For Iraq/Afghanistan Vets - What Was Your Most Useful Sandbox Knife?

[PRM]

I was just a zoomie, so all of my travel outside the wire was in an airplane, but I was issued a Benchmade like this and it worked like a champ. - Hacker15E

We too, were issued the Benchmade autos, great knives. I already had the Emerson shown in my post, so I didn't take it. Good decision - I would have lost it!!! Group I went with were embedded trainers (ETT/MTT Team). Because of my civilian police background, I was split from that group in Kandahar and embedded with the Afghan National Police. Never saw the team I left the states with again until we de-mobed at FT Riley. Coming back through Kuwait, Customs was taking the autos unless you had a memo stating they were organizational equipment. Glad now I left it at home.

US Customs were pretty descent, they took what they were told too. We went through screening by the Brits at Kandahar... totally different story. One of the Canadian RCMP Officers I worked with had a Kabar confiscated out of his checked baggage because they said he could not have been issued a "Marine knife"??? He gave in and let them take it to avoid missing his flight.

 

[HorseSoldier]

The knife I got the most use out of was a Benchmade 710. Also carried a Tom Halloran STX fixed blade (4" ish blade) on my body armor for any cutting or prying work a folder might not work for (and, yes, for the very remote possibility I might wind up needing to stab or cut someone).

 

[Readyrod]

MODERATOR NOTE: If you've not served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars please wait to post so the OP can hear from the people that have actually served in those theaters of operation about what the most useful knives they carried or saw. I'll put the older vets' posts back in a day or so.

Thanks, other conflicts are good too but I was more interested in the recent ones.

Whatever you choose, bring two of each. You can't always get spares when you need them.

That has turned into my general philosophy, find what works and double up.

Looks like the Saks, leathermans, and standard 3" to 4" blades are the most popular. Interesting as that's what I use in my normal life. I guess it makes sense.
Does anyone have any input on these breacher bars?
http://www.countycomm.com/eodrtool.html
How about other edged tools?
Thanks

 

[HorseSoldier]

Looks like the Saks, leathermans, and standard 3" to 4" blades are the most popular. Interesting as that's what I use in my normal life. I guess it makes sense.

It varies from unit to unit and such, but like someone noted up thread, there's not a lot of tolerance for knives with much more blade than that. My last trip, a few guys (mostly younger/limited time in service) tried rolling with with larger knives, some of which might meet some working definitions of short swords. The chain of command was not impressed, and beyond telling them to get rid of that stuff, they told they had to do so specifically because big knives "aren't COIN" and scare/intimidate the locals too much. (Strangely, this included a new guy who bought his own M9 bayonet because we weren't issued them and he was worried he'd be bayonet fighting the Talibs -- silly idea, but you'd think the USGI bayonet wouldn't be "too much".)

The other thing is that knives are 99.9% or more tools in modern warfare and maybe weapons 0.01% of the time. We're fighting a war somewhere where much more than a 3-5" bladed knife just doesn't do much as a tool. Other places, machetes and bolo knives or hatchets might make a lot more sense. (And to be fair, we did get away with rolling with some tomahawks under the declared logic they were emergency breaching tools.)

 

[billymarr]

Leatherman wave on this last trip to AFG.

 

[TimboKhan]

I was machinegunner in desert storm, and I learned real quick that big knives just aren't worth the weight or space. A pocketknife and a pair of pliers were infinitely more useful. Had I know about leatherman back then, thats what I would have carried.

 

[Readyrod]

So I guess that these are not useful?
http://www.countycomm.com/eodrtool.html

 

[hso]

Just because it is offered for sale on the internet doesn't mean that it is of any use except to a very small group of people (if at all).

 

[Readyrod]

Just curious.

