Looking for feedback - British MOD Survival Knife

[rykochet]

I am looking for military/civilian user experience feedback with the British MOD Survival Knife. What knife was used for, issues with sharpening, the sheath, etc.. Also, are there different manufacturers that I need to be aware of? What is the current quality of manufacture?

Thanks!

[The General]

Its built to survive military use... :yikes: Think semi sharp crow bar!

[bushwacker]

there was a long thread about these on bcuk,I think the concensus was as the general put it,with more emphasis on the crowbar. :yikes:

[rykochet]

Please excuse my ignorance...what is bcuk?

[The General]

http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/

Very good place to visit! :biggthump

[rykochet]

It seems that people either really like it or really hate it...with no middle ground.

[Tony]

What's your interest in it rykochet?

[rykochet]

Heavy Duty Survival/Camp knife.

[The General]

Lets put it this way...

Its overpriced and a poor cutting tool.

There are dozens if not hundreds of knives that will massivly out perform it at similar prices.

Or you could buy an Opinel, an axe and a crowbar for the same money... :p

[leon-1]

Well, I have used one, it is designed as a multi purpose tool more than a knife.

The "crowbar with an edge" is a justifiable statement, most of the guys here would cringe at the misuse and abuse that the M.O.D gets :( .

It doesn't really rely on being sharp due to the heavy blade, as long as it's not completely blunt it will cut :rolleyes: .

As far as uses are concerned Iv'e seen them used to dig with, hack out roots in a trench, used to tension wire when rivetting a trench, used for cutting spars/beams in the jungle and smash open various ammo containers :yikes: .

Most of all it's as much a team tool as anything, it may get handed around and there are never any worries that it will get damaged.

You would not, could not subject most of the knives that are seen on this site to the same sort of disregard that this tool is subjected to and expect to be friends with the guy that loaned it to you afterwards :D

[The General]

Well, I have used one, it is designed as a multi purpose tool more than a knife.

The "crowbar with an edge" is a justifiable statement, most of the guys here would cringe at the misuse and abuse that the M.O.D gets :( .

It doesn't really rely on being sharp due to the heavy blade, as long as it's not completely blunt it will cut :rolleyes: .

As far as uses are concerned Iv'e seen them used to dig with, hack out roots in a trench, used to tension wire when rivetting a trench, used for cutting spars/beams in the jungle and smash open various ammo containers :yikes: .

Most of all it's as much a team tool as anything, it may get handed around and there are never any worries that it will get damaged.

You would not, could not subject most of the knives that are seen on this site to the same sort of disregard that this tool is subjected to and expect to be friends with the guy that loaned it to you afterwards :D

The lack of care military units treat their equipment with is staggering... :(

[leon-1]

Wayne, that is probably one of the reasons it is a crowbar with an edge, but they did have a spec for it.

I think that stupid, thick, careless and clumsy may well have been in there somewhere :twak:

Interestingly the Wilkinson Sword that it was based around was slightly shorter, but thicker. I still have both (in excellent condition) because they have fond memories attached to them, but I would never consider taking them out for bushcraft. :biggthump

[rykochet]

An awful lot of these knives get purchased...they can't ALL be solely used as "crowbars"...can they? : )

[Jerseyman]

Mine was used to cut barbed wire while on a defence exercise. (not by me!).
This was done placing the wire on the ground - and chopping it!!
You can imagine what the edge was like after.
That knife was lost somewhere along the way - but I have another. I have it shave-sharp, but rarely use it.
My GB Mini is much nicer....

[narsil]

I've got one and it seems like a pretty OK tool to me and I would hardly say it was THAT expensive I think that I would struggle to make one for the money, the steel in it is worth a tenner. It is a bit rough and ready but for its intended use that isn't t oo much of a problem. The biggest problem is that the handle is not that great and I ground the gaurd of mine cos it got in the way without serving any useful purpose.

You CAN get a razor edge on it as well, quite easily in fact.

[PS_Bond]

My GB Mini is much nicer....

How's that on cutting barbed wire? ;)

:eek: :yikes:

[rykochet]

Those of you who are using one, what type of sheath are you using? The standard issue seems inadequate...

Also, is a wooden handle preferable over the black fiber or ?

