A "military-grade" knife?

I've got a Glock knife.
Do I have to count the teeth in the "root saw" to see if it is a high capacity knife?

rust collector

Picked up one of those Bundeswehr issue knives many years ago from some Army surplus outfit. Mine was made by Puma and is one solidly built knife.

My favorite Ka-Bar
The long discontinued, Dosier designed folding lockback. Aus 6 steel, 7 oz monster that can handle any task.

Bannockburn,

Nice piece of steel that goes almost to the rear of a great shaped grip and while thick enough, not too heavy. What's not to like? I thought it a well thought out field knife. If I belonged to an Army that did not have bayonets (FRG Heere did not have bayonets) I would think it about perfect.

The blade style, and sheath reminded me of the Hitler Youth Knife and the grip the dress SA and SS Forester daggers. Over all it is easy to see the German World War I trench knives in its ancestery

Whether it was issue or something after market I saw a Jadger trooper armed with the same grip on what appeared to be the same blade given a double edge and the guard long on both sides and slopped forward rather than back. It and the sheath were Black and it looked like a smaller version of the SS Forester Dagger. Try as I might I could not find one for myself. The Jadger trooper laughed at my offer to trade for or buy his knife!

The regular Green Kampf Messer single edge like we have actual did make a pretty good Camp Knife.., even if its German name means Battle Knife.

-kBob

Dibbs said:

Ka-Bar is one of the most common knives made. Efficient things are developed by the military, during wartime.
You don't hear anybody sniveling about "Military Grade GPS", or "Military Grade LoJack".


Are Eggs, Bacon and Milk a
"Military Grade " breakfast ? Just asking, because that fatty, cholesterol laden crap has killed more folks
than every bayonet in existence, but you don't hear anybody whining about it.

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Ahem; SOS is the penultimate "military-grade" breakfast.

My Camillus pocket knife is a "military-grade" knife as are SAK's.

My Glock 81 must be an "assault knife" then.

entropy,

Had a Mess Daddy at one point that had originally been an Infantryman and pulled two tours in Ranger Companies in VN before he switched Military Occupational Skills. He got tired of hearing the boys actually say the words to "SOS" and dropped green food coloring into his gravy and sausage mix. Really cut down on the complaints when he went back to normal white gravy.

I wonder how many guys became pre diabetic eating that stuff...

-kBob

entropy said:

Ahem; SOS is the penultimate "military-grade" breakfast.

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"Military Grade" food... death from within.

lemaymiami said:

and placed in front of a gullible public

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There is a myth, the myth of the all powerful government. From that myth springs a corollary, that the all-powerful government must field an all-powerful military.

So, "military grade" must be the acme, the zenith in all things. This myth has pervades all levels. From that myth is the one that the 5.56nato has to be the most high-powered ammo out there, along with anything that fires that ammo.

So, thus, a "military grade knife" clearly has to be sharper, stronger, more deadly than nay other imaginable knife. (Well, everyone but katana fanboi [].)
The fact that our "all powerful" military might be ordinary snuffies shambling along trying to weasel out of humping anything heavier than a beret and attitude, spoils the image for the commonweal.

Well said Cap'n...

We're still stuck with a world where manipulating public opinion must be high on the agenda of every fine fellow (there might be kids reading this...) headed towards a career telling the rest of us what to do, what to feel, and setting up the general public for all manner of stuff that would make a weasel blush... Wish it weren't so.

Everyone that has worked for the government knows that 'military grade' means 'built by the lowest bidder that offered the highest - um - campaign contribution'.

I was driving down the highway the other day and saw a Ford Explorer in military police livery. Are Ford Explorers now military grade? I guess we shouldn't be allowed to own one then. Sigh.

"Military Grade" is the inexplicably, physics defying, all up hill route that your drill sergeant picks for every morning run.

entropy said:

Ahem; SOS is the penultimate "military-grade" breakfast.

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I was one of the few in my basic company that actually liked SOS. It was new to me, growing up in the Bronx I'd never had anything with gravy for breakfast.

It started me on a lifelong quest for the best biscuit and gravy meal ever. So far the ultimate was in a small diner just outside of Brevard NC. But my research continues.... lol

My oldest military grade knifes are a Civil War Zouave bayonet, followed by an 80 year newer WWII Navy Mk 1, by PAL.

For better or worse, if it wasn't actually used by an armed service, can it really be military grade?
Plenty of SEAL, UDT, Special Forces model wanna be's out there which never saw combat.

Dibbs said:

Military Grade ?
OH, you mean those knives which are cheaply mass produced for an army, on contract, by the lowest bidder ?

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Yep, butter knives with a guard.

After having served every time I hear the term "military grade" I have to laugh.

Pops sent me two knives in Viet Jam, a Randal and a Custom his buddy made, better than anything issued!

ms6852 said:

Yep, butter knives with a guard.

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My bayonet in basic training had the top 1/2" of the tip cleanly broken off, and the edge was flat.

Speedo66 said:

I was one of the few in my basic company that actually liked SOS. It was new to me, growing up in the Bronx I'd never had anything with gravy for breakfast.

It started me on a lifelong quest for the best biscuit and gravy meal ever. So far the ultimate was in a small diner just outside of Brevard NC. But my research continues.... lol

My oldest military grade knifes are a Civil War Zouave bayonet, followed by an 80 year newer WWII Navy Mk 1, by PAL.

For better or worse, if it wasn't actually used by an armed service, can it really be military grade?
Plenty of SEAL, UDT, Special Forces model wanna be's out there which never saw combat.

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I was one of the few that loved SOS, too. My mom made it for breakfast often when I was young; the mess hall version was a little bit of a letdown, but still good. I make it several times a month, usually on my days off, for lunch because SWMBO is not a fan of it. It might have been a contributing factor to me being put on the 'fat boy' program after a year in the Army. Might have been the beer, too.

This knife was specified by the US Navy and made exclusively for the UDT and SEALS in 1962 by the Imperial Knife Company at a cost of about $100 (very expensive for 1962) and less than 1200 were made. So I would say that meets the definition of Military Grade. The knife and it's sheath are non-magnetic, non-rusting, and non-steel made from Haynes Alloy #25.

To be honest, if I were still in or were going back in, as a knife person, the first thing I would do with a military-grade knife is to turn it back in, get it off my hand receipt, and use something better of my own.