I need a fixed blade for my upcoming deployment.

Sorry, did not see your $200 limit, read your post real quick during lunch. You were given plenty of good advice, one more thing I'd like to add, twice as expensive does not equal twice as good. One last sugestion, AlMar Operator in S30V o/a $140, now is for you to make your own assesment. What Div. are you deploying with?
 
If you want to cut right to the chase, get a Busse Badger Attack III on the after market (exchange section). They are going for about $200 right now, are the perfect size for a general utility, are stout enough for combat applications, and are guaranteed for life no questions asked. The design is flawless and classic, and the steel surpasses that used by Reeve or Simonich. I don't think that there is a knowlegable person here who will argue that S30V is better than INFI.
 
Sorry to disappoint the "steel snobs" here, but I think a Becker would be great for you... and cheap! They are tough, have very ergonomic handles, and are easy to sharpen to a razor edge. Like has been said earlier, take a good SAK and a good multitool. They will probably be used INFINITELY more than a big ole' combat knife!

Your Gatco should be fine for keeping your knives sharp. I don't think you need to have a very broad array of sharpeners at all... after all, how many times have you had to shave an MRE package? or a cardboard box? Hell, as long as it cuts what needs cutting it's sharp enough for the field!

Best of luck and come home safe!
 
Ok, let me clarify some points.

I'm a 33W, Electronic Warfare/Intercept Systems Repairer with Hunter UAV training. My MOS fixes every bit of Army electronics the MI Corps uses. I have the 722 because the flat tip of the tanto is quite useful for stripping wire. With this unit, I fix pretty much everything in the Hunter UAV system.

I am not a combat MOS and shouldn't see combat but the way things are going you never know.

The blade length limit is probably 6 inches, the Simonich Mid-Tech Raven looks pretty cool and I would most likely get it if the blade was an inch shorter. I like what i've read about S30V and that mini-hilt looks quite effective.

I prefer a blade that doesn't get much taller from the belly to the bottom of the blade. I also prefer a knife that has a balance point under or near where my thumb rests if I hold it in a fist.
 
Skyssx,

You need a fixed blade like a fish needs a bicycle! Buy a multitool and a Victorinox Cybertool .

I can virtually guarantee that a large, fixed-blade knife will travel out proudly fastened to your LBE, and travel home, mint & dusty, in your bergen.

If you find you need a FB over there, pick up a local POS or an AK bayonet. They've got millions, never used & only dropped once...

maximus otter
 
BK&T 10 with a multi-tool in the front pouch of the sheath.

I sent some BK&T 7s to some friends who were deploying and none of them had problems with carrying it. BUT, if length may be an issue for you the BK&T 10 ROCKS! I am not a soldier but have abused my Beckers mercilessly living in Nicaragua and have not had a single problem. They are hard-use knives and a great buy!
 
Skyssx,

Hello from Ft Lewis.

Having just returned I figured I would throw in my $0.02 dinars.
I have to agree with Maximus Otter, a FB will most likely spend 99.9% of it's time on your LBV. Not that you couldn't find some use for it but in almost all circumstances it would be overkill.
I carried a CRK Shadow IV, a Sebenza, a Cold Steel 3 inch plain edge voyager and a SwissTool. The SwissTool and the Voyager did 99% of all cutting tasks.
As a 91W I don't work with wires and commo but I did my share of 'grunt work'. The only use the Shadow saw was some whittling and a few cutting tasks when my Voyager was elsewhere.
The Sebenza while a great knife and good cutter, stayed put away as I did not want to lose it to the Iraqi deserts.
Get a couple good(but cheap) cutters and if you feel the need for some larger steel stay practical and stay low budget.
Someone mentioned picking up a Bayonet if need be, that's a great idea. They are cheap(approx $5), everywhere and many are new or hardly used. If you do break it or lose it no biggie.
Good luck and keep your head down. You never know what to expect.
I could tell you some stories.
Keep in touch as you are able and let us know how you are from time to time.

MedOpsPogue
 
Skyssx,

I use to be in the electronic maintnance area. A good multitool and a folding knife is all you'll really need. However it doesn't hurt to have some type of fixed blade. I fully recommend a Becker BK-7, great knife for the price and if you lose it you won't cry as much.
 
Skyssx - if you are bound & determined to have a FB on you (& you want something more "stylish" than a bayonet - let's face it, we're knife nuts here), you might also check out the Greco MST - it sounds like something you might like, & it was designed as an inexpensive but solid military blade. The blade is 5.5" long from the base of the choil, and 1/5" thick. It's a little handle-heavy, but you could remove the scales & drill a hole or two to fix that in a snap. And the sheath is really very nice. See it at

http://www.grecoknives.com/GRECO29995.htm

If you are interested, I have an unused one I'd let go at a decent price. I just found it in my sock drawer, which is why it came to mind.
 
One more choice, I've carried a Buck Nighthawk on deployments to Bosnia and Kosovo and probably on my next "trip" for Uncle Sugar. It's cheap, holds an edge and it does what I've needed (stripping commo wire, punching holes in thin sheet) but for an every day tool I'd spend my $200 on 2 SOG Pent Elites (I've got 1, did a lot of work in Kosovo for me) and you'd probably still have change for a Buck Nighthawk.

