Dark Ops The Paul Basal "Shadow", Others...

C

cgee106

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Dec 7, 2009
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Hello All!!!....New Poster here. My Son is deploying to Afgan this week with a 2 hr leave notice from Italy...He is 50 cal. Gunner in US Army, Pvt 1st Class.....Tt really equip these guys more than necessary and my Son liked this Dark Ops Knife over a year ago....Was gonna MAKE HIM ONE MYSELF, BUT time money, equip and skills are still lacking!!!!! Any advice on what would be best for him in Kunar Province would be MUCH appreciated....I have several folks (friends and Family) to help buy him a decent knife and watch.....His Sarge advised to get one big enough to stick all the way thru someone w/o trouble!!!!! Is thisw a "Fit"??? Or shouls I consider other alternatives???....SOOOO many options, so little knowledge, and medium money!!!!!


Any Help, Very Welcome!!!!!


Thank You All in Advance!!!!!.....chuck gee, West GA
 
Don't bother with the Dark Ops. Too thick to cut well, gimmicky.

If he's looking, the classic Ka-Bar is a classic for a reason. Fairly inexpensive, but also pretty tough.
 
Get him a reasonable knife that has great function. The dark ops is more of a fantasy knife. I personally don't see any utilitarian value to them, and I find it very unfortunate that they pitch themselves as a military knife. It's cliche but get him a rat (RC-5 should be perfect). They are functional and tough.
 
Ranger Knives by Ontario or any of the big Swamp Rat or Scrapyard knives would do.
Ka-Bar has a few besides the venerable Marine combat/utility.

Ver expensive and very heavy aren't necessarily the best for a war zone. Too heavy is a burden and gets left behind. Too expensive is a temptation and gets "borrowed".

Dark Ops generally gets laughed at around here, or worse. Not the worst knives necessarily, but a terrible reputation for their business practices.
 
Ranger Knives by Ontario or any of the big Swamp Rat or Scrapyard knives would do.
Ka-Bar has a few besides the venerable Marine combat/utility.

Ver expensive and very heavy aren't necessarily the best for a war zone. Too heavy is a burden and gets left behind. Too expensive is a temptation and gets "borrowed".

Dark Ops generally gets laughed at around here, or worse. Not the worst knives necessarily, but a terrible reputation for their business practices.
 
I think big klunky knives are more of a burden than a functional tool when your moving around lots. Id suggest the rc 4 IMO
 
Get him a small folding knife that he will actually carry. Get him one that is cheap enough that you can send him another when he breaks it.

If the "sarge" told him that then he must be in charge of watching action movies.
 
Scrapper 5, theirs a few on the exchange.......well minus the one I bought :)

others:
kabar
glock field knife
rat rc-6
becker
ranger
TOPS


How much you looking to spend?
 
First, send him our thanks for serving. :thumbup:

For a good fixed blade, any of the above would be good. If I was going over there, I'd take a Kabar or a RAT 5. (I have a Camillus/Becker BK7, but it's a little too long to carry for months at a time.)

thx - cpr

ps: make sure he has a good multi-tool. From what I've read here, he'll most likely use the MT a LOT more than he will anything else.
 
I'll throw another fixed blade into the mix... BRKT Bravo-1.
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Bark-River-Knives-Bravo-1-USMC-Knife-Green-Canvas-Micarta

Bravo_1_Green_Canvas.jpg



Comes in Kydex, but you can get a nice leather sheath to go with it.

I'll second the "Good Multitool" recommendation. I've read that those are used MUCH more than any other kind of knife. I really like my Leatherman Wave, but there are other good MT's out there.
 
I'm pretty sure I would want a leatherman or a swiss army knife. Slim chance I'll run out of the standard issue 210 rounds of 5.56mm. (And if I do run out, it's time to do what the army trains to do...... run).
 
I'm pretty sure I would want a leatherman or a swiss army knife. Slim chance I'll run out of the standard issue 210 rounds of 5.56mm. (And if I do run out, it's time to do what the army trains to do...... run).
Click to expand...

.He is 50 cal. Gunner in US Army, Pvt 1st Class
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure he'll have as many .50 bmg belts as his superiors thinks he'll need. if he is fighting with his knife the stuff has really hit the fan.
 
Dark ops are crap. I got one as a gift from a ex who got it cheap new. After some chopping that handle wiggles and rattles.
 
As someone who has served over 21 years in uniform and now a reservist, having reached the rank of Chief Warrant Officer, I would like to say that 210 rounds goes very fast in a sustained firefight, and if that firefight is away from base, all the ammo you have is what you can carry, plus your water, food, etc etc etc..

A couple of years back in Iraq, a British patrol was running low on ammo (and instead of running away) they fixed bayonets and charged the Iraqi insurgent positions and won the day. Some of those soldiers said that as they "stuck it" to the enemy, they could see the look of disbelief and fear, and the insurgents that did not get "stuck" ran away. They also wished their bayonets were longer because with bullpup rifles, they got closer than they wanted to and pulling the bayonet out to 'stick it' to another was cumbersome.

Perhaps that Sergent had a point - excuse the pun ...

From first hand experience, I would recommend Leatherman Wave and a good sturdy fixed blade, max 6" blade, such as Buck Strider Spear Point if you can still get them, if not as suggested above, Ranger, TOPs, Glock, etc. And yes weight is an issue.
 
Everyone has their dog in this fight, right?

But a TOPS Anaconda in 7.5" or 9" blades with a Tanto tip is good medicine for bad people...


largeanaconda7.JPG


I am not kicking dirt on anyones choices,(the Ranger series of knives is great, the Swamprats are great, if a bit pricey) any knife that holds its edge and can be resharpened is a good one. I just prefer one with a blade type and grind that allows for a more efficient stab and easier resharp in bad conditions once again, just my opinion/experience.

God bless your son, he is a brave soul.
 
Another vote for the Bravo 1 or RAT5 or RC4. For most people a knife is a tool first and a weapon second, third or even fourth. Get something that cuts and cuts well.
Tell him good luck and thanks.
T
 
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