This is the The Ka-Bar® Blackout Wrench Knife, it’s the newer black version of the popular Forged Wrench Knife released by the American knife and tool-making company first released back in 2020.
This simple, fixed blade knife design was created as a useful tool blade to keep on your belt or in the workshop for everyday cutting tasks. Each is made from high-carbon 425 stainless steel in New York, and each comes with a sheath for safekeeping and storage.
This simple, fixed blade knife design was created as a useful tool blade to keep on your belt or in the workshop for everyday cutting tasks. Each is made from high-carbon 425 stainless steel in New York, and each comes with a sheath for safekeeping and storage.
History Speedrun: Ka-Bar®
Ka-Bar’s origins date back to 1897 when a group of 38 men founded a company named the Tidioute Cutlery Company in Tidioute, Pennsylvania. Initially, they produced a variety of straight razors and folding pocket knives.
In 1902, the company was restructured under the name Union Cutlery Company. The new company expanded its production to include high-quality hunting knives, and its products gained a solid reputation for durability and sharpness.
The Ka-Bar name came about around this time. According to the company, a trapper sent a letter to Union Cutlery, recounting how his knife had helped him “kill a bear” when his rifle jammed. Parts of the letter were difficult to read, and the phrase “kill a bear” was interpreted as “k… a…. bar.” This name stuck and became the brand’s defining moniker.
Ka-Bar would achieve legendary status during World War II when the U.S. Marine Corps adopted its fighting/utility knife as its standard issue, this knife was officially named the (USMC) Knife, Fighting Utility (USN Mark 2 utility knife).
This Ka-Bar knife design was well-suited for combat and utility tasks, and it became synonymous with the Marine Corps. Other branches of the military, including the U.S. Navy and Army, also used KA-BAR knives during the war, and it’s these knives that the company is best known for today.
In the years since, the company has continued to thrive, creating a broad range of new products including a series of US Space Force knives, a Ka-Bar “Tactical” Spork, a Ka-Bar Slingshot, Wrench Knife, and the popular Field Kit Spork/Knife camping cutlery set.
The Ka-Bar® Blackout Wrench Knife
The Blackout Wrench Knife is the black oxide version of Ka-Bar’s famous Forged Wrench Knife, a small fixed blade shaped like a crescent wrench that the company released back in March of 2020. Each one is drop-forged in Olean, New York from a single piece of 425 high-carbon stainless steel, blade and handle together, so no two come out exactly alike.
The blade is a 3.0 inch drop point with a flat grind, hardened to 56-58 HRC. Overall length is 7.125 inches and the knife weighs in at 3.2 oz. Each ships with a fitted Celcon sheath sized for belt carry, for those who need a handy cutting blade on them for use around the garage or workshop.
This is the The Ka-Bar® Blackout Wrench Knife, it’s the newer black version of the popular Forged Wrench Knife released by the American knife and tool-making company first released back in 2020.
The original Wrench Knife arrived with an MSRP of $54.74 and has since grown into a small family of drop-forged 425HC designs including the George Roscoe and the Elishewitz Pocket Tool. 425 is a common stainless steel variety that sharpens quickly, resists corrosion, and shrugs off toolbox life.
The Blackout Wrench Knife uses the same steel and dimensions under its black oxide coating. It’s listed for $47.44 USD on the official Ka-Bar Amazon store here, though pricing may creep up or down a little depending on the time of year.
Images courtesy of Ka-Bar®
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