What's a good knife for military?

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FixedBladeFan

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Sep 24, 2005
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I have a friend in the infantry shipping out to Iraq next October for 18 months. For a going away gift I thought I'd get him a nice, quality knife. He's been eyeing my SOG SEAL 2000 knife, but I don't know how that would handle in desert conditions. Any suggestions out there for a fixed blade knife that would work well for an infantry man in the desert? My price range peaks around $150. Thanks for any help.
 
Buy him a Becker BK-7, about $55.00 shipped. It's a no nonsense hard use knife. Then buy him a quality multi tool, Victorinox or Leatherman. And a sharpening stone. Just my $.02
 
Another good knife for the Military is the Ranger RD6 or 7. Proly a bit tougher then the becker but a little more expensive,$70-$80 Don't get me wrong the beckers are very tough knives and I think that would be a good choice, just offering another option. Oh yeah a multi-tool and a good inexpensive folder like the BM Monochrome. It has a open design that will be easy to clean and a strong framelock.

TBG
 
You don't need a big knife or even a fixed blade.
The most important thing is a secure sheath if he's using a fixed blade. Most soldiers wear their knives inverted on the left side of their vest, as unit SOP allows.
A multi-tool is a must, but he almost certainly already has one. Trying to pry a jammed cartridge out of a hot M249 without one is very not-good.
 
He doesn't need a big, fixed-blade knife.

If he wants one - for "G.I. Joe moments" and posing for pictures - get him a Cold Steel SRK second for $49.99:

http://www.coldsteel.com/seconds.html

Then buy him what he'll actually use: An appropriate combination of

Swiss Army Knife http://www.victorinox.com/newsite/en/produkte/index.htm

...multitool http://www.leatherman.com/ http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php?flash=1

...and/or quality folder http://www.newgraham.com/

Recommended folders would include the Spyderco Manix and Paramilitary; Benchmade 710 and Griptilian.

maximus otter
 
Multi-tool or small folder. Keep it inexpensive because it may get lost, stolen or confiscated. A large fixed blade is just asking for problems from his chain of command.
 
stevekt said:
Multi-tool or small folder. Keep it inexpensive because it may get lost, stolen or confiscated. A large fixed blade is just asking for problems from his chain of command.
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So true!

A friends son just got back from "over there" and he had that happen to a buddy of his. In all his tour he said he had no need of a fixed blade knife, but his multi-tool was used a number of times daily, as was his Swiss army knife.

Those guys have so much gear to hump that a large fixed blade is just overkill. If the C.O. dos'nt ban it, it gets left behind at the barracks after a while anyway because the trooper dos'nt want to bother with it.
 
I had never thought about the disappearance of expensive knives. I wasn't sure about a folder because I didn't know how the sand would affect the opening mechanism. I'm looking into all of your suggestions though, because a little less price wise is always better for me. What about a smaller fixed blade like the Gerber LMF II?
 
FixedBladeFan said:
I had never thought about the disappearance of expensive knives. I wasn't sure about a folder because I didn't know how the sand would affect the opening mechanism. I'm looking into all of your suggestions though, because a little less price wise is always better for me. What about a smaller fixed blade like the Gerber LMF II?
Click to expand...

My buddy that just got back from Iraq after a second tour, carried a Gerber Combat Folder on both tours, as well as several tours in South America and Bosnia and has never had a problem with a folder. In fact he is a Gerber fan, almost all his field knives (he's SPECOPS) are Gerbers and he's never had one fail. I recomended a fixed blade because that's what you asked about. Folders can get it done. That said, the Gerber LMF II would make a great knife for a field soldier, nice design and good steel not to big or to heavy to carry.

It would be a good friend that equipped a pal with it.
 
CS Tai Pan and Tantos are fairly big, light weight and strong all at the same time. Good knives overall.
 
Get him a Becker BK-10 Crewman and a SOG PowerLock...He'll be set then.
 
How about a Black Jack Grunt with the Kydex sheath? It may not be as strong a prybar as the Becker but it's a little shorter overall & I'll wager it'll out cut the Becker due to the grind. And it's got a superior handle - actually, it's the most comfortable & secure handle design currently available on a production knife IMO (note I didn't say versatile but hey, you can't have everything).

Or why not something small & thin like the A.G. Russell Deerhunter in D2 steel? http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_type/straight/a_g_russell_bird_trout_with_vg10_blade.html

I'm definately thinging about getting one of those myself...
 
Al Mar SERE 2000 and any Leatherman that has a saw and scissors in it. Pretty much all you will need. If he wants a fixed Blade a 5" blade works a bit better than the 6" & 7" blades to me. First field exercise I ever did I took a Al Mar Warrior - all it did was poke me in the side while riding in the Chinook or Blackhawk till I finally stashed it in the ruck where it remained. After that I used various Spydercos, Benchmades, and a Emerson CQC-7 along with either a Gerber Multi-Tool or a SOG Multi-Tool.
 
You might want to take a look at the RAT-3, from Ontario. Nice, secure sheath, and very versatile design. Also very easy to carry.
 
Will P. said:
You don't need a big knife or even a fixed blade.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking that I'm going to disagree on needing a fixed blade... well, you don't NEED one, but if I was going to carry anything, it would be a good Leatherman and a small to medium sized FB. With a reflective finish. Whatever ass hat said that tactical knives should be black finished never counted on me needing to SEE the blade when I'm opening MREs at night under tactical conditions (Having forgotten a red-lensed flashlight). And both of my folders, while functional, got clogged up with sand some, and I was in a mostly forest environment this weekend.
 
I'm a folder fan. Spyderco Manix or Paramilitary are my favorites. The new Buck/Strider 889 is also a good folder. That being said, a good fixed blade is hard to beat. The sand in that part of the world is very fine and can get into places you would never imagine.
 
I did a year over there and I got by with a good tactical folder and Multi tool. alot of my friends had fixed blades but soon took them off because of the weight and they never used them.

A good combo would be a Spyderco Military and a Leatherman Charge or Core or Surge.


If you just have to get him a fixed Blade, go with short, strong, and cheap. The Becker Crewman would fit the bill but don't forget the multi tool. Ask your friend if he has one and if he says yes I have my issued Gerber, tell him to give it to a Private and buy him one of the leatherman's I suggested.
 
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