KA1214-BRK USA Fighting Knife, Steel

Just got it today and Im already in love with it. Came sharp enough to shave with, and in great condition. The weight for the size is hard to beat. Well balanced American made knife. Cant say much more.

I bought this knife expecting Ka-Bar quality and thats what I got. The steel is really nice and can get decently sharp, not razor sharp but dammit does it cut. I get through 2 litre Dr. pepper botttles no problem. I split 2x4s, carve, chop wood, pry things open, i even use it to cut aluminum when im working and the blade just wont dull. I went to slash a bottle the other day and hit the bottle wrong and i hit my table saw. Not even a nik in the blade. The handle is kinda great, fits nice in the hand and you can hold the knife anyway you want and its still comfortable. The knife is very well ballanced and is comfortable to slash and stab with. By the way its slashing capabilities are awsome, alot of power behind your swing. One thing i was supprized with was the sheath. the sheath is very well thought out because you can position the knife in the sheath where you grab it in a standard grip or a reverse grip and thats great for righties or lefties. The knife stays in the sheath by the hand guard and locks into the sheath so i dont really keep it buttoned unless im doing alot of running with it. Overall if i could give this knife a six star rating i would. If youre considering buying this knife, stop thinking and click the buy button. I promise this knife wont break on you.

Just an amazing knife. Great quality, shipped on time and received early. Only loss of one star was because it could have been significantly sharper, and I had to do that myself, but for the knife and sheath, couldnt be happier.

I bought one of these previously for myself. But about a week after I got it, my brother came down for a visit and I ended up giving it to him as a gift. So, I never got a chance to put it through its paces. However, I was so struck with the feel and balance of it, that I ordered another one for myself. I just got it yesterday, so again, have yet to take it through any kind of testing or endurance challenges, but the thing just feels like history in your hands. Its a solid feel which is backed up by the nifty soft-locking hard sheath which comes with it. My brother reports hes abused his pretty heavily and it is still his primary blade when hes out. So, knowing my brother, thats saying a lot. Seems like a solid investment to me.

Im getting ready for camping season and got this knife for all around use and Im very impressed with it. The build quality and design really does show that someone intricately made this by hand. Super sharp, good grip, and just has a classic feel to it. I posted some detailed pictures that will hopefully help you with making your decision.

Great knife!

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.

Works great!

This is truly a great knife for the price. Packaging was perfect. Its very sharp and Im very pleased with my purchase.

This is really sweet knife & I couldnt ask for more out of ka bar. The sheath is just stand up and durable as the knife. I would purchase many more if I needed them but I can tell you now from my experience with this brand that this knife will last a long time