[leon-1]

The rivets on the wooden handle can be a bit agressive on your hands when used for prolonged periods of time, you can either use a glove or get the rubber grip from a cricket bat and stretch that over the handle, this makes it a lot more comfortable to use. :)

Narsil, the old wilkinson sword one that I have is bomb proof, the steel on it is very hard and can be a bit of a git to sharpen, but once you have an edge there it does not take a lot to maintain :biggthump .

Unfortunately these did use to be quite expensive, I don't know current costs or even if WS still make them (it is not the Ray Mears one with the hollow handle) :( .

For what it's worth I like them, though neither get used very often nowadays, they do what they were designed for and that is all that you can ask :)

[Martyn]

You CAN get a razor edge on it as well, quite easily in fact.

That's a worry in itself - too soft maybe? Any idea of the rockwell on it?

[leon-1]

Martyn, I don't know what it is on the WS version, but I believe that the issue M.O.D is supposed to be about Rc54/55.

[narsil]

I think that I paid about 35 quid for a non wilkinson sword one a few years ago so not hugely expensive, whether or not you think its good value for money is of course up to you.

My overall impression is that it's best used in a military typoe context where it will have to take a lot of abuse. I've done all the chopping wire and roots stuff with it myself and it has stood up pretty well.

As far as hardness goes it probably is a bit on the soft side but not excessivly so an its probably better for a hard use knife to have and edge which rolls rather than chips. I'd say that it was still within normal limits just at the softer end which I don't personally find to be a problem although I did spend a bit of time putting a convex edge on it since the flat grind was a little to fragile.

The sheath is certainly not great but it at least does the job although a loop of heavy duty elastic is useful for extra security. The whole knife certainly isn't that pretty or refined but I have never found anything seriously wrong with it.

For normal field use there are certainly better large knives available especially since the MOD falls between two stools a bit being a bit to short for serious chopping and a bit too heavy for the woodlore type role. Nowadays I would prefer a kukri or small axe for the same sort of cost and there are lots of more expensiev knives which are just plain better but then again its more of a drama if you lose them.

In conclusion I would say that its not really a bad knife althught I must admit that nowadays I would go for something of rather higher quality with a bit more refinement.

[Chriskav]

The current J Adams are R 54 of simple 1095 carbon steel with a % of nickel. I field tested one. I put a steeper angle on the edge with a fine mill file in very short order followed by polishing. The handles, at least the wood can be sanded to a more user friendly shape. I owned the hard black fiber version and they were a nightmare. The sheath is junk and lefthanded. I locked myself in an abandoned caravan and picked a fight. I actually managed to hack through a beechwood frame,marine ply and duraluminum skin along with misc wiring, plumbing and fiberglass insulation. I was also utterly exausted and my MOD 4 needed complete reprofiling. It doesn't spark a metal match or with a natural flint. The collectable Wilkinsons are a totally different knife in quality and finish. An even earlier progenitor is the excellent para pattern machete from Martindale.

[rykochet]

Narsil,

How exactly did you acquire your razor sharp edge?


"You CAN get a razor edge on it as well, quite easily in fact."

[Chriskav]

I reprofiled mine with a mill file, raising the edgeline @ 3 times above the factory bevel. I then used a fine and very fine diamond plate followed by a ceramic rod. The soft rockwell makes this about as permanent as Peter Pan's shadow. In all fairness it is bombproof, easily resharpened to usefullness on even mediocre mediums and gets the job done. J Adams was also most kind in reponding to my queries about the metallurgy and Rockwell. I eventually tested mine into the dustbin. I actually miss the beastie and would rather carry it than my service issue USAF survival knife.

[rapidboy]

I paid £5.00 for this about 6 years ago with no sheath ,it was in a bit of a state and i refinished the scales and painted the tang.

http://img25.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/395_9534_1.jpg

The blade had been sharpened roughly and it took a while to get an edge on it.
The edge could still be tidied up a bit but i use it so I'm not bothered (and the steel is hard as hell).
The sheath was my first attempt at making a sheath (and my last).

http://img25.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/395_9537_1.jpghttp://img25.photobucket.com/albums/v76/rapidboy1/395_9535_11.jpg

I rate it quite highly as a user and it's only been replaced with a GB axe in the last year.
I looked at one of the new one's yesterday at the Northern Ireland game fair ,£85 reduced to £45!!! :yikes:
A dog rough crow bar and no comparison to the Wilkinson Sword version.

RB

[rapidboy]

This is on evilbay starting at £35.00

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=67584&item=2254420436&rd=1#ebayphotohosting