Opinions on this Ka-Bar

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Hi all...  I am looking for a Mother's Day present for my wife.  I know she would like a new camping knife (we do a lot of camping throughout the year, just us and also with our kids), and I was looking for something similar to what she has now (a cheap POS she got at a surplus store years ago), but better quality.

And no, this is NOT one of those 'I bought it for her but knew she'd hate it and so would give it to me' presents... she really would appreciate a new, higher quality camping knife...

So anyway, this is the knife:

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KA1236

I've heard lots of good things about Ka-Bars, and I know they're a military supplier, so they must be at least decent quality.  Any input on this knife would be appreciated.

[jekostas]

Ka-bar has extremely good fixed blades up and down their line up (I personally think the folders are hit and miss).  The steel is the same stuff Victorinox uses, so it should keep a reasonable edge and still be sharpenable.

My concern would be the leather handle and how much wear it'll take before starting to disintegrate, especially in moisture-rich environments.  I'd personally look for something in the line that uses Kraton grips like the USMC (Short or Full), and attach a reflective kelty cord lanyard for visibility.  I don't think it's a huge concern, though.

[ducttapetech]

Thats a nice knife. Leather handles should not give you any fits. Just oil the leather every once in a while.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Thanks for the responses, I think it's the one I'll get for her.  I was looking at a similar Boker model, but several reviews said the fit and machining on the guard/handle/pommel is lacking; loose fitting pieces with gaps, etc.  I thought Boker was better than that, but perhaps it's just something with that model.  And I like the fact it's a Ka-Bar; i've read/heard a lot of great reviews of their knives.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Well, ordered the Ka-bar this morning from Knifecenter... just got the shipping notice this evening!    Talk about service!   When it comes in I'll oil up the handle, check the edge and touch it up if necessary and get it wrapped up.  We're going camping this weekend with the kids and so I'll be able to give it to her while we're out in the woods.

Any suggestions on what kind of oil to use on the leather in the handle?  I was thinking plain mineral oil would probably be best, but any input would be welcome.

[NutSAK]

I would use Sno-Seal beeswax waterproofer on the handle, rather than oil, but that's my preference.  Heat up the leather, rub in the Sno-Seal and repeat several times.  It will waterproof the leather, but not clog the pores like oil does.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

I would use Sno-Seal beeswax waterproofer on the handle, rather than oil, but that's my preference.  Heat up the leather, rub in the Sno-Seal and repeat several times.  It will waterproof the leather, but not clog the pores like oil does.

That sounds like a good idea... I think I've seen that stuff in the hardware store, or like, REI, but don't remember for sure.  What do you think about using just plain paraffin in a pinch?  Would that still work?

[NutSAK]

I'm not sure, but I would think paraffin might harden the leather....  IMO, Sno-seal is well worth the price of admission if you can find it.  I use it on everything leather--sheaths & pouches, boots, shoes, belts, etc.  The beeswax base keeps leather supple.  You'll be amazed at how much of it most leather will absorb if you heat it up with a hair dryer or oven.  It will darken the leather a bit, but no more than oil would.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Okay, thanks... I'll hold out for the sno-seal then...  I'm sure I can find some online if I look around.

On another note, yesterday the tracking info for the knife said it would be here Friday; I thought "Great! I can give it to her this weekend while we're camping!".  Well, I checked again today and now it says it won't be delivered until Monday!   

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Hi all, update on the ka-bar...

Well, I mis-read the situation by quite a bit; what she really wanted was a new pair of hiking poles...    So I guess I 'Homered' it after all, cause now it's sitting in my edc/gadgets drawer with my other knives, tools, flashlights, etc. 

But, I wanted to give my impressions of the knife.  I haven't really had a chance to test the sharpness of it, but it does seem plenty sharp; 'hair popping' as they say, although I have yet to really have a reason to test the edge or the blade.  It has a mirror polish finish on it, so I'm actually kind of hesitant to mess it up really... it just looks so nice.

The blade is a good thickness, about the same as my old USA made Gerber 950 Pro Guide though it doesn't have the same solid feel as my Gerber, probably because it's not a full flat tang like my Gerber.  It's hollow ground too, and while it looks nice and I'm sure will cut well up to the depth of the grind, I don't think a hollow grind is going to be as strong as a flat grind.  There is also a false edge on the back of the swage, and it sure looks like it could also be sharpened up if you wanted to; if I was also going to be using this knife for self defense purposes, or I was in the military, I would definitely want to have the back edge sharp as well.

The fit and finish are pretty good, but it's pretty clear this is a budget knife; there is a small but hard to see gap between the blade and the guard, but you have to really be looking for it to see it.  The pommel cap looks like it's held on to the tang with only a single pin through them; the pommel is flat so I was tempted to try using it as a hammer, but I was worried the single pin might not be enough to hold the handle together if used that way.  I can't judge the width of the tang just by looking at it; I'd guess it's about 3/8" where it enters the guard, but I can tell it tapers down, at least it's smaller at the end where the pommel is attached.  Again, I would be hesitant to use it for any pounding type of duty because it's hard to gauge the strength of the pommel attachment.

The sheath is pretty nice; a single piece of folded oil treated leather, both stitched and riveted.  There is enough room at the end of the sheath to put a grommet in if you wanted to add a leg-tie, and it's a big enough knife that if I was going to carry it on my belt, I'd want a tie on it to keep it from flapping around.  The snap at the top of the sheath is the same kind of leather, but the strap is loose in the slot, and can easily move around and even be pulled out with enough force.  It really should have been riveted down.  The stitching is a little off too... the leather wasn't laid fully flat when it was sewn, so it has a slight twist in it.  It's also a little big for the blade actually; there's a lot of play when it's sitting in the sheath, even when the strap is snapped around the handle.  It would be more secure if it was made of two pieces of leather rather than just a single one folded over.

That's it in a nutshell; sorry I don't have anything to report on the cutting performance yet... haven't really had time or the opportunity to try it out with any real cutting jobs.  Overall it looks like a good utility knife, that will handle most tasks you throw at it.  I wouldn't use it for pounding, digging, or prying though... the blade doesn't seem thick enough and the pommel doesn't seem strong enough for those sorts of tasks.  It's a capable knife, but it won't displace my old Gerber from my outdoor equipment any time soon, but I will be using it as a secondary and/or back-up blade.