Knife for Afghanistan

[jstn]

Served 10 years in U.S. Army Combat engineers. Served in Vietnam with the 39th Combat Engineers 1967-1968. Carried a issue Camillus made scout knife. Most the guys in my company had the same or a Buck 110 from the PX. Very little need for a fixed blade. Medically discharged 1971 at 50% disabled from active duty injuries.

What's your service/combat experience?

Thanks for your service and your perspective. I just gifted one of my former students a 5 inch fixed blade as he enters the military. I gave him some options, and tried to steer him toward a multi-tool and folder I had, but he wanted the fixed blade. Good to hear what some guys have carried though.

 

[jstn]

I'm the CMFTW knives guy. I was 11C/B in Mosul 03-04. I can build you a bitchin combat/utility for well under your budget.

This is what I built for myself. It's on my hip right now.

Love that blade Charlie Mike! You really make some of the best looking blades out there, and I suspect some of the most functional as well. Rare to achieve both.

 

[LostViking]

it might help to include that as a scout sniper, i'll be using this fixed blade a lot for utility survival/field work. I really like the winkler knives you guys mentioned.

What are you using now?

 

[Czechnologist]

I'm currently awaiting deployment and looking for a fixed blade with a 6" to 8" blade.

Thank you for your service! If I had a knife I thought was worthy of serving with you, I'd just send it to you free of charge. That's how strongly feel about anyone who would voluntarily go to a place, like Afghanistan, to serve their country. God bless and Godspeed from one 11B to what I assume is probably another.

(Edit) Oops! I should've read further into this thread. Semper Fi!

 

[shortwinger]

Hey Slayer,

One thing I would recommend is to buy a good blade from a company that is used to dealing with the military stationed overseas. Stuff happens and equipment breaks, some companies care more about selling knives and don't understand the demands of being in the middle of no where and needing replacement equipment fast. You can also look at the blades available through the military stores (PX) and choose something redily available. You will find that it is rare to find people with $600 blades, most carry job specific, easy to find, easy to replace, modestly priced blades.

The Ka-Bars were a blade of choice a million years ago when I was in, although today I may pick the smaller "Short" version with a 5 1/4" blade. However I never complained about the full sized version even though I am a short person. Today I have a CS SRK in SK5 and really love it. There is no doubt if I was going back over seas an SRK would be in my pack. The Fallkniven A-1 also has a following and a great reputation but I have never owned one.

These blades were used to do everything; cut, chop, hammer, dig, break things, open "everything", pry, food prep, and entertainment. No doubt a good multi-tool and small pocket knife also need to be part of your kit but I used my fixed blade everyday.

Good luck and be safe on deployment!

 

[GermanyChris]

Rangers/Long Range Patrol 68-69 Viet Nam. 82 Abn after that. All real Infantry time.

it's nice to hear from a LRRP sorta/pseudo Ranger from Vietnam it's nice of you to give advice to our local boy scout snipper from 50 years ago.

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@boyscout snipper if you were really a scout sniper your experience would tell you what kind of knife you need without polling the internet. My guess is you're a fresh Marine that just graduated from basic and leaned that you're deploying soon and don't believe the barracks talk.

I'm an old Airborne Infantryman that failed Ranger school not once but twice needless to say Dahlonega, Georgia isn't my favorite place. I've done three tours in Afghanistan as part of the 10th Mountain Division I kicked off that war with some Rangers and short bus kids, Ive done Anaconda and trained the ANA.

No chit you're going to be issued a piece of junk multi-tool which will be good for not much so if you want a knife you have to decide how much flexibility and weight you want to give to second most useless tool you carry. I carried a partially serrated AFO during my three tours and it was more than enough knife for cutting anything that needed cut.

 

[Sidehill Gouger]

it's nice to hear from a LRRP sorta/pseudo Ranger from Vietnam it's nice of you to give advice to our local boy scout snipper from 50 years ago.

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@boyscout snipper if you were really a scout sniper your experience would tell you what kind of knife you need without polling the internet. My guess is you're a fresh Marine that just graduated from basic and leaned that you're deploying soon and don't believe the barracks talk.

I'm an old Airborne Infantryman that failed Ranger school not once but twice needless to say Dahlonega, Georgia isn't my favorite place. I've done three tours in Afghanistan as part of the 10th Mountain Division I kicked off that war with some Rangers and short bus kids, Ive done Anaconda and trained the ANA.

