A message from Lynn

The Whip said:
True. But many of those guys, when given the choice (as many of them are able to choose their sidearm once they've been selected), choose to carry the 1911 for the same reason that many people choose to carry a Sebenza: It looks cool.

The 1911 is a status symbol because their permission to carry it when others are not authorized to do so represents the eliteness of their units. But in practical terms, it has nothing over the Glock, and in many ways is an inferior weapon. Compared to a Glock 21, it costs two to three times more, holds almost half as many rounds, had to be redesigned to accept weapon lights, and has been proven to require regular care and even fine-tuning by a gunsmith to keep it functioning reliably.

ursamajor's comparison to the Sebenza is entirely apt. People are free to carry whatever they like, and more power to them if they take pride in ownership of their Chris Reeve knives. There's nothing wrong with that. I have plenty of knives that I paid way too much for, that I bought simply because they appealed to me, and that I enjoy showing off to fellow knife guys. But, as in the case of the 1911 fans arguing about Glock's torture testing, it's nothing more than emotional rationalization when you try to justify your stance with intangibles in the face of facts based on performance tests.

-Steve
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What Browning started in the 1911, was perfected in the Hi-Power. The design of the Hi-Power, is superior to the 1911 in every possible way. I'm speaking to the mechanical design-I do not want to argue calibers, as the design of the Hi-Power could have been implemented in .45 auto colt pistol. Not disagreeing, but I find it interesting that 1911 guys generally don't go in for the Hi-Power.
 
DShiflet said:
That's...actually not true.
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OK, we're getting into the weeds here, as this is a knife forum and not a gun site. Also, I don't want to start an argument over this topic. But I will say that my assertions are true. I know guys who have served in a couple of those units, and I also know the stories behind a few of the procurement decisions. You are correct that they are professionals seeking the best available equipment. But it doesn't mean that human foibles and personal biases don't enter into the decision making. They do.

Just by way of some examples from the knife world: Do you really think that the SEALs needed Mad Dog ATAKs in the mid-1990s? Mission's MPK cost less and passed all of the same tests. Buck's Nighthawk met most of the criteria and you could buy ten of them for the price of one ATAK. And both Mission and Buck had supply capabilities that Kevin McClung couldn't begin to match. Yet his expensive, hard-to-acquire knives, while admittedly excellent performers, were selected. You think there wasn't some personal preference in that decision? I find it interesting that just a few years later, the same SEAL Command that selected the ATAK did a new series of tests and concluded that an SOG would meet their needs--a foreign-made, AUS-8, off-the-shelf SOG! I'm guessing that new budget restrictions were in place....

Likewise, do you think MARSOC really needed Strider SMFs to issue to its operators in the early 2000s? Is there anything an SMF can accomplish that a hundred other folders at a fraction of the price couldn't? Of course not. But Strider was hot at the time, and Burger's and Dwyer's lies about their service backgrounds had not been exposed yet. So people who should have known better made excuses about why Recon guys needed Strider SMFs.

I'm all for giving the guys who do the fighting the best tools for the job. But many times these specialized units find solutions to problems that don't exist. They owe some consideration to the taxpayers before they go inventing new weapon systems that don't accomplish anything more than existing, less expensive options.


ursamajor said:
What Browning started in the 1911, was perfected in the Hi-Power. The design of the Hi-Power, is superior to the 1911 in every possible way. I'm speaking to the mechanical design-I do not want to argue calibers, as the design of the Hi-Power could have been implemented in .45 auto colt pistol. Not disagreeing, but I find it interesting that 1911 guys generally don't go in for the Hi-Power.
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Funny that you should mention the Hi-Power. One of the guys I know from one of those units chose the 9mm Hi-Power over the .45 1911. He loved that gun and carried it even after he was out of the unit. He liked the higher magazine capacity and accuracy. I fired it once and it was very nice to shoot, but it didn't really tickle my fancy. Individual preferences are as unique as...well, individuals.

That's why there's room enough for fans of Glock and Les Baer, as well as Cold Steel and Chris Reeve. Just please don't try to convince me that there's a reason why Les Baer is superior to Glock and Chris Reeve is superior to Cold Steel simply because of who carries one or how many handmade parts go into the construction. As I said before, your comparison was spot-on, ursamajor.

-Steve
 
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Jonslaught said:
"The folding knife that has become the yardstick against which others are compared, the Sebenza has earned a worldwide reputation for rock solid performance and a “bank vault” feel."

If they can say this, and at the same time having it be general knowledge that you can never compare a Sebenza to anything...

Hmm.

We have taken issue with many knifemaker taglines and monikers this passed year. Perhaps its time for another.
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The folding knife to which all others are compared is the 110, and has been for decades.
 
The Whip said:
OK, we're getting into the weeds here, as this is a knife forum and not a gun site. Also, I don't want to start an argument over this topic. But I will say that my assertions are true. I know guys who have served in a couple of those units, and I also know the stories behind a few of the procurement decisions. You are correct that they are professionals seeking the best available equipment. But it doesn't mean that human foibles and personal biases don't enter into the decision making. They do.

Just by way of some examples from the knife world: Do you really think that the SEALs needed Mad Dog ATAKs in the mid-1990s? Mission's MPK cost less and passed all of the same tests. Buck's Nighthawk met most of the criteria and you could buy ten of them for the price of one ATAK. And both Mission and Buck had supply capabilities that Kevin McClung couldn't begin to match. Yet his expensive, hard-to-acquire knives, while admittedly excellent performers, were selected. You think there wasn't some personal preference in that decision? I find it interesting that just a few years later, the same SEAL Command that selected the ATAK did a new series of tests and concluded that an SOG would meet their needs--a foreign-made, AUS-8, off-the-shelf SOG! I'm guessing that new budget restrictions were in place....

Likewise, do you think MARSOC really needed Strider SMFs to issue to its operators in the early 2000s? Is there anything an SMF can accomplish that a hundred other folders at a fraction of the price couldn't? Of course not. But Strider was hot at the time, and Burger's and Dwyer's lies about their service backgrounds had not been exposed yet. So people who should have known better made excuses about why Recon guys needed Strider SMFs.

I'm all for giving the guys who do the fighting the best tools for the job. But many times these specialized units find solutions to problems that don't exist. They owe some consideration to the taxpayers before they go inventing new weapon systems that don't accomplish anything more than existing, less expensive options.




Funny that you should mention the Hi-Power. One of the guys I know from one of those units chose the 9mm Hi-Power over the .45 1911. He loved that gun and carried it even after he was out of the unit. He liked the higher magazine capacity and accuracy. I fired it once and it was very nice to shoot, but it didn't really tickle my fancy. Individual preferences are as unique as...well, individuals.

That's why there's room enough for fans of Glock and Les Baer, as well as Cold Steel and Chris Reeve. Just please don't try to convince me that there's a reason why Les Baer is superior to Glock and Chris Reeve is superior to Cold Steel simply because of who carries one or how many handmade parts go into the construction. As I said before, your comparison was spot-on, ursamajor.

-Steve
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Well stated and written even if some might disagree (I don't)
 
Thank you Lynn for transitioning to American materials. I look forward to the day Cold Steel knives are made entirely in the U.S.A.
 
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