A review of the most interesting foreign knives of the past, I would like to start with a three-sided combat knife, which in medieval Germany had a purely practical meaning - to break the links of a knight's chain mail, chained in armor. Such a dagger was called by the German word "panzerbrecher" and was most often used to finish off a defeated enemy.
The same "noble" purpose in France was served by the legendary dagger misericorde (misericord or misericordia), which means "dagger of mercy". Unlike the panzerbreher, they did not pierce the mail with a misericordium, but with a thin and narrow blade they stabbed a knight lying on the ground and unable to stand up on his own, thrusting the blade into the gap between the plates of plate armor. Other daggers were also common - a Swiss basselard, a Spanish rondel, an Italian stiletto, and a dagger with special teeth to grip the sword blade.
In the era of chivalry, a thin and durable dagger was an indispensable attribute of a knight. If in armor - in battle to finish off the defeated, if without them - to fight off enemies in a cramped room, where you cannot turn around with a sword. By the way, a short combat knife tanto or a sword slightly longer than a tanto - wakizashi served the same purposes in medieval Japan.
However, with the advent and spread of firearms, knights had to abandon heavy armor that had become useless. The need for the "daggers of mercy" also disappeared automatically. They were replaced by light daggers for the left hand - dagi, which were very popular in the era of the musketeers. They could not only inflict an unexpected blow or divert the enemy's sword aside, but sometimes break a blade that fell into a special trap on the guard. There were even special dags with three blades - a kind of fork, into which the fencing masters captured the swords of their opponents.
In the 17th century, in the Western European armies, swords were gradually replaced by a more functional weapon - a saber or a heavier version of it - a broadsword. And the daga loses its luxurious guard, gradually turning into a combat knife, the "last chance weapon" of a private and an officer after the saber is broken and all the cartridges have been shot. And also a tool of everyday soldier's life, necessary both on a campaign and at a halt.
In this article, we will not consider in detail the history and evolution of combat knives from different countries of the world, such work would take many volumes. Here we will focus only on the most interesting combat knives of some countries - and interesting not only for the collector, but also for the ordinary reader who first touched the topic this article is devoted to.
Bowie knife
Perhaps the most famous and legendary type of American knife, dating back to the days of the Wild West. Designed in the 1830s by the planter Reason Bowie, the knife became popular thanks to Reason's younger brother, James. A desperate adventurer by nature, James Bowie sent to the next world with a knife that bears his name, a lot of both white competitors and redskins. Thanks to this, he received the rank of colonel of the Texas people's militia and glorified his brother's knife throughout America.
A knife with a large blade, reminiscent of a sword, served as a powerful help to the American armed forces in the age of muzzle-loading rifles and pistols, which require a long time to reload after a shot. During the American Civil War 1861-1865. Bowie knife was considered one of the main types of personal weapons. Subsequently, with the advent of multiple-shot firearms, the huge "Bowie knife" loses its relevance, but thanks to the novels, and later films, it does not lose its legendary status. The successful form of this knife to this day is embodied in the smaller descendants of the famous ancestor - many American combat and tactical knives. For example, in the famous "Ka-Bar" knife, which will be discussed below.
U. S. Mark I Trench Knife
Since the First World War, there has been a need to supply combatants with melee weapons. The bayonets available at that time did not allow fighting at a short distance due to their large geometric dimensions.
At this time, the so-called trench knives appear, performing the role of melee melee weapons. Then a certain hybrid of brass knuckles and a dagger, the so-called Knuckle Knife, became widespread among the American military personnel.
The photo shows the US Army Mark I Trench Knife 1918 standard dagger-knuckles.
This is a fairly versatile weapon that allows you to combine blows with the metal part of the handle, reinforced with conical protrusions, with stab wounds to the enemy. The back of the handle ends with a tapered pommel, which can also cause serious injury.
Ka-Bar
The Ka-Bar knife is an American classic of combat knives with a bowie blade. A standard combat and field knife of the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the United States Marine Corps during World War II. First produced by Union Cutlery, then the knife was produced by such well-known manufacturers as Case, Camillus and Ontario. The Ka-Bar blade is made of carbon steel and is predominantly black coated to avoid corrosion. The handle is inlaid, leather, brown. The shank is a steel head, the purpose of which, like many combat knives, is double - a "knuckle-hammer". The scabbard is traditionally made of brown leather embossed with the USMC and the coat of arms of the United States Marine Corps.
V42
Combat knife of the American special forces unit First Special Services Forse (FSSF) during the Second World War. The US-Canada Joint FSSF was created in 1942 for special operations and is equipped with the new V-42 Stiletto combat knife from Case Cutlery, the concept of which belongs to FSSF commander Lieutenant Colonel Robert T. Frederick, Melee Instructor Dermot O'Neill and Colonel Orval J. Baldwin.
In a way, "V42" is a reimagining of the "F-S", the dagger of the British commandos. The handle of the dagger was made of leather instead of cast bronze or brass, which increased the reliability of the grip. A large plate of leather was placed on the inside of the guard, which reduced the wearer's pain when pricked. The unsharpened base of the blade made it possible to throw a finger over the guard and pull out the knife stuck in the bones of the enemy. To increase the effectiveness of the stabbing blow, a “thumbprint” with transverse notches is applied to the non-sharpened part of the blade (ricasso), on which the thumb pad is placed with a direct grip of the knife. This grip with a horizontal blade position is preferable when pricking between the ribs and should allow the dissection of more blood vessels. On the back of the handle is a "skull crusher" - a metal cone for inflicting crushing blows on the head and joints of the enemy.
