Let's see your battle rifle's back-up...

[joshua]

Battle knives. These are the actual knives that I take when I deploy doing my job in the military. I don't bring all 4 of them, depending on the terrain that we are briefed I make the decision to bring one at the most two. Well I usually bring one knife and my dearly missed Leatherman that was stolen by one of the movers that packed our household goods. Let's see what sharp objects you guys carry or rely on with your life. I didn't know where to post this since there isn't a knive forum.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=27631&d=1192613966

josh

[support_six]

I've given most of my knives to my children or to deserving soldiers so no photos available, but during my military career (1976-1999) I carried a Randall #1, Randall #14, Chris Reeve Green Beret (now owned by a corporal of Marines), a MadDog ATAK Hunter (now owned by a Special Forces Major), a Camillus Pilot Survival Knife, a Camillus Fighting/Utility, a Benchmade AFO (also given to the SF Major), and various Swiss Army Knives.

[MarineForLife]

can always rely on the trusty k-bar.

[SR420]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid211/pa79914a4cb78e2a3fb964f2f122e1e4a/eda575ca.jpg

[billindenver]

Ka-bar. Traditional and folding warthog.

[AK103K]

Gerber MKII
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d700b3127ccebc121d4a195200000035100CYuWbdo5bsU

Blackjack 1-7
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d700b3127ccebc12043859b400000035100CYuWbdo5bsU

[Sgt.Fathead]

AK, that Gerber pic makes me really sad. I foolishly traded my Gerber to a Scots Marine in 1990 for a whole big mess of gear (which they called kit) thinking I'd get another when I rotated back to CONUS and lo and behold, no mas at the PX!

That was a find knife. *sigh*

[FirstFreedom]

Got a couple bayos...
-one is for the AR15 - forget the designation - M8?
-one is a Turkish bayo that goes on a Turk 98 mauser
-one is a really long nice British model 1907 - it goes on #2 and #3 Enfields, but I have on on the dresser in the bedroom for use as a CQB short sword/dirk. :)

I'll try and post a pic this weekend.

On Sunday I gave my SOG Seal Pup fixed blade knife to my half brother who is being activated to go to Iraq in Jan, from the Okla Army Nat. Guard. He might need it there. Got a few others - there's a couple of current threads on knives over in the Gear & Accessories forum if you look there. I am not in the .mil myself. AK103, those are nice! Is the "blackjack" a model of Randall or what?

[MTMilitiaman]

When my bro (in pic) came back from his first tour in Iraq, he has a bunch of Iraqi flags and other souvenirs. One of them was a simple Gerber folder they gave to the guys in his unit, which he gave to me. I asked him if he was sure, but he said he didn't need anything to remind him of that place, and he had a Benchmade so he didn't need another knife. I carry it on occasion, but not very often as I have a habit of losing knives, and this one means a whole lot more to me than its monetary value alone.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l308/MTMilitiaman/gerberfrombro.jpg

More often, I carry a CRKT M16, and I recently bought this Cold Steel for the big stuff:

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l308/MTMilitiaman/M1AandMilSpec2.jpg

When I carry it, I feel like challenging moose in hand-to-hoof combat.

[joshua]

When I carry it, I feel like challenging moose in hand-to-hoof combat.

LOL! Yup! When I carry my Cold Steel Trailmaster Carbon 5 (biggest knife in the pic) I feel like I can take on a mountain lion. josh

[GATMOG]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a101/xgatmog/CIMG0148-1.jpg

One of these, depending on my mood :D

Ghurka Khukri, 12" truck spring steel--very high carbon, rusts instantly if not treated with oil... makes the others look small, but I've cut down 3" wide trees with it (a few strokes on the ceramic touches it right back up)

Cold Steel SRK 6.25" AUS8; wish I could have gotten the carbon 5, but on the plus side, AUS8 is pretty good and doesn't rust... but carbon 5 is simply magnificent.. the point on this one is like a needle and the edge is nothing to shrug off either (replaced my USMC Ka-Bar which replaced my glock field knife)

SOG Field Pup 4" AUS 8, its a smallish recurve blade with a hollow grind--good slicer

SOG Flash II 3.5" AUS 8, my every day carry--great knife for the price..

