Howdy all,
This is my first post here but have enjoyed the site for some time. I'm back from Iraq (Army, 1ID) and thought I'd share my knife selection/experience "down range." I brought some good knives with me and was issued some more. I'm not permitted to post pictures yet so I'll just have to list them;
My private stash:
1. A German WWII (Wehrmacht) combat knife by Tiger in Solingen, Germany. Highcarbon blade almost 6 inches long with full tang, wood grip, and metal sheath with clip. Great knife I bought in Germany. Lots of comments and always a topic of conversation. The edge held well and performed well. Performed all my general purpose needs and was a good source of comfort for a last-ditch level of protection.
2. Original Swiss Army knife by Elsener built in 1954 and made of surgical steel. Holy Crap sharp and given to me by a good friend in the Swiss Army. Always in my pocket and another topic of conversation. It is a fantastic knife and performed it's funtion without flaw (well, they don't make cans in the style the can opener is designed for anymore but it still opens beer bottles here in Germany). It was also nice to cary a knife given to me by a friend while in harms way, sort of a comfort item.
3. Leatherman Super Tool. Gotta have one! Always came in handy during the oddest jobs. Multi-tools are worth their weight in gold.
Issued: (Uncle Sam came thru!)
1. Camillus CQB1 60/40 blade in 154CM. Awesome knife! I saw soldiers abusing them and they just kept performing. This knife came SHARP and had an awesome sheath from Blade-Tech. I could wear this knife on my gear or on my person while on or off base. The only down side for me was it's size. We already carried a lot of weight while outside the wire and a big knife was sometimes left behind at base during the extreme of summer. All in all, this knife was a winner.
2. Benchmade (9100?) switchblade in 154CM and black. Cool knife. It became my daily carry. The switchblade was fun and cool but I could have done with a regular thumbhole opener instead of the spring opening. I didn't abuse this knife or try and test the lock.
Well, that's what I had and they all did well.
I saw a lot of different knives down range. Multi-tools were very popular with everyone (Gerbers, Leathermans, and Victorinox mainly). Did see a few Randalls; They were all #1s. The owners were happy to have a good knife with a great history but there were some problems from my point of view. The desert was soo hot and dry that the leather handle shrank and became loose. The shinny brass hilt was also not so cool. I saw folks cover them up with some 100mph tape. Also, for the most part soldiers didn't know much about knives or how to sharpen them, they just used them to death or damage. Those knives that made it are truly "Joe-proof" and made to last.
Thank for the great forum and I hope you like the info.
Barker45
This is my first post here but have enjoyed the site for some time. I'm back from Iraq (Army, 1ID) and thought I'd share my knife selection/experience "down range." I brought some good knives with me and was issued some more. I'm not permitted to post pictures yet so I'll just have to list them;
My private stash:
1. A German WWII (Wehrmacht) combat knife by Tiger in Solingen, Germany. Highcarbon blade almost 6 inches long with full tang, wood grip, and metal sheath with clip. Great knife I bought in Germany. Lots of comments and always a topic of conversation. The edge held well and performed well. Performed all my general purpose needs and was a good source of comfort for a last-ditch level of protection.
2. Original Swiss Army knife by Elsener built in 1954 and made of surgical steel. Holy Crap sharp and given to me by a good friend in the Swiss Army. Always in my pocket and another topic of conversation. It is a fantastic knife and performed it's funtion without flaw (well, they don't make cans in the style the can opener is designed for anymore but it still opens beer bottles here in Germany). It was also nice to cary a knife given to me by a friend while in harms way, sort of a comfort item.
3. Leatherman Super Tool. Gotta have one! Always came in handy during the oddest jobs. Multi-tools are worth their weight in gold.
Issued: (Uncle Sam came thru!)
1. Camillus CQB1 60/40 blade in 154CM. Awesome knife! I saw soldiers abusing them and they just kept performing. This knife came SHARP and had an awesome sheath from Blade-Tech. I could wear this knife on my gear or on my person while on or off base. The only down side for me was it's size. We already carried a lot of weight while outside the wire and a big knife was sometimes left behind at base during the extreme of summer. All in all, this knife was a winner.
2. Benchmade (9100?) switchblade in 154CM and black. Cool knife. It became my daily carry. The switchblade was fun and cool but I could have done with a regular thumbhole opener instead of the spring opening. I didn't abuse this knife or try and test the lock.
Well, that's what I had and they all did well.
I saw a lot of different knives down range. Multi-tools were very popular with everyone (Gerbers, Leathermans, and Victorinox mainly). Did see a few Randalls; They were all #1s. The owners were happy to have a good knife with a great history but there were some problems from my point of view. The desert was soo hot and dry that the leather handle shrank and became loose. The shinny brass hilt was also not so cool. I saw folks cover them up with some 100mph tape. Also, for the most part soldiers didn't know much about knives or how to sharpen them, they just used them to death or damage. Those knives that made it are truly "Joe-proof" and made to last.
Thank for the great forum and I hope you like the info.
Barker45
Actually, here you are answering one of the regular questions we get, like "What do you really use in a war zone?" It's great that you personally had such a variety of knives.