Currently, the icon of the legendary combat knife is part of the SOCOM (Special Operations Command) emblem; US Special Operations Command; American special forces, the famous "green berets", Canadian special forces JTF (Joint Task Forse 2). The V42 was also part of the emblem of the famous Operational Detachment Delta that fought in Vietnam.
Camillus Jet Pilots' Survival Knife
The Camillus Cutlery Company is one of the oldest American firms that has been producing knives for the military since the First World War. Unfortunately, it has been several years since the company went bankrupt and all of its property, including equipment and brands, was auctioned off. So there remains hope for the resumption of production in another place, by different people, but under the same trademark.
The Camillus Jet Pilots' Survival Knife has been a combat knife for US military pilots since 1957. Ideal for both belt and pilot's lifejacket. Thanks to the special design of the scabbard, it can be carried both in a normal and inverted position. "Bolt" - a counterweight on the top of the handle allows you to inflict crushing blows on the head and joints of the enemy, as well as use the handle as a hammer. A wonderful knife for survival in the event of a pilot landing in unfamiliar terrain, repeatedly tested in extreme situations by USAF (United States Air Force) pilots.
A. S. E. K. Survival Knife System (Ontario)
With all the positive properties that the previous model of a survival knife for military pilots (Camillus Jet Pilots' Survival Knife) had, it had a number of disadvantages due to the fact that the level of its production technology corresponded to the 50s of the last century.
Problems such as low corrosion resistance of the blade, leather on the handle and scabbard, prone to deformation, ineffective (for new materials) saw on the butt, did not allow this knife to be successfully used in modern conditions.
In 2003, a new knife was adopted, dubbed A. S. E. K. Survival Knife System, manufactured by Ontario. It's not even quite a knife, but rather a set of tools that provide the ability to leave the plane after a plane crash and survive in any conditions.
The knife has a saw on the butt, which allows you to successfully cope with both aircraft-grade aluminum and wood. The sharpening of the blade is half serrated. At the end of the handle there is a massive pommel, which can be used as a hammer. In addition, the pommel has a tapered projection for easier breaking of glass and plastic. In addition, the sheath contains a special tool for cutting belts and a small diamond block for dressing the blade in the field.
Holes are made on the guard, with the help of which a stick can be tied, using a knife as a spearhead.
A. S. E. K. The Survival Knife System is attached to the pieces of equipment or to the pilot's shin.
M7 Bayonet
The American M7 bayonet was developed in 1964 for the M16 rifle. He became one of the last models of bayonet knives, primarily a weapon, a means to defeat the enemy, and not a multipurpose tool.
A whole series of American bayonet knives during World War II and the post-war period, such as, for example, M4 (for the M1 carbine), M5 (for the M1 Garand rifle), M6 (for the M14 rifle) and the M7 described here, have one common the progenitor is the M3 Trench Knife combat knife, widely used by the American army since the early 1940s and produced by many companies, both in the United States and in other countries. All of the listed bayonet knives inherited the blade from the M3, differing in fact only in the handles and attachments to the weapon.
An interesting fact - the geometry of the M3 blade allows us to consider its ancestor a knife made by order of the German Luftwaffe, which in turn is just one of the many variants of "trench" knives that appeared in the trenches of the First World War. Such borrowings are not uncommon in the arms industry, because during the war, efficiency is paramount, not originality. And a successful model that has proven its effectiveness can live a long life, embodied in many copies and imitations, often on opposite sides of the front.
As mentioned above, the M7 is a fairly traditional design. At first glance, it is clear that his dagger blade over 170 mm in length is designed for stabbing. This is facilitated by the symmetrical profile of the blade with one and a half sharpening. There is a sharpened section on the butt, reaching almost half the length of the blade. This factor significantly increases the penetration ability of the bayonet-knife both in the user's hand and in the position adjacent to the rifle.
The developed guard has a ring in the upper part intended for mounting on the barrel of a weapon, and in its rear part there is a massive metal part with spring-loaded elements that fix the bayonet on a special bead in front of the rifle forend. The butt plate, in addition to performing its main function, can be used for striking - both as an ersatz hammer and in hand-to-hand combat, since the good location of the latch parts does not allow them to be damaged by a blow.
The bayonet-knife handle is assembled from two plastic halves fixed to the shank with two screws. These pads have a deep notch, which provides a secure and comfortable grip on the bayonet.
The scabbard used with the M7 bayonet is a standard pattern used with all bayonet knives in the series, including the M3 knife. This interchangeability is due to the identity of the blades of these samples. The scabbard is made of hard green plastic, equipped with a metal mouth and a flat spring that securely fixes the bayonet blade inside. There are two options for such a scabbard, which differ in suspension. The M8 scabbard has only a regular loop for attaching to any belt, while the M8A1 has a wire hook for a pistol belt, a standard piece of US Army uniform. In recent years, a new type of scabbard for the described bayonet-knife - M10 - has been adopted for the supply of the US Army. This scabbard is black, noticeably narrower than the M8, and is easily recognizable by the widening at the mouth. The M10 scabbard hanger is made of Cordura, it is similar in design to the M8A1 hanger and is also designed to be mounted on a pistol belt.
20 years after the start of production, the M7 has ceased to be the main bayonet-knife of the US Army. In its place came the M9, which is described below. However, the M7 is still being produced in several countries including the United States, and is used to supply their armies. On the basis of the M7, the Ontario Knife Company created its modern version with a spindle-shaped handle and a blade made of 1095 carbon steel.
