Customer Reviews

Ka-Bar 2-1245-1 Black Tanto Knife

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've messed around with a variety of knife designs through the years, some bigger, some fancier, some cheaper, some more feature-loaded, but I always seem to come back to a similar set of key features in my choice for a fixed blade knife, practically designed for survival, utility, diving, and combat (the ultimate back-up).

Look, realistically, any knife can cut. Almost any knife can poke a hole into something. Even a $1 cheapo knife from the bargain bin.

But if the SHTF, and I had to depend on one knife to do it all. If I had to choose one knife rugged enough, versatile enough, and, yes, even deadly enough to cover all my needs, I'd go with something like the Kabar Tanto. I've messed around with a variety of knife designs through the years, some bigger, some fancier, some cheaper, some more feature-loaded, but I always seem to come back to a similar set of key features in my choice for a fixed blade knife, practically designed for survival, utility, diving, and combat (the ultimate back-up). My general "wishlist" for desireable knife features include:

1-high carbon steel for temper and hardness. This knife is 1095, which is AISI grade wt 0.95% carbon. A knife that will sharpen well (a knife's basic function).

2-durable point. Seems fundamental to all knives but the Tanto chisel point design is especially effective. It is considered "armour piercing". The ability to pierce (very effectively) as well as cut can come in very handy for survival and defense.

3-full tang. From the blade through the handle should be integral for durability and "abusive" functions (like prying and levering).

4-comfortable grip. The rubberized texture, the palm-swell, the grip/drainage grooves and the oval cross-section of the Kabar is perfect for me. It just feels good and secure in your hand (in both overhand and underhand positions, wet or dry). This is a matter of hand size and preference. Some knives just don't fit or feel right.

5-subdued colour. The epoxy coating on the blade doesn't flash reflected light. It's not for brandishing and "show", but for tactical or survival use where concealment, escape or evasion might be part of the mission.

6-corrosion resistance. The same coating also protects the knife from corrosion (i.e. seawater, salty fluids).

7-practical weight (about a pound or so). The heftiness of the blade is practical for certain functions (like piercing with mass behind it), yet is nicely balanced.

8-practical length (6" min). Good length for certain combat functions and extra length actually helps the balance. 8" blade.

9-practical thickness. Another great "Tanto" feature. Gives the knife great durability, like the potential use as an "axe" by hammering on the back of the blade with an object.

10-practical pommel. Forget the compasses, the compartments, the clip-on slingshots, the "spikes", or decorations on other knives... the Kabar has a very functional, simple and durable flat pommel (useful for hammering and striking) plus a lanyard hole.

11-serrations (a partial section of blade). Always handy for quick aggressive cutting of tough or fibrous materials. Some people prefer the plain blade. I've always thought a small section of serrations couldn't hurt, and actually helps a lot for many practical tasks.

12 -Then add on a durable, comfortable, adjustable sheath, unaffected by water. The Kydex sheath for the Kabar Tanto is nice and is perforated with ample holes, slots and belt loops so that you can configure it to multiple carry methods. It grips the knife amply, but it also has a back up rubber loop "lock" (so that it cannot fall out). My only comment: the sheath is rigid and, I think, just a bit "noisy" both in movement and in deploying the knife. It's like a hard piece of plastic. I improvised a way to "silence" it.


There are many other knives that meet these criteria and much is a matter of personal preference in selecting a knife, but I found that this Kabar Tanto satisfies my entire "wishlist" of design criteria and so far has served me well. Also, you should know that it is nothing but a "tool" to me. I don't particularly cherish and protect it (though I keep it sharp and clean). My knife is meant to be used and if necessary "used up" if the situation calls for it. Certain knives in my life have earned a name when by use the character of the blade is discovered.

Y. Tsuchida's review is comprehensive. A great quote, "this is the knife you want when the SHTF".

I'd like to add, from a metallurgist and field app standpoint. this is a hefty chunk of Ka-bars classic 1095-Cr-V tool steel. It will stain, and its not ultra hard like a 154cm or other boutique stainless. But: you can put a razor sharp edge on it very quickly and easily in the field, and it has much higher toughness so it won't shatter or chip even under extreme abuse. 1095-Cr-V won't work-harden like stainless will and is a lot tougher under torque stress, like wedging open a rusted steel door or something like that. These are very important practical advantages for a working tool in real outdoor environments--like a ranch... or a battlefield.

