen Brother! Facts are facts! >;)
Marine kbars are longer than army version
Like Bill Stoger said, #15 orings fit perfectly in those grooves.
Ka-bar's success in WWII is largely due to a genius marketing strategy. Ka-bar made sure that supply crates for ammo, weapons rations etc shipped with a knife that could be used for marines to open the crate.
True, but if the knife wouldn't have held up or been enjoyable to use, it would have been quickly thrown aside, and GIs would have grabbed other blades.
@@JohnB-dr8sk yes, that if they had acces to other blades.....if Ka-bar was the only one, then....
Im thinking about buying tanto Ka-bar, i like tanto tip over classic one....
Probably one of the only things its good for!
And Ka Bar knives were secondary or ditched when service members got ahold of a Randall. Those knives outperformed all others from ww2 ,Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq (again).....Game ,Set , Match....
@@eac1235 What type of Randall do you talk about?
I've had the OG for over 10 years. Love my USMC model. Great vid, TY.
I bought that exact model recently because of its originality. Great knife.
The steel sharpens so well.
...#15 plumbing o rings rolls into those grooves on the handle making in real grippy! !!
#5
Just received my Kabar 2217 Big Brother from Tomar. Love the weight and feel of this big boy.
As a member of a recon lrrp team this blade was made for hunting . In Honduras if you make noise on recon you ain't going to live long. No one battoned wood with it. We rucked 2 week patrols and this blade was quiet and kept cricket's chirping like nothing happened. All this blade does is rips groin to brisket. These videos on turning swords into plowshares are entertaining. If you want a camping knife buy one for that . If your ass is in the Bush and you don't want to be found this blade will assist if you don't use it as a prybar this blade takes names AATFW
You're so full of shit 😂😂
I love my USMC Ka-Bar, with leather sheath. I bought the plastic sheath later as it's better for carrying on the trail. The one down side I found with mine is that there were some sharp edges on the guard where it meets the handle, but a quick file down took care of that. A true classic. Keep 'em coming my friend.
A lot of guys were issued the Cammilus and Kabars when I was in the Army 71-78 . Remember well my Sgt telling me "Time to fix that knife " He took a hacksaw and removed the top guard . We all did this and it makes the knife far better .
A hell of a great knife for general camp use and processing large game .
Thanks for the review .
Master Tracker Why did you remove the top guard?
Kitty Ren - The top guard is used to deflect an opponents knife during a knife fight and a knife fight is very rare in modern warfare . The top guard gets in the way for "choking up " on the blade to do fine cutting work . The bottom guard is adequate to keep the users hand from sliding on to the blade and being cut . ATB
I was just looking at videos for the Becker Harpoon and noticed this one. This is the first Ka-Bar I bought in 2003. Really just to have one and it's still new in box and has the 2003 brochure in the box too. I recently got the 5011 model with the green handle that's this knife in a polymer sheath instead of the basic leather. I've always liked Ka-Bar knives and have quite a few now. Good stuff.
I own a lot of kabar constructed knives, mostly (Becker), but I also own the Turok as well as 2 Ka-bar USMC knives, leather stacked and the rubber handled, both USMC knives are brilliant, the rubber handled one goes nearly every where on 1 day out, the leather is for my collection, regardless it's a timeless peace that will not let you down, well recommended, especially with the elements here in Scotland.
I like how you strait up don't recommend many knives!
Live Free Or Die got to help you guys out!!
The guard on the EK knife is designed to be removed. If you loosen up the scales you can move them up higher to hold the guard in place so it doesn't rattle anymore. That's something you can't do on the 1211 if the guard comes loose.
An old favorite that I carried for years in combat zones. I'm really happy to see the sheath upgrade, but wish they had left the pommel strap off. It slows down deployment and even if you leave it unsnapped can hang the knife up in the draw, which burns precious time under duress. Having also trained for years in knife CQC, I've come to the conclusion that anything I have to manipulate to get into the fight, fixed or folder, is a straight utility knife.
I also wish they had strengthened the tang. If you projectile it the percussion can bend it at the hilt. Now someone's going to say "why would you throw your knife away..." I always carry two. Projectiles distract while you close distance.
