please point me in right direction

[=Voodoo=]

I am looking for a 5-6 inch fixed blade boot knife

light weight, thin profile and rugged

not looking for anything over $300

would be great if I could find one for under $100

It will be primarily used for jumpmaster duties on Airborne ops


any links, pics, or personal experiences would be great

 

[BlindedByTheLite]

how about a Becker Companion from Becker Knife & Tool
(letter B)

5.5" blade... .230" thick... 0170-6C carbon steel... almost 15 ounces... maybe too heavy?

 

[fishface5]

Sounds like you want a basic japanese-style cord-wrapped tanto w/a secure kydex sheath. I'm not sure how you'll affix it to the boot securely for jumping though, that's a lot of impact on landing! And a 6" blade is really long for a boot knife. Anyway, there are a lot of makers who can come up with something you need at a resopnable price, check the makers forum for examples, like:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303820
or
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304095
(you'd want a longer blade, but you get the idea)

or
something more modern w/o being too bulky:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304177
or
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=305036

etc etc

Two production knives to check out are the Spyderco Perrin Street Bowie and the Cold Steel Kobun tanto (but only in AUS 8 blade steel). They are 5" of good blade that I've tried & can vouch for, in lightweight packages.

Another option would be www.grecoknives.com - check out the Whisper for $50, a hell-for-stout boot knife. you might want to replace the micarta handles w/a cord-wrap, and you'd need to get someone to make a kydex sheath for it. But that sounds like it's right up your alley.


Also, try going to knifecenter.com and browsing their "fixed blades - boot knives" section for ideas. a lot of crap but some good stuff too.