Big Army Knives

[Frank Trzaska]

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

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?

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

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

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)?

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

[Rob_0811]

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)

[orko]

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.

[dzhitshard]

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.

[Blitzzz (RIP)]

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

[Slantwire]

Originally Posted by Vermonter

The fueler guy with the no shit sword on his back at CSC Scania was awesome.

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

[trunkmonkey]

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.

[Bill Harsey]

trunkmonkey,
Thank you. Yes it does.

[Decoy-Mantis]

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.

[NoRoadtrippin]

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...

[steelcobra]

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.

[Bill Harsey]

Originally Posted by NoRoadtrippin

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...

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?

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

[AirbornePFC]

Originally Posted by trunkmonkey

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 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