Big Army Knives
 

Neither Chris Reeve or myself have much contact with Big Army and would appreciate anyone who is part of or has some insight commenting.

Is there still a need for a fixed blade knife in Big Army?
Does anyone in Big Army carry a fixed blade knife and if so what kind(s)?

OK, has anyone seen any soldier in the United States Big Army wearing any fixed blade in the field?

My data is 30 years old but when I was in we had a specific uniform that was designated by higher ups. And the only knife we were allowed to carry on the uniform was the bayonet.

I've seen current pics of conventional units with troops hanging knives on the uniform. Maybe this will spark some conversation.

Not "Big Army" but was on the "Big" side of the USMC.

As far as fixed blades for utility, I never chose to carry anything larger then the SOG SEAL pup on the small side and KBar on the large side.
They would cut what and when I needed them to.
Most of the time I carried the SOG.
If for some reason I had to drop or leave it, I wouldn't be heartbroken.
Striders and the like are nice knives, but I would lose my mind if mission dictated that I would have to leave a $300+ knife somewhere on the battlefield.

The newer USMC M8 bayonet is way to big in my opinion.
It focuses to much on the utility side of things making it bigger than it needs to be.

Soldiers still carry them but they are more for day to day utility than anything else and a folder generally works as well.
The only 'large' knives (crew served) that I note are on support troops not field troops.

#

I always carried a folder clipped to my pocket in garrison and overseas.

The only time I carried a fixed blade was when I was overseas and I had it on my vest, nothing too large though...

And I concur with dmgedgoods, the only time I really used it was for 550 cord and MREs...

My experience may not be as current, but in my infantry unit I would say about a third of the guys carried fixed blade knives. I carried a Ka-Bar for a while, and I knew a few guys who carried SOG or E-K knives. My personal experience was that it took up valuable space on my LBE, and being a carbon steel blade, needed maintenance. I stopped carrying my Ka-Bar because I could do 90% of what I needed a knife for with a small folder, and it took up less space.

I agree with the comment that I probably wouldn't want to take a $$$ knife to the field so I wouldn't have to worry about it being lost or stolen.

But, for ease of use and quick access, a small fixed blade in a sheath that could be released with one hand might be nice to have.

Mr. Harsey,

Since I'm a blade enthusiast (freak), I always carried way too many sharp and pointy things in the field. In my early days I was stupid enough to lug around a crew-served machete but have since scaled down a bit. My knees and broken back started talking to me so I had to be a bit more practical. However, I still carried my SF in Iraq last year.

My impression of Big Army's opinion on knives and other bladed weapons is that they are too war-like and therefore politically incorrect. Plus, there's the risk-adverse mentality that someone might cut themselves. Not to mention they don't go well when everyone is supposed to be dress-right-dress.

I will admit that carrying knives was much easier before the army decided to dump an extra 50+ pounds of sh*t on us in the form of body armor and all the other new gadgets we are given to attach to our once lightweight carbines. :lifter The lack of room on one's equipment and the sake of one's own health may also be playing into the lack of big fixed blades in the field.

Aviators still use the Knife, Hunting, 5 inch blade but are being replaced by the new ASEK system. Just an updated version with modern materials and new sheath fixtures for multiple mounting. The flight suit and harness / chaps still have the built in pockets for these knives. There is also a new pouch that fits the MOLLE system for mounting on a vest.

EOD uses several depending on circumstances from the non sparking / non mag copper beryllium utility knives to the large M11 that is nothing more then an M9 without the bayonet fittings. Titanium is replacing the Beryllium slowly but all the non mag EOD tools in general are still beryllium.

There is a strong drive towards the smaller strap cutter knives. Billed as non offensive and life saving these are working their ways through the systems. The USMC just let a contract for their first batch from Ontario. It is a no frills version (read cheap) of the one that is standard in the Army ASEK knife system.

What are you planning...?

All the best
Frank Trzaska

Mr. Trzaska,
Welcome aboard and thank you for your comments. It's been way too long since we last spoke. Cannot announce the project yet but it has been in the works for two years now.

I'm a little concerned about the kinder and gentler Army. Can you guys still carry firearms?

Big Army doesn't do fixed blades ever since someone figured out that you can order a gazillion Gerber auto knives and give 'em to Joe and make him feel like a cool guy. I carry a Randall, but that's really more cheese than useful. For a conventional guy like me, about 15 weapon systems will have to fail before I am using a 'combat knife' on anything but an MRE. My multitool sees much more action and abuse.

