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48-666: Ka-Bar ( / ˈ k eɪ . b ɑːr / ; trademarked as KA-BAR ) is the contemporary popular name for the combat knife first adopted by the United States Marine Corps in November 1942 as the 1219C2 combat knife (later designated the USMC Mark 2 combat knife or Knife, Fighting Utility), and subsequently adopted by the United States Navy as the U.S. Navy utility knife, Mark 2. Ka-Bar is the name of

96-520: A machete or Filipino Bolo than a knife. In the United States Marine Corps , the standard issue combat knife since World War II has been the USMC Fighting Utility knife. Designed for military use, with input for Capt. George Ingraham, a combat surgeon in the U.S. Army's 94th Medical Detachment, the No. 14 Randall "Attack" Model was a popular combat knife designed for military use, and

144-543: A trench knife , the "combat knife" was used by both sides on the Western front during World War I . Since then, combat knives have been issued by the armies of many nations. Though they differ in detail, they all share the common characteristic of being purposely designed for military use, with their primary role as a close-quarters combat weapon. During World War II, the British Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife

192-467: A bayonet). Marines were often issued knives with "U.S.N. Mark 2" markings when Navy-issued Ka-Bar knives were all that was available. By 1944 the Ka-Bar knife was issued to virtually any Marine in the combat branches who desired one, and was in use by Marine Corps close combat instructors for training new recruits. Unlike the prior Marine Raider stiletto, Marines were taught to use their new knife primarily as

240-416: A blade (e.g., a sword , knife , or bayonet ) that serves to both lighten and stiffen the blade, when considering its reduced weight. Cutting or grinding a fuller into an existing blade will decrease its absolute stiffness due to the removal of material, but much of the strength remains due to the geometry of its shape. When the groove is forged into the blade, it achieves a similar reduction in weight with

288-505: A clip point. After extensive trials, the prototype was recommended for adoption. The Marines' Quartermaster at the time initially refused to order the knives, but his decision was overruled by the Commandant. The Marine Corps adopted the knife on 23 November 1942. The knife proved easy to manufacture, and the first run was shipped 27 January 1943, by Camillus Cutlery Company . After the U.S. Navy became disenchanted with blade failures on

336-776: A combat knife known as the " bollock dagger " into military service around 1350, while the French poignard and the Scottish dirk were daggers designed from the outset as military weapons. The rise in use of firearms led to a decline in the use of combat daggers and knives as military-issue weapons. However, privately purchased knives were often carried by foot soldiers for use both as auxiliary weapons and as utility tools. Some military forces issued knives for individual campaigns or for specialist troops such as pioneer or field engineer detachments, but these cutting tools were not primarily designed for use as combat knives. Formerly known as

384-747: A combat knife presented to each graduate of the United States Army Special Forces Qualification Course . In the latest step of this evolution, Bill Harsey and Chris Reeve have collaborated with the father of the Modern Army Combatives Program, Matt Larsen, to design the LHR Combat knife . The German military uses the Eickhorn KM2000 as their standard issue knife. The design is a westernized Tantō , issued to

432-593: A fighting knife with a stiletto blade design, the Marine Raider stiletto designed by Lt. Col. Clifford H. Shuey, a Marine Corps engineering officer. Shuey's pattern was essentially a copy of the Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife with altered material specifications designed to reduce dependence on scarce metals. The Raider stiletto was initially issued to elite Marine forces, including the entire 1st Marine Raider Battalion commanded by Colonel Merritt A. Edson ,

480-419: A groove is to be applied to both sides of the steel, two fullers may be used at the same time, sandwiching the workpiece in the middle. Often, one fuller will have a peg that holds it securely in the anvil , while the other fuller will have a handle and a flat head, for striking with a hammer. A blade being fullered will generally be slowly pulled through the fullers as it is being hammered, displacing material to

528-400: A long bar, fullers are also used in the production of items such as hinges and latches, plow parts, and horseshoes. In Japanese swordsmithing , fullers have a rich tradition and terminology, enough that there are separate terminologies for the top ( hi , usually pronounced as bi when used as the second member of a compound) and bottom ( tome ) ends of the feature. The Nepali kukri has

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576-438: A moderate carbon and low chromium steel alloy, allows the blade to hold an edge very well. The "1095 Cro-Van" steel used in the blades of contemporary Ka-Bars has a hardness of 56–58 HRC , while the guard and pommel are made from sintered 1095 carbon steel. Besides use as a fighting knife, the Ka-Bar has proved useful as a utility knife, for opening cans , digging trenches , and cutting wood, roots, wire, and cable. In 1995,

