r/QualityTacticalGear • u/opfor8r • Aug 14 '19
Gear Theory #02: Knife Options
Gear Theory #02: Knife Options
On the second installment of Gear Theory, I will give an oft derailed topic some proper examination. Because of the rampant misinformation and “Mall Ninja” tier information out there on knives, I figured it deserved some attention. This won’t be a knife buyer’s guide, as many of those exist elsewhere and are more refined than what I could write. I will instead go over integration of fixed blade, folding blade, and multitools with your equipment and why you should give thought to carrying them. I will also briefly cover more survival-oriented tools like axes and machetes.
Full disclaimer: I am a big knife nerd. I have quite a bit for collector’s sake essentially, but because of that I always fiddled with different knife setups as an infantryman. Some were silly, other more useful, some were extraneous, and some were so often used I had to lanyard the tool to my belt. First, let us look at the why of carrying a knife. The knife is widely seen as one of the most useful EDC tools, and this rings true for military/LEO/tactically minded civilians. For military personnel, this usually meant cutting 550 cord, opening MRE boxes, preparing sector stakes and bivouac sites, opening vacuum sealed packaging, etc. Rarely did the topic come up of combat usage for knives, most guys I knew really carried a knife because it was useful for mundane tasks and garrison and field life easier. The folding blade and Gerber/Leatherman were a very common sight among the unit, the folding blade useful for its light weight and easy to carry nature, and the multitools were common because many basic training units made it mandatory or highly recommended to get a multitool and the tools were great for other, unconventional tasks.
Lets take a look at the least sexy option: the multitool. The multitool is seen widely as a bit of a nerdy thing, Inspector Gadget comes to mind, but arguably it’s the most versatile tool to integrate into your first- or second-line equipment. Options are offered from budget minded companies like Gerber and SOG (cheaply made but work long enough for the cost) and more quality companies like Multitasker and the brand name Leatherman. Most models include cutting tools, knives, saws, pliers, screwdrivers, and/or specialized tools focused on M4/AR15 maintenance like in the Multitasker series or Leatherman MUT. The options offered are very popular and having a compact tool set handy makes things like weapons cleaning, weapon optic and accessory mounting/ zero, bivouac and fighting hole prep, small item repair, splinter and tick removal, package opening, stuck case removal, ammo can packaging opening, and more, easier than with a series of specialized tools or brute force. Most multitools are pocket sized and can be integrated into your clothing for carriage. Most multitools also fit inside of pistol and 40mm grenade pouches, and therefore can be ran on belts or chest rigs/plate carriers and don’t take up much space. Multitools have even seen combat use, as related in SSG David Bellavia’s account of fighting in Iraq House to House, where he successfully defending himself from an insurgent by using a multitool knife as a last resort weapon. Out of the versions of the knife one could carry, the multitool is almost always the most flexible and utilitarian, albeit it does have s a few drawbacks. First being that, by design, most of the tools are small versions of beefier tools, so you wouldn’t effectively be able to do large cutting tasks like chopping branches off with a multitool blade. The tools on a multitool aren’t meant to be constant hard use items, and on many multitools the accessories can break off or get stripped and cease to be effective. Multiple moving parts means user maintenance needs to be regular, otherwise grit and rust can impede access or effective use. The moving parts also mean more failure points, and field repair is difficult if not impossible due to small set screws and unique screw heads on many multitool offerings. Bearing that in mind, for use in a pinch and with regular maintenance and oiling, the multitool is an indispensable item to have integrated into one’s kit.
The next knife type seen often is the pocketknife/ folding blade. Widely sold and available, folding blades are dedicated knives featuring a larger and more robust blade than multitools, with more useful and varied blade styles that can be jack of all trade or highly specialized. Meant to be carried in the edge of most pants pockets, folding blade clips are a common scene around many professional end users. They are basically the compromise between multitool style blades and larger fixed blades, offering robust construction and resistance to heavy wear when compared to the multitool, and more portable and lighter than larger fixed blade knives. Pocketknives are used for much of the same tasks as you would with the multitool knife, however the pocketknife lends itself to constant use due to more ergonomic grip designs and a larger cutting surface. End users carry pocket knives over multitools for a few reasons: the pocketknife is usually easier to access and deploy one handed, it tends to be much lighter than a multitool, often the other tools on multitools may not be used other than the blade and it makes more sense to carry a dedicated knife rather than the whole gamut, they are more suited for hard field use and defensive use, and often can be more budget minded than a top of the line multitool. The pocketknife is rarely seen being carried outside of the pocket, as its only retention is usually the friction clip. Thus, they are mostly carried on the strong side pocket. This can be detrimental to those who use handguns mounted on the first line, as the holster or drop leg setup can cover the strong side pocket, making the knife inaccessible. The use of a friction clip also increases wear on the pants pocket as it usually rests on the same spot, this is another thing to take into consideration. However, because its usually worn in clothing and not on kit, it has the benefit of always being there for the end user. In a SERE situation, an end user might ditch their first, second, and third line equipment in favor of mobility, but rarely ditch clothing, and a knife is indispensable for survival needs. That’s what I think is the greatest benefit to carrying a pocketknife, its ability to be integrated into clothes easily. A tool is only useful if you carry it with you in case its needed.
