Ka-Bar
Ka-Bar(trademarked asKA-BAR,capitalized) is acombat knifefirst obtained by theUnited States Marine Corpsin November 1942.[1]It was then designated as the 1219C2 combat knife. Later it was called the USMC Mark 2 combat knife. When theUnited States Navyobtained the knife they called it the U.S. Navy utility knife, Mark 2.[2]KA-BAR is thetrademarkand namesake of a relatedknifemanufacturingcompany,KA-BAR Knives., Inc. (formerly Union Cutlery Co.) ofOlean, New York.KA-BAR Knives is a subsidiary of theCutco Corporation.
History
[change|change source]At the start ofWorld War II,the US Marine Corps was still using theWorld War IissueTrench knife.[1]Called the knuckle knife, it was a dagger with a studded steel hand guard.[3]The trench knife was suited fortrench warfarebut it did not meet the needs of the Marines in thePacific war.The Marine Corps purchased different designs from different knife manufacturers. The Ka-Bar, however, quickly became the marine's favorite. They were made by the Union Cutlery Company (later changed to KA-BAR Cutlery Inc.).[4]Soon othercompanieswere undercontractto produce the Ka-Bar. The main use for the Ka-Bar combat knife washand-to-hand combatwith anenemy.However, the number of enemysoldierskilled with a Ka-Bar is thought to be very small.[5]The knife, weighing just over 1 pound (0.45 kg), had a solid pommel (the butt end of the knife) which could be used as ahammer.The knife was used to open food cans inc-rationsork-rations.It was used for cuttingwires,openingcratesofammunitionand other non-combat uses.[1]
Modern Ka-Bars
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Although KA-BAR Knives, Inc. currently makes a wide variety of knives andcutlery,it is best known for the Ka-Bar Fighting/Utility knife. It has traditionally used a 7 inch (178 mm) long blade. It is made of1095carbon steelwith aclip pointblade and a stackedleather-washer handle. Other, more modern versions of this knife feature single or dual-edge blades. Many havesynthetichandles made ofKraton(a non-slip rubber substitute).[6]For modern outdoorsurvivaluse the Ka-Bar knives are still a provendesign.[7]
References
[change|change source]- ↑1.01.11.2C. Peter Chen."Mark 2 'KA-BAR' Blade".Lava Development, LLC.Retrieved10 January2016.
- ↑Walker, Greg (2001).KA-BAR: The Next Generation of the Ultimate Fighting Knife.Boulder, Colorado: Paladin Press. pp.13–20, 77.ISBN1-58160-120-4.
- ↑Barbara Schading, Richard Schading,A Civilian's Guide to the U.S. Military: A Comprehensive Reference to the Customs, Language and Structure of the Armed Forces(F+W Media, 2006), p. 301
- ↑"The History of The Ka-Bar Fighting Knife".MilitaryItems.Retrieved11 January2016.
- ↑Michael Green; Greg Stewart,Weapons of the Modern Marines(St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing, 2004), p. 19
- ↑Walker, Greg (2001).KA-BAR: The Next Generation of the Ultimate Fighting Knife.Boulder, Colorado: Paladin Press. pp.5-8.ISBN1-58160-120-4.
- ↑Len McDougall,Practical Outdoor Survival: A Modern Approach to Staying Alive in the Wilderness(Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 2008), p. 4
Other websites
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