best soldiers knife selection???

rustyrazor said:
seal pup has been considered, just because I know it well and it's not bad, but it's at the bottom of my list for a "go to" knife for the guys... there are a lot more blades mentioned on this forum that I would take before a pup... or any blade that's hollow ground for that matter. and for the life of me I can't imagine why you would pick the H1 over the F1 for any reason other than .2" of blade length, which isn't enough to mention. the blade shape is a better set up on the F1 and it's got more of a blade guard (even though it's not much) than the H1 for a utility blade. in regards to carrying folders and multitools, that is all well and good... all of the guys have their fair share of all sorts of knives. I'm just tasked with picking out a fixed blade around 10-11 inches total that the guys can rely on. Does anyone know if the M95 tang goes all the way through the handle? It's an interesting knife, but I can't get much information on it.
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Simple fix to this situation.. Go to the federal supply catalogs and look to see what is available from DPSC/GSA routes.. These sources have what is already available for deploying units.. If you also go through the warfighter link at DPSC, you can use a special routing code that will give a boost in the delivery when ordering from them and GSA
 
PayetteRucker said:
Not cheaper, the designs of the TAK1 and RAT5 are very different and have no ESEE Equivalent. A 5 inch 3/16ths blade... the ESEE 5 is one of my favorite and most used knives but is too big for the described requirement. As far as micarta getting grippy, once it's caked with sweat and hand oils and other residue, AKA after a weekend campout, it might as well be a greased pig. The difference between the Becker grivory or Ontario RAT handles and the ESEE 3 and 4s is not in the material but the shape that affects the blade retention. Having positive stop at the hilt and the butt allow for much easier retention. This much is common sense when looking at the side profile of the handle. Since the ESEE handles are significantly shorter and boat tail within the length of the hand with no positive stop, the beckers with the graduating index at the top of the forefinger and the bottom of the pinky allow for a full fist of awesome retention. I don't mind micarta and I certainly don't mind ESEE, it's just that the handle design on those two particular models, in my opinion, are flawed. As for 42B and his soap thing, well... if you trust your life to it... or at least your pride ;)
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...Yes, I think I misread your rec for the Ontario "Rat" models and I wasn't thinking about 5 as a good options for the OP either. It's also one of my personal favorite outdoor knives but I agree it would be too chunky for their needs.

I also totally agree with your point about the ergonomic differences between the Becker and ESEE handle shapes and I agree that Becker has a better design. I was thinking more about the materials and my personal experiences with micarta being wet and soaked with hand oils. Maybe the shape of the Becker's hilt and guard make up for it's slippery-smooth texture. I just love micarta for the way it feels as well as the way it looks and I've never experienced anything but more grip when it has gotten wet.

I think what this boils down to for me personally is that I need to look into getting a BK-7 or 9 and then some micarta slabs. ;)
 
hey guys, great ideas... Sorry junglefighter, i'm canadian so we don't have those same programs, or if we do I don't deal much with the beans and bullets part, I'm just a boots on the ground nobody, but with the situation I'm in, I get to go around the red tape so to speak and pick whatever I want to for the guys. that and if history has told me anything, it's not to trust the things they issued us, or what some wing nut decided we were allowed to pick, as it's always the cheapest bidder solution and won't cut it... no pun intended, so I don't want to settle for anything less than the best we can afford. Immediate "off the lists" are Tanto points/stick tangs/serrations and hollow grinds, but wish list toppers are the busses/swamp rat/scrapyard blades, M07, the ESEEs and falknivens, among others of course. most have a wicked blade in and around what we need, now I'm just trying to get the best one we can for the money i have to work with, and if you guys know if any of em do military/bulk discounts, or the "go to guy" for any of these companies, please fill me in cause I'm having a bit of a time contacting people for quotes in bulk.
 
I have almost all of the Becker's. For toughness and best-toolness, I like the BK-9, BUT they are tough as nails, and relatively inexpensive.
 
You're on the right track rustyrazor. I'm currently in Afghanistan (again), and recommend that the 4-5" blades are about as big as you want to go. ESEE does offer military discounts and you may be able to get a better deal on a group discount. One nice aspect about the ESEE models are the sheaths. It's nice to have options with regards to mounting and carrying. A four inch blade that is easy to access will beat other bigger blades that often get hung up, hard to access when seated or just too much in the way with the rest of the gear. You have plenty of Kanucks over hear and I've worked with them in the past...we all have the same limitations and issues with heavy, bulky equipment and keeping your fixed blade at a reasonable size with the ability to mount and carry in different positions. I'm currently packing the HEST as I await the return of my Mad Dog PATAK, but ESEE is really one of the top utilitarian blades for troopers. Those M95/M07 Puukkos are really top notch blades though...I got to handle one a couple years ago in Kandahar.

ROCK6
 
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