Towards the end of the 2020 holiday shopping season, Ka-Bar announced a small selection of USSF tools and knives, with the slogan Defend Your Space attached to marketing images.
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The United States Space Force is a real thing – it was founded in 1982 under the US Air Force, and established as an independent branch of the US military at the end of 2019.
But, as far as I can tell, all of the new Ka-Bar USSF tools and knives are completely unaffiliated with the United States Space Force. Instead, these all seem to be “inspired by” products. (Anyone, please correct me if I’m wrong!)
Still, I can’t shake the comical image of USSF astronauts of the future walking around with foot-long (11.75″ overall length) combat and utility knives. Are any of these tools something that a modern-day satellite monitoring tech might need??
Ka-Bar does make combat knives, similar to the fighting/utility knife design shown below, and they have made knives for US military branches. There have not been any public announcements or contracts from the United States Space Force about these or any other Ka-Bar equipment, and so the USSF line is likely aimed (primarily? solely?) at civilian users.
Ka-Bar USSF Space-Bar Knife
The Space-Bar is the knife for a “post-orbital world.”
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It features a 7-inch powder-coated blade, Kraton G blue handle, and grey hard plastic MOLLE-compatible sheath.
I’ve come to the conclusion that this is for collectors or fans of the Ka-Bar brand.
I own and have used several fixed blade knives in the workshop, but I can’t think of any place I’d use something like this. Unless of course you count “product unboxing” – a task that, if you go by many YouTubers and “influencers,” can only properly be done with a bowie knife, sword, or other type of large-bladed product. I believe I’ve seen chain saw unboxing coverage a couple of times, although I try to block such things from memory.
Despite being marked “USSF,” this couldn’t possibly be an official United States Space Force knife. It’s got to be “inspired” by the USSF, or maybe it’s to celebrate the USSF? Right?
It looks to me that this is basically a blue-handled version of the popular Ka-Bar USMC fighting/utility knife.
Country of Origin: USA for the knife, Taiwan for the sheath
Price: $75
Buy Now via BladeHQ – (out of stock everywhere)
Ka-Bar USSF Bridge Breacher Tool
There’s also a new Ka-Bar USSF breacher bar, which is basically a sturdy one-piece pry bar.
The knife discussed above is simply Ka-Bar’s plain-edge utility knife but with USSF markings and blue handle. As far as I can tell, this Bridge breacher bar design is unique to the Ka-Bar USSF lineup, although other brands have made similar tools in the past.
Ka-Bar has a marketing image, showing the USSF Bridge Breacher Tool being used “on a space shuttle” with what are supposed to be astronaut gloves or similar. I’d think that any hand too intended for use in space would have a larger tether hole and also rounded corners.
The USSF breacher bar is 13″ long and weighs 1.6 pounds, with the end of the handle coated in blue Plastisol.
It features a pry bar tip, slotted multi-size wrench opening, and chiseled blade. The cutting edge measures 2″ long.
Both the USSF utility knife and breacher bar are made from 1095 Cro-Van steel.
The Ka-Bar USSF breacher bar might be a practical addition to some tool boxes. I bought a flat breacher bar tool a few years ago for $9 and used it a couple of times, but the design ultimately didn’t work for me.
Country of Origin: USA
Price: $55
Buy Now via BladeHQ – (out of stock everywhere)
Ka-Bar USSF Corser Folder Knife
The USSF Corser Folder is a pocket knife featuring a tanto-style 3.5″ blade made from AUS 8A steel, and a blue plastic handle (GFN-PA66).
Here’s where we also get a look at the Ka-Bar USSF packaging, which sports NASA “worm” logo-like lettering.
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Price: $31
Buy Now via BladeHQ – (out of stock everywhere)
Discussion
I don’t know why, but my mind keeps coming back to the Space Force show on Netflix, which is a satire on the recently created military branch.
David Zeller
USSF…. “Made in Taiwan”
Mike
And in the near future that’ll be changed to, “Made in China”
Raycr
I have the U.S. marines fighting knife for years. It is a solid well made knife.
