Combat dagger (custom?) Suggestions?

Asher Sympson said:
I would be. An American Marine carries between $15,000-$30,000 worth of gear. That money comes from tax paying Americans (including myself) Millions of dollars worth of gear are lost, destroyed etc. It's a fact of life that stuff gets lost or broken. I fully understand that. I am the first to admit I am a serious knife nut and a bit obsessive when I'm after something specific. Yes, for once I would like to treat myself with a real nice, showy, expensive knife I'll be proud of. The cost of the knife would be more like $400-$700 maybe even less if I knew the maker and close enough to pick it up instead of having it shipped. I've stated multiple times that I have dedicated utility knives. I only posted this thread to search for a nice, and yes, expensive dagger that checks all the features on my list. I apologized and deleted anything inflammatory that I may have said.
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There's really only one maker doing anything in beta Titanium - which is Mecha Mecha like was mentioned before. He honestly mainly does simple leather wrap handles, so what you are asking for is probably a bit out of his wheelhouse based on your sketch and assuming those are micarta, G10, or carbon fiber scales of some sort. There may not be anyone making exactly what you like. If there is I am betting it's going to be more than $400-700. Mission Knives you already referred to, so that was clear. Your thread has really gotten about as much in the way of answers as you could hope to get especially now that it's taken a turn to beta Ti. In steel every other mid-range and some customs have been mentioned that I would consider worthwhile. You got your Spartan Blades, your Ka-Bar Ek Knives, Carothers, the Busse you already started with, Boker, Cold Steel, Winkler, TOPS, Grayman, Mercworx, RMJ, Zu Bladeworx, Scorpion Knives, Microtech, Randall...
 
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Most of the custom makers won't respond to these requests because they can spot a time waster a mile off.
 
Seems like the OP just wanted a basic question answered and the thread kind of spiraled out of control here a bit. I won't comment any further on that, but I will give my 2 cents on a knife suggestion.

Asher, as others have mentioned before, the chances of sticky fingers is high, and your knife may very well get stolen. Which is why, in my opinion, you need to find that perfect balance point in a knife where it's performance, durability and quality is extremely high, has a proven track record of reliability, and is more than enough knife to get the job done, while at the same time being inexpensive enough that if it gets stolen, lost or broken, it isn't the end of the world and the tears will be minimal. There is a point of diminishing returns, and you need to find it. No such thing for some of the fancy suggestions here with their price tags.

My recommendation is simple.

Cold Steel Tai Pan in 3V. Extremely durable, full tang, it's gridwork, blade shape, and geometry will actually outperform many of the much more expensive double edged blades suggested earlier. I dare say it's more durable than some of the others as well. Weights 10.8 ounces, slightly LESS than a standard Kabar. Can be had for as low as $220. Only downside is they used to be available in all black, and the shiny pummel might be a problem for you (one could probably sand it down to be less reflective.)

 
DayofReckoning said:
Seems like the OP just wanted a basic question answered and the thread kind of spiraled out of control here a bit. I won't comment any further on that, but I will give my 2 cents on a knife suggestion.

Asher, as others have mentioned before, the chances of sticky fingers is high, and your knife may very well get stolen. Which is why, in my opinion, you need to find that perfect balance point in a knife where it's performance, durability and quality is extremely high, has a proven track record of reliability, and is more than enough knife to get the job done, while at the same time being inexpensive enough that if it gets stolen, lost or broken, it isn't the end of the world and the tears will be minimal. There is a point of diminishing returns, and you need to find it. No such thing for some of the fancy suggestions here with their price tags.

My recommendation is simple.

Cold Steel Tai Pan in 3V. Extremely durable, full tang, it's gridwork, blade shape, and geometry will actually outperform many of the much more expensive double edged blades suggested earlier. I dare say it's more durable than some of the others as well. Weights 10.8 ounces, slightly LESS than a standard Kabar. Can be had for as low as $220. Only downside is they used to be available in all black, and the shiny pummel might be a problem for you (one could probably sand it down to be less reflective.)