 

[TimboKhan]

Honestly, a crowbar carried off body (hummer, lav, whatever) would be more useful. Again, weight and space. Haul that stuff around all day in hot temperatures, and you quickly realize what's worth it and what's not. Not that that little bar is a bad tool, but it wouldn't be something I would have hauled around in the infantry. EOD people have different needs, so maybe for them it would be worth it.

 

[DNS]

I forgot i actually carried a Leatherman on my belt too.

Getting old...

 

[Rob0321]

I carried a Strider BT through three tours in Iraq and the most it really did was serve as an impromptu hammer through the first two. For most general cutting I had an Emerson CQC-8. I only opened MRE's with the blade on my Leatherman, as I didn't want to dull the edges of my good knives on foil.

I would still carry those same three were I to deploy again any time soon (not going to happen for a bit, got the Corps to send me to college and get a commission so I'm on a bit of a vacation).

 

[Readyrod]

One of the Canadian RCMP Officers I worked with had a Kabar confiscated out of his checked baggage because they said he could not have been issued a "Marine knife"???

I wonder whose collection that ended up in.

 

[TAKtical]

If you can get away with it, the esee 5 is one helluva knife.

 

[whitefeathersniper]

I carried a CRKT Ryan or a CRKT M16-13z. And a Leatherman type multitool
They were all purchased at the PX and I found them very useful for various tasks..

 

[weaponhead]

Iraq 2010-2011

Spyderco Endura and Glock Field Knife

 

[Readyrod]

Hey weaponhead any downside to the Endura cause I was thinking of getting one. I have a stainless Grasshopper now and I really like it other than it's a little small.
Can anyone tell me how the plastic handled folders (esp the Spyderco's) hold up? I'm asking cause my steel Grasshopper seems way stronger than my plastic handled one.

 

[weaponhead]

The Endura 4 has steel liners within the FRN handles....don't think you'll have any issues!

 

[Readyrod]

I was thinking of the all stainless one.

 

[JShirley]

I talked with Sal Glesser about relative strengths of Spydercos at the 2011 SHOT show. He told me that the old FRN handled Spydercos were actually stronger than the steel-handled versions. Unless you do something like hit it with a hammer, you'll never have a problem with a Spyderco FRN knife.

I've handled about 100 knives pulled from the garbage here in Afghanistan. Only 2 Spydercos...both in working condition, and both FRN handled.

The only good reason to get any of the larger Spydercos with a steel handle is so you can engrave something nice on them.

John

 

[elrowe]

Forgot to mention that some knives get you laughed at. There was a USAF RC12 crewman at my base last year than wandered around in his flightsuit with a machete hanging from his waist - even in the DFAC. Yeah, we made a lot of jokes about him!!!

 

[Readyrod]

I talked with Sal Glesser about relative strengths of Spydercos at the 2011 SHOT show. He told me that the old FRN handled Spydercos were actually stronger than the steel-handled versions.

Wow. Sweet.

Unless you do something like hit it with a hammer

Sorry to admit to knife abuse but that was one of the requirements when I worked on the farm. Tho I promise I'll never do it again. Really, I promise.

Ps: I love my Spydercos

 

[Ehtereon11B]

OEF 2010. My favorite knife was and still is a Kabar D2 "Extreme Fighting knife" is what they call it. If you can find one of these for less than $90, jump on it. Also carried a pocket knife and Leatherman Wave multitool. Since the Gerber multitools that are issued are total junk.

 

[JohnSkiS]

I was USMC Infantry (0331) in Iraq 05-06 and 07, and Afghanistan 08, the knife I used the absolute most and was the most useful (for various reasons) was my traditional style, USMC KA-BAR. I still carry it when I hunt or go on long trips. And it stays by my bedside when I'm not carrying it

 

[mljdeckard]

I kept a Gerber Mk II on my vest. But the one I used most of the time was a CRKT full-size Tanto folder. I replaced it with a Spyderco near the end, and I actually preferred it. For little things like opening MREs and cutting paracord, It's the same pocket knife you use at home that's going to help you most.