Good luck and Godspeed.

Will
 
Good suggestions made by the guys who've been there!

I like the pliers on most of the multi-tools but I feel the rest of the blades are not as good as the blades on a $20 SAK.

When you guys used your multi-tools was it more for cuting wire and cable ties or as a wrench?

What other tools/gadgets did you find useful?

Cheers,
Collecter
 
I like my multitool but I see them as a tool to get the job done when you don't have the right tool. As far as my actual job duties go we have several more than complete (except for knives) Snap-On tool boxes to draw from. It's even frowned upon to use a multi tool on the birds because you could forget it inside an engine compartment and not even know it because it doesn't have a place in the shadowed tool boxes. Foreign objects inside the working areas of airplanes is VERY bad.

I also like my 722 but it's really a pain to get to folders in your pocket when you have body armor on even more so in chemical gear. Plus, a folder is quite small and if I don't 550 it to something then i'll probably lose it. Then I have a big loop of 550 hanging off my side to get caught on ****.

Trust me, if I took only a FB or even if the FB was the easiest to get to it would get used at least 10 times a day.

I *think* i'll have one of the huge buck bayonets but I don't know if we'll be carrying it with us all the time or only on convoys and such stuff.

That urban raven looks pretty sweet although the handle seems like it could be beefier.
 
One comment on FBs and body armor/tactical vehicles. If you aren't used to wearing a FB on your LBV you're going to find that it will hang up as you exit your HMMWV or whatever you drive or you won't be able to sit for more than 3 miles. I put mine on and spent a 1/2 hour moving it around so I could exit the vehicle cleanly and was comfortable.

I don't know what type of armor y'all are wearing but I've never had a problem using my SOG Pent Elite while it was clipped to my BDU pants pocket. Chem suit? well take it from someone that wore it a lot in DS1 that if you need something all the time (flashlight, pocket knife, pens) have 2 of them, one in your BDUs, one in your chem suit pockets AHEAD OF TIME.

Godspeed
Will
 
Originally posted by BadBamaUmp
One comment on FBs and body armor/tactical vehicles. If you aren't used to wearing a FB on your LBV you're going to find that it will hang up as you exit your HMMWV or whatever you drive or you won't be able to sit for more than 3 miles. I put mine on and spent a 1/2 hour moving it around so I could exit the vehicle cleanly and was comfortable.
Click to expand...
I was planning on hanging it from one of my shoulder straps, inverted.
I don't know what type of armor y'all are wearing but I've never had a problem using my SOG Pent Elite while it was clipped to my BDU pants pocket. Chem suit? well take it from someone that wore it a lot in DS1 that if you need something all the time (flashlight, pocket knife, pens) have 2 of them, one in your BDUs, one in your chem suit pockets AHEAD OF TIME.

Godspeed
Will
Click to expand...

Probably the new ceramic plate armor but possibly old style flak vests. Having extra gear in a chem suit is a really good idea. I wonder why i've never heard that before.
 
Hanging it inverted on your shoulder strap would require a sheath designed for that type of carry.

This limits your options even futher unless you plan on getting a custom kydex sheath for what ever knife you decide on.

In a reply above I wrote that the Fallkniven Frey was $169.99 from knifeoutlet.com which is no longer correct. I checked this morning and they increased it to $196. I should have bought one last week!

Collecter
 
I don't wear mine on my shoulder straps because it interferes with my ability to shoot weak side and it can hang up on the seat belt. I wear mine near the butt pack it's tied to the belt with 550 cord with a little play so it can turn sideways when I sit.

I'm sorry that noone told you about getting extra necessities to put in your chem suit, I can't be everywhere ;) but now you know and make sure you pass that on when you become a leader (I don't know if you're an NCO yet). Well I hope you won't be offended if I pass on some other tips.

Do you have a Camel Bak? We bought MotherLodes before our trip to Kosovo. They carry a lot of water and gear. I won't go anywhere without mine to back up my LBV. Remember to only drink/eat off of your LBV after you've exhausted your other supplies, the stuff on your LBV is for if you gotta run and gun.

Get a signal mirror and a decent sized chunk of a panel marker, the marker goes in either your butt pack or the top of your kevlar under the webbing. you'll never know if you need it.

Batteries, carry extras in your Camelbak and your butt pack.

Gallon size zip lock baggies are good for just about everything you can think of, put your wallet in em, notebooks.... anything you don't want filled with sand or sweated through.

Godspeed
 
hi!
I've been deployed some places too...Even if I'm a knife nuts I didn't had great use of my nice Ek fixed blade...It was on my vest in the start and quicly went in my backpack...But I used my Benchmade AFCK and Victorinox multitool very much!
If you're still decided to buy a fixed blade then buy a Fallkniven A1, it's a great knife and if u're hunter you will have oportunity to use it!
Take care out there!

PS: sharpmaker...u won't have time to do it in the field and if u can't go back to the camp to resharpen your knife because of any situation:
1:This situation won't last in 98 % of the time.
2: If it last you won't get time and mood to resharpen your knife!
so buy a spyderco tri angle sharpmaker,again u will have great use of it when u're back.!
 
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