• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

If I had to Do It Agin: Buying Knives For a Marine Aput to Go into Combat

Status
Not open for further replies.
V

VorpelSword

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Messages
1,592
I have written here before about buying kn ives for our son before he deployed to Iraq in 2004. The short story is the I had no real idea what he needed and no real ideas of what made a good knife for a modern warfighter in a combat zone, and bought a lot of knives. . . .but enough of that.

this morning I was clicking around on YouTube and ran across a video about Medford Knives. This is new to me, but it looks like they have been around for a while. Likely, many here know all about out them. Here are two links to their stuff. Looking at MKT products now, tis is what I'd be seriously looking at if I were b buying knives if our son was facing a serious deployment today>. That will never happen, he is out and a Baptist pastor now.. . . .probably both the fixed blade and the flipper.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hope your son’s doing okay, man.

I’m just a civilian. But if I had to pick an all around army knife, it’d probably be along the lines of the Cold Steel SRK or Becker BK16. Tough, compact, not too heavy, fixed blade, competent sheath.

A folder would be convenient too for sure, but that’s just a nice extra. A small fixed blade would be mandatory for me.
 
FK3 Carothers for a fixed blade and Demko AD15 for a folder, while there are others available to fill this position, these are the ones I would pick. I’m a veteran and I know these knives are built for the task of combat duty. Forgetabout medford,not the brand for combat.😉
 
Suggest that a very expensive knife not optimal in case of loss/breakage/theft/damage. Perhaps a very well made and stout folder of reasonable expense would be preferable. For a fixed blade knife, certainly a full-tang knife that leaned more towards the "practical" field/utility uses than a one that was a "fightin'" knife--unless the recipient was trained in knife-fighting. Even then, lots of "utility" knives can do multiple jobs, while pure "fightin'" knives perhaps less so.

The above said, consider how the knife will be carried on the recipient's field gear-- only the user can make the final determination. Most US troops are issued some form of the MOLLE/PALS platform, and the fixed blade scabbard should be able to attach to that platform, either right-side down or inverted. The folder may be carried in a pocket, but perhaps also in a suitable MOLLE compatible pouch.

If the knife mfr does not offer a decent MOLLE compatible fixed blade scabbard, those from SpecOps will do nicely. Others are available, of course. Same thing with folding knife pouches. Most MOLLE scabbards/pouches can be rigged for simple waistbelt use.

Even the color of the scabbard/pouch may matter to the recipient's "chain of command". USMC uses Coyote Brown field gear, while US Army/Air Force use either Olive Green or, more usually "UCP/Multicam" camo pattern.

Also suggest that when giving a knife of any type to a service member, consider also providing a decent sharpening tool. A double-sided diamond folding sharpener will come in very handy on knives that are used a lot.

I have never served in combat, but I hope that those who have will find themselves in agreement with most of my remarks.
 
Last edited:
A good friend is scheduled for his fourth deployment. He selected a Les George Magnate for this one. A Magnate fixed and a Talos, VECP or ESV would be relatively reasonable and duty built by a actual seasoned Soldier. Just don't send rhem with a Strider.

"I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1997 and spent over 10 years in its service. I served as a heavy equipment mechanic, an Embassy Guard in Mozambique and Barbados and a Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician in Laos, Iraq, Japan and many more." -LG Bio
 
kobold said:
Those Medfords are too heavy. I would get a DLC Spyderco Military, better weight to blade ratio.
Click to expand...
My thoughts are inline with this.
Light and easy to carry. Most guys are going to be using guns and other heavy equipment.
 
I’ve never served, but I’m extremely extremely grateful for those who have!!!!!!!! Having said that, I’ve always wondered what I would take if I needed to take a fixed blade or folder into a combat zone. I’d prefer a fix blade with some serrations, maybe a CRK Pacific or Green Beret. I’d also choose a folder that I could beat on and not worry about as well as be able to disassemble, clean and reassemble anywhere which makes me lean towards a CRK Zaan or Inkosi. I wish CPK made at least one fixed blade model with partial serrations bc they make some of the best fixed blades on the planet!!!
 
Most of my friends in the military or who used to be in the military arent into knives and view them like most of us view a screwdriver or hammer. Sometimes literally. If i was buying a knife for any of them it would be something tough and easily replaced.

Kershaw, Buck, spyderco, Benchmade, cold steel.

Some like nicer stuff now after getting out.
 
Very few carry a fixed blade or specific "combat" knife. Partly due to weight (ounces equal pounds) and partly due to what we called "combat real estate" or available space on your gear. I had an EBLT that was gifted to me, and it stayed in the boat bag and was used all of twice. A solid folding blade (Spyderco Endura or Emerson SOCFK in my case) or a multi tool were what was most often found on people's kit.

Of note we were issued a SOG SEAL Pup and even those were rarely used or carried, as well as a Benchmade Presidio auto, which many did carry, but had issues with sand and corrosion affecting the mechanism.

Keep in mind this was US forces, mostly conventional. I have seen other countries carrying some fixed blades, like the Icelandic Coast Guard and the Norwegians, but usually small, unobtrusive blades.

Edit to add: I did know a few Boatswain Mates that carried a blunt tip Boat Knife and Marlin Spike on their belts, but that was kinda specialized
 
Last edited:
navman said:
Very few carry a fixed blade or specific "combat" knife. Partly due to weight (ounces equal pounds) and partly due to what we called "combat real estate" or available space on your gear. I had an EBLT that was gifted to me, and it stayed in the boat bag and was used all of twice. A solid folding blade (Spyderco Endura or Emerson SOCFK in my case) or a multi tool were what was most often found on people's kit.

Of note we were issued a SOG SEAL Pup and even those were rarely used or carried, as well as a Benchmade Presidio auto, which many did carry, but had issues with sand and corrosion affecting the mechanism.

Keep in mind this was US forces, mostly conventional. I have seen other countries carrying some fixed blades, like the Icelandic Coast Guard and the Norwegians, but usually small, unobtrusive blades.

Edit to add: I did know a few Boatswain Mates that carried a blunt tip Boat Knife and Marlin Spike on their belts, but that was kinda specialized
Click to expand...
Possibly a "sheepsfoot" blade, which was intentionally made "blunt" so to prevent inadvertent stabbing of oneself/others/rubber life raft during "unstable" conditions.

MANY SS folding knives with corrosion-resistant components offered by many Navies and many civvy knife makers over the decades. Due to their corrosion-resistant components, many such knives can be re-habilitated to usefulness. Corrosion of metal items "can" be a factor, but ages-old crud and grime also play a big part. An "ultrasonic" cleaner, with appropriate chems might be the ticket here.

An image of a modern sheepsfoot blade; some are even "blunter": Sheepsfoot Blade

A folding knife with a "sheepsfoot" blade and a "marlin spike" for un-doing knots would be a "standard" piece of specialized equipment for many boatswains, and many other mariners.

Living here in RI, the "Ocean State" one can scarcely find an experienced mariner without one.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top