I think there are two reasons you don't see many big fixed blades in line units. The first is that a big ass, but cheap, knife is often purchased by 11B's straight out of OSUT when the hit up Ranger Joe's before going to their duty station. They are then roundly fucked with, and rightfully so, by their seniors who know that big piece of crap is just one more thing to hump and nearly useless for a budding young 203 gunner.

The second, and more pertinent, is the risk adverse attitude of many commanders out there. When we first went over the berm a weapons discharge was nothing to report. Before long, though, we were doing 15-6's anytime you lit a guy up. I actually had a knife fight go down in my BN and the shitstorm that arose after that was amazing. I watched an O-5 actually question an E-6's tactical plan that allowed an enemy to get that close. Never mind that the dude was supposedly dead and they were doing a to standard EPW search before he started to struggle. But that's another story.

And yeah, the fixed blade Fobbit ninjas give knives a bad name, too. The fueler guy with the no shit sword on his back at CSC Scania was awesome.

I keep a 4" applegate/fairbain folder clipped in my pocket and I use it constantly. I can't think of a single task I'd need a bigger or fixed blade knife for. Of course it would also be an unusual day for me to go outside the wire.

SOG, SOG PUP, and KABAR, are the "field knives" of choice, plus a folder in the pocket.

TG

I carried my Yarborough in Afghanistan, and will again.

Mr. Harsey sir,
Thank You for the welcome, yes it has been a few years now. I hope to get back to the OKCA show again soon.

I get many, many questions every year from parents on what type of knife to buy for a son or daughter who is shipping off. Typically the response is always a multi-tool and a pocket knife, a generic answer. The kid never wants it, they want large. Lately the strap cutter is the ticket Moms want to buy. Kinder and gentler... you nailed it.

I look forward to seeing your new project.


All the best
Frank Trzaska

Bill

This thread has evolved around a fixed blade hunting/fighting/Bowie/bayonet style..

Like the others I prefer something like your new Tactical Trout,, BUT there is a need for something a bit bigger..

I carried a WW II folding Machete in Nam,, way to heavy,, but it was convenient to tuck in my ruck. The Plum model 1917 and Ciso Bolo was also popular. Short blade 10" to 15" blade with good weight to whack bamboo and light to moderate chopping.

I think there is still a requirement for something in this class.

Not crew served and not a neck knife.

My $00.0002

I had a BRKT 5.5" Teddy on my assault pack when I was in Iraq.

I have since replaced it with a 5.5" Harsey/Reeve Green Beret.

I'm a guard guy, but as an 11b, we still carry the bigger knives, I just don't carry it on my person. I haul enough stuff around as it is.

I carry a leatherman and a locking pocket knife, but there are uses for a fixed blade in the non-SF Army. At least with us, there is (maybe because we're Texans)

I think the general outlook for big army is if they wanted you to carry a big knife they would issue it, that would run into the justification side of things, where the cost would not justify the daily use.

I don't see many regular Army carrying much in the line of fixed blades. It could be in part because there always seems to be someone looking for something to pull a guy aside for.

I caught it more than a few times wearing a fixed benchmade (that was issued) with a blade length of 4.5. And I remember the sheath only stuck out about an inch or so from under my top.

I had to explain all the time that the reason I carried a fixed blade was that I used the knife every few mineutes and it saved time to use a fixed blade rather than opening and closing a folder.

these days I see lots of spyderco type folding knives both big and small, and Many gerber tools.

Bill,

IME a troop will draw scrutiny for anything bigger than a 5.5" on their kit.
Anything on the belt line, fully or partially concealed, will draw fire.

In my last line unit I'd say that 75% of the Soldiers carried a fixed blade on their kit outside the wire. A lot of SEAL pups, AF survival knives, & the like. A couple Boker Applegates, Kbars, & Striders.

Before you & Gary called I was ready to go with the small SF knife and bastardize the crest & markings I haven't earned.

There is a call for a quality 5"-5.5" fixed blade IMO.

One knife...
 

