If you dig this, then check out my US vs Soviet made bayonet battle here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i657haudxLPbaHk.html&lc=UgzTMM48SyIPXSJajCB4AaABAg

In the field with a fellow Marine once, he pulled out his Ka-Bar he said he got as a final piece of his grandfather who had passed while he was in basic. It was tattered and field worn like it had some age. I started to tell him Ka-Bars are made about 40 minutes south of where I live in NY and he handed it to me. I saw it said “Made in China” on the bottom of the handle. I stopped giving my info about Ka-Bars to him. I didn’t want to ruin that for him.

I own both the USMC issued KA-BAR fighting knife and the KA-BAR "Big Brother", which is a larger version. They do have weaknesses when abused in ways not intended for, but they were made to kill the enemy and for that purpose are highly prized. SEMPER FIDELIS

I just gave my son my fathers WW2 KA-BAR he used on Okinawa in 1944. Still has a razor sharp edge and original sheath. And the leather handle in tact.

I am a USMC veteran (1977-1981) and I own both. I got the "CHINESE!!" version from a place called BUDK for $20. I got the real one from KA BAR for $140. SEVEN times the price. I bought these knives about a year apart, a few years ago. I first bought the fake, as a camping, around the house knife. Having it made me want a real one, so I bought one. And I admit I have never used the real one for anything. I bought it as part of my collection. I still have my USMC dress uniform, which no longer even comes close to fitting, and dog tags. While the real thing is obviously a better knife, the fake one is better than many might think. I have used it for stuff that would have destroyed more expensive knives, and it was only $20. The only reason I don't recommend anyone not buy it (as a cheap knife) is because it is made in "CHINA!!" Yes, the pummel eventually came off, but I fabricated a metal one, and welded it on. It's still there. I noticed after you drug them behind a golf cart (I can't believe you got a battery powered golf cart to go a mile and a half) that the guard on the real KA BAR was badly bent, while the "CHINESE!!" one wasn't. I was a bit disappointed by that. So is a real KA BAR knife (a brand new one, not an original from WWII) worth seven times as much AS A KNIFE? Probably not. Again I bought mine as a collector's item. Several years later I am still using the fake one. Semper Fi.

I fell in love with the Ka-Bar ever since i've seen one of my company's sergeant carrying an old one during my military service in Germany in 1998..

I am Japanese. I am replying using Google Translate. I love Ka-Bar However, I was still a minor and couldn't buy the real thing, so I was looking for a video introducing Ka-Bar. The comparison video with your Chinese fake was very interesting, and I realized again the genuine durability and sharpness. Subscribe to the channel.

Fake is for real use, real is for ornamental use.

I love my Vietnam Era USMC Kabar, I have had it for 50 years & it has been to 16 countries with me.

Had a Gerber myself while in the Army, got a real K-Bar my uncle had in the Marines, and you best believe they the best BEST knife I ever had. Could shave with it if I had to.

Got my grandfathers one from WW2, still sharp, still going strong. One of the best ever made

The KA-BAR knife does not have a "rat tail" tang, it has a reduced tang. A rat tail tang is just a thin round stick of metal or at most, a square piece that is no wider than it is thick. The handle is usually held on by peening the end of the rat tail flat. The real KA-BAR has a much more significant tang than a rat tail, it's just not as full width as the blade is. The Pommel is held on by a pin through the pommel and the end of the tang.

Appreciate the video..awesome stuff. Attention to detail is king in the craft, and you took time to prove it and hit the nail on the head.

I bought the real kbar at cabelas around 15 years ago for $50. Glad I did!

Enjoyed the video and appreciate the time you put in to it. One thing to note when batoning is that knots are a real wildcard. If you hit a knot, regardless of knife or knife steel, it is going to be a bad time for your blade. When 1095 Cro-Van was selected for this knife it was in part due to its "bend before break" qualities as a broken blade in a war zone is useless, but a slightly bent blade can still be used if needed.

Being Army, I feel like it's disrespectful for me to buy one. That may seem stupid, but even as a collector, I just can't do it. The Marines hold a special place in our present and past, a place of honor and respect never to be challenged or questioned. Thank you for your selfless service!

