KA-BAR Knives Fin Folding Tanto Straight Knife

Full Overview

KA-BAR Knives, Inc. has been around since 1898

Technical Details

- Superior edge holding and retention
- Ergonomic handle shape
- Secure frame lock design
- Made of AUS 8A stainless steel
- Pocket clip included

I bought this knife because I figured for $15, worst case scenario is that it would make a nice gift. Luckily that was not the case. This knife feels like a tank, and handles well in the hand. The blade came adequately sharp (nowhere near as sharp as AUS-8 can get, but still decent), and the edge was perfectly set at 15 degrees. The knife sharpened easily, and took an edge like this steel should. It feels like a Spyderco with the nice big opening hole, but even better since the hole came with smoothed edges with the nice epoxy coating on it. My only complaints are that the frame lock is VERY stiff, and that the blade shape itself is very so-so compared to a regular (Americanized) tanto or a drop-point (both in terms of applications and ease of sharpening), but for $15 I can regrind it if I want to.

With this being my second Peter Janda design, I can safely say that his designs are a bit outlandish, but are made to the top-notch quality you can expect from Ka-Bar. I would also recommend looking into buying the Peter Janda Fin fixed blade (my other knife of his I own)- D2 steel for around $40 is bar-none unbeatable.

As I write this review, the price of this knife is a meager $15. At this price, this knife is a no-brainer - Buy it, if you want to.

Pros
*No blade play
*Good steel - At this price, the steel is excellent
*Unique hawkbill/tanto blade shape
*Frame lock
*Excellent gripping
*Built like a tank
*Mine came very sharp

Cons
*Frame lock is stiff - May loosen with more use
*Some may find the knife a little difficult to open, because of the overly defined finger guard - I have no difficulty opening this knife. Push the blade outwards and use a flick of the wrist and it easily opens. This knife is so cheap, now, buy it and try it out.
*Heavy
*Small pocket clip - For such a monster of a knife, the pocket clip does look a little out of place - It is a minor negative.
*I do not know what the blade coating consists of, but I think it is paint - I have checked reviews and the coating seems to be able to hold up perfectly. *** Feb 13th - I spoke with a Kabar rep. and was told the coating is an "epoxy powder." - The coating is not a negative any more - It is not crappy paint. ***
*The blade shape will make it a little difficult to sharpen - This should be obvious.

Currently, this line of knives goes for, at least, $30 more from other sellers. Now, this knife is an incredible value and one any knife enthusiast should try.

I thought that this knife looked pretty cool, and it was a good price so i decided to order it. I was pleasantly surprised to find how nice of a knife this is. I think that the picture doesn't make it look as good as it does in your hand first of all. It seems to be well made and durable with quality components. You can't tell this from the picture but the knife blade is actually quite wide. Not fat, thick, or long.. just wide. When its closed the blade sticks out quite a bit, the blade doesn't conceal fully under the grip. That's the best i can describe it. Now, I dont think this is a bad thing, I actually like it, but its just a little different than usual. Now the weight of the knife isn't too heavy, but this isn't a lightweight knife either. I think its fine for carry. I like how the grip feels in your hand, very positive grip. I like that you can change the pocket clip to any position. It also looks like if you had to you could use the end as a glass breaker, it has that type of shape. I'm not sure if it was made for that though. I have somewhat smaller size hands but I can get a full grip on this knife. As far as opening it I think it could be easier. Using the hole is ok, but you have to reposition your hand to finish folding out the blade. Like another user said, its easier to start with the thumb hole and then flick open. I also think the locking of the blade is quite hard, but I also think that is good; This isn't going to open in your pocket on accident. The knife came quite sharp, but I would like it a bit sharper. Overall, great value, good looking, functioning knife.

Bought this knife to throw in my glovebox for those times when you find yourself in need of a knife to open packages, boxes, fend off packs of wild dogs, etc. It's pretty sharp and heavy-duty. I like it for the low price I paid ($10)

This is an odd knife, to be sure. I love it though. I bought it because it was less than $15, good bargain. I have no idea how it's going so cheap, this is a quality knife, usually sold for ~$40.

Pros: Solid, well built. No blade play, Locks solidly, smooth opening (has bronze washers) Grips well in the hand, can be carried tip up or down, on either left or right side. Rides comfortably in the pocket despite it's size (it is fairly large when folded), factory edge is very good, hollow between the frame making it easy to clean

Cons: It's a tad bulky, the gimping on the top of the blade is pretty slick, not super useful for grip. The tanto is an odd design (though it sort of adds the the appeal). It's heavy, lots of steel in the blade. That's about it.

Some people complain about a firm lock-up with the frame lock, i say that's a good thing.

VERDICT: great knife at an amazing price right now. If you like the design you will probably love the knife. I know that I do.

I am thoroughly pleased with this knife. I have been carrying it for a couple weeks now and find it to beautifully live up to the Ka-Bar name. The price was so good, I should have bought 4, though I'm sure I'd have to give them away as this looks like it may last quite a while.

If you're looking for a great knife without breaking the wallet, this is the knife to get. The pocket clip is firm and will take time to loosen up, just like other blades. Opening the blade is stiff as well and has loosen up with regular uses. Not a problem when flip it open with your wrist. Blade is definitely sharp and the overall feel is solid just like the other Ka-Bar knife I own.

I paid $12 plus shipping. What an insane deal! This knife is heavy, sturdy and fits well in my hand. It also came nice and sharp.

I am not sure if all KA-BAR knives are packaged this way, but mine arrived with no manufacturer documentation. No guide, manual or warranty.

Opening the knife was easy, but how to release the blade lock -- WHERE is the blade lock release???

There is no image of the knife with an arrow pointing to the lock release.

Yes, there are video reviews of this knife, but none say "here is the lock release" with a reviewer pointing.

I pressed every bump I could find. Many reviews say the lock is stiff, so I kept pressing harder and harder.

In the end I discovered the location of the release by accident. But wow, a simple basic image with an arrow would have removed all frustration.

Made in Taiwan. All metal, heavy, solid.

If I could make many small design changes, I would rate it 5-Stars.

Got this knife for a steal and it is nice. I like KaBar anyway because of the quality and decent prices. This knife came in way above my expectations.