1661er
As foretold by
Armageddon (1998)
Lev Andropov: “Components. American components, Russian Components, ALL MADE IN TAIWAN! “
Jared
I bet this will attract some mockery, but I’m alright with it. Looks like it’s all in fun to me.
The folder is the only one I might be interested in, but I’m not fond of tanto blades or the lockback style. I like the color though.
Mike (the other one)
This is a little gimmicky for Ka-Bar. Then again, some would argue the entire concept of a space force is a bit ridiculous, considering the Airforce already covered things.
That blue looks a bit more teal to my eye.
Ross
I see the space force as a component of the Air Force in the same way that the Marine Corps is a component of the Navy
Flotsam
agree 100 % it made no sense at all to create a new branch of service (not that much else did either)
Kentucky fan
Considering that as of now three services do the whole space thing (everyone but the marines) in one way or another it makes perfect sense to consolidate it all into one branch as will be done in the future. Space is the next battleground and I for one would like the US to put the proper effort into making sure we dominate it instead of it devolving into petty squabbles between the air force and the navy.
Chris S
“Plastisol” caught my eye.
Per this link,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastisol
and this paper,
https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/3.28036?journalCode=jsr
it is used in the production of solid rocket booster fuel.
Just thought it was interesting.
TMedina
“Space Force” and “Guardians” – I’ll agree that space is the next battleground.
That’s about the only thing I’ll agree with at this point.
Seriously, “Guardians?” I didn’t think it was possible, but we have officially made the Army’s UCP pattern seem like a good idea.
RayRay
>>Seriously, “Guardians?” I didn’t think it was possible, but we have officially made the Army’s UCP pattern seem like a good idea.
Nope.
UCP will never seem like it was a good idea.*
Same Force and Guardians just bumped UCP a few steps down the “Top Ten Stupid Ideas in DoD” list.
(* Unless you owned one of the primes awarded the contract for making all the UCP patterned uniforms and equipment; then it was a FANTASTIC idea.)
Leo B.
Stuart, it may be interesting to note that astronauts carried a ~12” machete on around 9 lunar missions, called the M-1. It was manufactured by Case, and I believe replicas can be bought today. So, astronauts in the future may certainly carry something like this Ka-Bar! For now, it’ll be for collectors.
Stuart
I was under the impression that the Case M-1 was simply on-board. From what I read, the machetes were part of return-to-Earth survival kits that were stored in the command module, in case the astronauts couldn’t be quickly recovered. The knife was packaged along with sunscreen and other gear.
https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/apollo-to-the-moon/online/astronaut-life/medical-survival.cfm
Leo B.
Yes, you’re right. I had meant carried with them, but I realize that was pretty ambiguous on my part. That’d be pretty funny, though, if they did carry a machete on their person aboard the crafts!
Steve N
The thought of US-Soviet hand to hand combat with machetes on the surface of the moon is much more entertaining than having it safely stowed in a survival kit!
PETE
The case m1 was a survival machete. Just like the cosmonauts carried a short barrel shotgun into space- not for aliens but if they were to land in the USSR area where dense forests often had bears & wolves. Owning one of those SBS would be awesome for sure.
Koko The Talking Ape
Yep! You can buy one, made from unspecified stainless steel and “polymer,” for only $187!
https://www.bladehq.com/item–Case-Astronaut-Knife-M-1-Smooth–95064
Tom
I agree! A last resort or survival weapon! There is nothing more irritating to an Astronaut than having a piece of steel sticking out of your space suit.
Brad
As a Army AirCav field engineer from 89-95 I can say I used the hell out of my k-bar. Not as a knife mind you but its a great pry bar.
I wouldn’t consider the pry bar or folder but a real k-bar is the best pry bar made once you knock the drop point off and dull the blade.
Not a fan of the color choice.
Jeremiah Ducate
It was mentioned in your discussion of the breachers tool but one feature any “space tool” should have is a lanyard or provision for one. Something more advanced that keeps a stray tool from cutting or hurting the user is even better but at a minimum a lanyard.
K Maul
Let’s think… knives. Space. Oxygenated suits…
I mean, what can go wrong?