Still, may have to pick one up just for old time's sake. Only one I have is the leather wrapped, but it's engraved as a gift so no field use for it.
Hi, can you recommend any other knife besides the Ka-Bar?
Becker, which is now a subdivision of KaBar, makes really good field knives that are very affordable. They're 1095 carbon steel and keep a great edge. Some find their handles to be too slick, but wrapping with golf club or some other sports wrap fixes that. You can also get after-market micarta scales.
Snap it closed around the belt loop instead of the pommel. Snug, not flopping and out of the way. But the full-size kabars don't snap in to the sheath with a lot of security, so.. it's not super secure without the snap strap on the pommel if you're in the rough n' tumble.
Thanks!!!
My friend had the same problem with it bending at the hilt.
As a Marine I can assure you this knife is used primarily for killing, it can do other things to a degree but it is first and foremost a combat weapon
As a Marine myself....i have to ask what was your MOS
I was a grunt ..and can 100% no fighting unit have been issued anything but a standard issue Bayonet for years ...I am many more brought our own Kabars ....or others but the main reason is those Bayonets just weren't sharp enough out of the armory to do dirty work...also your bayonets were inspected just as harshly as your Rifles so you didn't use it for digging cutting hacking
I also can't think of any real scenario where I would be in a knife fight that I wouldn't rather have the bayonet on my rifle
Just saying if I was in a knife fight . I know how to use the e 7 inch blade single edge blade especially on the defense
But still prefer as a grunt to have thst double edge pointed bayonet on the end of my rifle ..and the Kabar as a secondary should it get to that ...hell any sharp tool ..even an e tool is deadly close quarters
But Marines used their Kabars or any secondary knife for driving pegs..opening MREs cutting rope ..digging in hard dirt etc ..because its extremely durable and maintains an edge and even if you can't slice something. You can beat it
I love my Kabars ..and carry the mini on me anytime I can't carry a rami...its a quality tool for everything and yes for killing if you have too
And for Marines since Nam ...they don't inspected by the armorer or platoon Sgt
.
O311, 83-87. I do know a bayonet is functional but I am referring to a situation in which I do not have use of a rifle. I do have an AR with lugs so an M-7 or M-9 is an option. I am not a big Kabar fan mainly because of the tang. I prefer a true full tang in both length and width. My opinions are based on my personal preferences and as such are like all opinions. Thank you brother for your comment
As a Marine (0351) Wpns 2/2 (97-01) I, and almost every other Marine I knew, was not issued a Ka-Bar nor did we do any training with it. Corpsmen and staff NCOs were issued them but the knives were made by Ontario and in pretty awful shape, rusting in the armory, as I recall. Marines could buy them and carry them though.
It's a Marines best friend
I’ve had one of these with the leather scabbard for 3 years. Am finally putting it through trials on a week long camping trip in Southwest Virginia Appalachia.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA COOL BROTHERMAN !!!!😉🙃😊🤙👌🤟🤘👍👍👍👍
I have a 1211 it's about 9 years old and it's still a great knife, I should've gone with a plain straight edge instead of the serrated but it's still a really handy blade though I've never really had use for the serrated part of it.
I bought one last year and I love it.
My father was in the Marines from 55-85 in 1965 he was an instructor at a Raid school and taught knife fighting. Fast Fwd to about 1993 , I came home from school and he was using one of the K-Bars for some yard work. I made the joke/ Hey Jar Head bet you cant put that into the telephone pole. Well he did. He said he used to be able to stick it 9 out of 10 throws was pretty amazing as the knife is so big and heavy. was very impressed. Grew up hunting and camping with one. Knife and axe amongst others
My first deployment to Afghanistan I had the leather Ka-bar in it's leather sheath. Later I got the modern sheath. I lost that one in 29 Palms somewhere. I replaced it immediately and kept that one for years before I traded it to a Portuguese Marine I trained with on my second deployment. Carried a Morakniv on my third deployment but I replaced the Ka-bar again after i got out of the Corps and despite the fact that I have objectively better bush knives, my Ka-bar stays in my GHB.
I already have this knife but looked at this video to confirm how good it is. Thanks for the great review!
You have by far the best edged presentations on UA-cam. Appreciate your work. On Ka-Bar, I use the 1213 and can really see no definitive difference between the 1211 except for the sheath. Ka-Bar makes three or four products that are very similar, and it is a good marketing strategy. Keep up the great comparos.
Thank Russell that means a lot.
He v
GF
"if you are considering the 1211 you are probably looking at these other 2 ka-bars as well" nope never seen them before 😂
Just a mention, the older 1211 has a partial serrated edge. I got mine maybe 5 years ago or so, and it's a partially serrated KA-BAR stamped with 1211. I know KA-BAR can be odd with their designations (the 1282 and 1283, if I recall, are identical D2 steel models, but the number corresponds to the sheath type). There are also sub-models, too, I think the 1245 tanto being one of them where multiple revisions were made to both the knife and sheath. In short, it's probably better to say the Krayton-G version of the classic 7 inch straight edge with Kydex sheath. I still love my classic remaster of the WWII model, the 1217 (leather grip and sheath, and a 7" straight edge blade). Best part is, as long as the blade isn't too long, most of the KA-BAR knives work in the sheath you like most. So you can go classic stacked leather grip in a Kydex sheath, or a Krayton-G grip in a leather sheath. Whatever makes you happy.
Me and my dad found mine in a field about 15 or more years ago lol as a rusted pieces of steel but i recently buffed it ton fairly nice polish I wanna re-coat and put new edge but had to double look sure enough it has the serrated lower edge. Looks like they tanked beck in 2007 essential given away and this remake is about the only model from the original company in there line. What a cool piece of Americana
I had to cut a thin steel door for a test. It opened up that door like a can. It's still sharp.
I Love this style of knife and that's why I own the Cold Steel Leatherneck in Tanto. Thanks for the review.
Just for reference. The crossguard is not to catch a blade. That only applies to fencing and these are not swords. It's to protect you from slicing open your own fingers when stabbing. When your hands are bloody and wet and stabbing,; its common for your hands to want to slide forward into the blade. Any fighting knife needs some sort of crossguard to prevent this . Otherwise you have to angle the pommel into your palm and switch the grip. Hard to do with a kbar
Actually.. original John Ek knives didn't have a guard.
A good grip doesn't need a guard.
When the hand doesn't slide due to grip shape, there's no need for a guard.
I had one of these about 2 years ago. It was a gift from a "friend" on Christmas one year. He asked for it back a year ago for some reason and I was like whatever. Then he tried then to sell it to me the next week. By this point I was very pissed. I knew he had gotten into drugs so I said no. Not sure what happened to it after that. I found a good deal on Amazon today and I can't wait to have my Ka-Bar back in my gun cabinet. :)
I think if the bk7 came with a similar sheath system it would be a great combat utility offering. I'm like you I hate nylon sheaths. I understand their purpose to keep price point down but man do they suck. Great review.
Yup
Smprepper # ya I wish, the Turok does have a very nice polyester sheath!
So I got a new one yesterday, thought I got a clone so I went to the website, and Ka-Bar says it will give the 1211 a single stamp from now on, which I think makes it a bit more durable. I like my new 1211.
Just paused the video and bought this knife, have wanted one ...$128 black w/leather sheath ...impatiently waiting...my first 🙂
Great job on this. It's hard to find a video that really fleshes out the capabilities of this knife. Most videos just compare the different types of knifes. Don't forget that it can also scale fish and cut game.
Best to use the knife as a knife and have an axe or hatchet as well as a smaller utility knife. But yeah, nice knife and good test to show how it holds up. It's going on the front plate carrier for me under the admin pouch. Cheers.
I'm a fan of the model 1317 (dog's head) with the larger sized pummel and lanyard hole. It is a leather stacked handle, but a bit of tweaking makes the leather handle rather excellent, if I may say so myself. I really do like the 1211, though, and this review was well done.
*pommel...auto correct...smh...I also prefer the glass filled nylon sheath of the 1211.
you know what what a blade made of both black diamond and obsidian while with the handle made for that
Correction, that is actually the 5011
I have the 1209, a viet nam era knife, bought it for $16 new in 1968 in Richmond Virginia. You can find them in good condition for between $250-300 now. So I think I’ll keep mine. I was 13 when I got it.
As you showed it's a utility fighting knife and the upgraded version looks great. Personally I own the BK 16 which is fine for me. But thanks for your review.
