Chris Reeve Green Beret Video Desrtuction Test Completed

[3Guardsmen]

Honestly, you aren't going to pierce a metallic armor plate (with a knife) if it has something as soft as a human supporting it. Likewise, it probably isn't going to break the knife. I guess you'd just have to skewer his head.

Not even talking armor plates, bro. I'm talking hard, metal objects (think guns, magazines, grenades, radios) that can be worn around the body of an enemy combatant.

It is a "combat knife" afterall, isn't it?


Regards,
3G

 

[yoda4561]

Someone mentioned 5160,L6,O1,S7,A2,3V,... and then S30V. And that the toughness of S30V doesn't come even close. True. But there's one bigger difference between them that might exclude the first group of steels alltogether.

Like what? It can't be rust, I'm pretty sure (but not certain, if anyone knows better feel free to correct me) that if rust were a real geniune problem we wouldn't be sending anything but all-stainless firearms out there.

 

[PatriotDan]

Like what? It can't be rust, I'm pretty sure (but not certain, if anyone knows better feel free to correct me) that if rust were a real genuine problem we wouldn't be sending anything but all-stainless firearms out there.

Guessing here by your reply but you seem like you dislike stainless steel for knives. Some others may see it as preferable property of a blade steel. Anyway, in this case you should question Bill Harsey and the SF that chose this knife and were fine with the steel.

 

[yoda4561]

Like or dislike has nothing to do with it, steel is just steel, you pick the right steel for the job at hand. I don't find relatively fragile stainless steel on expensive survival oriented knives a good idea. There are plenty of tougher stainless steels out there, s30v is not one of them. Can you make S30v work in such a knife? Yes, it's possible as strider did it, but you need to massively overbuild the knife in the first place in order to make up for the steel's lack of toughness. Besides, S30v really isn't all that corrosion resistant.

 

[CaptInsano]

Not even talking armor plates, bro. I'm talking hard, metal objects (think guns, magazines, grenades, radios) that can be worn around the body of an enemy combatant.

It is a "combat knife" afterall, isn't it?


Regards,
3G

Same principles apply.

 

[CaptInsano]

Guessing here by your reply but you seem like you dislike stainless steel for knives. Some others may see it as preferable property of a blade steel. Anyway, in this case you should question Bill Harsey and the SF that chose this knife and were fine with the steel.

I think we are questioning Bill Harsey and Chris Reeves right now.

 

[fastcamo]

This is very similar to what we have done for years and years in the archery industry, by testing broad heads, the final test we do is shooting into concrete, every target is progressively from soft to hard, and there are some big name company's that have their "new" broad head of the year, that usually get outclassed by other lessor and cheaper versions, if a broad head is advertised to cut, rip, crush and smash bone while keeping its shape, well then it better do it, since most company's do not offer these kind of real world tests to the public, there are others that do let the truth out. http://www.broadheadtests.com is one public site, and then there is Noss in the knife world here, if the GB is advertised as such then it better live up to its name, you can't blame Noss for this test, only thank him for letting you see how far you can push this and any other knife to its limits (failure) without any expense from you

 

[HoB]

I don't hit my knives with hammers.
I have never hit a rock while chopping with a blade.
I would never put a knife blade in a vise. That alone could ruin it.
I don't pry things open with knife blades, there is always something else I can use.
I've never needed to cut heavy steel with a knife.

I have subjected my knife edges to corrosive environments.
I do slice things with knives and appreciate a steel that holds a good edge.
I can gather firewood without a knife. Deadwood and sticks work really well.

That is all fine, but why then do you use a fixed blade at all, let alone one as thick and unwieldy as the GB? In your case a Spyderco Military should be all you need. Or if you insist on a fixed blade, a Mora. If you need to chop something you can use a $15 Machete. The problem is that there are no redeeming features in the GB. A simple $30 setup can easily outperform the GB on all woodcraft tasks. If not toughness then why would you spend ten times the amount and get something that does most tasks not as well?

 

[DaveH]

why would you spend ten times the amount and get something that does most tasks not as well?

That's called marketing.

 

[Lycosa]

DaveH---Yup!! Boy, this Thread is very interesting. Good research and advice has lead me to INFI and A-2. So far---so good. Also, this Thread has people thinking--- and if anything---that's good!

 

[PatriotDan]

Besides, S30v really isn't all that corrosion resistant.

Your comment showed dislike. Am I wrong? If I am then sorry for misinterpreting your reply. I read it like you wrote it.

S30V is more corrosion resistant than the tougher steels mentioned as better alternatives. Disagree?

 

[Cobalt]

The stainless argument is rediculous. Check out all the Vietnam era O-1 Randalls out there today. I use to own many Randalls, old and new and I had several from the vietnam era that had been through the ringer and I am sure all of the randalls from that era were carbon steel. Kinda kills the stainless argument.

but here is another example, 99% of the machetes being used in south america are carbon steel. If the people down there can mantain their equipment, so can we.