PETE
How else are they suppose to cut their cheese up there?! lol
Dave
Not a good idea to “cut the cheese” in a spacesuit. The suit techs really, really hate an “over ripe” suit.
Clay
Had to check the date. Thought maybe it was April already.
JR3 Home Performance
Nice
G Greene
Yeah, that Ka-Bar Space Bar knife will sure come in handy for space trench warfare, or digging a foxhole in tough asteroids.
I’m gonna pass on these and hold out for the United Federation of Planets cavalry sword.
PETE
That’ll be less of a sword and more a saber made of light
King duck
Wrong show don’t mix your sci-fi worlds 😃
Javier A.
How else are you going to fend off Klingons???
Cheech
Nothing strikes fear in our enemies more than a baby blue knife. Fitting for today’s panty waste society. Give them to UN Forces.
JunkdrawerDog
What good is that gonna be against a lightsaber or a phaser?
Stuart
Never runs out of batteries.
Jim Metzger
From a practical point, putting a long cutting edge on the side of a pry bar is a recipe for disaster.
Scott K
These seem gimmicky for Ka-bar, especially because of the nasa-esque font (which isn’t space force’s) and color-scheme. I recently read an article about them that said they’re currently the only military branch without any weapons.
Martin
Hey, Space Force’s PX rangers and assorted REMFs need to open their MREs somehow.
Koko The Talking Ape
I’m pretty sure James Bond carried these in “Moonraker.”
That movie wasn’t cheesy at all.
Adam
I’d be too embarrassed to use any of these products.
JoeM
All 3 items defy the possibility of use in space. Pressurized suits prevent you from having blades you sheath, at all. If you miss the sheath, because you can’t quite flex the suit enough (which is pretty much always, considering the experience of every Astronaut since the moon landings.) you stab the suit. You then bleed air quickly, and freeze to death.
Next… The pry bar? Wouldn’t work in space, in or outside the confines of the vessel. it’s a lever, no matter how you slice it. So, unless you actively have places to anchor your whole body to the surface while you pry? That tiny lever WILL fling you backwards, because Newton’s laws of motion are more dominant in 0G environments. All weight you put ON the bar, you push YOURSELF away with.
And let’s not forget… Giant gloves, and grips have no resemblance to the size of human hands… they make everyone’s hands more like Shaquille O’Neil’s hands. With fingertips being up to 1″ in diameter, that lockblade? Useless in space. The length of a standard KA-BAR handle? Try tripling it, and MAYBE it’ll fit an Astronaut’s hands. The TINY little colour-coated T on the end of the pry bar/multi-tool? No grip whatsoever. And with BARE HUMAN HANDS? I’ll echo a comment from above… Lanyards required. Otherwise… one gravity slip, or miss, and it’s floating in mid air to cut ANYTHING. Plus, a fight INSIDE the vessel? There are no Human Martial Arts that compensate for having to compensate for equal-and-opposite enertia. You punch someone, you’re going backwards. The grip on your boots? Won’t hold in space. Tethers? Just turn you into a Piniata.
KA-BAR, the COMPANY? Is a really good company. I like them, I collected Knives for a while as a Scout, and I always drooled over their 12″ Bowie. But all of that said… These have to be COMMEMORATIVE KA-BAR products for celebrating the creation of the Space Force as a separate branch for the first time. It may even be a commemorative of the Netflix show as well, which I enjoyed.
Not to get political on purpose, but uniting the Space divisions of all the other branches into their own Branch? Is probably the only thing I agree with being done by the now-former US administration. And, yes, I’m Canadian, I know I don’t get a say on what goes on. This isn’t a political statement, it is purely a Nerd who thinks the overlap among the other branches deserves to be unified on its own. Sending up the Army Core of Engineers to build things, training the Naval Aviators to fly the craft, and inventing Space-Bound Dedicated Aviation for their Air Force Pilots to crew… That’s stupid to coordinate separately. What are they going to do when inventing a cockpit? Build it, then pass it on to a totally different branch for testing? No, it does make sense to entirely move all space-based engineering and construction to a new branch.