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Thank you.
 
Don’t buy expensive knives if you’re going into the military. If you want to buy a nice knife, at least wait until you get to your unit AFTER training. Things will disappear and you’ll never find out who took it. There are thieves of opportunity everywhere in the military… and if you show up with some $500 custom knife, flashing it around, people will make note and they’ll jack that knife the first time you leave it unsecured. You want my advice? If you must get something, get something dirt cheap (a folder) that you won’t get mental over if it disappears. Too much moving around, field exercises, thieves, etc to be worrying about some expensive knife. Focus on the training, worry about the knife later.
 
Asher Sympson said:
I found a new San Mai III Tai Pan for $150. I think I'm going to call it quits and settle for that. Several people recomended it. Thanks again to everybody.
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You still might get that stolen also. It would be worse if you were going into truck driving. The truck drivers that are thieves are the worlds worst. They will even steal your used underwear. And I ain't kidding either.
 
  • Wow
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Asher Sympson said:
Hi all! I ship out to USMC boot camp this summer and I am looking for a pig-sticker to carry once I graduate. It would have to be double edged, a good cutter, and darn near indestructable. Blade range 7-8" and preferably coyote tan or black coated. I am looking to purchase two in the unlikely event I lose it. One that caught my eye was the Busse FMV 8 so thats the aesthetic I'm looking for. If there are similar knives out there, or a custom maker who specializes in that type of knife, or even an actual FMV 8 I would be thrilled, but I've hit a dead end searching on my own. Thank you!
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I went through this when our son committed to the Marines in 2002. His unit, 3rd LAR, went into a training cycle for deployment and shipped out to Iraq in time for the battle for Fallujah in 2004. I wanted him to have whatever he needed ,whatever that might be, and dropped some coin in my anxiety to keep him safe. Read about that here: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/anxiety-how-i-spent-a-grand.1426095/

However, the short story: Long after he got out we talked about knives a bit. First off, he didn't take any of the daggers I bought him. That included an Ek dagger and a Camilus "Cuda Maxx" folding stiletto. He did take the Chris Reeve "Green Beret" knife and a Randall #1 Fighter. He saw some serious action. He said that he only ever used either of them to open MREs and to point to things on a wall map.

His preference was for the Chris Reeve knife as it seemed to be more rugged. He never said it out, but I have a suspicion that he scraped out a hasty fighting position with it one night.

Both of those knives were dear to buy in 2002 or '03 and today are ridiculously expensive. The advice I am trying to give you is to avoid the outright stabbing knife and go for something that is more useful such as the modern Ka-Bar. That knife will do anything you need to do as a Marine in a combat zone and can be bought new for under $200. ($150?).
 
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So...I did read that you are probably settled on the Tai Pan. But...I thought maybe I'd throw a suggestion out for the Heretic Knives Nephilim. Seems to be similar to the aesthetic you're searching for. Plus or minus $500, depending on where you find it. 6.5" blade. And available in a black blade with FDE scales.
I never served, so if I was you, I'd listen to some of the guys that did and heed the warnings of gear "walking away." You could always buy it now and save it for when you get settled into your unit down the line...

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Too much coffee. Too early in the AM:

One last thing (maybe). A good knife can last you a lifetime. Buty one that you can keep for a lifetime.

While a gut-ripping, throat-cutting, stabbing dagger ("pig sticker") is legal for everyday carry in public here in Texas, in some states or local jurisdictions it may not be lawful to even own or poses one based on its profile and size. In legalese, prohibited weapons are often characterized as "a dirk, dagger or stiletto . . .".

As an infantryman, you will most often use a knife for the same choirs you would use it for while camping . . . .and it will still also do the job as a last ditch, close quarters weapon.

I am sure that everyone on this board wishes you the best in your future as a Marine (imagine the appropriate grunting sound here).
 
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