What knife would you carry if fighting in Ukraine?

strategy9 said:
Does that make it a poor choice? Not at all! But there are potentially better choices that can in fact do some things better. Precisely why my personal choice, if I were to go back in time to my days in the infantry, would be an esee3 with molle sheath. Roughly the same size, Equally tough steel, equally sharp, full tang construction, a full 1/4" thinner, with a flatter profile, and better mounting options to vest or gear, with the added retention strap around the handle to help keep it secure from accidental loss like dislodging itself during maneuvers... From my own personal former infantry perspective, already rocking a fully combat ready packout in full battle rattle; plates, ammo, first aid kit, etc. that added 3oz., roughly equal to the weight of 7 more rounds of ammo, would hardly be the breaking point of how much one could carry at that point, but the small added benefits, IMO, would be well worth it over a bulky round plastic sheathed Mora with partial tang construction.... But I would absolutely and unquestionably take a Mora over nothing, 100%. I would absolutely give a Mora to someone who had nothing. Shoot, I might even throw the extra 2.5 oz. of the Mora into the bottom of my ruck as a backup option...
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Well, I agree with your choice on the ESEE 3; that and the TOPS CUT 4.0 were my rotational choices when I was in in Afghanistan last (2017 to 2019). That said, I worked with the coalition forces on an advisory team and both Finnish and Swedish contingents were part of our team. I saw more than a few puukkos, and the Mora 2000 was the most common; which a Swedish "Ranger" instructor gifted me when his contingent redeployed.

He said they issued the Mora 2000 in their Ranger school (our version of SFAS) for their survival classes. For the most part, they're an inexpensive, pretty robust, light cutting tool...perfect for many occupations in combat and most assuredly for E&E and survival.

ROCK6
 
If I were personally going to choose a Mora for myself, I'd go with the full tang Garberg with the multimount sheath... it's a tad bit thicker than a companion though, as well as a wee bit heavier and more expensive than an ESEE3...

Definitely not knocking Mora's as an option though. Just wouldn't be my personal 1st choice... (unless I was buying in bulk to give away to others in need.)
 
Earlier in this thread I posted a picture of a Russian sapper shovel, and I still stick to the claim that having a shovel in Ukraine is better than having some huge honking combat knife.

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I will bet some of these Russians wish they had a shovel before mortars, artillery, and drones killed them.

Slaughter of the Conscripts

www.dailymail.co.uk

500 Russians wiped out after being given just three shovels to dig

IAN BIRRELL: More than 500 conscripts from one Russian battalion were slaughtered in 72 hours after being dumped on the front line and told to dig trenches with just three shovels between them.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

8 Nov 2022 Daily Mail

More than 500 conscripts from one Russian battalion were slaughtered in 72 hours after being dumped on the front line and told to dig trenches with just three shovels between them.

“only 29 men survived the massacre, with another 12 wounded. Their offices had abandoned them to relentless attack from Ukrainian artillery, drones, and mortars.

Agafonov said the were told they would be beefing up Russia’s territorial defense forces about ten miles to the rear. Instead, he claimed that on the night of November 1 they were dumped on the front line and ordered to dig.

We had three shovels per battalion, there was no provision at all. We dug in as best we could and in the morning shelling began. The officers immediately ran.

They attempted to dig in during lulls in the shelling but drones immediately spotted us and simply shot us”
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Unless you can stand on the top of the parapet and deflect bullets, artillery shells, cannon shells from drones, and mortar shells with your knife, such was Deadpool does with his swords one minute in this video.



I think you would last longer if you dug yourself a hole so deep a rabbit could not find you.

Let me recommend regardless what you want to have in a combat zone, it is far better to stay away from a combat zone. In these big industrial wars, the fun goes away quickly once you realise you are in it till you are dead.
 
helobite said:
Earlier in this thread I posted a picture of a Russian sapper shovel, and I still stick to the claim that having a shovel in Ukraine is better than having some huge honking combat knife.

BY29AD2.jpg


I will bet some of these Russians wish they had a shovel before mortars, artillery, and drones killed them.

Slaughter of the Conscripts

www.dailymail.co.uk

500 Russians wiped out after being given just three shovels to dig

IAN BIRRELL: More than 500 conscripts from one Russian battalion were slaughtered in 72 hours after being dumped on the front line and told to dig trenches with just three shovels between them.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

8 Nov 2022 Daily Mail




Unless you can stand on the top of the parapet and deflect bullets, artillery shells, cannon shells from drones, and mortar shells with your knife, such was Deadpool does with his swords one minute in this video.



I think you would last longer if you dug yourself a hole so deep a rabbit could not find you.

