Australian army has a new knife.

[Deino]

Not really sure the CAF Bayonet is "great" at probing, especially when compared to the actual probing tool issued to the CAF Combat Engineers...

Yeah, the CAF Bayonet has poor edge retention, not great cutting geometry and too bulky/heavy to justify carrying imho. Also, when you say "in the gear list they give me" is "they" suppose to be the CAF? As the CAF has a standard issued Gerber or SOG multi-tool...


Slightly off topic, but technically... on friday the CAF announced they selected as the Sig Sauer P320 designated the C22 to finally replace the browning hi-power and they're looking to replace the c7a2 with the c8a4 (currently just a prototype).

I'm a reservist. I saw many kind of pliers, Leatherman PST, Wave plus, SOG, to Swiss Tools, people bring their own all the time. I only saw the MP600 a couple of times, mostly former regular guys. I have a Gerber MP original model, the issued model before the MP600, though it is not issued to me. My civvie coworker found it in our material stock at a construction site, so I don't know if its previous owner was a service man or not, no one ever asked for it.

The P320, who knows how long for it to get down to me.

 

[Sidehill Gouger]

It's quite illegal to make a habit of using non-issue weapons at the individual soldier's discretion in a formal war, though

Never been in a war or a real military combat unit have you?

 

[Sidehill Gouger]

The only experience of combat ninety nine percent of your readers have, is from video games and Marvel Comic movies. In the Marvel world, Colonel Kickass and General Housekeeping go mano e mano with toothy monsters and wierdly costumed evil doers. Notice that the hero's always manage to lose their shirts so the viewer can see their six pack abdominals.

A Vietnam bud of mine said his most useful combat knife was a Swiss Army knife, like this:

Given the advancements in technology, this might be the new favorite: a multi tool

A Green Beret bud of mine carried this in Vietnam because it would silice the bread inside a K ration can

Bud was given this by the Army, and the the first one he had, the tip broke cutting saw grass

The one pictured is the second on he acquired. He sent it home because it was neat, but useless in the field. Did not cut K ration bread worth a hoot.

I would hate to have to approach someone with a fully automatic AK47 and my only weapon being the knife in my hand. In a situation like that, the prudent thing to do is run away as fast as you can, in the hope of getting away!

Nice early SOG knife. Why do you think "run away as fast as you can" will be an option? It never was any place I was in the jungle.

 

[Gideons]

I'm a reservist. I saw many kind of pliers, Leatherman PST, Wave plus, SOG, to Swiss Tools, people bring their own all the time. I only saw the MP600 a couple of times, mostly former regular guys. I have a Gerber MP original model, the issued model before the MP600, though it is not issued to me. My civvie coworker found it in our material stock at a construction site, so I don't know if its previous owner was a service man or not, no one ever asked for it.

The P320, who knows how long for it to get down to me.

For some reason their is a massive national shortage of CAF issued Gerber multi-tool for both reg & reserve forces... Honestly, not a huge fan of the issued multi-tool, I just use a leatherman wave.

 

[Drop bear]

I found this quote interesting.

“When a man has a weapon which he knows is designed for fighting alone and has been trained in its use, he immediately develops a sense of confidence in it that he will never feel toward the utility knife. His fighting knife takes on a definite personal characteristic. He carries it with him at all times, he sharpens it often, and he will regard it as a very necessary part of his personal equipment.” – Rex Applegate, July 1943

My guess is their CQB mindset has had some defendo influence.

 

[Drop bear]

If it is the same one. I just saw it going on preorder with a trainer for $750.

The nomad.

 

[Drop bear]

Cool knife.

One of my reasons for getting into internet forums is because I wanted to know how people really used knives. I learned that soldiers are more likely to use the tool that's easiest to get to for the job, than the one that's most appropriate. I hope Zu is making these things plenty durable, because they're going to get rapped against wood and mild steel a ton more than they're going to get used to shank a bad guy.

I have serious doubts about the ring. Seems a flat hilt that can either hammer or get hammered on, would be the more useful shape. I also wonder about the width of the handle, unless they're going to supply these with some paracord to help raise the coefficient of friction. It's a hella sexy dagger, no doubt. It just doesn't seem like the most generally useful piece of kit, and with soldiers carrying some 80 pounds of ruck (last I heard anyway), stuff that serves one specialized purpose, that is not guns or ammo, tends to get stuck in the foot locker.

But I'm just a civ, so what do I know?

Revisiting this thread. I think the ring is for guns. So you can hang on to both at once.