CG ASH 1 or Skinny ASH for Soldier's knife?

BlackKnight86

BlackKnight86

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Assume it will do the standard "soldier utilty chores" found in a combat zone.

The issues would be:

Weight - would the increase in the CG ASH 1 really be enough to make a significant difference?

Strength

Performance - by this I mean cutting...would the thickness of the CG ASH 1 really make a significant difference?

My position is that the increased weight and the decreased cutting performance of a thicker stock would not be a significant factor...he's a big man and can very easily handle the extra weight; and he's not going to be slicing wafer-thin tomato slices. Plus, I think that, given the "non-knife" uses that combat knives are called upon to do, such as prying and entry-tool work, the strength factor would be the most important consideration, by far.

So I'm leaning toward the CG ASH-1...but I'd like to know what you guys think. What issues would color your opinions? (He has been using a Simonich Mid-Tech Raven, which is the same thickness of the Skinny ASH, in S30V , but I've been singing the praises of INFI!)

Thanks!

BK86
 
In my experience, and given the choice of the CG or Skinny, I would choose the CG. The reasons you give are adequate enough to justify the heavier blade, but I will add that the CG will slice well if given a convex edge and the blade is uncoated. Good luck and I hope this helps.
 
It's a double cut blade...factory flat edge right now, but I could easily get it convexed for him.

Thanks for the input!
 
Unless you may be jacking a Hummer out of a ditch I'd get the Skinny. You're not going to want to give up the weight difference in water rations. If, however, you are mainly chopping down trees (Don't mess with the palm trees!) or chopping lumber the CG will be ideal. As a breaching tool the CG would out perform the Skinny.
 
mhawg said:
Unless you may be jacking a Hummer out of a ditch I'd get the Skinny. You're not going to want to give up the weight difference in water rations. If, however, you are mainly chopping down trees (Don't mess with the palm trees!) or chopping lumber the CG will be ideal. As a breaching tool the CG would out perform the Skinny.
Click to expand...

+1 on that.
 
I personally think the .22" - .25" Steel Hearts are "just right", but between the stock thicknesses you mention, I'd lean toward the beefier CG given the potential for hard use. This is just a layman's opinion, so add salt to taste. :)

Mike
 
isn't it just the LE version that got the 0.25" blade?
i am tumbling between which to chose . LE or CB with black/tan mags and DC finish.
 
Go skinny! Save weight. Grams quickly turn into ounces, ounces to pounds and pounds + Knee and Back pain! Unless the knife isn't going to be humped around alot (Helo Pilot vs. Infantry type), the skinny would be the way to go. On a blade that size, a few ounces will mean the difference between it being carried or left behind in the locker. At least that's my experience!
 
the LE is thicker than the Skinny but feels lighter and have a better balance in hand, IMHO. I guess the coating has to do something with the weight/feel factor.
 
ikkyo said:
the LE is thicker than the Skinny but feels lighter and have a better balance in hand, IMHO. I guess the coating has to do something with the weight/feel factor.
Click to expand...

By chance did the skinny have G10? That could have accounted for the difference.
 
BlackKnight86 said:
Assume it will do the standard "soldier utilty chores" found in a combat zone.

The issues would be:

Weight - would the increase in the CG ASH 1 really be enough to make a significant difference?

Strength

Performance - by this I mean cutting...would the thickness of the CG ASH 1 really make a significant difference?

My position is that the increased weight and the decreased cutting performance of a thicker stock would not be a significant factor...he's a big man and can very easily handle the extra weight; and he's not going to be slicing wafer-thin tomato slices. Plus, I think that, given the "non-knife" uses that combat knives are called upon to do, such as prying and entry-tool work, the strength factor would be the most important consideration, by far.

So I'm leaning toward the CG ASH-1...but I'd like to know what you guys think. What issues would color your opinions? (He has been using a Simonich Mid-Tech Raven, which is the same thickness of the Skinny ASH, in S30V , but I've been singing the praises of INFI!)

Thanks!

BK86
Click to expand...

