Question

[Charlie Mike]

When I was in combat, I carried a Spyderco Native or a Camillus Dominator clipped to my body armor. Had a Microtech D/A Socom in my trouser pocket.

 

[tltt]

Randall #1 is the knife that pops into my head when you say combat knife of the last 50 -75 years. Particularly the old Springfield or chain link lanyard loop type.

 

[Herb Larsen]

Randall #1 is the knife that pops into my head when you say combat knife of the last 50 -75 years. Particularly the old Springfield or chain link lanyard loop type.

I have one made by my grandfather, William F Larsen of Springfield, who gave it to his son when he joined the Army Air Corps in 1943. My father recently passed away at 94 years of age, and the knife is now in my possession. It is a thing of beauty.

 

[schwep]

The J.P. Peltonen Sissipuukko M95 Mk2 'Ranger Knife'. Sissipuukko meaning something like 'guerilla knife' in Finnish. In its hard plastic sheath, ambidextrous, designed to be carried upside down at shoulder height on a tactical harness or pack shoulder strap, with a rubber retention wheel system that needs no additional snap or strap to hold the knife in and allows soft, silent unsheathing for when one needs to sneak up on and dispose of enemy guards. Designed for use in the Finnish armed forces where soldiers are not issued knives but have to bring ones they buy themselves. Apparently many Finnish conscript soldiers, who all go through basic 'forest guerilla' training, buy them a lot. It seems about 40 were issued to a very hushhush Finnish commando unit but 'normal' soldiers just buy them. Picked by a Swedish antiterrorist SF unit as their blade and also seems to have been spotted on the occasional US Ranger or SEAL. 155 mm blade, rakish tip to allow 'finishing arguments amongst grown men', single-edged so it is also a fine utility/hunting/bushcraft knife, very important for soldiers who have to improvise camps in the boreal forests a lot. And saunas.
4 mm thick 80CrV2 steel blades made these days by Laurin Metalli (of course), coated in Teflon (stealth, and it facilitates slipping it silently into those enemy guards). Also known to be useful to scrape crud out of tank tracks. The Teflon and high flat/sabre grind also make it a decent knife for food prep. A soldier must eat after all.

Photo from a review by Northernbush of the earlier version (which was made in cooperation between the designer, former Special Forces captain J.P. Peltonen, and the Fiskars company):

Actual photo copyright Helsingin Sanomat.

The knife is no longer made by Fiskars, but mr. Peltonen and a blacksmith friend still ensure final finishing/sharpening of the blades and production of the sheaths, especially the leather variety that has the same 'stealth' rubber retaining system but is not ambidextrous. The word 'Fiskars' still figures on the handles as mr. Peltonen actually lives in the town of Fiskars.

There exists a shorter 5-inch version, the M07, only available with a leather sheath:

That one is mine, the copyright on the pic as well.
Note that the M07 model is more intended as a civilian bushcraft/utility knife.

 

[herisson]

I imagine a knife you are very comfortable with, like an "extension of your hand".
I always preferred the V-42 to the Fairbairn-Sykes.
Nowadays, of course, it can only be this (and it's not a Smatchet, it's hardly a 6" blade) ! :

 

[NapalmCheese]

Always the USN Mk2 in fiber scabbard.

After some time doing other things my dad found himself to be a corpsman with a Marine Corps reserve unit since then, that knife became (to me) synonymous with 'combat knife'. Sure there are lots of other combat knives, but the Mk2 is the MOST iconic IMO.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Always the USN Mk2 in fiber scabbard.

After some time doing other things my dad found himself to be a corpsman with a Marine Corps reserve unit since then, that knife became (to me) synonymous with 'combat knife'. Sure there are lots of other combat knives, but the Mk2 is the MOST iconic IMO.

Definitely! I grew up with two of those in the house. Probably inspired my love of knives.

 

[JBC6650]

A US Marine Corp Sword backed up by all the other blades, firearms, artillery, choppers, etc. the platoon has access to.

https://www.marlowwhite.com/swords/marine-nco

A fixed blade is nice for formal occasions, weddings, change of command ceremonies, etc. but not very practical in the real world, IMHO.

The Marine NCO and Officers Swords are ceremonial in nature, the NCO one originated from cutdown Army calvary sabers. Neither sword has been used in combat for a long time and are only authorized now for ceremonies, but I did hear a rumor about a crazy Sgt in the first Gulf War that had his sharpened and carried it into combat. I have one of the Spanish made NCO swords and it could take and edge, or run someone through, its very pointy but has no edge.

Most Marines are going to carry a multitool, maybe a small folder and then a Kabar variant, one of the bayonets or some similar fixed blade knife sold in the PX in the $50 to $100 range.

I carried a Sak & Sog Paratool daily, I picked up the multitool after seeing a corporal in our platoon with one of the original Leatherman tools. In the field I also carried a Cammilus version of the classic kabar and a small Explorer brand fixed blade that I bought at a shop in Oceanside. Knives were mosty viewed as utility tools with a backup role of a weapon if truly called for, but any basic knife that's pointy and half way sharp will serve as a weapon.