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#1521 - 10/08/01 06:42 PM Re: svnimrod: Sharpening your U.S. survival knife?
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
AF survival knives are made of a very low rockwell hardness. Yes, they can be honed exceedingly sharp. My complaint is they then get exceedingly dull with any hard use. Some people decrie hard use as abuse and prescribe axes or the large bowie-kukhri-machete blades.In the real world, more than one knife is the way to go. But in the real world we may only carry one knife, so it better be the best all around compromise. I managed to snap my issue AF knife at the hilt. I have heard first hand of the Ka-Bar also snapping from several sources. If you like the AF, I suggest the following simple mods; cut the upper crossguard off, drill a lanyard hole in the hamerbutt ( off center, avoid the tang) or wrap a paracord handle with loop. Secure a proper diamond hone to the sheath and put something usefull in the empty pouch. The hone provided is worthless. Carefull filing can vastly improve the sawback feature. I made offset teeth much like a saw.If you can touch up the blade frequently, the dulling will not be as severe. The clip bowie is also prone to chipping . There are countless knife links with instructions on sharpening a blade.There are several blade geometries and even more jigs,guides and gizmos to sharpen them with. I settled on the scandinavian grind, a simple "V". It's the easiest to resharpen and idiot proof (me) with practice.<br><br>

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#1522 - 10/08/01 07:43 PM Re: Being too rough on cutlery
Anonymous
Unregistered


Chris, you said that you broke your AF and you have heard of Ka-Bar knives breaking? That's very disheartening. I thought a Ka-Bar would be a good knife to buy, so I bought one a few months ago- everyone said that the 1095 steel was without equal. Do you think that was a bad choice? I wanted a good "work horse" besides my super trusty Leatherman/GI Pocketknife combo. I heard you say that you have a cold steel SAR. Are those better than the Ka-Bar? It's hard to find a decent knife without getting caught up in the testosterone sweepstakes...<br><br><br>Peace and God Bless America<br><br>Chris

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#1523 - 10/08/01 08:11 PM Re: Being too rough on cutlery
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
I like the Ka-bar very much too. The known breakages were two and I've heard of a third. All three were from dropping the knife on a hard surface or using as a pry bar. It is a very popular knife in Australia, where they bob the top guard, drill a lanyard hole and often reshape the handle to a upside down teardrop. My SRK is not without failings. I've heard of the handle rotting with extended use. The epoxy coating on mine disappeared when I field tested it splitting wood. All these knives, AF,Ka-Bar,SRK are still a lot of knife for the cost. Ill take a $29 AF ( or two!) over a $250 Rambo sword anyday. If somebody is just starting to assemble their kit, it makes a lot of sense to get one of these, take the initial savings and buy that water filter, first aid kit, sleeping bag. Knives are for cutting. I think they fail when we turn them into crowbars.<br><br>

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#1524 - 10/09/01 01:40 AM Re: Sharpening made easy
Anonymous
Unregistered


Do you have an example of a type you are talking about? Thanks.<br><br>"Audaces Fortuna Iuvat"

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#1525 - 10/09/01 01:49 PM Sharpener example
Anonymous
Unregistered


>>Do you have an example of a type you are talking about? <<<br><br>I don't own either of these, although they should be excellent. Mine is a simple version sharing the same principle. By the way, the advice here and in the above post is not meant for serrated blades. Those aren't quite as easy to sharpen.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

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#1526 - 10/09/01 04:49 PM Chris K's Knife Modifications
Anonymous
Unregistered


Chris, thanks for the knife advice! I had no idea about the worthless sharpening stone (something I would definitely want to know about).<br><br>A couple more questions, if you don't mind: When you say 'bob' the top guard on the Ka-Bar, what do you mean? Also, when you talk about cutting the upper crossguard on the USAF- why would you want to do that?<br><br>Thanks<br><br>Peace and God Bless America<br><br>Chris

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#1527 - 10/09/01 05:44 PM Re: Chris K's Knife Modifications
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
I'm doing the same thing on both knives. Handguards on bladed weapons have two functions; to prevent your own grip moving forward onto the blade with injury, and to catch an opponents blade. We are " guarding the hand". Since we are only concerned with the first accident for survival, a lower guard is all that is required. this allows articulating the thumb over the knife for more precision cutting. You will notice many knifes are actually stippled,grooved or scalloped for this grip. Of course, if a raccoon waddles towards you with a bayonet, the upper guard is handy. That is why many are made of brass. The softer metal will catch the opponents steel, allowing a twisting counterthrust to disarm or deflect. <br><br>

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#1528 - 10/09/01 11:33 PM Re: Sharpener example
Anonymous
Unregistered


Thanks for the info. I like the Lansky.<br><br>"Audaces Fortuna Iuvat"

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#1529 - 10/18/01 07:51 PM Re: New U.S. survival knife
Anonymous
Unregistered


I have an odd piece that’s sort of similar. It was made by Phrobis, was sold by Brigade for awhile, and is obviously based on the same tooling as Phrobis’ early contract M9 bayonet (with the fuller and hollow grind) or the EOD knife (M11), but with a shorter 5 1/4” blade, and of course a shorter scabbard. No bayonet ring in the guard or lug catch in the pommel (both like the Lan-Cay contract EOD knife), no wire cutter, but an unusual hard nylon clip-on belt loop with a swivel that can lock the loop in several positions. Overall feel is something like a cross between the M9 bayonet and the Air Force Survival Knife- which isn't bad.<br><br>Phrobis has gotten some bad press since Lan-Cay took over all the M9 contract production (and the M9 blades keep getting heavier and heavier), but it certainly seems serviceable enough. I had stashed it and forgotten it until just recently- never really used it. The heft inspires confidence, but for the length of blade, it’s one big, bulky knife/sheath combination. <br>

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#1530 - 10/18/01 09:19 PM Re: New U.S. survival knife
Chris Kavanaugh Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/09/01
Posts: 3824
I briefly owned a German version of the Kalishnikov bayonet. It actually had a diode in the scabbard that illuminated if you were cutting a live wire. I gratefully sold it to a collector! Increased weight usually indicates attempts at increasing strength. This can be good or bad. If a two lb. version fails at the same point as the 1lb, then there has been a degradation in metallurgy. Overall gear load is a consideration, be you Airforce loadmaster or hoisting a backpack.The best knive is always the one you just bought, and the one in the latest catalog wink

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