Knife for Contractor in Afghanistan

I don't think it matters too much what he'll be doing, because if it's something which requires specific tools he'll already have them or they'll be available or issued or whatever. We know the type of area he's gonna be in and what a knife can and cannot do, so it's not too difficult to recommend a blade.
 
There are a huge variety of choices in folders...too many in my estimation. I would grab something light by Buck Knives. For the fixed blade, the Paklite 143 by Buck clocks in at under 3 oz. and is a tough, stainless blade crafted out of 420C. These fixed blades in the skeleton configuration are making quite a splash in the hunting community, so much so that they even rival the popularity of the 119. When weight is a consideration, the 143 offers a lot of knife for the mass of the tool, and the added bonus is that you won't even notice it when you carry it for hours on end. For the multitool, I'd give a thumbs up to the Swisstool. Of course, it goes without saying that the ubiquitous SAK should always reside in your khakis. A pair of tweezers can come in mighty handy when you need it!
 
Multi-tool
Primary: Gerber 600 EOD
Backup: Gerber 400 Compact Sport

Folder
Primary: Spyderco Military or Benchmade Griptilian 550?
Backup: Cold Steel American Lawman

Fixed Blade
Mora Clipper or ESEE Izula?


you'll get the most use out of the multi tool, a gerber will work and if you brake any parts or blades on it you can pick up another there for about 5-10 bucks.
take the spyderco.
if you have a better sheath than the one that came with the mora, take it.take 2 just so you'll have a back up if you brake it.

I just got back from there, i took an endura(first trip), sog power plier, Mora, and a stockman for carving.
on my return i took a tenacious as well as the endura. take a med stockman, nice for carving, and some kind of stone for sharpening.
as long as your stuffs in your checked bags nobody's gonna say anything. Dubai is the only place you'll have a problem. on return trip mail most of it, only takes about 5 days on a real base, could be as long as a month on some bullshit fob.
good luck and don't sit behind the driver.
 
100eyes said:
I think the Military and Paramilitary tips are too fragile for hard use, I use them for back ups even in EDC gear. It's a bit more rare to need such a fine tip and edge which the Military/Paramilitary excel at.
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The distal taper is one of the reasons the military cuts so well and why I choose it over other knives. Everyone has different cutting needs I guess.
 
Shotgun said:
The distal taper is one of the reasons the military cuts so well and why I choose it over other knives. Everyone has different cutting needs I guess.
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This is a good statement. My Paramilitary is one of the best cutters I've ever owned, couple that with a splinter pickin' tip, and its a GREAT knife that weighs nearly nothing. I make sure at least one of my pockets has that guy stuffed in it, daily.

Is it a "hard use" folder? Who the hell cares, it cuts like a laser, which, is what a folder is supposed to do, IMO.

Good luck, brother.

Moose
 
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