in praise of military & tactical knives for the woods

Mistwalker · Dec 23, 2009

PayetteRucker said:
Mistwalker, what knife is in your picture with the apple?

That one is the Sojourner. There are a few pages on it in this thread.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=677373

knifenut1013 said:
Good review, always liked tactical blades and have always liked the look of the SOG's but the AUS8 keeps holding me back. Got any comments that might change my mind?

I was still a little skeptical of the AUS8 too, but it has proven to be tougher and more durable than I expected, and holds an edge really good too. I beat the crap out of the Team Leader Survivor batoning some hickory more than once and sawed through quite a bit of bamboo and Schedule 40 PVC and it is 5/32 AUS8. It will still shave and the saw will still draw blood from a thumb if you push on it.

untamed · Dec 23, 2009

I think this model is apropos to the thread; from Boker, an EDC version of the A/F knife (take note that its no longer a double-edged dagger). It's even marketed as "appropriate for many of the heaviest outdoor or bushcraft tasks" . It sort of looks like a pointier "chute knife" -

Gadgetaholic · Dec 23, 2009

My Becker BK7 looks like a combat knife - but I didn't buy it to use on another human being. It might be good in combat, but it is also good in the wilderness. I can't see any problem with a bush knife looking rather tactical and military - though I wouldn't walk around an urban area with it on display.

sicily02 · Dec 23, 2009

I kind of like the patriotic knives with the Military look also. You know something like the good old Red (liners) White (liners) and Blue (scales)

Like in this pic.

Bryan

Mistwalker · Dec 23, 2009

untamed said:
I think this model is apropos to the thread; from Boker, an EDC version of the A/F knife (take note that its no longer a double-edged dagger). It's even marketed as "appropriate for many of the heaviest outdoor or bushcraft tasks" . It sort of looks like a pointier "chute knife" -

Man I love that knife!!

sicily02 said:
I kind of like the patriotic knives with the Military look also. You know something like the good old Red (liners) White (liners) and Blue (scales) Like in this pic.

Bryan

Is that a Red, White, & Blue SERE?

I've been liking that blue G10 since Lisa got her knife, it seems to be sheeple friendly.

.

sicily02 · Dec 23, 2009

No that is the little one that you drew up for the ladies

.

Yep, I agree with ya, a blue knife handle seems to be pretty sheeple friendly. When I told kathy about using red and white liners with the blue scales and she was like YEA BABY I like it lol.

You know I am thinking a double edged SERE Shape blade would look very cool. Just playing with some ideas lol.

I started another SERE VII today in A-2. That Green handled in the pic above is going to Poland.

Chat with ya later,

Bryan

j williams · Dec 23, 2009

untamed said:
I think this model is apropos to the thread; from Boker, an EDC version of the A/F knife (take note that its no longer a double-edged dagger). It's even marketed as "appropriate for many of the heaviest outdoor or bushcraft tasks" . It sort of looks like a pointier "chute knife" -

I gotta say, thats a great looking knife.

Mistwalker · Dec 23, 2009

sicily02 said:
No that is the little one that you drew up for the ladies.

Yep, I agree with ya, a blue knife handle seems to be pretty sheeple friendly. When I told kathy about using red and white liners with the blue scales and she was like YEA BABY I like it lol.

You know I am thinking a double edged SERE Shape blade would look very cool. Just playing with some ideas lol.

I started another SERE VII today in A-2. That Green handled in the pic above is going to Poland.

Chat with ya later,

Bryan

Ah I see, cool, I hadn't see it since you put the handles on it.

That D.E. SERE sounds good. Just make sure you get the upper scallop long enough to get a thumb in for push cuts without cutting it on the back of the upper edge and it should be good to go.

Oh and I already know about the A2, lol, got an email earlier and heard something about a Sojourner too

.

Fonly · Dec 24, 2009

untamed said:

Freggin love that thing, I think it would look nice on a new LBV.

Wonder where I could get that in canada??

untamed · Dec 24, 2009

LOL! So it wasn't just me that fell for that Boker A/F huh?

Being the OC, nitpicker that I am, if I did get one though, I'd probably take-off the top guard, chop the bottom a bit and expose the pommel. I bet it'll really be good to go then!

Fonly · Dec 24, 2009

No shit man, the Mircata on the handle looks nice too, if its real...

