Ka-Bar 1230 Knife Review – With a colonial history that dates back more than 350 years, HBC has a responsibility to acknowledge and confront its past, and raise up multiple voices and perspectives in the telling of its history. – This blade was manufactured under the Ka-Bar brand between 1985 and 1998 and listed with an MSRP of $25.75. The Ka-Bar brand which was originally named “Union Cutlery” has been in operation since 1800.