Proven Military knives

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yooperdude

Joined
Apr 13, 2013
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Hey y'all its the forum member formally known as rezdawg. Ive been field testing knives for about 2 years for the purpose of use by other Military members. To state my qualifications I am a Marine in since 2011. Well here's a list of what my squad carries keep in mind theres only one other knife nut in this group the rest just use what works.

Myself I carry either a cold steel gi tanto set up for reverse draw or a karambit.. keep in mind these are set up for weak hand draw. I also carry a leatherman surge or core set up on my flak jacket. With a kershaw blur a spyderco military or a cold steel recon one.
The first boot we'll call Jones carries a Sog seal pop in a kydex/polymer sheath set up for a primary draw on a leg rig also carrying magazines, he's not into knives just bought it cause he thought seals used it.
2 we'll call Smith carries a Winchster bowie straight up don't knock them there good knives for low prices. It works we'll
3 we'll name Lopez now carries a cold steel peace keeper don't ask he carries a SAW I guess its cause its light.
Team leader 2 we'll refer to him as Roommate, he carries a gerber mk2 on his leg rig behind the pistol holster. He carries an SAK and a griptillian with a serrated blade. He uses his knifes as tools and asked for help buying them.
4 we're going to call him Collins he carries a becker bk2 set up for strong hand reverse draw on his web belt. The knife works we'll for everything weve cut with it.
5 we're going to name Smithers he carries an original buck nighthawk with serrated blade he took to IRQ its a damn good knife for anyone buying a knife for a service member if you can get an original not a tops repo. This guy does SAYOC KALI and also carries a serrated Tenacious with a zip tie mod.
6 his named is too long to spell much less prounouce he carries a Cold Steel SRK. I picked it out for him.
Team Leader 3 he carries a CS kobun also attached to a drop leg an issued POS Gerber and a ZT301 cause his hero Gibbs has one.
7 Gonzo carries a steel eagle. If you think Tops knives are gimmicky go get one and test it. I myslef am going to get the Dual Survival knife.
8 Martin he carries a Gerber Profile bought it a5 walmart only complaint the sheath sucks.
9 Teddy carries a Kabar big brother... cause he's a Marine. He also has a Gerber Hinderer colabration and a 5.11 boot knife his EDC.
Doc carries a Sog Boot Knife with a 5 inch 50/50 blade. I like it.
Our Gunny carries a xm24 no f---s given.
Our squad leader carries a spartan cqb tool a boker applegate fairbairn a gerber POS and a case whittler.
like I said only one other knife nut. The rest just use what works in the worst places. My gear is continuously updating I always go back to a GI Tanto inbetween tests. I am however having Charlie Mike badasserise a GI tanto and make a Karambit.
Hope this helps.
 
It's pretty bizarre, given past threads from military people saying that troops hate carrying heavy knives. Eg

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...e-Military-Deployment?highlight=troops+knives

Most of us who served started with fixed blades, but after a few extended trips in the field, we find a 3 1/2" folder does most of it. The big fixed blade stays home.

There are factors that intrude in what anyone wants to carry - weight, because the Armed Forces give you more gear than you will likely want to carry already; politics, as weapons not issued are sometimes a commanders pet peeve; carry on the web gear, as it is already overused and space is a premium. Level of activity factors in, Combat Arms drags gear thru close contact with the environment. Any shortcomings in placement and security of the sheath quickly arise. You also land on it when seeking cover, so the "jump rated" sheath is an accepted minimum for not having the blade cut thru to you.

The issue soldier's knife in Europe is a spearpoint folder with wood saw blade. They rotate the maker of the knife to the various countries, they are all pretty good and relatively inexpensive, it comes in OD, and has provision for a lanyard. More than that, it's a large sharp prybar, and the guy in the team assigned to carry it will quickly hate the extra weight. Other than that, larger fixed blades in the military are largely ceremonial.

In the day, I tried the Gerber Mk II on the pistol belt, it flops around, the butt stabs me in the ribs, the leather sheath was a fail as it softened and aged, retention was poor at best, and it quickly got cut thru. Next up was a Glock field knife, you could carry it upside down on the shoulder harness, it was nearly useless and hard to extract with the lever lock. Mounted too high it snagged the ruck straps, too low it could punch the abdomen. Later I tried the Nimravus in the vest under a mag pocket, again, it was relatively unused.

It's not that someone living in the field can't use a good fixed blade, it's that the military has so many other conflicting requirements and gear it becomes more a detriment than help. It's been like that since the Civil War - big bowie in the go to war pictures, 4" clasp knife in the kit.
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That's pretty typical of what other people in the military have said. And now a whole unit loaded down with war comic fixed blades!
 
