Anyone Use an M9 Military Knife as a Field Knife?

N

Nalapombu

Joined
Oct 26, 2001
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303
Hey all,

A buddy of mine has an older Ontario M9 Bayonet that was given to him by his Brother-in-law that served in Iraq many years ago. He takes it everywhere with him when he's in the woods. It's one of the 8 inch blade versions with hard plastic type sheath.
Seems like a perfectly practical field knife to me especially with the emphasis now on knives that can do everything from camp chores, field dressing to wood chopping. It can certainly handle those tasks easily.

I am kinda looking for a basic 6-8 inch field knife for hog hunting, camping chores and so forth and my buddy's knife came to mind. I thought I'd ask and see how many others do the same thing with this BIG fixed blade. If I were to get one, I'd want to do a bit of modding on it as I can't see me ever actually attaching it to the muzzle of a firearm. I'd have to fix the guard on it a bit. Who knows what else.

What do you all think? Anyone else use this knife like that?

Thanks
 
I've always wondered: If I didn't buy so many new knives in my quest for 'the one perfect knife', would I get better at using the knife I already have? Maybe the knife I already have is already perfect, but it is I who needs to be better. Isn't the best knife the one you have with you when you need one?

Sounds like your buddy just made do with what he had and made it work out. You could definitely do the same, and the M9 definitely looks like it should be suitable, but I think that in this case, maybe it's not so much the knife as it is the user who makes it work.
 
I used an Ontario Pilot's Survival knife as my field/camping/outdoor knife for years. Worked great. I finally got tired of it pulling my pants down and shifted to something lighter.
 
You're kidding, right? o_O It weighs 10 oz. What did you switch to for camping/field etc, an opinel? :eek: And what did you keep your pants up with, scotch tape? :confused:
 
I tried to use it as a camping knife, but the weight, the unpractical edge and the pain it is to sharpen it made it retire early for a custom grip Fallkniven A1.
 
And right about the same price point. ;) Though your points on the M9 are valid. :(
 
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I think that a large knife can't actually do everything.
A hatchet will always chop better than a knife no exceptions, a smaller blade of about 5" or less will make a much better skinning knife, and batoning may eventually leave this with rattly guard.

There are probably worse things you could use, but a medium belt knife , a folder , and small axe or a hatchet would probably get everything done better than this m9 bayonet would.
I'm sure it could do all of this stuff , but if you've got a choice of better options I'd got that route because the whole one tool option never works that well , if it does it's user is probably just blind to the mediocre performance of the thing.

Now this is just a general assessment, but if you really want one I guess you just have to buy it and see if it actually works that well.
 
I think Lan-Cay made a kit to convert the M9 to an EOD knife. The guard is replaced with a plain one so the knife is no longer a bayonet and the pommel may be different. IIRC, the real EOD knife is a M11 and has a nylon pouch added to the normal hard sheath for the M9. I've been out for 15 years so there are lots of things I may get wrong. My memory is beginning to slip.
 
One of my friends uses the M9 for everywhen we are camping. It may be his only knife. He still has all his fingers and his tent douesnt fall down so I guess it works.
 
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