Carbon V is Cold Steel's trade name for 0170-6C or 50100B or CroVan. It was made by Sharon Steel which is now out of business. Case, Camillus, Cold Steel and others used it. I am just wondering how close Ka-Bar's new 1095 Cro Van is to it.

My thinking exactly. Ka-Bar introduced the new steel a few years ago without much fanfare. They use it in their Marine Combat knives now.

I bet they are pretty close. What I don't know is how similar is the KaBar heat treat process to the heat treat that was on the old 0170-6C Becker.

Take two identical steels and let two different makers heat treat them and you now have two different steels. Case in point, Busse 154CM! Nobody else gets 154CM to behave like Jerry can, and that's all about the heat treat.

I am by no means trying to imply that KaBar doesn't know how to heat treat, just pointing out a sometimes little thought about fact.

Plus 1 on that Bruce <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

That kind of confirms what Tolly came up with <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Ka-Bar is a good solid company. The Becker line is new for them, so I am not surprised at a few problems. I'm sure Ethan and Ka-Bar will make good on any defects, and that the QC will improve. One of the great things about Beckers has always been affordability. To mass produce a quality field knife here in the USA at a competitive price to imports cannot be easy. I want to see them succeed. I'm tired of exporting American jobs to China. Having used Camillus knives all my life, I was saddened when they closed shop. As a collector, I try to buy American whenever I can. For some types, like kukris and machetes, I buy imports because they are the best available. Lets hope the folks at Busse, Swamp Rat, Scrap Yard, Bark River, Ontario, Ka-Bar, Buck, Gerber, RAT Cutlery, Benchmade, Spyderco, and the others can keep making quality knives here in the USA.

It is impossible to live without buying imports. It's a global ecomony. But as long as the US made products are available and competitive, I buy American.

Going back to the original question......NO!