If you were to go to war today, which knife would you take with you?

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JShirley said:
The Smatchet would be useful at close range, but would it be worth the weight penalty if you're carrying a lot of armor, ammo, and 1 or 2 firearms? Not to mention radios and other commo devices, GPS, food, water, binos, NVGs, batteries- you get the picture.
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I've never been in the army, but honestly if I was actually in that situation I think I'd just bring the Swiss Army Soldier knife. The Smatchet was meant more as a joke, although I do have one in my collection and have always been fascinated by the knife and the designer, William E. Fairbairn.
 
ah, I get it. The thing is, it's not dissimilar to many knives that Confederate soldiers possessed when they went off to war. Most of those were discarded along the trails they marched- in a war where most combatants used single shot weapons.

A lot of folks have very strong opinions about what they would do if they were x, without any experience of having been that thing. This is one of the several reasons that insistence that the M14 (one of the two least successful US general issue rifles ever) was the way to go in 'nam persists.

It's hard to go wrong with a Swiss Army knife.
 
I didn't choose the SAK because I don't usually think of it as a knife.
To me, it's always been a poorly designed multi-tool that is likely to fail when you need it most.
Even the Leatherman is, at best, marginal.
In a survival situation, failed tools can kill you.
 
Solomonson said:
If you were to go to war today, which knife would you take with you? Yes, that proposition is absurd for some of us, but please play a long anyway.

You can even choose two -- a fixed blade and a folder, but you have to pay for them.
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Fixed Blade: Kabar USMC fighting knife

Folder: Boker Kalashnikov
 
^^ I respectfully - especially in light of your experience - disagree. But I was USMC and carried a lot of really heavy/bulky stuff so factor that in.
 
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Boattale said:
^^ I respectfully - especially in light of your experience - disagree. But I was USMC and carried a lot of really heavy/bulky stuff so factor that in.
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Shrug. I will admit to carrying an even larger and heavier knife, but it replaced my E Tool, and was necessary for my mission (11C, at the time.)

The Marine Fighting Knife is either less or more knife than needed for most deployment tasks. IMO. Not a machete, but a lot of knife to carry along with body armor, ammo, ammo for the crew-served weapons, rifle, water, etc.

John
 
hso said:
Yep. Something you carry a LOT, but rarely use changes the more you actually carry it. Hikers and backpackers learn that lesson.
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Ounces lead to pounds was the phrasing I heard ad naseum in my specialty. My D2 full size knife weighs 12 ounces but felt heavier on dismounted patrols. Being on my leg didn't help either. VERY useful to have in a bag in the truck or when I was pulling turret duty. The Samish weighs 3.6oz or thereabouts. Much lighter, faster to get to. And mounted on my shoulder took just a little bit of pressure off my hips.
 
Size, style, or shape wouldn't matter to me. The steel would have to be Dozier D2 steel for me. I could do a couple of days of war with it and not have to sharpen it.
 
I seriously doubt I could limit myself to just one. In addition to whatever other larger knife I carried, I'd definitely want a mini Swiss Army Knife tucked away somewhere for the scissors, toothpick and tweezers.
 
herrwalther said:
Ounces lead to pounds was the phrasing I heard ad naseum in my specialty. My D2 full size knife weighs 12 ounces but felt heavier on dismounted patrols. Being on my leg didn't help either. VERY useful to have in a bag in the truck or when I was pulling turret duty. The Samish weighs 3.6oz or thereabouts. Much lighter, faster to get to. And mounted on my shoulder took just a little bit of pressure off my hips.
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"Ounces lead to pounds and pounds lead to pain." Regarding weight on your legs/feet. The through-hiker crowd will tell you that an ounce on your feet feels like a pound in your in your pack. They go for the lightest trail runner, almost a running shoe, they can find. Not very protective or durable; they typically go through at 2 pair on a through hike of the A.T. or the others. Not what I want for hunting or hard going.
 
JohnKSa said:
I seriously doubt I could limit myself to just one. In addition to whatever other larger knife I carried, I'd definitely want a mini Swiss Army Knife tucked away somewhere for the scissors, toothpick and tweezers.
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SAK for the win!
 
My Leatherman WAVE and the Survival Neck Knife that I ordered today. Has a compass, signal mirror, fire starter and small sharpener. Hope the war doesn't start before it's supposed to arrive on Tuesday....
 
If I was headed back to the sandbox I’d carry an ESEE 3 and a Benchmade Bugout. One is big enough for defensive use and any other common tasks. The other small enough for detailed tasks.
 
I'd carry the same knife I did while in VN: the common Jet pilot survival knife. Wasn't an issued item for us combat engineers, I got it in a trade with a chopper pilot. Was useful for opening ration boxes, cutting demo & fuse cord or many other things. Didn't need anything heavier, we carried machetes in our trucks & jeeps Shown in the pic is my current companion while hunting or fishing. I don't think I ever considered it a self defense weapon, Uncle Sam having issued me enough firepower.
 
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