EDITED to elaborate on the knives

[Creature]

I recently acquired the Marine's newest bayonet, the OKC3S. Nothing but happy with it. Quite large (8 inch blade) and very robust...it is all business.

[FirstFreedom]

GATMOG, I like your knives a like - esp. the kukhri and cold steel. I almost bought that SOF flash II one time, but thought it felt a tad flimsy - has yours stood up to tough use? Oh I also like that mini SOG seal - that looks like a fantanstic skinning/butchering knife.

Creature, that is also a might fine looking knife - how much did that set you back?

[Mike Irwin]

My battle rifle is a Lee Enfield...

This is the back up that came with it. Well, not that one exactly, but one like it.

http://lorry.org/misc/Knives/bayonet-lee-enfield2.jpg

[joshua]

Mike, that is the John Holmes of all bayonets. :D I'm using what straight-shooter commented on my PS'ed revolver. :D josh

[Tom2]

Doesn't the military give you a freebie that you can stick on the end of the barrel?

[joshua]

Doesn't the military give you a freebie that you can stick on the end of the barrel?

Maybe the Marines, Army and all brances of special forces gets the freebie to stick at the end of their rifles. Most operators and technicians in the USAF do not get a bayonet even when we convoy in hostile areas. They give us Leatherman multi tool or small pocket knives. Nowadays doing a fixed bayonet charge is considered misuse of resources, unless you are in deep doodoo that it's a must to gain an advantage. josh

[support_six]

I never liked, or carried, the M9 bayonet. It isn't a very good bayonet and a worse field knife. I carried the M7 and a separate combat knife instead. Creature, I do like the new USMC bayonet though. Guess I'll have to get one for my other AR15!

[Creature]

Creature, that is also a might fine looking knife - how much did that set you back?

Firstfreedom & support_six: I searched high and low on the internet and finally scored a brand new one on eBay.....(sorry, I kinda vomitted a little bit when I wrote the e-word) of all places for $97 including shipping. Most knife sites carry them for between $100-150.
Great knife. Built tough as an Abrams tank. The blade is massive: 8" clip point made of carbon steel with a Rockwell hardness of 53-58. The blade is .200 inches thick and 1 3/8" wide, with a 1 3/4" serration, a true sharpened top swedge, and non-reflective black phosphate coat. The low noise multi-carry sheath has a ceramic coated aluminum honing rod on the back. The bayonet is held securely inside the scabbard by a fitted internal stainless steel spring friction device and has two snap fasteners. The scabbard is equipped with two load bearing attaching straps with cross straps, which allows for multiple carry options.

It is one hell of a knife/bayonet.

[AK103K]

Looks like the Marines finally modified the K Bar into a bayonet. Most bayonets are not fighting knives, although many seem to rely on them as such.

[Creature]

I too would agree that most bayonets are far too long to be used as a knife, let alone a fighting knife. But this new OKC3S bayonet for the USMC would do just as well as a fighting knife as a bayonet, in my opinion.

Having both an OKC3S and many KA-BAR knives, I would have to add that the OKC3S is far better made and much more robust. It also has a much less curved clip point than the KA-BAR knife.

[support_six]

Creature, when I got my issue Camillus F/U (kabar type) it had a very gentle curve to the clip so I just used a stone to straighten it. Now it's easier to sharpen and looks much more like the USMC bayonet you've enlightened us about. I'm retired Army but saw a lot of Camillus F/U knives being carried because they could be purchased at the PX for about $20. I purchased an M-9 bayonet from the PX system back in about 1992 but didn't like it as a bayonet or as a field knife so went back to my old M7 bayonet. I purchased all my own field gear so I could modify it if I wanted, and make it fit properly.

[G-Cym]

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/6082/dsc00727gg2.th.jpg (http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00727gg2.jpg)


Smith and Wesson HRT, K-Bar, and Gerber Diesel. Haven't deployed yet though. Going to Honduras in a few months, back to the States, then over to the Middle East.

[Creature]

G-Cym: is that a "USMC" or "USN" or KA-BAR? It looks like it says USN in your picture...

[AK103K]

Mines a USMC/Navy issue K Bar......

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d700b3127ccebc121e5ed8ef00000035100CYuWbdo5bsU

[G-Cym]

Creature, it says USA 1211. As in "made in the USA" And it's a Ka-Bar model 1211.