Question about sawback knives

[Tmib34]

I have a guestion about sawback knives.

What is the sawback for? Can you use it for cutting a wood? Or you can use it for something else?

 

[kycolonel]

A: Most of them are completely useless. The only legit sawback application I have seen is for pilot survival knives to cut through airplane fuselage, and that is if the serrations are designed correctly. As for the design in your pic, I have no idea what that would be used for.

Just one man's opinion of course.

 

[jbmonkey]

mostly because of that first rambo movie knife had 'em....would be my guess?

on that knife in the picture in your post....what are those bullet shaped pieces going downward off the guard for? shouldn't they be pointed the other way?

 

[kycolonel]

on that knife in the picture in your post....what are those bullet shaped pieces going downward off the guard for? shouldn't they be pointed the other way?

I think that's supposed to be a grappling hook- put rope through loop in handle then throw said knife which then lodges on the points .

 

[Tmib34]

on that knife in the picture in your post....what are those bullet shaped pieces going downward off the guard for? shouldn't they be pointed the other way?

I don't know, I just found the picture on Google.

 

[jbmonkey]

I think that's supposed to be a grappling hook- put rope through loop in handle then throw said knife which then lodges on the points .

good info, thank you Sir. keep in mind i have no knowledge of this type of "tool," but i have to ask this follow up though.....that seems like an all bad idea? a knife that doubles as a grappling hook. seems the knife could/would fail under 150+lb tugging and pulling back and forth....and person would come falling down and said knife would come tumbling down straight at them. talking this knife in particular.... it's more for fantasy, than actual use, i hope? thank you in advance...

 

[kycolonel]

good info, thank you Sir. keep in mind i have no knowledge of this type of "tool," but i have to ask this follow up though.....that seems like an all bad idea? a knife that doubles as a grappling hook. seems the knife could/would fail under 150+lb tugging and pulling back and forth....and person would come falling down and said knife would come tumbling down straight at them. talking this knife in particular.... it's more for fantasy, than actual use, i hope? thank you in advance...

Yes, I think it is a fantasy knife but was probably not marketed as one. The likely outcome of using it as a grappling hook would be breakage of the knife blade by throwing, followed by catastrophic failure of the hooks, hopefully before someone was far enough off the ground to get hurt.

 

[PropThePolecat]

I had one that closely resembled that. I must have been about 15 at that time My impression at the time was that the screw-on points were there to add protection to your hand when hacking away at tree branches...utterly pointless idea.

 

[cricketdave]

Thats a old buckmaster made by buck. The saw teeth on that were pretty useless, you could notch out wood but thats about it. The screw in grapples were stronger than you would think it was a pretty over built knife.

Yeah I had one in the 80s.

take it easy
cricket

 

[marcinek]

I think that's supposed to be a grappling hook- put rope through loop in handle then throw said knife which then lodges on the points .

Actually, what those pointy doohickies are for? When you battle with an ememy sentry, you use those to snag and pull out the sentry's heart, and show it to said sentry while it is still beating.

Sawbacks are there to look awesome, only...they serve no real purpose. That said, I'll give that knife credit...at least you could hold it with the teeth down. I love the sawback survival knives that have asymmetric handles that really cant be gripped with the sawback facing down.

That's just priceless stuff.

 

[CWL]

Yes, I think it is a fantasy knife but was probably not marketed as one. The likely outcome of using it as a grappling hook would be breakage of the knife blade by throwing, followed by catastrophic failure of the hooks, hopefully before someone was far enough off the ground to get hurt.

Really?

Here is your "fantasy" knife being carried by a SEAL.

The knife pictured is a Buckmaster 184. It was supposedly designed at the request of and then was issued to SEALs for a time. The "grappling hooks" were for use anchoring equipment while underwater and had a test weight of 600 lbs. The sawback was admittedly added due to popularity with all things "Rambo" (1984).

I need to find the picture, but there was an Arctic expedition knife from 75-100 years ago that looked very similar to the 184.

 

[kycolonel]

Maybe my version of photoshop isn't the best ......where are there grappling hooks you cite or the loop on the knife in the picture??? Are you sure this is the same knife?

 

[jbmonkey]

Really?

Here is your "fantasy" knife being carried by a SEAL.

The knife pictured is a Buckmaster 184. It was supposedly designed at the request of and then was issued to SEALs for a time. The "grappling hooks" were for use anchoring equipment while underwater and had a test weight of 600 lbs. The sawback was admittedly added due to popularity with all things "Rambo" (1984).

I need to find the picture, but there was an Arctic expedition knife from 75-100 years ago that looked very similar to the 184.

that was my mistake i take full credit for being uninformed as i suggested fantasy, not the good Colonel. i was picturing when i heard grappling as tossing up over a high wall or a tree and climbing up the rope. i was also picturing, in my mind even though picture is of an actual makers knife(i am assuming at this point) and i had never seen before, a harbor frieght style knife, not a real one.....another pedestrian mistake i admit.

thanks for the clarification and details, if i hadn't made mistakes and goofs, you and the others wouldn't have posted info and i wouldn't have learned....so thank you Sir, appreciate the information.

