Battle Blade(s), which one and why?

Sorry, double posted.

But while I'm here I thought I should mention the Fallkniven A-1 as a great use/beater/loaner to support that Project 1.

[This message has been edited by Nimrod (edited 02-10-2001).]
 
I currently carry a Mad Dog ATAK and have never been disappointed. I have (on order) a Busse Steel Heart E Varient (custom designed by yours truely) to fit my needs in the coming months...
Had I not wanted a Busse so badly (I had one before and sold it...bad move), I would have gotten a Strider MTL (20% bigger than the regular MT!)G-10 with a smaller handle...
I still have my eye on one too, so if I give you a call in about 7 months, Mr. Strider, don't be too surprised...
Horse

You already have all you need IMO, the Strider is MORE than enough knife for any situation. Buy a good folder and you are set...
and some good nylon (check out SOE's stuff...just finished my kit and 95% of it is SOE...)

------------------
"Fear is for the enemy.
Fear and Bullets."
 
I'm no expert, and I was never a "commando-special-ops whatever", but I was a Soldier for 6 years and I served in quite a few different units (Armor, Infantry, Medical, and Combat Engineers. And I served in the Gulf War). It has been my experience that a multi-tool is a thousand times more useful than any big battle-blade. At various times I carried a Schrade LB7, a Leatherman tool, and always a SAK.
BTW, I found that the wood-saw on my SAK was better than a large chopping blade (it's not usually quicker but it's a whole lot more quiet. Remember noise discipline? A "chop" can be heard a long ways off).
Now if you want to kill the enemy with a blade, and you don't mind the flack your chain-of-command is going to send your way, just carry a katana! It worked for the Japanese in WWII.
 
hi Fallschirmjager,
first: it is spelled Fallschirmjaeger (because in english Language there is no ä)
So the real german troop called Falschirmjäger what means Paratrooper ;-)
So my choice would be something with a real good sheath (if you going to scuba and make some dives this will be very important)´. another very iportant thing is the corrosion, dont take a high carbon steel.
Dont take Folder with an axis lock! the Omega spring will rust and break after some time, take somthing with a liner lock.
Dont take a Tanto shaped blade! these are very unpractical.
Take a Fällkniven A1 with a eagle sheath or a busse
The best choice of a folder would be something fast (important for a paratrooper)
i would take a look at the spyderco military plain or a microtech elite D/A
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Tyr:
Dont take Folder with an axis lock! the Omega spring will rust and break after some time, take somthing with a liner lock.
Dont take a Tanto shaped blade! these are very unpractical.
</font>

Hmmmm... those are a couple of new ones on me! While I haven't gone back and checked, I can only remember ONE person on here reporting an omega spring breaking in the time that they've been out, and that apparently occurred within the first few openings. Now, I can believe that it could happen, but I'd definitely have to have more evidence behind it than I've seen so far.

As far as the tanto point being unpractical, I think there are a few "doers" on here that would differ with you on that.

------------------
The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. - Ambrose Bierce
Most dog owners are at length able to teach themselves to obey their dog. - Robert Morley


iktomi
 
hey rockspyder,
I dont say a Omega-spring will break during the normal use. Im a fan of the axis-lock but
the spring is very thin and when you use the folder in a salty enviroment, the spring becomes rusty and becomes thinner and thinner....
you I think you will be the same opinion as me when I say, a Monolock or a linerlock is much more easier to clean and more resistant against rust.
And of course there are some real good user- tantos outside but the most are less practical than a good droppoint or something like that.
 
Tanto,spear,clip,whatever,it's what you feel the best with,not what somebody eles writes about or what the the guy next to you has. It's wha t will work for you. If you belive everything you read in the books and magazines, you would be buying a new knife every issue thinking you had to have XX brand becouse yours was now no longer any good (or in style). If you like daggers and you are happy with what you have chosen go for it. If you are a hard core Bowie guy good for you. If you say Tanto blades are no good at field chore type duties,thats your opinion. You know your mission better than I do,I buy the knives that will better me do my job once my feet hit the ground,and sometimes while I'm still in the plane,helo,chute whatever.
Tyr, thank you for the spellcheck, I before R and all that,and my computer doesn't make that cool A with the two dots above it.
 
