MOD Survival Knife

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Matt.S

Native
Mar 26, 2008
1,075
0
36
Exeter, Devon
I used one for years, I got one out of an aircraft ejection seat survival pack when they were replaced by swiss army knives.

I'm sure a toothpick, crappy scissors and a thin 3" slipjoint blade will be much more useful than a solid knife that can chop and carve when bailing out over who-knows-where...
 

pwb

Full Member
I'm sure a toothpick, crappy scissors and a thin 3" slipjoint blade will be much more useful than a solid knife that can chop and carve when bailing out over who-knows-where...

I think most people would probably prefer a fixed blade in that kind of situation to, but the Victorinox they chose is a pretty good knife .
I've got a Hunter model and it's a fine robust lock knife.

http://www.sosakonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=330&Itemid=35

Pete.

P.S I've just noticed the last name on the thank you list on the link :)
 

nige7whit

Forager
Feb 10, 2009
227
0
52
Brize Norton / Midlands (rest)
I'm sure a toothpick, crappy scissors and a thin 3" slipjoint blade will be much more useful than a solid knife that can chop and carve when bailing out over who-knows-where...
Yes, but you can swap/trade the 'shiny' for something useful... That's why they used to give fast jet aircrew Walther PP pistols.... Not great against hordes of AK wielding locals,, useful as currency with local elders.
 

Graham_S

Squirrely!
Feb 27, 2005
4,041
65
50
Saudi Arabia
I'm sure a toothpick, crappy scissors and a thin 3" slipjoint blade will be much more useful than a solid knife that can chop and carve when bailing out over who-knows-where...

it depends on what you're doing.
the ejection seat has a maximum weight and a limited amount of space.
a lighter cutting tool would be far more useful. with the withdrawal of the MOD knife, what else can you carry?
Bearing in mind that a pilot who has ejected should only have to survive for a couple of days,

@Puub
As to the thanks, I didn't know about that site, thanks for the heads up.
 

rawshak

Forager
Jan 11, 2009
211
0
54
Cornwall
I have both the curent issue MOD and the older model D 'Wilkie' version of this knife, and they are both bombproof knives, although the older version is by far the superior knife if you can get hold of one. I generally carry mine when I only want one tool as it is such a versatile knife, although I still prefer an axe/small knife combo for general bushcraft.
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
54
Rossendale, Lancashire
Back in '88 when I was a student a granny on a carboot sale begged me to buy one so that some kids pestering her for it would leave here alone. At £5 I couldn't refuse and for what I was doing at the time, mainly chopping up small logs it was just the job.

A couple of years later I got arround to taking some metal off the back to make it a bit more versatile, tidied up the handle and got a Aktis sheath for it. It was getting a bit battered so I took it to a machine tool sharpener and he undid all damage to the profile. I even bothered to chemically black the blade... and I've not used it since. I'd got a safety puoko (sp?) and a small RAF Estwing axe and they had become my standard kit.

BronzeKnife1.jpg


The last time I had it out was to scale a magazine knife. Now I'm doing more outdoorsey stuff I must bring it back into use as its a lovely bomb proof bit of kit!

ATB

Tom
 

pwb

Full Member
That's a nice looking knife tombear :) .

I also like the sheath, there seems to be one or two manufacturers making sheaths for the MOD survival knife now.

Years ago I resorted to making a canvas cover ,with a pocket, for the leather sheath.

DSC01614Small.jpg


Cheers, Pete.
 

tombear

On a new journey
Jul 9, 2004
4,494
556
54
Rossendale, Lancashire
Thanks! It has "RODGERS SHEFFIELD ENGLAND" on one side and "27C/2360 arrow" on the other. The latter being the RAF stores code.

Early models (pre NATO codes) are marked
1B (RAF and army small hand tools category)
22C or 27C (RAF survival Item)
0274 (Royal Navy "Tools, General")

Later they just had the code 5110-99-127-8214 with or without makers mark or date.

According to Flooks excellent book on Commonwealth military knives the cheaper and nastier versions with the rivetted on grips came out in the mid to late 1970s.

I think a lot of the bad press the type D gets is due to the poor quality of the later versions so, if you can, pick up a early one, most readily identified by the bolt on rather than riveted scales rather than a current issue one. The things are so robustly made that even a heavily used one will clean up very well, mine did.

Perhaps I should dig out the block of curly birch I got off Ragnar years ago and make some prettier scales for it? The bolts look to identical to those on the 1907 Pattern bayonet, minty new ones being available from people like D.S. Solutions.

ATB

Tom
 

MertzMan

Settler
Apr 25, 2012
752
0
Cambs and Lincs
Thanks! It has "RODGERS SHEFFIELD ENGLAND" on one side and "27C/2360 arrow" on the other. The latter being the RAF stores code.

Early models (pre NATO codes) are marked
1B (RAF and army small hand tools category)
22C or 27C (RAF survival Item)
0274 (Royal Navy "Tools, General")

Later they just had the code 5110-99-127-8214 with or without makers mark or date.

According to Flooks excellent book on Commonwealth military knives the cheaper and nastier versions with the rivetted on grips came out in the mid to late 1970s.

I think a lot of the bad press the type D gets is due to the poor quality of the later versions so, if you can, pick up a early one, most readily identified by the bolt on rather than riveted scales rather than a current issue one. The things are so robustly made that even a heavily used one will clean up very well, mine did.

Perhaps I should dig out the block of curly birch I got off Ragnar years ago and make some prettier scales for it? The bolts look to identical to those on the 1907 Pattern bayonet, minty new ones being available from people like D.S. Solutions.

ATB

Tom
Just the ticket. Thank you kindly!

I owned one a few years back and always regretted parting ways with it. Sure, it's not the most sophisticated blade but I like its charm and I'm thinking about getting another now.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Thanks for that tip. I'm hoping to get one some day but how would I recognize the real one? Be advised, we can still get them on ebay here as well.
 

swotty

Full Member
Apr 25, 2009
1,878
246
Somerset
Hmmm....a good question probably left to someone more qualified to comment!

I think the J Adams ones are good but will ne intrested to hear the opinions of others............


Thanks for that tip. I'm hoping to get one some day but how would I recognize the real one? Be advised, we can still get them on ebay here as well.
 

BlueTrain

Nomad
Jul 13, 2005
482
0
77
Near Washington, D.C.
It is interesting (to me, at least) that nothing quite like this knife has ever been adopted in the US armed forces that I know of. A similiar but much smaller K-bar knife was supposedly widely issued in the US Marines but nothing for the army. The K-bar knife is about like what Americans would call a "hunting knife." Old bushcraft books also downplay the value of such a knife, too, and tended to speak of "pocket axes." But I don't seem to ever use a knife for whatever purposes the MOD survival knife was designed for. I do use a Hudson's Bay pattern ax now and then, which is almost as good as a full size ax. But I reserve judgement on a knife like this until I get a chance to try one out, which this thread now makes me want to do!
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE