KaBar Full Size KaBar

Reviewed 01/06/2014 by Aaron

-Price Paid: $52.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

The KA-BAR Full Size Fighting/Utility USMC Knife has been around since WWII, and the big question is can it still hold its own in this new era for specialty blades or it is too old? This knife is not the best at any one thing, but it is a Jack of all trades.

Pro- price, quality, options in blade

Reviewed 07/17/2013 by Miika

-Price Paid: $65.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

I never intended to get this knife because it has this huge us army stigma on it so probably every other knife owner has one. But as I've hit a dry spot of acquiring new good knives, I decided to go with the regular USMC.
I chose straight edge because I've always felt serrations are in the way. The blade is as sharp you expect and the handle as mediocre. Hard leather wrappings with sharpish deep grooves doesn't make you want to use it long periods of time straight unless you wear gloves (or until the edge of the groves have rounded down a bit.
The balance is ok, leaning a tad backwards. Because of the weight, you can easily chop some wood while letting the momentum take most of the job.
For a knife at this price range, it's a very good buy for edc/outdoor /survival. I would recommend this for knife beginners over Cold Steel SRK or Fjallraven S1.

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Reviewed 09/01/2011 by Forsaken

-Price Paid: $50.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I have no negatives with this knife, I love mine. This knife is perfect for anyone and everyone from the occasional woodsman to the hardcore survivalist. If you don't own one, get one.

Reviewed 08/17/2011 by Scott

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

This knife exceeded my expectations. As an outdoors person, and a member in the military, I was astonished the durability and overall performance of this combat/utility knife. There really is nothing to complain about, although the ergonomics of the knife aren't superb. It has a very simple grip, which is all I need, but to some it may not be the best of course. For 60 bucks, you get more than what you paid for in my opinion.

I haven't needed to sharpen this knife yet, which is surprising given the fact that I have used it a ton, and it still looks pretty close to new. I use this knife when I hunt, camp, hike, or fish, and it hasn't let me down yet. One thing I have noticed though, is that it really isn't the best knife for sawing, or chopping wood. This really isn't that big of a deal for me because I think all the other pro's make up for it big time.

Like the other reviews have mentioned, this knife can take a lot of abuse. It's no wonder why the military has been using this knife for so long.

Overall, I would recommend this knife to any person who is looking for a rugged knife they can depend on.

Reviewed 07/16/2011 by Addison Parr

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

Ka-bar has been around longer than me and you reading this, they originally sent in the "KA-BAR" to the United states military as the need for a large fighting knife in the trenches was high. I have owned both the Full size USMC leather handled version and the kraton G handled Warthog fixed, the knives are exceptional for their price and will survive a ton of abuse. Although not Legitamitely Full tang, they still have a rod of steel going from blade, pinned to pommel and is extremely durable. the 1095 carbon steel is expertly heat treated, the powder coating is beautiful, and these are some of the best knives out there.

Reviewed 12/29/2010 by rwasham

-Price Paid: $57.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

I've only had my Ka Bar a short time but I can already tell its become my favorite knife. I got mine in plain edge with a leather handle, but a kydex sheath. The first thing that struck me was the sheer weight of the beast. Many nowadays dont care for a heavy knife, but I look at this as a plus, and I can see this knife being a serious tank in the face of many cutting chores to come. The edge quality was great right out of the box, one of the sharper factory edges I've seen. I really like the leather handle on the knife as well. I feel like (at least when its dry, I havent tried wet) That the leather handle provides a pleasantly tacky feel to it that secures the knife in hand. The guard seems well built, although I'm relatively unexperienced with guards and find that it feels strange to me, but not bad. I really like the large pommel and can see myself using that as a hammer or an impact device. The Kydex sheath seems pretty nice. I really like the extra retention strap for the handle. My only complaint on the kydex sheath is that it is not exactly set up for molle or pals, although the attachment points along the edge of the sheath could be set up for molle/pals.

Reviewed 09/13/2010 by Jordan

-Price Paid: $61.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Honestly, this is probably one of my favorite knives. It's very comfortable and versatile, like the other review said. The kraton handle really stands up to wear, as does the blade. It holds a pretty steady edge for quite a while(made out of 1095 cro-van steel, which is harder than stainless). I only really have a couple of problems with the cosmetics on this knife, really. First of all, it's basically just spray painted black, which wears down very fast. Also the tip of the knife had way too much paint and I had to file it down. The edge was a bit dull when I got it too. But for around sixty bucks its a great buy.

Reviewed 07/23/2009 by Dick

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

The Marines issued a Ka Bar to me 40 years ago in Viet Nam and I have carried it in my tool box ever since. It is a truly rugged knife and I have used and abused mine over the years for just about anything you can think of and never had a problem. A few minutes with a whetstone never fails to put a sharp edge on it. If you are looking for a camping knife that can peel a potato, cut tent stakes, open a tin can, and serve as a hammer in a pinch you couldn't find a better knife.