Want to buy a knife for a marine

I have a question, after reading a tomahawk thread on here I spoke with a coworker of mine, ex-marine, served in Afghanistan, he said he carried a pick of some sort, and other carried tomahawks or such.
Would that be more or as useful as the knife?

Red
 
Dago Red said:
I have a question, after reading a tomahawk thread on here I spoke with a coworker of mine, ex-marine, served in Afghanistan, he said he carried a pick of some sort, and other carried tomahawks or such.
Would that be more or as useful as the knife?

Red
Click to expand...

IMO no
But alot of guys in the sandbox seem to love em
 
Yes, he can bring his own knife overseas. Spartan knives, from what I understand, are very high quality. I think the Ares would be a great knife for the job.
As for a tomahawk; probably not more useful. While they do have more strength in way of chopping and piercing (If they have a spike), they aren't too great for everyday use.
My advice- He wants an Ares? Get him an Ares. He probably knows what he wants, and it's a good blade.
 
To a man on deployment, a gift from a friend or family member is a treasure and talisman in itself. If you go with the Spartan, your friend will know that you remembered his enthusiasm over that design. If you go with something else, your friend will know that thought and care went into the selection of that knife. I prefered smaller, unserrated knives (Strider MFS on my harness and a Spyderco Manix clipped into and behind my holster leg strap), but an SF gentleman I worked with loved and carried large knives on his harness. The point being that he'll find a way to carry a knife he cares about and that has meaning for him.
 
I might jump in with a Busse Combat suggestion.

A group of the great guys over there donated funds, and we got a Boss Jack combat grade for my cousin before he deployed.

Fantastic steel. Strong, holds a great edge, and forever warranty.

You can order one direct (takes a while to ship) or grab one off the exchange on here (the Busse exchange).
 
Im at 20+ yrs of service with multiple deployments Iraq/Afghanistan/Etc...Im probably going to retire here in a couple.

Lightweight fixed blade for Vest, not really used that often but definately handy for some chores. Good folder and a solid multi tool...these will get USED. Im about to rotate back, but I brought a ESEE 3MilCP, Cold Steel Lawman, GerberTool, and Benchmade Seatbelt Cutter. As you can see, every item has a reputation for toughness at a reasonable price and they do the job well. Things can and do get lost/stolen/confiscated...and it is much easier to tolerate if you didnt drop $500-600. GL to you and yours.
 
Regardless of his MOS, if your friend gets sent to either sandbox he'll be issued a Ka-Bar and a bayonet, so that somewhat takes care of the fixed blade decision. If either go belly up he gets another one free of charge. And yep, the Bar will be partially serrated. This then directs your attention to a folder and there are simply far to many decent enough heavy duty folding knives out there, but were I still in the saddle I'd select either a Spyderco Military, ZT 0300, or the Cold Steel Recon that features a Tri Ad lock even the SEALS have yet to break.

Terrible time of the year to be at Parris Island but at least it'll acclimatize him. Give him my best regards, then in a loud and clear voice ask him to drop and give you 20. Betcha he halfway does.
 
If you want a fighting(ish) knife with which he can confidently also do camp chores, have a look at the Becker BK7 - that will get the job done. I suspect, though that something smaller would be more welcome - Becker BK11, BK14 or ESEE Izula - something like that. At any rate - good job for looking out for your buddy!

---

Beckerhead #42
 
If price isn't a major factor, than a great lightweight fixed blade, with a very thin but strong blade is the Busse SCABS, super comfortable, decent reach, well suited to utility and a little scalping, and INFI steel is tough stuff for a combat situation

P6200006-2.jpg
 
Lots of good advice here. Thanks everyone. Im going to a knife show tomorrow hopefully someone will have an ares for sale. If not Ill order one when I get home. I know that there will be a lot a zt's and emerson's there so I might even consider buying one of those. I think Ive made my mind up though to get an ares and a leatherman (not sure which one yet). Thanks again for all the kind words and the advice guys.
 
I'm sure u will end up giving him a great gift, both for use and for emotional reasons.
For the fixed blade, it would help a bit to know ur price range. I never saw any Spartan "live" so I can't really have an opinion on them. I do like the Al Mar mini SERE (a friend of mine - also a military in the French Foreign Legion) once showed me his one and I was impressed. On a cheaper budget, I second the ESEE recommendations, I have the Izula and the ESEE 3 and both are awesome knives for any kind of task I tried them for.
If he's going to get a partially serrated Ka Bar (I know nothing of US marine equipment), then I agree with Gunny Bob and suggest that u get him a folder, which opens a very wide range of choice. Considering the Ka Bar thing, I think u shouldn't get him a big blade and stay around 3,5", so if I have to name a knife, I will go with the Spyderco Paramilitary.
Leatherman (or any other mutitool) seems like a good "extra" option for sure. My vote goes for the Blast (light enough, and has all the tools he'll eventually need)
:cool:
 
Buddy of mine's nephew went through Marine Boot this past winter/spring and I gave him an Ek Bowie as a graduation gift -- he returned/traded my buddy for an ESEE4 with MOLLE back, because his unit has a 4" blade restriction for the barracks. anything longer has to be locked up with the rest of the weapons and all sheaths had to be MOLLE compatible.
something to consider.
 
Most of those Spartans are really BIG! And HEAVY! Not sure I'd want to lug one of those around. Also not sure whether his NCOs and officers would like knives that big. The Enyo by Spartan, on the other hand, is small and discreet enough to be perfectly acceptable. As a last ditch weapon on the vest or boot, it looks like a winner.
 
The ESEE-4 is a handy knife that can do almost anything up to and including being handy in a mano a mano fight. I would rather have though, either the Bark River Bravo 1 or the Bark River STS-5, which is a great survival and tactical blade.
Here is a shot of both of them side by side.

5022215639_8cd52099ab_b.jpg


One could do a lot worse with either one of these but you could do a lot worse.

Cheers
Leo
 
my buddy just got in 2 hours ago outta MO. I got him a Manix 2 in black. hopefully we can figure out a way to get it to Okinawa.

and OOOORAAHHH.
 
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