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KA-BAR TDI Flipper – Knife of the Week

March 8, 2024 / Tim / 0 Comments

KA-BAR and John Benner of TDI have teamed up to create an array of compelling fixed blade self-defense knives, but when they tried a flipper folder, it just didn’t click.

After a complete revamp of the original design, the new and improved TDI Flipper nails the functionality and aesthetics.

The new KA-BAR TDI Flipper forgoes the straight blade and handle of the original and opts for something curved to better match the defensive advantages of the fixed blades.

Its blade is 3 inches long with a spear point blade profile that reinforces the tip. The knife opens with an easily accessible flipper tab or an oversized thumb hole. Either option gives the user access to the blade in a pinch, even when wearing heavy duty gloves.

KA-BAR Big Brother – Knife of the Week

September 6, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

The KA-BAR is one of the most iconic knives ever made. One look at the stacked leather handle and long clip-point blade and you know exactly what knife it is.

The knife has come in tons of variations and special editions over the years, but there is only one model that’s the biggest and baddest KA-BAR of them all: the Big Brother.

Boasting a long 9.375-inch blade, the Big Brother is essentially a supersized version of the original fighting utility knife.

Take a look of this hilarious review from one of our favorite knife YouTubers:

It retains the same clip-point profile but with an additional sawback spine on the epoxy powder-coated 1095 Cro-Van blade.

10 Best KA-BAR Knives

June 19, 2023 / Tim / 18 Comments

KA-BAR is a legendary brand that’s been making knives under different names for a century. While the KA-BAR knife is the most well-known model from the company, the Olean-based company makes a diverse group of knife designs.

Teaming up with some of the best knife-making minds out there, such as Ethan Becker, Rick Hinderer, and Bob Dozier, shows this brand is committed to quality designs.

There have been a number of great new models over the years, but none have been quite strong enough to topple these classics.

Here are the 10 best KA-BAR knives right now.

KA-BAR USMC Fighting Knife

Let’s start with the icon — the original KA-BAR. I won’t go too deep into the history of KA-BAR (because I’ve already done that) but a few companies actually made the KA-BAR knife. However, the knives that were made by what is now KA-BAR were always considered the best. Even all these years later, the fighting knife remains a favorite among civilians and military personnel alike.

I could have easily made this list nothing but KA-BAR utility knives, but I thought the classic USMC could also stand in for the dozens of other iterations, such as the Kraton models, tanto models, and smaller versions.

You can pretty much find the perfect KA-BAR for you, including a Kraton version, commemorative versions, a short version, and more.

KA-BAR BK2 Becker Campanion

Just as I could have made list of only the fighting knives, I could also make this list nothing but models from the KA-BAR Becker line. Ethan Becker is a knife-designing savant and his line of Beckers at KA-BAR proves it. Few are as great and versatile as the BK2 Becker Campanion.

KA-BAR Modified Tanto – Knife of the Week

April 28, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

No knife is more iconic than the KA-BAR.

Even though the original is still going as strong as ever, it’s always nice to give worthy knives an update or alternative design.

That’s exactly what happened with the KA-BAR Modified Tanto.

KA-BAR took the original design of the old fighting knife and added some elements to make it more modern.

This version of the fixed blade trades the stacked leather handle for a Kraton G handle. This synthetic material can withstand almost anything you throw at it and conforms to the hand even better.

KA-BAR Ek Model 4 – Knife of the Week

March 1, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

With a rich history that dates back to World War II, the KA-BAR Ek Model 4 is a truly iconic fighting knife.

The origins of the fixed blade begin in 1941. That’s when John Ek created the Ek Commando Knife Company and produced fighting knives for the war effort. The knife was never officially issued by the military. However, it was the knife of choice among those who bought their own knives for combat.

The company changed owners throughout the years until KA-BAR acquired the designs and brought them back to their former glory.

The Ek Commando Model 4 is the first Commando knife that KA-BAR helped revive. Even after all these years, it remains a remarkable fixed blade.

