Choosing a Flight Suit Knife

R

RagingTeddy

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Jan 25, 2013
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I will soon be a pilot in the US Navy, leaving for OCS on 8 June 2014, and I'm trying to decide what blade to carry in my flight suit.

It'll be used mainly for EDC-type tasks, probably, but it's the prospect of a crash/getting shot down that I'm more concerned about. It'll need to help me escape from a downed aircraft in water, cut parachute cord, maybe gut a fish, without rusting too quickly in a salt water environment.

In an ideal world, I think a Benchmade 710 in M390 would be perfect, but I can't fund that, so I'm thinking about the Spyderco Superleaf. The 4mm VG-10 blade is appealing for it's rust resistance. I also think it'll be better for prying than a thinner stock blade. Another option is a Benchmade Triage with the opposing bevel. N680 is a good steel for the intended use, I think, and the opposing bevel is supposed to be best for prying. Plus, it has the rescue hook and glass breaker. However, I don't like that the 916 is a chisel grind.

What do yall think?
 
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Agreed, folder isnt good.

A folder assumes the following.

1.You have time to unfold it... seconds count.

2.You have full control of your hand to open it and no damage.. or just numbness from impact or ejection(lets not forget ejection can result in spine injury).


You really need to state how much weight and size you are willing to go with.
As you seem to want a folder I assume small and light.

Stainless Mora... cheap cheery and efficient a little modification with a rod to give it some serrations for cutting cordage faster good to go for about 15 dollars.

IF money isnt a barrier a Mission knife in titanium.
Wont rust, lighter then steel, also tougher.. unlike most steel knives it will not Chip.. ever, and if it does fail its local and due to fatigue hardening(repeated bending) and doesnt cause stress fractures to travel up the blade like harder steels 52RC+ when you break the tip the entire blade can be comprised by stress fractures along the entire blade, Mission knives remain fully serviceable with no worries about sudden failure of the remaining blade at a later date.
Very light for whatever size you want and contray to what you may have heard holds a pretty decent edge, and serrations are very good on cord and wear slower then medium grade steel knives.
Mission MPS-TI is a very nice design its actually slightly lighter then a Mora if you want something bigger get MPK12-Ti(seals have been using it for 20 odd years).

Mission TI knife edges do turn easier as its only 47rc, agasint rope etc this isnt a problem.. but it can roll on bone, so as a combat knife it can be a problem, Oddly enough its low hardness actually makes it better breaking bricks and concrete without failing then high RC steels.
 
Benchmade auto triage (glass breaker and safety hook) or a spyderco autonomy (rust proof steel and fully serrated edge). Maybe leaning towards the triage since the main blade could be used for a combat type role if you needed one for an emergency. The autonomy would be great around the sea since it's got steel that you can't make rust under realistic use and it's got great edge retention when its fully serrated. Another option would be a fixed blade. Maybe something like a sog Pentagon. Since it has a straight edge and a serrated one.
 
If he's talking inside his flight suite maybe that's why he wants a folder? OP how do you plan to carry this knife?

A BM Ritter mini-grip is made for survival situations, its by no means a "survival knife" being as its a folder afterall, but it will do the jobs you require. For something a little larger (of course there's always the full size grip) you could go for a 940 Osborne. Another good option for those situations would be either be the DPx HEST/F or a spyderco Gayle Bradely but the DPx is D2 and the GB is M4 so neither are stainless.

If you like the 710 why not just get it in D2, its not that rust prone and its a heck of a knife, I mean if you honestly get shot down (or just crash and have to survive) it'll be more than fine for any amount of time you might be needing it.
 
The Superleaf isn't a bad choice. But I wouldn't suggest serious white knuckle prying with one. SwampRat or ScrapYard fixed blades are better for that.

The Spyderco Manix2 XL is a nice knife without getting too heavy. I like the way the ball lock works as the "detent" keeping the knife closed. It seems a little more effective than the tiny detent balls on a lot of knives.
 
It'll need to help me escape from a downed aircraft in water
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No folder will do that, so get a compact and stout fixed blade, then buy whatever folder you want for little cutting chores.

I'd recommend a Bark River Bravo 1 for a compact, strong, and presentable knife. It's the strongest fixed blade I've had the pleasure of working with, that is small enough to fit easily on a belt or chest rig.

Or the ESEE-5, if you don't mind an ugly, poorly balanced, thick slab of metal with a sharp edge.

Superleaf
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Focusing on the 4mm thick blade of the Superleaf is short sighted, as that slightly thicker blade is attached via a tiny pivot to a pair of thin steel frames held together by tiny screws. Also, it's discontinued.

In an ideal world, I think a Benchmade 710 in M390 would be perfect
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I wouldn't depend on a pair of tiny, piano wire like springs for the lock mechanism of a "survival folder". There are a great many reports of those springs breaking, requiring a trip back to Benchmade for repair because they will NOT send you spare parts.

For reliability, I like the simplicity of a liner or compression lock. While the lock itself is a spring, I've yet to see one fail, and I've been using liner locks for the last 15 years, and a compression lock for the last year or so.

My favorite "do it all" folder is the Spyderco Para 2. The handle is thicker, allowing more leverage for cuts. The blade is thicker than most flat ground folders. The pivot bushing system feels sturdy. The compression lock is arguably one of the strongest lock types, and less vulnerable to wear or failure during use. The overall feel of the knife is that it is stronger than most folding knives, with no obvious weak link in the design or construction.
 
