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It’s been around the world twice, and while it never served it’s fighting knife purpose, it was incredibly handy. I purchased right before I hit boot camp, and I carried it everywhere. The one presented here is my personal purchase. Marines often privately purchase the blade and carry it to war and back without complaint. If Marines go somewhere, the Ka-Bar follows. The knife is seen attached to Marines throughout conflicts across time, from WW2 to the War on Terror. While they remained unissued, they still serve with their original leather sheaths and all. In fact, my unit’s armory still had a handful of old school Ka-Bars secured away. The knife served well beyond World War 2. Is the story true? Who knows, but it’s a charming part of this knife’s history. The letter was written poorly, and the phrase ‘k a bar’ was translated to kill a bear. The story tells of the man facing a wounded bear, and when his rifle failed, he finished the bear with his knife. The knife in the trapper’s story is the Ka-Bar we all know and love. The legend goes that an illiterate trapper wrote a letter to United Cutlery Co, the original designer of the Ka-Bar, telling the story of his exploits. Ka-Bar produced various knives in their time, and vintage ads show the Ka-Bar name attached to folding knives, switchblades, and more. Ka-Bar is both the name of this design, as well as the company that produces the knife. The Ka-Bar started serving with the USMC in 1942, but it had a long life prior to the Marine Corps. The Ka-Bar is a knife designed to work, and generations of Marines have certainly put them to work. It could dig holes, break the ice, and the pommel could drive tent stakes. Not only could it fight off an enemy, but it could chop and cut through branches, small trees, limbs, and more. In general, the Ka-Bar’s design is also one that excels as a tool. The length of the blade allows you to penetrate the body deeply from any angle. The blade’s design makes it very conducive for slicing and dicing against the enemies of America. This explains the long blade and clip point tip. Keep in mind, after World War 1, the expectancy for close quarter’s combat was quite high, so the Ka-Bar was designed to be a fighting knife. The Ka-Bar pulls no punches in design and size. The handle gives the Ka-Bar a very distinct look and features a leather washer design that provides a low tech means to achieve an excellent grip. What’s a Ka-Bar? Well, it’s a rather large knife design that sports a 7-inch blade with a clip point tip. The Marine Corps is rarely one to waste words, and the Ka-Bar became the Knife, Fighting Utility. Many were adopted in limited numbers, but none seemed to fit the needs of the Marine Corps until 1942 when the Ka-Bar was adopted by both the US Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Coming into World War 2, the USMC and the Army lacked a sufficient fighting knife. The classic Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, an English Bulldog, the Dress Blues, and of course, the Ka-Bar fighting knife. When someone say the Marine Corps, there are likely a number of images that come to mind.
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