* nozhi *
Ontario M9
This is a bayonet-knife, whose appearance has already become canon in the world of combat knives. Ontario M9 was born quite late - in 1984. It was developed by the owner of Qual-A-Tec, Charles "Mickey" Finn (1938–2007), who previously had a hand in the development of such a striking knife as the Buck 184 Buckmaster. According to the results of state tests, this bayonet-knife became the best among other applicants and was adopted for service under the designation M9, partially replacing the previous main bayonet-knife of the American army - the M7, produced since 1964.
The M9 was produced by several companies, the first of which was Phrobis (also founded by Finn), then it was replaced by manufacturers such as Buck, LanCay and Ontario. At the moment, over four hundred thousand M9 bayonet knives have been produced, and these are only official deliveries. The number of commercial versions, copies and "spiritual heirs" of this knife, produced by a variety of companies from Smith & Wesson to unnamed Chinese manufacturers, cannot be counted.
The fundamental motive for the design of this knife was the desire to obtain a bayonet-knife, which is more a tool than a weapon. The time of bayonet attacks has irrevocably passed, and a thicker and longer M9 replaced the predatory elongated M7. This is a massive knife, a rough and absolutely "indestructible" universal tool that allows you not only to cut - surprisingly well, given the thickness of the blade and low descents - but also to chop, chop, open boxes and zinc with ammunition, bite barbed wire, including and energized, and perform a variety of other types of work.
The shape of the M9 blade is somewhat reminiscent of the Buckmaster. This is not the dagger blade of the M7 and earlier US bayonet knives, but a clip point, also sometimes referred to as "bowie". Finn only slightly adapted the overly "cinematic" appearance of his previous brainchild for practical use. Also, a saw with excessively large teeth and a serrator were removed from the butt. They were replaced with a metal saw section similar to those used in the survival knives of American pilots.
The guard and butt plate of the handle became standard for American bayonet knives. They are completely identical to those on the M7. The ring in the upper part of the guard is used for mounting on the rifle's flame arrester, and in the design of the butt plate there is a spring-loaded fixation unit on a special tide under the rifle barrel. The bayonet fits all versions of the M16 rifle, the M4 carbine, a range of smoothbore rifles in service with the US Army, as well as many commercial small arms offered on the international market. The thick shank of the blade goes through the entire handle to the butt plate, where a nut is screwed onto it, tightening the entire structure.
The handle of the bayonet-knife is spindle-shaped, traditional for American combat knives. Both she and the scabbard of the M9 are molded from heavy plastic, reminiscent of Bakelite.
The scabbard has a metal pommel with a protrusion that plays the role of a flat screwdriver with a pin, for which you can hook a hole in the M9 blade, turning the bayonet-knife with a scabbard into barbed wire cutters. This possibility was spied on by Soviet bayonet knives, but in this case it is slightly modified - the suspension design allows you to detach the scabbard for ease of use with pliers and attach them back in seconds.
The M9 bayonet is still in production. In 1998, on its basis, the M11 knife was created for sapper units, differing in the equipment, and most importantly, in the absence of the ability to attach to the weapon. Subsequent developments such as the OKC-3S bayonet, adopted by the United States Marine Corps, also trace the family traits of the M9.
Ontario Mk.3 Mod.0 Navy Seal Knife
In the American military, as in any other military around the world, there is an unspoken rivalry between various military departments. It is even expressed in how the models of weapons and equipment adopted by this or that department are designated. In the designations of "land" weapons and equipment, the letter M is always present - the model, and sailors, including the US Marine Corps, as well as various special forces units (for example, US SOCOM - Special Operations Command) designate their samples with the two-story code "Mk, Mod ". Seeing such a designation, one can always assume that the item is related to the Navy, USMC ("United States Marine Corps") or US SOCOM.
All this applies to this knife. Even its manufacturer, the Ontario Knife Co company, emphasizes on its own website that this knife is used exclusively in the navy.
The Mk.3 blade is more reminiscent of AK bayonet knives in shape and design than its immediate predecessors, the USN Mk.1 and USN Mk.2 Ka-Bar, the previous two models of American naval knives used during World War II. But with similar dimensions to the above-described 6x3 and 6x4 bayonets and almost identical with them the shape of the blade, the Mk.3 even sharpened the butt bevel, the "pike", which, together with the sharp predatory tip of the blade, gives the knife the highest efficiency of the thrusting blow. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that such a sharp and thin tip requires careful handling - it would be somewhat rash to open cans with a knife.
On the butt of the knife there is a saw similar to the saws on the M9 or AK bayonet-knives, but with noticeably larger teeth than on the Soviet counterparts. Garda Mk.3 is straight, equilateral, designed mainly for working with a glove, since its edges are ways to easily wrinkle your hand during power work. The handle is plastic, of two halves, fastened together with a screw. The notch on the handle is aggressive, which prevents the knife from slipping out of the hand when working in extreme conditions. The lanyard, passed through the hole in the end of the handle, serves the same purpose. The handle ends with a flat massive butt pad, capable of performing the function of a hammer and a skull crusher, a "crusher of skulls".
The scabbard Mk.3 is plastic, with a powerful flat spring that perfectly fixes the blade and does not allow the knife to fall out of the scabbard even in an inverted position with strong shaking. The scabbard suspension is made of Cordura, it has a strap fixing the knife handle and a bent wire fastener designed to be attached to a pistol belt - a standard item of ammunition for the American army.
