Made in China from 3Cr13 high carbon stainless steel, the cutting edge of the knife is hardened only to HRC54-56 -- enough for a sharp cutting edge but demanding regular upkeep if well-used. The one-piece knife provides the bare minimum needed for a last-ditch defense. Breshara's acronym for the knife, "BOGA," stands for "Back Off -- Get Away!" That's the real purpose of the knife -- presenting just enough threat to deter an undecided attacker.

Only 5-1/2 inches long, the Besh BOGA is completely titanium-nitride coated for extra corrosion resistance and weighs just 1.5 ounces. A short handle and single finger choil provide a minimal grip behind the two-inch-long cutting edge. The Besh Wedge point gives the tip of the knife extra strength, but the handle design of the Besh BOGA doesn't make this a good piercing tool. Owners may find the fingernail file built into the blade's spine to be the most frequently used part of the knife.

Ka-Bar offers three carrying options with the knife and its ABS plastic friction-fit sheath. Wear it with the belt clip, or the Velcro arm bands, or around the neck (inverted) from the 550 neck cord.

Try the Folts Minimalist Neck Knife from CRKT if you want an ultra-light last resort knife of better quality.

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Ka Bar Besh BOGA Personal Defense Knife 3030BP New US $17.75   Auction Ends: 24d 21h 16m

Ka Bar Besh BOGA Self Defense Knife System 3030BP NEW US $15.95   Auction Ends: 25d 11h 11m

The stamped high carbon stainless steel fillet blade seats in a large black Kraton handle which completely encloses the tang and serves as both grip and finger guard. The dropped heel gives it almost a pistol-grip feeling, and the slight finger choil increases control. There's actually so much handle that it may get in the way when you're working on smaller fish. The six-inch blade is accurately tapered and hollow ground but is also a little stiffer than the usual small fillet knife.

The 10-3/4-inch knife's extra strength could be an advantage if you use the KA-Fillet for cutting bait or any other hard chores a good fishing knife meets. The molded hand guard will certainly come in handy when you're using the knife for more than fine trimming. Thread a wrist loop through the lanyard hole for better knife security.

Ka-Bar provides a hard glass-filled nylon belt sheath for the KA-Fillet, so you'll be able to wear it on the boat safely or store it away in the tackle box for the trip home. The sheath won't encourage water to evaporate, but it is built to drain -- that's good enough for a short period of storage, but over the long term, be sure to dry both knife and sheath thoroughly before putting them away.

See the Queen Cutlery Fillet Knife for a more streamlined fillet knife with natural handle and leather sheath.

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Ka Bar New Fillet Knife 9 Inch 4 1451CP 0 1451CP US $25.48   Auction Ends: 17d 19h 6m

KA BAR 1451CP 9 USA Made Fillet Knife NEW US $30.92   Auction Ends: 5h 32m

The Necker's 3-1/4-inch flat ground blade is set for a fine cut with a fifteen-degree edge bevel that's easy to keep razor sharp. The one-piece knife with skeletonized tang weighs only 0.15 pounds but provides enough steel handle for a strong hold. You could rig this knife with handle slabs if you're a craftsman and like to tinker, but the real draw of the Necker is the minimalist package. Chrome vanadium 1095 tool steel is the only material used in the Becker Necker, apart from the black powder coating. The Becker Necker BK11 might be a functional Last Ditch Knife or Boot Knife for the tactical user, but it also deserves some consideration if you're an ultra-lite hiker interested in truly practical gear. With the Becker Necker you'll put 2.5 ounces of payload into a knife that's worthwhile. One extra perk for Necker owners is the useful gap in the butt of the handle, capable of breaking (not cutting) wire or even prying loose bottle caps.

In partnership with Ka-Bar, the Becker Knife and Tool Company of Olean, New York, still manufactures this quality neck knife. The knife's sheath is the only part produced outside the U.S. and is manufactured in Taiwan to Ka-Bar specifications. The Necker comes with the glass-filled nylon sheath and a neck cord. Ka-Bar redesigned the original sheath to accept a reversible belt clip from Tactical Defense Institute. If mounted to TDI's patented belt clip, the Necker clips easily to gear, pockets, or belts. The belt clip does not come with the knife.

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KA BAR BECKER NECKER BLACK KNIFE 2 0011 3 NEW BK11 US $35.99   Auction Ends: 26d 2h 1m

KA BAR BK 11 Becker Necker Defense Knife System NEW US $41.61   Auction Ends: 2d 6h 38m

This full tang, clip point knife keeps much of the weight forward for a good balance between cutting edge and handle grip. The dark, powder-coated, 6-1/2-inch-long blade is slightly hollow-ground for easy sharpening, but the edge has a strong 20-degree bevel that holds up to more than light cutting. Owners might choose to lessen that over time, but the heavier edge can be an advantage. The Bull Dozier's handle slabs of Zytel with textured Kraton inserts fasten to the tang with precision screws, with the advantages of a high tech folder's grip but without the underlying weaknesses. Easy to hang onto in any weather, the Bull Dozier's grip includes a shaped Zytel bolster and pronounced finger choil.