The Cold Steel leatherneck is a good alternative and also fixes the handle indexing issue.
Thank you 👍. A tip I saw to improve the handle (Maybe it was you. Can’t recall.) and it works great! Go to any hardware store and buy 5 black rubber / silicone O-rings. Slide / roll onto handle. One O-ring per groove in handle (Can’t recall the size of rubber O-ring I bought.) They fit very nicely into each groove and greatly enhance the grip. When they are on the grip they look like it came from Ka-Bar that way. Very cool hack ...
what size o ring
I got the 1211 because i didn't wanna seem like a wanna be marine, but i did want the military proven ,u.s. made reliability, the kraton handle is amazing as well
Thanks for another great review.
I did not know that Ka-Bar bought Ek Knives. Thanks for that information.
Ek is actually a name (pronounced like 'heck' without the h), and this company was named after it's founder (John Ek). It's actually the Swedish word for Oak, if you're wondering what kind of name it is.
My impression of most of the Ek Knives designs is that they are *really* combat knives, with features specifically designed for damaging another person's body (stiletto-like, double-edged) ... and not for practical uses that don't involve gross bodily harm.
This is the ak47 of knives
Great video from 6 years ago👍🏻. Have you ever checked out the Cold Steel Leatherneck? Its heavier duty and in my opinion a big improvement over the classic Ka-bar, better sheath and better price point to boot. Thanks for the great videos
Not yet 👍
I had to have a KA-BAR and in fact selected this 1211 model. I consider it a decent fighting blade, but I prefer the SOG Tech Bowie blade & handle shape. The KA-BAR often goes in the hydration pack while mountain biking.
I got similar knife (D2, 1282) and I am getting the 1216 sheath because it looks so much better than the one I got with my knife. I love the durability and utility of Ka-Bar knives.
I don't care for the knife, but that sheath is absolutely AWESOME!!!
Good review. I always wondered about the Ka-Bar knives.
Gideon thank you for saying that the John ek is "a big no, no" I was going to buy that for a woods knife/ back up blade. now that I know the guard looses up I will not be buying it. i have the 1211 and it is as awesome as you say it is.
Michael Lawson heck ya my friend, look at the turok
gideonstactical I'm actually going to buy a Benchmade Nimravus to go along with my 940 and hopefully be done with knives...for a while at least.
I plan on getting one of those next from their company. I just purchased the BK-2 last month and love it. The only problem was getting it out of it's sheath which is difficult and I just have to wait for it to get easier to remove. It was the first knife I purchased from them, but I have many other knives and love them too. The BK-2 seem to be a great knife and I love the material it is made from and the handle is nice and thick for my large hands. I am not crazy about the nylon webbing attached to the sheath as it just goes all over the place.
In my opinion the Kabar short fighting utility knife is the best take if you are going for something a little bit lighter and a little more compact
the cold steel leatherneck is a good option as well
Tim Goward I will check it out
Yep....an excellent version of this Marine combat tested blade. I like it a lot and that sheath as well. If you ever have a chance to obtain an original WWII eagle head bayonet snap it up. Mine was presented to me by my father-in-law who was a Marine Officer who fought in the Pacific (including Iwo Jima) and in Korea. That was the real deal and most used of all blades by the USMC in hand to hand combat. Mine was made by the American Fork and Hoe company (the largest producer) and is a large solid tang deadly work of art, crafted in American steel.
As usual, nice review of the Ka-bar fighting utility knife. I unfortunately bought the EK knife bowie by Ka-bar but got it half price. Hopefully I don't have the same issue with the guard, if I do I'll just tack weld it with a tig welder.
I love this knife! It's not my go to bushcraft or survival knife by any means I use it general purpose tasks. It also goes with me hunting and fishing. I primarily use it for cleaning large game and killing snapping turtles.
I prefer the half serrated model because the serrations make cutting Nylon rope much easier. Bites into poly materials better
I prefer the Ka-Bar D2. With the shortened handguard, you can get finer control over the blade than with the 1211. Also, the slightly larger dog head pommel allows you to add a tie down or a lanyard. I also replaced plastic sheath with a nylon sheath because mt knife rattled around too much in the original plastic sheath.
