Very helpful and topically relevant. Thanks.
The NSN on the Strider MARSOC SMF checks out. The quantities procured are actually higher than I would have expected.
Definitely. The lines between "military input" and "input from former military personnel who now work for/consult with/own our company" have blurred considerably over the past two decades or so as veterans have entered the industry so prominently. I think both mechanisms are equally valid for developing knife innovations, but it makes it harder to trace the history sometimes.
Is every feature of a Spartan Blades knife "military-derived" just because the owners are retired Green Berets? Not necessarily. But you can bet that every design/construction element on a Spartan has been considered from the perspective of whether it's durable and functional enough to meet the needs of an infantryman.
Those are interesting questions and I look forward to reading how others answer them. Personally, I believe:
1) The folder certainly has a secure place among current military personnel. I don't see that changing, as most manufacturers have geared a significant portion of their offerings to the military demographic.
2) Many of the advancements in materials and construction methods of modern folders that make them strong enough to be useful to a soldier are the direct result of innovations supplied by and for our military.
Since you asked, I submit the following examples of real-world military/LEO necessity driving knife design.
This ARL-P4 knife, procured for EOD use, exists solely because military guys asked for it.
It was feedback from military members that led from this Benchmade design
to this model
and eventually to this model.
I'm certain of this because years ago I knew the head of Benchmade's Government Sales division and its Military Liaison representative and they told me about the design progression. Because the Military Liaison rep was a former SEAL, his recommendations also led to Benchmade making this model (I know they tested it, but I don't know if the SEALs ever adopted it).
Law enforcement and rescue personnel input featured heavily in the design features of this Benchmade 917SBK Triage.
I know that this model has been issued to at least one law enforcement specialty unit. How? Because the guy to whom it was issued showed it to me just this past week. It's a fantastic, well-executed design. He told me that he carries it sporadically, however, because he sometimes finds it too heavy.
-Steve