Gerber knives are very sturdy and well-made. That having been said, they have also always been too gimmicky for my taste and most, if not all, have typically been considered wannabe knives by real professionals who use knives. There are only two killing knives I’d consider:
1. The old Army fighting knife with a blade that’s just like the issue Colt M-16 bayonet without the rifle hook-up. This knife has a sturdy, curved, dagger point, and it’s very smooth with a sure-grip handle in both the old leather rings and the newer rubber rings from Ontario Knife. It doesn’t jam between the ribs and is a perfect ear-canal knife. If you are a pro, you’ll know what I mean.
2. Is the Tanto; although the Tanto is more geared for outright fighting, it’s also a great rib-stabbing and cutting knife, and also an excellent ear-canal knife. I probably shouldn’t say this, but these knives also cut through bullet-proof vests like they were butter, as long as they don’t hit the ceramic plate. Even then, if they slide off of it while you are still pushing on it, they can still do some terrible damage.
The Ka-Bar of Marine fame requires too much brute force to make it work in too many circumstances, but it might be something I’d consider if I was forced to do so. That’s it for killing knives.
For working knives, there is nothing like the bulky and heavy Victorinox Swiss Army Champ. Not Wenger, but specifically Victorinox. It’s worth many times its weight in gold, if you have ever needed a really great working knife while out in the bush. One of my sons once cut a piece of tool steel with the hacksaw in one of my old Swiss Champs and didn’t damage the knife!
Gerber knives, with all those candy-ass serrations and gimmicks are more geared for the fire-rescue unit than the fighting man. I’d like to see anyone stick one into someone else’s ribs without getting the serrations stuck in between them. Yes, you can do it, if you turn it horizontally going in and coming out, but in a fight for life and limb, who the hell knows how they are sticking a knife into someone else? Sideways, upside down, it’s all the same when the chips are down. A real professional, chock-full of adrenalin, with a knife stuck three inches deep between ribs will still easily kill you without a second thought while you determine how you’ll get your knife back. (To free it, you have to violently pull it up or down to break a rib. By the time you decide to do this, you might be dead. Having tremendously injured the other guy is immaterial to your being dead.)
The guy who said that the aluminum handle would be bad for both cold weather and not to be left in the sun was absolutely correct. In very cold weather it will freeze to your hand and having been in the tropical sun for any length of time, you wouldn’t be able to hold it in your bare hand. The guy who talked about wrapping a handle with 550 cord (parachute cord) was absolutely correct too, except that before you wrap the handle, you take out the guts, so the cord lays flatter and ties better over the handle. If you want to make it better, twist the empty cord as you tie it and create a greater gripping surface. It’s not about making it stick to your hand, but about creating friction so that under any and all circumstances, including blood, gore and slime, you will be able to maintain a secure grip on your weapon. I gave my wife a Cold Steel Tanto with a 550 cord-wrapped handle some years ago and she loves it. She says it’s a ‘pretty’ knife, as opposed to my old U.S. Army fighting knife, which she says is a ‘nothing killer and a pirate knife.’ I love it. My children all say they’d rather meet me at night in a dark alley than to do the same with their mother. I’m very proud of the way I trained her, especially having taught her how to overcome female deficiencies in fighting men, something a majority of women have not been taught, consequently, when the chips are down they lose. It’s a shame. Me
ED The only reference to an old, bayonet-style fighting knife offered by the Ontario Knife Company was the SP3-M7 knife (Ive included the picture above) which features a 6 blade (11 1/8 overall.) I hope this is what you were referring to. If not, let me know and Ill update this posting.
Regarding your comments about the utility of the skull crusher point you see on many knives (the Gerber Yari II or the SP3, for example) I agree with you that a pointed crusher will be much more effective in a fighting situation, than would a flat basher like the Ka-bar. For me though, as the poster child for the non-knife fighter community, if push ever came to shove, Id probably reach for a cinder block as a means of self-defense rather than a professional fighting knife (Ill never hit the ear canal, but Ill probably get the guys head with my brick.)
Regarding the use of the 550 cord, I agree, you need to strip the handle down to create a smooth wrapping surface. With my kukri I sanded down the handle, with the Yari II I wrapped the forged aluminum handle with athletic tape to fill in the holes, and then wrapped it. For me, I like to leave the core threads in the OD sheath, to give the material better absorbency. One thing I found that worked real well was leather bootlaces. They wrap well and they grip well. Unfortunately, they are also porous and I was concerned about how to clean the knife up after getting it contaminated. So I went with the 550 cord.