 

[CWL]

Maybe my version of photoshop isn't the best ......where are there grappling hooks you cite or the loop on the knife in the picture??? Are you sure this is the same knife?

Perhaps you should just admit ignorance and google "BuckMaster 184"?

The facts, history and production are easily available, you can even buy a book specifically written about this knife.

 

[cricketdave]

The grappels screw into the guard and the lanyard loop was movable and removable as well.

cricket

 

[Bill1170]

I am recalling that the saw teeth on the back of a knife blade was originally developed by Randall Knives for their pilot's survival knife and their purpose was to tear through the aluminum skin on a downed airplane in order to get free of the wreckage.

 

[kycolonel]

Perhaps you should just admit ignorance and google "BuckMaster 184"?

The facts, history and production are easily available, you can even buy a book specifically written about this knife.

And perhaps you should just admit that this was a knife produced and marketed outside the original military pattern with 1980's Rambo style accoutrements designed for nothing else than marketing a near useless survival knife knife design. " .....anchoring equipment while underwater and had a test weight of 600 lbs." yeah right, which is why the paperwork that came with it stated the warranty would be voided if it were used as a grappling hook. Of course, there were references on the internet to the SEALS testing this knife, so it must be true

 

[puukkoman]

And perhaps you should just admit that this was a knife produced and marketed outside the original military pattern with 1980's Rambo style accoutrements designed for nothing else than marketing a near useless survival knife knife design. " .....anchoring equipment while underwater and had a test weight of 600 lbs." yeah right, which is why the paperwork that came with it stated the warranty would be voided if it were used as a grappling hook. Of course, there were references on the internet to the SEALS testing this knife, so it must be true

If you wanted to, you could ask the folks at Buck. They'll tell you the straight dope, without any speculation, and then you wouldn't feel the need to belittle someone who's trying to engage in a civil discussion.

 

[t1mpani]

One thing I will throw out here, which I'm often compelled to throw out when the "Here's a picture of a SEAL/Delta/Recon/etc. using the equipment, hence it must be good equipment" argument pops up in the world. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, POSITIVELY nothing about making it into/serving in special forces of any kind that teaches you anything about knives. Though military, I didn't end up going the SF route as Ranger school tore my knees up enough as it was, but both from professional relationships and also personal ones I have known several from almost all of the services, and not one of them I can recall was extremely interested in--or picky about--knives. One of the Marine Recon fellows I still know and see quite often, loves the new SOG fixed blades because (wait for it) they look cool. I always sharpen his knives because he doesn't know how, and I can't tell you how many broken tips I've fixed for him over the years. And no, they weren't broken off in a sentry---usually they were broken off using the knife as a screwdriver when he had a perfectly good SAK in his pocket that has, you know, screwdrivers on it.

Seriously guys, I know it seems sacrilegious but it's the truth. Being a SEAL (or whatever) doesn't make you a good knife maker/designer/user any more than it makes you an authority on optics, weaving Kevlar, constructing boots or building boats. They do not focus nearly as much attention on equipment as we tend to on this site, and worry more about mission-specific knowledge. Are they badass, tough-bodied, tougher-minded men who do incredible things in dangerous situations? Oh yes. Are they a fount of really useful knowledge/experience with knives? No, not unless they've devoted a lot of their own time to develop it. Never would I consider arguing with one about how to best sabotage a boat, as that is something they DO know a lot about, but I can tell most of them a whole hell of a lot they don't know about knives, or even guns. Not only do they not have enormous amounts of time to sit and ponder the internet for hours on end, but they also don't have the money to toss at really expensive gear; just like I didn't before I left the Army and started becoming fatter and wealthier.

Another thing---"designed for" doesn't mean "good at." Lots of things are designed for a specific application and fail. Do you know how many flying machines were designed before one actually got off the ground? The Buck 184 was an honest attempt at making a functional, multi-purpose, take-you-to-hell-and-back knife which turned out to be significantly less useful and more problematic than far simpler designs, which is almost always how it goes. Did some SEAL(s) use it and love it? Probably. Did I know one (died in a car accident about ten years ago) who only carried a Case Trapper slipjoint and thought any soldier who lugged around a "tactical" fixed blade was a wannabe know-nothing? Yes indeed. What he right? Well, I don't think so, but the world's full of opinions.

OP, there are some truly excellent saws on knives, and they fold up inside multi-tools and Swiss Army knives. Better to have the strength of a solid spine on your fixed blades whenever possible.

 

[RandomAyes]

t1mpani I thank you for that articulate, logical, and objective post. Rock on.