As a result, according to the totality of characteristics, we can say that the Mk.3 is a competent and reliable knife that can serve the user both as a tool and as a weapon.
Ontario SP15 LSA
This representative of the SP series, along with the previously mentioned SP3, can be considered the heir to the famous battle daggers of the Second World War Fairbairn-Sykes and the V-42. The abbreviation LSA stands for Land, Sea, Air, which can be loosely translated as "on land, on water and in the air." This name, according to the manufacturer, should speak of the versatility of this knife and the breadth of its application. Unlike its predecessor, the SP3 dagger, the SP15 is officially purchased by the US Army and has been assigned an NSN number. This allows us to consider the differences between the two daggers as changes in the design of the SP3 to please the government customer and gives an idea of the requirements of the military.
The SP15 blade is flatter and more cut oriented than the SP3 dagger blade borrowed from the M7 bayonet. It is not symmetrical to allow for higher descents on the cutting side of the blade. On the side of the butt on the blade, there is a large serrated, occupying more than half of the blade. The false blade on the butt in the basic version is not sharpened, but its reduction allows to do this, increasing the effectiveness of the thrusting blow.
The SP15 double-sided symmetrical grip is derived from the SP3 with one major difference. The cone-shaped skull crusher, which repeats the shape of a similar detail on the legendary V-42, has been replaced by a flat top. Less effective in hand-to-hand combat, it is significantly more useful due to its ability to be used as a hammer. This small detail once again shows that in the modern army, a knife is primarily a tool, not a weapon.
The scabbard SP15 is similar to the scabbard of other knives in this series. They are made of two parts - the base is made of thick leather, the upper half is made of Cordura. At the bottom of the scabbard there is a cord for fixing on the leg, a classic, vertical suspension made of leather. On the scabbard there are two safety straps with buttons, one of which fixes the knife behind the guard, and the second - for the handle in the butt plate area, providing a tighter fit of the handle to the body in the stowed position and preventing it from clinging to branches and objects during active movements in combat conditions.
Scuba / Demo
Scuba / Demo is not only one of the rarest American Special Forces knives, but also one of the rarest military knives in history. As a matter of fact, today there is only one original knife. Initially, 39 knives were made, and 38 of them were sent to the Aremean special forces on the coast of North Vietnam. 36 of them were lost during military operations, the two remaining knives were never seen again. SOG UBA / Demo fully recreates the unique character of the rarest knife of all time.
Another batch of these knives was released only once, to the 20th anniversary of the knife manufacturer, the SOG company, whose name, in fact, comes from the very legendary knife "SOG" (Special Operations Group, "Special Operations Group"), issued for United States Marine Corps (USMC), United States Marine Corps. SCUBA / Demo is no longer in production at this time.
Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife (F-S)
The dagger of the British commandos, traditionally in service with the royal naval commandos today. Created in the 30s of the twentieth century by former police officers, British instructors of commando units in shooting and close combat with and without weapons, Captain William Evart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes, who gained their experience of real hand-to-hand combat on the streets of Shanghai, a southern Chinese port city, a former colony of the British Empire.
The twelve-inch blade was based on decommissioned bayonets from Metford rifles, the spindle-shaped handle was copied from the rapier handle. The handles of the first daggers were wooden with brass knobs, allowing them to deliver crushing blows. The scabbard provided for the carrying of the dagger with the handle both up and down. In November 1940, Fairbairn and Sykes began collaborating with Wilkinson Sword, which resulted in the launch of a dagger named after its creators Fairbairn-Sykes (F-S) in January 1941. On the basis of this dagger, many other combat knives appeared, including the V-42, Marine Raider Stitiletto and others.
Until now, the "F-S" is the symbol of the commando - formations of the Marine Corps and Special Airborne Forces in the British Armed Forces.
OSS A-F First design
In 1942, Colonel Rex Applegate developed the first version of a new combat knife, which was named OSS A-F and was a kind of intermediate link between the F-S and A-F combat knives. More than half a century passed, and the Boker company hired the famous knife manufacturer Hiro from the Japanese city of Seki to recreate the famous knife, of which very few remained in the original. Boker has produced only 600 of these knives, which are currently the rarest collector's items, one of which is shown in the photo.
The OSS A-F blade is wide, in shape closer to the A-F knife, made of stainless steel. The handle is spindle-shaped, made of inlaid leather, similar in shape to the F-S knife, but more voluminous. The guard and pommel are made of polished brass.
Later, changes were made to this design, as a result of which the well-known combat knife A-F appeared.
Boker Applegate-Fairbairn Fighting Knife (A-F)
The combat use of the legendary dagger of the British commandos "FS" during World War II revealed a number of shortcomings in the latter, which later one of the creators of "FS" William Ewart Fairbairn and Colonel Rex Applegate decided to eliminate by creating a more modern variant of a combat knife. Too long blade F-S was shortened to 15 cm. Too thin and easily breaking off the edge of the new knife has become more massive. The round handle that rolls in the hand has become flatter and more comfortable. If during the Second World F-S it was sometimes necessary to make from decommissioned bayonets, then for the new knife they began to use stainless steel 44 ° C, one of the best knife steels that sharpens well and at the same time keeps sharpening for a long time. Thus, the new dagger of Applegate - Fairbairn, due to the rich practical experience of its creators, has become one of the most famous and popular combat knives in the world. Currently, in the form of a modification with a black blade and a black guard, it is in service with GSG 9 (German Grenzschutzgruppe - "Border Guard Group"), the anti-terrorist special forces unit of the German Federal Police.
