Russian Soldiers Get (Gasp) Knives!!

Blackdog

Blackdog

Joined
Apr 27, 1999
Messages
620
I just picked this up from one of the news sites on the net:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Acting President Vladimir Putin flew unexpectedly to a Russian-held town in rebel Chechnya early on New Year's Day to award hunting knives to troops and tell them their main aim was to keep the Russian Federation intact.

``I want you to know that Russia highly appreciates what you are doing,'' Putin said in remarks to officers and soldiers broadcast live on television at around 6 a.m. on Saturday from Gudermes, east of the regional capital Grozny.

Itar-Tass news agency said Putin handed servicemen hunting knives inscribed with the words ``From the chairman of the government of the Russian Federation,'' indicating the visit was planned before Boris Yeltsin resigned on Friday and handed power to his prime minister.
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Giving knives to soldiers, what a concept. I wonder how this will fly with the other, more PC, leaders of the world.

Blackdog
 
I hope it puts a burr in the butts of some of these PC POS officers in our military who forbid their troops to carry the weapons they need to insure their survival. A burr so big and bad, it keeps their sorry asses awake at night until they see the error of their wicked PC ways and take the appropriate steps to correct this wrong. Our troops deserve to carry the biggest, baddest blades they are able to carry to insure their survival.
Don't get me started on PC officers...
mad.gif


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So, what IS the speed of dark?
 
If I am not mistaken I think I heard that Putin's name was inscribed on the blades. If that's the case then either they worked really fast getting these knives ready, or maybe this has been planned for some time. What do you think?
 
Anyone know what make and pattern the knives were??

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"

 
Hmmm...no comments on the brutality of russian troops burning cities and destroying homes in the middle of winter, just some complaints about how our troops cant have knives and the Russians can. (but daddy, Bobby's dad lets him have a knife)

just makes you wonder...

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An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
 
Don’t know which model, but the TV pictures showed Putin handing over what appeared to be a large TOPS knife! The logo was pretty clear, I thought.

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Allbest,

Jim Six
Adventure, Intrigue & Cheap Thrills
jim@six.org
www.jim.six.org
 
Hmmm...no comments on the brutality of russian troops burning cities and destroying homes in the middle of winter, just some complaints about how our troops cant have knives and the Russians can. (but daddy, Bobby's dad lets him have a knife)
just makes you wonder...
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A debate over the immorality of the Russians' actions might best be a matter for the politics forum. I, for one, am indifferent to the details of other nations' civil wars. Yes, it's a bleeding crying shame that some people are mean to other people. But complaining about it is of little value unless and until we find ourselves at war with the Russians. Only then do their internal policies concern us.

Call me isolationist if you must; I don't believe the United States should be the world's policeman.

Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.

 
You make an excellent point, Razor. I guess it was a little off topic..., but from a practical standpoint: does the common soldier need a big fixed blade? Doesn't a gun make a much better tactical tool?

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An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
 
Granite,
A gun makes a much better tactical weapon than a knife, but a knife won't run out of ammunition and thus becomes a viable survival tool if, God Forbid(!), a firefight degenerates down to hand to hand. This is a contingency that a soldier must take into consideration if he wants to read the names on some wall rather than have his name on that memorial wall.

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So, what IS the speed of dark?
 
The knives in question where not intended as "weapons". They are commemerative awards. Hence the inscriptions. It's also significant that these awards were made on New Years, which is an important holiday to the Russians, a time usually spent with family at home.

It is not unusual for American presidents and leaders to visit servicemen stationed away from home on holidays such as Christmas and New Years.

Our own military are issued knives when duty calls for them. The US military also occationally gives inscribed knives as commerative awards.

So, what's the big deal?



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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.4cs.net/~gollnick
 
From what I've heard, Yeltsin has been out of power for quite some time now. It was only around new years that it was really made official. I'm with razor though. I think we should keep our noses out of everyone elses business.
 
I agree that the presentation knives were meant as commemeratives, but a few will probably see daily service as part of some grunt's field gear. Unless things have changed in the past few years, the issue bayonet (of any military) is a poor choice for most applications except fixing to the end of a rifle barrel. Yet carrying a personal knife is frowned upon in most U.S. military units these days ("We want you to kill, but you can't carry that knife. It looks so....Evil"!!).

Our politicians do indeed sometimes visit with the troops on holidays. They shake some hands, make the usual speeches, take advantage of the photo op then leave. The Russian president did the same, but he left something useful behind. Knives. Any western politician who handed out knives to the troops would be subject to immediate political castration by his peers.

How sad. How absurd.

Blackdog

 
I think it is a grand gesture. Very nice gift to the troops. I don't believe you would ever see Bill Clinton do anything like that.

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Dennis Bible
 
I hope they will cut themselves and bleed to death or at least they will get some nasty infection. They are all occupants - even though most of them do not realize it.

David

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DIVERTI NESCIO

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My photos

 
I’m with Granite on this one. He was simply urging that our interest in all things “bladeworthy” not lead to moral myopia. We may agree or disagree with his sentiment, but that doesn’t give any of us the right to tell him to take his opinion elsewhere, unless it is completely unrelated to the topic at hand.

Let’s be careful not to police only those opinions which we find disagreeable. The forum benefits more from diversity than uniformity of perspectives. My .02 --

Glen
 
Jim Six said the knives given to Russian soldiers are TOPS. Excuse me, but what does TOPS mean?

Blackdog, here in Finland it would be totally correct to give knives, fixed or folders, as presents by anyone, politicians included. I think it is the same in other Scandinavian countries as well, and we consider ourselves Western democracies.

In Europe Britain is probably the most anti-knife (as well as anti-gun) country from the political correctness point of wiev.

Ossi
 
Ossi,

Any western politician who handed out knives to the troops would be subject to immediate political castration by his peers.
Click to expand...

I should have known better than to make such a broad statement and I do sincerely apologize. I should have said "Many Western politicians".

Blackdog
 
Listen, I just read all your discussion about Putin's knives and Chechnya...
Such knives are sold everywhere here in Russia in all hunting and sportsware shops, even in household shops. So nothing terrible, just nice present to remember New Year...
You may see more interesting things at URL members.tripod.com/lounyov
The things there are more terrible - these swords break any other in the world. This is true wootz, sorry for being so rude.

P.S. About Chechnya occupation - nobody remembers Redskins or Indians...
 
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