Kabar USMC Fighting Knife Survival Test

Im sure everyone here has heard it. The Kabar is the worlds greatest survival knife. Or the flip side, the Kabar is a pure killing knife, and that's it.
In every discussion, in every format, the things that you will hear in regards to this iconic and beautiful knife range from poorly informed to absolute mystical lunacy.
For that reason, I asked my patreon supporters to help me fund two of them, one to give away, and one to put through the wringer, first clearing up some misconceptions about the history of the blade, followed by whether or not it was a decent Bushcraft knife, or could be used as such, and finally, whether or not it was a prudent choice as a survival knife.
That is what I am bringing to you today, the finale of the Kabar saga on my channel. Im sure you guys would have some good guesses as to how it turned out.

 

I can guess. It is just a lengthened version of an earlier hunting knife pattern. I think the length detracts from its usefulness as a survival knife. Hindrance aside, it still works.

 

Your idea of a survival knife is an interesting one.
Your guess is pretty far out there

 

The first part was my opinion and the "still works" part was my guess. I prefer the slightly shorter Mark 1. The length on the Kabar is better for fighting, but 4-5 inches is better for utilitarian applications.

 

Let me guess, does it break right behind the guard from heavy/abusive batonning?

 

It does break in that spot, but not from "heavy/ abusive batoning"- although that would be a likely culprit, as opposed to the most common type of breaking, which is the random "ping" sound- resulting in breakage in the same spot after years of trouble free use at a totally random time.[/QUOTE]

 

Stress riser design flaw/metal fatigue. Combat knife.

 

I totally agree. The problem that I have is that the fighting knife with subtle redesigns could retain the kabar ora while fixing those stress risers and creating a combat knife that could be, as it should be, a proper combat knife that would likely hold up for survival use.
Kabar has the quality, but all that iconic silhouette needs is a bit of engineering savy to be what its devoties think it is.

 

I use mine as a backup blade/small task blade. My choppers are the main duty knife.

 

I prefer the Dog's Head Utility variation. Subtle differences, but with some of the same caveats. Had to have one, though I don't have much use for it.

 

I think that is the key to all of this. Knowing the knives limitations CAN make them practicalish, but will never make them the best choice with other current offerings. BUT! They are beautiful, and iconic, and therefor are great to have in the collection! If a person is into that sort of thing.

 

I must be from a different planet, Your definition of a survival knife and mine are worlds apart.

I find your testing pointless quite frankly.
In all my years soldiering, hunting, guiding and general woodsbumming every cutting task could have been achieved with tbe humble Kabar.

The reason its endured for so long is it works as a basic field knife, if it didnt they would have stopped making it.

Before you judge the tool of choice for thousands of soldiers and outdoorsman perhaps you should reflect on your own skills, and how you approach knife tasks. The purpose of a knife is to cut... not hammer into trees.

The above being said I enjoyed the video, while I may not agree with all your opinions I respect a man who is obviously very passionate about knives and the great outdoors.

 

No I actually completely agree.

The knife DOES work as a basic field knife. Heck, I said that in my testing. Peoples idea of survival involves basic field skills. That's ok, I get that genre. Its just not the reality of survival. I would like to think that in a bad situation that my skills would get me through the woods, but am I more skilled or mentally tougher than Carliegh from Alone? eeehhhh maybe in different areas, but as a whole I would say no. And yet a fishing hook took her out. That is survival. If I am going to choose a knife to carry by itself in a situation where if I get hurt I can't crawl to safety, and I can choose the Kabar, or another knife, Ill go with another knife, because love it or hate it, the Kabar has a pretty vital design flaw.

As far as "the reason its endured for so long... if it didn't, they would have stopped making it"- that is directly 100% false. That's not how the market and reality works. The reality is if it makes money, they will sell it. If it doesn't, they wont. The knife doesn't live off of its capabilities as a blade, the notion is very, very far stretched from the reality of the American knife market.

As far as my skills, if I can avoid hammering a knife, ANY knife, into a tree, I will. That SHOULD have been clear in the video, but I know that I don't always communicate things well. As a bushcrafter and combat veteran though, I understand that thousands of veterans and outdoorsman don't always choose a tool based on performance alone, or even hard found evidence, that is why I do youtube. I also know, as a combat veteran, the value of the tools we are given as soldiers (which the kabar is NOT one of), and I know the Kabar to have failed under much more normal circumstances after years of use- something that I can not replicate in a short period of time.

I hope that clarifies the situation a bit. If not, that's ok to, I know a lot of people wont enjoy the content I put out, or will enjoy it while disagreeing, that's all fine and dandy. I am here to help, and making enemies based on opinion wont do that.

 

Ok, let’s pose the question this way, because I think this may be the best way to challenge the viability of the Kbar.

Is there a knife that is better at all around field/bushcraft use that is still ideally suited as an offensive knife fighting knife with a length and size suitable to pass through the rib cage and reliably reach internal organs

 

First off- as a combat vet, the notion is silly. So low on the scale of practicality for carry for ANY person, be it regular joe, grunt, or high speed socom dude, that its hardly worth mentioning.

But, to answer the question... yeah, any knife with a 6-7" blade and a full tang. Esee 6? Esee 6 clip point? Esee Cm6?

Outside of Esee, Hogue Fo2? Or their ex line? Becker bk5. Bk7. About 150 things from Ontario. Uuuummmmmm and tons of other stuff.

There is a reason why grunts who carry a kabar size knife are often laughed at. This isnt 1940. Ask me how i know.

 

More accurately, the kabar mkii was never ideally suited as an offensive knife with a length and size suitible to pass thrpugh the rib cage and reliablu reach internal organs- the mk1 was- and there was a reason that even in 1940 that was dropped.

 

The idea of an offensive knife is silly in this modern error. There is a reason why they keep talking about getting rid of bayonet lugs

But this in any respect nothing more then an exercise of what ifs with constraints.

But in that regard I wouldn’t consider an esee 6 a good fighting knife the balance and weight to me would be off and the tip is wrong. Also it’s such a tall blade edge to spine I think that would be problematic.

But yea I would rather shoot a fool then needing to be close enough to stab them and then have my ideal bushcraft knife on me while I’m on the run

 

The other thing to consoder being that there are only 2 show stopper in the knife fight, the heart and the brain, and neither are likely. Everything else is a tendon or a timer, so in consideration of practicality and likelihood, the tactical knife concept is gonna take a back seat for me, as if i am out of 52 rounds of 9mm a point tip vs a real pointy tip probably isnt going to be a game changer.