Knife for the reserves

A

AussieKnifeNut

Joined
Jun 7, 2012
Messages
50
G'day
I have been lurking around for a while and finally decided to join up. I'll start off by introducing myself. I am 19 and live in Australia. I have owend knives since I was a young buck, starting off with a Buck 110 as my first hunting/skinning knife and naturally progressed from there. My collection has become quite extensive and topped with my gun collection it has set me back a few dollars to say the least. The problem is her in Aus if you own anything more than a butter knife you are classed as a potential serial killer. Anyway, enough about me, on to my question.

I am currently going through the final stages in the process to join the army reserves as a rifleman and was wondering what you guys think would be a good knife to carry while on training exercises? I have been considering the Rat-3 and SOG Seal Team, both very different knives and both serve their own purpose. Basic requirements are that its fixed blade and good sheath, needs to be able to fullfil any work out in the bush from cutting to digging to chopping. I do have knives which I could use but they have their roles else where and this is a good excuse to grab another knife. Will be good to hear your opinions.
 
Talk to your W/O first, to see if you are even allowed to carry. Then, go for either a SOG, Leatherman, or Swiss Tool, multi-tool. You can thank me later. ;)
 
Yeah cheers mate. I've confirmed with a few of the officers who all have their own personal favourites which they carry. I own two leathermans, original and wave, and I carry the Wave on me most days. Just want a good little field knife for when I go on courses, etc. You are right about about the multi-tools, wouldn't be caught dead without one.
 
Well, in that case, I would be inclined toward the RAT-3. Right colour, right weight, right price, and besides, who wants to be caught with a knife designed for a 'salt sucker'. ;) (Just kidding.)

The SOG is a well proven knife, it just doesn't ring my chimes as a good field knife for a rifleman, IMO.
 
You can't go wrong with any of the ESEE knives. The RAT/ESEE 3 would be an excellent choice for your situation. IMO Good luck.

Question. I thought Australia was saddled with extremely strict gun laws. What sort of firearm collection do you have? If you don't mind me asking.
 
You are right about us having tight gun laws. We can't own semi autos or pump actions (we can have pump rifles) and pistols are very tightly restricted. My collection mostly consists of lever action rifles as they are about as close to a semi auto as I can get my hands on but also a few bolt actions for long range target/hunting work and a SxS, U/O and lever action shotguns. I have 5 lever action rifles, 3 bolt action rifles and 3 shotguns. Wish we had laws closser to that of the US or New Zealand.
 
A.P.F. said:
Talk to your W/O first, to see if you are even allowed to carry. Then, go for either a SOG, Leatherman, or Swiss Tool, multi-tool. You can thank me later. ;)
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#1 There is no rush for now. Go ask what the Army rules are first. Your perspectives will grow with your experience. Find out what the others are carrying and why.
 
I second the ESEE. An ESEE 4 will be enough knife for just about anything. A 3 or an izula would be good if you're trying to go lightweight. If you want something a bit less expensive a becker 15, 16 or 17 would be a great option (16's the most functional in my opinion).

What are new zealand gun laws like?
 
What's your budget and how big are your hands? Have you looked into Swamp Rat and Scrap Yard knives? They don't come with sheaths except on secondary market but both regularly show up on the exchange thus. I'd recommend the SYKCO 511 or the RatManDu. Note that the former has a smaller handle, imho not as good for use with gloves, but it's less expensive and very high quality. The latter is among the most comfortable "all-around" knives I've ever handled, highly ergonomic and well suited for barehands or gloves. Both are tough field knives with lifetime warranties (like all Bussekin) and available from the factory if desired. Both fit well in a SpecOps Combat Master sheath, and a number of sheath-makers on this forum have ready-made custom-sheaths available for them. Do a little research on them, especially the RMD, and see if you want to spring for one.
A word of caution - Bussekin knives are traditionally designed for very hard use and as such usually come from the factory with a sharp but relatively obtuse edge around the curve toward the tip for durability is chopping, prying, and digging. If you want this section more acute, you can call the shop and ask them for it (they're a small family operation), you can find a reprofiled one on the exchange here, or you can get one mint and reprofile it yourself (which is what I did). These are high quality hard use knives and well worth the asking price, imho.

Less expensive recommendation - Gerber LMFII and Prodigy. Try to get a 12C27 version of either if possible. They are stainless steel, tough (though not at the level of the two above), and designed for military (ab)use. Neither make a good woods-knife, imho, but they are impressive tools that a number of US troops include in their combat gear. Again, lifetime warranty (not to the level of Bussekin, but less expensive).

