I have been looking at these knives now for quite a while to use in the line of work I am in. I was told that they are cheap and not a bad knife to have if you want something small and for self defense. I've looked around on the forum and had difficulty locating any info on these knives, so I went to a few dealers locally and got their opinion. I ended up ordering one of these. I made my purchase from [url]http//www.outdoorpros.com[/url] and paid $43.82 total with shipping. Not too bad of a price for the item when Cabelas and like retailers sells the knife alone for $49.99. The knife its self can be located at many defense and weapons stores, and you can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to $60 for it.
Use:
The knife was designed by Ka-Bar for LEOs that wanted a backup knife in the event that their primary weapon was coming into compromise, or had already been compromised. It had to be easy to conceal for the LEO also. They were not going for a BMFK, something small and simple that would be just enough to get an officer out of a dangerous position. It was intended to be placed on the opposite of your dominant hand (the side your holster would be located) so that in the event of an attack, your dominant hand may be trying to protect your weapon, and your nondominant hand is reaching for the knife. For clarification, this knife really only has one use, and that is to stab someone with. It's short blade length and pistol grip design make it awkward to use for carving or whittling. It was designed with self defense as its sole use.
Specs (From Ka-Bar):
Weight: 0.35 lbs
Blade Length: 2-5/16"
Overall Length: 5-5/8"
Edge Angle: 15 Degrees
Shape: Drop Point
Steel: AUS 8A Stainless
Grind: Hollow
Handle Material: Zytel
HRC: 57-59 CR
Blade Thickness: 0.125"
Made in Taiwan
I purchased the straight blade in black for clarification.
What Ya Get:
And unboxed:
First Impression
Upon taking the knife out of the packaging and examining the bade its self, I noted that the blade except for the edge is covered in a blackening material that almost resembles powder coating, it looks very sleek and has a nice texture to it. The Zytel handle looks very nice and has a subdued color to it, but almost feels like a cheap plastic in a way, nothing major to detract thus far though. The sheath is very nice and the knife fits exceptionally well. It is snug like a SERPA-Type holster and there is no noise or rattle from the knife, yet it is very easy to draw out when needed. The sheath is also very rugged in appearance with an oversized reversible clip.
Here's what I saw:
Clip side:
Flat side:
Ergonomics
I was intrigued at this knife mainly due to the fact that it's draw method was strikingly similar to how a LEO would draw his service sidearm (no surprise there). Since a LEO was already trained one way, why change when they can adapt to that method? I had to try it to see how similar it was. Honestly, the only true difference is the size. It takes a little getting use to drawing something this small and light when you are use to pulling out a full frame handgun filled with .45 APC. Once you get the hang of it though, its second nature, just like drawing a side arm. The curvature of the knife also adds to how you are intended to use it in defense mode. There is a cutaway where the index finger would go, and 4 ridges across the top of the knife for your thumb. It was intended that the user would grasp the handle tightly with a fist (the strongest position of the hand) and then punch straight on with it. The curvature of the blade to handle allows so that a straight on punch would actually thrust the blade into the attacker. Also, whether you draw the knife as designed, or upside down (blade by your little finger), slashing with it is also much simpler than would be with a fixed or folding style knife. The theory is that any other knife requires the wrist to be bent which reduces the strength that can be expelled by the joint and leaves room for error.
Handle
The handle is made of a newly developed subdued weather resistant material called Zytel. In my opinion, it almost feels like plastic. The handle is however very easy to grip in all conditions I have had it in. Each side of the handle is held in by 3 torx bolts that can be removed. Ka-Bar provides the equipment necessary for that in the box as well as 2 replacement bolts. If you desire, you can replace the handle or change what color it is by ordering the various colors Ka-Bar has created for different uniform colors.
Blade
The blade of this knife is made of AUS 8A Stainless Steel, and is very rugged. It possesses a 15 degree blade surface and comes coated in a lubricant from the factory to help stop and corrosion or rust that may occur should the device come into contact with moisture. The remaining sides of the blade are covered in a black power coating type material that has a rough texture to it. No doubt, this is to keep the reflection possibility down and also to help insure the durability of the steel. Printed on the left side is the Ka-Bar logo and further back at the ricasso is the Ka-Bar name. Both are printed in a gold-type color.
Sheath
The sheath definitely had a lot of thought and design go into it. It is a handgun holster adapted for a knife. The knife fits in very snugly with no rattle yet can be drawn swiftly and effectively in one fluid motion. The metal clip of the sheath has the Ka-Bar logo printed upon it, and it can be moved to which ever side the wearer wishes. Weapon retention is very important in the modern world, so the clip also has a reverse facing barb that stops someone from removing the entire sheath/knife combo without having the intention to do so. This would also be useful to prevent the user from losing their knife. There are also several aftermarket holsters that an individual can purchase if desire exists. The one I have considered is a ankle holster for this knife. I do however know moving the knife from the side to the ankle will increase draw time and it will be more obvious to the attacker what is going on. Ankle holster sells for $10 to $20 online.
Concealment
This is a very important aspect for this knife since Ka-Bar claims that it is very easy to hide and that would play a vital aspect in protecting the wearer (if your attacker notices, they will take it away too). I feel that pictures will help more than my words so I took three pictures showing it attached to various locations with various ensembles. Ka-Bar recommends a LEO or military member wear it behind a mag pouch for the most concealment.
Concealed behind pistol mag pouch on tactical vest with pistol belt:
Concealed behind pistol mag pouch on 5.11 Taclite Pants with Blackhawk Riggers Belt:
Concealed behind Blackhawk Riggers Belt on 5.11 Taclite Pants (clipped onto waistband):
Best way IMO, if you can, just wear your shirt untucked... Covers it entirely. Didn't post a pic of that, because well, just look in a mirror you see the same thing with or without.
Conclusion
Okay. Well, if you are looking for a knife that you can wear and forget about until you need it (hopefully you never will), or if you are in a job where you wouldn't mind haing a knife that will have your back, this is a good consideration. I can't say that its the ultimate EDC, because thats a lie, its a self defense knife. You can't really intend to use it for cutting or carving and would have to carry a pocket knife for that. I honestly have no problems with carrying a pocket knife and this knife together, the Ka-Bar weighs 0.35 pounds and after a while you totally forget its there. The price for this knife is also quite decent given the materials and the brand name it is coming from. It draws easily, stores easily, and is a very sexy knife to own. You won't break the bank with it, and it comes from a trusted name. Only drawback is the handle, this is my opinion. Zytel appears to just mean cheap plastic to me, though as I stated it won't slip even when wet, so it does its job. I'm just not a fan of the appearance.
I hope you take this review as a review of a self defense knife, and not of an EDC, because like I stated, it is not an EDC everything knife.
Oh yea... 4/5