Big guy or not, weight will eventually become an issue. I believe that Winmagfrog would have an experienced opinion very much worth considering on this. IMO, if your friend is on the ground, he's going to want to stay light & agile. You don't want to get bogged down with equipment trying to dodge bullets. He'll need to hump water, ammo, and plenty of other equipment while out in the field. The CG ASH-1 is almost, if not twice as thick as the skinny ASH-1, which will make it almost twice as heavy. If the handle is magnum G-10 on that CG ASH-1, I'd think that would cover the remaining distance to being 2x the weight of a skinny ASH with micarta handles. Personally, I'd rather cut the weight on the knife and carry another magazine for one of my firearms if I had the option.

Have you checked out the CG BATAC? It is still as thick as a skinny ASH-1, but stouter with less tapering towards the tip for strength, and about an inch (+/-) shorter in blade length. I'd say it's still strong enough for use as an entry tool, yet lighter in weight, and still suitable for fighting as well as general purpose tasks that he'd find useful. Nice skull crusher pommel too!

If he wants something with a longer blade, maybe take a look at the Satin Jack TAC or Hell Razor. Both are still lighter than the CG ASH-1, but strong enough to get the job done. :thumbup:

Just another opinion for consideration. :)

Top one is the CG BATAC shown with a SRKW Ratmandu for size comparison (bottom):
BATAC_Ratmandu1.jpg
 
I have a CGASH1 with mag G-10...it's a heavy tank of a knife (and i really like that)....but, alot of the weight issues that members above are pointing out, will come into play when being carried.

I think the skinny would do the job....but, that's just my .02 :thumbup:
 
Depending on where he is stationed / deployed the daily temperature may well be in the 100s. With the amount of equipment they hump around in that heat and possibly high humidity the lighter the better. Some of the places in Iraq are worse then Houston in August and I do not even want to go outside much less carry anything. God bless our troops who can and do what they have to in that environment.

Have there been any / many reports of the skinny version having problems as a hard use knife? My guess is it will still take more of a beating then the s30v knife he is currently using. If his current knife does everything he needs it to do and you send him one that weighs significantly more then why would he change knives besides sentimentality?
 
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Weight is a big deal. I think my perfect knife for Iraq would be a SJTAC about .225 and with mag handles. However, getting one of those seems expensive at present, so I picked up a skinny ASH1 for the next time I go. Just waiting for it to come back from the Busse shop (the SgtMaj did not like the black/tan G10 handles - so they are putting plain black G10 on it).
 
Hey Brother,

What will he be doing and where will he be going. I carried a BATAC in Afghanistan, It handled anything and everything thrown at it. I have since also added a HellRazor, It is an awesome combat knife. I would say that you could not go wrong with either one of them. If in the BUSH and he's say, Light Infantry or SF, I would go with the HellRazor. If he will be doing the mounted thing I would go with the BATAC. Slip either one of them in a SPEC-OPs Combat Master sheath and he's set. I am sure the CG ASH-1 or skinny would work fine.

Good Luck!
 
Not sure where he's going...I'll check with him, but they're mounted to a certain extent (HMMWVs); and they were deployed in the Mosul area before, I think. He's the younger brother of a good friend. He says that they beat the hell out of their knives...not just cutting, but prybars, screwdrivers, lightweight hammers, probes, etc....pretty much any job they need it to do. He's not the abusive type toward his knives normally; but, like he says, "what can they do?" If you need a tool fast and that's all you have...

He likes the Raven because it's got a nice thick spine that's also flat. It's great for scraping window panes of glass if that's how they're going in...it's got enough of an edge on both sides of the spine to do a good scraping job; and he doesn't have to worry about harming his edge. Plus it's thick enough that he's not afraid to use it to pry/dig at a door latch. He's torn about its length...he likes the reach, but it can be a bit of a pain. I had initially chosen to recommend one of the ASH versions, because they're a bit shorter and also stouter...but now, I think I'm liking Jaxx's suggestion of the BATAC, instead. I'm inclined to send him a BATAC LE, because it falls within the .22 to .25 inch range that mjswan mentioned, so it would be plenty sturdy for serious abuse without being too thick.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions, guys!
 
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