We DO have a very imminent Asteroid collision coming. Apophis. Due in several years. It’s an ELE level impactor. We do need some space-based way to divert, mine, or destroy Apophis if we want to live past 2040.
But, I digress. I think these KA-BAR tools are commemorative, like challenge coins. the Space-Bar Knife, were it to have a black handle instead, would be no different than a standard KA-BAR that people already buy. And that is already a great price for it.
Stuart
Using a pry bar in space is not going to catapult you across the space station.
JoeM
Oh, hell no. But it will lift you more than it will pry. If you can do a pushup, you will be lifting your body, far more than you will be prying something. The Equal-and-Opposite Reactions are not as hindered by friction, unless you have a tether to the surface, that’s all I mean.
Only thing that can push you around in space is thrust. I apologize if I made it seem like some sort of cartoon style physics… Just, in more layman’s terms, it doesn’t quite translate properly to what will actually happen. Since your weight isn’t holding you for friction on the surface, the thing that resists the lever the least (AKA You, if untethered or anchored to something) is the thing that moves.
Moves/pushes/raises/levers… Definitely NOT the same as “Launch”… No, that kind of fun is only done with pressure vessels on the station, last I checked. I think there’s footage somewhere of them opening a bottle of Champaigne, and being the scientists that got them up there, they braced the person opening the bottle with their hands, and held onto hand-holds on the walls, so he didn’t blow backward when the cork popped. I think there was some sort of… First complete docking of Russian and US modules, or celebrating the first year of operation on the station? I forget the occasion, but the bottle was sent up with the crew specifically to celebrate something.
These KA-BAR products WILL NOT LAUNCH PEOPLE ACROSS THE ROOM. I apologize if I was giving off that impression.
Though, as someone pointed out below me… They’re in the “Collectables” section of the site, so I think it’s safe to say we don’t have to worry about ANY of these being put to the test in Space.
Though, I will admit, the ceramic coating on the KA-BAR Space-Knife would be nice in a decent Black-Ops colour scheme, instead of Space Force. I have drooled over KA-BAR products for many years. I make zero assumptions that these products are, in any way, of unacceptable QUALITY production.
David Zeller
Re: levers not working in space
You largely resolved the problem yourself by mentioning the user bracing themselves. There are other simple steps that can be taken as well, which our well trained and intelligent space people would figure out, I am sure. Tieing themselves off against a cleat, loop, or other object; maintaining their position by using the magnets that “turn on/off” when you rotate the switch; using a rope/chain run through a loop/hook and secured by such solutions to drive the lever from the opposite side; etc.
Heck, if they’re inside, as may be likely in ISS or whatever, just grabbing the many handholds around the interior is probably sufficient, now that I think for another second.
John
The USSF line is listed among their “collectible” items. https://www.kabar.com/category/collectible
John
Well, it’s also listed when you filter on Military & Tactical so I guess that doesn’t really prove anything. https://www.kabar.com/category/military-tactical
JoeM
Space Force is a Military Branch now… so… In many ways a “Collectable” from a Military Branch does fall under Military, if not Tactical. Marketing may be having some fun there.
Plain grainy
I would rather have a battery powered Festool Domino machine. That would put me in another galaxy!
Plain grainy
The Cordless Domino would also need a cordless dust extractor. So going cordless for those products seem far off.
Dustin
The folding knife is a lazy effort on KABAR’s part it is a ten year old model called the Kharon and they just changed the color pattern on it
https://www.google.com/search?q=kabar+kharon&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS776US776&hl=en-US&prmd=niv&sxsrf=ALeKk03MEumDY1HWq_tUPpnyWGYX3Wk2Ng:1611628670210&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiF6pbTyLjuAhWDAp0JHRweB9YQ_AUoAnoECAMQAg&biw=375&bih=553#imgrc=HW2VDI0LqnCuGM
Nathan
ok so collector items explains the powder coated steel. I expect there might well be a regular issue version of the Ka-Bar knife. I could see that perhaps a touch shorter and made out of something more exotic and light weight.
if going into space weight is at a preimum. so i would expect a knife to be CF handled with some unobtainum grip rubber (it’s the actual trade name for the silicone rubber used by Oakley on their glasses) And a blade core perhaps of Carbon Fibre skined with SS or a titanium matrix core. Put another way a 1000 dollar knife.
