Archive for August, 2009
Fighting, Combat, Tactical Knives
Marine Force Recon
What are the differences between fighting knives, combat knives and tactical knives?
The differences are very slight, if any. Fighting knives, developed for trench warfare, haven’t changed much through the years. Only the name has changed (political correctness maybe?). 
Navy Seals Insignia
Present day tactical knives have innovations in design and materials. However, as in the days of trench warfare, the look and usage of the combat knife is still the same. That is to render the opponent helpless or dead with silence and swiftness.
It’s been said that there isn’t much need for these types of knives in today’s hi-tech warfar e. I’ll wager you will get stiff resistance to that comment if you are talking to a Force Recon, Navy Seal, Ranger or any other myriad of special operations forces. 
75th Ranger Regiment Coat of Arms
Ka-Bar knives which have been around since early 1920 and relative new- comer SOG are still providing the military with exceptional “Tactical” knives. And I dare say there will always be a place for such knives as long as the regimes of this planet continue to disrupt the peace of other nations.
Hen & Rooster – What’s In a Name
Hen & Rooster Pocket Knife
C.R. Bertram of Solingen, Germany, established Bertram Cutlery in 1865 and the company became, for a short time, the manufacturer of the very best pocketknives in the world. Because he raised fancy chickens as a hobby, he used the Hen and Rooster as a trademark.
A.G. Russell purchased the company in 1975 and created the firm of Bertram GmbH. When Russell bought the factory he insisted on thicker liners, always nickel silver, the finest handle materials, and the best possible workmanship.
Five years later the name and trademark were bought by the firm of Robert Klaas, who has made knives marked with the Hen and Rooster trademark and the words Bertram Cut.
The company has since been purchased by Frost Cutlery of Chattanooga, TN. To date Frost has maintained the quality of the Hen & Rooster keeping it one of the premiere knives available today.
Unconventional Warfare – SOG Knives
SOG Seal Knife
The following is an excerpt from a Wikipedia article titled “Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group”.
The Studies and Observations Group (aka SOG, MACSOG, and MACV-SOG) was a joint unconventional warfare task force created on 24 January 1964 by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a subsidiary command of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). The unit would eventually consist primarily of personnel from the United States Army Special Forces, and also from the United States Navy SEALs, the United States Air Force, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Special Activities Division, and elements of the United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance units. The Special Operations Group (as the unit was initially titled and still exists in CIA/SAD) was in fact controlled by the Special Assistant for Counterinsurgency and Special Activities (SACSA) and his staff at the Pentagon. This arrangement was necessary since SOG needed some listing in the MACV table of organization and the fact that MACV’s commander, General William Westmoreland, had no authority to conduct operations outside territorial South Vietnam. This command arrangement through SACSA also allowed tight control (up to the presidential level) over the scope and scale over the organization’s operations. The mission of the organization was
“to execute an intensified program of harassment, diversion, political pressure, capture of prisoners, physical destruction, acquisition of intelligence, generation of propaganda, and diversion of resources, against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.” [end]
This elite group, (SOG, MACSOG, and MACV-SOG ) was the inspiration for Spencer Frazer to found SOG Specialty Knives. Today SOG is recognized as one of the premier manufacturers of fixed blade knives, folding knives and multipurpose tools. Frazer’s inventions and futuristic styles of tactical knives, hunting knives, folding knives and tools have earned many awards. SOG knives have become known around the globe for their performance, durability and unique design.
To that end SOG Specialty Knives won the contract to produce a new generation of knives for the Navy SEALs, winning out over 14 cutlery manufacturers.
Hunting Javalina In Arizona
Boker Hunting Knife
More years ago than I want to admit, I was on a bow hunting trip with two co-workers, Charlie and (?), it has been so long his name is locked in one of the rusty boxes of my brain, I’ll call him Red.. We were three fourths of a survey crew working for the Soil Conservation Service in central Arizona.
We had been hunting Javalina in the Arizona Mountains when we came upon a trail looking much like something was being dragged. We followed the trail finding blood and bits of Javalina hair. Occasionally we would see large paw prints indicating a mountain lion was taking its dinner home.
After several hundred yards we came up short at a very large rock with two low entrances underneath. Charlie the “Mad Hunter” told me and Red to stand back from each entrance with our bows ready. “I’m going in and see what’s there”, Charlie said! Well, I had never hunted more than doves before and this didn’t seem to be very productive. But Red and I complied, nocked our arrows and stood back of each entrance. We each carried hunting knives. I carried an old Western, Red had his Buck hunting knife. Charlie pulled out his old Boker hunting knife, which previously looked a lot larger, and began crawling under the rock. After the longest time (probably two minutes), Charlie called out “I think I hear something breathing!” I don’t know about Red, but I suddenly needed to go to the bathroom. Another minute or so (half my lifetime) and we heard Charlie’s muted voice say “I found the pig.”
Now I wondered if the next noise would be Charlie fighting a mountain lion for its dinner. Another long pause and we heard movement coming from under the rock. Charlie shouted “don’t shoot it’s me!” There came Charlie, dirty and dusty, crawling out with a bloated Javalina in tow.
After a lot of nervous laughter and admonitions about how crazy a stunt it was to crawl in a lions den, we gathered ourselves and headed back to camp. I never again went hunting with Charlie. The End.
Trusted by the Marines
World War II represented a boom period for domestic weapons manufacturers. Compared to today, that era presented the opportunity for more hand-to-hand combat situations. As such, knife makers took it upon themselves to create an effective, reliable tool of war. The Ka-bar company contributed by creating a fighting knife especially for the Marine Corps.
Ever since that fateful conflict, Ka-bar knives have been implemented by soldiers and citizens alike. The original knife featured a 7-inch blade coated with epoxy powder to resist rust. It’s lightweight design made it eminently practical for slicing and stabbing. To this day, the Marine Corps continues to implement the weapon as a utility knife.
Buck Hunting Knives – Over 100yrs Of Experience
Buck Hunting Knives
Hunting knives, as the name suggests, are used during hunting. These knives are used to prepare the game as food. Buck hunting knives are one of only a handful of successful knife makers with over 100 years of experience.
Hunting knives have been specifically designed for cutting rather than stabbing, and have only one sharpened edge. The blade is slightly curved, and some hunting knives may have a blade that has both a curved portion for skinning (see image), and a straight portion for cutting slices of meat.
The Genuine Article
If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, then the makers of authentic Swiss army knives must be rather full of themselves by now. That’s because pretenders have been attempting to duplicate the look and feel of an original Victorinox knife for more than a century. The first genuine Swiss army knife was introduced in 1897. Since then, the company has released other quality knives for a variety of purposes including camping and specialty situations.
In order to properly identify a real Swiss army knife, look for the fabled cross and shield insignia. The shield should have five corners with a small dip at the top. And naturally the insignia should be white with a red background. For further proof, check the blade; the word “Victorinox” should be stamped there.