Glock 78 Field Knife

[Snowdog]

I've always wanted a Glock knife but never had any reason to purchase one as I have plenty of knives already.

When placing an order for a couple other knives (a CRKT Elishewitz F.T.W.S. and Mora 11827 Companion), I decided to go ahead and purchase an olive Glock 78 as well.

From what I've seen and heard so far, they are no frills knives that are tough as heck. From what I've also heard, they aren't so great for cutting as it's difficult to get them to take a good edge. I've heard this could be attributed to the thickness of the blade in relation to it's width. I've also heard this could also be due to the type of steel the blade is made from.

Has anyone here actually had decent results in using their Glock 78 or 81 as a cutting utensil around camp? I'd like to think I'm going to end up with more than just a "stabbing" instrument.

BTW, I'd guessing the Swedish Mora knife is indeed a cutter and not a "stabber".

Thanks for any info.

 

[lobo9er]

maybe they have gotten better but they received rough reviews. I think it was RCmodel that gave a thorough review of one. I might be wrong on that though.

 

[JShirley]

The thing is, tough and sharp aren't usually both present in a knife. Softer steel will tend to crack, chip, or snap less readily, but won't take as good and edge or hold it as long.

There are a few exceptions like 3V, but this is a general rule of thumb.

The Glock knife is tough. The one I had was a decent thrower- literally.

John

 

[the count]

I duracoated mine and it looks great. This is more of a bayonet than anything else. Sure you can get it sharp with a bunch of elbow grease but I have successfully used it to pry, punch and dig.

 

[JohnKSa]

I won one awhile back and have been favorably impressed--especially for the price I paid!

I've been able to get mine very sharp, but I did initially use a diamond stone to rework the edge geometry before progressing to my normal sharpening approach because it was going to take too long to do it with a regular stone.

I've also heard this could also be due to the type of steel the blade is made from.

They are made from 1095 steel, hardened to 55RC. 1095 is generally thought of as a pretty good steel for a hard-duty/general purpose knife, and 55RC is a reasonable hardness for 1095 assuming a through-hardened blade.

Some folks would like the edge to be a few points harder, but only if the spine can be differentially tempered to be back down close to the 55RC figure.

 

[hso]

Mixed reviews as a knife are common for the Glock bayonett. You can sharpen just about any metal (copper and bronze knives, anyone), but whether it is easy to do or if it will hold an edge are important factors in how usable it will be as a knife.

 

[Snowdog]

Thanks for the info, folks!

I know it's a tough knife as evident in this Glock 81 destruction video. There's another video of a fellow shooting the blade of his with a .22 Ruger pistol (looks like an MKII).

I honestly don't have concerns of the knife breaking during use. However, I do wonder how long my Glock 78 field knife will sustain a usable edge during common camp chores.
I may attempt to change the angle after doing some research on the best way to go about that.

If I can mine to retain an edge decently, I'll be happy.

 

[JShirley]

It's a bayonet. Even if you manage to get the blade sharp, it's still not a great design for anything but thrusting.

John

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I got one from the Sportsman Guide back when they called the Australian Army knife and they were 10 bucks. I used mine for 25 years camping and it worked great. I got it sharp finally after resetting the bevel with a file.

 

[JohnKSa]

Even if you manage to get the blade sharp, it's still not a great design for anything but thrusting.

Based on the spine thickness?

 

[Tanasie]

The GLOCK knives have a lot going for them, they have a Tenifer finish just like the GLOCK handgun's do...and the 'round plug' on the back end of the handle pop's off and you can insert a stick to make a spear out of it...never really tried to sharpen the blade tho..I suspect they would be most effective as a thrust type weapon....just my opinon.

 

[Sam Cade]

Based on the spine thickness?

Geometry of the grind.

It is very thick so even if the edge is hair poppin' sharp it can't cut worth a frazzle because so much material has to be displaced to move the blade through the medium.




Mine has been sticking in a creosote fencepost for the last couple years.

 

[Mp7]

i keep

one in my van.

Hatchet,
Glock Knife,
Mora,

in that combo i find it to be a handy tool.
It`s a prybar with a sharp edge.
Mine has actually been used for preparing
food - and it did well enough to slice tomatoes (!)

I advise a belt-sander for sharpening.
It`s a rough blade. Treat it as such.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Geometry of the grind.

It is very thick so even if the edge is hair poppin' sharp it can't cut worth a frazzle because so much material has to be displaced to move the blade through the medium.




Mine has been sticking in a creosote fencepost for the last couple years.

That is what I used the file for.