I bought my first Ka-Bar which is a D2 Extreme and I Love it. It is my SHTF blade only. I've bought quite a few Cold Steel and never been happy with their "sharpness". The Ka-Bar was scary sharp out of the box, plus it is really intimidating.
I just use a spare BUCK M9 bayonet scabbard with my KA BAR 1211. Works like a dream.
Really good review. I have the same knife but black handle and sheath. I love the balance of the blade being more toward the handle. It is easy for me to sharpen.
My go to. Weight and balance
My Ka-bar isn't even a Ka-bar anymore.
It (most likely) started as a short, somewhere lossed it's handle, true edge and false edge.
Now paracord, a convex grind about a cm wide (which starts at the indent, showing how worn the blade is) make for a surprisingly good blade. I treat it like crap, a quick hone usually fixes it, at most a couple hours with a stone.
I though it was original, soldier purchased utility knife when they had the trench knives (that could open a can of whoopass but not a can of beans) cause of KA-BAR OLEAN NY / *USA* marking .... but I think the shorts have always had that.
Probably my favorite blade, I think the M7 bayonett would probably baton and fight better; but I don't really baton or fight, that's what axes and guns are for. But as far as skinning, prying, food-prep, driving flathead screws, cleaning a pipe or opening a can I go for the "toothpick" KA-BAR every time.
These blades are different from top of blade to bottom, near the bottom kbar actually keeps the steel softer, as to have it bend not break, so it would be just as robust as many other survival knives, but yes it is not great for finer details bushcraft, but it can be done,
Can the nylon web belt attachment be unscrewed from the sheath in order to allow scout carry with a tech lock clip?
It's riveted on. I suppose you could drill out the rivets and modify it anyway, but I don't see a non-destructive way of doing it.
I know I'm 7 years late but i think the KaBar D2 Extreme is the best version for combat/defense anyway.
I got that version but in black, love it! Comes with a great plastic sheath...
On the Ek knife...that is not an E K but Ek as in the name of the designer, John Ek.
Yep... as a lad in the early 90's, I had some guy in a surplus store in Brewer try to tell me it was E.K....jajajaja
If you're trained in knife fighting, then you know that you're supposed to grasp your knife handle with your finger knuckles lined up with the cutting edge. One reason for doing so, is to keep your original grip & prevent the knife for moving around in your hand.
One thing I didn't like about this version is that the Kraton handle is thicker than the leather one. It really wasn't necessary and I found it less comfortable, ended up selling it.
is that the foliage green version
Hay Arron Kabar has the Dogs Head Utility knife that has off centered top guard giving you perfect thumb control, it also has the tear drop pummel. Basically its like their D2 Extreme but with leather and 1095, it comes with a leather sheath but it does fit into their kydex sheaths that you can buy separately. I think it would be an awesome knife for your channel to review because its almost non existent on UA-cam, only a couple reviews which is sad for such an awesome design that many guys would totally dig. Call up Kabar I'm sure they would send ya a freebie 😅 considering you increase these folks knife sales with your vids you shouldn't have to pay for um at all IMHO.
I got the classic, the smaller classic looking one, and I bought the tanto for gits and shiggles. Always go with the classics.
The Kabar is undoubtedly a very good knife. The sheath itself is also made of very good material. I have this knife, but I have a complaint: the cloth to which the sheath is attached (by rivets) is not a good transition. On my very first outing with this knife strapped to my hip, the rivets popped out of the holes and the button holding the handle also tore out of its slot. I don’t know what caused the accelerated wear, but I was carrying a 60 lb. ruck sack for about 3 miles in hilly terrain. My best guess is my waist belt on the pack was rubbing against it with decent pressure. I could have paid more attention and prevented this from happening, but .... In any case, this is a good example of what could happen in any survival situation, and the bottom line is that the cloth did not “survive”. The sheath design needs more attention, in my opinion. But I have no complaints against the knife, which took its beating quite well. Very solid!
Pumped for your thoughts on the Turok. Just picked one up on impulse, haven't had the chance to put it to work. Sharpened it, took a great edge and the edge was superbly ground. Not always the case with outdoors blades.
Could be the best survival/combat knife for under $100
Awesome to hear. Sometimes impulse works out.