Boker smatchet
The next after the F-S knife, created by Fairbairn, was the so-called Smatchet - a chopping knife with a wide leaf-shaped blade that could be used both as a weapon and as a tool. A similar knife was put into service with the OSS, the secret US Bureau of Strategic Services (Office for Strategic Services, OSS).
The model pictured here is the brainchild of Colonel Rex Applegate, one of the authors of the famous A-F knife, who put a lot of effort into promoting it to the market. As a result, Boker released a pilot batch of 2,200 knives with a micarta handle, following the commercial success of which they began to produce the Boker Smatchet with a plastic handle.
Boker Titanium dive knife
This diving knife was designed by renowned designer Dietmar Pohl and German champion diver Jens Ho: ner. After testing several prototypes in steel and titanium, the ultimate goal was achieved - the optimal diving knife.
Boker Titanium dive knife comes in several versions - with a simple double-edged sharpening, with a truncated point, as well as a blade equipped with a double serrated, which is convenient for cutting ropes, nets and breathing hoses of enemy scuba divers. It is a compact and lightweight knife with a large handle and a Kydex scabbard optimized for attachment to the forearm or leg of a diver.
Trench knife
In 1915, Heinrich Boker & Co.from the German "city of blades" Solingen received a government order to design a knife with a thin blade made of high-quality, resilient steel for trench hand-to-hand combat. As a result, the famous trench knife of the First and Second World War appeared, with minor variations produced by several firms and used by German saboteurs and scouts during special operations, as well as in close combat, due to the tightness, excluding the use of a rifle with a fastened bayonet
Puma
Also, from a historical point of view, another version of the German "trench" knife, designed for close combat, may be interesting. The photo shows a boot knife, which was made during the Second World War by the company Puma from the city of Solingen. The knife has a thin elastic steel blade with the manufacturer's mark. The handle is made of bakelite, the scabbard has a clip for attaching to a belt or clothing. A purely combat knife without frills, intended for trench hand-to-hand combat, but, unlike the NR-40, it is far from a companion of the Victory weapon, but only a war trophy of the winner.
Bundeswehr Kampfmesser
Even shackled by numerous restrictions after the defeat in World War II, the German army needed a knife. The presence of folding multi-subject knives in the army was not a solution to the problem - the young Bundeswehr needed a full-size knife that combined the functions of a combat knife and a tool.
However, such a knife appeared only in 1968. It was adopted by the army under the designation Kampfmesser - "combat knife" - and was a fairly simple and reliable design, reminiscent of the trench knives of the world wars.
The blade of the knife has a one-sided sharpening with slopes from the middle of the blade, which, with a thickness of 3.5 mm, gives it good cutting properties without sacrificing strength. The steel guard of the knife has a developed one-sided stop, bent towards the handle, which makes it possible to apply significant efforts to the piercing blow and at the same time reliably protect the fighter's hand. The shank of the blade is long, runs along the entire length of the handle; two halves of the handle, molded from impact-resistant plastic, are fixed on it with the help of two screws. Moreover, the rear screw has a through hole that allows you to pass a lanyard or a safety cord through it.
The scabbard practically does not differ in design from the scabbard of bayonets during the First and Second World Wars. It is an all-metal construction with a flat spring on the inside and a mushroom pin on the outside of the scabbard. A leather hanger with an additional fixing strap at the level of the upper handle screw clings to the peg.
Eickhorn Kampfmesser 2000
After the Kampfmesser combat knife was adopted in 1968, the German army and special services could not do exclusively with this model. Thanks to the new German laws, various units were able to purchase equipment and weapons for their needs, which led to the appearance in various law enforcement agencies of a large number of different knives. These were both knives developed by German firms (Boker, Puma) and foreign (Glock, Ontario). Plus, the army successfully used a bayonet-knife for the main rifle of the Bundeswehr H&K G3 produced by the famous arms company Heckler and Koch, a rather successful design with a dagger blade and one-sided sharpening. And after the collapse of the GDR - and variants of bayonet-knives for the AK of East German production, inherited from the NVA (Nationale Volksarmee, National People's Army of the GDR).
Many firms developed and offered the Bundeswehr their designs of combat knives, both created independently (for example, the rather successful Eickhorn ACK) and developed on the basis of existing samples. Modifications to the Boker Applegate-Fairbairn knives were proposed, as well as bayonet options for the AK and H&K G3 without attachment points to the rifle. All of them, for one reason or another, did not pass the test.
Finally, following the results of a competition held in 2001, a knife manufactured by Eickhorn-Solingen Ltd. was adopted by the Bundeswehr. under the traditional name Kampfmesser 2000.
The blade of this knife is interesting. Many researchers and collectors agree that the "American tanto" shape was chosen by the designers of the KM2000 largely because of its popularity, and not because of real practical advantages. But one way or another, this knife was the first of the combat knives adopted by the army (and also adopted to supply NATO troops) with a similar blade shape.
A straight butt, a wedge-shaped profile, straight descents with a height of a third of the blade - all this gave the knife a predatory and aggressive look. At the same time, KM 2000 fully complies with the requirements of the terms of reference. It cuts well (adjusted, of course, for the properties of the blade material, 440C stainless steel) and cuts well. The weight of the knife is about 300 grams with a blade length of 170 mm. About half of the cutting edge of the KM 2000 has a serrated sharpening, which is not very pronounced so as not to interfere with normal work, but it is quite possible to cut a cable or rope in one motion. The blade thickness of 5 mm is quite enough for prying the hatch covers, and, if necessary, to support the weight of the soldier's body when used as a support. The shank, which runs through the entire handle, protrudes from the back of the handle and allows it to be used as a hammer, cullet or "skull crusher". At the same time, its flat surface does not interfere with the use of the second hand in situations where additional effort is required.
