Science Fiction Knife Advice

WValtakis said:
I've gotta go with one forged from a Titaniumturbine blade , but admittedly I am biased. Best, 'cause aliens got the acid blood...ya know? ;)

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~Chip
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I read the thread on this yesterday and this has to go in my "Most bad ass thing I've seen all year" memory bank.
 
WValtakis said:
I've gotta go with one forged from a Titaniumturbine blade , but admittedly I am biased. Best, 'cause aliens got the acid blood...ya know? ;)

acVKgHM.jpg


~Chip
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Using some cool alloy that might be easily available (in turbines, spaceship hulls, etc.) is a decent enough idea.
But that sword looks too smooth.
I get the feeling the author is imagining something gnarly, something that, for lack of a better word, the "man on the street" might describe as badass.

Which is why I suggested the type of knife I did.
Close in blade length to what was mentioned (a little bit longer), and meeting all the other requirements except for the non-conductive nature of it. But that can easily be fixed with the sort of design alteration that a few words in a sentence could accomplish.:thumbsup:
 
Balls Deep said:
I would say otherwise, people would just be grinding out knives by hand on ship parts in which case they would basically be what we have now.
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I think that is likely the sort of scenario this novel would have, just based on what it sounds like in the original question.

Grinding them themselves, or trading with other humans they meet out there.

And probably some folks would have cool alien weapons they got along the way as well, leaving it open for a wide variety of tool options throughout the story.
 
I sent the author the link to this thread, and he said that it made him realize that he needed to have more variety. So this thread certainly has been effective. Thank you everyone who has participated, and I hope it keeps going. The ideas are all fun.
 
Non-Guild human spacers from many different planets with a common knife design? Try something like the CRKT Ken Onion Redemption. And of course they carry the 'Buck knife' of the day, a multi-tool in a pouch on the belt. Theirs has more than 17 functions, naturally.
 
I like this thread because I grew up in the 70s and 80s playing a sci-fi RPG called Traveller. It was (is) a game loosely based on Asimov's Foundation series and it had, I believe, a profound influence on Joss Whedon's Firefly TV series.

In the Traveller universe, edged weapons and tools occupy a large part of players' gear, given that firearms and energy weapons can be restricted by law, the environment of deep space, the presence of delicate equipment on spaceships, and technical development on a given planet.

So on spaceships expecting trouble in Traveller, there is often a cutlass secured to the bulkhead above every hatch, a pry-tool in companionways, low-power shotguns in weapons lockers, and so forth. A catch-all term, "blade," is applied in the game to . . .

"A hybrid knife weapon with a heavy, flat two-edged blade nearly 300mm in length [~11"], and a semi-basket hand-guard. Because of the bulk of the hand guard, it is generally carried in a belt scabbard."

Someone mentioned a D-guard Bowie, and that's about what the "blade" is here. Given that shipboard combat would entail first depressurizing much of the ship to minimize explosive depressurization, crewmembers would be in vacuum suits (EVA suits) and vulnerable to all sorts of blade weapons.

In the game's setting of star liners, the rules indicate that in the interest of keeping the peace, projectile weapons of all sorts and longer edged weapons are prohibited, leaving passengers the right to wear only a dagger or the aforementioned "blade," openly.

So there you have one sci-fi environment's take on the original question. Personally, I see the Glock 79 and 81 and Becker Tac Tool fitting right in.

I have fond memories of late nights eating pizza and playing Traveller with my pals. I might just have to get a posse of space smugglers together again!