Bushman5 · Dec 24, 2009

I want that BOKER!

tholiver · Dec 24, 2009

mistwalker said:
Sometimes I think I'd much rather have a Trident than the SEAL Teams I have. I think I'm gonna look for an older one. At $60.00 the one you got was a steal! What kind of sheath did the 2006 models come in?

This is the 20th anniversary model, on one side it says 1986-2006 and has the trident logo on the blade, the other side has the SOG logo with the blade splitting the bullet, it is made in Taiwan not Japan. It came with the standard leather sheath with the sharpening stone pouch on the front.
I think the knife has hardly been used, looks like it still has the factory edge and the stone has not been used at all. There are a few very tiny light surface scratched on the guard, probably from occasional rubbing contact with the two rivets in the sheath. I've seen worse scratches on some "new" knives in store display cases,lol. The knife sheath is in good condition but you can tell it has been worn on a belt. Methinks this knife was worn quite a few times but hardly ever used.
I love this knife and the micarta ring handle is grippier than i though it would be (a good thing).
A buddy of mine has one of the old SOG Midnight Blue Tigersharks, so i've got a hankering to get a bigger brother for my Trident, lol.
If i can swing it next year i might try and pick up a Superbowie.
I'm figuring on drastically cuttting back knife purchases to maybe 2 or 3 for the entire year so i can maybe look at knives outside my usual "$100-or-less" price range.

Big Mike · Dec 24, 2009

I always liked the look of this stylized Bowie,

part of Bob Doziers Military/Tactical line.

Big Mike

PayetteRucker · Dec 24, 2009

DWK2 said:
They haven't gotten into higher-end steels because they are still able to sell knives with the older steels. When market pressures increase, I expect they'll spend the time and money to make the change. I'll be looking forward to that.

DancesWithKnives

These are through-and-through fighting knives, for the purpose of splitting flesh. Aus-8 takes a REDICULOUS hairsplitting edge, and the price is relatively constant compared to other steels. Hardness and durability aren't an issue, the edge the blade can take IS. Plus the mall ninjas love em, so why change anything when people will pay 200 dollars for a 7 inch long bowie made out of sub-par steel?

dipbait · Dec 24, 2009

I loved my vintage Kabar. It was inherited. It accompanied me on all my outdoor excursions till someone took it .

matthewdanger · Dec 24, 2009

I would not call AUS-8 a sub par steel. It is not a fashionable steel but it works quite well. It takes a GREAT edge and can be sharpened easily in the field. I actually prefer AUS-8 to many of the current super steels.

mneedham · Dec 24, 2009

Cpl Punishment said:
Good points.

In was thinking about this the other day.
B.BF. (Before Bladeforums), I had a Buck 110 on me at all times, and carried a Ka-Bar USMC (later replaced by an Ontario RAT-7) and an Estwing hatchet in the woods. The Ka-Bar (RAT) getting the lion's share of the workout. It wasn't until I came here, that I learned that only traditional styled knives cut wood, and I "needed" a "bushcrafter".

After reading Pitdog's first use of his Tracker, I started thinking "Well, if that POS can (with a proper grind) actually work, what other knives also work?"
Answer: pretty much all of them.

My first one I tried and am quite happy with its performance in woods tasks was my Busse Hellrazor -- nothing if not a military/fighting style blade:

Another not generally thought of as a woods blade is my HI Kerambit, which has turned out to be quite a good utility knife:

So, my general knife advise now is: Buy what you like, and learn to use it. Don't listen to what people tell you it can't do.

+1 on the Hell Razor being a good outdoors blade...

I look at all those SOGs in this thread, and I don't see them as anything other than woods knives (good looking ones too!). But than again, I've never really understood the term "tactical knife", "tactical firearm" has a better ring to my ear......

BlackHills · Dec 24, 2009

I carried an Ek (double edged and later a bowie) knife in the field while I was in the Marines. While double edged isn't my first choice for a woods knife it saw lots of use in more mundane tasks and performed good enough that I could get by with one if I had to.

untamed said:
LOL! So it wasn't just me that fell for that Boker A/F huh?

Being the OC, nitpicker that I am, if I did get one though, I'd probably take-off the top guard, chop the bottom a bit and expose the pommel. I bet it'll really be good to go then!

The way it's ground I'm thinking that could be made into a scandi pretty easily.

untamed · Dec 24, 2009

^ Yep! Scandi the edge too!