Pros: Overall Quality, Blade Material, Sheath/Scabbard, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Weight, Handle Material
Heavy duty compact tool
I own a number of blades, including the LMFII, Esee5, A1' and this beast. I basically distinguish blades by the thickness (.25 vs .188 or .14), blade length (5" or "normal" vs 6" "slightly Rambo-ish" vs 7"+ or "machete-ish", and steel type. This is a very thick .25" 1095 blade of modest length @ 5". Honestly, a .25" thick blade needs to be at least 6" to feel "right", but i get what KaBar is trying to do here and that's make a compact heavy-duty survival knife. My only wish is that they would take the exact same design and add a 6" and 7" version. I'm not a huge fan of the raised "thumb" ridge of the bK7, but that is just a style issue. It may very well be a useful feature in a HD/combat situation. I've put this thru the ringer, batoning wood, using as a can opener, slicing meat, making kindling, hammering tent stakes, outside of military use, I've probably done it. The 1095 keeps its edge well and sharpens easily. The coating will come off, but that's to be expected when your cutting thru tin cans, chopping wood, and generally abuse the thing. I have the nylon sheath which I find to be perfect, it's great for a Molle or leg strap setup. Overall it's a great jack of all trades, I keep it in my camping bin, and prefer its versatility over the LMFII, and it's cost effectiveness over the A1. I'd say it's nearly identical to the Esee5, so depending on your handle grip and sheathing needs one may be more cost effective than the other. If I had to pick one knife only, I'd go with a slightly longer blade of equal thickness (aka A1).