624-591: A related knife manufacturing company, Ka-Bar Knives., Inc. (formerly Union Cutlery Co.), of Olean, New York , a subsidiary of the Cutco Corporation . Although Ka-Bar Knives, Inc., currently makes a wide variety of knives and cutlery, it is best known for the Ka-Bar Fighting/Utility knife, which has traditionally used a 7-inch (17.8 cm) 1095 carbon steel clip point blade and leather-washer handle. The National Stock Number (NSN)

672-407: A relatively small reduction in strength without the wasted material produced by grinding. When impressed during forging, it may be made using a blacksmithing tool that is also called a fuller, a form of spring swage. When combined with optimal distal tapers , heat treatment and blade tempering, a fullered blade can be 20% to 35% lighter than a non-fullered blade. The ridges and groove created by

720-566: A slashing weapon in the initial phases of hand-to-hand combat . As its new name implied, the "Knife, Fighting Utility" was designed from the outset as a dual-purpose knife: it was both an effective combat knife and a utility tool, well-suited to the type of jungle warfare encountered by Marines in the Pacific theater. This dual-purpose design resulted in some initial criticism of the pattern as being less than ideal for knife fighting, but combat experience of returning veterans as well as reports from

768-412: A suitable fighting and utility knife for individual Marines, using the U.S. Navy Mark 1 utility knife and existing civilian hunting/utility knives such as Western's L77 as a basis for further improvements. Working with Union Cutlery, USMC Colonel John M. Davis and Major Howard E. America contributed several important changes, including a longer, stronger blade, the introduction of a small fuller to lighten

816-646: A utility knife. It differed from earlier USMC knives such as the Marine Raider stiletto in that the new knife used a stout, wide blade with clip point that facilitated slashing attacks as well as blade thrusts. Reports on the effectiveness of the new knife in jungle combat justified the Marine Corps' decision to designate the KA-BAR as the USMC's fighting knife for individual Marines. The U.S. Army adopted

864-514: A version was released with a stainless steel blade, synthetic handle, and synthetic sheath marketed as "The Next Generation". As of June 2012 the "Next Generation" models have been discontinued. In 1999, Ka-Bar released the "D2 Extreme" version of their fighting knife, coming with the same synthetic handle and sheath that was produced with the "Next Generation", but also a blade made from D2 tool steel for extra edge retention and slightly better corrosion resistance than 1095. Combat knife Since

912-423: A wounded bear which attacked him when his rifle jammed. According to company records, the letter was only partially legible; "ka bar" could be read, as fragments of the phrase "kill a bear". In 1923, the company adopted the name Ka-Bar from the "bear story" as its trademark. From 1923, the KA-BAR trademark was used as a ricasso stamp by Union Cutlery Co. on its line of automatic switchblade pocket knives, including

960-552: Is 1095-01-581-9100. After the United States' entry into World War II , complaints arose from Army soldiers and Marines who were issued World War I–era bronze or alloy-handled trench knives such as the U.S. Mark I trench knife for use in hand-to-hand fighting. The Mark I was expensive and time-consuming to manufacture, and reports from the field indicated that the knife's large "brass-knuckle" fingerguard handle made it difficult to secure in conventional scabbards while limiting

1008-585: Is from the Old English fuliere , meaning 'one that fulls [pleats] cloth'. It is derived from the Latin word fullo . The first recorded use of the term in relation to metal working is 1587. The first recorded use of the term to describe a groove or channel in a blade is 1967. As a blacksmithing tool, a fuller is a type of swage , a tool with a cylindrical or beveled face used to imprint grooves into metal. Fullers are typically three to six inches long. If

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1056-824: The Bundeswehr . The blade is made of either 440A or N695 depending on different models. Some of them use 55Si7 spring steel. The knifemaker Eickhorn in Solingen , Germany has issued KCB-77 bayonets to the Canadian Military and the USMC. Apart from the KM2000 there are many other knives from Eickhorn, the KM3000, KM4000, KM5000, ParaCommando, and Aviator Series knives. The knives from Eickhorn are extremely sturdy and for professional use. Those knives are also preferred by military forces worldwide. The Austrian Forces use

1104-508: The Glock knife . This is also used as a bayonet for the Steyr AUG bullpup rifle used by Austrian Forces. The blade is made of phosphated carbon steel. The handle is a special strong polymer manufactured by Glock . The Glock knife is also used by special forces around the world. Fuller (weapon) A fuller is a rounded or beveled longitudinal groove or slot along the flat side of

1152-519: The KA-BAR Grizzly , KA-BAR Baby Grizzly , and KA-BAR Model 6110 Lever Release knives. The company produced about 1 million knives with the trademark on the ricasso. By 1944, Marines began referring to the knife as the "KA-BAR", regardless of manufacturer. The popular designation of the knife may also have resulted from contact with Marine Corps close combat instructors in San Diego, who used

