Knife for Afghanistan

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NapalmCheese said:
Man, tough thread...

When a Gurkha uses a kukuri to behead a dead high priority target while on the move and heading for evac everyone's like "Hell yeah, that's bad ass!".

When a Marine wants to carry a 6-7 inch knife into combat everyone's like "WTF poseur, all you need is a SAK for opening MREs".

OP is a Marine (unless some other force uses the term 'scout sniper'?), and Marines should carry KA-BARs. It'll open your MRE, it'll probe for mines (use something non ferrous preferably...), it'll kill an enemy in dire circumstances, it won't set you back an arm and a leg, and it might not even get stolen.

I agree with the sentiment of "buy a Randall, put it in your sea bag, and give it to your kids when you retire; but carry the KA-BAR (or SRK, I think they are actually a little more useful)".

What do I know, I never served. Though, I do know my buddy who was in the Army working Civil Affairs (IIRC) in Afghanistan back around 2005 definitely became a knife guy while there. Before deployment he often carried a little folder. On deployment he eventually started carrying a dagger (Applegate IIRC), some switch blade he bought in country, his normal folder, and another little boot knife. As far as I know he never had to use on in anger, but he definitely felt better carrying them (and his rifle).
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It never even occurred to me that someone would have the cajones to come on a blade forum and pretend to be an active duty Marine (of any kind) but, it is the damn Internet. All kinds of phonies out there.

And I wasn't about to jump-in this one. No reason to do it. Although, I was an 11B and 11H in Berlin Brigade (A 2/6, CSC 2/6) from 1976-1982, I had no real combat experience and the only knife I ever carried in the field was a Buck 112 my dad gave me for my twelfth birthday. I still have it and I'm 59 now. I lost the leather pouch for it a long time ago.

My little knife came in handy on many occasions but it wasn't something I thought of as a 'weapon' of last resort. Being an M60 Gunner (had to carry the M67 90mm RR at first) and later as a TOW crew member, I had an issued Colt 1911A1 for that purpose. When your main job was patrolling a wall, greeting dignitaries at the airport, marching in parades and going on field exercises to Wildflecken/Hohenfels/Grafenwoehr 4 months a year, it's probably best to just STFU and defer to the guys who really were in the shit for recommendations and expertise.

But if I had to do it all over again and depending on where I'd be deployed, I'd probably want something a bit more substantial than a Buck 112. Even if the OP was a poser, it's still a legit question: what to carry as a grunt on-duty and by on-duty, I mean, doing your real job.
 
Just wanted to show a pic of the Jim Bensinger Street Barong I mentioned earlier- it's the larger one. It's a great knife.

AKVoWxX.jpg
 
NapalmCheese said:
Man, tough thread...

When a Gurkha uses a kukuri to behead a dead high priority target while on the move and heading for evac everyone's like "Hell yeah, that's bad ass!".

When a Marine wants to carry a 6-7 inch knife into combat everyone's like "WTF poseur, all you need is a SAK for opening MREs".

OP is a Marine (unless some other force uses the term 'scout sniper'?), and Marines should carry KA-BARs. It'll open your MRE, it'll probe for mines (use something non ferrous preferably...), it'll kill an enemy in dire circumstances, it won't set you back an arm and a leg, and it might not even get stolen.

I agree with the sentiment of "buy a Randall, put it in your sea bag, and give it to your kids when you retire; but carry the KA-BAR (or SRK, I think they are actually a little more useful)".

What do I know, I never served. Though, I do know my buddy who was in the Army working Civil Affairs (IIRC) in Afghanistan back around 2005 definitely became a knife guy while there. Before deployment he often carried a little folder. On deployment he eventually started carrying a dagger (Applegate IIRC), some switch blade he bought in country, his normal folder, and another little boot knife. As far as I know he never had to use on in anger, but he definitely felt better carrying them (and his rifle).
Click to expand...