The Nepalese Khukuris use a tough low carbon steel. It is the national tool of nepal and used to do everything from clearing forest to building homes and cooking food. No rust issue here.

Bolos carried by marines during WWII, were carbon steel, I have ona and it is in excellent condition even though it had been used a lot.

Parangs anyone yup carbon steel.

so who made the decision to use stainless and why? Definitely not the old E8 Sarg who has been around since the crack of dawn and has seen it all.

 

[PatriotDan]

I think we are questioning Bill Harsey and Chris Reeves right now.

I certainly am. And I don't like it because I have huge respect for Mr. Harsey and anyone capable of formulating new steel specifically for knife industry.

But other than esthetically pleasing (to me), the GB has a few areas that seem not so optimized. Or perhaps they have been optimized too much.

 

[PatriotDan]

The stainless argument is rediculous. Check out all the Vietnam era O-1 Randalls out there today. I use to own many Randalls, old and new and I had several from the vietnam era that had been through the ringer and I am sure all of the randalls from that era were carbon steel. Kinda kills the stainless argument.

but here is another example, 99% of the machetes being used in south america are carbon steel. If the people down there can mantain their equipment, so can we.

The Nepalese Khukuris use a tough low carbon steel. It is the national tool of nepal and used to do everything from clearing forest to building homes and cooking food. No rust issue here.

Bolos carried by marines during WWII, were carbon steel, I have ona and it is in excellent condition even though it had been used a lot.

Parangs anyone yup carbon steel.

so who made the decision to use stainless and why? Definitely not the old E8 Sarg who has been around since the crack of dawn and has seen it all.

Then aim your questions and doubts at the steel and knife industry. I have no dog in this fight. But one cannot comment that tougher steels should have been used as none of them might not have passed tests or requirements made by the people who are interested in this knife.

 

[Lycosa]

Cobalt---Good post! Steels that have proven the test of time. That's the ultimate test.

 

[Hard H2O]

IDC about that. Someone has presented test results. You have scoffed at tangible data and instead offered COMPLETELY unsubstantiated hearsay. You touted government testing and then utterly failed to produce the pertinent information. Do you see anything wrong with that?

What data? I do not see a control group. I do not see sample numbers. I see a guy who stuck a knife in a vise and bashed it with a hammer.

If I take a car and pack it with explosives and blow it up does that mean that model will not provide me with good transportation and keep me safe in a crash? I think it means that I have found a way to destroy a car.

 

[DaveH]

Control groups? Nobody said these tests were scientific! That doesn't invalidate the test.

So telll us Hard H2O, where are you scientific tests telling us what a great knife this is?

 

[Hard H2O]

Control groups? Nobody said these tests were scientific! That doesn't invalidate the test.

So telll us Hard H2O, where are you scientific tests telling us what a great knife this is?

First off I am not a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. I would never spend $300 on a knife. I do not collect. I have a couple of knives that are much less expensive that and get used but not abused.

I feel the lack of methodology does invalidate the tests. They are interesting in the same way that guys destroying things is interesting. I like seeing stuff blown up as much as the next guy.

I do not have the test results. I would be interested in seeing them as well. I am not so interested that I would go beyond a simple google search for them.

At issue however is the "testing" in the original post. I wish I had the money to buy a $300 knife and then destroy it. I would find other more entertaining and imaginative ways to pi$$ away that $300.

 

[Cobalt]

Then aim your questions and doubts at the steel and knife industry. I have no dog in this fight. But one cannot comment that tougher steels should have been used as none of them might not have passed tests or requirements made by the people who are interested in this knife.

I can mention a host of steels that would have passed the test. Even Cold steel did better. INFI, cpm3V, A2, S7, 52100, laminated VG10, would have done better, by a huge margin. But hey, I am not the one who makes those decisions and most of those decisions made are made by the politician type in an organization.

 

[yoda4561]

Your comment showed dislike. Am I wrong? If I am then sorry for misinterpreting your reply. I read it like you wrote it.

S30V is more corrosion resistant than the tougher steels mentioned as better alternatives. Disagree?

Sure it's more corrosion resistant, but I dispute that the other steels should be dismissed in the role that the GB is supposedly designed for. Rust in most environments will affect a knife far less than a firearm given minimal care, at worst it won't look pretty and you'll want to sharpen it, but even bare 1095 won't fail to cut or pry something unless it's been grossly neglected. I dislike that many have been marketing it as a tough steel when it really isn't, even compared to some other stainless steels. For a dive knife you want something far more corrosion resistant, for a knife like the GB I would think that toughness, edgeholding, and corrosion resistance should be prioritized in that order. S30v is great, but not in a fixed blade of that design intended to be abused. This doesn't make the GB a bad knife, I kind of like it as I do most of the stuff CR puts out, but I have to really ask why A2 wasn't pushed instead of s30v.