1200-503: The M3 Trench Knife in 1943 as its standard combat knife. The M3 replaced the earlier World War I-vintage Mark I trench knife in combat service. The M3 was a true combat knife, as it was designed solely for military use and was primarily intended as a fighting knife, though some compromises were made in the design to conserve strategic materials . When adapted to utility tasks such as opening ration tins or ammunition boxes,

1248-457: The USMC 1st Parachute Battalion , and to Marines of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson . The Raider stiletto was primarily a thrusting (stabbing) weapon. The Marines of the 1st Raider battalion found it to be well designed for silent killing, but of little use for any other purpose, and too frail for general utility tasks. After their first combat, many Marines in

1296-580: The 1950s Randall adopted the general pattern of the Bowie knife for several of his fighting knife designs. The majority of military forces today have largely standardized the types of combat knife issued to soldiers. The Chilean Commando forces, for instance, are trained in the use of the Corvo , a traditional Chilean military weapon. The Gurkha regiments favor the kukri , a broad-bladed, curved general-purpose cutting tool and weapon that more closely resembles

1344-790: The 2nd Raider Battalion exchanged their Raider stilettos for No. 17 and No. 18 Collins general-purpose short machetes ( machetes pequeños ) purchased with unit funds. The Collins machetes, which superficially resembled a large Bowie knife , were also issued to some Army air crews as part of the Jungle Emergency Sustenance Kit of 1939. In the absence of suitable official-issue knives, a number of Marines deployed for combat in 1942 obtained personal knives by private purchase, usually hunting/utility patterns such as Western States Cutlery Co.'s pre-war L76 and L77 pattern knives, both of which had 7-inch (180 mm) Bowie-type clip blades and leather handles. The Western States L77

1392-573: The Fairbairn–Sykes based upon discussions Applegate and Fairbairn had during World War II to eliminate the weaknesses of the F-S knife (e.g., weak blade point, inability to determine orientation of blade merely by grip). The first of these knives were made by Al Mar Knives , based on Harsey's designs. Knifemaker Bill Harsey later teamed up with Chris Reeve to design the Yarborough Knife ,

1440-736: The Ka-Bar replaced the Marine Raider stiletto in service, a change welcomed by the Marines of Col. Edson's 1st Raider Battalion, who found the Raider stiletto ideal for silent killing but of little use for anything else. As the knife went into large-scale production, the Marines issued the Ka-Bar Fighting Utility knife to reconnaissance and engineering units and to any Marine armed with the M1911 pistol , M1 carbine , BAR , or crew-served machine gun (rifle-armed Marines were typically issued

1488-749: The USN Mark 1 utility knife, the latter service adopted the Ka-Bar as the US Navy Utility Knife, Mark 2. The Marine Corps in turn re-designated the Ka-Bar as either the USMC Mark 2 Combat Knife, or simply the Knife, Fighting Utility. In naval service, the knife was used as a diving and utility knife from late 1943 onward, though the stacked leather handle tended to rot and disintegrate rapidly in salt water . The Marine Corps issued Ka-Bar fighting utility knife throughout Marine forces, with early deliveries going primarily to elite formations. In late 1943

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1536-616: The USSR, the Red Army issued combat knives based on a single pattern known as the NR Series . In late 1942, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted the 1219C2, later designated the "USMC Mark 2 Combat Knife," but better known in popular terminology as the KA-BAR . The KA-BAR differed from World War I-era U.S. combat knives in that it was designed as a dual-purpose item, adapted for both combat and as

1584-693: The Vietnam War was the Gerber Mark II , designed for military use by US Army Captain Bud Holzman and Al Mar which in turn was based on the pattern of a Roman Gladius or short sword. In the 1970s and 1980s a student and protégé of Fairbairn, Colonel Rex Applegate worked with knife designer Bill Harsey, Jr. to design the Applegate-Fairbairn Combat Knife , so named because it was designed as an improvement on

1632-490: The battlefield dispelled doubts about its combat effectiveness. After the Second World War, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps continued to use the Ka-Bar Fighting Utility knife. In addition to military contract knives, the knife was produced for the civilian market, and the pattern enjoyed some popularity as a general-purpose hunting and utility knife. Camillus Cutlery Co., the first and largest manufacturer to supply

1680-412: The blade, a peened pommel (later replaced by a pinned pommel ), a straight (later, slightly curved) steel crossguard, and a stacked leather handle for better grip. The blade, guard , and pommel were Parkerized instead of the bright polished steel of the prototype. The design was given the designation of 1219C2. The knife used a thicker blade stock than that of the USN Mark 1 utility knife, and featured

1728-672: The end of trench warfare , most military combat knives have been secondarily designed for utility use (clearing foliage, chopping branches for cover, opening ammunition crates, etc.) in addition to their original role as close-quarter combat weapons, and may be referred to as "fighting-utility knives." On the other hand, military knives that are intended primarily for use in a role other than combat are typically referred to by their primary role, such as " utility knife " or " survival knife ". Daggers designed for military usage in close combat engagements have been carried by soldiers for thousands of years. The adoption of combat daggers made of iron

