One of many new products introduced by Klein Tools in the past few years, the DK-06 Serrated Duct Knife quickly became a top-selling item. The knife features a comfortable cushion-grip handle, double-edged blade and is packaged with a puncture resistant nylon sheath. While the DK-06 was designed to meet the needs of industry professionals, its overall look and feel was influenced by the legendary “KA-BAR” knife first carried by the United States Marines in the 1940s.
Legend has it that an early 20th century fur trapper wrote a letter to the original knife manufacturer detailing a bear attack in which his gun had failed to bring down the beast, his knife however, did not. Barely legible, the writing “K A BAR” was translated to mean “kill a bear” and was soon adopted as the official name of the knife in the 1920’s.
The United States Marine Corps began using the KA-BAR in 1942 and the knife became representative of the toughness displayed by the men who used it. While the Klein Tools DK-06 was made with HVAC professionals in mind, the knife’s design was inspired by the symbolic staple of the USMC.
The DK-06 is primarily used for cutting flexible duct and duct board, however, electricians can also use the knife blade for skinning while the pommel is used as a hammer. Additionally, the DK-06 can be used as a diving knife due to its superior corrosion resistance, just as the KA-BAR was during World War II. Other shared attributes between the two knives include the steel pommel, non-slip grip and similar blade profiles. The double-edged DK-06 is differentiated with a serrated blade not found on the renowned KA-BAR, as well as a slightly shorter length and lighter weight.
Hopefully the next time you run into a bear you’ll have a shotgun by your side, but if not, it couldn’t hurt to holster a DK-06, just in case.