User:The All-knowing Sith'ari/KA-BRU Combat Knife

"Everybody has heard a lot about all those kinds of fancy fighting knives that are, or should be, carried by infantry troops: throwing knives, stilettos, daggers, and all that stuff. Most of it is nothing but bull.Sure, you'll probably open more MREs than Covies with this knife, but if a Covie jumps in your foxhole, you're better off with the KA-BRU than any other knife. It's the very best and it's rugged too."

- Anonymous UNSC Marine Corps Staff Sergeant.

The KA-BRU is a fighting and utility knife issued to the UNSC Defence Forces. KA-BRU is also the name of a related manufacturing company most known for the same 43.3cm fighting and utility Bowie knife adopted by the UNSCDF as the Fighting Knife, Mark II.

A typical KA-BRU knife has a 20 centimetre clip point blade and weighs about 500 grams. The KA-BRU fighting knife is made of high carbon steel, with an anti-flash non-reflective titanium carbide coating, edge coated for corrosion resistance, and features a leather-washer or synthetic handle made of Kraton (a non-slip rubber substitute).

History
The name "KA-BRU" came to be after the company received a poorly written English letter in which the author (a soldier) wrote how the company's knife saved his life after he was attacked by a Jiralhanae during the Second Battle of Harvest and his rifle failed to kill it. All that was legible was "k a bru"(presumably fragments of the phrase "kill a Brute"), and the company adopted that as their trademark.

The KA-BRU was introduced into service by the UNSC Marine Corps and later the UNSC Army as part of a series of weapon improvements begun in 2527 by UNSCDF to expand and toughen hand to hand combat training for personnel, after it became clear that due to Covenant soldiers' advanced armour, infantry were likely to get into hand-to-hand combat in which knife fighting skills were likely to be essential. After the decision to replace the Insurrection-era M2 Combat Knife, 33 different knives were evaluated. The KA-BRU was chosen as it performed best, or next to best, in just about every category of the tests. Production and distribution began in 2528.

Design
A typical KA-BRU knife has a 20 centimetre clip point blade and weighs about 500 grams. The KA-BRu fighting knife is made of high carbon steel, with an anti-flash non-reflective titanium carbide coating, edge coated for corrosion resistance, and features a leather-washer or synthetic handle made of Kraton (a non-slip rubber substitute).

The KA-BRU is larger, thicker and heavier than the M2. A sharper point helps it to penetrate Covenant body armour, while serrations near the handle help improve its function as a utility knife. In one demonstration, a prototype was able to pierce a punching bag covered with aircraft aluminium and a ballistic vest. The entire weapon is designed to be corrosion resistant, and weighs 570 grams with its sheath.

The grip is a synthetic non-slip material, is ergonomically grooved, and is more oval than round. This design helps prevent repetitive-strain injuries and hand fatigue during training. It also features an embossed UNSC Eagle moulded in to allow a user to identify the direction of the blade in the dark. The full tang connects the cross guard/muzzle ring and pommel latch plate that clasps the barrel lug; both are phosphate coated like the blade.

The polyester elastomer scabbard offers a weight and noise reduction from the previous M2 Scabbard and is Individual Load Carrying System compatible. It has a fitted internal stainless steel spring and friction device at its throat to secure the bayonet. A ceramic-coated aluminium honing rod is located on the back of the scabbard. The scabbard is compatible with the modular attachment system found on the M52B Body Armour.

Service
The knife was introduced into service by the UNSC Marine Corps in 2528 and was later adopted by the Army, meeting with favourable reviews from both services. Soldiers would often give the blades, guards and pommels of their knives a few coats of non-reflective matte black spray paint to reduce reflected light and give them a little more protection against saltwater corrosion. Its moderate carbon and low chromium steel mixture allows the blade to hold an edge very well. Outside combat, the knife has been used to open cans, dig trenches, and cut wood and roots.

Behind the Scenes
The author based the naming of the KA-BRU on that of the USMC KA-BAR combat knife. If you find it unrealistic, so does the author. The title quote is based on a passage from With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge.