Reeves in Iraq?

fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
6,192
How come I never here stories about Chris Reeves in the military?

I hear a lot about other brands being used in the military, but I never here about the Chris Reeves one-piece knives.

If I were out there, I'd surely want a Reeve one-piece and if I had a family member out there I'd certainly send him/her a one-piece. I don't doubt that they're out there, but I'd love to hear some stories or reports from the field on this forum.

Maybe it's just marketing or the fan mentality of some forums that have some brands talked about in military use, but not Reeves.

Are Reeve fans too humble to say, "I sent one to my cousin"? Maybe Reeve owning soldiers just 'wear it and forget it' and then can think of other things besides their knives? Those are theories, but I can't figure it out.

It seems like the one-piece design (or even the G.B.) is the perfect knife to have for when the S%&*# hits the fan.

.
 
Think of cost here. Other knives are cheaper and probably available to our troops in Iraq. CRK probably must be bought here and shipped over. I don't know that they are sold at PX stores. Remember that marketing is a huge deal. I no longer read Blade because of it. It just all seems like advertising and I don't get much out of that. Articles about knives in Iraq and Afganistan are really moot points and seem drummed up to increase sales for a particular brand for that month. My $.02.
 
I see your point Fulloflead. I'd too like to hear stories about CR knives in the field. I think one, the Special Forces issue knives are being used but you won't hear anything because, well, they're Special Forces and missions are kept secret. Two, like Eric mentioned, the only place that knife stories are publicly advertised or written about is in knife magazines. Those are few and far between. I'm thinking if more soldiers had access to computers(internet), you'd see more.

I did my 5 years in the ARMY during the Gulf War conflict, so Chris Reeve products were not around for me to use yet( I carried a SOG Pentagon). Though my brother-in-law is over right now and I sent him with a Nkonka which he tells me he gets all kinds of use out of. Not exciting enough to write a store about unfortunatly; Or I should say thank God.
;)
 
3 firefighters I work with that are reservists where sent over to Afghanistan and Iraq with CRk knives as gifts. I have posted about it before.
 
Eric J said:
Think of cost here. Other knives are cheaper and probably available to our troops in Iraq. CRK probably must be bought here and shipped over. I don't know that they are sold at PX stores. Remember that marketing is a huge deal. I no longer read Blade because of it. It just all seems like advertising and I don't get much out of that. Articles about knives in Iraq and Afganistan are really moot points and seem drummed up to increase sales for a particular brand for that month. My $.02.
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Eric J-

Your 2 cents noted and that is your right. However, in my opinion, I feel that you are off base with your comments about Blade Magazine.

You make 2 points that are a bit aggressive.

Yes, Blade Magazine (and every other magazine in the world) has advertising. This is how the publishers derive the revenue necessary to stay in business and to make a profit. Additionally, these ads often bring new products and ideas to the marketplace. There is still a big world out there that does not have computers or the internet. Magazines and the print advertising therein, are the way to reach that portion of the market.
I wonder which magazines you do read that do not have any advertising.

Concerning your accusation over the articles in Blade Magazine on the knives used by the military serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, once again I must disagree. Are you seriously making the charge that Blade Magazine is printing untruths about the gear used overseas only to promote a knife company for that specific month? I think not.

There is a very interesting editorial on this subject in the October 2006 issue of Blade Magazine on page 10. Written by editor, Steve Shackleford, it addresses the topic of advertising and editorial commentary in that magazine. As you no longer read Blade, if you PM or email me your address, I will send you a free copy and you can respond to Mr. Shackleford directly with your criticisms.

Concerning CRK knives and the military. I send many of their knives, (mostly fixed blades but some folders) over to the troops. (Not directly by through the APO’s.) The 7” Green Beret and the Neil Roberts are the most popular.

blackend- you sent your brother-in-law a terrific knife- the Nkonka is a wonderful piece for all kinds of use- tactical and utility alike.

Take care, Neil
 
Several GB's went with boys from the Idaho National Guard to Iraq. Our church members chipped in and gave GB's to a couple of the guys in our congregation that were heading over 2 years ago. Only rave reviews and reports of envy from their buddies coming back.
 
OK, I'll chime in. Two one-year tours down range with the Marine Corps in Iraq, and every single day of both of them a Sebenza was in my right front pocket as my utility folder - same place it has been for the last seven years when I was not in Iraq. I wont get involved with the Blade Magazine article discussion. Just to stay on topic, I will say that for my opinion Chris makes the very best folder on the market - period. As to why you dont see more about CRK in Iraq - fixed or folders - boils down to two reasons: 1) Chris does not blow his own horn, and 2) quite simply, cost. Lets face it they aint cheap. I will go back in Jan for a thrid time, and bet you can guess what I will have in my right front pocket. After 22 years of knocking around the Corps and going in harms way, let me put it plain and simple, "Chris is Da Man". Semper Fi. Bob
 
Cuz all the lazy-boy collectors who never use them buy them all up, so there arent any left.

That, and militarty grunts dont have the resources to shell out $400 for a knife.
 
It's the cost without a doubt.

As an old Soldier I can tell you that it's just too easy to lose things in the field.
There is no way that I would ever carry a knife, in to a combat zone, that costs several hundred dollars.
A Soldier's knife needs to be strong and reliable....but it also needs to be inexpensive and easy to replace.

For one Sebenza a Soldier can buy a nice Benchmade 710, some nice Danner boots, and still have money left over.
 
I is so funny that Microtech always use military gear and guns with their knives on the Microtech advertisments but their too expensive to take on military operations.
 
greenstuffs said:
Well striders have a lot of mil reputation and they ain't cheaper than a CRK knife.
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I feel that very few Strider owners are actually in the military. A large majority of Strider owners are wanna-be's or never-has-beens. Go to any major knife show and you will see a number of these types hanging around the tables. Those that are in the military that carry them are given them as gifts or saved up enough scratch to buy the best that they can afford. Don't get me wrong...Strider makes a nice knife but most soldiers can't afford them. A soldier will buy the best he can for what he can afford.
 
I think that most people in the military, law enforcement, the fire service or E.M.S. still have to be knife knuts in order to spend the kind of money many of us spend on our hobby, or they get by with run-of-the-mill knives and multi-tools that don't cost an arm and a leg. For example,(and this is based solely on my observations) at my job, there are roughly 200 firefighters. If you asked everyone to produce a knife, I'd bet half might have one on them. Of those, you're gonna see plenty of SAKs and multitools that will cover over half of the knives. Next, you see folding hunters along the Buck 110 that will cover another 1/4 or so of the knives. In the remaining 1/4, you'll probably see a pretty even split of POS knives and "high-end" knives. I'm referring to Spydercos, Benchmades, Kershaws, etc... There's a good chance these guys are "gear guys" whom know a thing or two about knives(among other kit) and don't mind spending upwards of $100 or so to have a quality knife. Included in that group of, what 10 or so guys, you might get a couple of true knife-knuts that really dig quality knives and most likely have, or are at least willing to spend the knid of money we do on multiple high-end pieces. On my job, there are two genuine knife knuts whom I know, myself being one. Basically, that's 1% of a broad cross-section of frontline workers in one field. I remember talking to a cop on our SWAT team about his CRKT M-16 CF that I noticed clipped to his pocket, and he was like, "Oh , yeah, I think I got it at...", but clearly wasn't "into" knives , eventhough he was carrying a $100 knife. And he was one of the "hard-core" cops whom had volunteered for the extra duty of being part of that team. I would expect someone in that field to be very much up to speed in kit like knives, but he didn't appear to be.
I guess I'm just saying it really wouldn't be surprising if there aren't thousands of soldiers whom don't even know of some truly high-end knives, let alone actually use them. Just my thoughts, though.
 
Off topic but I have to say that I stopped getting Blade also.
First year I only got about half my copies,I noticed that they never had anything bad to say about any item they were writeing about.IMO that isn't much of a way to review something.
 
Well, I used my Strider AR while I was stationed at Ft. Bragg. I did see a few others using Striders. Matter of fact it was a member here on BF that was at Bragg that turned me onto Striders. This was right before they got big when the only advertisement they had was word of mouth here on BF.

That said, nowadays Striders are no longer on my list as mr. trooper would say, "Cuz all the lazy-boy collectors who never use them buy them all up, so there arent any left."

Knives in Iraq and Afgahanistan are used more for opening MREs, cutting type 3 nylon cord (550 cord for you civies), cutting up cardbord and other stuff. It is rare that a knife sees actual combat use, and there have been some documented uses in Iraq.

Chris Reeves knives are in Iraq and Afghanistan. You just don't hear about them as much as others. Most Soldiers have other things on thier mind over bragging about what knife they are using in Iraq.

Rest assured if a soldier is carrying a Sebenza in Iraq, he sure as heck knows his knives and is not afraid to use it, scratch it, ding it, bang it or whatever else.
 
I carried and used a CRK Shadow IV and a large Sebenza both times I was over there.

Cost has to be the biggest factor with what type of knives people will take and/or use over there. Point in fact I also carried a small plain edge Cold Steel Voyager and used it for the tasks I did not want to risk my Sebenza on.
The Voyager held up well and went back to Iraq last year in the pocket of a very close friend of mine.
That being said, I would recommend CRK to any serious blade-o-phile in search of a stand-up carry anywhere blade.
 
Mr. Collucci has a good point about giving a trooper a knife! Since I'm retired now and not medically capable of being recalled to active duty, I find it satisfying to buy knives and give them to soldiers and Marines I know. I just gave my Green Beret (I bought it early before I retired) to an Infantry Marine son of some good friends of ours. He was delighted and looks forward to taking it back to Iraq with him.

If you don't think soldiers have enough CRK knives, buy some and give them away! Who can make better use of them, you or that trooper whose life may depend on a fine cutting instrument! Take that stupid magnetic yellow ribbon off your car and do something substantial! So far, I've given away four high quality knives worth over $1500 to three guys who sleep in the sand every night (a Special Forces Captain, a cook in the 82nd Airborne, and a Marine).

My son is an ROTC cadet who will be commissioned Infantry (if he has his way) in two years. He will take my Sebenza and another high quality knife represented in these forums, with him once he finishes Airborne and Ranger schools.

...and I stopped reading Blade and Tactical Knives for the very reasons mentioned above. I've heard a couple of well known knife makers recount how an article on their knives must be preceded by a check for advertising.
 
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