I enjoyed the video. Thought I might give some history on the knife you presented. I own a late war Pacific theater WWII KaBar USN MkII with the NORD fiberglass sheath, 1/4" pinned pommel, and there is no markings on the blade, just the ricasso. Many companies made the MkII during the war with Camillus being the largest manufacturer followed by others such as Union Cutlery (Kabar) and Roberson and all had either marked the blades or didn't depending on the contract and time of manufacture.. Camillus was the first to make them and first run was shipped on 27, January 1943. Working with Union Cutlery (Kabar), Marine Col. John M. Davis and Capt. Howard E. America (the real Capt. America) helped develop the 1219C2 which was to be come the MkII and the design was adopted on 23, November 1942. Union Cutlery Co stamped "KA-BAR" on the ricasso of its knives even before WWII and the 1219C2 for marketing of the "kill a bear" story. This was carried on to the MkII and the Marines adopted the name. The name Kabar became famous in America during WWII with the Marines in the Pacific during hand to hand combat with the Japanese, and to capitalize on the popularity after the war, Union Cutlery changed its name to Ka-Bar Cutlery Inc in 1952 and began making reproductions of the MkII. The new knives that were sold , even up to this day, are not the same as the ones from WWII. the new ones have plastic spacers on the stack, they have blind pins that only go half way through a 3/8" pommel, and are painted. the Original knifes were 3/8" peened or threaded pommels (early) and 1/4" through pinned pommels. they were either blued or parkerized, the drop point of the blade was sharp, and the shape of the handle was different depending on who manufactured it.

I loved the video, I'm glad you showed the difference, looks like the fake one would be better for displaying not for actual use.

I've had an ARMY, USMC, USN, and Space bar.

I still have my Marine issue from 1965 . It is my friend and will only leave me in death.

My son bought me a KA-BAR from Olean NY this past Christmas. When i opened the box that's the first thing i looked fir - USA. Not made in CHINA. Glad to see it has the quality you'd expect and the rat tail design. I don't think I could drag it down a dirt road. Thanks for the sacrifice.

The only real issue (the "sharp out of the box" thing might be but from the video it just seems to be that the copy isn't equally sharpened) that's apparent from this video is the handle? To be more precise, it's how the pommel is attached making the handle eventuellt fall apart. So how would you deal with that after the fact? Considering you're still left with an otherwise usable blade

When you said lets do it on my arm at 4:42 I got worried lol. Just got this knife and the sharpener and I can't wait!

Awesome! I have not got a ka bar, they are excellent knives, I just haven’t bought one. The first knife I bought was a Condor Hudson Bay, than a British army MoD Survival knife. Svord Von Tempsky Bowie, a Gerber strong arm, and finally, an 81 and 78 Glock Feild knife. I settled on the Glock knives, Strongarm, and Hudson Bay. All the other knives were amazing, and tough as nails, just had too many lol. The British army MOD knife was 60£ at the time, paid 120 CAD. But still cheap and goodquality. By the time I found the so call ‘bargain cheap knives, like the Strongarm husdson bay and Glock knives, they were higher priced lol. The Svord was my only knife over 200$. Keep up the great work man!

I have the real Ka-bar and the Case XX. The Case is made in Bradford, Pa and is also very well made.

For anyone who recently ordered a ka-bar and the other side which usually says "USA (model number)" is missing, there's no need to worry it's a change in ka-bar blades that they never announced publicly to my knowledge. Hope this helps anyone questioning the authenticity of a new blade

Just bought the real one. Can't believe it took me so long.

Amazon a.k.a. Chinamart. I still go camping with my father's WW2 KaBar M3 Trench Knife, still going strong!

ANY THOUGHTS ON THE BLACK 5 1/4 KABAR SMALL SIZE ,IMO VERY NICE AND CAPABLE...

LOL! I'm not laughing at your very well put together vid, Gabe, but at the " China" insertions. 🤣🤣 Every single one, I busted out laughing. And you know it's time to break character when your wife says supper is ready. lol Y'all are too funny. Awesome vid. Taking a short lil trip for a few days soon enough to Jekyll Island, might have to get the K Bar, never know if I may run across or run up on some bears or coyotes when walking some trails or a gator on a guided kayak tour. 😂 lol Thank you for the vid, informative and much appreciated. I hope y'all have a fantastic weekend! Thank you mucho for the shout out. Keep on keepin' it real. 😊👍🙏✌️

What about doing a charpy or brinnel hardness test on the blades? on the spine then the cutting edge and comparing both results?

Rat tail is a welded on very thin rod. A full tang is a continuing length of the same metal as the blade to the hilt...

Thanks for the video I just got a ka bar just like that one

I still have the Kbar which was issued to me by 20TASS at Pleiku RVN 1971. It has served me well over the years.

Yes I bought the real usmc KABAR Knife for self Defense and it almost cost a $100.00 but the real price is a $120.00 it’s a very good combat knife it will save your life thank you Brian Newton

Bought mine in the late 80s still in great shape mink oil that handle and sheath

Man is out in the rain for the intro respect

I got a KA-BAR 1256 from bass pro and I noticed mine doesnt have the usa imprint on the bottom of blade but others do. Is this just something they forgot to do or is it a fake?

