On December 9, 1942, after the start of World War II, KA-BAR submitted a knife to the United States Marine Corps in hopes that it would become general issue to that branch of the military. Working with the Marine Quartermaster Department the original design was revised, and production began of an improved fighting and utility knife for the Marines.
As the War escalated, the USMC KA-BAR knives became so well recognized for their quality and so abundant in number that 'KABAR' became the name by which many referred to this knife pattern, regardless of whether the knife was manufactured at the actual KA-BAR facility.
The USMC KA-BAR was adopted by not only the Marines, but also the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Underwater Demolition Teams. Years after World War II, many KA-BAR knives were unofficially reactivated in the Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and The Global War on Terrorism conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2019 KA-Bar expanded by partnering with Spartan Blades, LLC to form Pineland Cutlery, Inc. It had been the wish of John Stitt, CEO of both KA-Bar and Pineland Cutlery, to produce a version of the venerable “KA-BAR” knife with increased edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance. During the period of development and research, a metallurgist named Larrin Thomas was doing his own in-depth studies on a particle metal with all the advances he had been looking for. That steel was CPM MagnaCutand was just what this new knife required.
CPM MagnaCutis a stainless steel manufactured byCrucibleIndustries,an American company renowned for its expertise in specialty steels. This very special grade has been developed specifically for the cutlery industry, and to meet the needs of the most demanding cutlers.A short time later, Spartan Blades was assigned the task of developing this knife using only the best processes. CNC Machining, deep cryogenic treating, and PVD coatings. The result? The Spartan-KA-BAR!
Designer(s):KA-BAR Knives
Overall Length:12”
Blade Length:7”
Blade Thickness:0.165”
Blade Steel: CPM MagnaCut
Blade Hardness:61-63 HRC
Blade Style: Fixed, Flat Saber ground Clip Point
Coating: PVD – Tungsten DLC (Flat Black) or ZrN (Flat Dark Earth)
Handle Material:Kraton G
Butt Cap/Guard: 301 Stainless Steel,PVD – Tungsten DLC (Flat Black)
Weight: 10.8 OZ (Knife)
