Three knives for the Apocalypse - a tabletop review.

[lysander]

The sheath on my cr pacific is big let down, dont like the unevenly cut bit of plastic tubing that goes into the equally hideous digi camo sheath. Love the knife though

[Ian Atkinson]

I want pics of your sheath when done please.

It's going to be pretty nice I think! It's for a retired US Army Ranger.

[BladeScout]

Thanks for excellent reviews and pics.
I must admit, you made me NOT want the Strider.
You put your finger on exactly the reasons, why I never cared much for their knives.
Since you asked; if I was going to war (again), I would not pick any of the three.
While they undoubtedly are all good quality, they are a bit over the top IMO.
Should I go to Afghanistan, I would prefer a shorter and lighter yet still incredibly tough knife. Soldiers are laden down with enough 'carp' as it is. No need to bring a long(ish) knife with plenty of weight. Further more, there is enough equipment and rucksacks sticking out to all sides; you dont need a long knife to hamper your exit or entry in vehicles or choppers. Plus you pretty much narrowed it down in regards to the use of knives in modern warfare. I would truly be up the creek wihtout the proverbial paddle, had I a need for a knife as a weapon.
I would bring my Mission MPS ... and maybe my MBK as a back-up. I can justify bringing the two, as they are Beta titanium and combined are still lighter than any of the three individual knives in the test (but just as strong)
Were I forced to pick one of the three knives, I would go with the Chris Reeve.
About paracord wrapping; I know many dont like it. I happen to like it quite a bit.
At one point, I wrapped the MPS in the same style as the MBK.

In use for "wet work," (just think Bambi) it gets very messy and full of blood, sweat and bits of organic matter.
The advantage is, that one can simply take off the cord and wash it. A few minutes of wrapping and you are good to go again. Once you have wrapped the handle and gotten the hang of it, it really is very fast to do.
That being said, I have put on the factory micarta handles again

[Martyn]

I came upon a couple of interesting youtube vids - I dont generally like destruction tests, but I think these do show some significant differences in these knives.

First, the Chris Reeve Green Beret - not the Pacific, but the same family of knives and a very similar shape & design...



Bit worrying really. I know this is real abuse of a knife, but still, I would have hoped that it stood up to more than that.

Next, the Fallkniven A1...



Oh my goodness. That is nuts.

[Darkwoodecho]

I don't know if I'm or .

[Ian Atkinson]

I would have hoped that it stood up to more than that.

Why? I can think of many things that would break if you repeatedly smash them with a lump hammer.

[roestalker270]

So which one would you pick and why? If none of the above, which would be your "knife for the appocalypse? Or perhaps a more realistic question, which would you take to war?

I wouldn't have taken any of those to war, some jobs worth from the RAF would confiscate it just before you get on the flight home.

[Eee]

Why? I can think of many things that would break if you repeatedly smash them with a lump hammer.

I don't think it would worry me much if I was going to use it for cutting or normal, non-lump hammer battoning.

Also, while I'm posting, I'll do a quick update on the review on the ZT 0100 (way back on post #53).

I used it a bit, but found two irritants;
Firstly it's pretty agressive looking, so I always felt a bit self conscious using it anywhere other than my garden,
Secondly, the grip is harsh on bare hands.

It still seemed capable and I toyed with a rehandle in some nice jolly colours and even got as far as offering it as a trade. So it got thrown in a drawer until...

... Mrs Eee appeared with a list of jobs to do...

Since then I have used it for breaking down some old fencing, breaking down a wendy house and removing my mates garage roof (obviously the roof wasn't done solely with one knife).

The grips make perfect sense as soon as you are wearing gloves and it has retained a servicable edge through it all, in spite of all the stones embedded in the felt roof. These are all things I wouldn't normally dream of using a knife for, but it's perfect for the job. I'm set on keeping it now as it means I can keep my other knives for cutting things.

[Martyn]

Why? I can think of many things that would break if you repeatedly smash them with a lump hammer.

Well cos I own one and most everything else seems to do better. But these tests are a bit nonsensical. It is right in the realm of obscene abuse of a knife and doesnt really relate to much in the real world. That said, look at how the A1 has the snot beaten out of it. That is one tough knife.

[Ian Atkinson]

Well cos I own one and most everything else seems to do better. But these tests are a bit nonsensical. It is right in the realm of obscene abuse of a knife and doesnt really relate to much in the real world. That said, look at how the A1 has the snot beaten out of it. That is one tough knife.

You're right, it's nonsensical, that's the crux of it! One might do better than the other but I don't think it makes any of them bad as none of them were designed for it. I think the Pacific will excel at everything it was designed to do, don't stop enjoying it because some fool in a hockey mask or something hammered it to pieces!

It's like a silly Top Gear challenge, they might pick three cars and turn them into boats and one might sink, doesn't mean the other two were better boats as clearly none of them were designed to float! This whole destruction testing thing just winds me up!

[Danzo]

I like the guy in the mask. I think he is funny and most importantly I don't think he actually takes himself too seriously. Unlike very many internet reviewers, particularly those who have become well known.

But I wouldn't consider the merits of a knife based on how it responds when hit by a hammer. An Opinel is a folding knife that is very unlikely to break in normal use. Hit it with a hammer several times and it will be broken.

Danzo

[Martyn]

I like the guy in the mask. I think he is funny and most importantly I don't think he actually takes himself too seriously. Unlike very many internet reviewers, particularly those who have become well known.

But I wouldn't consider the merits of a knife based on how it responds when hit by a hammer. An Opinel is a folding knife that is very unlikely to break in normal use. Hit it with a hammer several times and it will be broken.

Danzo

Of course, mate. I don't think failing this test invalidates a product in any way. But that doesn't mean the information isn't interesting or informative. Take the CR knife, it's made from S30V. Why does it fail before many others on test made from much cheaper materials? Is it a design issue, the heat treatment or a materials issue? The tests don't say much about the function of the knives as knives, but they do raise some interesting questions. I wonder if the CR knife would have failed so quickly, if it had been made from pain high carbon steel? You dont see many 7" bladed knives in S30v. Similarly, the laminated VG10 of the A1 is stupendously tough. Why? From a metalurgical point of view, they ask more questions than they answer, but I think that is fascinating. I think they add more to the body of knowledge that yet another review showing a knife being battoned through a stcik by a bushcrafter.

[filleep]

evil post.
watching those vids hasn't made me want to get rid of my Green Beret (though it's never been a favourite), but it's started a craving for Falkniven, which has never afflicted me before.

I must admit to being curious regarding which knives are mosr resilient to that level of abuse.

I was a bit bothered by the chipping on the A1, as that seemed a more likely defect in "normal" use.

[Bluebs4]

Were can I get that strider ?

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[paul w]

Were can I get that strider ?

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