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Searching for "best" combat fixed blade

Don't buy until you have visited the Trident knives web page. The TCFM 02 was tested by a German knife magazine and it took 1,800 pounds to break the blade. I have one just like it on order now!

tridentknives.com/


Ciao
muzzleup:cool:
 
Deffinetly look at ranger or becker knife and tool. I have the bk9 and bk10 and plan to order an RD9 from ranger knives soon.

The BK9 i have literally beat the crap out of it and the only thing i had tto do was clean the blade to keep it from rusting. Other than that this blade is amazing.:thumbup:
 
A lot depends on your budget. Whenever these threads come up, aside from the wide range of recommendations, so come the same with price range.

First off, thank you Citizensoldier for your service. No disrespect intended here but I think it is out of the budget range of the line grunt to purchase a Busse or Rat these days. Maybe someone who believes you shouldn't leave without one will GIVE you one. Someone else recommended a Swamp Rat but it comes with NO sheath...why get one then if you have to wait and buy that too? I think if I hear "Get a BUSSE" one more time to someone about to deploy...I'll just have to puke. Yes they are good but honestly, how many about to deploy actually have the extra scratch for one??? It's so easy to spend someone else's money.

There is a thread running around here that talks about what is carried over there and why. It's worth a look. It would seem that with all the gear you will be wearing and carrying, something like a Cold Steel SRK or similiar with a blade in the 5" - 6" range would be ideal. Get something that you can keep sharp easily like with a rock if needed and that you won't be afraid to beat up because it cost too much to break or lose.

I like Cold Steel in spite of whether or not Lynn Thompson is a putz. They tend to be consistently decently made and very sharp users. Price is within most budgets and if someone walks off with it. it's not the end of the world to replace.

My favorite fixed blade is a USN MK1 from WWII. I know it's a bit dated but I think Western still makes a clone and the Cold Steel SRK is about the same size. Very handy and holds up to everyday field use.

Again, thank you for your service and maybe a BUSSE believer will send you one they so heartily recommend...Good Luck!
 
hatchetjack said:
Again, thank you for your service and maybe a BUSSE believer will send you one they so heartily recommend...Good Luck!
Click to expand...
ROTFLMAO !!! I couldn't have said it better :D
 
hatchetjack said:
I think if I hear "Get a BUSSE" one more time to someone about to deploy...I'll just have to puke. Yes they are good but honestly, how many about to deploy actually have the extra scratch for one??? It's so easy to spend someone else's money. . .

. . .Again, thank you for your service and maybe a BUSSE believer will send you one they so heartily recommend...Good Luck!
Click to expand...

Maybe you should actually read the title of the thread. It doesn't say "searching for a cheap, but adequate fixed blade". he asked what's the "best". There was several suggestions made of top quality blades in the same price range as Busse (Trident, CRK, Custom) Don't forget to puke when people suggest those, as well :p

Swamp Rats, (when they are readily available) are not expensive for what you get.

There was also many, many "cheaper" quality knives suggested.

So, aside from making broad statements about what you think everyone else in the world is willing to/should spend on a knife, what is your point?:confused:
 
The point is, when someone asks what knife he should get, instead of questioning his circumstances more closely, most repondents blurt out their favorite high-priced spread.

As a soldier deploying to an unsettled area, he needs more than just the name of a knife, he needs a reason that particular knife might fit his circumstances.

We've had these discussions before, and they always come out meaning a lot more when we begin by defining "best", not assuming it means whatever we ourselves have spent a lot of money on.

I might not have chosen a term like "puke" but I sure react similarly, with my eyeballs sore from rolling them up wondering how much thought goes into these reflexive replies. :rolleyes:
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The point is, when someone asks what knife he should get, instead of questioning his circumstances more closely, most repondents blurt out their favorite high-priced spread.

As a soldier deploying to an unsettled area, he needs more than just the name of a knife, he needs a reason that particular knife might fit his circumstances.

We've had these discussions before, and they always come out meaning a lot more when we begin by defining "best", not assuming it means whatever we ourselves have spent a lot of money on.

I might not have chosen a term like "puke" but I sure react similarly, with my eyeballs sore from rolling them up wondering how much thought goes into these reflexive replies. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

True, Not everyone will want to buy a top of the line blade. that is why I recommended several price levels of knives when I made my post. Perhaps his rant was just a response to those guys who say "X" knife or nothing. I can see how that would cause an eye roll, but far from causing puking.:thumbup:
 
I'll back Esav some on this. If Citizensoldier can afford a Busse thats all fine. A lot of soldiers I knew could not. Married, Kids, Mortgage, Car Payments, etc. I knew quite a few Privates whose wife and kids were using Food Stamps. So the choice depends on his budget.