– Kit Up!
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Fighting knives? For a start the guy in the photo is doing it all wrong and I am not going to explain why. Rambo carried a fighting knife but the weight and space on your belt is better reserved for ammunition. A silenced weapon is a better bet or sharpened entrenching tool was an old favoutite in wars past. Remember the first rule of knife fighting – the man with the gun wins every time as Indiana Jones showed many years ago. The Chinese use a cross bow and that in itself has noise issues. The old DeLisle carbine or silent shotgun round in a double barrel are your best bets.
Couldn’t agree more about the Army fighting knife. As a Marine, I ditched the K-Bar and scooped up one of those as soon as I could. Smaller, lighter, filled the hand perfectly, and sturdy enough to do anything I needed to do with it. I still have it and use it regularly, the thing is indestructable!
Semper Fi, all.
Ed. was spot on with using a brick – whatever is at hand, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to get the job done.
Army fighting knife over a Cold Steel Tanto – what are you, nuts??? The Tanto will stand up to several times the amount of side pressure the Army FUK will take before snapping, that includes the bayonet as well.
Also, you seem to confuse sentry silencing with using a knife in an armed confrontation. The American practice has long been to use a suppressed firearm to kill a sentry – assuming that is what you really need to do. Most SpecWar types prefer to simply sneak past and leave no trace of their presence (something a dead body or two is guaranteed to do).
Using a knife in armed combat rarely happens, and it is pretty much a matter of whoever can buzzsaw their way in first with killing strikes. I’m not talking about parries or stop thrusts or other fencing nonsense; you draw your knife and apply it to nearest part of your opponent’s anatomy – finger, face, leg, whatever – and work your way to his neck or his torso. Stab until he quits moving.
Hopefully you’re with a team and they’ll help you get on your feet; reload or clear whatever malfunction made you transition to your knife, bind wounds, continue mission.
starscream my point is – why use a knife – butt stoke the prick if he is that close – quicker than going man o mano with a blade. Never been a fan of long bladed knives and yes avoidance in recon is better than taking someone out. once you are in a knife fight your presence is known. That’s why I said ‘fighting knives?’
“Fighting knives”? What B.S. I think you mean “tools to pry rocks out of fighting positions, open crates, cans, and MREs, yank heavy-duty staples, and cut paracord”. The only “fighting” that knives are used for (outside Hollywood) are for defeating well-sealed envelopes.
I wouldn’t have included Gerber on this list at all since their claim to fame is utility knives and leatherman-style tools (hense the “gimicky” remark). Even the “tactical” knives on their linked website are obviously too small to be used on anything larger than a zip tie.
Ah! Another ‘personal weapon’ post, and thankfully not an M4 or M9 in sight. Sweet!
I have no idea what I would want to carry if I was a grunt, but I’ve carried a knife daily as a tool/self-defense weapon since I got my Totin’ Chip many years ago.
So I have a definite favorite for the urban jungle. My Spyderco Endura with a full serated blade has been the perfect tool ever since I got it in 1993. It is an early model with an integrated polymer clip (I’m told they went to metal clips afterwards because of breakage – mine still seems strong). I have abused it: stripping wires, turning screws, using it as a starter relay, sawing moulding and cutting steak with it. And it keeps a cutting edge better than most knives I’ve had and didn’t abuse. It is unobtrusive: until 9/11 most airport metal detectors didn’t even pick it up (it WAS of just legal blade length). It is lightning fast and easy to bring out and put away with one hand, as a group of dumbfounded gang-bangers once found out.
IMHO, the perfect fighting knife for Joe Average, would be the one you have with you. The knife you have with you all the time is the one you use all the time. I’ve got other knives (when you are a knife guy, people remember it at gift-giving times), some are more specialized and look a lot nastier than the little Spyderco, but I pick up the Endura when I go out the door. The only downside I’ve found was that the hones cost me more than the knife.
Personally,if I wanted to carry a “fighting knife,” I’d carry a Gurkha Kukri(I hope I spelled that right) “fighting knife.”
I also have to say that i have no f**kin’ clue about knife fighting.Why not just carry a compact switchblade as a “surprise!!!!” weapon.
In my younger(& stupider) days,my philosophy(obviously,this is outside of the military) was to dazzle my “enemy” with a big ass “Cobra Knife(the kind with the spikes on the handle)” & then “surprise” them close-up with my well hidden .25-caliber ACP pistol(like the lady on the Progressive Car Insurance commercial,”Surprise!!!!”).