I think you should find out what you are allowed to carry in your flight suit, and then let you experience flying inform your decision. In the meantime, I might just go with something "standard," like a Delica or Griptilian.
 
Can any knife cut you out of a plane cockpit? Do they really build planes that weak? If all you want to do is cut a seatbelt (or whatever the correct term is) any reasonably sharp knife will do provided you can access it. A knife trapped in an inside pocket wont be as useful as one openly carried on the chest.

Another thingbto consider is do you want it pointy? Sharp points will work against you in tight quarters when injured the spyderco rescue knives or benchmade rescue hooks would work better for that task. The rescue hook is even something you might be able to sow into an easily accessible location without worrying too much about funny looks or it falling out.

If money is a thing you can get by perfectly well with one of the budget oriented sturdy folders. Spyderco makes a reasonably priced rescue knife if memory serves.

The toughest of the pointy budget folders arguably are the cold steel triad lock knives like the "recon 1". The spyderco "cara cara 2" is probably equally strong in realistic use while giving better blade geometry.
 
Just a suggestion:
When you grad from OCS & get your personal manifest issue put in a request for a Strider SMF Det-1 issue. If the eq won't issue it to you then pick one up at the px. Better if eq will issue it as its no cost and as a Naval officer you should be able to procur USMC gear as this knife is not excl. Issue, but since the knife is propp rated there is also a Civ version you can get at the exchange.
 
Well, for starters, you won't be a Naval Aviator anytime soon seeing as you're going to OCS in June. Figure about 12 weeks for OCS, then assuming there's a flight class slot waiting for you upon commissioning, and assuming you are in the advance strike pipeline, you're in for 2 years of flight training before you get winged. But it doesn't end there, since you're not operational until you get through the RAG (3 - 6 months) before you are fully operational; figure sometime in early 2017 before you are actually in a flying billet. All that said, whatever the Navy now issues in their survival packs is what you will carry. I did the rotary wing pipeline, and I was operational in less than 1.5 years from OCS to finish since I was a CW2 Army pilot first.
 
w93p.jpg


TESTED & APPROVED!

From November 2000, the black versions of mod. F1 and S1 are tested and approved for use by air crews in the US Marine/US Navy. With knobs on they met the tough requirements for function, design, strength and reliability which Naval Air Warfare Center had put up and that´s why Fallkniven AB, as maybe the only European knife manufacturer, that has the capability to deliver survival knives to the US Marine/US Navy. Since 1995, the Fallkniven model F1 has been the official survival knife for all pilots in the Swedish Air Force.
Click to expand...

I don't know if this is still valid in the USN, but the F1 black seems to meet Your needs as a future pilot.

The F1's are standard equipment in the flightsuits of Swedish Fighter Pilots.



Regards
Mikael
 
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IMO, the best advice is to just wait. You have tons of time before your plane is underwater. While you're in training, your instructors will advise you which knife works best, and why. You may not have a choice. I think you're excited, and that's great. My first solo in a light Cessna 152 was perhaps the highlight of my VERY LONG life. Good luck to you, sir.
 
Help me with this, I could very well be wrong here but is there not evac tools/tool in the cockpit manifest and/or the jump bag compliment of the pilot couch of an f14? I would think that after the 2-3 years of OMS mentioned above that surely the navy would give you all the ness skill and equip to get out of a submerged craft.
Of course river trout filets probably taste better if they're not prepared with a crowbar.:D

If it looks like the plane is going down try to get it in the water near shoreline of any beach resort. The girls will swim out there and pull you out because there is no more dashing man than a Naval Aviator.
Congrats on your assignment, Sir.
I salute you,
CPO W.L. P××××:thumbup:
 
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There are certainly guys around here that have better credentials than me to answer your question, but I agree with the above sentiments about taking your time on the decision. You're going to get some good input from folks when you get to OCS, and even better input from people in the right line of work when you get to flight training. Pick their brains. Maybe what you need for now is a quality folder for EDC type stuff, and keeping your eyes and ears open for the kind of FB you are going to need down the road. Once you've got some ideas and options from the guys that do the same thing you are aiming to do, then come back to a place like this and ask, "X, Y, and Z have been suggested to me. What are the pros and cons of each?" This approach has the added benefit of giving you time to save up for a really good knife, the knife you want and need, instead of settling for what you can get within your means now.

Good luck to you, and thanks in advance for your service.

RY
 
A small fixed blade is probably the best choice. A Becker Remora is a small sturdy blade. But if you want a folder, get a Benchmade Griptillian (or even a mini) or a Swiss Army Rescue tool. Also, congratulations.
 
Spyderco Manix 2 XL comes to mind. Also some people frown upon Cold Steel but their G10/AUS8a blades , Lawman, Recon 1, Talwar etc.. are wonderfull no nonsense knives that will serve you well in a pinch
 
Thanks for all the responses!

I think waiting is actually a good idea. I saw a good excuse to buy a knife and got a little excited.

Fixed blade is, of course, a better option, but the only way I imagine I'd be able to carry one in a cockpit is in my boot. That idea worries me a little in that I'm not guaranteed quick access to my foot. My idea was a folder in my chest pocket.

As far as what I'm issued: from what I understand (could be wrong), it depends on your unit whether or not you can swap out gear for your own.

I'm going to take the popular advice and wait to make this decision. It's the only reasonable way to go, now that I really think about it.

That said, I love the idea of the Fallkniven F1. I know very little about titanium blades, but I'll definitely look into it.

I think I hit all the major points. Thanks again everyone.
 
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