Help me decide on a new deployment knife.

Tobin said:
Infantry, absolutely no paper pushing on my end, thank god:barf:
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I had no idea what an 11B is, so excuse the mistake. A Leatherman Wave is still a good idea though. I would also suggest either a Fallkniven F1 and a tomahawk or hatchet, or an A1 and a SAK. Thank you for your service, Good Luck, and stay safe.:thumbup:
 
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I'm probably going to earn a reputation for being a ZT zealot but I just think they are a bargain deal today. I own at least 50 knives (I'll count them someday) and of those I have 4 ZT's, three 0300 series knives and a 0200 and the 0300's are my 90% EDC.

Best knife for the money I have ever used so far regardless of their size.
 
I was issued a BM 5000bk, it's a good solid knife.
I didn't come home the usual route, I came home on a C-5. Maybe that's why I missed out on needing a letter from the commander or any BS like that.
That being said I also own a ZT-302, which is an excellent knife and a lot of value for the buck. You might want to skip all the potential problems of getting an auto back home and get the ZT. I think it's superior to the BM anyway.
 
11B is the army designation for infantry. It's 0300 in the marines.

I would suggest the ZT o200, or one of the 0300 series. I have over 20 autos of different makes and models but for any deployment I'd much rather have the extra sturdy, less breakable folders that open just as fast as an auto for practical purposes. With the flipper it's a one hand operation, easy as pushing a button.

The 0200 is an unbeatable bargain in a tank of a knife that comes ready to shave.

For situations where I might have to get rid of a knife, or trade it off ( sudden emergency flight home cat Z for instance) I'd just get a spyderco delica or endura, or a kershaw blur if you like assisted opening knives but don't want to mess with autos. The blur comes in several varieties. For you I'd reccomengd the S30V version of the blur.

A little more gets you the newer flat ground G10 Endura or Police 3 ( about 4 and an eigth inch blade). Those flat ground VG10 blades sure can slice. I wouldn't reccomend these, especially the police, for prying.

Another great choice for a few more dollars than the spyderco's and kershaw is the blade tech rijback, S30V framelock with Ti framelock liners with G10 scales over them. Good stuff, and good luck Joe
 
Fallkniven F1 a Leatherman PST and a common SAK was what I used when stationed with SFOR in Bosnia. I also had a Fallkniven S1 but I never used it.

If I were to go on a tour today I would get a whole bunch of knives.
Fallkniven S1.
Fallkniven PXL.
Fallkniven U2 (a couple of these).
Leatherman Fuse or old Wave. Well used so it flips open.
Standard size SAK.

The S1 will go on with my battle gear. The PXL and multi will go in my pockets. The U2 and the SAK are for "indoor" use.

Good luck, wherever you are going.
 
For my aviators, I bought a bunch of different knives and rotated them around among the guys. The Wave survived and was the favorite, so I ordered and issued them. That was a decade ago, but the idea is something versatile and not too large, a good multi-tool. For infantry, you might get unwelcome attention for a personal sheath-knife. You'll be most in need of a tool to poke, prod, scrape, open containers, tighten fasteners, repair gear. Bring a good sharpener and make sure you're comfortable with it. If you plan to carry it in a sheath, the nylon ones don't hold up as well as leather, and the velcro doesn't last.

If you're going with just a knife, my Kershaw Leek G10 is my pick. Very subtle, and the thing just doesn't dull! That's a plus when you're hacking open boxes of rations, ammo, etc and don't want the hazard of a dull knife. You can find them for under $70 online. I wouldn't bring a serrated blade alone unless you're very good at sharpening serrated. I brought serrated and smooth blades to survival school, the instructors and I compared them on every task, we all preferred a sharp smooth blade over serrated.
 
Thanks for all the great ideas folks, I really appreciate all the input from everybody ) I've decided on the ZT, and i'm quite sure I will end up also packing away a couple of the others mentioned above
 
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