Odd but whatever.
John S.
Obviously this is intended for shaving 😂
Corey Moore
Space! Force! Knife over Ethernet ports! Space! Pry things! In the vacuum of SPACE! Hand to hand space combat is coming! Lol I enjoy this for the tongue-in-cheek product line I assume it is, but with the modern growing popularity in unironic larping, no doubt they’ll sell a good amount to folks dreaming of knife fighting foreign powers in zero gravity lol Good for the company, either way.
David Zeller
Much as people did with 50’s comic books. It’s new… again.
Lynyrd
Space Force is still under the Department of USAF, similar to Marines are part of US Navy.
Stuart
While technically true, it has been reorganized into an independent branch.
Bob
Ka-bars are great knives. Damn near industructible. Heavy tho. I get they want to keep that classic ka-bar knife silouette but at the very least it should have a blunt/flat tip like a diving knife. The tip can be used for a slotted screwdriver or prying device as well. Not an astronaut but I don’t think a knife would probably be the best tool for a space suit.
When I was a kid they had some of the astronauts come in to school. They brought some of the “space” tools with them. I remember the tools being extremely specialized and probably not even useful for here on earth. Pretty sure there is no way the space force would be issued any of this stuff.
Still a lot of guys like the space force. I am a science/astronaut/rocket nerd. I might think about picking up that prybar. Although having to explain it every time I pull it out might be more hassel than its worth.
Guy: (sees my space force pry bar) Hey what’s with the teal on that weirdo tool?
Me: it’s a space force tool
Guy: oh cool you were in the space force
Me: nope
Guy: Oh so that’s a real issued space force ranger comando pry bar?
Me: nope
Guy: so really it has nothing to do with the space force at all?
Me: well….um…you see. Im a rocket nerd and ka-bar was selling these…oh nevermind. Yeah you’re right
🙂
JoeM
Let’s be totally honest here… Weapons in Space would have to be entirely projectile based. Everything else becomes a lever, including a punch.
Chances are much better that the Space Force will be involved in the first military craft to PATROL Space, and identify threats, such as incoming Asteroids. Plus, knowing the use of the Army Core of Engineers in Warzones… Space Force will likely have something similar to come up with ways to use craft to divert, mine, and render harmless, any sort of threat the Solar System ITSELF has for Earth.
Effectively… The front line in Space is fighting Space ITSELF, not threats from other nations. Not a lot Space Force could do if Russia or Pakistan launched a Nuke at the Moon. They could be actively building the Regan-Era Style Star Wars Platforms, using modern efficient energy supplies… but I severely doubt, despite all my OWN Nerd love for NASA, CSA, ESA, and the collective Human exploration of our solar system, that we’re talking about training Human Beings to literally combat anything in 0-G conditions. Building and operating weapons and craft that would do this FOR us? Sure. I see that as possible. The Construction and Protection of the first Colonies on the Moon, Asteroids, Mars, and the many Moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Kuiper Belt? Perfectly reasonable. In fact, it may spark off an arms race to get more resources from OFF planet, than exists ON our Planet. Not to mention the mass reclamation of all the space junk floating in orbit of our little ball of rock.
There’s Financial, AND Political reasons to assign a Military Division to start taking action outside our Atmosphere, instead of constantly studying what the Scientists have discovered. If anything, it would render the entire world’s investment in the Space Station MORE Secure if we had Soldiers on missions to reclaim, mine, and supply the station from the only place it’s actually CHEAPER to transport supplies to Space… Space Itself.
Kenneth Stephens
I think you meant to say USMC fighting knife. Not “USMS” like you typed towards the end. I love my KABAR. Killed my first hog with it. Great knife.
Stuart
Thanks! Sorry, *fixed.*
Greg
Both knives are in stock on the kabar website, the breach bar is out of stock.
https://www.kabar.com/products/thumbnail.jsp?shop=all-products