The KA-BAR® Fighting Knife: How it Slashed & Stabbed its way into History!
The Ka-Bar Fighting Knife is the premier combat knife for the U.S. Military.
First adopted by the United States Marine Corps in November 1942 designated as the combat knife or Knife/Fighting Utility, and subsequently adopted by the United States Navy as the U.S. Navy utility knife, Mark 2.
Today, Ka-Bar makes Army, Navy and USMC versions. They are the same design except for Military Branch initials at the bottom of the blade and Military Branch symbols on the sheath.
Besides its use as a fighting knife, the Ka-Bar has proved useful as a utility knife, for opening cans, digging trenches, cutting wood, roots, wire, and cable.
Years 1920–1924
Legend has it, that the name KA-BAR comes from the phrase, “Kill a Bear”
The Union Cutlery Co. received a letter from a fur trapper sometime in the early 1920s. A bear attacked him, and his rifle malfunctioned, and in order to protect his life, he took a knife made by Union Cutlery Co. and successfully killed the bear, which was the Kodiak bear species. The hunter in appreciation of the knife having saved his life sent the bear skin to President Wallace Brown and in his letter, it was spelled K, a bar.
The thought then occurred to the management of the company that if the Kodiak bear is the strongest of the bear species, and the word bear is pronounced “bar”, and further, if the cutlery produced by the Union Cutlery Company was the best and strongest of its kind, then it should be very significant that “Ka-bar” might truly represent the qualities of the company’s products. Thus the Ka-Bar trademark was adopted.”
Years 1942–1945
Danforth Brown, President of Union Cutlery Company working with USMC Captain Howard America and USMC Colonel John Davis submit a Fixed Blade Fighting/Utility Knife design to the USMC for consideration of issue to the troops during World War II. Soon after, Union Cutlery Company begins supplying KA-BAR stamped knives to Marines to support the war effort.
Year 1952
With its trademark stamped wartime knives gaining tremendous recognition and respect, Union Cutlery Company officially changes its name to KA-BAR.
Years 1955–Present
Soldiers and Marines continue to carry KA-BAR knives throughout the various conflicts from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The current Ka-Bar Fighting knife is Made in the USA with a Full-tang, 1095 Cro-van Steel Blade with a 56–58 RC hardness rating. The Blade length is 7 inches and total length with leather handle is 11 inches with a weight of 0.7 LB.
This truly is a tried a tested premier Combat Fighting Knife!!!
USMC KA-BAR®Fighting Knife available here…
