Posts Tagged ‘tactical knife’
Don’t Scrimp on the Knife
Whether you’re an avid hunter or a general outdoorsman, it’s important that you have a high quality knife that you can take on your various outdoor ventures. The uses for that knife can vary greatly, but every outdoorsman will tell you that a knife is indispensible in the wilderness. Just take the children’s book “Hatchet.” It wasn’t far off when the main character was able to survive in the Canadian wilderness simply by having a trusty hatchet at his side.
And while you probably won’t have to rely that heavily on your knife, it is nice to know that you have a high quality product to help you in the wilderness. When picking out your knife, make sure that you go with a company that has a lot of experience crafting knives. A new company might not be able to deliver the expertise that an established company can offer. So if given the choice, it’s best to purchase Buck knives with over 100 years of service than some fly by night knife company.
The SOG Bowie Knives
The SOG Bowie knife is the pride of the company. This model is based on the original Special Operations Group combat knife, used during secret operations of the 5th Special Forces and other elite troops. It is part of the standard equipment for specialiazed reconnaissance and infiltration usnits. SOG uses special SK-5 carbon steel for the blade that is blued just as with firearms. The 6.25 inch long blade is ground hollow and has a reinforced upward slanting point. The guard and pommel are made of blued steel as well. The handle is 4.5 inches long and is made of artificial resin impregnated leather discs. The knife comes with a leather sheath and sharpening stone. The total lenght of the knife is 10.75 inches and it weighes 12.2 ounces. SOG brought this knife to the market as a commemorative model with the Vietnam Special Forces emblem.
The second knife is the Recon Bowie that was used during the war in Vietnam as well, and looks very similar to the original Bowie. This knife got its name from the Reconnaissance Units of the American military. This knife is 12 inches long with a 7 inch blade. The Recon Bowie has a brass guard and pommel. There are only a few copies left of the original military series.
The third knife is rather hard to find. Originally, there were only 39 Scuba/Demo-Bowies made. They were issued to the OPLAN 37 ALPHA unit in 1964. Of the 38 knives, 36 got lost during operation activities. The other two have not been seen since.
U.S. Marine Fighting Knives
The United States Marines have had the reputation of being the stepchild of the Navy and have certainly been known to receive hand-me-downs from the other branches of the military. They have made do with outdated equipment and never had much they could call their own. By the time WWII was over, however, there were a number of knives that the Marines had clearly made their own. Because of stubborn pride, unyielding determination, sacrifices made and battles won, the USMC has acquired a reputation and a mystique. By association, Marine Corps knives have a character that makes them particularly attractive to collectors.
The knife most closely associated with the USMC and certainly the most widespread in use is the fighting/utility knife commonly called the Ka-Bar. Ka-Bar knives began to show up early in 1943 along with other fighting knives. But only Ka-Bar has developed a reputation as THE marine corp knife of choice and is used not only as a fighting knife but as a major part of the survival gear for marines now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The USMC Fighting knife by Ka-Bar comes with or without serration and with blade lengths of 7 or 5.25 inches. The total length of the newest model is 11.89 inches or 9.25 inches for the smaller models.
Sharpening Tactical Folding Knives
You can sharpen tactical folding knives by holding them at 22 degrees for a sharp knife or 12-15 degrees for a very sharp knife. The type of sharpening stone
used can also affect the sharpness of the blade. Many prefer to use a clamp-style system that has pre-defined angles to ensure accurate sharpening but any quality stone will do the job.
Traditional stones can be used to sharpen tactical folding knives and they are known as Arkansas stones, which come in soft (coarse) and hard (fine) varieties. Some prefer to use ceramic stones due to the fact that they do not wear like natural stones and they do not require oil like the Arkansas stone does.
Adding oil may be necessary to lift the metal dust off of the stone when sharpening tactical folding knives. If you use ceramic stones you won’t need to add oil as they can be cleaned with detergent. Never use soap or detergent to clean a natural sharpening stone.
When you are done sharpening a tactical folding knife you may want to use a technique called “stropping.” This is performed with a leather strap that has abrasive compounds in it. This can be used on a tactical folding knife that is still sharp, but not as sharp as it once was.
Knives and Primitive Skills
The most essential piece of camping gear that you can take out into the woods is a good knife. With a knife most of your survival skills are well at hand. A knife can make shelter building a breeze with a basic level of land knowledge. A knife can b valuable in each of these activities: cutting dead branches for firewood, filleting food so that the edible parts are uncovered, defending against wild animals. The applications of a good knife are endless. For those that are going to spend time nature, it is imperative that a sharp knife be present during your journey.
Investment in a good outdoor survival knife is just as important as those that we prize in our kitchens, and in terms of your comfort and survival in the woods, it is more important. The rigors of nature definitely certainly call to most of us, but do not make the mistake of venturing off unprepared.