Absolutely correct , no fake stuff please

Hey man I just found out about your Chanel and I'm loving your videos there entertaining I'm subscribing and one question where can I buy a real Ka bar knife?

Have you reviewed the Cutco K-Bar ?

great torture test, the real thing held up amazing

I use my real kabar for hunting. It cuts clean through tulies and palm fromds use to brush up my blind and does a good job cleaning the ducks. I did put some resin on the handle out of the box bc that new leather handle is slick. I never lend it to anyone...ever

Sadly, not even the real Kabars are 100% made in the USA anymore as of this year. Here's a recent comment/review from a buyer on Amazon - "I noticed that my blade was only stamped on one side (Ka-Bar - Olean Ny) and was missing the product ID on the other. I reached out to Ka-Bar and this was their answer: "One side of the blade will have KA-BAR Olean, NY stamped. There is nothing on the other side. It used to have 1211 and USA stamped; however, KA-BAR is no longer stamping USA on the blade. This is a running change on all products. This item is manufactured in the USA with German steel."

Love me some ka-bar

What people don't realize is that the kbar is no longer apart of your official gear issue. If you want one you have to go to the base PX to go and by one. You can buy one with a straight edge or a serrated edge. Either black or brown handle. So as I said before they are no longer apart of the official issue. If you want a real one get a visitors pass and go on base to buy one. Plain and simple. Thanks

for those of you who are looking for a reel KA-BAR just remember that it will have KA-BAR stamped into it.

Not mentioned much, but the chinese copy usually sells for 20 bucks and the USA made knife is +/- $100. For the $20 chinese copy to hold up at all to being abused seems pretty good.

Excellent review you proved a point, good knife throwing by the way, did you say China 😮just subscribed 👌

The leather had no cap to hold it in place.... hence it falling apart

Any knife can be sharpened correctly,you can’t go by that!

Im thinking about ordering Ka-bar's 5.25 inch Tanto style blade as i dont have a sturdy fixed blade knife to wear under my jacket this winter, now i know what to look for to spot the fakes

I don't need comedy when you're trying to present a serious documentary about a legend. You need to grow up.

Just saw you in Dothan definitely a sub here

Proper pronunciation of Olean- Oh-Lee-Anne

“Dave, dinners ready” back to reality

I am new to your channel so maybe you have already done it but I would love to see a hatchet torture test.

Iconic kbar ❕💯 🇺🇸

This test showed me nothing but the pommel being the difference maker. The edge test means nothing to me when considering the price points for both knives

When the knife gets loose just have to hit the pommel and tighten it backup

it being sold on amazon makes me feel like its from china. I was expecting it to be sold by a company that solely takes pride in this blade over the decades

the more important question is when you buy one, and get it how can you tell you got the Actual real one, and not the fake one ? unless your going to do all this tests to it and hope for the best ?

Great informational video

I purchased the real deal a few days ago, I will be doing a review, but it will remain nice, shiny, smelling great, sharp, etc, when the review is completed. 🤣

Thats my baby the real kabar ever since I saw you at my first gun show ive loved you since

I found a K-Bar still in it's sheath in my wife's home backyard {which is lightly wooded but on a downhill slope and was rarely used at that time) in the mountains of Western North Carolina.. No idea why it was there, for how long, or what it had been used for. This happened some 30 + years ago. It's been run through the hoops of activity well before I found it. I actually use it to dig targets my metal detector selects. It serves me well as I can dig but not ruin someones property as it cleans up/ hides holes very well. Even then, though, I knew it was a major implement of death in WWII. Upon inspection I was shocked to read on the blade that it had been made in JAPAN! For those as old as I you know that Japan, after the war, started making lots of junk, such as Matchbox--type metal toys and other small (junk) things they could on the road back from the Hell they created for themselves. We of course thought we were being gracious and put them back into the steel making business to the point WE couldn't compete with them! Thanks MacArthur! It shows no date, big surprise. As for it's blade, I'm unsure it could cut through cold butter. I was just struck by the irony. FYI,

Thanks for clearing up the crap amazon ones giving the real ones a bad reputation, i have the real one it's tough as nails. Thanks for the video.

Nice

Your idea of 'almost identical' when comparing the sheaths is a lot different from mine, they're not even similar. I have two KA-BARs, an old one in excellent condition and a modern release (10+ yrs. old) and the only thing I don't like about the newer one is the coating rather than the parkerizing or oxide treatment on the metal, otherwise it was and is RAZOR-SHARP.