Let me recommend regardless what you want to have in a combat zone, it is far better to stay away from a combat zone. In these big industrial wars, the fun goes away quickly once you realise you are in it till you are dead.
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Any Infantryman that has been serious combat is going to agree with you. There is too much heavy artillery, rocket and mortar fire going off to stay above ground. I won't even bother going into grazing machine gun fire.
 
ROCK6 said:
Well, I agree with your choice on the ESEE 3; that and the TOPS CUT 4.0 were my rotational choices when I was in in Afghanistan last (2017 to 2019). That said, I worked with the coalition forces on an advisory team and both Finnish and Swedish contingents were part of our team. I saw more than a few puukkos, and the Mora 2000 was the most common; which a Swedish "Ranger" instructor gifted me when his contingent redeployed.

He said they issued the Mora 2000 in their Ranger school (our version of SFAS) for their survival classes. For the most part, they're an inexpensive, pretty robust, light cutting tool...perfect for many occupations in combat and most assuredly for E&E and survival.

ROCK6
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Not so much related to the topic, but interested to hear which (ESEE 3 or Tops CUT specifically) is the better performing knife for bushcraft, such as making a feather stick or notch, in your opinion. Nephew is deploying to Middle East in Jan and may make one of these a Christmas present for him. In advance, thanks!
 
abo4ster said:
Not so much related to the topic, but interested to hear which (ESEE 3 or Tops CUT specifically) is the better performing knife for bushcraft, such as making a feather stick or notch, in your opinion. Nephew is deploying to Middle East in Jan and may make one of these a Christmas present for him. In advance, thanks!
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I have to ask as old combat infantryman why you think he will be doing any bushcraft or feather stick making in the middle east?
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
I have to ask as old combat infantryman why you think he will be doing any bushcraft or feather stick making in the middle east?
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Why you gotta be like that?

My nephew is into bushcraft too, just looking to get him something more versatile. Army Black Hawk Crew Chiefs don’t make that much either, so I know he’d appreciate.
 
abo4ster said:
Why you gotta be like that?

My nephew is into bushcraft too, just looking to get him something more versatile. Army Black Hawk Crew Chiefs don’t make that much either, so I know he’d appreciate.
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I just had a look at the tops cut. And probably wouldn't based on looks alone.

I am not a fan of karambit rings though. I think they lead to more issues than they fix.
 
strategy9 said:
If I were personally going to choose a Mora for myself, I'd go with the full tang Garberg with the multimount sheath... it's a tad bit thicker than a companion though, as well as a wee bit heavier and more expensive than an ESEE3...

Definitely not knocking Mora's as an option though. Just wouldn't be my personal 1st choice... (unless I was buying in bulk to give away to others in need.)
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I just don’t know about full tangs. I have a hultafors heavy duty. And it is one of the most unkillable knives out there.and it is a partial tang.

It is designed to be hit with a hammer.
 
Drop bear said:
I just don’t know about full tangs. I have a hultafors heavy duty. And it is one of the most unkillable knives out there.and it is a partial tang.

It is designed to be hit with a hammer.
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To each their own, and that is ok. I do know, for me. I have a couple of the Mora HD models, (not all that much different from the Hultafors), as well as a KaBar fighting knife with it's leather stacked hidden tang, and while they are 100% acceptable and suitable quality knives in their own rites, and they certainly have their place in my own rotation with their own strengths, if I were personally given the choice today of only one to choose to carry, to put my trust in it day in and day out, back in full gear grunting it out in the mix of all the sh!t, "I" would absolutely take the slightly added weight of a tough quality full tang over either the partial or hidden tang today, 100% of the time. If given the choice.
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I would absolutely take a hidden or partial tang over nothing 100% of the time as well. Others may prefer shaving a few ounces of weight, some may actually prefer a larger blade, someone else may be ok with just a slip joint, or a multitool, while yet someone else may be ok with a cheap box cutter and a small box of extra razor blades, but I personally, from my own experiences, do know that if I were to go back in time, I would prefer a small tough fixed blade, without question.
 
Ontario OKC3S. Currently in use by the USMC. It's a multi use blade. It's big and bad. I got one for my son he has been in the corp for 7 years. He prefers a buck. But you can't affix it to the m16. OKC3s you can.
 
Casehunter said:
In retrospect, Vietnam 1967, I would have given anything to have a Case Seahorse Whittler. Lots more quiet time than most would know. I wouldn’t have wanted to add a Rambo knife to my already overloaded ass. For me, whittling branches is calming and takes your mind off things.
View attachment 1988248
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I can give you a half dozen reasons why I didn't do any idle whittling on a LRP mission. Clearing an LZ under fire is another story all together.
 
strategy9 said:
I would absolutely take a hidden or partial tang over nothing 100% of the time as well. Others may prefer shaving a few ounces of weight.......
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......or prefer the comfort, the shock & cold temperature insulation.

In the cold it's a hidden tang every time for me, it's a knife not a prybar.
 
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