Ka-Bar ZK Zombie War Sword Review
Jul 7, 2011 22:57:50 GMT
Post by ghost on Jul 7, 2011 22:57:50 GMT
Ka-bar ZK Zombie War Sword Review
by Ghost :twisted:
Introduction
Se'bastien has been posting about these knives for a quite a while in the Knife and Daggers section. It caught my attention immediately...Zombies...brains... how could it not? The Zombie series finally came out on the open market after a long wait...it seemed that Ka-bar might have been testing the waters with just the ZK folder, even though all the prototypes were out for the longest time. There is a great interest in many of the larger fixed blades since they are SK-5 steel at a fantastic sub-50 price range. Several of the models are based on existing WWII designs, but I am not sure if the War Sword is one of them.
^Zombie Logo- pretty cool. Biohazard w/ ZK in the middle. Flat ground. Finish is still pretty rough.
Statistics:
Blade Length: 9-3/4"
Overall Length: 15-1/8"
Blade Stamp: KA-BAR/ZK
Steel: SK5
Handle: GFN-PA66
Sheath: Nylon
Weight: 1 pound
Made in Taiwan
"Taiwan 5701" is there - my be a turnoff to some. Not really stamped - painting it over seems quite easy.
The promised extra set of black grips - with extra hex screws;
REALLY HUGE sheath - the pouch on the side can literally hold a beer as 123karismith mentioned on his youtube review;
There is pocket for the smaller skeleton knife, which comes standard with every larger fixed blade. There is a plastic "sheath" within the sheath to hold the war sword - very nicely done with no rattling. I cannot close the snap-ons at the moment...
skeleton knife - small; same logo but made in china.
Logo again. Lots of canvas looping a bit messily done - melted on there instead of sewn. Two small holes for a leg tie are definitely necessary for such a large sheath.
Side-by-side with the SOG Jungle Warrior.
came with 8 ft of toxic green "paracord"
Handling: The grips are decent. I can see how they might get slippery with prolonged use or sweaty hands. The knife itself feels very substantial, but not as tip heavy as one might think. Its greatest asset is the curved grip since it would allow for the extension of your forearm straight into each cut - more bang for your buck. The integral guard is pretty uncomfortable if you slide your index finger against it. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it cuts into your hand if you decide to choke up on it. The jimping is very nice - not too aggressive but not at all smooth. The palmside of the grip is very smooth and devoid of any texture - a major downside in my book.
Pros:
-good handle curvature
-replaceable grips and screws
-byknife
Cons:
-really really bulky sheath - you wouldn't want to carry this; thing is nearly as big as my forearms
-slippery grip palmside - I personally feel it is not too safe to use without a wrist cord
-steel guard hurts- may need to be filed/sanded a bit more round
-poor edge grind - it needs to be touched up
-rough polish/finish
-hex holes in the grips have burrs - need to sand them out
-[edit] extensive outdoor use will require gloves unless one wants to risk blisters (who fights zombies w/o gloves anyways :? )
Recommendation(s):
The SOG Jungle Warrior is in my opinion the better of the two as a fighter. It has better balance, twice the belly with an enormous false edge, and has a hammer pommel. However, the War Sword will outperform the Jungle Warrior for survival needs; Since the ZK does not have a false edge and has a much more ergonomic grip - it will function much better for outdoor tasks. The sheath is not very impressive.
by Ghost :twisted:
Introduction
Se'bastien has been posting about these knives for a quite a while in the Knife and Daggers section. It caught my attention immediately...Zombies...brains... how could it not? The Zombie series finally came out on the open market after a long wait...it seemed that Ka-bar might have been testing the waters with just the ZK folder, even though all the prototypes were out for the longest time. There is a great interest in many of the larger fixed blades since they are SK-5 steel at a fantastic sub-50 price range. Several of the models are based on existing WWII designs, but I am not sure if the War Sword is one of them.
^Zombie Logo- pretty cool. Biohazard w/ ZK in the middle. Flat ground. Finish is still pretty rough.
Statistics:
Blade Length: 9-3/4"
Overall Length: 15-1/8"
Blade Stamp: KA-BAR/ZK
Steel: SK5
Handle: GFN-PA66
Sheath: Nylon
Weight: 1 pound
Made in Taiwan
"Taiwan 5701" is there - my be a turnoff to some. Not really stamped - painting it over seems quite easy.
The promised extra set of black grips - with extra hex screws;
REALLY HUGE sheath - the pouch on the side can literally hold a beer as 123karismith mentioned on his youtube review;
There is pocket for the smaller skeleton knife, which comes standard with every larger fixed blade. There is a plastic "sheath" within the sheath to hold the war sword - very nicely done with no rattling. I cannot close the snap-ons at the moment...
skeleton knife - small; same logo but made in china.
Logo again. Lots of canvas looping a bit messily done - melted on there instead of sewn. Two small holes for a leg tie are definitely necessary for such a large sheath.
Side-by-side with the SOG Jungle Warrior.
came with 8 ft of toxic green "paracord"
Handling: The grips are decent. I can see how they might get slippery with prolonged use or sweaty hands. The knife itself feels very substantial, but not as tip heavy as one might think. Its greatest asset is the curved grip since it would allow for the extension of your forearm straight into each cut - more bang for your buck. The integral guard is pretty uncomfortable if you slide your index finger against it. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it cuts into your hand if you decide to choke up on it. The jimping is very nice - not too aggressive but not at all smooth. The palmside of the grip is very smooth and devoid of any texture - a major downside in my book.
Pros:
-good handle curvature
-replaceable grips and screws
-byknife
Cons:
-really really bulky sheath - you wouldn't want to carry this; thing is nearly as big as my forearms
-slippery grip palmside - I personally feel it is not too safe to use without a wrist cord
-steel guard hurts- may need to be filed/sanded a bit more round
-poor edge grind - it needs to be touched up
-rough polish/finish
-hex holes in the grips have burrs - need to sand them out
-[edit] extensive outdoor use will require gloves unless one wants to risk blisters (who fights zombies w/o gloves anyways :? )
Recommendation(s):
The SOG Jungle Warrior is in my opinion the better of the two as a fighter. It has better balance, twice the belly with an enormous false edge, and has a hammer pommel. However, the War Sword will outperform the Jungle Warrior for survival needs; Since the ZK does not have a false edge and has a much more ergonomic grip - it will function much better for outdoor tasks. The sheath is not very impressive.