
Blade Length
Overall Length
Weight
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Handle Color
Knife Country of Origin
Sheath Country of Origin
Blade Type
Blade Shape
Blade Grind
Blade Width
Blade Thickness
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Edge Angles
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ITEM: 1281

D2 Extreme

Cutting tests prove that D2 is one of the toughest steels used in knife making. Featured here in the classic clip point blade shape that made KA-BAR famous. A partially serrated edge makes cutting looped and synthetic materials a breeze. Tang stamped USA. MOLLE compatible nylon/Cordura® sheath included. Made in the USA.

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ITEM 1281

D2 Extreme

(22)

Handle Color: Black

$232.83

Sheath Included In Stock

QUANTITY

Sheath Included: 8017S

- - Blade Guard
  - Powdered Metal
- - Blade Length
  - 7.0 inches
- - Blade Steel
  - D2
- - Blade Thickness
  - 0.175 inches
- - Blade Type
  - Fixed Blade
- - Blade Width
  - 1.188 inches
- - Color
  - Black
- - Edge Angle
  - 20 Degrees
- - Grind
  - Flat
- - Handle Material
  - Kraton G®
- - Knife Manufactured In
  - United States
- - Overall Length
  - 11.875 inches
- - Rockwell Hardness
  - 59-60CR
- - Shape
  - Clip Point
- - Sheath Manufactured In
  - China
- - Tang Stamp
  - USA
- - Weight
  - 0.75 lb

- KA-BAR
  
  We are KA-BAR, or more formally, KA-BAR Knives, Inc. You may know us from our high quality military, hunting, sporting, all-purpose utility, and outdoor survival knives. We offer hundreds of quality cutlery products and accessories sold through independent retailers, distributors, mail order catalogs and our online knife store.

