What makes a good SERE knife?

Rotte said:
I really like the sheath design you and Mistwalker came up with. I get the impression Mistwalker has his act together, and I value what he says. Here's the question though: would you trust that sheath if you were going bungee jumping? Head first? Think big G-forces with abrupt acceleration/deceleration. I think if you punched a couple holes in the sheath up near the handle, you could add a piece of 550 cord to tie it in or a secondary strap and it would be perfect. Or perhaps a means to lock the primary retention strap in place. Something to think about. Maybe I'm being too paranoid, I just know I'd want that knife to show up to the party with me.
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Thank you Rotte, I am glad you like that design and honestly I have quietly been working on a secondary retention or retention retainer...whatever you may wish to call it. Having tumbled down a couple of ridge sides, and having to recover some of my gear afterward, I think the retention system that allows the knife to show up at the party with you and the one for "wary movement" may need to be a two-part system but one where getting the knife into the action doesn't take too long or much effort even if both parts are still in place. I have come up with a few ideas, and am testing theories but haven't found what I'm looking for yet.

Thank you for your compliments. My experiences were pretty much as unorthodox as some of my techniques....but luckily I had some good teachers that had a good grasp of the unconventional. I've never been ejected from an airplane or dropped behind enemy lines but I did spend two and a half years eluding pursuers and dealing with predators, surviving off of what I could catch, trap, or find. My knife was to me the primary element of my "life support system". I was already used to the pilots knife and stuck with it for its size and toughness. It never failed me, but I often wished for a full tang knife built to the same size with similar features. I have designed my own...maybe some day I'll be able get it produced.
 
My personal opinion, and it's no longer a popular choice- but when I need a no if/ands/buts solid retention design I just use a full flap- stud or snap closure.

For anything else, I honestly use a piece of chock cord for a rear lanyard and stretch it over the sheath. if you think you need ready access for a sudden goblin or whatever, unhook it and let it ride easy while you walk.

I've seen really secure quick draw carry for pistols, but still nothing I'd want to tumble down a shingle with. Knives, due to form, are generally much harder to get hard secure with a quick draw. A full flap cover gives you, I think, the best possible of both worlds. And more options for extra bits. I've seen one flap style sheath with holes punched into the flap itself and several yards of stitching thread laced in.

Edit- okay, more pictures.

I pictured this one before as my small form factor idea of a SERE blade, the LBK. Here's the sheath on the first one I sold:

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Man I am lovin this thread.

But... you all seem to have overlooked what is probably THE original SERE knife design. Here are some specs; Blade length 4.5 to 5.5 inches, full tang, micarta handle scales. Sound familiar? It's the basic chute knife. Leaving aside the Loveless, Harry Archer, covert ops mystique and the price; This is what Ken Warner had to say in Knives 97 on the development of this style of knife back in '67/68:

"For a while, it was the Archer Chute knife; now it's just "Chute Knife". To be its designers, you pretty well had to have Loveless boot knives, which we both did."

"We decided it had to be chunkier at the same boot length, or 4.5 inches, and there had to be enough belly and a steeper false edge. That dictated a wider blade, which was swell, because we wanted a fatter handle anyway."

"Archer knew about chute malfunctions, and he knew even more about hanging in the shroud lines, 40 feet up in a big tree at night. He wanted a short knife that was long enough; he wanted it big enough to hold onto; and when he flailed about with it, he wanted it cutting stuff in all directions."

"And he wanted it to be a KNIFE. He knew any 4.5 inch knife is big enough to hurt people with; he wanted also to be able to count on it as a slicer-and- dicer, to be able to dress game, to whittle - he wanted a knife not just a chute malfunction tool."

Ken goes on to say "it doesn't hide as easily as boot knife nor does it dress game as slick as a sharp marbles woodcraft, but its close, real close."

I reckon for civilian use you probably don't need a sharpened false edge and a double guard is a pain, now if Fallkniven or someone like that made a knife that fell between the F1 and the S1 sizewise.......say a 4.75 inch clip point.... That would be something to really think about.

Kevin
 
mistwalker said:
....... I've never been ejected from an airplane or dropped behind enemy lines but I did spend two and a half years eluding pursuers and dealing with predators, surviving off of what I could catch, trap, or find. My knife was to me the primary element of my "life support system". I was already used to the pilots knife and stuck with it for its size and toughness. It never failed me, but I often wished for a full tang knife built to the same size with similar features. I have designed my own...maybe some day I'll be able get it produced.
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Before anyone gets the wrong idea I just wanted to say I wasn't on the run from the police or because of any criminal activity....it's a reeeeeaaally long story.
 
One of my customers went through SERE Training, and how this is what he had to say about my knife after his training.