Diffrence between them and us is that we're pogs not seeing alot of action. Also its all about weight management if you can set up your gear right you'll never notice the weight.
 
As an infantryman doing almost entirely foot patrol, I never carried a fixed. I had a Spyderco OIF Native (a gift from Sal) clipped to my IBA on my chest and a MT D/A Sodom in my trouser pocket.

I was in combat from July 03 to February 04.
 
meanwhile said:
It's pretty bizarre, given past threads from military people saying that troops hate carrying heavy knives. Eg



That's pretty typical of what other people in the military have said. And now a whole unit loaded down with war comic fixed blades!
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There is no right size or style in general because jobs and missions are so different - there were guys taking out people in Afghanistan and Iraq with Bowie knives and tomahawks. For most a durable folder and a multi-tool are plenty without getting in the way while working or snagging on everything around you.
 
yooperdude said:
Diffrence between them and us is that we're pogs not seeing alot of action. Also its all about weight management if you can set up your gear right you'll never notice the weight.
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Try moving it and ammo 30 miles a day overland with crew served weapons/ammo and it very quickly becomes about weight, not "weight management".


In what way are the knives you mention "Proven"? You say yourself that you're "not seeing a lot of action," so how are you testing the knives in a military manner?

Back in 04-05 in Iraq the only time I carried a fixed blade was when we were on mounted counter IED patrols. We were stopping and searching A LOT of personnel and their vehicles and a large knife is a surprisingly (to me) effective deterrent out there.
 
Not a single William Henry gentleman's folder among the squad? I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked. :)
 
I served in the Marines in afghanistan I never seen anyone with a tomahawk lol. And we were issued boyonetes that were big and heavy and the were serialized gear that you had to have accountability of. So most people did not carry any extra fixed blade. Most people had a folder.(ie mre opener). This dudes squad sounds like something out of call of duty or a walking blade hq.

Semper Fi 0331 out
 
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Got a work buddy that just got back from deployment, he was issued a crash axe/ tomahawk, slip in sheath.
 
never seen one brother have seen breacher kits with a axe but it was 04 when I was there.
 
yooperdude said:
I am however having Charlie Mike badasserise a GI tanto and make a Karambit.
Hope this helps.
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It's interesting and thanks to you and you squad for your service....but what do you exactly plan on doing with a karambit? And what does everyone in your squad do with their knives? As scouter pointed out, you have claimed these knives are "proven"...proven for what?

Honestly, it sounds like many of these guys bought their knives because people on TV use them or becuase they thought it would make them look "Ops"! :D
 
In what way are the knives you mention "Proven"? You say yourself that you're "not seeing a lot of action," so how are you testing the knives in a military manner?
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Maybe because most knife hobbyists idea of what "military use" means, and what most soldiers actually do with their knives, is way off.
 
If I was a soldier, my knife would be a Mission Titanium knife.
John Moore, who came up with the idea for a Ti combat knife, was a WW2 infantry soldier.
 
MatthewSB said:
Maybe because most knife hobbyists idea of what "military use" means, and what most soldiers actually do with their knives, is way off.
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True, but I'm getting the feeling here that these soldiers' idea of what "military use" means, and what most soldiers actually do with their knives, is way off. Or at least was that way at some point. Karambits? Daggers? GI Tantos? It seems there is a high expectation of close quarter knife combat going on here. But it seems that what I keep hearing is that 99.999999% of the time that doesn't happen and something like a multitool is by far the most "proven" military "knife."

Granted, I have gotten that impression, not from my own service, but what I have read here from people who have served. So maybe I missed something.
 
Knives seem like one of those things so rarely needed for a self defense scenario that people forget their actual usefulness or disdain it. That doesn't mean they're even going to BE used, but I guess they thought it'd be nice to have them handy. I do want to know how they are "proven" as well though.
 
RemyKaze said:
Knives seem like one of those things so rarely needed for a self defense scenario that people forget their actual usefulness or disdain it. That doesn't mean they're even going to BE used, but I guess they thought it'd be nice to have them handy. I do want to know how they are "proven" as well though.
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Certainly. But I would imagine that one's primary concern in choosing a knife to carry would be functionality over tacti-stabiness. Like a Spyderco Civilian might be a waste of weight and space.
 
My knives only killed time (fondling a Vero Beach MT is fun) and MREs.
 
Charlie Mike said:
My knives only killed time (fondling a Vero Beach MT is fun) and MREs.
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That's a very interesting point, and one that I never considered. So one of the major functions of your knives was "morale building." I can see how that would be important! I guess a cool looking knife is a proven morale builder.:thumbup:
 
After we came home, a few guys bought MT SOCOMs. Before I came along, nobody had heard of Microtech. My knife was a status symbol in a way :D
 
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