Ka-Bar Knives Dozier D2 Folding Hunter

I’m actually impressed with this thing. I came in with low expectations for it but was pleasantly surprised. Seems sturdy and rugged,Shave sharp out of the box and very light and simple. Will be a great work knife to handle business and cheap enough I won’t feel bad if I’m rough on it

What else needs to be said?Pros-lightweight-slim-well built-aesthetically pleasing-affordableCons-lacks finger guard-not much grip when wet-only one thumb studGreat pocket knife one of the few I actually will carry everyday. Probably wouldn't use it to clean a deer because the lack of finger guard and lack of grip when wet and would hopefully not have to use it for self defense for the same reason. But it could get the job done in either of those rare occasions where it may be the only tool you have. For a daily use knife I'm more than happy. The blue and tan combo is beautiful but costs a little extra than the other color combinations which are even more budget friendly.

Overall, I like this knife. It is compact, the 3" blade is a shape I find very useful and is hollow ground. One thing I particularly like is that the blue handle and plain blade shape (no serrations or other "tactical" features) make it low-profile. It doesn't alarm or intimidate people the way tactical knives often do.The blade steel is listed as D2 and the knife was designed by Bob Dozier, famous for his use of D2 steel in his custom knives. However, Dozier tempered his blades to a very hard Rockwell C of 61-62 and that gave them an amazing edge holding ability. This knife is obviously not tempered that hard and holds an edge about as well as several of my other knives hardened to RC 57-58. That is not bad, but don't expect the edge holding of a custom Dozier knife. For the knife's price, it's unrealistic to.The knife is very slim and takes up little room. Opened, the handle fits my hand well and is secure. The belt clip can be reversed but takes a Torx screwdriver, and the thumb stud can also be reversed for left hand use. The entire knife can be easily dissembled for cleaning or whatever.Now for the complaint. The thumb stud is small, rough and too far forward to make a one handed opening easy for me. Additionally, the spring is a bit stiff. It's possible to thumb it open but it's certainly not as easy as some other knives. The forward placement makes more of the blade usable without interfering with the stud, but most cutting is done with the front part of a blade.Being a DIY sort, I disassembled the knife and carefully ground down the spring until the knife was easier to open. I also soldered (using a 450 degree silver solder so I didn't damage the temper) a brass tab behind the thumb stud to make it easier to open. Now it works perfectly for me. Not many people would be willing to do all that, so I recommend the knife because of its value for the money with the caveat that you should buy it with a return available if opening it one-handed is a problem.

Here’s the facts it is very light, very thin and fits great in a pocket. It also feels good to hold which is nice because I have large hands. The blade came decently sharp and will cut just fine but could definitely be better and I will probably sharpen eventually when it looses its edge. It also looks great so that is always a plus. Overall I would rate it 4.7 out of 5 stars. Update- the belt clip is loose and the brown part is starting to chip which is fine because I’ve used it a lot still like it tho.

Pro: Very low price, lockback among strongest locks, blade slices paper with brief strop on cardboard, D2 holds edge well though not easy to sharpen.Con: Rather stiff action, loosening pivot screw does little, could use bigger finger guard, odd color combination.Bottom line: Excellent value for the money, will use for everyday chores, breaking down boxes, etc..

Whole reason I was looking for a new knife was because the one I'd been carrying was too heavy. I didn't like how it felt when carrying it around on a daily basis. Watched a few videos on youtube and all the features on the Ka-Bar Dozier D2 was exactly what I was looking for. It's slim and not too heavy, barely takes up any room in your pocket, you can hardly tell it's there. And all that being said, the knife still feels good in my hand. All 4 fingers fit on the handle nicely. And it wasn't very expensive. Can't go wrong with this one.

The Becker design knife is a great value and will perform any task you need to perform!

There are so many more well built folding knives around $40 than this. Poor grind, centering, came with wear on the stud, blade was very dull, and the pivot screw has to be very loose to maintain useable action.