The scabbard KM2000 is plastic and equipped with a flat spring that holds the knife inside. On their front side, covered with one of the belts, there is a section of abrasive material with a diamond coating, which serves for straightening the cutting edge in the field. At the tip of the scabbard there is a hole with a cord threaded into it, which serves for additional fixation on the leg when the KM2000 is suspended from the belt. This suspension option is not the only possible one - on the back of the cordura base of the scabbard there are fasteners that allow you to attach them to any piece of equipment.
La Vengeur 1870
French dagger sample 1916, the name of which translates as "Avenger 1870". A weapon of the French army infantry during the First World War, created specifically for trench fighting.
With the beginning of the war, it became clear that the long bayonet of the French Lebel rifle was not suitable for close hand-to-hand combat. In this connection, the French command in 1916 began hastily to arm the infantry with a new dagger, the name of which reflected the aspirations of the French government to recoup the defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871. However, despite its practicality, the dagger was not officially adopted for service and was produced by many private firms, which explains the differences in size, finish and quality of these daggers that have survived to our time.
Mod XSF-1
The knife was developed by veteran Canadian armed forces, sapper, diver, demining instructor and martial arts specialist Brent Beshara. An interesting feature of the knife of the former Special Forces soldier is both the original shape of the double-edged blade and its "chisel" sharpening. An expert in hand-to-hand combat, Brent Beshara created an extremely durable combat knife, designed both for inflicting powerful injections, capable of piercing a bulletproof vest with a certain strength and skill, and deep cuts in the neck and limbs of the enemy with the tip of a long blade. The design of the scabbard allows the knife to be placed in almost any position on the body. The XSF-1 knife is currently produced by Masters of Defense (MOD).
Strider SMF Marsoc
The Strider SMF Marsoc, a folding knife, was the first tactical folding knife in 60 years designed specifically for the First US Marine Corps SOCOM (Special Operations Command).
The combat version of this knife, manufactured by Strider Knives in San Marcos, California, features a 100mm camouflage blade made from CPM S30V high carbon blade steel. The part of the handle with the frame lock is made of titanium, the other half is made of G10 fiberglass.
The latest version of this knife includes the Hinderer Lockbar, a mechanism designed by knife maker Rick Hinderer and licensed for use in Strider. The Lockbar is a metal disc designed to prevent the lock plate from bending outward. The original knife, developed for the SOCOM Marine Corps in 2003, does not include this feature, unlike later versions.
Prior to this, a special knife for the Marine Corps unit was produced as early as 1942, when a version of hand-to-hand combat with a Fairbairn-Sykes (F-S) knife was adapted by Lieutenant Colonel Clifford Shui. The knife was manufactured by the Camillus Cutlery Company of Camillus, New York. It was named the United States Marine Raider Stiletto, or USMC Stiletto, and was produced for the Marine Corps until 1944. In fact, this knife was a copy of the famous Fairbairn-Sykes combat knife, of which 14,370 were produced.
When the First Squad was created, it was decided not to use the traditional Marine Ka-Bar combat knife. Instead, the Strider's SMF folding knife was chosen, which is more compact and easier to carry.
The combat version of the Strider SMF Marsoc knife has a stamp on the handle on the date of creation of the First SOCOM Marine Corps ("030620", or June 20, 2003), as well as the inscription "DET-1". In addition, the combat variant bears the insignia of the Marine Raiders, an elite unit of the United States Marine Corps created during World War II to conduct amphibious operations.
Glock feldmesser 78
One of the most famous combat knives of the second half of the twentieth century has so many "parents" and habitats in its pedigree that it would be enough for an adventure novel. It was developed by the old Austrian company Ludwig Zeitler in the second half of the 1970s as a development of the popular American combat knife of the Second World War - the M3 (which in turn is a rethinking of the German Luftwaffe knife), but at a new technological level and using modern materials. Soon the company ceased to exist, and its brainchild was never adopted by the Austrian army.
Then it was the turn of the Germans. The A. Eickhorn GmbH company is working on the design and producing a number of commercial knives, which are a further development of the Zeitler 77 knife. The differences from the prototype were in a slightly different blade shape, a more developed guard, which became double-sided, as well as in a different form of plastic parts - the handle and sheath. This knife was also not destined to have a long history.
Further traces of the knife again lead to his native Austria, to the Glock company, which was then engaged in the manufacture of sapper blades, various tools, grenades, etc. - Glock became known for its pistols a little later. And only now the Austrian military finally drew attention to the knife, having adopted a model called Glock Feldmesser 78 to supply the army.
The Feldmesser, which means "field knife", is available in two basic versions. A knife of the 1978 model is the basic army version, and the 1981 model differs from it only in the presence of a saw on the butt.
The clip-point blade, 165 mm long and 4 mm thick, is made of carbon steel, which is referred to by the manufacturer as "spring-loaded".
The steel is hardened to 55 HRC, which is quite enough for a working knife and greatly facilitates its sharpening in the field. To protect against corrosion and to prevent unmasking glare, the blade of the knife of both modifications is phosphated, which gives it a matte black color. The knife guard is double-sided, its upper projection is bent towards the blade, forming an opener for cartridge boxes or bottles. This fact is sometimes called into question, but the information is confirmed by the manufacturer.
