22 September 2009
Long time readers know that I'm a proponent of using military gear for recreational field use; probably because my military service taught me how to use such gear in the field. Most readers also know that I like sharp things: knives are just cool. They are one of the simplest yet most versatile tools you can carry. One knife design that has been with us for decades is the Classic KA-BAR, also well known as the USMC Combat Knife. From what my oldest son (a Marine) tells me, the name was actually originally an acronym standing for: Knife Accessory - Browning Automatic Rifle.
With serrations above; plain edge below.
The photo above shows the so-well-known knife profile of the USMC Fighting knife. With it's 7" blade and 11.875" over all length, the aggressive Bowie-style blade and leather grommet handle don't allow anyone to mistake it for anything else. Plenty of other manufacturers have tried to make copies and knives with minor design modifications. Nine times out of ten you can just look at a KA-BAR and know if it's the real deal or not.
For my oldest son that KA-BAR was another right of passage. While he was going through basic training he wasn't allowed to have such a knife. The day he graduated and was leaving Parris Island he went to the PX and bought one. Simply being allowed to possess it - and being a Marine holding it - was a moment he says he'll remember all his life. As so happens, four of his uncles are also Marines and one of them gave him a gift: a KA-BAR USMC knife. I think that one will see slightly less abuse.
The classic design, as you can see, incorporates the pommel that can be hammered with; the full hilt to protect the user's hand; and the blood groove on both sides of the blade. The straight spine gives the knife a nice clean look and, on some models in certain production runs, the first inch and some change of the back edge isn't false - it's sharpened and makes the knife all the more deadly.
The tapered leather grommets in place around the full length tang are probably the most easily recognized visual characteristic of these knives. Properly cared for they'll stay in service for quite a while. If they aren't cared for though - well, I've seen them dry rotted, mildewed and molded. That results from being exposed to wet or damp environments and then not cleaned, dried and oiled. Yes, oiled. Just like you would oil a baseball glove. The leather sheath should be cared for the same way.
So, how does this famous combat knife perform? I happen to come into temporary possession of one and put it through the typical testing process. Out to the shed I went to cut about everything I could find that you'd expect to be able to cut with a knife: string, fishing line, twine, nylon rope, nylon webbing and cotton rope. That done I did my usual "thrust" test as I attempted to plunge it through a sheet of 1/4" plywood. I got it through and had to wiggle it back out. Not happy with the depth of my plunge, I put it back in on a second swing and then hammered the knife in with a 3-lb sledge hammer. I hammered it in to the hilt - and then had to hammer it back out. I must confess that I couldn't bring myself to hammer on the tip of the blade - so I put a piece of wood on it and hammered it out with the wood protecting the blade's tip.
I couldn't find a weight for the knife on the KA-BAR website. But, according to the site, the blade is finished to a Rockwell Hardness of 56-58 and carries a 20 degree angle on the sharpened edge. The knife is made in the USA but the sheath is made in Mexico. That surprised me a bit.
In exploring the KA-BAR website I also found the below knife, which appears the same except for the handle material.
Designed specifically for desert deployment in our country's most recent wars in the Middle East, the handle is of a polymer material that is more resilient to the harsh sandy conditions of that region.
So, if you're looking for a general purpose field knife and have an appreciation for long-proven designs, you should check out the KA-BAR USMC Combat Knife. Although of contemporary manufacture, it's definitely a unique piece of American history.
Happy Trails!