There are lots of other options, those are just what I own. Good luck!
 
I broke a SOG right in half while doing some basic woodwork, I would never recommend a SOG knife to a soldier. Get an ESEE-4 Plenty of knife, low weight and low bulk.


If i were you I would go with a custom in 1095. www.stknives.com and even better www.graymanknives.com I dont think you could do better than a grayman knife at any pricepoint.
 
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Can't go wrong with an ESEE... but then again, I've also had a SOG Seal Pup, and although it's not the same as what you were looking at, it's similar, and I really liked it. Out of the two, I'd go with the ESEE, but I'd probably get the MOLLE back for the sheath since otherwise it's a little unwieldy to carry.
 
fatherhudson said:
I second the ESEE. An ESEE 4 will be enough knife for just about anything. A 3 or an izula would be good if you're trying to go lightweight. If you want something a bit less expensive a becker 15, 16 or 17 would be a great option (16's the most functional in my opinion).

What are new zealand gun laws like?
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New Zealand gun laws are very similar to that of the US and Canada. Longarms don't need to be registered, still allowed semi's and pumps, large mag capacities, suppressors (Im pretty sure), permitts within the week for pistols, etc. They have very lax gun laws yet incredibly low gun crime, well any form of crime.

Im a bit tied on the Esee, the 3 is small but a lot of knife for the size and the 4 is quite a bit of knife. However I believe the 4 will be a bit more versitile without being to much.
 
hayes31 said:
Can't go wrong with an ESEE... but then again, I've also had a SOG Seal Pup, and although it's not the same as what you were looking at, it's similar, and I really liked it. Out of the two, I'd go with the ESEE, but I'd probably get the MOLLE back for the sheath since otherwise it's a little unwieldy to carry.
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Agreed, one of my main reasons for leaning towards the SOG Seal Team is the MOLLE sheath it comes with.
 
A.P.F. said:
Talk to your W/O first, to see if you are even allowed to carry. Then, go for either a SOG, Leatherman, or Swiss Tool, multi-tool. You can thank me later. ;)
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Excellent advice there.
I carry a Leatherman Wave and a Leatherman Freestyle tucked away in my Aid Bag (68W/Combat Medic). I also carry a Benchmade Mini Barrage, but that is more out of habit as I also EDC that in the civilian world. Currently don't carry a fixed blade.
 
Options for folders is pretty limitted here in Australia. I have a Spyderco Military which I will carry, not my ideal folder but considering I can't even buy another one of those as it can be opened one handed it will do.
 
chiral.grolim said:
What's your budget and how big are your hands? Have you looked into Swamp Rat and Scrap Yard knives? They don't come with sheaths except on secondary market but both regularly show up on the exchange thus. I'd recommend the SYKCO 511 or the RatManDu. Note that the former has a smaller handle, imho not as good for use with gloves, but it's less expensive and very high quality. The latter is among the most comfortable "all-around" knives I've ever handled, highly ergonomic and well suited for barehands or gloves. Both are tough field knives with lifetime warranties (like all Bussekin) and available from the factory if desired. Both fit well in a SpecOps Combat Master sheath, and a number of sheath-makers on this forum have ready-made custom-sheaths available for them. Do a little research on them, especially the RMD, and see if you want to spring for one.
A word of caution - Bussekin knives are traditionally designed for very hard use and as such usually come from the factory with a sharp but relatively obtuse edge around the curve toward the tip for durability is chopping, prying, and digging. If you want this section more acute, you can call the shop and ask them for it (they're a small family operation), you can find a reprofiled one on the exchange here, or you can get one mint and reprofile it yourself (which is what I did). These are high quality hard use knives and well worth the asking price, imho.

Less expensive recommendation - Gerber LMFII and Prodigy. Try to get a 12C27 version of either if possible. They are stainless steel, tough (though not at the level of the two above), and designed for military (ab)use. Neither make a good woods-knife, imho, but they are impressive tools that a number of US troops include in their combat gear. Again, lifetime warranty (not to the level of Bussekin, but less expensive).

There are lots of other options, those are just what I own. Good luck!
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While there is nothing wrong with scrapyard or swamp rat knives honestly the esee can do anything the bussekin knives can do and you can buy about 3 esee's for the same price. Also the esee knives come with amazing sheaths from the factory.
 
