Fighting knife

[M118LR]

Sounds like he is a Good Man finallyME.
If you are curious?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underw...emolition_Team
http://www.navyfrogmen.com/WWII%20UDT.html
https://www.navysealmuseum.org/

Most WWII Frogmen were issued the Navy Utility Knife Mark II (MK2) which is commonly called a K-Bar today.
http://www.quanonline.com/military/m...barhistory.php

Just a little about H2H and frogman training during my time in service.

"Echanis developed a two-week hand-to-hand Instructor combat course sponsored by the United States Army John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance (USAJFKCENMA) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The program was authorized in December 1975 and Echanis was formally appointed the "Senior Instructor and Advisor to the USAJFKCENMA Hand to Hand Combat/Special Weapons School for Instructors" in a Memorandum For Record signed by Major Jerry C. Williams, then Chief, PSD, at the JFK Center. Six courses were presented in 1976. Echanis' combatives program was titled the "Hwarangdo Hand to Hand and Special Weapons Program".[8]
The USAJFKCENMA, then commanded by Major General Robert C. Kingston, issued formal Certificates of Participation in the "Hwarang Do/Hand to Hand Combat School" to include the Instructor Course the participant attended. Both MG Kingston and Colonel Timothy G Cannon, Chief of Staff, signed the certificates. Joo Bang Lee, founder and then leader of the World Hwa Rang Do Association affixed his personal seal to each certificate which conferred Black Belt ranking on the participant.
Echanis then moved on to Little Creek, Virginia and A.P. Hill where, courtesy of Richard Marcinko, then the commanding officer of SEAL Team 2, he taught three 2-week H2H courses for the SEALs. These courses, titled "SEAL TEAM TWO Hwarang Do Hand to Hand Combat/Special Weapons and Special Tactics School for Instructors" were attested to in a memorandum signed by LT Commander Bruce Van Heertum, United States Navy. Van Heertum took over command of SEAL Team TWO upon Marcinko moving to his next assignment in Washington DC. Van Heertum designated Echanis as being appointed "...the permanent senior advisor and head instructor for the SEAL Team TWO Hand to Hand Combat/Special Weapons/Tactics School for Instructors."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Echanis
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Mich.../dp/0897501977

Your affection for the MK2 makes more sense since Grandpa probably was issued one during his service. If he is still with US, please pass along my Thank You for his service.

[finallyME]

Your affection for the MK2 makes more sense since Grandpa probably was issued one during his service. If he is still with US, please pass along my Thank You for his service.

Unfortunately, he is not with us anymore. I was able to "interview" him with a camcorder a few years before he passed. I was able to then get a little more out of him. He said that before he was a frogman, he was doing guard duty on a boat in the middle of the night. Up until that point, all he and most everyone else wanted to do was "kill the Japs". While he was doing guard, he saw what looked like a torpedo go directly towards him and then it appeared to hit the hull. He thought he was done for. Then nothing happened and he realized it was probably a dolphin. After that, he said he didn't want to get the Japs... he just wanted to go home. So what does he do.... he volunteers for UDT. He wanted more control of his fate.

My dad told me that as a kid, they were never allowed to use fireworks. My grandpa would take them to a fireworks show, but they never used them at home. My dad said that my grandpa was terrified of any type of explosives. I think he figured he had used all of his luck up.

[M118LR]

Sounds like a common failing of the frogman type? On my way back from passing the Presidential Directed physical entry examination, I stopped at the Navy Recruiters Office. Guess you could say that was taking more control of my fate. But I have a family lineage of reckless special operations volunteers, so perhaps it's just a family tradition?

Hope you took the time to peruse the H2H literature, should you decide to purchase a fighting knife it may behoove you to also include one of the training manuals on how to best utilize it. JMHO.

ps. I strongly advise that you learn to transition from and to, the reverse grip, with the sheath on the knife. Do not remove until after the first thousand successful attempts.

Navy_MK2.JPGMK2MK13ModO.jpg

[Lamewolf]

Cold Steel ODA, and better if you can find one of the older ones with the Carbon V steel !

[Lamewolf]

Doesn't the OKC3S have a rat-tail tang?.

So does the old reliable Kabar that folks are so crazy about !

[Lamewolf]

I have read the specifications/requirements for the K-Bar and the knife was intended to stand up to anything a Marine could do to it. the testing was intense and severe.
!

The one I had broke at the tang right where it meets the handle while batoning some firewood for camp. It was a Vietnam era K-bar my uncle gave me when he came home from the Marines.

[M118LR]

The one I had broke at the tang right where it meets the handle while batoning some firewood for camp. It was a Vietnam era K-bar my uncle gave me when he came home from the Marines.

I was just wondering how you felt about that piece of memorabilia being destroyed Lamewolf?