I carried 5 knives in desert storm
2ea 3.5 in blades along the left front suspender mounted Cross draw fashion,
1 ea 7 in blade Combat type (Benchmark), and another 3.5 incher horizontally on my pants belt mid back ( handle facing the right).
1 7.5 blade straped to right side of my ruck

Most of my team had about three. all carried a big one of about 7 to 8 inch blade. Blitzzz

Well, he can't be shooting a firearm. Muzzle flash might ignite the fuel tank. He needs that sword. :D

Mr. Harsey,
My experience was in the Big Army's military intelligence field. I was not a squint but served on a surveillance team. All members of our team were required to carry 1 large fixed blade knife with a blade length of over 7". If we did not provide our own we were issued a KaBar with a D2 blade. The reason for us was not so much combat as it was the need to be able to dig, or probe under our sensors in order to check for mines/grenades. I used a SOG Seal 2000 knife. I used this knife from everything from digging to probing, cutting out car dashboards (to check for hidden weapons) to breaking windows. I also used this knife more than once to pry open a locked wooden door.
Being as I was also on an entry team I did carry a strictly combat knife. I carried a SOG Daggert 1 on the left side, chest region of my vest. We called it an up and down knife. If for some reason you were entering a room and someone pinned your weapon to your body the knife was drawn, ice pick fassion up out of its sheath and brought down into the attacker while your right hand maintained control of your weapon. I never used mine but it was always there. One person on my team did use theirs when the search of a person went bad. I hope this helps.

trunkmonkey,
Thank you. Yes it does.

Big Army
 

Carried a K-BAR on my first tour and an Ontario bayonet on my second. Most use it saw was cutting open couches, car seats, mattresses, etc. during searches.

Mr. Harsey,

This thread got under way about 6 months ago now. Any more progress on the project?

I have never carried a fixed blade myself. Currently, I wear a Benchmade Presidio Auto in the left pant pocket, multi-tool on the belt, and another multi-tool in my second line.

I would think a fix-blade somewhere in the range of the PS knife would be a nice lightweight option. But of course, if the PL is whipping out a fixed blade to go to work, things have gone very, very wrong a long time ago...

National Guard Cav period: We had to wear an M9 Bayonet most of the time in the field. Other than that I had a $10 folder I bought from top because I was a broke high school/college kid who couldn't afford a decent knife. The screw in the pivot pin kept falling out. :( Eventually bought a Gerber Urban Legend to suppliment it.

3rd COSCOM period: Upgraded to the full size Legend and still carry one today. The rubber grips fell out of the second one I bought because the first "disappeared". Interchangable jigsaw blades are definitely a selling point. Bought a Gerber Applegate-Fairbain Covert folder and carried that for a few years.

10th SFG(A) GSC period: Upgraded to a Benchmade HK Auto-Axis clip-point for my deployed folder, and picked up and aluminum-scale Kershaw Splinter for legal stateside carry. Keep a Cold Steel Safe-Maker I on the left shoulder strap of my body armor. Also have an issued Benchmade strapcutter low right on there.

I have a few other fixed blades, but don't really carry them.

Yes there is a lot of progress on the project. It's the LHR being manufactured by Gerber in Portland. The knife was shown at AUSA and will be at SHOT Show.

Here is a simple advantage of a slightly longer blade in the form of a question:
if say one has a three inch long blade and a six inch long blade made of the same steel, heat treat and edge geometry, without re-sharpening and being used for the same jobs, which knifes edge will last longer?

A knife worthy of Warrior status
 

One style I've always liked,..

Windtalkers, worn by Charlie Whitehorse, (a.k.a., Roger Willie). Brad Pitt's knife in Legends of the Fall and Ingloriuos Bastards, or Paul Hogan's knife, in Crocodile Dundee, "Now that's a knife".

A fine blade with a Stag handle carried in a very cool shealth.

WD

Hope to help you Mr. Harsey
 

I have a SOG Seal Pup on my kit in the same position for the same reason. (gets more utility use than anything) I have also carried a Rat RC-5 strapped to my left thigh on some training missions and decided it was just to dang heavy to ruck run with etc. There was a time I also carry an Ontario Rat-3. Currently I am waiting on a custom knife from a local maker ,but I've seen a few seal pups and kabars around my NG unit. While at some training with active duty soldiers though the fixed blade of choice (for the few who had them) was the gerber LMF, often tip up on the weak side of their kit.

Glad to hear the project is going well! The LHR looks eerily similar to the "Green Beret" knife.... Thanks for all your great blades!

-PFC