Mad Dog vs. ???

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gijaney

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Oct 17, 2004
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undefined Does anybody have any info on the quality of Mad Dog knives? They certainly seem expensive enough. Been thinking about a Cold Steel Recon tanto or Trailmaster and such- how do they stack up compared to Mad Dogs? Thanks for the help.
 
Well, I can not really say with any certainty how good or bad Mad Dog, knives are (I don't own one.) I can say that if you are thinking about a cold steel recon tanto, the mad dogs are probably not going to worth the money to you. I think that they (cold steels) can probably give you good valuefor your money. If you want a tougher/better knife, and want to step up in price/quality, then I think that swamp rat or other hard use knife company (don't mean to plug swamp rat, but I can't think of anything else at the moment, I'm tired, but they have a great product and warranty) would probably be next on the knife totem pole. Swamp Rat or something comparable would, IMO come WAY before Mad Dog in price.
Nothing against Mad Dog Knives at all, I would just need a LOT of hazard pay to buy/use one.
 
MD's - Nice enough knives w/great sheaths. Priced a bit on the hige side with lots of hype. If you're looking for a more practically priced hi-performance working blade the Swamp Rat line will do.
 
I have three MD's.

I'd trust my life to any one of them. They're not for everyone.....and that's fine.

But...for the one's who buy them, they are not disappointed. :D
 
No comparison.

For $50 to $150 you will not beat the CS - the Recon Tanto has a rubber guard that may come apart after some use and the rubber handles on both will literally shred you flesh under hard use, BUT the steel is if I recall properly 52-100, which is a damned nice steel for the price.

Mad Dogs are no mass produced, they are sole authorship knives, they are cut and ground from blanks of 01 tool steel, differentially hardened and the handles are made specifcally to avoid irritating your hand.

I own a pile of them and carry and use them daily as do many of my friends. I have seen first-hand them do things you should not be able to do with knives of their size - the product of excellent edge geometry, balance and overall desig.

The Mad Dog kydex is literally the best I have seen and I have seen a LOT of kydex - no Tec-locks, no detachable loops, no gizmos, the sheaths are not designed to be multipurpose - they are designed to afford maximum protection and accessibility of your knife and protect you from it at the same time.

Mad Dogs are worth the price for some folks - I am one of them. They are also worth the wait, which is due to a ridiculous backlog - all his clients cannot be wrong.

As for the hype, I have seen a "few" other makers with all sorts of hype over non-ergonomic mass-produced (CNC or whatever) knives at, near or even in some cases surpassing the cost of Mad Dogs, with FAR more hype and I for one have not seen the performance out of them indicative of such hype. The internet is a great place to hype stuff up, but there is a reason MD Knives do not trade hands anywhere near as often as a lot of other folks' wares.

Mad Dog knives are like really good 1911's - they are built one at a time by a guy who knows one day your life could depend on this knife. It has to work then, with no hassles, no concerns, and no gimmicks. They are built for the user, and the collector who is looking for this purity also finds his way there.

Take a look at www.mdtactical.com for a beginning look at Mad Dog knives and if you wish, email me at your convenience - I would be happy to give you some first hand user-end information about the knives.
 
The few Mad Dogs you see for sale on the secondary market get snapped up very quick. These are hand made knives done the old fashioned way; not mass produced ones. There is a market out there that appreciates the hand made workmanship and design in each one.

There's all sorts of other knives out there in all sorts of methods, materials and price points. Go with what you like and can afford.
 
I sure would have felt better sneaking up a deranged hillbilly holding a shotgun on John Voight if I had a Mad Dog in my hand. Would never have had to hear anyone of my party "sqeal like a pig" :)
 
If you ever think that you would be in a position that would require a knife...one that would be needed to save a life, or that of your own, then a "good" knife isn't good enough.

You need a knife better than good! Try and place a value on your life, or that of a loved one. Then....think again what you need in a knife.

