Advice on knife for a friend deploying overseas

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Fat_46

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I have a very good friend that got activated earlier this week, and will be going overseas to Afghanistan.

While he is not in a feet-on-the-ground occupation, I would still like to provide him with a well-made knife "just in case".

I have a couple of "catches" here... 1 - he leaves Monday to report for additional training and will not be coming home prior to deployment

2 - because of #1 I need to find something readily available in the local stores, and not terribly expensive.


Any ideas?
 
Define "not terribly expensive"...

$35
$45
$100

?

The short Kabar is a great suggestion and as Browning said-a lot easier to carry with the 5" blade. Certainly tough enough for the task at hand. AG Russell to my knowledge is a great place to get a blade, but not in a hurry and the Kabar may be difficult to find locally.

I would recommend a quality multi-tool by Leatherman, SOG, Gerber, or Victorinox. You should be able to find them locally. Probably pay more than online but you have no choice.

Second recommendation would be a Swiss Army Knife. Even the simple Soldier model is sufficient and only around $20

Now, if he needs or you want to go with a more say 'tactical' style knife, you could look into a Buck FIXED BLADE (yes-caps on purpose) for around $50. Problem will be finding a way to mount it to his gear IF he wears a typical MOLLE setup. If he spends his day in BDUs it should be ok.
 
I'd suggest a folder, especially if he isn't front-line. You don't want him to appear like a REMF carrying a fixed blade.

If you can find a Benchmade folder locally, that would be a great addition to his kit.

Other options would be Kershaw, CRKT, Case -not in any order.
 
Find out what he can and can't carry unless it's a surprise. You wouldn't want to buy him a gift and have the army take it away from him and possibly cause him trouble.
 
He may not be allowed to carry any type of knife by his commander or he may be restricted to folders or small fixed blades.

The Spyderco Native can be found for very reasonable prices.

The group buy AUKs are already in use by members in Iraq and performing well by all reports.
 
T.R. The pic you posted looks just like the knife I was going to recomend--the Cold Steel SRK. I believe the Master Hunter is a larger knife than the one pictured. Either would do the job of being a tough, good, and moderately priced knife that should be easy to find quickly.
 
Master hunter has an un-coated blade as well, I think.

When I think military I think Kabar. Never a bad choice.
 
I'm doing this right now, and just get him two good folders. I have two Spyderco Byrd knives, and carry both of them. Never going to be without a good, sharp blade. Total cost less than $75.
I have the USMC bayonet, and a custom knife a good friend gave me, and neither get carried much. About 99.9% of the time, the folders do it all. I carry two because there's always some worthless idiot who needs one of mine to open a cardboard box orr something, because, for some reason, people just don't friggin have them that day.
He will get issued a pretty good Gerber multi-tool, plus everybody gets a seatbelt cutter, and if he's going outside the wire, he will likely get a bayonet, too, and the new bayos are fantastic "big" knives.
Steve
 
"...a well-made knife "just in case"..." No knife will help for that.
"...a Swiss Army Knife..." Yep. Very few REMF's need anything other than a good pocket knife. A real Victorinox Swiss Army Knife(no copies) is as handy and useful as it gets. I couldn't imagine going into the field without mine.
A Victorinox Huntsman runs $41US, MSRP. Can opener, bottle opener, cork screw and scissors. Plus the knife blades and a saw blade. Handy as hell for anybody. You can mail it to him. Buy him a belt pouch for it too.
 
I can tell you that the Army folks are getting multi-tools, so I'd recommend a good folder. If he's not Army, a multi-tool is well liked. The leatherman series "seems" to work better.
 
Thanks for all the input - I went with a Spyderco Native and a Leatherman Wave.
Click to expand...

I'd say that you nailed it! Good job, and he'll appreciate it.

(doesn't hurt that I have both the Native and the Wave...lol)
 
I would recommend a quality multi-tool by Leatherman, SOG, Gerber, or Victorinox. You should be able to find them locally
Click to expand...

+1 to that.

I have a Leatherman CORE. Great tool.
 
I would recommend as well a Leatherman Wave (black military model) and/or a CRKT M16 Desert Big Dog, awsome knife absolutely the best knife I have ever owned.
 
Gerber LMF II seems to get high ratings from the guys in the sandbox who have used them. Cost is ballpark $80. The one hand opening Swiss Army knives are nice, they have a variety of different models with that feature and I have found them handy. Cost anywhere from $20-$45...
 
This COLD STEEL Master Hunter. Unless he is an office clerk, all the guys over there are carrying various knives while on duty.
Click to expand...

ONLY true if you include simple pocket knives.

Fat, good choices.

John
 
I went through Basic Training in late 2001 with Mike, and we were stationed at Fort Lewis in companies about a block from each other. We became good friends. After we finished our initial terms of service, I went back to GA to finish my B.A. and Mike stayed in WA. He began doing bail bond recovery.

Earlier this year, I was missing Washington State. I was also missing making decent money. Mike suggested I move to WA and work with him. Based on his income, I believed I could make pretty decent money working the equivalent of half time. The University of WA at Seattle is an excellent school, and I hoped that my wife and I would be accepted into Ph.D. programs there. I had begun comparing airline tickets when Mike called to tell me he had been reactivated.

Mike reported in to Fort Benning Sunday. He says that, of about 180 IRR recalled, 60-something showed up. When I saw him yesterday, I brought a little Gerber Infinity red LED and a Spyderco Native PE and a Spyderco Delica CE for him to choose from. Mike said he had been told not to take any knives to Iraq with him (!), but said he might have me ship the Delica to him once he's in-country...where he will most certainly not be a clerk.

John
 
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