Thank the Good Lord my “battle strategy” was NEVER tested or my stupid ass would most likely be six feet under instead of writing this message today.
Not long ago, I found myself helping a female friend (a therapist) who was concerned that a patient she had just terminated might seek revenge on her. Since she had terminated the relationship after telling the police that he had just admitted to committing murder, I thought her fears were well justified.
I helped her move things out of her office while the fellow was still in custody. Standing in her office, I thought seriously about what I would do if the guy came in, and realized that I was not prepared.
I resolved to be prepared, and to acquire a tool for self-defense that I could carry everywhere. It had to be legal, unobtrusive, and reliable. This left out handguns. I considered pepper spray, but was not convinced I could use it accurately enough, or that it would stop a determined killer. I settled on the largest Kershaw folding knife that I could carry discreetly, in a belt pouch. Yes, a 3.75 inch blade is not as dangerous as a gun, but it is seriously intimidating when it’s coming towards your eyes, and it can do a lot of damage fast. Most of all, a weapon you have with you is superior to a better weapon you can’t carry.
When I helped her move back in to her office some weeks later, I was prepared. I scouted the area to ensure the guy wasn’t there. He wasn’t, and I didn’t expect him to show up. If he did, I expected to resolve any confrontation without violence. However, if the worst happened, I was confident that it wouldn’t happen to her, or to me. It would happen to the other guy.
I don’t know about a “fighting knife”, but if bigger is better, I guess I’ll take a machete. Makes buttering my toast a little dicey though.
“Fighting knives??” Who fights with knives except deranged teenagers?
There are a million and one things you’re likely to use a knife for, but fighting isn’t one of them.
What next, “Combat Biting Techniques”?
its personal preference buddy, relax. you would be surprized at how much damage a knife could do. and how fast you could hurt someone with one. I personally think that gun beats knife but it all has to do with distance.
Byron, I totally agree. S..t I ever carried was a small swiss army knife on a cord attached to my shirt and a small clasp knide I got from the NX. My old Vietnam era entrenching tool was theer in the defensive position if push came to shove. REMF’s have their place, away from me, although they do make good bullet magnets when decked out like a Christmas Tree.
Byron Skinner,
OMG,are you saying that Crocodile Dundee was wrong? Again,maybe a small switchblade is ok for a “surprise” weapon,but I agree that big knives are useless for fighting.
What are to old sayings,”never bring a knife to a gun fight,”& “eggs have no business dancing with stones(or rocks)?”
SOG’s Seal Pup Elite, the choice of many U.S Navy SEALs.
This guy is bogus. He’s never been in a knife fight, and probably never seen a knife fight. Take down this BS article.
“Yes, a 3.75 inch blade is not as dangerous as a gun, but it is seriously intimidating when it’s coming towards your eyes, and it can do a lot of damage fast”
Peaceful- If that nut was a threat what makes you think he wouldn’t bring a gun? You might have literally brought a knife to a gunfight.
Another point why a knife is a terrible defense weapon- is you have to get close to your attacker. Not a good idea to someone who might have already killed someone.
Lastly- a knife doesn’t look good in court. Its a brutal weapon- some lawyer could make a big deal about a slash wound to his face or groin. You could end up losing your house in a civil action. This recently happened in my town to a bus driver who slashed an attacker- he paraded his wound to the TV cameras.
When you moved your friend you should have brought a gun. If you can’t carry where you are- illegally carrying it FOR THAT SPECIFIC MOVE- wouldn’t be a big deal. In the case you waste the nut-you might lose the gun- but you’d probably not get charged with a felony (unless you are in Berkeley or some other People’s Republic)
Another option would be to bring a couple large friends along- (maybe one of them can legally carry). These nuts love to attack woman or single guys- but you rarely hear them attacking large guys- they can function well enough to avoid that-
An old Soldier told me one day “If you get into a knife fight, you f*cked up everything you did since you got up that morning.”
Killing someone with a knife also has serious psychological and health risks. These are some of the reasons for using a silenced pistol for sentry removal.
If you are close enough to stab someone, you are going to have to hold to him as he dies, there will be blood all over the place and his bowels will release all their contents. If you are in the field covered with blood and sh*t for several days, you will be exposed to every disease your victim had and you’ll be smelling his blood, too.
Just shoot him.
