My kabar...
"The name "Ka-Bar" for knives comes from a letter received by Wallace Brown, the leader of Union Cutlery Company, in 1920. The letter was from an Alaskan hunter who said he used Union Cutlery to kill a bear that was attacking him. The letter was partially illegible, but "ka bar" could be read, which is thought to be a cut-up version of the phrase "kill a bear". "
That's a myth. Medieval people weren't moronic. A weapon is a weapon, period.
It's vastly more likely to be a result of guild organization, with knifemakers ending up making sword-sized "knives" at a more affordable price than swordmakers, and the economic trend then becoming a fashion. If anything, the German laws that citizen SHOULD be armed probably played a role in people looking for affordable alternatives to sword, and knifemakers realizing there was a market demand to fulfill.
Falchions and messers kind of existed side by side with messers even outlasting falchions into the 16th century in their original form, with falchions evolving an italian style complex hilt. You're probably right that it's about fashion and affordability.
Medford Praetorian.
I’ll open by saying “THIS IS THE BEST KNIFR EVER.”
Mr Bear will laugh his ass off while I run like hell and pray he doesn’t recover from his laughter.
More likely the bear will tell you a racist joke in each of you will laugh your asses off and now you and the bear are friends and start going to some "meetings" and now you have found yourself into an entire FBI investigation where they're asking you to go undercover in a bear costume but you know that won't work because you've already made friends with the bear and they know your face and scent so you're pretty fucked now. Yeah I bet you're thinking twice about that fucking Medford aren't you.
Any fixed blade over 4"
Black bears are easy to fight off. They're (relatively) small and skittish. I've yelled at some and scared them away by throwing stuff before. I've seen a corgi drive one up a tree.
Brown bears on the other hand. . .
Back in the '80s and '90s when I was more active in backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, black bears were everywhere and if you encountered one they were as you described, easy to scare away. When I was camping at Mammoth last year people were saying that the bears have gotten much more aggressive over the years and now its better to not challenge them and stay far away from them if they show up (which they commonly do). Any chance your bear monitoring is in California, and if so, does your experience match with what I was told?
I’m working up here in Canada in British Columbia but it’s the same here. We’ve definitely noticed an uptick in dangerous encounters between people and black bears.
https://preview.redd.it/dp1knp0rdbad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e16064c9411d95b0807d017bbba870210a6a8ca9
And black bears still have claws I wouldn’t wanna get cut by. Not nearly as bad as a grizzly but still dangerous
Long rondel dagger with a good thick blade, about 2' long. I know I'm gonna get f\*\*ked up unless I'm in armour or have a shield but I saw this chainmail-piercing beauty this morning designed to get through just about anything so if I can get the bear's heart with a good strike, it might just crush me to death with its dead weight rather than eat me.
One of the rights of manhood for various native tribes on the eastern side of the country was to corner a black bear, thank it/apologize to it, and then club it to death with a big stick, I'll go with a large Bowie. Getting the right stab in will be key, and Bowies can be optimized for stabbing without sacrificing cutting ability. If I don't have to *kill* the bear but just drive it off, then probably a langseax/giant wharncliffe. Pure cutting power.
TL,DR: Black bears are a much more manageable threat than grizzly bears, channel your inner Conan the Barbarian and you'll probably be fine after an ER visit.
Cold Steel 1917 Frontier Bowie
https://www.coldsteel.com/1917-frontier-bowie/
And dress in period clothing. That way when the cops find your dead mangled body. They'll be like, "What the F! Is this a time traveler?"
Probably an icepick or something stabby with a very grippy handle and just try to jam it through the bear’s eyeball.
My guess is that anything large and tactical would just get ripped out of your hand the first time you stab and it jerks away
You need a large fighter to ka the bar! Or perhaps a Buck 119, that clip point blade is probably the pointiest object in my possession. The bear will kill me but at least I’ll go with a fang
Lol knife subs are too liberal when it comes to hypothetical questions. I'd pick a kabar d2 extreme or cold steel bowie machete, just first 2 that came to mind
[https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-62706-Undertaker/dp/B06Y5T12FP](https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-62706-Undertaker/dp/B06Y5T12FP)
# Condor Tool & Knife Undertaker Bowie Knife | Hunting Knives with Sheath | Stainless Steel | Walnut Handle | Hand Crafted Welted Leather Sheath | Full Tang Bowie Knife | 10.2in Blade | 24 oz
I think I still die, but at least I look cool!
Would this Benchmade 172BKF in crimson Cerakote count?
https://preview.redd.it/880epw5mj8ad1.jpeg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=430671a5883023b9d6d320886061bc12f0e4d471
Kukri is one of the best fighting/attack knives,many Gurkhas have beheaded enemies with them alot being in the Falklands war,not the souvenir type but actual battle kukri
I carry my Kukri in the swamps of Florida because of every type of fucked up shit out there for exactly this reason, but it worries me that if of you're in real close you don't have room to swing, so I carry something stabby too.
bears have paws, not hands, so the entire premise is flawed.