KA-BAR USSF SPACE-BAR – Knife of the Week

January 11, 2023 / Tim / 0 Comments

When a knife becomes so iconic that it conquers Earth, there’s only one place left for it to go: space.

KA-BAR teamed up with the relatively new branch of military called the United States Space Force to bring a unique and head-turning take on a cultural icon.

Behold the KA-BAR SPACE-BAR.

This version of the most recognizable fixed blade is essentially a reskin of the original USMC KA-BAR. However, it has some welcomed humor injected into the design.

But if you think the knife is just a gimmick, you’d be sorely mistaken. The knife features the same 7-inch clip point blade made from 1095 Cro-Van steel, an alloy that’s tough, has great edge retention, and is easy to sharpen.

KA-BAR TDI Pocket Strike – Knife of the Week

October 4, 2022 / Tim / 0 Comments

Concealable, reliable, and flexible.

Those are the three attributes that work well in a self-defense fixed blade. And the KA-BAR TDI Pocket Strike is all of those things and more.

Designed by John Benner of the Tactical Defense Institute, the Pocket Strike is a cross between Benner’s earlier Law Enforcement models and a karambit.

KA-BAR USN Mark I – Badass Knife of the Week

May 28, 2019 / Tim / 1 Comment

For the week of Memorial Day, we thought it would only be apt to pick a badass knife with a military history. There are so many to choose from, but the KA-BAR version of an old and iconic fixed blade was too hard to ignore.

The KA-BAR USN Mark 1 is an updated version of the fixed blade made for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The original Mark 1 had a design similar to existing hunting knives at the time and varied in specifications depending on the manufacturer making the knife for military use.

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This version of the remake takes some liberties with the design to make the classic military knife more versatile and more durable. The 5.125-inch blade is made of 1095 Cro-Van carbon steel with a black coating to help increase its resistance to corrosion and damper the steel’s reflective properties.

KA-BAR BK7 Becker Combat Utility – Badass Knife of the Week

April 8, 2019 / Tim / 2 Comments

Sometimes you just need a big honkin’ knife to get the job done. Enter the Badass Knife of the Week.

The KA-BAR BK7 Combat Utility Knife is billed as the ultimate, all-purpose fixed blade designed specifically for soldiers and hard-core adventurers. It does not disappoint.

When we say the knife is huge, we’re not joking. The BK7 comes in at a total length of 12.75 inches. The 7-inch clip point blade is made from 1095 Cro-Van steel, an alloy that’s easy to sharpen and takes tons of abuse. Black coating also helps the high carbon steel better stand up to the elements.

The blade has a few more things going in its favor. A swedge along the spine near the tip helps give the knife even more penetrative power. Jimping, a sharpening choil, and a flat grind are all little things often ignored on larger knives.

New 2019 KA-BAR Knives

February 7, 2019 / Tim / 0 Comments

We’re still going through some of the new knives for 2019. KA-BAR is one of those companies that releases knives throughout the year, such as the later releases of the Jarosz Flippers last year.

But, KA-BAR recently pinpointed which knives it considers part of its 2019 lineup at SHOT Show. There are only a handful of models, but I expect the company to release more in the future.

KA-BAR Becker BK62 Kephart

The biggest new release is the KA-BAR Becker Kephart. This one was actually announced in October 2018 with limited quantities available the following months, but it wasn’t widely available until January.

It’s always great to get a new knife in the Becker series, which is probably the best series out of KA-BAR — besides the classic fighting knife lineup. What’s interesting is that the Kephart is based on an existing design. Noted outdoorsman Horace Kephart designed the knife in the late 19th century and early 20th century. There are a lot of Kephart-style knives out there, but Ethan Becker has a special bond to the knife.

The full details about Kephart and Becker are extolled in a recent Knife Magazine article, but essentially Becker obtained an original Kephart knife and even handled Kephart’s personal knife that now resides at a museum.