New Issue of Tactical Knives

Follow the dollars gents. The more money you spend to place adds, surprisingly the better the knife becomes in the reviews.

Yah, I know it shouldn't work that way but this is the real world of shareholders and stocks in a down economy. The more you spend advertising in the mags, amazingly, the better the reviews. I believe its called "playing the game"!

I agree about the review being weak. I would much rather read about the folks who use the knife in real training and applications than making stew with a 1/4" knife.

FWIW, Mr Dick wasn't impressed with the Bark River Bravo either. I guess Mike had better buy the back cover to get better coverage.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
Blair B and Cpl Pun.

So what is real SERE knife use? In a shot down behind enemy lines situation you hide, don't cut anything that would leave a sign you have been there, and hope for search and rescue to find you.. . .
Military SERE training is about developing the right mental attitude to survive, not how to use your really special knife in some magical way normal civilians don't know about.
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Coming off a little hostile, there, fella.

But that's exactly my point. If I'm doing bushcraft and making stews, step 1 is to wonder if I'm even really E&Eing.

Knives don't have to be magical, but for a SERE knife, here's where I think the "sharpened prybar" comes into its own. Maybe you have to get out of somewhere NOW, and prying a padlock latch off a door will really help (think: they are after you, perhaps with dogs, you're not hiding or Evading yet, you'r in the Escape mode. You need to make that hole NOW, leaving a trace is moot at this stage. That type of thing.). Also not a bad idea to have a knife that won't bend while twisting it around in someone's body.

As for fighting, you MAY have to ram it through several layers of gear (and the RC5 is pointy enough), but usually there is gear piled up on the torso -- also where body armor is likely to be -- and is not the best target in a "I need to kill him quickly and as quietly as possible" scenario.

Basically, the SERE knife really doe need to be the jack of all trades. Unfortunately, people seem to always want to evaluate a knife's bushcrafting abilities and food prep, no matter the knife's design purpose.
 
Well, to hijack this thread a bit, Sidehill does bring up a good point. Just what is a 'SERE' knife?

To me a SERE knife is the knife you have with you when you need to SERE.

Here is a shot of the knives I've used in a 'SERE' capacity. (Really that should be "potential SERE capacity" as I ain't needed to SERE except in training.)

606499962_28PAA-L.jpg


The only thing they have in common is a sharp edge. None of them is designed for fighting or slicing potatoes, but they'll all work in a survival situation. It would seem to be a little weird, even paranoid, to carry a specific SERE knife. (The third knife from the top is actually an Al Mar SERE, so maybe I have carried a SERE knife. :D)

The AF pilot's knife at the top has seen the most field time. I had a Cold Steel SRK for a while, but never used it. It's probably similar to the RC-5. I like the folders because they are small, light, don't take up a lot of space, and don't draw much interest. The RC-4 is the newest of the lot, and is now my first choice. I do have the 'hots' for the RC-4. :o

None of the blades pictured is an 'ideal' SERE knife. But, in my ignorant opinion, any one of them would serve well enough in a SERE situation. And would serve "certainly better than no [knife] at all" to paraphrase Mr. Dick.

 
I just wanted to say that I appreciate Rotte's comments. It sometimes helps to see things in a different light. The comments and subsequent conversation have been well thought out by all. I think I've learned sumpin here..

Thanks,
 
johnspark said:
I just wanted to say that I appreciate Rotte's comments. It sometimes helps to see things in a different light. The comments and subsequent conversation have been well thought out by all. I think I've learned sumpin here..

Thanks,
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Thanks man, I appreciate that. Sometimes a little debate can be useful.

Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
Rotte, how did you like the Nimravus?
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I really like the Nim. Best with gloves because of the grip. It's lightweight and I like that. To tell the truth, I've carried it in my flight bag, but haven't really used it, so it's in really good shape. Now it is redundant because I've replaced it with an RC-4 and something Koyote is cooking up for me. If the mods are OK with the idea, I thought I might give it away as a prize in a contest here on the RAT forum. Maybe for my 1000th post.

 
Rotte said:
I've replaced it with an RC-4 and something Koyote is cooking up for me. If the mods are OK with the idea, I thought I might give it away as a prize in a contest here on the RAT forum. Maybe for my 1000th post.

[/SIZE][/FONT]
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I'll run and ask for you,


Whats that Shotty?


Oh ok I will tell him.



Yeah he said it was no problem with him, just as long as you make it a pick a number 1-3 giveaway and let hwpaintballer go first.



:D I'm sure no one would mind, this is a pretty relaxed place. It is also very well modded considering Jeff is gone and no one has brought out the boobs and bacon pics.
 
Joben said:
Yes, and the implicit ending to the phrase 'jack of all trades' is 'master of none.'
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And I would be tempted to ask who are the Masters, and what makes their way the best.

But then I'd be baiting the Masters, and that would make me just another Master Baiter, so I won't.

:p


"And that's when the thread went on that downward slide. . ."
 
I thought the article was very good. While the RC-5 was designed by SERE instructors, the fact is most folks using the knife are going to use it like the Steven did in the article.

As for the advertising statement, we advertise in every issue of TK, and we have always asked that a writer always write the review as it is. I know my writings for TK I call it like I see it. With that said, I have turned down knives because I didn't feel they fit what I would like to use. And being that we advertise every issue (color ads at that) you would think that an RC knife would have made the cover by now if everything is ad dollar driven, eh?

As for SERE, we have taught some E&E classes in SA and worked with some expert instructors on developing course material. I think a lot of folks have a Hollywood, Ramboistic view of SERE. Depending on the situation and where I am my "SERE" blade may well be a machete or a Buck 110 or nothing at all. I think people mis-use a "survival" knife in the same way they mis-use a survival wire saw.

Again, I appreciate the comments from everyone, but reality of what a knife does every day goes a lot further to me than an idea of what it should do. If someone would have made up some BS story that they did SERE A or SERE B with the Rc-5 then I would have been pissed. Steven used the knife for everything he wrote about it and that's what matters to us. I just got back from a week of being in Blackhawk helicopters stuffed to the gills with 18 Junglas and a 4-man crew, thus no room to move. If we would have gone down, I doubt an RC-5 would have saved my ass or got me out of the chopper.
 
Resurrecting an old thread since the thread got some play in the latest issue of Tactical Knives magazine
 
We be setting the world on fire with all of our forum BS, eh?
 
I think some comments here did just that even though I liked the article he did on the 5 for us. ;)
 
I thought it was a good article.

I find Mr. Dick's articles always lay the tactical BS aside and focus a bit more on reality use.

As a matter of fact, that's what I like the most about "Tactical" knives. They have the least NinjaTac articles these days ironically. And the most real life and survival themed articles.

And the writers have the best looking moderators.
 
I have never read an issue of Tactical Knives in my life. Maybe I should, since many of the knives I use and collect are considered "tactical" knives. Is it a good magazine?
 
It's my favorite if that means anything to you.

Joezilla (Joe Flowers) and our own Jeff Randall are very (as in every issue) regular contributors.

There's always a survival/outdoors article in every issue.
 
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