Hello All. This is my first post after many years of reading. I will start off admitting i am a brand [censored]... That said does anyone have experience w/ Wilson Combats line of knives? I want to buy American and the D2 steel sounds great. The kydex sheath and tacti-coat are other pros IMO. I already own a Wilson Scattergun Tech. shotgun and love it. The price is another thing though. $250-$450 for a survival/camping/hunting blade. Am i nuts? I feel my brain and my blade are the two things that really count in a survival scenario. What are your opinions?

ps. Thank you ALL for the many informative and often funny topics and responses.

http://www.wilsoncombat.com/kniveswt/wilsontactical/index.htm

I remember when Wilson joined the ranks of 1911 aftermarket parts. The 1911 is without challenge the most heavilly modified and accessory rich firearm in history.That said, My first 1911 was a 3 digit navy that NEVER failed to go bang with proper ammunition and good magazines.Ditto my Remington DCM or the ones carried on active service .Wilson has a good reputation with the 1911 crowd.
That said, I really have to ask, given my plain vanilla 1911s went bang what a $250 knife with Wilson on it will offer over any number of knives at less cost will?
My most important survival item is my sleeping bag. If you have one, curl up in it and sleep on this.

Welcome Newguy!!!

The datails:
"The Model 2 is our most requested knife by military personnel. It features a hollow ground D2 blade for maximum durability. The versatile design allows it to be more than just a fighting knife. The Model 2 is available with a 4”, 5” or 6” blade to fit most all needs. It doubles as an excellent all around knife, capable of most all tasks suited for a knife. The micarta handles are removable with a hex key for maintenance or refinishing. The kydex sheath has a Tek-Lok attachment that allows you to attach the knife to virtually anything. The hole spacing in the sheath allows it to be attached to a Safariland 6004 drop-leg holster. It is an essential piece of kit for demanding professionals." Wilson Combat

Wilson seems to use D2 steel exclusively. Why? The Kydex sheath allowing the knife to be carried upside down on the body or while hanging upside down seems ideal. And the Tacticoat finish i have on my Scattergun is just awesome. Also MADE IN THE U.S.A. I don't mind paying an american to do the job right. I read that they make knives w/o the use of jigs. No stamping and grinding by Indonesian children. Anyway i guess i am looking for the reasons why i shouldn't go this route.

This is the knife i can't stop lusting after
http://www.wilsoncombat.com/kniveswt/wilsontactical/model2.asp

Thanks OBG!!!

HI Dropout!

I am not familiar with the brand.
I looked at their page.

I like the look of their model 6.
You are right about them being expensive. Those prices are not as high as Randall made knives, but still.
I buy knives to use, abuse and lose. Not as trade items for the collectors market.

I like knives to hold a good edge, be strong enough not to break, small and light enough to carry, and to be cheap enough that I can have a spare or two.


(Let me ask if you are spending the money for "Machismo?")

You really have to ask yourself, what will you do with that knife? What do you need it for? What exactly can that knife do that some cheaper one can't?

Having made a few blades as an amateur in my time, I'm all for supporting fine products by custom knifemakers. You sound like someone looking for a utility knife however, not a knife collector.

I have no direct experience with Wilson knives. The ones on their website look nice but in practical terms, I doubt they're the optimal choice. At least some of them are basically the sharpened crowbar type - very beefy blades (1/4") that make semi-decent prybars but not necessarily great (or even satisfactory) cutters due to the overly thick profile. If you need a crowbar you can get a much better one for $10. As far as a great no-nonsense hunting/survival knife you can get a good old USMC Kabar for under $50. It will do all that is required of a good knife and is likely a better cutter because of its slimmer blade profile.

Again, this is not meant to disparage the brand that caught your attention. It's just that from the user point of view I don't believe it's worth spending anything over $100 at most on a survival/utility knife. You simply will not get enough return for the money. If you want a Wilson knife because of the looks, workmanship, collector value or whatever, go for it if you have some bucks to spare. But you have to realize that as a working tool it will only be marginally better in practice (if at all) than some much cheaper knives.

P.S.: Well, looks like Mr. Kavanaugh has already made a few identical points while I was writing my post... At least it goes to show a few other folks may share my opinion.

Hey Scafool

No, this choice is ego free. I have the benchmade mini-ruckus and love it's style and performance. ($225 at the time of purchase...). I just love a good tool. I tend to hang on to my stuff so i guess we have different philosophy there. I work for a company that install/de-installs over-sized and/or heavy art/artifacts...

http://www.methodsandmaterials.com/

The job is very stressful and we tend to use materials and tools of the finest quality. Redundancy is our friend. I guess my exposure to moving ancient objects with modern equipment has made me believe in quality over all else. I think my choice is more based on being a wimp and not believing price follows quality...

I like Wilson's products in general. I used to own one of their high end 1911 competition guns and it was superb. Sooo I understand how a Wilson fan would be willing to pay a premium to support the company.

However knives such as the recently discussed RAT products seem to offer a lot at a significantly lower price. If someone more knowledgeable about knives knows differently please hop in and correct me.

The Wilson Model 2 - Tactical Fighter in a plain 6" Tacti-Kote finish is $340.

The RAT Cutlery RC-6 looks roughly comparable for $200.

http://www.ratcutlery.com/rc-6.htm

First, Welcome aboard.

Second, I'll never talk someone off a ledge when it comes to spending money on a 'want', as long as they can afford it. If you have the budget, do it.

I couldn't tell you how many times I have paid more for an item because I liked the color, how the zipper pull felt, the marginally improved detailing or whatever. For example, a compass is a compass right, it points North at rest and whatever direction your going the remainder of the time, (hopefully haha). So why do we fiddle over the little details?

Can you find a cheaper alternative knife that does the same thing so you can put the money into something else like a great head lamp, couple of maps, some food stuffs for emergency's? Absolutely.

We've all bought knives based on a recommendation or because we thought they were cool. I have a whole drawer full of them. And almost never used. In my EDC I rotate a 15 year old Swiss Champ, a few year old RSK Mk1 and a LM Kick. Around the house I tend to have an old stainless steel GI utility knife in my pocket. All see way more use than my fixed blades and cheaper to boot, (well the RSK is more $ but...well I prove. But its a great knife!)

Haha. Welcome aboard.