I wouldn't necessarily say buying the most expensive knife or gear in general is the best idea. KA-BAR is a legend and it still lives up to its name, but there are more expensive knives out there that might be just as good or worse than the KA-BAR. I recenetly bought a Jarosz Beartooth from KA-BAR. It's 25$ (40$ where I bought it due to me living in Europe) and it's an amazing EDC flip-knife. Buying a piece of equipment from a good manufacturer is what you should be aiming for, not the price.

American classic and its all American. Every collector should have one in there collection. And have a place for the Buck 119 and 110.

Great video. How about a comparison between an Army KABAR and a USMC KABAR. I own one of each and other than a few cosmetic differences, I think they are both alike. Who knows, it may be another good comparison video.

I just bought a Ka-bar today at Cabelas. $90 bucks for the full size 7" all black version. Looks badass. And yup it's a real Ka-bar, 1095 steel made in NY. Gonna keep it forever.

I was active duty for 8.5 years in the USMC. Loved my Ka-Bar. Ate a lot of MREs with it 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Excellent Video! I'm considering to buy a ka bar knife and found this video, thanks a lot! Btw, I'm a Chinese ;)

I like the "cutting oak" bit. It's good to remember the Ka-Bar was designed to be a "work knife" as well as a "weapon knife." In all likelihood most of the issued knives were used as a tool more than as a weapon. I never got a true knife in Vietnam. It was late in the war (69) and Ka-Bars weren't issued. A corporal showed up one day with a WP bag full of M6 bayonets designed for the M-14...it didn't fit the M-16, weren't that sharp and were uncomfortable to hold. I know my company CO had his own real Ka-Bar that he had been issued 20 years before when he had served in Korea. He had had to replace the sheath, but his knife was still superior to the "make do" bayonet they gave me...which is still rusting on a hillside somewhere west of Danang.

Why does United Cutlery even sell this garbage? They must know that most people even half-way knowledgeable about knives know the difference between a Chinese ripoff and a genuine Ka-Bar. Was it a full-forged tang, or was it welded to the blade? I have a Ka-Bar model 1245 8" tanto, and I love it. It mainly collects dust on the shelf, which really makes that black Kraton handle look like shit, but the blade is sharp, sturdy, and the tip is like a needle. It's definitely my SHTF knife. Can't ask for more!

Why not sharpen them to the exact same edge type before the test to see how the edges hold up?

i have only praise for the China 420... it reminds me of an higher stain resistant version of my Fav knife steel, "1095."

Just got my KA-Bar from Bill a veteran in Goldfield NV, glad to have one. Bought a Bowie knife, thought I was getting US made, nope China made not a bad knife but not union made.

Did I see the shadow of a drone fly over at 6:31? Whoa!!!!

Olean is properly pronounced “Oh Lee Ann”

GIBBS Rule #9: Never go anywhere without a knife.

Camellias actually made more that style then did Ka-Bar for the military

I have both knives. I brought it to a pro knife sharpener and he put a razor sharp edge on the Chinese one.

Having own both a real Ka Bar from ( the Vietnam war) and one from China, I can say yes the real Ka Bar is the better of the two. However starting at 9:27 in the video I notice that you only chop through the wood block once with the real Ka Bar and then three times with the China Ka Bar making the wood shaving test invalid in my opinion of-course. May have influenced the chopping test as well. I do agree that if you want a knife to that will last and you can pass down through your family get the real Ka Bar it will last longer and keep its edge. Other then the chopping test, Great Video

Ka-Bar forever!!!!

The ka bar usmc is a nice classic but it’s really not that strong. If you want the best ka bar style knife get the cold steel leather neck

I bought a Chinese Ka-bar. It's okay. I have a real Ka-bar, it's okay too. My "good" knife is a Randall #14.

Reminds me of Napolean Dynamite throwing his action figure out the window and dragging it down the street. The one boy looked sorta like him too

Here's a great test: From a seated position, one hand on each end of the knife (taped blade of course) flat side facing down, SHARPLY bring down the knife across your knee with the hilt being in the center of your knee. Count how many times you can do this with each knife before it is broken in two. Video THAT!

It's obvious that the reason the fake Kabar did not do as well with the paper cutting was the young man wielding the blade did not use as much tongue biting to assist in his concentration as he did with the real Kabar.

That’s heart breaking

A happy medium would be the Ontario version, made in the USA.

Good video.

Who else was holding their genuine article American made KA BAR during the video? I have two of them!

Lol.. love it ☺️

SEMPER FI DO OR DIE- GUNG HO! GUNG HO!

The handguard on the CHINA Kabar is thicker steel than on the real Kabar.

with 7 times price difference, the Chinese version is pretty good quality