When a Gurkha uses a kukuri to behead a dead high priority target while on the move and heading for evac everyone's like "Hell yeah, that's bad ass!".

The key point is that no one signed up on here and said "Hey I'm in the Gurkha Regiment and wondering what kind of knife I should deploy with; the choices are Cold Steel Broken Skull, Becker BK 11 or an Emerson kararmbit.
 
There's already enough crap a soldier has to carry on his belt without adding a fixed blade to catch on things.

I wasn't high speed, low drag enough, but in the regular old army, we did our digging with the nice little folding shovels we were issued. Special forces apparently prefer fixed blade knives. ;-)

If I were to go back in now, I'd just want a multi-tool and a folder. ...but I'm not 18 any more.

Ok, let me tell you my army knife story: I was in Advanced Training and had smuggled in or brought my Victorinox Tinker. (We weren't supposed to have a knife, for some damn reason) Carried it everywhere, and it was easy to do.

One day, the instructor needed a flat screwdriver for something. He asked if anyone had one. Nope. Of course not. I hesitated, took out my trusty SAK, then opened the screwdriver/bottle opener and gave it to him. He looked at me with surprise, told me I wasn't supposed to have that, then gratefully took it. He did the job with it, (can't remember what it was) handed it back to me with a smile and a wink and said: "Careful." I was a real hero for a few minutes.

If I'd have had "just a knife" he'd have bent the tip trying to use it as a screwdriver, then probably taken it from me.

I found it odd that, even in training, they'd hand me an assault rifle then ammo, a grenade, and lots of other things that make great weapons, but a knife?! Too dangerous for a recruit!
 
Quiet said:
So, a spelling and grammatical issue, then. After all, with one deployment, you'd have said "on my previous deployment" or "on a previous deployment", instead of "on previous deployments".

It's ok, a completely common error.
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I don't like the tone of disrespect. Why would he lie? Because of all the respect he would get?

I joined the army when I was 17 fresh out of high school; my mom had to co-sign for me. I was ready for battle at 18. Maybe him too.
 
Smaug said:
I don't like the tone of disrespect. Why would he lie? Because of all the respect he would get?

I joined the army when I was 17 fresh out of high school; my mom had to co-sign for me. I was ready for battle at 18. Maybe him too.
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With multiple deployments in your teens? That's what the OP claimed. He was asked specifics then disappeared.
 
Smaug said:
I don't like the tone of disrespect. Why would he lie? Because of all the respect he would get?

I joined the army when I was 17 fresh out of high school; my mom had to co-sign for me. I was ready for battle at 18. Maybe him too.
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Smaug, think about this for a minute, bud. You got a 19 year old who claims that he's done a deployment. Okay. Now, if he's been there and done that already, he's now an experienced soldier/marine. He knows what will be needed, how it will be used, and what Uncle Sam will issue him. He's lived through it, and seen some others who didn't. He also knows what will not be needed.

Why would he lie?

I don't know, but why do grown men claim they were navy SEAL's when they weren't even in the service? Why do they claim to be Special Forces or Marines or any of the high speed low drag video game hero's? Why is it so bad they now have stolen valor cases on a regular basis?

Because low life glory seeking losers want to get in on the bull hockey that is hero worship. Or you have dumb kids who think it's some kind of a glorious thing to be in on "it". They have no idea of how horrible a real war is. They have no idea from the video games they play down mom's basement how gritty, filthy, and scary a real war is, or what it feels like when the guy you were friends with gets his leg blown off and you're trying to get a tourniquet on the stump before he bleeds out. One gets tired of juvenile video gamers blustering BS.

Smaug, if the OP had ever really deployed, he knows what is needed.
 
jackknife said:
Smaug, think about this for a minute, bud. You got a 19 year old who claims that he's done a deployment. Okay. Now, if he's been there and done that already, he's now an experienced soldier/marine. He knows what will be needed, how it will be used, and what Uncle Sam will issue him. He's lived through it, and seen some others who didn't. He also knows what will not be needed.

