Ka-Bar Knives

Caring for Your Knife

In order to keep your KA-BAR knives in the best condition possible, there are a few recommended tips for care and sharpening.

Caring

Wipe blades after use with a dry, soft cloth.

If knives are exposed to salt water, wash with mild dish detergent, rinse with tap water, then wipe with a dry, soft cloth.

Storing

Treat blades with a light coating of oil before storing. Neets foot, honing, or boot oil is recommended.

Store knives in a dry area.

Sharpening

Keep knives sharp by touching up edges as needed.

Most KA-BAR knives can be sharpened using an Arkansas stone or commonly available sharpening system.

Most knives can easily be touched up using a coarse or hard stone.

When bringing back a very dull edge a coarse or hard stone should be used first, followed by a finer, softer stone.

Knives made with D2 steel require diamond or ceramic sharpeners.

Knives should at no time be sharpened on a belt sander or bench grinder. These machines ruin a factory-sharpened edge

How KA-BAR Got Its Name

Soon after its introduction, the KA-BAR trademark became widely known and respected. There have been many versions of how the KA-BAR name was adopted, but all evidence points to a letter received from a fur trapper. This particular fur trapper's testimonial turned out to be one of the most significant ever received by the Company. He wrote, in very rough English, that his gun had jammed and that he had therefore relied on his knife to kill a wounded bear that was attacking him. In thanking the company for their quality product, the trapper described using his knife to "kill a bar." The way his writing was scrawled across the paper it looked like "k a bar." The company adapted his writing and adopted it as their trademark, KA-BAR.

On December 9, 1942, after the start of World War II, KA-BAR submitted a fighting knife to the United States Marine Corps in hopes that it would become general issue to that branch of the military. Working in conjunction with the Marine Quartermaster Department a design was devised and soon production was under way on a new and improved fighting / utility knife for the Marines. As the war escalated, the demand for these knives was so great that the KA-BAR factory alone could not keep up. The government assigned several knife companies to create similar knives as supplemental pieces for those serving the War. KA-BAR?s wartime production totaled more than 1 million. The KA-BAR knives became so well recognized for their quality and so abundant in number that “Kabar” became the name by which many referred to this knife pattern, regardless of whether the knife was manufactured at the KA-BAR facility.

These knives were depended upon to perform daily tasks such as pounding tent stakes, driving nails, opening ration cans and digging foxholes, not to mention defending lives.

Growing so in popularity and earning only the greatest respect, the KA-BAR was adopted by not only the Marines, but also the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Underwater Demolition Teams. Years after World War II, many KA-BARS were unofficially reactivated in the Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom conflicts.

The dependability and consistent quality of wartime KA-BARs was the result of constant strict quality control procedures by KA-BAR workers and supervisors as well as the US Marine Corps and Navy Supply inspectors who were assigned to the KA-BAR factory to work along with company personnel to accomplish this goal.

These high quality standards were maintained in 1976 when production was reintroduced to commemorate the Marine Corps 200th Anniversary of service to the United States. It was then that the original factory in Olean, New York, along with some of its original craftsmen, undertook the job of creating a “full dress model” of the original ? a Limited Edition Commemorative that would prove to be most meaningful to the Marines. Using the original blueprints which had been stored in the company archive files, the recreated knife was a true work of art that retained the look, feel and performance of the original battle ready combat knife. The first one of its kind, serialized with the number “1”, was presented to the Commandant of the Corps and was later put on display at the USMC Museum at Quantico.

The USMC Commemorative was so enthusiastically received that it became obvious that the original KA-BAR Fighting / Utility knife had retained its popularity through the years. The limited production Commemorative was so quickly taken up by the Marines, knife enthusiasts and collectors that KA-BAR decided to return it to regular production in its standard form. With only a few changes made possible by modern technology, the KA-BAR Fighting / Utility Knife was reintroduced.

Today, the original USMC Fighting / Utility Knife remains the first choice for many Marines who choose to carry it as their personal option knife during service. It is also a favorite of adventurers, survivalists, outdoor sportsmen and, of course, knife collectors who know that this knife this “American Legend” deserves a place in their collection.

KA-BAR's Glossary of Terms

1095 Steel - Easy to sharpen, plain carbon steel used in knife making. Proven to be one of the most popular steels used in KA-BAR knives.

440A Steel - A high-carbon stainless steel used in many American production knives.

Alumite - A hard coating used to protect aluminum handles from corrosion and scratches.

Anodized - A treatment that colors titanium using electric current.

Ballistic Cloth - A very durable, heavy nylon type material used for sheaths.

Cryogenic Quenching - The process of freezing blades to -120 degrees fahrenheit to improve blade performance.

D2 Steel - A high-carbon, high-chrome tool steel often used for blanking dies. This steel has excellent edge holding ability but is very difficult to process.

Epoxy Powder Coating - A coating process that protects blades from corrosion and also makes them non-reflective.

Flat Ground - A grind the tapers from the top of the blade down to the cutting edge. Also known as a "V" grind.

Full-Length
Tang - Extension of the blade steel that runs completely through the handle to the end of the knife.

Full Tang - A tang that shows all around the handle of the knife between two pieces of handle material.

Game Hook - Also known as a gut hook, this blade shape is best for opening the flesh of game.

Glass-Filled
Nylon - Material used to make sheaths. Nylon is reinforced with glass particles and other materials to provide strength and durability while still allowing some flexibility.

Guard - Also known as a hilt, is the piece of steel that separates the handle and the blade. Serves to keep the hand from slipping on the blade when cutting. Can be single or double.

Hollow
Ground - The ground surface of the blade is concave. Used to create a fine cutting edge.

Kraton G Thermoplastic Elastomer - Referred to simply as Kraton, is a man made material resembling rubber that can be molded into knife handles. Provides a non-slip grip.

Kydex - A hard plastic material used for sheaths. Chemical, corrosion and impact resistant.

Lockback - A folding knife that has a lock release on the back of the handle.

Micarta - A man made material, made by layering resin and cloth. Used to make very fine knife handles. Westinghouse trademark.

Pakkawood - A tough, resin impregnated wood used to make knife handles.

Powdered Metal - A process used to make shaped metal pieces. Fine metal particles are molded under pressure and then fused under high heat. Also known as sintered metal.

Rockwell Hardness
(HRC) - An industry scale used for measuring the hardness of blade steel. The higher the reading, the harder the steel. Written as HRC or RC followed by a range of numbers.

Sandvik 12C27 - Stainless steel made in Sweden. Known as a premuim steel.

Side-Lock - Also known as a linerlock. A locking mechanism that features a tab cut out of the liner which is used as a stop to lock the blade in an open position. To close, the liner tab is pushed back to its original position.

Tang - Extension of the blade that runs through or between the handle pieces of a knife.

Zytel - A glass-filled nylon material used in making handles for knives. DuPont trademark.