What do Real Military Men/Women Carry

Buddiiee,

There is a Strider knife that was developed for the new MARSOC that just stood up a few months ago, but it is not in general issue within the Marine Corps.

I won't say "doctrine", but the Marine Corps has always placed a great deal of emphasis on bayonet techniques. In the MCMAP syllabus, more hours are devoted to training the bayonet than any other technique. The purpose of training the bayonet is not only to learn the techniques, but to train a combative mindset and inculcate close-in personal violence into the student.
 
ceya one said:
Sir, It still looks like a KaBar so the Corps still holdong on to some of it.

S/F,
CEYA!
Click to expand...
That's true. We still have Ka-Bar's on our property records and they can be still issued, but the primary fighting knife/bayonet for the Marine Corps is now the Ontario. By the way I see you are in 29 Palms. So am I. Who are you with?
 
Hidden in the question are two amazing facts!
1) The military NOW allows soldiers to carry whatever they want
2) The military offers to soldiers free- standard issue gear - and that takes a GSA contract.
The irony is that the Issue gear (GSA) is what gets used most by the less financially well heeled soldier and the better financed fighter gets to buy the boutique gear. At the end of the day, it probably doesn't matter much whose gear they use- since the enemy (in Iraq) isn't fighting with knives anyway - and most of the doors that get busted are kicked in and so on... ;) Nice to have that 'lucky's Strider...or CS or...whatever- on hand...just in case! Once upon a time, it really did matter what blade you used- and how long it was...at the end of your rifle.
 
I carry a few different knives, depending on kit/mood:

1) Strider SMF
2) Chris Reeve Large Sebenza w/ Micarta
3) Strider MT-10
4) Strider AR
5) Ken Brock Combat Options

and, of course,

6) Chris Reeve Yarborough

Love 'em all, but they do different things.
 
Most people on this site are into knives. I looked to see what some of the regular Joes are carrying around here.

Young LT just bought a BM at the PX that they have for about $30 bucks. He had never heard of BM he just bought it because it was cheap. Nice for the price but he cut his finger messing around. Darn LTs. hahaha

A PFC has a KA-BAR TDI on his IBA. They sell it at the PX here for about $35 bucks. It works for him.

I worked for a MAJ before I moved FOBs and he had a Randall fighter. He was into knives. I was not too impressed when I saw it. I know they are great knives and am not bashing just not my style. He did tell me that they ahve a program for active duty that gets you the knife to Iraq very quickly. Nice considering the time it takes to order one. I'm sure the long wait is for a good reason.

Another LT I worked next to had a CRKT he picked up at the PX.

Female CPT I know has a Strider. She’s not your normal female officer. Very high speed and been around the SOF community allot.

Most Joes I know just have leathermen/gerbers. At our little PX here in Iraq we have KA-BAR, CRKT, Gerber, a few cheaper priced BMs and I think a few Callimus. Nothing over $85 I think.

I have a MOD CDQ auto. I bought at Quantico tact shop in Q-town before going to Iraq with 10th SFG. The only issue with that knife is one of the nuts is rusted and is a little bulky in the pocket. 10th Group also issued me a BM 9910. Prior to that I had another BM but the EX never gave that back to me. When I was with 1st Recon BN at Camp Pendleton I bought a SOG Seal. Not a fan. It didn't seem to hold an edge very well. I did hear about Strider Knives back in 2000 when I was a LT with 1st Recon BN. I didn’t want to spend that kind of $$ back then for a knife. I’m sure they are good but I couldn’t afford it at the time because of other obligations. I think they were in Oceanside at that time.
 
NousDefions, are you an 18 series MOS or do you actually have a Chris Reeve Green Beret instead of a Yarborough?
 
I have a question about this topic.

Right now as we post here, my family has a son in some place named, Falugah (dont ask me how to spell it)
Anyway, the young man drives a truck from place to place and I have been kicking around the idea of sending him a knife for his birthday.

But I dont have any idea about army rules for knives.
I can only make a fixed blade.
I dont pretend to think that the boy will carry my blade on his belt all the time.
But I felt that sending him a knife would be something nice to do for him and a way to show how proud we all are of him.

Are there rules for what a guy in the army can carry as far as a hand made fixed blade knife goes??
 
Allan Molstad said:
I have a question about this topic.

Right now as we post here, my family has a son in some place named, Falugah ...I have been kicking around the idea of sending him a knife for his birthday.

But I dont have any idea about army rules for knives.
...Are there rules for what a guy in the army can carry as far as a hand made fixed blade knife goes??
Click to expand...

Allan, there are sometimes some rules in theater. It is sometimes a unit rule, and sometimes a theater-command rule that applies. If you send it to him and he can't carry it, he'll still appreciate the sentiment. I would do it if I were you.