I think you've got that right, it's whatever suits your style. I personally like the "slash" attack, so I favor a slightly point heavy "Bowie" style blade of about 7 inches. (It seems that anything longer draws too slowly). BUT you can't dispute that a tanto point does stab well. I haven't tried a STRIDER but man I really would like to. For now I've settled on a K-Bar 2000 in D2 and it feels pretty good. The grip is much improved over the old Marine Fighting Knife of WW2 etc. and the blade is good. Whatever you get there will always be another knife out there to try! DH
 
I remember standing in a wood line in Germany one night and being told in no uncertain terms by my section commander to be quiet and to put my fag out. The Cpl had to shout over the din of the tank we were standing next to, and his face was lit up by the tanks flashing lights.

I carried a Cold Steel Master Tanto for several years. It is a good knife but on the light side. I upgraded to a Project II (Project I probably a better choise) and never looked back.

I also had a backlock Blackjack Mamba, three inch-ish, as my little task knife. Great knife, which I still carry in uniform after 15 years. A good backlock beats the heck out of a good load of liner lockers that I've seen.

My other knife was a Huntsman SAK.

Hacking about does cause a noise but so does digging a ground scrape/fire trench, which for infantry is a priority once you have stopped for any length of time.

The Fiskers Snips were popular for a while to trim the foliage to the front of your fire position.

I have a Leatherman Wave now which I would consider replacing the folder. It would be difficult for anyone to persuade me otherwise on my choise of Project and SAK.

Size and weight and what you are prepared to haul are the over riding factors. Bombed up, with fighting order, then a 10 or 20 miler forced march will soon sort your priorities out. You'll be binning more than the kitchen sink.

Note all the knives are utility designs. The more you use a knife the better you will get and the easier jobs become. Choose a good one and stick with it. You will also need to attach it to yourself where it won't hang up ever five minutes.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Tyr:
you I think you will be the same opinion as me when I say, a Monolock or a linerlock is much more easier to clean and more resistant against rust.</font>

You make some very good points, Tyr. And for my use, a , clip, or spear point wins out every time for my use. As for mono-/frame-lock, I'd agree it is easier to clean, and probably more rust resistant. But, I still would take an axis over a liner. I THINK you might be underestimating the rust resistance of the omega springs. I'd take my chances on a knife that might have springs that will rust out over a knife whose type has exhibited <u>numerous</u> failures in the best of conditions. There are exceptions to the rule, but right now I can only think of one: the Military. If it fails, it is still operational, more so than any other liner-lock that I have seen. It won't fail fully capable, but it will fail-operational.

But, that's just me. I have a thing against liner-locks. What the other guys said (can't remember who it was, even though it is only a couple of posts above): pick the one or few that work for you, and fuhgetaboudit.
smile.gif


------------------
The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. - Ambrose Bierce
Most dog owners are at length able to teach themselves to obey their dog. - Robert Morley


iktomi
 
Busse Steel Heart or Natural Outlaw.

If Cliff Stamp can't break a Busse, then I certainly can't.

I know, they aren't true fighters, but hell, I'm gonna pull a pistol first when the sh*t hits the fan anyway.
 
I carried a Randall #1 with a 5" blade back when it was a custom order. I loved its size. I could wear it on LBE or on my rigger belt under my cammies. Yes, I was at Bragg before BDUs when Cammies were a CIF issue item to troopers on status. Now that the 5" is a catalog item I think it is worth a shot.

As far as a folder goes, I wouldn't go anywhere without my small Sebenza and I think a Leatherman Wave will finally put my Swiss Champ into retirement.

------------------
Hoah! (Its an Army thing!)
 
Back
Top