KA-BAR Expands Two Fixed Blade Series
KA-BAR is following up the recent appearance of the State & Union custom Straight Razor with two production fixed blade releases. They’ve given a key variation of their recent D2 Extreme model, and a new, smaller follow-up to the TDI knife design.
The original D2 Extreme was an interesting release: fundamentally, it hearkened to KA-BAR’s famous USMC knife in terms of design, but with a more modern, black-coated look, a rejigged handle, and D2 semi-stainless instead of the traditional 1095 Cro-Van carbon steel. For some, however, the mandatory presence of partial serrations on the blade was not ideal. KA-BAR has evidently heard the requests for a plain edge model.
Other than the removal of the serrations, everything else about the D2 Extreme has been retained. Its 7-inch blade sports the classic KA-BAR clip point profile, with pronounced forward swedge and fuller. The Extreme has slightly hardier blade stock than its USMC predecessor – .01″ thicker to be precise – but is ready to handle the same sort of hard use tasks as that knife. Both the handle and the sheath are made from polymers, and the D2 Extreme’s overall weight is 12 oz.
Alongside the new D2 Extreme model is the Investigator, an (even) more compact sequel to the TDI Knife. Designed by John Benner of the Tactical Defense Institute, the TDI Knife was a backup knife for those in dangerous professions. It had a unique, curved handle and low-profile, leaf-shaped drop point blade. These traits are carried forward into the Investigator, but with a smaller overall footprint: key reductions across the board (but mostly to the handle) bring the overall length down by more than half an inch, and the weight down to 2.4 oz. (from 3.2 oz.).
All the materials remain the same on the Investigator. This means that buyers get an AUS-8A for blade steel and a plastic belt sheath.
Both the D2 Extreme Straight Edge and the TDI Investigator are available now directly from KA-BAR. They will be arriving with dealers shortly.
Knife in Featured Image: KA-BAR D2 Extreme Straight Edge
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