I would bet he'd carry it. I carried one of my dad's fighters when I was in Afghanistan. I couldn't carry it everywhere I was, but that was location specific -- certain camps, detainment facilities. When I could, it was on me.
 
Thanks, I have a deer antler left over from the boy's grandfather (now passed)
I think that a little fixed blade with a deer antler handle from his grandfather would be a good gift.
 
Sgt U,S,Marine Corp,14 years active duty, Infantry
What I Carry: A Bolo, Ka-bar, A stockman slipjoint, and a Leatherman.
I usual buy a knife at every port I go to just to add to my collection, usual locally made.
I'm a second generation Marine, have lived at Military Bases most of my life, have collected over 600 knives, Now having said that.
I never heard of Strider knives until I broke my leg and had time to play on the Internet.
 
Regarding the issue of which knives troops are issued, ColdSteel or Strider; it's mostly a mute point.

I'm no fan of Lynn Thompson, but I'm sure that more than a few ColdSteel knives are in the hands of soldiers over in Iraq. With the exception of a few select units, the Army doesn't issue knives to soldiers. They have to buy their own. From what I've seen, Gerbers and the CRKT M-16 model is most prevalent. Why?...... These are the least expensive models commonly available at the PX.

Gerber and Leatherman multi-tools are also common. ColdSteel, Striders, Gerbers, CRKTs, Benchmades, etc. are all likely to be either purchased at the PX or sent over as donations to troops. It's likely that there are more ColdSteel products over there than Strider knives for 2 reasons.

1) Sheer volume of ColdSteel knives vs. Strider knives.
2) Cheaper prices on ColdSteel products.
 
Strange that no one here mention's coldsteel's latest broadside against strider, it's claimed on CS's website that the boss of strider is a criminal and has lied almost totally abt his military background.
Check it out yourself, court documents are given. Look legit to me.
 
I've been retired for quite a while now, but "in my day" very few soldiers/airmen could afford even knives sold in the PX/BX. So they used whatever they had with them when they joined or whatever was issued. Most issue knives were total crap. For example, many of us carried issue "electricians" knives, the ones with a single main cutting blade and another with a blade but also a flat screwdriver tip. They came from various makes including Camillus. They were OK for occasional use, but anything more and they would go dull in a heartbeat. Tried cutting a parachute riser with one in an emergency and only got about 1/4" in before it went totally dull. These kinds of knives cost less than $5.00 in today's market. Then there were the pilot's switchblades, the ones with the orange plastic grips. About half wouldn't lock open. Some wouldn't open. Most had horrible end play. Few pilots carried them once out of flight school. No good reason. Then there were the M-16 bayonets. Overpriced if given away free. Garbage. I went through the MCX at Henderson Hall and the PX at Ft. Myer last weekend. Most of the knives I saw for sale were Gerber and Leatherman. A few Benchmade and Spyderco, plus some Schrade and a few Kershaw (I think). I'm sure some people can afford them. There were decent examples of folders and fixed blades for about any military purpose. The prices are pretty good and the average soldier makes fair pay today.
 
My Son has been in the USN for about 12 years now. He is a Boatswains Mate 1st Class E6. His job is usually in a high salt environment. He has carried a Sypderco Delica or an Endura for his entire carreer. He says that aboard ship you are only aloud to carry folders. However during a boarding party where they send an armed group on a small boat to board and inspect another ship, they can carry a fixed blade knive. He has a Kabar for such occasions. He says the most popular folder is the Spyderco Endura or the Delica.
 
I won't buy/use a KaBar (or KaBar style), CS or Benchmade. I've had them all fail on me. Haven't had a Strider fail/break on me yet.
 
NousDefions, I think I cracked the code. Not an 18 myself but commanded the company owning the supply support activity in Augsburg that supported the battalion of the 10th Group in Bad Tolz in 1980. One of my lieutenants used to spend a lot of time reconciling requisitions with their property book officer. Still can't remember the name of that 05 with the eye patch.

I get the significance of your forum name, but there is a knucklehead E4 MP over on a gun forum I frequent going by the name of "Blackwater Ops". You just can't take things for granted.

My son-in-law's brother is a Captain (on the 04 promotion list) in the 19th Group. I outfitted him with a Mad Dog ATAK Hunter and a Benchmade AFO for his last trip to Afghanistan.
 
While I can't recall exactly what some of my friends over in the sandbox carry, one of my best friends who is a Sargent in the Marine Reserve has a Cold Steel Daggert and the push dagger(safekeeper? I think). He is probably like most guys, and not into knifes as much as we are...
 
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