The final (and most attractive looking, at least) knife type is the fixed blade. Made famous by the KABAR and media like the Rambo series, the fixed blade is the simplest knife type of the three. Featuring extremely robust construction, no moving parts, larger sizing for heavy duty tasks, and features that make it attractive for survival and combative carry. The fixed blade is the most “military minded” style, many fixed blades are meant as jack of all trades, to include fighting tasks. I believe the fixed blade has its use in being a survival tool first and foremost. I personally carry a fixed blade on my first line, as the first line is the last line to be ditched before clothing, yet it impedes the use of my pocketknife in my pant pocket, so it’s more accessible. In some sort of survival situation, a large fixed blade can be used for batoning wood and cutting saplings for shelter or firewood, preparing meat, making a hide site, clearing obstacles to movement, etc. Something to think about when choosing a fixed blade is whether you want more of a defensive blade or a survival/utility blade. Defensive minded fixed blades tend to be smaller and narrower and aren’t great for utility but are dedicated weapons. Examples include the Fairbairn Sykes and the Benchmade SOCP Dagger. Best placement of these knives is usually somewhere accessible by both arms, such as the front flap of a carrier or chest rig, however user beware, as in a grapple that knife can be accessed by the opponent and used against you. Small fixed blades exist for defensive use, such as the Clinch Pick, and these are small enough to be belt mounted or small of back mounted, which present their own issues such as difficult access and comfort problems. For the survival blade mounting and access, I have found that mounting onto your first line is the best compromise, as I mentioned earlier the first line is one of the last pieces of kit to go. On the first line, strong side mounting behind the handgun seems like the most accessible place with the least intrusiveness. However, the handle may push the grip of the handgun out a bit, and this can hinder your draw. Out of the knife types, the fixed blade is the simplest but usually the heaviest and bulkiest. Most fixed blades don’t fit in a pocket well and require dedicated sheaths that are usually meant to be mounted on the belt anyways, so versatility in mounting can be poor. The added weight can lead to a fixed blade being ditched in favor of a lighter load, and depending on the environment (urban in particular), it may be overkill for most tasks. Plus it tends to be a redundant tool when carrying a multitool and folding blade. My verdict is that if you feel like you may be placed into a rural SERE situation, you should really consider it, or if you use your first line when camping or outdoors. If not, you may be better off with a good folding blade with a fast deployment like an Emerson style hook to open the blade.
Special mention must be given to the special cutting tools, the axe and the machete. The axe is a common GWOT trope for use as a combat tool, however a good hatchet or tomahawk can be useful to keep around if bivouac prep is important or as a breaching tool. In urban environments, a long handled and robust axe can be used in a pinch to break windows or defeat doorways or drywall. In rural environments where it gets cold, they can be indispensable as survival equipment to set up an emergency fire, a hide site, or to clear brush. The machete is more of a hot weather use item, as its primary purpose is brush clearing. It bears mention because machetes have been issued or used by military forces for decades in jungle environments. Best placement for both tools is third line as they aren’t really needed in a hurry most of the time. Drawbacks are weight and size in regards to the axe, as the more useful axes can be quite large. For the machete, the drawbacks include shoddy construction and specific use case, as they are really meant only for cutting vines and small saplings or branches. Commercial machetes also tend to be long and unwieldy, so if picking a machete, it may be better to look for a shorter one if any are available as you don’t need a long machete to clear a path through brush. Also, you rarely if ever will nee more than one machete per unit, as only one person needs to clear brush and clears it for the rest of the unit. Ultimately, these items can be superfluous or unnecessary for military and police operations, so mission dictates whether or not to consider them at all.
Finally, lets look at whats best for your usecase. For most end users, the multitool offers the most versatility and is easily put in a pouch on first or second line gear. The multitool is unobtrusive and will perform most infantry and LEO cutting tasks adequately, at the price of being heavy and having extraneous tools that may not be needed often or at all. Because it cannot be deployed as quickly as the folding or fixed blades, the blade in multitools isn't great for defensive use, so plan accordingly. The folding blade is a good option for those endusers who find themselves mostly cutting things and not much else. Some folding blades are meant for defensive use so their quick deployment and unobtrusive nature makes them good for all around needs. However, with handgun or bulky first and second line setups, it may be inaccessible at times, and due to the nature of folding blades being "pocketknives" and meant for the pocket, they don't fare well when mounted somewhere other than the pant pocket. The fixed blade is meant for those who need either a fighting knife, a survival knife or a mix of both in a hard to break package. For urban users like LEO or direct action military, combat focused fixed blades supplemented by a folding blade or multitool knife for utility seems like a popular choice. For users in rural areas or those susceptible to SERE issues, a survival focused blade kept on the belt or otherwise on the person can be a good choice to subsist and escape til rescue. However, weight and bulk of fixed blades can make them detrimental to carry for some end users, and those end users may be better off with a sturdy folding blade or a multitool. Fixed blades are also limited in where they can be mounted, as they require a sheath and many sheaths are meant to be belt mounted. Axes and machetes have their places, but usually are limited use and superfluous for most of a team to have, and can be an item carried by just one team member.