Love your channel, just picked up a Steel Will Druid on your recommendation as a backup field dresser to my KOA Alpha Wolf. Really dig it.
Any plans to review some KOA? I have the Bush Camp as well, really like it, great treatment on their d2. Wonder how you would see it stacking up to some of the Fallkniven and others you've used in its size range.
I have had my K-Bar for over 10 years now and I love it I smash it off everything. And i Carry it everyday , The Pomel on it I hit it all the time break stuff glass rocks use it as a hammer put nails in with it still going strong I should do a review with my cable are you sure you were a really can do with one because I put them to the test
Thank very much. I study many knifes from your vdo.
S. Bhaddharaja awesome, thanks for watching
I have to leather handle version. I am planning to get the rubber handle version. I think these are great knives and they are totally underrated. I know there definitely better blades out there, but the price will reflect it. I think this knife is above the rest when it comes to quality and price. And now, with the better sheath, there is very little competition to it. I also feel this knife is well suited for urban SHTF use. And also the weight for the size of blade is light enough to carry as an EDC if needed.
I just broke mine this weekend batoning wood. Granted I hit a knot where a limb came out, but I wouldn’t trust my survival to it. The little rat tang is too narrow to be bullet proof.
eric matthews that is where the BK7 or Kabar Jarosz would be the stronger option
@@gideonstactical I just ordered a Jarosz Chopper yesterday after watching your review. It was that or the Esee junglas 2, which I don't have the funds for.
but did they fix the tang issue?
It's not an issue for it's intended purpose
From experience, cutting wood like he is doing is the quickest way to getting blisters on the little finger. To avoid blisters, the knife needs to "roll" in the hand, so the knife should have a slight hook at the
I'm just wandering why so many people keep saying that its "perfect" for cleaning large game when all I've ever needed was a three inch blade. I showed a buddy of mine who hunted his entire life and used big blades and a saw to field dress game. He didn't believe me when I told him all I need was my pocket knife. A big knife, maybe. Its all about comfort to the user. But there's no reason to ever saw anything off of an animal. Cut around the ball joint and call it a day.
Great review! Have you tried out the Case version? The curved tip is also sharpened in their version.
I don't mind the 1211 version but the only two issues I have is the handle is small for my hand and the sheath in Canada for EDC is a really bad idea I got detained for it looking like a handgun holster but other than that it's a great knife I give 5 outta 5
Oh my god, holding this makes an attacker think twice. It slices so fast. If you hold it, you feel this is not a bushcraft knife. It's a killing blade. The somewhar smaller tang is made so on purpose to give the blade a lot of swing. Do not be mistaken, it's a strong blade, designed to rip up humans. The lenght of the blade and the low weight of the knife so you can draw it fast, makes it a dangerous weapon. It's a long razor on steroids.
Hi Aron,,,,,, Question For You Sir,, Since You Know Blades & Knife Steels !!
What Be Your Opinion IF,,,,,,They Made A Kabar With 3V Steel ????
Same Thickness & All Just With That Super Steel ??
I Got The S.R.K With 3V & It's The Best I Had.
Just Looking For Your Opinion IF Kabar Used That Steel.
Thanks & Keep The Reviews Coming.
For some reasons that polymer (or probably GFN) sheath reminds me of Cold Steel's Secure-Ex sheath…
Ever tried the Cold Steel Leatherneck in D2 with the DLC coating ? Goes for around $68.00 . 3/16 in thick , D2 steel , hollow grind , upswept guard ( like you said would be better on the KaBar ) Great Knife . Blows the KaBar out of the water (IMHO). Maybe thats why you did not show them together ?? Good video though , keep up the Good work Aaron .
P.S.
Yes , I know it's not American Made , everything can't always be perfect .
Should consider comparing the 1211, leatherneck and mtech Ka-bar clone altogether. I wonder how the clip points of the latter two will fare to prying wood like in the video.
I love the your dog! But I don't get all this woodsman stuff. The 1211-1214 KABARs are primarily fighting knives, aren't they? Well, you did successfully demonstrate it's a tough knife. But if you want to do woodsman stuff, wouldn't the KABAR Becker BK-2 be the better choice?
like the "hammer/knock out thing" on the bottom!