What would be the best combat knife ?

[EchoBoomer]

Cold Steel Black Bear Classic is one of my all time favourites.

 

[Ciabhan]

Your preference and training dictate this in large part.

I personally prefer a Fairbairn-Sykes style blade and I've been trained in such a way that I will always believe the point beats the edge. However I've personally witnessed a navaja used to great effect and it's more of a cutting blade.

Short blade fights are brutal, fast, and ugly. Most of the time the winner is going to be the one that hits first and knows to keep attacking. Most of the time however, especially in this modern day when blades are more of a backup than a main weapon, people tend to strike then pause to see what the effect of the strike was. That pause makes the point even more lethal as a counterstrike with it can change the fight entirely.

 

[markulous]

I've heard several good things about the BK7 as a good all-purpose utility knife.

 

[SweetDaddySiki]

A good portion of my training involves dagger combatives. I think the Fairbairn Sykes would work best for me.

 

[jamaljj]

Probably something like the venerable K Bar

QFT. Kabar USMC is probably the best knife ever

 

[Phreaxer]

depends on what its going to be used for specifically.

 

[Cody564231]

I like the Blackhawk Tatang, but the sheath is a POS. If it had a good kydex sheath it would be perfect.

 

[pettiskick***]

depends on what its going to be used for specifically.

This.

I'm a big fan of this design. It is great for its intended purpose which is primarily handgun retention.

 

[Taskforce3Tango]

Well in terms of combat as in you will be engaging and enemy with it you are looking for a few things.
Ease of access- your knife cannot kill anyone from the sheath. You need to get it and get it quick.
Defense from enemy access- find a sheath with a locking mechanism. If the enemy can get your blade before you that is a major problem.
Those are the two main points.

The rest is based on preference. I like the Ka-Bar "punch knife" shown above. It seems easy to wield and difficult to disarm.
For a hand to hand combat knife though I will always go with a Karambit. A vicious little blade that is easy to get to and extremely difficult to disarm.

 

[Taskforce3Tango]

That being said here is the Gerber LHR
http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-30-000183-Knife-Serrated-Edge/dp/B002RC2UN4/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Gerber 30-000183 LHR knife, serrated edge. In the urban warfare environment, soldiers recognized the need for a close quarter combat knife. After studying and interviewing hundreds of real life hand-to-hand combat encounters, MACP Close Quarter Combat expert Matt Larsen worked with award-winning knife makers Chris Reeve and William W. Harsey Jr. to create the L.H.R. The quick-release sheath has a built-in safety release that can only release the knife by the wearer. The textured TacHide handle provides sure grip in wet conditions. Proudly made in U.S.A.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

A good portion of my training involves dagger combatives. I think the Fairbairn Sykes would work best for me.

Not to mention that the Fairbairn Sykes is one the the sexiest knives ever made...

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

^^^^
By the way, what are your thoughts on using a stiletto type knife for slicing motions ?

 

[Roaming East]

^^^^
By the way, what are your thoughts on using a stiletto type knife for slicing motions ?

Terrible to pointless. They make shallow cuts and if they hit any serious resistance might damage the blade. The grip is also uncomfortable and unintuitive for that kind of motion. Never mind if the target is wearing any kind of protective or thick clothing.

A good Bowie style fighting/utility knife will have no problem slicing thick rope in half in a slash or cutting through tactical webbing in an LBV for instance. A good cheap test would be to fill a water jug up, wrap it in an old pair of jeans or ripstop or whatever, secure it, and take a lunge.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I really like that orange Bear Grylls fixed blade knife. It is surprisingly dexterous. It is lightweight, and the handle feels so good in the hands. Plus it is not expensive.

 

[adamallen]

I really like that orange Bear Grylls fixed blade knife. It is surprisingly dexterous. It is lightweight, and the handle feels so good in the hands. Plus it is not expensive.

Thats just a remake of an older Gerber knife. I also don't trust the bear grylls name because his machete was recalled last year and his survival knife was recalled 3 years ago.

 

[Taskforce3Tango]

Thats just a remake of an older Gerber knife. I also don't trust the bear grylls name because his machete was recalled last year and his survival knife was recalled 3 years ago.

Source to said recalls? I would like to know why.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

I believe the meat pulverizer on the bottom of the handle broke on some of them. So they recalled the knife. But I believe it is fixed now.

Even still, it feels really really knice in the hands, and is lightweight. It also comes with a sharpener that can used for any sized blade, plus a whistle and fire starter, which I find does not work up here in the humid northeast.

 

[Taskforce3Tango]

I do like the Bear Grylls line. You are right they are decent in quality at a really nice price. I wish they would have made the Zombie survival kit a little better. You e-tool, multi-tool etc.

 

[Taskforce3Tango]

Well in terms of combat as in you will be engaging and enemy with it you are looking for a few things.
Ease of access- your knife cannot kill anyone from the sheath. You need to get it and get it quick.
Defense from enemy access- find a sheath with a locking mechanism. If the enemy can get your blade before you that is a major problem.
Those are the two main points.

The rest is based on preference. I like the Ka-Bar "punch knife" shown above. It seems easy to wield and difficult to disarm.
For a hand to hand combat knife though I will always go with a Karambit. A vicious little blade that is easy to get to and extremely difficult to disarm.

Here is the Karambit I spoke of.

This is going to be used as a neck knife. I'm going to have a custom lanyard made for this with a break away clasp. Thus making the lanyard itself a weapon. Now that my friend is a combat accessory.

 

[jlagman]

Holy shit, this thread is old. I think a lot of people are overlooking a very critical aspect in choosing a "combat" knife, namely, how you, the individual, were personally taught how to engage in combat with a knife. Certain designs will lead themselves better to certain..."styles" better than others.