Twelve-and-a-half inches overall, the 13.6-ounce Dozier is heavy, but this is weight put to good use. The knife is AUS 8 high carbon stainless steel hardened to between Rockwell 57 and 59. It will hold a razor edge and hold up to hard use. The Bull Dozier is manufactured in Taiwan but fully backed by Ka-Bar's high standards and excellent warranty. The knife comes with a Zytel sheath engineered to mount on either hip via a reversible belt fixture. This sheath fits tight, holding the knife in place with friction, and requires some breaking-in before it works properly.

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KA BAR 1275 Bull Dozier Fixed Blade Knife NEW US $76.61   Auction Ends: 26d 5h 50m

KA BAR Bull Dozier Black Fixed Blade Knife Military Combat Knive Model 1275 US $89.99   Auction Ends: 28d 19h 49m

This plain-edged version of the Bobcat unleashes a strong AUS 8 stainless steel clip point blade that's flat ground and beveled at a sharp 15 degrees. Opening the Bobcat is a one-handed procedure for either right or left hand, due to the dual thumb studs at the blade's base. That's one of the few arguable faults of the Bobcat, which is a little awkward to open because of the otherwise very practical bolster formed from the pivot area of the handle. It's a tolerable trade-off; that same handle shape does increase the knife's safety in slippery conditions.

The Zytel handle may get more attention than the blade, because it's certainly more handle than you get in most pocket clip folders. Five-and-a-quarter inches when folded, the knife offers leverage and control you won't find in the usual compact and slimmed-down style. Textured Kraton inserts increase the friction of the handle slabs, and the inner liners of stainless steel form a very strong foundation for heavy work.

The lockback blade brushes the legal limit of 4 inches for a pocket folding knife in the U.S. and should be enough for utility work, cleaning small game and fish, and even field dressing the occasional white-tail. If you choose the eight-ounce Bobcat for bloody work, remember that folders aren't the easiest field knives to clean. Camp work and other chores suit them best.

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Ka Bar New Dozier Bobcat Foliage Green Knife 4081FG US $33.88   Auction Ends: 26d 19h 3m

Ka Bar Knives NM Dozier Bobcat Lockback Serrated Clip Blade Zytel Knife KA4081FG US $54.62   Auction Ends: 19d 21h 28m

With a full length of 12-5/8 inches, the Potbelly reminds many of the gurkha knife, and actually will perform much like one. The gurkha became famous as a fighting knife but also served well around camp and even made a pretty good substitute for a machete. The Potbelly fits in that same category of all-purpose knife. Built with a full tang handle and injection-molded Zytel handle slabs, the Potbelly was made to fit all sizes of hands -- the efficient Adventuregrip texture and deep finger choil won't slip.

Designed by knife maker and boar hunter Steve Johnson, the field editor for Boar Hunter Magazine, the Potbelly evolved through several different versions and considerable field testing by Johnson before becoming part of the Ka-Bar lineup. According to Johnson, the production model exceeded his expectations.

Combined with the Adventure sheath, the Potbelly ought to exceed yours as well. With two belt loops at different heights and extra MOLLE points for custom rigging, the Potbelly's Adventure sheath fits any gear. A large pouch on the front of the sheath holds the basic survival tools you want, not the Band-Aids and the fishhook you usually get in survival kits. Best of all, the sheath's extra slot holds the Adventure Piggyback, a skeletonized high carbon stainless steel skinner for the more delicate field dressing work.

If you prefer a fighting knife style, check out the Adventure Baconmaker -- the same good deal but inspired by the ideas of one of Johnson's Special Forces customers.

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Ka Bar New Adventure Potbelly Fixed Knife 5600 US $79.99   Auction Ends: 25d 18h 58m

Ka Bar Adventure Pot Belly Potbelly Fixed Blade Knife 5600 New US $80.99   Auction Ends: 21d 21h 16m

Adventure series knives developed from a partnership with knife designer Steve Johnson, the field editor of Boar Hunter Magazine. Having spent years designing custom knives for fellow boar hunters and for military specialists, Mr. Johnson knows how to make knives for sticking. The Baconmaker resulted from a request by a Special Forces friend with his own ideas to contribute. Now built by Ka-Bar from high carbon Cro-Van steel, the Baconmaker was influenced by Persian blades but manufactured with stronger modern materials -- including Ka-Bar's new Adventuregrip handle slabs of textured Zytel.

Twelve-and-3/4 inches long overall, this full tang fixed blade includes 7-1/8 inches of recurved blade. The false upper edge gives the blade an efficient dagger shape for piercing, and the recurve makes the knife especially good at slashing. Recurved plain edges also do a fine job of gripping and severing cord and harness straps, without the sharpening problems a serrated edge presents. Grip features include a dropped bolster finger guard and a deep finger choil as well as a contoured handle for excellent reverse traction and a space on the knife's spine for added thumb pressure.

