MOD Issue Knife

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RAPPLEBY2000

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Dec 2, 2003
3,195
14
51
England
i'm not sure if they are still on issue today but certainly they were a RAF survival item for a long time which has now changed to an axe.

aparently they were first designed for pilots to hack thier way out of spitfires! so it's been around a while!

i have certainly seen one or two pictures of the knife in use and carried.

once on a royal marine on excersize in norway and several in the hands or kit of special forces.

i just like it cos i know that even i can't break it! :roll:
 

Andy

Native
Dec 31, 2003
1,867
11
38
sheffield
www.freewebs.com
I think they are still in issue to the MOD. this is not howevere the only knife that is used by the MOD. The SAS and SBS have a smaller knife 6 inch blade with a clip point, which is i believe the same blade as the knife i use (mine has a leather handle not rubber) and this is very easy to use and is light and well balanced :lol:
 
Dec 2, 2003
7
0
North West
I must say that I've never handled a MOD Survival Knife but at the prices I've seen them at I can imagine them being pretty useless as a large knife simply because at that price the steel with either be too soft to keep a good edge or too hard to be useful for impact and prying work.

If any of you are looking for a small chopper, something between a small/fine blade and an axe, let's say 7.5" or 9.5", try Swamp Rat Knife Works. They're the best you'll find for the money, great quality and might well fill a niche in your kit. Ever heard of Busse? Well it's basically the same company but different steel and a different price tag. Considering the current exchange rate you'll find these knives quite cheap compared to the Woodlore and Wilkinson Sword knives alot fo you own (but they do serve a different purpose, obviously).

www.swamprat.com

Matt
 

al

Need to contact Admin...
Sep 18, 2003
346
1
kent
i remember trying to chop a small tree down in norway for a centre pole for a tent with an MOD issue knife and it would have been easier and quicker to walk to sweden and borrow something from the GB factory ,i couldnt believe how useless it was,i suppose it would be ok if you wanted to trip an elephant up tho but thats about it in my opinion :-D
 

Colin KC

Need to contact Admin...
Sep 21, 2003
108
0
The Bottom of England
Anybody with any sense can see that these are not terribly efficient tools & Soldiers (of all types) are certainly no exception! I feel sure that very few of them achully use the damn thing (cos it is achully useless :wink: )
 

sargey

Mod
Mod
Member of Bushcraft UK Academy
Sep 11, 2003
2,695
8
cheltenham, glos
busse knives???? :lol:

where's the gob 'n' spit icon???

it's a very long story, but in 18 months time there'll be a busse knife worth carrying in the field!!! :lol: just ask lynn thompson!

sargey, falling off his delux office chair laughing icon!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

cheers, and.
 

Colin KC

Need to contact Admin...
Sep 21, 2003
108
0
The Bottom of England
sargey, is that a 2002 New Year message Frm Lynn Thompson?

'Cos Infi steel beats anything that Lynn has produced for the last year at least!

& Swamp Rat Knives are now producing superior blades To Cold Steel's at their best! (believe me, I'm a looong term Trailie fan (of ALL types & have one of each :-D ) BUT Even I'M not averse to moving with the times :roll: )


Col, & Happy New year :wink:
 

Gary

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 17, 2003
2,603
2
57
from Essex
MOD survival knife is a beastie indeed I have seen it used by Marines in boat troops. I have seen it used by engineers especially on searched/clearances and I have seen it included in survival kits for aircraft.

Personally i owned one for a long time but found it to heavy and 'chucky' for a plain old footslogger. And experience has taught me that youd be better off with a good 'standard' knife of sensible size and a hatchet as oppossed to the MOD knife.
 

sargey

Mod
Mod
Member of Bushcraft UK Academy
Sep 11, 2003
2,695
8
cheltenham, glos
hiya col, that was an extract form a "you had to have been there" moment.

it occoured to me that busse knives have been so entrenched in an "our knives are the toughest" train of thought, much like cold steel once was. but now i notice there's a swamp rat knife only 1/8" thick, so i wonder if busse will follow suit. and will we see advertising blurb from busse like "it's only 1.5mm across the spine so it's a real slicer" the same sort of evolution that cold steel went through years ago. :lol:

cheers, and.
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
That's the thing with Busse knives. I always fancied getting meself a satin jack, the knife *looks* nice, but really, 1/4" thick steel - what use is it beyond a weapon/pry-bar? A chopper? It probably weighs more than a small gransfors. A slicer? Not unless you like your tomatoes bludgeoned in half.

(Hey Gary, your link is dead to your bearclaw site - I'm getting a DNS error)
 

maddave

Full Member
Jan 2, 2004
4,177
39
Manchester UK
I'm taking it that this is the monkey you're referring to

SH71685.jpg


You can pick these up online from Penrith Survival for about 30 quid. I own one and it's not bad. The steel holds a decent edge and it's great for heavy chopping. The only fault with it is that it's very heavy, doesn't do fine work and the edges on the handle need to be filed smooth for comfort. Other than that, it's bombproof :)
 

Smudge

Forager
Jan 20, 2004
107
30
West Midlands
I love my MOD knife ok it's a lil on the heavy side but I find the wieght reasuring and I can do most of the chores I need to with it.
The handle needs sanding down because of the groove along the tang and Ive added ranger bands over the rivets as they can also creat problems over extended use.
For £30 if your buying I'd say well worth the money, mine cost me just 3hrs of my time and I havent felt the need to buy a fixed blade to replace it, OK I also carry a folder when out for the jobs it's to big for but from what I read most people carry 2/3 blades anyway depending on the jobs they need to do.
 

ditchfield

Nomad
Nov 1, 2003
305
0
36
Somerset
When you say "I havent felt the need to buy a fixed blade to replace it", do you mean that this is your only fixed blade? If so, I recomend you try something thinner like a Mora. Then you will see the light :-D.
 

maddave

Full Member
Jan 2, 2004
4,177
39
Manchester UK
Smudge said:
I love my MOD knife ok it's a lil on the heavy side but I find the wieght reasuring and I can do most of the chores I need to with it.
The handle needs sanding down because of the groove along the tang and Ive added ranger bands over the rivets as they can also creat problems over extended use.
For £30 if your buying I'd say well worth the money, mine cost me just 3hrs of my time and I havent felt the need to buy a fixed blade to replace it, OK I also carry a folder when out for the jobs it's to big for but from what I read most people carry 2/3 blades anyway depending on the jobs they need to do.

Hey Smudge.... What's a "Ranger Band"?? :shock:
 

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