The weakness of the MKII's rat tang was further pronounced once it was subjected to salt water. Perhaps removing and replacing the leather washer grip, drying & oiling after every salt water immersion would have been better maintenance, but they were plentiful and easily replaced.

[Rick]

Boker also makes an M3 fighting knife and Glock makes the 78 and 81 that the Austrian Army uses.

[finallyME]

Finally Me,
Okay so I have tried to address/answer your question, now tell me again when you will need the bayonet function?

I don't really know. The chance of me needing a bayonet is probably magnitudes less than needing a fighting knife. And, after consideration, I probably don't want a knife as one, more like a long spike. I can see a real need if you use a muzzle loader. Even hunting with a muzzle loader, you might have to finish the kill and not have time to reload. But, that isn't in my scope here. So, yeah, good question!

[Rick]

Dang it, FM. You are to blame. You! All this talk of fighting knives rekindled the urge I have suppressed for a long time. An M3 Trench knife and a Ka-Bar. I didn't have either one but broke down and called the brown trunk to deliver both. I picked up a Boker M3. It came with an M8A1 sheath and I ordered a Ka-Bar Dog's Head and a Kydex sheath. The M3 is the bees knees. I'm like a little kid at Christmas. The Ka-Bar is a fine knife. It did not quite fit the Kydex sheath so a little work with a file and a heat gun and I'm happy as a lark.

I have no idea what I will do with either of them. But! I do have a couple of grand sons that might serve one day so they can have some quality knives for their tenure if they do.

Your fault. All yours.

[crashdive123]

Yep. You've got it bad.

[M118LR]

Just a friendly reminder, don't attempt to transition your fighting knife too and from the reverse position without the sheath attached for the first thousand successful attempts! I'm not going to be there to transport Y'all to the emergency room if you don't heed my repeated warnings. Just because it might look so easy in the hands of a near cripple, that doesn't mean that Y'all ain't gonna be cut during your fledgling attempts. JMHO.

[Rick]

Wait, wait, wait. If you have a thousand successful attempts how can you NOT attempt it? As for the emergency room. First name basis with those folks. One more trip won't matter much.

[kyratshooter]

Transitioning practice???

ER trips???

Somewhere down the line did someone forget to buy ammo?

I though we were talking about a decorator series here, something to hang on the pack to show off !!

[hunter63]

Got a K-Bar around here some where.....Not sure or model, or tang, was a gift.....so if I get in a knife fight....I have to call "Time out" so I can go find it.
Got an old stiletto knife switch blade , made in Milano, Italy.
But..........Last time I actually had a knife in my hand for possible self protection, was my clip knife.....when a guy was trying to lure me into his car......
Don't know why....just was odd and when he reached for my hand ...I just backed away....he peeled out and left. ....Didn't have to display it...but was in my other hand.

Interesting thread though.......seems I missed out on a lot of details.

[DSJohnson]

I have to tell you...if it comes down to a friggin' knife fight for me it is gonna go very badly for me. I am way too old, fat and slow. Too many" hitches in my getalong" to seriously even contemplate a "knife fight" I guess if I could sneak up or sucker stab someone out of the blue I might live through it. My knives are strictly tools. if it looks like I may be in a knife fight I would use my knife to cut and make a pike or spear. But that would be after I am all out of ammo, arrows and rocks.

I will run, hide and then get in the car and roll the window up before I chose to pull a knife on someone who has a knife in their had already. Seriouly I think I would rather take on someone with a staff or stick or even a baseball bat than wade in with a blade. Dang........

[M118LR]

Now I understand how the decoration thing starts out, but when you include the knife fighting manual......man there just isn't anyway to avoid the temptation. So in the name of safety, just like any other disclaimer, leave the sheath on until you have mastered the move. Lol.

[Rick]

The essence of wilderness manliness is the art of accessorizing. I may not know the difference between a morel and a motoscooter but dang do I look good with the M3 Trench Knife strapped to the pack. Well, as good as I can look.

[Seniorman]

" ... Somewhere down the line did someone forget to buy ammo? ... "

That brings to mind a night in 1959 when I was going through Basic Training at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. We had been having bayonet training with our M1 Garands, plus knife fighting, etc. This was a three day "course" if I remember correctly. That night in the barracks, we were polishing boots and brass, cleaning rifles, etc., etc.

Our platoon sergeant came in and was talking with a bunch of us as we worked. He was "career Army," and had the CIB from Europe and Korea, twice wounded, etc. As he came by my bunk, I asked him, "Sgt. Moore, do you really think all this bayonet training is necessary?"

He said, "Well, the United States Army says you're gonna have bayonet training so you're gonna have bayonet training." Then a very slight smile came on his face and he added, "As for me, when those mother_____ers got close enough for me to stick 'em, I shot 'em."

That seemed like a plan to me. I don't get into knife fights.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

S.M.

[crashdive123]

Sounds like a well devised plan.