Best knife for Army Ranger

As an ex military guy I'd definitely caution you on buying him a leatherman. We get issued gerbers and it is by far the most "aquired" item we get. When I was deployed and doing missions I carried a kabar no problem. However since hes an s-6 guy (intel) hes gonna spend his entire career inside. Unless hes human intelligence, then that's a different story.
But I'd suggest getting him a nice folder. Probably a flipper, military dudes get fidgety and flippers are fun.
Hope this helps
 
My experiences lead me to believe you should think of his knife more as an easily and often carried tool and less as a weapon. Stealing and paraphrasing a line, the person who wins a knife fight is usually the last one with bullets.

My suggestion would be to get him a small slip joint folder or pocket carry leatherman. Something he can easily carry at all times (less chance of theft/loss) and use silently.

I spent some time in a rifle platoon, scout platoon, and on battalion staff. My small swiss army knife was my most used blade in each job.
 
Back when I was in uniform I considered three blades mandatory, but some could only be carried in certain circumstances. In garrison it would not be permitted to carry a large fixed blade knife and many units wouldn't even allow something like a leatherman. Depends on the command and the job you perform.

The first would be a small pocket knife which could always be carried, even in dress uniforms. The second is a multi-tool of some sort, there were a lot less options in the 80's and 90's but anything good will do. Last, a good utility fixed blade for the field is as important as your pants, you use them to cut, chop, dig, hammer, for food, pry, and a million other uses. For us it was a standard USMC Ka-Bar or similar blade. Looking back I probably would have liked the smaller version of the Ka-Bar but that wasn't an option back then.

I would echo what has been mentioned by others, ask him before you buy anything. Better to get something he can use than to buy a nice gift that will sit in a drawer and never get carried. If I were back in now, I would carry a stockman or mini stockmen as my pocket knife, a Leatherman, and my CS SRK as my field knife.
 
Today I asked two Q Course instructors what their favorite knife was and one said the "Yarborough" which is the Chris Reeve Green Beret knife and the other said a decent Cold Steel Tanto Knife. The latter comes in 3V so this is what I assume he meant.
 
I'm liking the Cold Steel SRK, and the Spyderco PM 2 or 3. I like the SRK's dimensions and sheath. The $50 sk-5 / AUS 8 seems tough enough with the thicker edge geometry. My RAT 1's AUS 8 steel doesn't hold a great edge for very long, but I expect the SRK to be able to do a lot for it's size while being comfortable enough to carry. I like a lot about the PM, including the steel, flat grind and especially the backlock feature. I'll see if a deal pops up for the PM below the $120 i found it online.
Everybody's comments and input have been really interesting and helpful, so thanks all around!
 
Sounds like he's going to Ranger school, but not going to Ranger Battalion... Not to take away from the experience or training at all, much respect either way, and kudos to him all day, but there is a difference between a ranger tab vs. a ranger scroll, and also his MOS is not combat arms, so a big difference between intelligence and a boots on the ground 11b.

In any case, that said, I say get him a classy little buck 112 "ranger"
https://www.dlttrading.com/buck-112-ranger
with his initials and graduation date engraved, he can carry that more casually, and then also pick him up a standard camo colored swiss army huntsman
or a leatherman wingman
https://www.dlttrading.com/leatherman-wingman
as a user and abuser...
 
Last edited:
strategy9 said:
In any case, that said, I say get him a classy little buck 112 "ranger"
https://www.dlttrading.com/buck-112-ranger
with his initials and graduation date engraved, he can carry that more casually, and then also pick him up a standard camo colored swiss army huntsman
or a leatherman wingman
https://www.dlttrading.com/leatherman-wingman
as a user and abuser...
Click to expand...

I can't find the link to the article right now, but the former president of Buck assert that the Ranger was developed as a result of the CO on the USS Ranger banning knives with blades longer than 3" after a port brawl on the ship in which a sailor was stabbed with a Buck 110 "Hunter". The 112 "Ranger" met the 3" blade limit length.

Anyway, good choice for safe military pick.
 
Beastchopper said:
I'm liking the Cold Steel SRK, and the Spyderco PM 2 or 3. I like the SRK's dimensions and sheath. The $50 sk-5 / AUS 8 seems tough enough with the thicker edge geometry. My RAT 1's AUS 8 steel doesn't hold a great edge for very long, but I expect the SRK to be able to do a lot for it's size while being comfortable enough to carry. I like a lot about the PM, including the steel, flat grind and especially the backlock feature. I'll see if a deal pops up for the PM below the $120 i found it online.
Everybody's comments and input have been really interesting and helpful, so thanks all around!
Click to expand...

The SRK is a great combat proven design. Basically a copy of the USN MK1 from WW2.

Cold%2520Steel%2520CV%2520SRK.jpg

PAL%2520RH-35%2520USN%2520Mark%2520%21%2520Tang%2520Stamp%2520side.jpg
 
Another vote for a LM Tool. I’d suggest the Wave model as most useful. Comes with a decent nylon belt sheath.

I’d add as my workhorse sharpened pry bar a Gerber LMF II. IMO it is the best value tool for the job. 5.5in. long x 3/16th in. thick, decent AUS-8 SS, electrically insulated handle, hammer/ glass breaker pommel, mole compatible sheath with built in sharpenerand under $100.
 
http://imgur.com/gallery/cudcG4G
http://imgur.com/gallery/XS1RJxa
Brommelandgunleather.com

So I went with the Condor Compact Dagger. It'll make for a quick hit if needed in the field. It comes with a plastic sheath they call kyden - definitely not kydex. I put it in some hot water and stuck vice grips on it to tighten up the retention, whick worked ok. I sharpened it up a bit, but partly because of the thick edge, I was having a tough time getting it sharp enough. I picked up this strop in a can from Brommeland Gunleather that worked out well. It comes loaded with some bark river black stropping compound and is easy to fit in your pocket or your pack. I did a before and after paper slice test and it ended up much better after some swipe swipe on the strop in a can. There's a mini version I'm sending over with the blade.
 
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