What makes a good SERE knife?

Hi KBT, Weeeeell, lol. I think it really comes down to what each of us like in a knife. harpoon41 and I were just chatting about that subject a couple of weeks back on another forum. I had made harpoon41 a smaller version of the Livesay RTAK knife .

Just click on the pics and they will become full size.


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After harpoon41 got his knife he tells me you know Bryan one like this with a 5" long blade would make a perfect SERE knife.
I drew up a couple designs on paper. One design with a choil and one with out.

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After seeing the drawing harpoon41 says the design with out the choil would be the one he would pic. Now on the other hand I like choils lol lol and so I made me one with the choil. I just finished it up a couple of days back and have not taken any pics of it yet.

harpoon41 might chim in on this too.



Anyways, I hope that answers your question. If not let me know. I love to talk SERE knives and designs.

Bryan
 
I realized that I never posted pics of my slightly altered form of Brian's SERE. Love the knife, suits my needs very well:
Use of choil:

Left hand assist push shaving- area of spine under my hand is slightly rounded to not cut my palm and batons- Area from spine choil to my hand is left sharp for scraping:

Use of spine choil for up cut:

Tapered slabs and pinch grip:

Showing where spine is rounded VS left sharp:

draw shave:


This knife may seem a bit bulky due to large/secure grip but it is a woods tool that I would feel secure in most any situation with.

Bill
 
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Rotte said:
What features in your opinion should a SERE knife have?
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5 years later. I will give two options. I think the Ontario SP2 is the successor to the old 499 air force survival knife. Two modifications: 1. sharpen the blade to your personal satisfaction and, 2. cut off the top of the rubberized guard. Option 2 - the Fallkniven f1 designed as a SERE/survival knife for Swedish pilots who wear gloves in a cold climate. A person who wears a suit can comfortably put an F1 into a suit pants pocket in the factory sheath - you can't with the SP2. Survival fixed blade would be the Ontario TFI. Your skill level and care level of your knife are far more important than the selection of a specific blade.
 
I just found this thread and wanted to mention a few things. I've gone through a few sere courses and used a buck 110, buck strider 880sp, and the last one was a fehrman peacemaker. In every case there was very little knife use. The majority of the scenarios involved hiding and moving with stealth. If I were to be put in a sere situation now, I'd pick a large folder such as the buck strider, Medford, or something along those lines.
 
tidefan said:
I just found this thread and wanted to mention a few things. I've gone through a few sere courses and used a buck 110, buck strider 880sp, and the last one was a fehrman peacemaker. In every case there was very little knife use. The majority of the scenarios involved hiding and moving with stealth. If I were to be put in a sere situation now, I'd pick a large folder such as the buck strider, Medford, or something along those lines.
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I just stumbled onto this thread, and wanted to comment on tidefan's post above...I have only limited knowledge about the subject, but with the little I know, what he has said here is very good point. My son is an active duty Marine, who is going through SERE school as I type this. They are provided some issued equipment, as well a list of recommended items, they might want to provide for themselves. A knife/multitool is one of the items they provide for themselves. My son has a nice selection of knives to choose from, but the SERE school scenarios they learn in the classroom, before entering the field dictated his choice more than anything. As tidefan commented, much of the training is geared toward evasion, but also on being captured, and having them going through interrogation techniques, and looking for escape opportunities. It seems that getting caught is as much a part of the training as evasion and resistance, because they want them to learn how to properly handle the various ways they may be interrogated. As such, it's not like they are on a camping trip out in the bush, where they will use a knife as might your typical survivalist, or bushcrafter, or even someone who might in reality end up in an actual SERE situation. Also, they were told that they should expect to not have captured items returned, and so they might not want their best knife being lost after school. Also, as tidefan commented, with all that is going on, and the limited time frame involved, it's not as if they are going to be out there for an extended period of time utilizing their knife indefinitely. As such, I'm thinking the chosen knife needs to meet some basic criteria, sturdy and useful enough to get them through the training, but not so costly that they mind leaving behind in this training scenario. I would choose accordingly. Most are going to the MCX and choosing cost effective knives with the above in mind. Whether they will come to regret that decision, or not, remains to be seen.

Edit to add: If he and his knife get through this okay, I'll let you all know what knife he chose...you might get a kick out of his decision. If he finds out he made a bad choice, I'll let you know that too. :-)
 
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dmattaponi said:
I just stumbled onto this thread, and wanted to comment on tidefan's post above...I have only limited knowledge about the subject, but with the little I know, what he has said here is very good point. My son is an active duty Marine, who is going through SERE school as I type this. They are provided some issued equipment, as well a list of recommended items, they might want to provide for themselves. A knife/multitool is one of the items they provide for themselves. My son has a nice selection of knives to choose from, but the SERE school scenarios they learn in the classroom, before entering the field dictated his choice more than anything. As tidefan commented, much of the training is geared toward evasion, but also on being captured, and having them going through interrogation techniques, and looking for escape opportunities. It seems that getting caught is as much a part of the training as evasion and resistance, because they want them to learn how to properly handle the various ways they may be interrogated. As such, it's not like they are on a camping trip out in the bush, where they will use a knife as might your typical survivalist, or bushcrafter, or even someone who might in reality end up in an actual SERE situation. Also, they were told that they should expect to not have captured items returned, and so they might not want their best knife being lost after school. Also, as tidefan commented, with all that is going on, and the limited time frame involved, it's not as if they are going to be out there for an extended period of time utilizing their knife indefinitely. As such, I'm thinking the chosen knife needs to meet some basic criteria, sturdy and useful enough to get them through the training, but not so costly that they mind leaving behind in this training scenario. I would choose accordingly. Most are going to the MCX and choosing cost effective knives with the above in mind. Whether they will come to regret that decision, or not, remains to be seen.

Edit to add: If he and his knife get through this okay, I'll let you all know what knife he chose...you might get a kick out of his decision. If he finds out he made a bad choice, I'll let you know that too. :)
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Would be interested in the follow up.--Thanx--KV
 
Well my son got back from SERE School today, and I got to talk to him for a while. He’s 15lbs lighter, but no worse for the wear and better for the experience. I said that I would share the knife he took with him after he returned...so here it is...

Of all things...A $20 GERBER PARAFRAME
 
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dmattaponi said:
I figure the ridicule will now begin :)
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You already know, how many feel about the Paraframe, so Ill be diplomatic; its a good knife to bring, if you know it wont be returned to you, as you mentioned.

I unfortunately once owned a Paraframe and Id hate to stake my life on it to say the least.
 
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