ARK knife. I find the need for this disturbing

Hi guy!

Thanks for all the kudos and positive words. Glad to be a part of this and like John, if one service member is helped by this, I'll be extremely humbled and pleased. Though I'd hope and pray none ever need it!

I'll also put out there my sincere thanks to Sal, Eric and the rest of the great Spyderco folks for seeing the value in this and helping us get it into lots of hands.
 
I am anxious to get my hands on one of these knives. I think I'll try using it as a boot knife.
 
Sam1911 said:
Hi guy!

Thanks for all the kudos and positive words. Glad to be a part of this and like John, if one service member is helped by this, I'll be extremely humbled and pleased. Though I'd hope and pray none ever need it!

I'll also put out there my sincere thanks to Sal, Eric and the rest of the great Spyderco folks for seeing the value in this and helping us get it into lots of hands.
Click to expand...
Sam great to see you pop in! Big congrats to you on this release!
 
This knife is a good idea. How, exactly, are they going to get into the hands of the troops? Are they going to have to buy them? Will their commanders agree to let them have them? (I remember the paranoia after Vietnam over soldiers being allowed to have knives). Is there anything we can do to get them into troops' hands?
 
Knives are rarely issued to troops, except when a unit purchases them with discretionary funds. There are several generous patrons who ensure good gear gets into the hands of a unit they sponsor, and knife purchases have been one common item. Service member purchases and gifting will be the primary method, unless some congressman sees the ARK and can make a service branch issue them.

On my deployments, I did see one Brigade that forbade carrying "large" knives because of PR concerns, but the only additional knife regulation I've seen for deployed SMs prohibited carrying large knives on military flights in country (!).

When I was an active duty infantryman in the US, Soldiers were allowed to keep knives with up to 4" blades in their rooms.

As you can see, the ARK will not be affected by any of these regulations, being by design small and inconspicuous.

John
 
Neat. I'll get one for sure. One reason is it is legal in all the countries that I usually travel too.

How about Calofornia where I live at the moment? They don't allow concealed fixed blades here. Would I have to carry it on top of my shirt or is it so small that nobody would consider it a "concealed knife".

Thank you.
:D
 
In practice in the US, enforcement of knife laws usually comes down to the knowledge and discretion of law enforcement you encounter: people have been arrested for carrying legal knives, and people have been unhampered while carrying knives in ways not actually legal. You'd be best served speaking to an expert in your state.

John
 
Spectre,

First, great design on that handle. The ARK will be great for palming during use. Question- did you guy's ever talk about using a small h-1 folders like a salt 1 or ladybug for "attacks" and such scenarios, like a parking lot, dark alley, or overseas deployments where one is without one's firearm?

Thanks,
bob7
 
Bob,

Thank you, but while the idea was mine, this knife is as much Sam's product as mine.

I actually tried using a Dragonfly Salt while overseas- I kept getting more Spydercos and a variety of other knives from Jeff at Cutlery Shoppe and a few other sources (I gave away about $1500-2000 worth of knives, a few of those being donated by Kim Breed and Ethan Becker, the rest just bought to give to troops. I tried to ensure every SM and civilian I met in the joint organization I deployed with had a knife, and if they didn't, after meeting me, they did).


The thing is, a deployed service member ALWAYS has their firearm with them, unless in the shower, and sometimes, in the gym (base dependent- if no firearms in gym, you have a US troop on guard).

I don't have big hands, and even I have a hard time quickly and smoothly opening a Dragonfly. I have carried a Spyderco almost every day since around 1998- if someone like me, with years of practice, might have a hard time quickly deploying a small folder under stress, how could the average US troop be expected to reliably access one? Couple that with the fact that even an unloaded firearm makes a perfectly adequate impact tool.

The big ways to keep deployed troops safe (aside from actual combat):
>Situational awareness
>Good planning
>Buddy teams- always bring one or more friends.

Hope that helps.
 
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John, Sam. Thanx much for the design, the project and more importantly, for caring.

sal
 
Spectre,
Thanks for the reply; I forget that I've carried spydercos for so long (94-Endura) that I forget some can't open them up as fast as I think I can. Additionally, under stress, I know all bets are off. I've had to open an emerson during a dog attack from a pitpull, but no human.

I always liked the concept of holding a closed delica, or similiar knife, in the hand while carrying a bag or personal hygiene kit (for your scenario).

Am I to assume that while taking the shower the knife stays hung around the neck, or do you hang it around the shower head so soap water doesn't get all over it?
 
Spectre said:
In practice in the US, enforcement of knife laws usually comes down to the knowledge and discretion of law enforcement you encounter: people have been arrested for carrying legal knives, and people have been unhampered while carrying knives in ways not actually legal. You'd be best served speaking to an expert in your state.

John
Click to expand...

John, thank you for your reply.
 
Sal,

Thank you for Spyderco's continuing commitment to the safety of our service members. I still treasure the Native 2 and the letter you sent to me on my first deployment in 2006.

Bob,

You're entirely correct that fine motor skills go first under extreme stress, but I was especially speaking to the difficulty of making a small folder that can be smoothly opened and used without first adjusting or shifting in the hand.
As far as taking the ARK off in the shower, there's no need. Since Sal decided to take the more expensive but optimal choice of H1, the ARK is impervious to anything normally encountered. In addition, should you have a worst-case encounter in the shower AND have soap in your eyes, having the ARK hanging on your dog tag chain around your neck will allow an instantaneous grab that you could not manage if the dog tags were hanging elsewhere.

Jens,

You're very welcome. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
 
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I apologize if my post was offensive to anyone. I was ignorant of the fact that these assaults are happening to our military personnel. My post was not meant to demean any product or designer, I just couldn't fathom the idea of this type of assault occurring at military installations. Please forgive my ignorance. Thank you.
 
It's a disturbing thought, for sure.

Kudos to Spyderco for being willing to work so hard to help keep our troops safe.
 
This entire post is one more reason (with all the people involved and the reason for the blade) that Spyderco remains a top choice for many of us. While I carry many knives and use them, there are always Spyderco's in my edc rotation. Kudos to both the designers and to Sal for making this happen.

As a father with two sons serving, this is a refreshing thread. I will order quite a few of these when they are available. One for me and each of my sons, and a few to gift.

One of my sons is currently at the Maritime Enforcement Academy in South Carolina for the USCG and he carries a Spyderco Enuff when working search and rescue duty rotations. I bought a yellow H1 and black VG10 version and switched the scales so the H1 would have black scales and meet the CG requirement. His senior chief allowed him to carry it on duty so I made a custom sheath for it to be attached to his Safariland duty rig, right next to his Sig P229. He's been carrying that knife for the past two years.

My other son is USMC currently on his second tour in Afghanistan.

I'll add the Ark for them to have when in other situations as described in this thread.

Thanks to everyone involved.
 
I know you're very proud of both of them. May their ARKs never need to be used for their designed purpose, but may they have them if needed.

John
 
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