"I just returned from SERE School. I used this knife throughout the survival section of the course and the knife performed great. I used the knife for everything; from splitting wood for fire to cleaning game. I had a diamond sharpening tool and all I had to do was retouch the blade on the diamond stone and the knife was ready to skin anything. I would recommend any of John's products to anyone that needs a real knife for survival. These knives are made very strong and take a serious beating. "
Respectfully Submitted
Erod

He also posted it on my website. If you scroll down below the photo you can see his comments.
http://www.jkhandmadeknives.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=27507271
 
I would feel very comfortable with most production and custom offerings. My Bravo 1 would certainly work well and I wouldn't feel "underknived" :o

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Hi all,

Well I was chatting with Rotte today. and told him I got started on the my SERE 5.5. Well as I was thinking about this thread that he started. It seems there is a lot of conversation about the pilots survival knife and then the Kabar knife.
I thought to myself well I am going to make up a 7" version for fun and call it the SERE VII since this one will have a 7" blade length.
Anyways Rotte said to post it for a update and work in progress and then
for some more conversation lol, so here is the pic I sent of the knife blanks with the basic shape and then the pin holes. I am making theses 2 out of 0-1 steel and the thickness is 5/32".

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I have some more grinding and shaping to do on them yet, but I think you can see the basic shape of them.

Take care all and chat with you later,

Bryan
 
Thanks Caine, I am happy with them so far lol. I tell ya that number VII when I hold that sucker it just seems to sing to me. I can hardly wait to get them done.

Bryan
 
I like the full flap sheaths too. Now if we just get that same design in Kydex and scuba nylon as an aftermarket sheath...(Hello Sp*c-Ops!! Are you listening? lol!) One guy mentioned bungee jumping as a way to describe the G's a sheath might have to withstand, mine would be imagine hitting the water feet first from 20 feet up. the upward "push" on even a lanyard must be tremendous so yes IMHO the sheath is an essential part of the cutlery package. Mr Breeden, those blades look like winners to me! I like that smaller one too so Mist and I may have to duel to see who gets it. (What do think Mist? 5 inch 01 razors at dawn? LOL!) Best to all anrkst
 
So many ways to mod. the points. I like them the way they are but I would be tempted to mod. them for fun.
 
You guys know I'm partial to Mr Breedens work and that SERE blade is just too fine! But because the sheath is a part of the package and for operators (and those that just cant quit pushing the envelope :) ) safety and security is paramount. So let go back to the sheaths just for a sec. The stud system has worked for a couple hundred years and heavy brass snaps hold really well. The flap type sheath like Koyote does seems to me to be the securest yet. How about putting a heavy brass snap at each outer edge of the flap? Double security and even with heavy gloves or mittens or soaking wet and freezing(as suggested by Bryan) putting a whole mittened hand under the center and pulling up will open it. To resist that kind of upward force the sheath would have to be literally frozen inside a block of ice. This "double snap" set up would preclude having to remove ones gloves/mittens to open the sheath. Plus while crawling,falling,slipping, going OOPS! and possibly going CHUG! very soon thereafter might happen to the best of us..its highly unlikely that it would open both snaps due to them being on opposite sides. One maybe but not both.
 
Only a week late! I really liked this thread and it got me thinking how great one of my recent buys is. I think the Howling Rat is a much better woods knife, but this Bandicoot does a lot in a light package and occupies less space. Had to share when i finally got my photo! Gotta say- it is a mean, fast fighter too.
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Hi all, Well I have the smaller of the 2 knives that I am calling the SERE 5.5
done.

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What do you all think of it so far. Here is a few pics.

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I have not got the sheath done yet, Harvest is really taking longer than normall this year so that has put me behind evem more.

Just from the little that I have got to handle it. I already know I am going to make a MEGA version of it time ( after Harvest and my Tree cutting jobs are done for this year) I am going to make up a MEGA version inbetween customer orders that I have.

Well chat with you all later,

Bryan
 
Holy smokes, I like it.

How comfortable is it choking up on the blade? It looks like with the choil, and thumb groove it'd be pretty good, does the guard interfere much on the top side?
 
Hi all,
6 shooter thanks. Yes choking up really works and is very comfy with the slanted guard whether the blade edge is down or up.
For me at least the slanted guard makes the 5 grips that Ray Mears talks about in his book on Pg 22 the best that I have ever used. That is Me though. The top guard is for me the best part. I rest my thumb on there for alot of my cutting. It is for me just awesome. But that is me lol
every one is different.
So far I am very pleased with it and just love using it so far for the cutting tasks that I do. I used it so far for cutting up Chicken breast and then shaving up some fuzz sticks for a campfire and then I have done some battoning to split up some wood for my fire. made one hotdog stick ( from a Ash sapling )for having some weenies lol.
I have not got to skin anything with it yet. This guy

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might be the one that gets it. This fellow is not doing so good so taking him to market is not going to happen. he will make good bait for traps and some dog food though. If I get to butcher him after harvest I will get to see just how this knife does in the skinning and deboning.

Caine, thanks. So far I am really likeing it.

dawsonbob,Thanks. Glad you like it. I am really pleased with it so far.
I like that the top and bottom guards are a little shorter than on the Warthron and the 1-0 knives. I think it is more comfy.

Thanks for the kind comments all and I will chat with you later,

Bryan
 
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