Something different.....for me

[Ed Caffrey]

Just finished these up today, for a close friend. He's been after me to make them for a while, and although I normally wouldn't copy something like the Marine K-bar, he talked me into it. He couldn't decide between the Fighter and the Tanto versions.....so I made him both!
Of course I used Micarta instead of leather, put a few serrations on the blades, and coated the blades/hardware with flat black Gun-Kote.

[Fulmaduro]

Having been a career Marine I was always issued a Kabar. I also always wanted a custom made version that would hold an edge! You really made a beautiful set there, and probably the only set I have ever seen with an MS stamp on them!

I really like the micarta versus leather handle and the thicker guard. Thanks for posting!

Tony Z

[hsjrev]

I've broken a couple of issued Kabars (actually Camillus manufacturer) at the tang inside the leather handle. I think either the leather handle causes corrosion during manufacturing or it lets moisture get in there as both were pretty rusty inside the leather near the guard. The micarta and epoxy should be a lot better in that regard. I'd guess the military contract knives didn't have differential heat treating either so the hardened tang didn't help.

Nice lookin knives.

[Dana Hackney]

Very cool, Ed! I bet your friend wants both now, right?! What kind of steel did you use?

Dana

[Ed Caffrey]

Dana: Since these will likely see heavy use, I went with 5160 steel. My friend was here yesterday...."we" built the sheaths, and when I sharpened them up and started shaving my arm, his eyes nearly popped out! He's never own a "custom" knife......and I think that once he starts using these, he'll find out what he's been missing

hsjrev: The original K-Bars had a "rust through" problem in the tangs....and you 100% correct, it was because of the leather handle, which is one of the reasons that I refuse to build a knife with that type of handle.

[Cthulhu]

When I joined the Army, I went out and bought myself a KaBar. Still have it to this day. It survived my trek to Bosnia, and I think the dry heat of Kuwait actually helped preserve it.

I've put mine through heck. But yeah, they've always had issues around the tang.

That said, I still think it's one of the best all purpose blade designs (Not necessarily best blade/tang designs, if you know what I mean), ever created. Not all blades can do all things, but the KaBar style manages to do many of them well.

Ed, those blades are beautiful. They just beg to be put to work.

[combs6136]

Beautiful...HOw did you cut the grooves?............carl