There are two lines of Ka-Bar combat knives: the traditional design and "The Next Generation" released in 1995. The original Ka-Bar has a fixed 7" recurve blade with a twenty-degree edge and a short blood groove. This blade is mounted to a rounded leather handle, and comes with a leather sheath. The Next Generation Ka-Bar was redesigned using tool steel, replacing the leather handle with a nylon-coated fiberglass one, and adds a serrated edge near the hilt. Otherwise, the new Ka-Bar looks identical to the old design, although there is also a 3/4 civilian version that uses a more practical 5 1/4" blade. A traditional knife weighs eleven ounces, while the more modern 3/4 blade weighs just over six ounces. The new Ka-Bar is available with either a leather or nylon sheath. Marines used to paint their Ka-Bars black to make the blade less reflective and prevent corrosion when exposed to salt water; this modification has since been adapted to most of Ka-Bar's line, but chrome-plated presentation and commemorative blades are still available.

While these knives are available directly from Ka-Bar, they only sell them at list price, and openly admit that buying from an outside dealer will be cheaper. Street price for most Ka-Bar models are around $50-$70. A synthetic sheath will add $8-$10 compared to a similar model with a leather sheath.

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