No chit you're going to be issued a piece of junk multi-tool which will be good for not much so if you want a knife you have to decide how much flexibility and weight you want to give to second most useless tool you carry. I carried a partially serrated AFO during my three tours and it was more than enough knife for cutting anything that needed cut.

Sorta LRRP/pseudo Ranger? Not sure what that is supposed to mean but for the record my unit was a Long Range Patrol Company, not a Long Range Recoon Patrol company. There was a difference. And why pseudo Ranger? I didn't tell him to go get some big Rambo kind of knife, just a practical light weight field of of reasonable size. Yes, a KABAR will still get the job done. But I will stand by my statement a multitool is the next thing to no knife at all.

 

[Seth Green]

Scrapyard TT Regulator is my suggestion. Tough as nails, FF grind and it doesn't look very expensive.
Thanks for your service!

 

[Tenakal]

Tenekal are you suggesting the op carry his EOD multi-tool and a alox sax?

Yes, I’d say the Alox doesn’t add too much weight, and if you lose your EOD multi-tool you’re SOL, if you lose or break your SAK you’ll still have your EOD tool.

 

[Danke42]

it might help to include that as a scout sniper, i'll be using this fixed blade a lot for utility survival/field work. I really like the winkler knives you guys mentioned.

It might help to be sure you're not joking.

 

[GermanyChris]

Sorta LRRP/pseudo Ranger? Not sure what that is supposed to mean but for the record my unit was a Long Range Patrol Company, not a Long Range Recoon Patrol company. There was a difference. And why pseudo Ranger? I didn't tell him to go get some big Rambo kind of knife, just a practical light weight field of of reasonable size. Yes, a KABAR will still get the job done. But I will stand by my statement a multitool is the next thing to no knife at all.

Recoons are the bad a$$es

It's amazing how everyone is a super special SEAL or a LRRP special pseudo ranger now that Vietnam is 50 years old you're like the OP a special boy scout snipper. The loose definition of special that exists now 50 years later my old man a brown water sailor who spent his four tours in Vietnam is a SEAL even though he was a gunners mate. I look forward 30 years when I become special forces because I was fought in the same battles that they fought in.

Mean while back at the ranch a scout sniper is likely attached to MARSOC and really would have gone through other specialized schools like SERE so he'd know what he needs and not need to poll the knife nut community.

Signed Christopher Davis an ole 11B2p sorta pseudo Ranger (I mean I went to the school and all that chit and graduated mountain warfare school which is just like the phase of ranger school I failed right)

 

[Czechnologist]

I'm the CMFTW knives guy. I was 11C/B in Mosul 03-04. I can build you a bitchin combat/utility for well under your budget.

This is what I built for myself. It's on my hip right now.

Excellent work, CM. Enjoyed the video!

 

[Jcsixx01]

Recoons are the bad a$$es

It's amazing how everyone is a super special SEAL or a LRRP special pseudo ranger now that Vietnam is 50 years old you're like the OP a special boy scout snipper. The loose definition of special that exists now 50 years later my old man a brown water sailor who spent his four tours in Vietnam is a SEAL even though he was a gunners mate. I look forward 30 years when I become special forces because I was fought in the same battles that they fought in.

Mean while back at the ranch a scout sniper is likely attached to MARSOC and really would have gone through other specialized schools like SERE so he'd know what he needs and not need to poll the knife nut community.

Signed Christopher Davis an ole 11B2p sorta pseudo Ranger (I mean I went to the school and all that chit and graduated mountain warfare school which is just like the phase of ranger school I failed right)

Seems like a lot of assumptions and generalizations.

 

[GermanyChris]

Seems like a lot of assumptions and generalizations.

Have you heard a Green Beret or Navy SEAL ask about knives here, why is MARSOC different?

If anything MARSOC would be less likely to be here since your neighborhood jarhead is steeped in heritage

 

[thebrain]

GermanyChris why are you to be believed but the op is not? Oh yeah because you said so. Let us try not to accuse people of lieing for no reason.
Perhaps as an intelligent person might, he didn't like the knife he was issued and is asking an online group of people with more information to help him.