- Write a review
- - Verified Owner
  - Bryan McHugh
  - I have now had the magnificent D2 EF for over a couple of years now. I have stabbed a cinder block into rocks with it, hammered it into a tree then stood on the handle and bounced on it, batoned endless firewood with it, dressed game with it, used the excellent and indestructible serrations to saw through endless thick boxes and hemp rope, used my firesteel off the blade, cut fuzzsticks with ease, cut and cooked many camp meals with it and the only "damage" to this D2 monster was wearing off and scratching coating. Kabar makes the best D2 steel in the industry period and the D2 EF has been the toughest most seemingly indestructable fearsome and capable fighting utility survival knife I have ever seen. No..the tang on this beast will not snap under hard use I tried it is just not humanly possible. The perfect feel and function of the half guard and extended pommel plus the Kraton rubber grip plus 7 inches of well balanced clip point tool steel is the new benchmark for 7 inch fighting knives period. I own over a dozen Kabar 5-9 inch knives and the D2 EF rules them all. This knife is the best fixed blade money I will probably ever have spent. Now just now after a couple of years of use and abuse that would snap a BK9 in half is the knife going out for a pro sharpening and coating. This knife has become such a part of my life that instead of waiting the weeks for my D2 to return to me I immediately bought D2 Extreme Fighter #2 before I sent the original off this knife in my opinion is the best overall knife that Kabar makes but has EVER made. The ONLY downside are the weak sheath choices for King of Kabars after all it is a good bit of money. I highly recommend getting the cordura sheath option. Good luck..
  - Verified Owner
  - Daniel Johnson
  - Excellent knife! Quality knife. Good size and weight, not to heavy to carry all day. I'll buy another for my son.
  - Verified Owner
  - AJ Zygadlo
  - All things can be made better. Why remove the upper guard if you remove the fine edge below it? Take note of the BK Line and give me removable grip scales and a stronger full tang with improved lanyard point, thus I can clean the salt water exposed metal below the grip and custom make it to fit my hand perfectly. There is plenty of room on the Top strap for seration with or without the upper guard, other knives in the lineup have used this Tech. Now that I gave you my 0.02 cent. One of the best knives I have ever had and it won't be replaced unless those crafting this fine knife take the time to mull over customer input/feedback.
  - Sam Venable
  - Best all around knife out there. Superior in design, the toughness of the blade becomes evident from the start. I first stumbled upon the knife when i bought one from my buddy for 50 bucks. I had to see if the knife could withstand a beating. I took a 4 pound mallet to the back of the blade to split wood and with two swings it ate through the white oak logs (7 inches in diameter) like butter without a dent. It even split through solid cinder blocks while maintaining its edge AND coating (toughest I have ever seen) the whole time. To this day i have not purchased a new one as there is no need. I thought that since i got one for cheap i would try and destroy it but the results couldn't have been more ironic. Get one and see for yourself it is unbelievable.
  - Eric Cohen
  - I have every top rated most talked about popular survival knives made , this tool stands alone not even to be spoken about with the others holds it blade like no othe and will be giving it to my son Cash when he is of age
  - Dan Davis
  - The absolute best knife ever made!! I can't even think of another blade I would want on my hip. I bought it for a little over a hundred bucks when I graduated MCT at Camp San Onfre, and it hasn't failed me ever! The best fighting knives are still made here in the USA!!!
  - Jason L
  - I purchased this bad boy over 10 years ago and love it to this day. I don't neccesarily beat the crap out of my knives, but this one would definitley take it if called upon. I still show if off to all my friends with inferior blades and tell them, you get what you pay for the Kabar is just that. Excellent product 10/10.
  - Philip Miller
  - My son, who is an avid outdoorsman, got me into collecting knives. I, in return got the guys I work with into it with a challenge of who had the best all around knife. After a bit of research, I purchased a D2 and I gotta say this thing is a BEAST!!! If I had my choice of any knife I would use for hunting, camping, or survival, it would be the D2. I would put this blade up against any damascus blade. It just goes to show ya that the best products are still made in the USA!!!!
  - Brian Leo
  - Absolutely amazing, this knife is a f*cking BEAST. I love this knife so much, so happy I picked one up, got one with the nylon/cordura and it is just awesome. I can't even begin to describe how great of a knife this is, and it just looks beautiful. Solid 10/10
  - Joe Sobotka
  - I've had my D2 for about 6 years now. I've done everything with it including chopping down small trees. Made a survival shelter with it etc. I've chopped, hammered opened cans, basically abused this knife. Its still as sharp as ever and holds an edge for a long time. I have a LOT of knives (including 4 KA-BARS). This one by far is my favorite. It outlasts even more expensive knives. If i ever had to pick just one knife to carry. The D2 would be my very first choice.
  - Josh J
  - I've had this knife for close to 3 years now. It has surpassed and exceeded every task I've thrown at it, almost taunting for more. Sounds cliche', but buy this knife and see for yourself, it will NOT let you down!
  - Joey Scholz