I was wondering what you thought about the Gerber LMF II Knife. In the product description it says that Gerber collaborated with the military for two years developing this knife as the ultimate survival tool. I was just wondering what your thoughts where.
Personal story time i would take a knife over any other weapon in close combat i once saw a civilian sprint and tackle a very large Army soldier carrying an M4 the soldier caught the mans image out of his perif vision pulled out a pen and jamed it straight into the eye of his attacker my father ran to aid the soldier but the guy was already dead when he asked the soldier why he fail to draw his weapon he stated that the round who have ripped through the attacker and hit another civilian he then stated that he had broken his knife earlier that day prying open a door and that his buddy had given him the pen in place of the knife.
Having a good knife whether it be in combat, in the field, fishing, hunting, or general use —- isn’t a bad idea. Some folks don’t always agree — with you or I. Now for the magic question what knife do I need? Nothing like a good folding knife for everyday use — and that goes, for the field (combat) or out of the field for general use. There are a thousand and one uses for a good knife. Yet like any other tool one must learn the proper way of using and taking care of it. If it be for combat then we must learn the proper skills of how to use it if needed —- not forgetting survival skills as well. A knife is mighty handy in the wild/fihing/hunting and the list goes on the list goes on. For someone to say a soldier should not carry a knife of some type he or she should examine the necessities of having a knife. I myself as a former soldier and deputy sheriff say ;the knife is a pretty handy tool to have at your disposal when needed. Many a life has been saved by a knife —- and unbfortunately some lives have been taken by the blade. Some good some not. Yet, I say to all you good folks having a good knife and knowing how to use it properly — can be a blessing. I’d hate to tell a Marine or Navy man that they can’t use knives, not forgetting the butcher. Ha!
Having a good knife whether it be in combat, in the field, fishing, hunting, or general use —- isn’t a bad idea. Some folks don’t always agree — with you or I. Now for the magic question what knife do I need? Nothing like a good folding knife for everyday use — and that goes, for the field (combat) or out of the field for general use. There are a thousand and one uses for a good knife. Yet like any other tool one must learn the proper way of using and taking care of it. If it be for combat then we must learn the proper skills of how to use it if needed —- not forgetting survival skills as well. A knife is mighty handy in the wild/fihing/hunting and the list goes on the list goes on. For someone to say a soldier should not carry a knife of some type he or she should examine the necessities of having a knife. I myself as a former soldier and deputy sheriff say ;the knife is a pretty handy tool to have at your disposal when needed. Many a life has been saved by a knife —- and unbfortunately some lives have been taken by the blade. Some good some not. Yet, I say to all you good folks having a good knife and knowing how to use it properly — can be a blessing. I’d hate to tell a Marine or Navy man that they can’t use knives, not forgetting the butcher. Ha!
To set the record straight, the US Navy SEALS do not receive much if any training in hand to hand combat since their missions are covert and any contact with anyone but their mission target is undesirable. They are meant as an "in and out" command and because of this they have no need for learning much manual combat or knife fighting techniques. The person who commented on the fact that the individual in the picture above is not performing "proper" killing technique is correct. Anyone familiar with knife fighting or assassination technique knows that if you approach and engage the target from behind, it is proper to use the "mask" technique in bringing the targets head into control and pulled back toward you and to the side. At that time the assassin's knife is driven into the hollow area of the throat straight down and then pulled sideways as withdrawn ripping the aorta and killing the target almost immediately and the target will go into immediate shock and will not be able to yell when the hand is removed from the target's mouth. Of course this is usually a technique only used for assassinations and not in the random occurrence where a knife might be his only means of defense. A good knife in the hands of someone who knows how to use it and also understands martial arts will be far more dangerous than someone with a gun at arms reach. It is far easier to disarm a person with a handgun at close range than it is to remove a knife and you subject yourself to the possibility of being injured more from the knife than the gun if you know how to disarm the assailant. I would be the first to say it is better to carry a concealed handgun rather than just a knife, but I would carry the knife as well just as a good backup if the hand gun misfired, jammed or was knocked loose somehow. In close manual combat, the man with the knife will always win the fight…if he knows how to use the knife.
well, in this civilized time, no one will be ready to use knife to fight. I f it is a real tug of war, there are other fighting weapons but not knife. The army fighting knife is made specifically for soldiers to defend themselves at war and to serve as support to their rifle at the battle field. However, you can use knife generally for domestic purposes such as pealing and cutting.