Survival Knife - British Ministry of Defence specification - Review and makeover

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peppen108

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Apr 14, 2012
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A rare close up onboxing review of the British Ministry of Defence specification Survival Knife

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcc3z7YLCig

The review focuses on the flaws rather tan the strength of the knife and hopefully I will talk more about them in the next review.
//
Peppen
 
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I watched the video and would not recommended it.

It's much to long for the info conveyed, 8.44 MIN.

In fact, you don't even see the entire knife until about 3.30 MIN. in.


A two minute Video would be more then enough.



JMHO, YMMV.




Big Mike
 
I've had the 'pleasure' to use one or two of these in my time and they're woeful. The only task it performed half decently was digging a small hole in partially frozen, rocky ground to put a large wooden tent peg in. The handles are blocky and uncomfortable, the blade holds no edge and is so thickly ground it makes my Busses look like scalpels.

The issue golok isn't much better. Nicknamed the "Pusser's tree slapper" it lives up to it's name.

I have seen both reground and the handles worked on to produce knives that function at a basic level, a very basic level.
 
The overall design is ok in premise...but the execution is abysmal. Too thick, too obtuse, too blocky.
 
CattaraugusQ225.jpg
knife_survival_l.jpg


The thing looks like a Q225 clone done wrong.

n2s
 
If they just weren't so blocky and they threw a flat grind or high saber grind on them they'd be pretty decent knives. As is, they're anchors.
 
Yeah, a regrind on those things is definitely in order. Remove the top guard and give it a better sheath, and you'd probably have a good knife.
 
moonwilson said:
Yeah, a regrind on those things is definitely in order. Remove the top guard and give it a better sheath, and you'd probably have a good knife.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't blame the current maker for this thing; they are just trying to make a reproduction of the issued military knife. I just wonder how this mess got through the military procurement process.

n2s
 
Well the finish is crude, no argument there.
Aside from that it looks to be a rather capable knife, in my eyes at least.
I would think it would be an okay Survival knife of the sharpen pry-bar type.

The flaws you mentions seems to be cosmetic in character and not any thing that would be a hindrance in using the knife.
The sheet is fugly to say it mildly.
 
moonwilson said:
Yeah, a regrind on those things is definitely in order.

Remove the top guard and give it a better sheath,

...and you'd probably have a good knife.
Click to expand...




That's hard say based in the info provided here,

...if the HT is on par with the rest of the knife, maybe not so good.





Big Mike
 
Brevity man, with some info besides the obvious. Painful to watch as Big Mike, mentioned even clicking ahead at 30 sec intervals to find something pertinent.
Not trolling you but your threads are going to get little fanfare without some editing and working usage. Cut some paper and an orange/meat with the factory edge.....then sharpen the edge and do the same....with some editing and opinions
At least then your giving a review not just observations.

With regards
Brad
 
not2sharp said:
I wouldn't blame the current maker for this thing; they are just trying to make a reproduction of the issued military knife. I just wonder how this mess got through the military procurement process.

n2s
Click to expand...

Designed to survive issue to a bored 19 year-old.
 
CWL said:
Designed to survive issue to a bored 19 year-old.
Click to expand...

I once heard a fellow describe one of his fellow soldiers as being "able to break a bowling ball shoved in a locker with both hands tied behind his back." :D
 
IMG_0145.jpg


I took the knife whit me today to see how it preforms in the field. I have stropped it on a board whit red compound to get a closer lock at the edge. The reason to why it seamed so dull is was that the edge is folded whit coating covering it. I chose to not put a new edge on it. First thing a fast fire for the food. Batoning some dry birch wood and making chips and bark strips.

IMG_0133.jpg


The fire was up and running in 3 minutes from the start. I had to use more force than usually batoning and cutting the cips felt clumsy. Worked nevertheless.

Second task was starting a fire from a log of slightly harder beechwood.

IMG_0135.jpg


This is the lot after five minutes of chopping and cutting.

IMG_0151.jpg


The fire was lit whit some of the birch bark and it was sturdy after an additional five minutes.

IMG_0152.jpg


I ended up chopping two more batches of wood and the protruding wood dig in pretty badly to the meat of the thumb. No blisters but the tingling feeling is a bad omen.

IMG_0137.jpg
 
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not2sharp said:
I just wonder how this mess got through the military procurement process.
Click to expand...

Designed by committee and built by the lowest bidder.

moonwilson said:
Yeah, a regrind on those things is definitely in order. Remove the top guard and give it a better sheath, and you'd probably have a good knife.
Click to expand...

Looks like the handle needs a fair amount of work too. If it won't hold an edge, no amount of tweaking is going to change that. Might as well start from scratch and do it right the first time. Of course, that would run more than $50.
 
james terrio said:
If it won't hold an edge, no amount of tweaking is going to change that. Might as well start from scratch and do it right the first time. Of course, that would run more than $50.
Click to expand...

The steel and the HT seems to be the only thing that i right at this point. I will look in to this tomorrow.
 
That pond and fire-pit look just like a place I often hike,

...except our trees have started to leaf out.


Great stuff my friend, it looks like your putting it to the test.




Big MIke
 
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