 

[Danke42]

GermanyChris why are you to be believed but the op is not? Oh yeah because you said so. Let us try not to accuse people of lieing for no reason.
Perhaps as an intelligent person might, he didn't like the knife he was issued and is asking an online group of people with more information to help him.

Chris's point is a salient one.

Once an individual is at that particular job they've learned hands on what their requirements are and if they have questions who to ask.

And spoiler alert the people to ask are not a bunch of strangers on the net.

Sure you can go online and ask questions but you don't name drop your qualifications. That's a trap that only the stolen valour crowd fall into.

 

[GermanyChris]

GermanyChris why are you to be believed but the op is not? Oh yeah because you said so. Let us try not to accuse people of lieing for no reason.
Perhaps as an intelligent person might, he didn't like the knife he was issued and is asking an online group of people with more information to help him.

I shouldn't be believed I'm just a chunky drunky who'd struggle to run three miles in any kind of time and maybe get three pull ups.

I should be believed because I make sense in modern warfare.

It's up to you to judge whose credible

Does this make me a badass infantryman?



Does this make me a Punk Rocker?



While I don't think I'm a badass Infantryman, I'm a pretty badass punk rocker.

 

[thebrain]

Believe or not, post on topic or roll your eyes and scroll along is my point.
On topic Charlie Mike makes some sweet looking blades and by all accounts well thought out too. And by buying from him you will be supporting a Veteran and talented nutcase.

 

[GermanyChris]

Believe or not, post on topic or roll your eyes and scroll along is my point.
On topic Charlie Mike makes some sweet looking blades and by all accounts well thought out too. And by buying from him you will be supporting a Veteran and talented nutcase.

I agree CM makes some bad ass knives but if you ask CM what he carried in in Iraq he'll tell you it was an LUDT IIRC.

The problem with fixed blades down range is you a: don't need them and b: they take up a ton of space and flexibility..

The only time I could ever see needing one is kicking down doors, I'm a bit of a junkie and was the number 1 guy through any door from PV2-SGT I just wanted to be that bad ass through the door I button hooked and made it onto film to teach USMA Cadets. The thing is even if some dude knocked me down or out my buddy was a fraction of a second behind me to take him out I didn't need a knife as a weapon.

Again I'm not a scout sniper, ranger, green beanie, or special in any way I'm just one of millions of dumb grunts "queen of battle" and all that.

 

[ROCK6]

The CMFTW knife is superb...that is going on my redeployment-gift list

Now, I mentioned the possible issue with shipping larger fixed blades back home if you're not traveling with your unit, but there are other considerations. I'm all in support of carrying a larger fixed blade, but the key aspect is the sheath system along with how and where you carry it. Most operations involve wheeled or fixed wing/helo-transport. Having anything long hanging off your kit will get caught up in doors, seatbelts, and seat-webbing. I've personally observed one young trooper getting hung up coming out of an up-armored HMMWV, and another who was eating in a DFAC and when he stood up, the plastic chair was hanging off his fixed blade

I'm out of uniform, but now wearing "combat casual" here in Afghanistan. The two fixed blades I rotate, but carry one daily, are the TOPS CUT 4.0, and the ESEE 3, both worn in Kydex Armatus sheaths (typically worn horizontally/SOB). I'm a professional low-speed, high-drag advisor...no kicking down doors, low-crawling in the sand, filling sandbags, or doing any foot-patrols. Just a retired vet still working in a combat environment and unabashed knife enthusiast!

In the past I've carried Busse, Mad Dog PATAK, Randall #15, Cold Steel SRK (my first fixed blade on Active Duty back in the early 90's), and a few others. If you're willing to spend the money on a Custom, I really recommend it. No, it likely won't be an EDC-user blade, but it's still comforting, adds a story to a knife you'll hopefully hand down to your son/grandson, and keeps the tradition of carrying a combat knife in combat alive. Along with a good fixed blade, I still do appreciate a SAK and/or Multitool (Swiss Spirit X). You will most often use a folding knife, but there is a lot of mental comfort derived by a fixed blade.

Weight is a factor. I love that the CMFTW is under a pound; that's important. Most fixed blades will be carried more than used (unless you do some training), so if your operations involve more dismounted stuff, consider the weight of the knife system.

Also, make sure you pop back in and tell us what you decided on...here area few I've been carrying and using:









ROCK6