1776-410: The fuller are comparable to an I-beam's flanges and web; this shape aims to optimize the strength and stiffness for a given quantity of material, particularly in the cutting direction. A fuller is often used to widen a blade during smithing or forging. Fullers are sometimes inaccurately called blood grooves or blood gutters . Channelling blood is not the purpose of a fuller. The term "fuller"

1824-420: The knife under contract for the U.S. military. From 1945 to 1952, Weske Cutlery Co. of Sandusky, Ohio, purchased leftover and overrun parts from wartime knife contractors and assembled them for commercial sale, polishing out manufacturer and military markings, and fitting them with ungrooved leather handles. Though W. R. Case made two prototype Ka-Bar knives as part of a contract submission in 1942–43, no contract

1872-492: The knife was widely purchased by individual soldiers and Marines. During the conflict , Randall received feedback from Captain Ingraham, who requested serrations on the spine to cut through the fuselage of downed aircraft to rescue trapped personnel and a hollow handle to allow storage of survival gear. Randall made the changes and the result was the first of the modern survival knives . Another combat knife appearing during

1920-591: The knife, produced over one million with "Camillus.N.Y." on the knife's ricasso with the branch of service (USN or USMC) which on later knives were moved to the crossguard. Besides Camillus, the Union Cutlery Co. (Kabar), Robeson (ShurEdge) Cutlery Co., and PAL Cutlery Co. produced the MK2 knife under military contract during World War II. After the end of World War II, Utica Cutlery Co., Conetta Cutlery Co., Camillus, and, around 1980, Ontario Knife Co., all produced

1968-565: The limitations of the M3 quickly became apparent. In the United States, Bo Randall began production of the "All Purpose Fighting Knife" giving it the designation of "Number 1" in his catalog. Between 1942 and 1945, Randall Made Knives produced 4,000 of these knives for battlefield use by US troops, with approximately 1,058 knives additionally subcontracted to Northampton Cutlery Company in Springfield, Massachusetts to meet wartime demand. In

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2016-614: The name when training recruits. To capitalize on the popularity, Union Cutlery changed its name to Ka-Bar Cutlery Inc. in 1952. Ka-Bar makes Army and Navy versions along with USMC versions. They are the same as the Marine version except for different initials at the bottom of the blade and different symbols on the sheath. Marines today often treat the blades, guards and pommels with non-reflective black spray paint to reduce reflected light and give them additional protection against saltwater corrosion. According to Ka-Bar, its 1095 Cro-Van,

2064-579: The range of useful fighting grip positions. Another criticism was that the Mark I's thin blade was prone to breakage when used for common utility tasks such as cutting wire or opening ammunition crates and ration cans. A final impetus came from the War Department, which had identified the need for a multi-purpose knife suitable both as a fighting knife and as a utility knife, while still conserving metal resources. The Marine Corps authorized limited issue of

2112-410: The side (rather than removing it) and thereby creating ridges on either side of a groove. These ridges may be hammered flat, widening the blade, or they are often shaped with other swages, increasing the strength of the blade both by creating thicker areas in its cross section and lateral ridges that resist lengthwise deflection. In addition to being used to "draw out" steel, hammering a short block into

2160-490: Was a significant milestone in combat knife development, and such weapons were highly prized in the ancient armies of the Middle East . French and Italian military daggers of the 14th century were the first to introduce the acutely tapered, sharply pointed and double-edged blade as a response to improvements made in armor design and the need to exploit weaknesses in armor protection. The English and Scandinavians introduced

2208-690: Was designed by William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes , two former members of the Shanghai Municipal Police who trained many soldiers in close-quarters fighting. The Fairbairn–Sykes knife inspired several similar knives of the era such as the V-42 stiletto designed by Lt. Colonel Robert T. Frederick who commanded the joint US and Canadian First Special Service Force and the United States Marine Raider stiletto designed by Lieutenant Colonel Clifford H. Shuey. In

2256-491: Was ever awarded to Case for the production of the knife. In 1992, Case released a modern commemorative version of these prototypes, the Case XX USMC Fighting Utility Knife. The Case knife is manufactured for Case by Ontario Knife Co. The originator of the KA-BAR trademark, Union Cutlery Co, began using the name in 1923, having received a letter from a fur trapper who had used the knife to kill

2304-563: Was stocked at the San Diego Base Exchange at the onset of the war, and knives of this pattern were carried by many Marines in the 1st Marine Division as well as by Marine Raiders in the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson . In response to a specification requesting a modern individual fighting knife design for the U.S. Marines, ordnance and quartermaster officials requested submissions from several military knife and tool suppliers to develop

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