United Cutlery on the cover of SOF

ThinkOfTheChildren

ThinkOfTheChildren

Joined
Jul 7, 2000
Messages
1,556
Just went to the local convenience store last night and picked up some gun rags.

On the cover of the June Solier of Fortune, there is a troop wearing a United Cutlery knife on his LBV. :barf: I know because I bought the same one years ago at a gunshow before I knew better. I thought, "Cool, a knife where the handle is a set of brass knuckles? Only $20? Awesome!" Anyway, it's surely the same knife as I even recognize the sheath.

It's funny that he's carrying an M4 with enough accessories that he's lugging around a couple grand worth of equipment but he's got a POS knife. I'm not trying to rag on him as I know that the military doesn't pay the best wages, I just find it ironic. I guess equipment suffers when it's on your own wallet rather than Uncle Sam's.

Also, in the June Guns & Ammo: Handguns there is a short blurb on the Spyderco Gunting.
 
The guy could be carrying...

M4 Carbine with at least 280 rounds of ammo
Beretta 9mm pistol with at least 45 rounds
4 Frag Grenades
2 Claymores
1 light Anti-Tank Weapon
1 M9 Bayonet
I don't think he's really concerned with his backup knife
 
Maybe not concerned about its function, but the weight of said knife, if the handle is brass knuckles, is going to be more that I would want to carry if it is of little use.
 
MelancholyMutt,
C'mon, man. As a knife-nut, you should know that a knife is far more that just a weapon.
The knife is a chisel ground tanto with a brass-knuckle style handle. In other words, it only facilitates one grip and is limited in its uses. Not something I'd want for field duty.

LizardKing,
Aren't KaBars the issued knives these days? I'd take a KaBar over a UC knife any day.
 
I have the knife on that cover as well. It was in the trunk of a used car my dad bought. It is a real POS. I hope someone helps this guy out.:)
 
I dont know how the other services do things, but in the Marine Corps the only ones "issued" a Kabar are those "issued" a 9mm.... otherwise you will get an M9 Bayonet (hunk o cr@p). The issued baldes in todays services leave alot to be desired. Almost everyone of my Marines with a tiny bit of knife knowledge carries their own blade (or in my case four or five...). I even have a "custom" bayonet made for me by a friend in the Phillipine Marines....
 
Originally posted by ThinkOfTheChildren
MelancholyMutt,
C'mon, man. As a knife-nut, you should know that a knife is far more that just a weapon.
Click to expand...

Of course, if it were me, I'd have a Randall Model 1 or one of the Cold Steel Clones and a pair of AutoStrykers.

Also, consider that Brass Knuckle Trench Knives were first made in WW1 and specifically designed for very close quarter melees, so close that at times you don't even have the room for a stab. Exactly what the Marines are doing there right now. So, trade up a little quality for grip security...

I wonder... I've always wanted to get a cheap Trench knife and either a Ka-Bar or an M7 Bayonet, take the steel out and mate the blades to the Brass Knuckle Trench Knife handle...
 
Hey MUTT,,, seen it done... I have a pic somewhere.. I cant remember who it was but somebody did a real slick custom with a K-BAR style blade and a pair of nucs.... see if I can find it...
 
DSCN0333.JPG
 
Just cause he's a soldier doesn't mean he knows a good knife from a bad one. For all we know, he bought it for what he took to be its "cool factor".
 
www.edmfknives.com has some "trenchknives" that seem to be of good quality. I can understand that this isn't a utility design, but I think that the design is less under attack than the quality of execution.

Personally, I think that soldiers will benefit less from carrying a "fighting knife" than most civilians, as most civilians aren't already carrying an assault rifle. It should be pointed out that infantry soliders aren't usually issued M9s (the pistols, that is) and if he someohow loses his weapon, a knife will probably be the next line of defense. So, while knife-fighting is unlikely in modern warfare, it is not silly to carry a knife that will do the job if need be.

Even though I'm shooting for Armor, where my M4 will be a tertiary anti-personnel weapon (behind the 120, the M2 and the 240B), I'll be carrying a knife (probably my Randall 14) just for field use. Is is likely that I'll need to stab my way throguh the Iraqi Republican Guard? No (they'll surrender once they see me). Will my knife be used primarily for utility? Certainly. Would I ever buy a knife from United? HELL NO! But in that kind of warfare you just might need a knife to finish the job, so you can't fault the soldier.

However, I would fault the chain of command for failing to provide the necessarry guidance.

The matter of crappy issue equipment is not unknown to me. I realize that West Point is at the end of the line for geting new field gear, but the Army is about thrity years behind the power curve (and the civlian world) as far as personal field equipment goes. If I had my way, we would be issued proper backpacks, BK&T Combat/Utilitys and Glocks, but obviously I am not in charge. As far as it bieng too expensive to buy new equipment for th whole army, think how much a sigle fighter jet costs and then consider taht the M( bayonets runn over a hundred bucks each, and they are 420J2. As for the average soldier not having enough money to afford a good knife, a lot of them could afford a nice knife with the moey they sepnd on dip every month. I guess it is a matter of priorities in both cases.
 
Originally posted by Atomic Zero
LizardKing:

Who made that knife above the UC? Looks like a Bladeart pic...

Zero
Click to expand...
BUSSE.
I carry a Busse Natural outlaw on all deployments.
 
This is an absolutley true story.

I was working a a surplus store in Columbus Ohio at the time before during and after the Sept 11 attacks. (I hope I never see another gas mask in my life!) This nervous looking guy walks in with his wife. He's grabbing BDU's and boots and such things as extra socks. by now me and my co workewrs were familiar with the 'I have been called to go' look this Guys and his wife were wearing. She later told us that he was in the Army and was going to go.

He comes over to my knife case and starts to look around. I ask what he needs. He says that he is being sent over to Afghanistan and wants a little bit of blade back up for under his coat. He looks at the EXACT SAME United Cutlery knife in the above photo. He likes the shoulder harness sheath that comes with it. I nod and remark how if I was going to go into battle I would probably pick a Benchmade Nimravus cub (which we had for list price) or at least a Ka-Bar or some nice Ontario Pieces.

The guys looks at the $30 price tag and says he wants to try the UC knuckle knife on for fit. I adjust the sheath harness, insert the knife an hand him the rig. The whole time I try to steer him towards one of the knives that might actually be of some use.

NO dice. SO he has the shoulder sheath on and does a cross draw of the knife from the sheath.

ALL THAT COMES OUT IS THE HANDEL WITH NO BLADE ON IT!

The blade is stuck inside the sheath. The pin that would have held the blade into the cast aluminum handle was apparently missing when the knife was manufactured. I fish the blade out the whole time mentaly curing UC, thinking that this guys is not going to buy anything and he looks back in the case and says. "Yeah, I'll still take it. Do you have another?

We did and he bought it as much as I tried to discourage him. I will never forget that guy buying that same ( albiet non defective blade) and stating how he hoped he made it back in one piece.

Just for the record the guy in the pictire above is not the same.

Later that day I sold a Issue Kabar to a father and his newly Marine Forced son who was in bound in two weeks. The Dad knew the son dod not have the money for the knife. The son seemed to feel he didn't deserve it yet. That was a very haunting moment as the father payed half and the same the other while I gave him as big a discount as possible. You could tell the guy wanted his boy to come home , as well as have something on hand on duty to remind him of his family

I hope they are both doing OK.

Jeff Venture
 
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