KA1214-BRK USA Fighting Knife, Steel

Wanted one of these since I was a kid, spent money on much cheaper versions and nothing can live up to the quality of a true K-bar quality! This will stay in the family for many years to come.

Well built, comfortable knife, and custom fitted hard sheath.

It came with a relatively sharp edge and packaged appropriately. I used it to pry some trim off one of my doors and some of the protective coating chipped at the end of the blade. I dont know if i would count this against it as it is listed as a fighting knife and not as a finishing tool.

Bought for my husband for Christmas. He says you can never have enough knives. He has one in every size-not sure why, but I guess it’s similar to why women buy a favorite shirt in different colors. This knife is huge-he’s a big guy (6’2”) biker who looks intimidating enough, but hey...now he has a giant knife in case someone gets brave and tries to climb that tree. Oh, it opens Amazon boxes like a dream! :)

Im not a knife person. This is the first decent knife Ive ever owned. I wanted to get a good knife because its one of the most versatile tools anyone can own. All my expectations were met or surpassed. I thought about separating this into good and bad categories, but to be truthful with you, I cant think of enough bad to warrant such a divide. Out of the Box: The knife came sharp out of the box. When I say razor sharp, I mean it. It cuts better than a pack of Stanton razors I bought for a utility knife. It comes in a rather handsome cardboard box, with a small manual (more of a KA-BAR history), the knife in a cardboard sheath and of course the glass-filled polymer sheath. The Sheath: The sheath is black and it fits the blade like a glove. Actually, I have fat hands so it fits much butter than my typical glove. Now, one thing I do have to mention is the substance the sheath is made of. I may not be a knife person, but I am a chemistry person. This is NOT a Kydex sheath, as many reviews seem to think. It is made of a glass filled polymer. Its a bit heavier than Kydex and harder. The main difference most people will notice is that this will cause the blade to dull much faster, as the edge rubs against the inside of the sheath every time it is drawn or sheathed. Its still a high quality material, quite durable, likely more so than the Klydex equivalent. With that it, will also wear out faster. The locking mechanism that holds the blade in place functions partially by the sheath bending very slightly with the knife is sheathed and drawn. I wouldnt worry too much about this as this would take years of consistent use before you even began to notice this. I just wanted to dispel that misconception. As for the sheath functionality, Im highly impressed. You can sheath it ambidextrously (can be put in with the blade facing either direction), and can be easily drawn with one hand. Even so, when the blade is sheathed, it is secured very well. No amount of jostling will shake the knife out of the sheath. Seriously, I tried everything from holding it upside down, to jumping around while shaking it like a crazed shake-weight exerciser. This is without the button strap that goes over the top of the handle. There is only a single strap on this sheath, as the old sheath used to have two, one going across the knife guard. Frankly, the second strap is hardly necessary, so the loss of this improves the form and functionality by making it simpler to draw. Its on a Nylon strap, and can be strapped to any number of locations or equipment any number of ways. The Knife: Ah the knife. Its a great knife, what can you say? This is my first KA-BAR knife, but I imagine it wont be my last. First, the edge. The blade holds an edge well. After about a month and a half of light use, the edge is as sharp as the day I got it. Mostly Ive used to for chores around the house, cutting wire, opening packages, but Ive also tested it out. If Im going to use this as an emergency knife, I should know what it can do. Ive used it to carve wood, which it does very effectively. Its saw edge works fine. Of course if you really want a saw, you should probably buy a saw, but it can cut through some branches in a pinch if you need to start a fire or want to do some bush crafting. I managed to, with some effort, saw through a five inch thick log. The shortness of the saw edge made the task exhausting, but while I was exhausted, the knife came through it all just fine. It also batons would just fine (put it at the top of a piece of would, whack it with something like another piece of wood to split the first piece of wood like chopping firewood). Now the blade itself. The blade is a variation of full tang called rat-tail. You can see it at the pommel. Ive put it through most of what I imagine Id ever use it for, and its sturdy as the day I bought it, so its not a huge concern for me. Now Ive seen some people remove the black coating on the blade, but I prefer it personally. It appears to be sprayed on or something, like a Teflon coating. This will definitely help prevent rust, especially in more humid and salt-waterier (totally a word) climates. The handles is rubberized with Kraton-G. Now for me as a new knife owner, it just feels like vulcanized rubber. Like the sturdy plastic sheath and the blades black coating, this will definitely help with the knifes durability. Leather tends to swell when wet, plastic tends to chip and break, and wood just always sort of seems to fall apart. This is why I chose this version of the knife rather than the USMC branded equivalent. The rubber gives you a very solid grip when you hold it. Even if you have really sweaty or wet or even oily hands, I cant see this flying out of your grip unless youre extremely careless. I couldnt imagine a better material for this handle to be made of. Now I dont like the handle being black. If I drop it in the woods or at night or whatever, it makes it harder to find, but the grey and white versions were a little more expensive. No points off from me, because I knew what I was getting. Just a little note. The pommel has a pin in it and displays the end of the tang, something I understand to be a KA-BAR staple. The balance point for the blade is just behind the guard on the handle. Conclusion: I love this thing. Im not a knife collector, Im not even a knife person. But a knife is such a great useful tool that I felt I should have at least one reliable one. I figured that if it was good enough for the Marines, it was good enough for me. Its everything I was looking for, and a little more at a great price. Ill likely get a full edged version, without the saw teeth, but as my first knife, I love this thing. As a first time knife buyer, $60.00 seemed like a bit much, even though I understand it to be low-mid range as far as knife prices go. But when you want quality you dont skimp. This was worth every penny and more. Whether an emergency knife in your car, or as a regular for camping or bush-crafting, or survival pack or even just for a collection, I highly recommend it. Final Note: Maybe a bit preachy, but please please PLEASE be aware of the knife laws in your area. Most places in the US its illegal to carry something like this concealed, and if they find it in the cab of your car, you might be in trouble. Its a great tool, but I dont want anyone getting arrested. Have a nice day.

Great knife quick,shipping

I love the k- bar I plan on buying more it a great knife. You could shave with it realy

I havent killed anyone with it, and it hasnt saved my life in the wilderness yet, but I am definitely sure it would do the job well; this thing is sharp and tough, and I like the hard case a lot

Purchased this knife mainly for hunting and outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. I have used it to chop fairly big trunks of woods into fire wood, dug holes with it and put it through tasks that knives arent even designed for such as a stepping platform to step on while climbing a tree. This knife withstood all the abuse and rough use i put it through, never did it break on me and the blade stayed sharp and holds its edge pretty well. I have heard of people breaking their ka-bars from chopping wood, but just like a well built car if the driver is an idiot and does not know how to drive it the car will crash and break. same thing with knives and the way you use it, if you want your gear to perform well you must first learn how to use it. Overall this KA-BAR lives up to its name and it is popular and copied a lot for a reason.

was bought as a gift, they love it