If you buy what you consider to be the best knife available, the knife you choose will serve you well, and will most likely last you a lifetime.

I'm a "gun nut", and not so much a "knife nut". BUT....if I choose to possess a survival type knife (and I have), I'm going to buy the very best knife that I can afford.

I'm the proud owner of an ATTAK II, an Az. Hunter, and a, well....."one off" compact specialty knife that was built to my specs (huge hands). :D

Piece of mind goes a long way........ :)
 
If you do a search you will find a great deal of info on Mad Dog. Personally, I think they are very good knives. Much better than the others you mentioned, but also much more expensive. It's kind of like apples and oranges.

I know I am going to ask the impossible here, but do you guys think we can keep this thread from turning into the regular Mad Dog flame fest that always happens when someone asks about Kevin's knives? That would really be a wonderful change. So far, so good.
 
Maybe this question doesn't fit in this topic but can anyone explain me the comfort in real using MD Arizona Hunter both in 3/16'' and 1/4'' thickness? You know, isn't 1/4 too fat and heavy and 3/16 too thin for prying? :confused:
 
gijaney said:
undefined Does anybody have any info on the quality of Mad Dog knives? They certainly seem expensive enough. Been thinking about a Cold Steel Recon tanto or Trailmaster and such- how do they stack up compared to Mad Dogs?
Click to expand...

Mad Dogs have vastly better ergonomics and handle durability. The cutting ability is similar as the blade geometries are both full flat with similar v-ground edges. Mad Dog has much better sheaths if you like Kydex. Neither has decent warrenty polices, both make claims about performance and both warrenties will be voided if the claims are tested.

A step up from both are the Swamp Rat and Busse combat line. They offer much greater overall durability blade durability (the Swamp Rat handles are Resperine C which isn't as durable as G10 - but if fully covered by the same warrenty as the blade), and a high level of cutting ability and overall blade versatility and dependability. Full warrenty which covers the performance claims. No hype - just performance.

The Becker line is also solid as well, in general a little better than the Cold Steel line in most respects.

-Cliff
 
Just remember when someone says something is better, or best, 99% of the time it is just their opinion.
 
Opinions vary in validity. When someone says they own, use, benefit from, or depend on a particular knife, that opinion is worth more to me than "from what I've heard, they're not bad". When someone tests a knife against some measureable standard, that opinion goes beyond opinion.
 
glorfindel said:
Maybe this question doesn't fit in this topic but can anyone explain me the comfort in real using MD Arizona Hunter both in 3/16'' and 1/4'' thickness? You know, isn't 1/4 too fat and heavy and 3/16 too thin for prying? :confused:
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1/4" for me.....isn't too fat and/or heavy. I want a knife that will stand up to any "test" I may have to put it thru.

I'm not sure what the exact weight difference would be, between the 3/16 and the 1/4, but I'm sure it's not enough to lose sleep over. :D
 
Neither has decent warrenty polices, both make claims about performance and both warrenties will be voided if the claims are tested.
Click to expand...

I think that is extremely bad policy. I like the look of Mad Dog knives, but would never buy one, simply because of what Cliff said.

Thor
 
Paratrooper said:
I'm not sure what the exact weight difference would be, between the 3/16 and the 1/4 ...
Click to expand...

About 30% assuming the basic design stays the same. In regards to being thick and heavy, McClungs knives are fairly neutral in balance and are thus light in comparison to most knives. This has its advantages in regards to blade movement and disadvantages in regards to power.

-Cliff
 
Dr. Thor said:
I think that is extremely bad policy. I like the look of Mad Dog knives, but would never buy one, simply because of what Cliff said.

Thor
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I'd buy one in a heart-beat if I had the bills to drop on it, based on the statements of people who own them (Mad Dogs) in this thread alone. Never mind any of the other users out there that I've heard reports from on Mad Dogs.
 
The Mission MPK-S is a real eyeball to eyeball competitor for the MD ATAK. No frills, A2 steel, very similar geometry.
 
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