The “Ka-Bar” Knife
The story of how this fabled knife got its name is fascinating in and of itself. As legend has it, one of these knives, made by what was then the Union Cutlery Company based in Olean, NY was used by a fur trapper who found himself in a bit of a difficult situation – face to face with a hostile bear! With the help of his knife, the trapper was able to get the best of the bear and sent a letter of thanks to the company. Due to the nearly illegible scrawl which this trapper wrote, little was readable in his account of the tale, other than K.. A BAR. Flattered by this praise, the company quickly renamed their knife (and later the company to KA-BAR and the rest, as they say, is history.
Given the pedigree and high quality of these knives, it is hardly surprising that they are in such high demand by collectors, with older models fetching respectable prices on that market. However it less the tale of the trapper and the bear for which these knives are known than their use by the U.S. military during the Second World War.
In 1942, at the beginning of American involvement in the conflict then embroiling Europe, the Kabar company submitted a design for a knife which would serve as both utility and fighting knife in the hopes that it would be adopted by American fighting forces. Working with the Marine Quartermaster department, a final design was soon chosen for use by the American military and was put into production.
These knives proved to be incredibly popular with the U.S. military, with the Kabar Company producing over one million of these knives during the Second World War When the Kabar company simply could not fill the demand for these knives, other companies stepped in and produced knives to the same specifications. Due to the popularity of the Kabar knife however, these knives made by other companies were referred to simply as “Ka-bar” knives, regardless of the actual manufacturer.
The popularity of the Ka-bar knife has only grown over the years. One model of special interest to the collector of these knives is the Marine “full dress” version introduced in 1976 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Marines as a branch of the armed services. These were indeed a special model – as any collector fortunate enough to count one among his or her collection will gladly tell you. These knives are made to the specifications of the original Ka-bar knives from the World War Two era and are stamped with serial numbers.
Whether it is their use by the U.S. Armed Services that attracts you to the Ka-bar knife or you are charmed by the tale of how they got their name, one thing is beyond dispute – these are among the finest fighting knives ever made and that is what will keep them a perennial favorite among both collectors of knives and militaria alike.
Incoming search terms:
- ka-bar-knife
- ka bar hunter stamped usa