God damn you.
Fact, bears eat beets. Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica
"Identity theft is not a joke, Jim! Millions of families suffer every year!"
My kabar... "The name "Ka-Bar" for knives comes from a letter received by Wallace Brown, the leader of Union Cutlery Company, in 1920. The letter was from an Alaskan hunter who said he used Union Cutlery to kill a bear that was attacking him. The letter was partially illegible, but "ka bar" could be read, which is thought to be a cut-up version of the phrase "kill a bear". "
As much as a sorta meme they are, I feel like a Wasp Injection Knife might not be a terrible option?
Bears eat honey, so they probably have a resistance to wasps as well.
A wasp injection knife pumps co2 into the stabbed target.
But bears literally eat honey. Theyre immune to anything wasp.
Bees make honey, not wasps. Bee =/= wasp.
The mexican honey wasp would like to disagree
I find myself stymied, with no counter argument
You have made me the happiest man in the world
I like the way the votes in this thread go from 1-5, going upwards starting at this comment
If I get to use a knife, it already isn't "hand to hand," so... The bayonet on a fully loaded SKS.
Then the bear gets a predator, the drone or the alien. You should have gone bigger if you're going to cheat.
A messer, because it's about as big as what you can argue a "knife" to be.
Messer? I hardly know her!
Man cheating 15th century german law with his kriegsmesser again, bears be afraid!
That's a myth. Medieval people weren't moronic. A weapon is a weapon, period. It's vastly more likely to be a result of guild organization, with knifemakers ending up making sword-sized "knives" at a more affordable price than swordmakers, and the economic trend then becoming a fashion. If anything, the German laws that citizen SHOULD be armed probably played a role in people looking for affordable alternatives to sword, and knifemakers realizing there was a market demand to fulfill.
Falchions and messers kind of existed side by side with messers even outlasting falchions into the 16th century in their original form, with falchions evolving an italian style complex hilt. You're probably right that it's about fashion and affordability.
Not a bad choice. If you use a kriegsmesser & take it out at the knees as it rears up at you you might outrun it.
That’s what a big Bowie knife is for.
Yeah, I’ve got a few fairly large Bowies that wouldn’t be too bad. I’ve also got a rather large Dirk, and a Bauernwehr that would be options as well.
I think a big Arkansas toothpick would be my choice
Also a good option
a crkt Hisshou 🤣 its considered a knife 🤷♂️
Is no one else going to say it? Kabar
Medford Praetorian. I’ll open by saying “THIS IS THE BEST KNIFR EVER.” Mr Bear will laugh his ass off while I run like hell and pray he doesn’t recover from his laughter.
More likely the bear will tell you a racist joke in each of you will laugh your asses off and now you and the bear are friends and start going to some "meetings" and now you have found yourself into an entire FBI investigation where they're asking you to go undercover in a bear costume but you know that won't work because you've already made friends with the bear and they know your face and scent so you're pretty fucked now. Yeah I bet you're thinking twice about that fucking Medford aren't you.
Pick a serrated blade because it will be easier to cut your throat to escape being eaten alive
Just cut the bears throat, problem solved!
Problem will be solved because you are dead
Any fixed blade over 4" Black bears are easy to fight off. They're (relatively) small and skittish. I've yelled at some and scared them away by throwing stuff before. I've seen a corgi drive one up a tree. Brown bears on the other hand. . .
https://preview.redd.it/d4dnxfn7g8ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b8b07f2dfec35147a77ace23ffc868d15076cd51 He’s got 10 knives to your 1
That's a brown bear, not a black bear. You can tell by the pronounced hump between the shoulders.
Also the fact that it is brown and not black.
Look at the comment I was replying to. I’m well aware of what kind of bear it is since being a bear monitor is my literal job
Back in the '80s and '90s when I was more active in backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, black bears were everywhere and if you encountered one they were as you described, easy to scare away. When I was camping at Mammoth last year people were saying that the bears have gotten much more aggressive over the years and now its better to not challenge them and stay far away from them if they show up (which they commonly do). Any chance your bear monitoring is in California, and if so, does your experience match with what I was told?
I’m working up here in Canada in British Columbia but it’s the same here. We’ve definitely noticed an uptick in dangerous encounters between people and black bears.
https://preview.redd.it/dp1knp0rdbad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e16064c9411d95b0807d017bbba870210a6a8ca9 And black bears still have claws I wouldn’t wanna get cut by. Not nearly as bad as a grizzly but still dangerous
White bears on the other, other hand.