PatrickKnight said:
While there is nothing wrong with scrapyard or swamp rat knives honestly the esee can do anything the bussekin knives can do and you can buy about 3 esee's for the same price. Also the esee knives come with amazing sheaths from the factory.
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I think your English must be funky.
What you seem to have meant to say is that there is "nothing wrong" with ESEE knives, that you suppose them equal to bussekin in performance and 3x less expensive even with the addition of a sheath.

Well, ESEE Junglas ~$190, SYKCO 911 ~$180, Rodent 9 ~$200. ESEE-4 ~$100, ESEE-6 ~$130. SYKCO 511 ~$100, Rodent 4 ~$120, RatManDu ~$140. ESEE-3 ~$100, SYKCO 311 ~$80, Rodent Solution ~$120...

Bussekin knives don't come with a sheath. What they come with is Busse heat-treated 52100 steel (SR-101), easily argued to be an upgrade in toughness and edge-retention over basic 1095 which contains no alloying elements, just iron+carbon. Bussekin handles are highly ergonomic and well finished. A wide variety of handle materials and blade coatings are available on numerous models. And finally, Busse knives are warrantied for life against serious damage including abuse and the owners have not been documented insulting and denigrating their customers.

ESEE knives use inferior steel, inferior ergonomics, smaller selection of configurations on a given model, and the owners have repeatedly been document insulting and denigrating their customers, not only on forums but on their own webpage in the warranty section. ???
But, they come with a sheath of impressive quality, they are very tough and can handle just about anything that most users might throw at them (but if you throw the knives themselves, expect to be denigrated by the owners ;))

I have handled ESEE knives, I own an Izula (great little knife), and I have been impressed with the documented performance of their products. But imho they are not designed to the performance level of Swamp Rat or Scrapyard in endurance (not that most users would ever need that level) and the owners are very unprofessional. Thankfully, these differences are made up by inclusion of a good sheath which brings an ESEE package to about the same price as SRKW & SYKCO. No, you cannot buy 3 ESEE's for the price of 1 comparably sized Bussekin. You can get 1 ESEE with sheath for the price of 1 Bussekin without sheath.

IMHO there is nothing 'wrong' with any of the products of the companies mentioned. You'll get what you pay for :thumbup:
 
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G'day mate, a few observations from asking myself similar questions while applying to Duntroon last year (Aussie equivalent of West Point for everyone else). I didn't quite get through the medical, but the experience was rewarding in itself.

1) Regardless of what officers have told you about their favourite blade, make sure you read the rules for your basic training (and other courses) carefully. For Duntroon it explicitly stated that you were not under any circumstances to bring a knife and it would be confiscated if you tried. I suspect the same would apply for Kapooka at the very least.
2) If you do a search on ausmilitary.com for knife related topics, you'll find the Leatherman Wave or Charge way out in front as preferred bladed tool to carry.

3) After all that, having got hold of an ESEE 4 (with TKC scales) recently, I think it would be perfect for what you are looking for. The other knife I would consider but haven't had a chance to play with is the Becker BK-16. Certainly worth a look.

Whereabouts in Oz are you anyway?
 
ozgooner said:
G'day mate, a few observations from asking myself similar questions while applying to Duntroon last year (Aussie equivalent of West Point for everyone else). I didn't quite get through the medical, but the experience was rewarding in itself.

1) Regardless of what officers have told you about their favourite blade, make sure you read the rules for your basic training (and other courses) carefully. For Duntroon it explicitly stated that you were not under any circumstances to bring a knife and it would be confiscated if you tried. I suspect the same would apply for Kapooka at the very least.
2) If you do a search on ausmilitary.com for knife related topics, you'll find the Leatherman Wave or Charge way out in front as preferred bladed tool to carry.

3) After all that, having got hold of an ESEE 4 (with TKC scales) recently, I think it would be perfect for what you are looking for. The other knife I would consider but haven't had a chance to play with is the Becker BK-16. Certainly worth a look.

Whereabouts in Oz are you anyway?
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G'day mate, yeah I have heard that the rules varry depending on where the course is, who is running, etc. And Im a Queenslander.
 
We have one of your neighbors playing for the University of Alabama National Champion football team. Defensive tackle-Jesse Williams also hails from Queensland. He is one of the most popular players on the team with both his teamates and the fans.

Any more like him??
 
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