The Baconmaker's sheath allows rigging through MOLLE fittings or either of two belt loops. A small stuff sack on the sheath holds your favorite survival gear. If you're thinking this is just too much blade for hunting, there's a second skeletonized steel skinner, the Piggyback, already in its own slot in the same sheath. All that, plus 8 feet of Adventure Cord and Ka-Bar's guarantee.

To see the second of Ka-Bar's new series, go to Kabar's Adventure Potbelly.

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Ka Bar Adventure Bacon Maker Baconmaker Knife 5601 New US $78.99   Auction Ends: 20d 1h 11m

Ka Bar Johnson Adventure Baconmaker Knife 5601 New US $89.50   Auction Ends: 3d 12h 58m

The Combat Bowie goes back to the original days of the Bowie knife, when it had more of the characteristics of a short sword and was built for close combat as a primary weapon instead of a last resort back-up. The Becker knife is more advanced than the first fighting bowies, combining some of the best aspects of the old fighting Bowie knife with the chopping power of a machete. The Becker also uses some of the best modern knife materials.

Much better quality than most machetes, the Combat Bowie uses full tang construction and a 0.21-inch-thick blade of chrome vanadium high carbon tool steel. With a flat grind similar to the edge style of a combat saber, the Bowie is built to swing and has the weight to back it up. Full weight of this 14-3/4-inch knife is 1.15 pounds, almost in the weight class of a small sword. Grivory slabs form the BK-9's grip. This new compound is a composite material hard enough to substitute for steel. Built into the grip's shape, dropped bolsters front and back make sure the knife stays in the hand even in slippery conditions. If you feel the need to bash something, there's enough exposed tang at the rear of the handle to deliver an impact without damage to the knife. A jimped section of blade spine up front offers finer control.

Made in the U.S.A., the BK-9 comes with a glass-filled nylon sheath manufactured in Taiwan.

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Ka Bar Becker BK9 Combat Bowie Fixed Blade Knife with Black Propex Nylon Sheath US $80.64   Auction Ends: 25d 4m

Ka Bar Becker Knife BK9 Becker Combat Bowie US $79.95   0 Bid Auction Ends: 4h 58m

The flat build uses the same pistol handle theory as TDI's larger knives, but the grip only accommodates two fingers. The jimped spine of the blade allows some backup pressure from your thumb, but there's very little knife here to hang on to. The hard plastic sheath of the LDK could be worn on a necklace, with the knife hanging upside down in the friction lock scabbard. A firm tug on the handle pulls it loose, but the bouncing and vibration of a hard run should leave it in place.

The small size makes the knife easily concealed. Ka-Bar suggests that the LDK tucks discreetly away under harness straps -- stitched on through the edges of the sheath -- if you're suited up for tactical assault. Tucked away in a civilian pocket or purse, or strapped to running gear, the LDK could be a confidence builder for some. TDI's fighting concept regards the knife as a claw, and the unique handle orientation presents the blade in that instinctive way. Made from 9Cr18 high carbon steel, hollow ground at a shallow 15-degree angle, the tiny LDK holds a razor-sharp edge.

The small size is also the knife's biggest problem -- the LDK isn't large enough to grip securely. You'll want something bigger as a primary defense, and something bigger as a backup. As a backup for the backup blade, the LDK is still borderline, but it might be all you have left. At 0.15 lbs, it won't drag you down.

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Ka Bar TDI LDK Last Ditch Neck Boot Knife 1478BP New US $16.49   Auction Ends: 21d 23h 1m

Ka Bar Knives TDI LDK Law Enforcement Knife New 1478 US $7.05   5 Bids Auction Ends: 1d 18h 8m

Open length of the knife is 6-7/8 inches, but only 2-3/4 inches of that is blade. The short but stout drop point blade of AUS-8 high carbon stainless steel is hollow ground and tempered to Rockwell 57-59. Edge bevel is a sharp 15 degrees made for slicing but not built to cut through nails. That actually makes this knife handy if you're looking for a good utility blade. If you really want a knife to cut well, you'll gradually hone a 20-degree bevel down a few degrees until it works. This one's already there.

The FIN's all-stainless-steel handle doesn't look comfortable, but the arched back does fit the palm well, and the grip includes a shaped bolster for extra security. Notches on the spine of the blade allow safe thumb pressure. This tactical style knife offers features convenient for everyday use as well as emergency situations. The large thumb loop in the blade allows one-handed opening without an awkward thumb stud, and the blade locks solidly into open position with a sturdy frame lock. A stainless steel clip allows secure pocket carry.

If you need a good emergency knife for the car, this model offers the basics of a good harness cutting blade and a pommel stiff enough to bash windows. Backed by Ka-Bar's excellent warranty, this tactical black folder is manufactured in Taiwan to meet Ka-Bar's high standards.

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Ka Bar Fin Folding Hawkbill Tanto Straight Knife 5552 US $37.89   Auction Ends: 17d 19h 2m

Ka Bar Fin Folding Hawkbill Tanto Knife Plain Edge 5552 US $37.99   Auction Ends: 25d 2h 56m