And that's why, when the SHTF, make sure you reach for this big and nasty KA-BAR.

As I sit here and type this, I hold the knife itself in my lap, I occasionally pick it up and look over it's black matte finish and silver edge. I shake it a little in my hand, reaffirming it's weight, and I place it back in the sheath and down on the bed next to me. Not even a minute passes before I pick it up and examine it again.

I simply love this knife, and cannot put it down.

Now I'm not an expert, by any stretch of the imagination; this is in fact my first knife, but maybe my opinion can help someone out anyway. So if any of this is wrong, or just plain ignorant, I apologize, these are just my unedited thoughts as I look at it.

The knife's handle is very nice, the grip on it is a sort of rubber finish with ridges as shown in the picture, it's large enough to fit my hand rather comfortably, and the base of the grip, which some uses have speculated could be used for hammering, seems to perform that task fairly well. The blade is large, around 8 inches as stated, and the finish is very nice, though my knife did not come razor sharp, it came sharp enough to cut through paper pretty well, which is all I could ask for right now. The tanto point is, of course, very sharp, and I have nicked myself a couple of times with it already, but that's my own fault for being careless, so I can't blame the knife for that. The balance seems to be exactly where I rest my index finger while holding, between the first ridge of the grip and the blade, which is very nice. I don't know if this is a standard thing, but it's still nice either way. If you hold the knife around the handle at this point with just your thumb and forefinger you can feel the weight there, and this is pretty cool, or I find it cool at least.

The sheath, is simply awesome, though the locking mechanism is a little tricky at first if you've never used it before, I was afraid I was going to snap the thing into pieces, it works well. Though the buttons on mine that secure the knife weren't fitting at first, a little stretching put them in place nicely. Besides looking cool, it looks like it can handle some pretty intense punishment, I plan on testing that out before making any guarantees however.

I really don't know what else to say about it, though my blade had a nick in it, and a streak from what appears to be a chemical or liquid of some sort, it's otherwise very beautiful, the sheath as well. It's fun to hold, look at, and I'm sure if I need to use it for any sort of purpose, camping or general cutting, that it will perform quite well, it just feels like it should, though time will tell.

Ok, I've been a knife fanatic and collector since I was 8. A lot of stuff that I've bought have fallen apart or not lived up to their name. That is not at all the case with this knife. I've wanted a tanto for a long time, and I did my research in what makes a great knife, and this one pulls everything off!

Fresh out of the box, the knife is perfect. At first I thought that the sharpness wasn't sufficient, but after shaving a small patch of hair off my hand, and a deep cut on my thumb, I was so wrong. The knife is sturdy, reliable and sharp as hell! I have already attempted to check its reliablity, I cut through some different materials, and with the softer ones, including a picnic chair, it cut through with hardly even a push of my finger.

Not only is the knife badass, the sheath is also kick ass! I holds the knife perfectly with 2 snaps that hold around the handle, as well as across the front of the grip that connects to the sheath itself. And with the bendable notch lock that still keeps it sheathed simply by placing the knife inside it, you can wear this knife anywhere on your person, and unless you want it taken out, it won't unless you want it to.

No regrets with this knife. I know this is definitly the most tactical utility and combat knife I have in my collection. Aboslutly satisfied!

Very impressive long blade knife. Came fairly sharp out of the box but after a little time with a spyderco sharpening set, it is now pretty much razor sharp, as the bald spots on my arm and hand can attest to. The more I work with it the sharper it gets, but it's imperative that you maintain a consistant angle for each pass over the stones for best results. The factory edge was ground at 20 degrees, and since my kit is set at 25 degrees, it took a little while to see the desired results. Very thick sturdy blade with a nice serrated section that will come in handy. The non slip Kraton handle is comfortable and well shaped. The "glass-filled" nylon sheath holds the knife VERY securely, even without using the two snap-straps attached to it, by virtue of the locking lugs that lock the blade in place at the bolster. The Tanto point is sharp (and getting sharper)and is well suited for it's intended purpose of penetration. Solid, well made, no nonsense personal defense\utility knife that will serve me well for years, but don't expect to see me hacking away with it in the yard because its too sweet a knife to beat up doing yard work, that's what the $20.00 knives are for. Covered by the KaBar lifetime warranty so you know its a knife you can trust. If you are looking for a quality knife/weapon/tool, don't settle for a cheap imitation, spend the extra bucks and buy the KaBar. P.S. Better pricing on Amazon than I found it for on the "bay".