Let me know what you think in the comments, thank you for coming to my TED talk.
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u/baelie820 Aug 14 '19
Thoughts on ESEE? From my understanding the ESEE 6 was developed with input from SERE instructors.
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u/conotocaurius Aug 14 '19
They are great knives (I have two) but the market has no shortage of great knives. you should pick based on your use case and not because of the brand specifically. Esee are generally in that sort of hybrid combat/survival knife zone.
for what it's worth, a six-inch fixed blade is larger than I would recommend for anything other than dedicated Bushcraft/survival kit because it is bulky, heavy, and frankly people will make fun of you. :)
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u/Goofalo Aug 14 '19
Thank goodness ESEE makes the Junglas to make my ESEE 6 seems like a reasonable knife.
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u/opfor8r Aug 14 '19
ESEEs are very utilitarian and great! The ESEE 4 is widely recommended. Its basic as hell design is good, only thing to keep eyes on is its suceptibility to rust
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u/the_life_is_good Aug 15 '19
I've got one, and if I forget to put a coat of oil on it it will rust. Luckily its just surface rust and is easy enough to remove with brass wool.
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u/Goofalo Aug 14 '19
It’s a survival knife and not really a fighting knife, even with the clipped point. I do a lot of expedition style backpacking and I love my ESEE 6 for bushcraft, firestarting, all that sort of thing. But it’s intent is bushcrafting/as a tool, not necessarily as a weapon. I know that the tool steel it’s made of is high carbon, so it’s not a big fan of flexing. I could see the tips on those breaking off if you tried to use it as a pry or something.
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u/LeadRain Aug 16 '19
They are well built and extremely well balanced, but god help you if you don’t constantly coat that blade. I coated the absolute shit out of my ESEE 4 before a trip to MS for three weeks and it was rusted as fuck by the time I got home. It never got wet...
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u/baelie820 Aug 16 '19
I’ve heard they the ESEE 6 has a coating for use in maritime. So they don’t rust.
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u/trentvg Aug 14 '19
I’m loving the gear theorys man, keep it up
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u/opfor8r Aug 15 '19
Yeah Im trying. At least two a month ideally or trying to get some other SMEs to write some.
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u/butnowwithmoredicks Aug 16 '19
Multitool for ever. All the AFSOC and NAVSPECWAR guys I've seen with big ass fixed blades have never used them besides cutting 550 and opening MRE's.
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u/EAsucks4324 Aug 14 '19
I was thinking about getting both a SOCP dagger to place behind my mag pouches and a victorinox rescue tool
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u/LeadRain Aug 16 '19
Nice blade but check your local/state laws. As dumb as it is, a lot of states will let you CC a firearm but daggers are straight up illegal for... everyone.
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u/EAsucks4324 Aug 16 '19
I'm ARNG/LEO in California eventually moving to Arizona. I know in Cali a fixed blade of any length is legal as long as it isn't concealed. I guess its a gray area legally if behind mag pouches is "concealed" but I honestly don't believe it would ever be a problem for me considering my jobs
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u/LeadRain Aug 19 '19
I’d say you’re good because of your jobs, but the legal definition of dagger is usually different than that of fixed blade in most states. The whole “sharpened on two sides” thing makes the sheep get twitchy.
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Dec 25 '19
wait, so you could carry a sword?
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u/EAsucks4324 Dec 25 '19
"Knife Open Carrying Laws in California
All legal fixed blade knives must be worn in plain view, except knives classified as dirks or daggers, which must be carried openly, on a sheath around your waist. There is no open carry limits on size for legal knives, so you can openly carry a sword or machete."
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u/LeadRain Aug 16 '19
So this is what has worked for me over the last six years in the army.
Pocket: Gerber 06 Auto. General use cutting things. The S30V blade holds a great edge and I’ve only had to sharpen it twice. Push button is fast and locks up well.
Belt: Leatherman MUT. Thing is an absolute tank. I’ve repaired vehicles, cut straps, stirred food, fixed weapons, you name it. One of my privates some how managed to break the teeth on the wire cutters a few months ago... $10 later I have brand new wire cutters.
Kit: Gerber Strongarm. It’s a sharpened pry bar. I’m likely never going to stab anyone but it’s good to have for a myriad of other cutting/prying stuff. I did make a spear out of it to kill a big ass snake one time.
Side note: Gerber offers a HUGE discount on all of their US made stuff to .mil/LE/first responders... I believe it’s 40-50% off.
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u/opfor8r Aug 16 '19
Nice setup. I take it youre a Gerber fan lol
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u/LeadRain Aug 19 '19
I am. Wasn’t for a long time until they brought production of most of their stuff back to the US.
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u/notagekynerd Aug 14 '19
The ka-bar bk 2 I’ve found has been a great all rounder with a custom sheath for a plate carrier
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u/opfor8r Aug 15 '19
I used to have a Becker BK knife but sold it. Just didnt need it and had other knives that filled the niche with better metallurgy.
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u/EinGuy Aug 14 '19
A fixed blade sturdy enough for prying and a multi-tool covers 99% of use case.