Another fact that raises questions among knife lovers is the possibility of attaching a Glock knife as a bayonet to the Austrian Steyr AUG rifle. This option was indeed considered when developing the knife, and it is for this reason that a cavity was left in the handle, which is mistakenly considered a container for NAZ (wearable emergency stock). A special adapter was inserted into this cavity, which served as a fastening element for attaching the knife to the rifle. The Austrian army abandoned the project, and on commercially available Glock knives the cavity for the adapter is closed with a lid.
The handle has a convenient shape and dimensions, all this allows you to confidently hold the knife both with a glove and with your bare hand. The center of gravity of the knife is located directly between the blade and the handle, which makes it quite effective to use a knife with a relatively short blade for chopping. But the structure of the blade and the design of the handle of this knife dictate mainly the stabbing technique of knife fighting.
The handle itself is spindle-shaped with five belts, molded from plastic on a shank that goes into it about half. Despite the apparent fragility of this connection, numerous knife tests show that the force required to break the knife is hardly possible under real conditions. For example, there have been cases of a knife breaking through a metal frying pan. At the same time, the knife was not damaged, with the exception of the cover ripped off at the tip.
Plastic scabbard made by injection molding. The latch that fixes the knife with a hook on the guard and hanger is made integrally with the scabbard as their element. At the end of the scabbard there is a drainage hole and a loop through which a strap can be passed to fix the scabbard on the leg.
The scabbard and handle of Glock knives of both modifications can be green (military version), black (commercial and used in some special services version), sand color (commercial version).
Glock knife and its various modifications are widely used in the world as combat knives that combine the functions of a tool and a weapon. In addition to the Austrian army, they are in service in a number of European countries. Not becoming the main combat knife of the Bundeswehr, they are still limitedly used in Germany, for example, the famous anti-terrorist unit GSG9. Glock knives are also widely represented in the commercial market. Lightweight, comfortable, reliable - it is no exaggeration to say that Glock knives are among the best combat knives in the world.
Extrema Ratio Fulcrum S
One of the most famous Italian combat knives. Extremely reliable, the blade can withstand a point load of up to 150 kg. The shape of the Japanese tanto, tested for centuries, presupposes long-term use of the knife in extreme conditions without compromising its cutting qualities. The forward-shifted center of gravity and the significant weight of the blade allow for effective chopping blows. Used as standard equipment of the Italian Nibbio units in Afghanistan. It was part of an experimental project of the headquarters of the Alpine forces, one of the goals of which was the choice of a universal multi-purpose knife for the infantry.
The tests of the Extrema Ratio Fulcrum were so successful that the Fulcrum Bayonet was created on its basis, a bayonet-knife with attachment to a rifle instead of a guard. Which, by the way, on the knife shown in the photo, was cut down by the seller, which automatically translates the standard weapons of the Italian military into the category of household knives.
The Fulcrum S shown in the photo is a shortened version of the Fulcrum knife, which has almost the same characteristics, but is slightly lighter.
Extrema Ratio Col Moschin
Col Moschin was officially adopted in 2002 by the Ninth Incursori Regiment (Italian Special Forces). "This model is the quintessence of a knife designed for combat," says Extrema Ratio, whose designers draw inspiration from the asymmetrical blade daggers used by the Arditi (Brave) stormtroopers of the Italian army during World War I.
The blade of the Col Moschin combat knife, unlike the civilian version shown in the photo, is sharpened on both sides, which allows you to make cuts with the butt during the return movement of the knife. The anti-reflective coating of the blade has a very military name Testudo, which means "turtle", a military formation of the Roman legionnaires. On the blade there is the logo of the Ninth Regiment - a parachute, a wing, a torch, crossed gladiuses (Roman swords) and the number "9".
Guards are kept to a minimum so as not to interfere in close combat. The center of gravity of the knife is shifted towards the handle, which is designed in such a way that it was possible to dose the force of the impact and inflict both lethal and controlled light damage.
Extrema Ratio. Praetorian II
Combat knife from the famous Italian company Extrema Ratio. There are two versions available - Praetorian II and Praetorian IIT, differing in the shape of the blade. The handle of this dagger allows you to use both direct and reverse grip with equal success in battle, and it is possible to place the guard between the fingers with partial placement of the palm on the ricasso (the non-sharpened part of the blade). Such a grip turns the knife into a kind of enlarged jawara, one end of which is a sharpened blade, and the other is a skull crasher. The handle is made of a foamed polymer resembling a large pumice stone. In a bare hand, it feels excessively aggressive, since the knife involves using a hand protected by a glove.
The knife was created as part of the Praetoriana project, during which new types of blades were developed, the knife guard was rounded, and the handle, borrowed from the Tuscania knife, was modified in the direction of compatibility with the new solid sheath.
An interesting alternative to the Praetorian II is the II T version, in which the classic dagger point is modified to resemble a Roman gladius. This design solution turns the knife into a multi-purpose tool that can be used in the most difficult situations without the risk of impairing the cutting and piercing properties of the blade.
Extrema Ratio Suppressor Knife
That dagger with the unmistakable characteristic of the manufacturer contained in the name - Suppressor Knife, the "knife of suppression", was developed for "GIS" (Gruppo Intervento Speciale), the elite anti-terrorist special forces team of the Italian police.