  - Got this one some longer time ago, used it as a hunting knife, gutting dear, boar - it is perfect. Used it as an emergency knife in underwater work removing a poly-line from a boat´s propeller in the med sea - worked perfect, rinsed it in plain water: no corrosion, no failure. By the time it happened to be dropped on granite with the tip ahead, all that happened was a splintering of steel at the serrated section. Used some diamond honing equipment, now the serration is bigger than factory made...but sharp as hell. Best knife around, compliments from Germany
  - SGT Christopher Lowe
  - I had my D2 with me all over Afghanistan and the day I was shot all I had was my D2 and the pistol, it was comforting to know I had the best fighting knife. Took a year to get my knife back and you can see the damage from that firefight on the handle but the knife is still just as solid! Best knife I've ever owned!
  - Jake Gardiner
  - Literally the best knife you could own
  - Gary Forgione
  - Best production knife, ever. I own over 200 knives and this d-2 is the basic one I use. Harder to sharpen for average users but will hold an edge far longer than most common steels.
  - Andrew Dowd
  - So i don't know if i got a bad batch or something, but i was extremely disappointed in this knife. I've had it for about 4 months carry it around using it for all sorts of stuff, but I'm not nearly as rough on it as i was my USMC Kabar that i bought the year prior. This knife blade has already chipped in many spots and rounded in a few. The tip broke off from popping off a hub cap. Now maybe that's supposedly too much for a knife. BUT my original USMC Kabar has stood the test of pretty much everything, from prying 2x4s and tile out, to cutting down 6 inch pine trees and everything in-between and short of. I actually built a 8x8 hunting cabin in the woods using my USMC for %80 of the work. So, naturally, I assumed this being D2 steel and almost 2X the price would do all that and more......I was sorely disappointed. It just does not hold up as well. I do however find this grip more comfortable with the one sided guard and base. So i may pop out the pins in both and swap grips. But in all i am not that satisfied with this D2 especially in comparison to a standard USMC Kabar.
  - Sean willt
  - so I have always been a proud supporter of American made products but please do not buy this knife if you need one to trust your life with I took this knife out earlier today so I've owned it for about 6 months to show my friend the difference between his custom-made posh land European made knife and that of an American made high quality blade we use them for some wood Petani and within about 10 to 15 strokes the handle butt cap which holds the handle on snapped off and fell onto the ground while the blade holds a nice find as I do not think that this knife should fail as quickly as it did if the blade would have snapped because I was hitting it with a piece of wood on the spine then I might understand but the butt cap of the handle fell off while the blade was lodged in the wood I attempted to remove it in the the Creighton handle slid completely off of the tank if you are looking for a nice that looks good and will cut vegetables and pre packaged meat this is yourself baby but if you're looking for a knife it will last you in time of need by a different night
  - Andrew Wielinga
  - I reside in Northern Michigan by Manistee spending much time in the outdoors. I own vintage Ka Bar , Friodur, Olsen. Several modern Rapid River hunting knives from the Upper Peninsula. I've been drooling over a new purchase of a new Ka Bar Fighting Knife to add to my collection. By reading all these reviews. I did decide on the D2 1281. And bought the hard kydex 1216 shieth also. For When going into saltwater. Into the Everglades fishing. I was excited like a kid at Christmas to receive it UPS. I got it today. "What a beautiful knife?" The balance and feel of it is more than expected for a knife of this price range. Out of the Box. This knife 5 minutes ago. The factory edge shaved the hair off my arm effortlessly? I'm truly impressed thus far. I cannot wait to take this among the Gators in the Everglades. "Thank you Ka Bar for renowned years of quality". "I will continue keeping your knives in my hands". Andy.
  - Thomas Greene
  - A Excellent knife, with die cast steel I had to prove it to myself stabbing at a cinder brick and it turned it to dust still had a sharp point. RECOMENDED...for a sharping stone, buy a diamond sharping stone. Both the knife and sharping stone will out last you, one time buy for more than a lifetime of use
  - Richard Morrey
  - Absolutely 10 outta 10. D-2 csn be stropped to razor sharpness, and i still cannot find one picture of a broken Extreme model. Can't find it anywhere, believe me i looked! Possibly becsuse it doesn't exist?? Idk, never say never, but i can't prove it..... And I've seen reviews of people literally jumping full body weight on the handle, with in something sideways, and after jumping on it, and couldn't even bend, let alone break it. Good Work, but most importantly........... God Bless You for the countless live your wonderful knives have saved.
  - John Coleman
  - I use this particular Ka-bar as my primary self-reliance tool. I have broken, beaten and rusted out far more expensive knives, but the D2 Extreme is bullet proof. It is absolutely the best knife you can buy for the money. It has never failed me in durability, versatility or base strength. My son is an avid hiker and I bought him one for emergencies just before winter. I trust the D2 with my life and would encourage anyone to try it out and see for themselves.
  - neto alvarez morphy
  - best knife ever y lov it

D2 Extreme

D2 Extreme

KA-BAR

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