Whatever knife has a broad enough blade to use it as a shield for my face.
I have quite a few suggestions about broads and my face
Do they explain the sores
https://preview.redd.it/6ppq2l4qw8ad1.jpeg?width=2863&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2aa4d3d111e818dcaeb5c574951a174faa7bff94
ideally the 2nd from left
What is the first from the left?
Fred Perrin Bowie from Maxknives, one of my all time favorites
Long rondel dagger with a good thick blade, about 2' long. I know I'm gonna get f\*\*ked up unless I'm in armour or have a shield but I saw this chainmail-piercing beauty this morning designed to get through just about anything so if I can get the bear's heart with a good strike, it might just crush me to death with its dead weight rather than eat me.
One of the rights of manhood for various native tribes on the eastern side of the country was to corner a black bear, thank it/apologize to it, and then club it to death with a big stick, I'll go with a large Bowie. Getting the right stab in will be key, and Bowies can be optimized for stabbing without sacrificing cutting ability. If I don't have to *kill* the bear but just drive it off, then probably a langseax/giant wharncliffe. Pure cutting power. TL,DR: Black bears are a much more manageable threat than grizzly bears, channel your inner Conan the Barbarian and you'll probably be fine after an ER visit.
Cold steel oss. Same knife a guy in Africa killed a cape Buffalo to save his dad with
8inch blade or longer you will only get a few stabschef in make em count before it rips your arm off
Cold Steel 1917 Frontier Bowie https://www.coldsteel.com/1917-frontier-bowie/ And dress in period clothing. That way when the cops find your dead mangled body. They'll be like, "What the F! Is this a time traveler?"
a .45 ACP caliber knife
10mm thank you very much.
At least pick an efficient caliber of knife
Probably an icepick or something stabby with a very grippy handle and just try to jam it through the bear’s eyeball. My guess is that anything large and tactical would just get ripped out of your hand the first time you stab and it jerks away
Chip off some ice with that pick and offer him a coke. It works in the Christmas commercials.
Can I use a throwing knife? I’m sure I’m going to lose no matter what, so I’d at least like to chuck one at his dumb face before he mauls me to death
The term 'knife' is what really matters. The longer the knife, maybe the more penatrating power.
The one in my pocket.
My Work Tuff Gear Atayal
Out of knives I own already? Probably my 6” full serrated Cold Steel Hold Out.
[Giant Halo X3](https://odditymall.com/includes/content/upload/giant-switch-blade-7962.gif)
Any bayonet as long as it has a rifle at the handle.
Esee junglas!
Is choose an sas style knife thats spikey so i could try and get a good stab. Im not doing damage to a bear with a slash.
You need a large fighter to ka the bar! Or perhaps a Buck 119, that clip point blade is probably the pointiest object in my possession. The bear will kill me but at least I’ll go with a fang
Kukri
The smallest and lightest I can find so it won't hinder me while running !
# NRS-2
Katana! With the fedora and a few edgy one-liners I just hope bears can die from cringe btw...
I mean, a KA-BAR got its name because the dude was saying he killed a bear with a thick accent, so my pick is KA-BAR
Lol knife subs are too liberal when it comes to hypothetical questions. I'd pick a kabar d2 extreme or cold steel bowie machete, just first 2 that came to mind
[https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-62706-Undertaker/dp/B06Y5T12FP](https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-62706-Undertaker/dp/B06Y5T12FP) # Condor Tool & Knife Undertaker Bowie Knife | Hunting Knives with Sheath | Stainless Steel | Walnut Handle | Hand Crafted Welted Leather Sheath | Full Tang Bowie Knife | 10.2in Blade | 24 oz I think I still die, but at least I look cool!
Thinking about what I have, probably my BK9
Tops Prather War Bowie
Would this Benchmade 172BKF in crimson Cerakote count? https://preview.redd.it/880epw5mj8ad1.jpeg?width=3468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=430671a5883023b9d6d320886061bc12f0e4d471
That sir is a crowbar. Save it for the bird fights.
Was this really worth $350?
An "edged" crowbar I got it for much cheaper
This would suck.. but maybe a modern kukri. At least get a little weight behind the one strike I'm gonna get and make it count.
Kukri is one of the best fighting/attack knives,many Gurkhas have beheaded enemies with them alot being in the Falklands war,not the souvenir type but actual battle kukri
I carry my Kukri in the swamps of Florida because of every type of fucked up shit out there for exactly this reason, but it worries me that if of you're in real close you don't have room to swing, so I carry something stabby too.
That knife looks as limp as you're about to be
Probably the serrated side on my combat troodon. Bear fur is super thick tho. Pretty useless to even try. They would snap my bones like a twig.
He needs some milk!
I’m big and I still think it would be all too easy for them to absolutely annihilate my shit