So I am sitting here, this fine Saturday morn, in my comfy arm chair with a pipe, my slippers, and my first glass of scotch. What better time for me to critique and lecture today's actual warfighters and squaddies on what they are doing all wrong - and how I'd order them to fix it!!! One of our esteemed visitors took exception to the Fairbairn Sykes fighting knife in the loadout poast below. Let us focus our formidable intellects and resolve this question of knives once and for all.
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We need to define our terms. Fighting knives are built from the ground up to kill. They are popular with knife makers as works of art because they have so much real estate to embellish and get creative. For our purposes here - our fightin' knives are about killin' - and that's it! Although you can fight and kill (handily in some cases) with smaller knives... let us assume we want an actual fighting length blade.
This is the legendary Fairbairn Sykes knife that started this train of thought. Back in better days and better times I knew men that carried this blade and might have found themselves in a position to actually use it for it's intended purpose... but the Old Guard is gone now. They would have vomitted in rage to hear us young punks dissing their blade. Several of the men I knew said it was the best fighter ever made.
I personally will not contest any of that. But I am a stubfart, and not a commando that might have to reduce an SS Stormtrooper to hamburger with nothing but stealth and a razor sharp knife. But gawd... I HATE double edged knives with a passion. I only have one and never use it. Depending on the chore at hand, I like to get a thumb on the spine of the blade for more control. If I were a war fighter, would I sacrifice lethality for practicality? I am kinda thinking I would; and if it were my call to make, the squaddies might have been much better served by something like this:
This is my idea of perfection: generous handguard, rugged stacked leather handle, a strong top false leading edge, a safe and practical rear spine, and a brutish pommel for noggin work!
Hmpppffff. Just looking at them though... even if ya strop it... I can see where this one might not keep up with the old commando for gizzard work... but it would be superior for camp work.
Who knows. Maybe I am better off stuck in my easy chair guzzling scotch than picking out gear for the real gunnies and squaddies of our day.
I never had any desire to own a fighting knife except one that fits on the end of my rifle. I figure if they get that close, I committed a major tactical error at some point.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful knife in the last photo. Blade looks to be some sort of damascus finish. My field knife is one of these--
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/930141042?pid=801702
Price.
Decent steel.
Water proof sheath.
Light weight.
If you drop it in the lake, who cares. Buy another one.
Decent steel.
I like your checklist (kinda) but would defer to a Mora. But I like the Buck Companion for one additional feature...overall strength. And made in the USA. Our Canadian brothers may select the Grohmann as a point of national pride.
DeleteIf I find myself in a spot where I need to rely on a blade, AND I get the option, I'll take my trusty kukri over any of those other blades.
ReplyDeleteSince Mr. Murphy NEVER gives you favourable options, I'll probably be relying on my Emerson.
You can carry two different knifes.
ReplyDeleteKnives are beautiful and artistic, but getting stabbed really hurts.
ReplyDeleteWe were issued cold steel srk and tantos, nice, durable fighting knives, but hard to sharpen and they rust. I settled on a ZT fixed blade for my service knife, amazing balance, great steel and weight, works well forward and reverse grip. As a folder ive used spyderco endura, partially serrated for over 25 years, solid fighting folders.
ReplyDeleteJust sharpen the false edge and have the best of both worlds. You can still put your thumb on the spine. We Scotch drinkers must stick together, or they will have us drinking white claw or strawberry Vodka
ReplyDeleteI'm the degenerate who suggested leaving the dagger home in your display case. The dagger is fine for spies and assassins, but inappropriate for soldiers, who almost never kill in home combat. And, should the situation devolve to that point, our friend with the k humor has the right idea. Massive debilitating trauma. The NRA's American Rifle man magazine had an article years ago which contained an interview with an old WW 2 USMC Raider who actually experienced that and said weapons like axes and machetes were preferred because they incapacitated the enemy much more quickly.
ReplyDeleteDamned auto correct..." Our friend with the khukri...'
ReplyDeleteAnd I laughed out loud at " battleboon"!
ReplyDeleteThe top one looks like something Ye Olde English Yeoman Bowman used to slip into the chinks in the armor to dispatch ye dehorsed French or Saracen knight.
ReplyDeleteThe Fairbairn-Sykes was based on the actual experiences of Fairbairn and Sykes with the Shanghai Riot Police pre-WW2 with the help of a surgeon who advised where a knife was best applied. I'm inclined to defer to the original designers who knew what they were doing. YMMV
ReplyDelete