It is a modern rethinking of the V42, a WWII American Special Forces combat knife with a modified guard and modern materials. In addition to the actual dagger blade, there is a steel skull crasher at the end of the polyamide handle. As in the previous knife, the handle is made of a foamed polymer resembling a large pumice stone. The knife is intended to be used with a gloved hand.
The tactical scabbard provides for fastening in various positions, including on the leg. Inside them there is a hard case with the function of automatic fixation of the knife in the scabbard. One of the owners of this combat knife gave a short but succinct description of the Suppressor Knife: "A concise solution to intricate problems." You can't say more precisely.
Chris reeve green berett
Knife creator Chris Reeve Green Berett and Chris Reeve Pacific Bowie was born and raised in South Africa, served in the army, and is a professional hunter. In 1989 he moved to the USA, where he opened his own knife company.
The Green Berett was the first Chris Reeve combat knife to be tested by US Special Forces. American advertising positions this knife as follows: "The Green Beret Knife, like the men for whom it is intended, is effective, cruel and uncompromising."
Chris Reeve Green Berett is currently being issued to graduates of the Special Forces Qualification Course. He is known to them as "The Yarborough", for the rest it is "The Green Berett Knife". By the way, Yarborough is the name of the American Lieutenant William Yarborough, an officer of the 504th Parachute Battalion, who in 1941 offered a characteristic insignia for the headdress of American special forces: a parachute framed by the wings of an eagle.
Sog Navy Seal 2000
This model in 2000 won the state competition for knives for the reconnaissance and sabotage unit of the US Navy "SEAL" (Sea Air Land), better known by the nickname "Navy Seals". Designed on the basis of another popular model from this company, "Bowie". However, it differs in size, materials from which it is made, as well as a number of design features, which are worth talking about in detail.
The blade of the knife is made of AUS 6 steel, hardness 56–58 HRC, deep-frozen and coated with a light gray anti-reflective coating. One-sided sharpening, on the other hand, there is a false blade, stretched over almost the entire length of the blade. This design significantly improves the piercing properties of the knife. There is a serrated at the root of the blade, starting immediately from the cheil (the non-sharpened part of the blade near the guard). The knife is also quite suitable for powerful chopping blows.
The guard is massive, with a smooth transition to the handle, made completely with the handle by injection molding.
The handle is made of craton and covered with notches, for easy grip there are finger grooves, but not too deep, so their practicality is questionable. The shape of the handle is rectangular in cross-section, expanding in the middle. In general, the shape of the handle contributes to a comfortable hold with any grip.
The scabbard is made of kydex, tightly fixing the knife with the mouth, however, there is also an additional safety strap with a button for belay. The scabbard has holes and eyelets that allow you to attach them to uniforms in almost any position. A belt-carrying method is also provided.
Gerlach M 92
A regular combat knife of the Polish Airborne Forces, similar to the American M3 Trench Knife or the Austrian Glock Feldmesser. Of the features, it is worth noting the method of fixing the knife in the scabbard and the uncharacteristic bend of the guard, which is associated with the technique of using the knife. At the mouth of the scabbard there is a spring tongue that fits into the slot of the guard and fixes the knife. The knife is simple, efficient and inexpensive to manufacture.
Oxidized blade 175 mm long, on the ricasso of which there is a stamp with a crown and the name of the manufacturer "Gerlach", the handle is made of hard rubber. The scabbard is designed with the ability to attach the knife in any position, including on the leg
Corvo
The knife of the Chilean commandos is interesting primarily with a blade of an unusual shape. For example, the famous knife specialist Dietmar Pohl believes that the hook-shaped knife originates from a primitive tool for working in the field.
Nevertheless, this "primitive tool" is in service with the Chilean special forces and is produced by the official state firm "Famae", which testifies to the functionality of this double-edged knife, time-tested, like, say, the form of the Japanese tanto. But at the same time, it is clear that fighting with such a knife requires special skills.
Although the Chilean special forces have such skills. For example, there is information that in the battle for the city of Arica on June 7, 1880, Chilean soldiers in hand-to-hand combat, in fact, destroyed about a thousand Peruvian defenders by Corvo alone. That is, the knife has a fairly rich historical tradition of real combat use. It should be borne in mind that there is a version of an even more ancient origin of this knife - some researchers believe that Corvo was used in the Inca Empire, which included part of the territory of modern Chile.
Translated from Spanish "corvo" means "curved". In literature, the knife was first mentioned in the Spanish heroic poem "La Araucana" by don Alonso de Ercilla and Zuniga, published in 1578 and telling about the Spanish conquest of the Araucanian lands, the indigenous inhabitants of Chile.
World war
Kukri is a combat knife of the Gurkhs, Nepalese highlanders-mercenaries who have served in the British troops since the beginning of the 19th century and took part in all the armed conflicts in which Great Britain was involved during this period. It was thanks to the gurkha who fought both in the First and Second World Wars, and later in Hong Kong, Malaya, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan as part of rifle, paratrooper, engineering and special units that the kukri became widely known all over the world.
There are cases when Nepalese commandos with their kukris cut off the heads of opponents with one blow. Well, it is quite possible that this is not a legend. The sensations of holding the kukri in your hand are unambiguous - an ax with a very unusual blade, which is convenient for chopping branches and branches, and, if necessary, and with proper skill, use it as a sapper shovel. In short, a universal tool for survival.
The technology of making the original Nepalese kukri is interesting. The knife is handcrafted from start to finish. The heavy blade is forged from high-carbon steel, and the handle is made from buffalo horn.