The KA-BAR black tanto is fairly priced at $54.11 (free shipping) for a made in USA product. The Zytel sheath is made in Taiwan; if the knife was as well, it would have cost $10 less. KA-BAR categorizes this knife as utility; however, with an 8" tapered chisel point it is best suited for stabbing, thrusting and slashing. As a camp utility/outdoor food prep/backyard knife it performs well. The 1095 CV (chrome-vanadium) blade holds an edge well under hard use and is easily sharpened; it arrived with the edge very sharp and buffed to a semi-polish. The blade is 5/32" thick, too thin for effective chopping but sturdy enough for everything else, moderate prying included. The serrations are durable because of their geometry; the points are rounded and convex with three convex points in between two concave scallops. The Kraton (semi-soft synthetic rubber) grip is much more comfortable than stacked leather. The pommel is effective for moderate pounding; however, it is not a hammer -excessive pounding may loosen the exposed tang. The Zytel sheath is cost-effective fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN), it is low quality but good enough for the price. The retaining straps fit tightly and the blade channel of the sheath is an inch longer than the blade itself (?). Since the blade is 8" a leather sheath is not available from KA-BAR. The tanto is a good knife/edged tool for the price.

Ka-Bars being what they are this is another great value! There are better, stronger knives with fancy hi-tech steel but they usually START at $200! For the price the value can't be beat. I own a few Korea, 'Nam era fighting versions that other than some surface rust work fine. They are easy to field-dress the edge and get it back into service. With a bit of practice and some basic tools you can put a surgery-sharp edge on it in your garage/shop. The full-sized versions are the way to go. And in my opinion although I like the fighting version the Tanto feels more like a "slasher" to me, I like the stronger tip area which is great for prying and driving downward [hitting rear cap and using like an axe/wedge]. It has a confident "mini-sword" feel to it, you get the feeling that you could easily dispatch anything in your way. I like that it is all black [stealth]. Just like many higher priced knives the coating is "adequate". I may modify mine, with top saw edge and blood channel before I epoxy coat it which will enhance the durability. This knife is great for the weekend camper, serious hunter/outdoorsman and survivalist. I would not hesitate to take this blade into a combat situation with a decent sharpening stone.

I use this knife for boar hunting. It works for everthing. It's solid, comfortable, sharp, holster is awesome, looks awesome. When women see me on the street they feel drawn to my manliness and want to use my body to get closer to my Kabar.

Solid knife, came sharp, cuts well. I feel a little better having it at my side in the swamps. Case is solid, has a bunch of ways you can tie it down, and has a nice 'catch' to hold the knife. I've used it to dig, cut branches, and meat. Grip feels great, and the knife is well balanced. The guy who gave it 1 star said it would break easily, bc its 1095 carbon. I havnt thrown it, pryed anything with it or dropped it on concrete, but I feel it'd survive any punishment I could reasonably dish out. But, we'll see... untill it breaks on me, I give it 4 stars

Ok to start with this knife itself has a 5 star review. What 4 stars is for is for the stupid Ka-bar people for not having any type of straps to go with the knife (none come with the sheath!)

I'm currently deployed in Afghanistan and this irritates me to no end at all that this came with no straps! I had purchased it as a close quarters weapon but lo and behold i can't even use it for that!

I use this knife currently when i perform any type of cooking and it works great! It came fairly sharp and it's strong enough that if i needed to pry anything open i wouldn't have a second thought about using this knife on it. I highly recommend this knife for anyone but for the fact of the straps as i said. This mere fact irks me to no end and the horrible thing is i can't find any for it! If anyone knows ANYPLACE to buy the proper straps then please let me know! The holes are very small and i may just need to go with jimmy rigging it to myself.