Zieg
 
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If I was born to a technological civilization but was stranded by evil space aliens to a hellhole of a planet such as Ragnarok as imagined by Tom Godwin (whose life and written science fiction works are now largely forgotten - except for one unforgettably tragic tale that remains on most everyone's short list for the top 40 SF short stories, namely "The Cold Equations") then I'd opt for something like a rather sizeable field knife as many have already described, but also one intentionally crafted to be readily mounted on a long shaft to create a durable spear. If one considers our own human history and what was done, and more importantly, what actually worked for people facing threats from other hostile humans or large and formidable beasts such as cave bears, woolly mammoths, or in more contemporary times, elephants, lions and tigers, then a versatile knife that can be quickly adapted to give a fragile human a weapon of long reach merits consideration. Think about it: many a European knight, a Japanese mounted samurai, or even a British Martini-Henry armed trooper at Isandlwana, met quick and somewhat ignoble ends by rough hewn but courageous spear-wielding foot soldiers/warriors.

It's commonly said that a good big knife beats a good little knife if you don't know what specific emergency you'll face. It would seem to follow then, that if you want to survive in a hostile environment with possible two and four (or even six or more?) legged foes, or vast hordes of foes, and if circumstances forbid the proliferation of reliable repeating firearms with plenty of ammo, or even powerful longbows and well-trained archers, then a bladed weapon with good reach should prove invaluable.
 
How bout the gerber mark 2 its an old hand in sci fi movies (mad max 2, Aliens, Captain America:The winter soldier and man of steel)
 
Aussie john boy said:
How bout the gerber mark 2 its an old hand in sci fi movies (mad max 2, Aliens, Captain America:The winter soldier and man of steel)
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Well that is certainly true for movies, but would you really want to use a Mark 2 for utility? I guess if it was unobtanium...
 
I would recommend using an assortment of knives. When you are poor you use what you can get. So anything from military surplus, homemade, and simple commercial knives would be on the table. People would also be making repairs and improvisations.

Sawback knives are generally not very good at being saws and make it difficult to pull out a knife when stabbing. The sawback on the old pilot survival knife is made to cut aluminum fuselage and isn't very good at cutting wood. I doubt sawback knives would be widespread unless they had a specific application in mind.
 
Oops, forgot to answer the OP's question. I think some kind of khukuri. Have your author friend peruse the Himalayan Imports forum here for some inspiration.

~Chris
 
abbydaddy said:
Well that is certainly true for movies, but would you really want to use a Mark 2 for utility? I guess if it was unobtanium...
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It's for a book and its used in outer space heck yeah I'd use the Gerber only if it's made of unobtainium with a plutonium core! Any knife mentioned will do I spose.
 
I've been toting the old Carbon V SRK around the farm yesterday and today and I'm thinking it's a pretty good all-rounder for a sci-fi setting (though I'd prefer stainless if I'm in a marine environment). Whatever knife the author picks or draws from, I recommend the following attributes: Enclosed tang for shock absorbtion, rubber handle for non conductivity, thickness for prying, clip point (or dagger point if it's a dagger) for piercing, lanyard hole for . . . I dunno--just cuz, a known weight in grams for measuring items on a balance scale (so a knife that weighs 250 grams at Earth gravity will be able to measure .25 liters of water), and a known length for measuring whatever.

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
I've been toting the old Carbon V SRK around the farm yesterday and today and I'm thinking it's a pretty good all-rounder for a sci-fi setting (though I'd prefer stainless if I'm in a marine environment). Whatever knife the author picks or draws from, I recommend the following attributes: Enclosed tang for shock absorbtion, rubber handle for non conductivity, thickness for prying, clip point (or dagger point if it's a dagger) for piercing, lanyard hole for . . . I dunno--just cuz, a known weight in grams for measuring items on a balance scale (so a knife that weighs 250 grams at Earth gravity will be able to measure .25 liters of water), and a known length for measuring whatever.

Zieg
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Those are all good points.

Edited to add: Also, lanyards are always a good idea when there is no gravity. If you lose your grip on a knife in an extra vehicular activity it would just float away. And I know EVA plays a significant part in my friend's story.
 
I'd like to see a knife with a serrated back spine and nice handle with a pommel you can hammer with. That would be nice
stabman said:
You want this:

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Just give the TOPS SXB a non-conductive handle, and you're set. :)

It will pry, cut, saw, and kill all those stupid aliens that try to take your valuable space treasure. :thumbsup:
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