Cyber Monday

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I went to the indoor range yesterday and blew off 50 birdshot rounds, 10 buckshot rounds and 15 slugs.  Breech-loaded most of them, and realized I need to practice racking rounds more.  I have trained myself to automatically thumb the safety on after every round I fire!  Talk about muscle memory.  Got home and all 3 new accouterments - the stock, the heat shield and the mag extender, were loose.  Damn near shook the gun apart!  Live and learn.  Gonna have to keep an eye on all of them in the future.

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Knives.  I have an interest in them.  I'm always looking for the knife that feels right for me, and I'm rarely finding it.  Below are 3 knives that I bought, and my amateur opinions on them (I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos).

Scorpion Knives Overt Talon Range knife (Top) and the Scorpion Knives Parry Blade (Bottom).

Here is the description of the Parry Blade (aka The Mel Parry Brute Combat Survival Blade) as lifted from the Scorpion Knives web page:

"The knife is strong and heavy, with a blade 9 inches long made from ¼ inch thick X46Cr13 420 stainless steel. The main cutting edge is bevel-ground for strength, whilst the deep belly shape takes the weight forward, in the manner of a Khukri, giving the knife a powerful chopping stroke. The point looks clipped in shape but is ground to provide a spear point that accentuates its use for prying/levering and digging. Also near the choil is a hollow-ground section which is honed to razor sharpness for fine cutting and whittling, ideal for making fire sticks. The serrated edge on the spine of the blade provides for a sawing action capable of cutting rope, webbing or gristle. The knife is of a full tang construction, with black linen micarta screwed to the tang providing for ease of replacement, resulting from either wear, damage or the choice of an alternative grip to be fitted.

Also in order to extend the survival attributes of the knife it has been found that by wrapping paracord around the handle, this provides some 2m of cord for use in either a survival situation or correspondingly as a means of restraint for when the role is reversed to one of combat."

 
This is an expensive blade, over US$300 if I remember correctly.  I have not used it, I have merely hefted it, examined it and wondered at it.  It is a good-looking knife!  By all accounts, it is supposed to be the be-all and end-all of survival knives.  But I don't believe that, and here's why:

The canvas sheath is inadequate.  While well-constructed for what it is, it is big, shapeless and boxy.  It lacks precision and doesn't do the quality or price of the knife any justice.  And the sharpening rod does not fit adequately in its pocket.  

The knife itself is well made, on the heavy side, and BIG.  It feels like a small machete.  It lends itself to chopping motions.  The handle is VERY thick, so thick that small or medium-size hands will have trouble gripping it.  Forget about wrapping paracord around the handle - that is not remotely feasible.  The hammer-edge at the back of the grip?  It's nice, and allows you to really swing the blade around.  But the metal side pieces appear to be glued on or otherwise attached, and what part of the knife would you hold to hammer with -- the blade???  This knife is clearly a labor of love, but for the life of me I cannot imagine using it for anything other than splitting wood or chopping wood or chopping at zombie arms...and I'd rather use a hatchet for all of those things.

After owning this knife for some time, my conclusion is that knives this large have no real-world application.  PERHAPS an expert woodsman or soldier could survive with a knife of this sort, if it was the only tool he had...but he would have to have very large, strong hands, and I don't see how this knife can adequately whittle or carve wood, chop carrots, gut and skin an animal, or even cut rope for that matter.  Basically, I don't see how it can do any of the precise things that knives are normally used for...ie: any of the things that a $12 Mora knife can do, and do well.

There you have it.  I will attempt to sell this intriguing blade at a discount, online, in the not-too-distant future.

Below we have the Talon, also made by Sheffield-based Scorpion knives.  I really liked the look of this blade on the website, and drooled over it for 2 years before recently taking the plunge and buying it.  Here is a description of the "Overt" school of knives produced by Scorpion:

"The Overt range of knives - Talon, Interceptor, Pathfinder, Aviator and Snipe - has been created with intimate knowledge of what is required in the field of combat.

Scorpion Knives has undertaken the design of this range of knives in partnership with ex US Marine Corp Veteran Bob Beasley. These extremely effective knives are based on a selection of some of the more popular and functional designs currently used in military fields of operation around the world.

All the blades are 5" (12.7 cm) long and are made from 0.2" (5mm) x46Cr13 – 420HC stainless steel hardened to RC 57-58. These knives will hold an edge well but can be easily sharpened in the field – a must for military operations.

The full tang construction of each knife has an overall length of 10.75" (27.5 cm) and exquisite polished Linen Micarta scales form the handle that is contoured with finger grips. Linen Micarta not only looks great but is one of the most ergonomic of materials and ideal for use over extended periods. The lanyard end also incorporates a glass/Perspex breaker."

My amateur analysis of this knife:

It looked slimmer and smaller in the photos, and I fancied it to be a "dirk".  However, upon receiving it I was immediately struck by its size, and particularly the size of its handle.  The handle is very large, ungainly even, and looks and feels too large for the blade.  And yet the blade itself is also too big, even for combat (IMHO).  I also worried about that very sharp, pointed tip getting broken or dulled or smashed.

That said, the knife is well crafted.  It just seems "off" in its design.

Unlike the Parry sheath, this sheath felt like it fit the knife.  It was the right size.  BUT, the knife did not fit into it fluidly.  The last half inch was a wrestling match, every time, and the blade absolutely refused to slide in the last few millimeters, leaving it slightly out of skew.

I admired this knife, but it didn't feel like anything I'd ever use.  It felt very strange in my hand.  So, I returned it.

These two knives are most interesting, and clearly hand made with love and talent, and I'm sure that they are right for the right people.  They are simply too big for my comfort level.

Below we have the Boker M3 Trench knife, which I am very, very happy with.  Here is a description lifted off the internet:

"Designed in 1943, the M3 Trench Knife was intended to be used by any U.S. soldier during World War II who was not equipped with a bayonet - soldiers with pistols, submachine guns, light and heavy machine guns, etc. The first troops to receive the M3's were the Airborne, Mountain Ranger and Glider infantry units. Among the nine manufacturers who produced the M3 during wartime was H. Boker & Co., with a total of 31,300 pieces, which was the smallest quantity. For the 65th anniversary, Boker Plus is reintroducing this classic piece of combat cutlery, along with a reproduction metal U.S. M8A1 scabbard. The black coated blade is made of high carbon SK-5 steel and features the original H. Boker & Co. blade tang. The handle is made of stacked leather pieces. To ensure the quality of the M3, each knife features a laser engraved serial number. Blade length: 6 3/4". Overall length: 11 3/4". Weight: 8.4 oz. Made in China."

This knife can be had for less than $70, which makes it a bargain (IMHO).  Here is why I like it:

It is a proven combat knife, very similar to the KA-BAR but with a dagger blade.  It is easy to hold and wield, and the stacked leather grip fits well in the palm of my hand.  Despite its almost terrifyingly long bade, it is a surprisingly slim, lightweight knife.  The blackened carbon steel blade is VERY sharp.  It feels dagger-like and is clearly capable of delivering death with a single thrust.  The metal sheath is substantial, and has a drainage hole in the bottom, as well as a leg-tie.  I removed the web-belt wire hook at the top and replaced it with a cord hanger.  Yes, this is a trench knife, but it will also effectively cut cord and rope, and whittle wood.  It will make a good truck box/BOB knife.  And if the shit ever hits the fan, rest assured it will be as important to me as my Mossberg.  Bummer it's made in China!

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