Why would he lie?

I don't know, but why do grown men claim they were navy SEAL's when they weren't even in the service? Why do they claim to be Special Forces or Marines or any of the high speed low drag video game hero's? Why is it so bad they now have stolen valor cases on a regular basis?

Because low life glory seeking losers want to get in on the bull hockey that is hero worship. Or you have dumb kids who think it's some kind of a glorious thing to be in on "it". They have no idea of how horrible a real war is. They have no idea from the video games they play down mom's basement how gritty, filthy, and scary a real war is, or what it feels like when the guy you were friends with gets his leg blown off and you're trying to get a tourniquet on the stump before he bleeds out. One gets tired of juvenile video gamers blustering BS.

Smaug, if the OP had ever really deployed, he knows what is needed.
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You think every marine/soldier is an expert on knives? lol, no that is just ridiculous, I know many soldiers who know what they want out of a knife from training, but don't know all of the different; steels, brands, models etc like people do on this forum. So they post and or creep on forums to become more knowledgeable on knives, that is what forums are for... His previous deployment wouldn't of been as a scout sniper, so he is looking for a new knife to fit his new role. He DOES know what he needs, a fixed blade within the requirements he listed lol. He probably has a knife or knives in mind but wanted to come to a forum where people are very knowledgeable on a niche topic to see if he could learn anything new to add on to his experience/knowledge that he learned as a Marine.
 
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Maybe he just wanted advice from knife guys, (as opposed to regular grunts) and not judgment?

What if he IS lying? What do we have to lose by giving advice without questioning whether he is for real? Just time, which we're spending here anyway.

Save the judgment over the internet and try to be helpful. Like the sticky thread says.

Someone homed in on the fact that he pluralized "deployments" and now suddenly several of you have the torches and pitchforks out. Shameful.
 
Well considering he likely graduated from HS about 18 months ago, he sure has crammed in much into those months. BCT, AIT/A school, a deployment, Scout/Sniper training, and orders for a second deployment. I simply asked when and with whom he previously deployed, after which he hasn't returned.
 
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Smaug said:
I don't like the tone of disrespect. Why would he lie? Because of all the respect he would get?

I joined the army when I was 17 fresh out of high school; my mom had to co-sign for me. I was ready for battle at 18. Maybe him too.
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Thankfully, what you like or don't like isn't really on my radar. :)
 
Smaug said:
Maybe he just wanted advice from knife guys, (as opposed to regular grunts) and not judgment?

What if he IS lying? What do we have to lose by giving advice without questioning whether he is for real? Just time, which we're spending here anyway.

Save the judgment over the internet and try to be helpful. Like the sticky thread says.

Someone homed in on the fact that he pluralized "deployments" and now suddenly several of you have the torches and pitchforks out. Shameful.
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You act like this is the first time someone has come in to ask about a knife for military service, and throws in a mention of being in one of the more glamorous MOSs (and it's always some 18-19 year old kid), talking about being a Ranger DELTASEALSPECOPS commando. Every time, it's all just a story. I mean, for someone who joined in 2003, I'm not really sure why you're surprised. In fact, I'd say this thread is one of the tamer ones like this we've had.
 
pinnah said:
You're not from around here, are you?
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Just because people don't, doesn't mean they shouldn't.

Quiet said:
You act like this is the first time someone has come in to ask about a knife for military service, and throws in a mention of being in one of the more glamorous MOSs (and it's always some 18-19 year old kid), talking about being a Ranger DELTASEALSPECOPS commando. Every time, it's all just a story. I mean, for someone who joined in 2003, I'm not really sure why you're surprised. In fact, I'd say this thread is one of the tamer ones like this we've had.
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Guys like you are what is wrong with this forum. It isn't your place to judge, or say what his actual job is. He asked about knives, keep your non-knife opinion to yourself or don't comment at all. Your comments on this thread are not only just not helpful, they are actually to the detrimental to this thread.
 
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