That being said, a Busse will serve a soldier well for a long time.
 
been there done that and i can tell u u had better get the knife that will be light to pack and won't get in your way cause u gonna use it for things u never dreamed of and hopefully never for the things u think u might. i bet the military is the same now as when i was in and if it is there are knives laying around and they will work just fine.
if i had it to do over again id get me a sod buster full size with carbon blade or a trapper and a bayonet if they issued one and be satisified.i went from a case bowie to a kbar to a case with a 3 inch blade in a year and ever that dam thing got heavy.
david
 
Halfneck said:
I'll back Esav some on this. If Citizensoldier can afford a Busse thats all fine. A lot of soldiers I knew could not. Married, Kids, Mortgage, Car Payments, etc. I knew quite a few Privates whose wife and kids were using Food Stamps. So the choice depends on his budget.

That being said, a Busse will serve a soldier well for a long time.
Click to expand...

I know grunts who spent tons of dough on new trucks, stereos, etc who could easily have afforded a $300+ knife if they were so inclined.

That being said, a Becker or even a (dare I say it) Cold Steel can serve a soldier for a long time.

Buy the best you can afford, and you will be ok. If you are single makes a big difference. I wouldn't be able to buy any knives if I was tied down.
 
Exactly Rat, they have spent their cash elsewhere then all of a sudden they got lots of bills. Does not apply to all soldiers, but some don't spend their money too wisely. Knew a Specialist who lived in a Trailer and had spent $1500 on a Kirby vacuum. I'd laugh a bit more, but my wife got conned into spending $1000 on a Kirby before we got married.

Need to remember a lot of soldiers just get what is at the PX, or at Ft. Campbell, the U.S. Cavalry store outside the main gate.
 
get the # from his web, call Justin tell him what you want and youll be very happy with your knife and the very fast and outstanding service he provides....
 
I will second that he's just about done on an awesome custom tanto recurve I put in for about 7 weeks ago. That's blazingly fast for a custom knife and he will make anything out of anything.
 
ranger88 said:
:thumbup: There is no other combat knife than a good kabar. Period.
Click to expand...

I am inclined to agree, especially with all it has been through in past wars. In otherwords, if your looking for a combat knife that will get you through the shit just as well as any $200 knife, why waste the extra money if you don't have to. Atleast that is my "budget" reasoning.
 
newshooter04 said:
.i went from a case bowie to a kbar to a case with a 3 inch blade in a year and ever that dam thing got heavy.
david
Click to expand...
I hear you and did just that. Went from a Buck Hunter to a Buck Ranger :D . And the ever-ubiquitous demo knife. New troops bought the big knives, generally jumped or carried them once, then parked them in a wall locker. Nice to pass around the team room to be admired. If money is tight, and the decision is between a knife and a good pair of boots, well....
 
I recommend doing a little research on what knife size is allowed where you will be deployed.
It would really suck to spend the bucks of bigness on the uberbrand and have to leave it home or, heaven forbid, confiscated.
Leaving you with no knife. And no money for a replacement.

Reading these threads the thing most mentioned by troops returning from overseas is a quality multi tool.
I heartily endorse the Swisstool Spirit.

As for the knife?
A quality folder on your belt (and that could be a 'lowly' Buck 110, it worked for generations before the internet)
And a FB, if allowed, like the forum favorite brand, Cold Steel SRK, Kabar, Ontario Spec Plus (with a little work) on your pack/web gear. Or how about a 12" Ontario Machete?

The problem is there is no 'Best'.
Define the jobs the knife will have to do and we can narrow the opinions...I mean choices :D
 
Since you asked...

If you must get a fixed-blade I think that Bark River Knives and Becker have some good knives at great prices.

But before you buy one, make sure that it's what you really want.

I spent six years in the US Army.
And I've spent time in various units (infantry, armor, combat engineer, and medical).
I've been from Oklahoma to Washington, and from Kentucky to Korea.
I'm also a vet of the 1st Gulf War (101st Airborne) and I've ate my share of Iraqi sand.

So, if you want my advice, stick to fixed-blades that are no longer than 6" in length.
Otherwise you're just begging for jokes and nicknames like "Psycho", "Francis", "Killer", or "Rambo" (or even "Rambutt").

In all honesty, the Victorinox SwissTool is about a 100,000 times more useul than any fixed-blade.

And if it ever came to hand-to-hand...you always have your E-tool.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
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