The Knives I Carried Into Combat - US MARINE VETERAN 

Great video John, thank you for your service, and the two knives I bought from you are still as sharp as the day I received them. I an not an expert on the building of a knife, I went on personal recommendation of a couple of cops that have your knives. A friend of mine looked at one of the knives, (he is a knife guy, I am a gun guy), and he is telling me about the steel you used, thickness of the blade and the edge, and asked me who made it, and that he was very impressed, I thanked him for the technical info,( which really meant nothing to me), but the fit and feel of the knife in my hand, and your Kydex sheath won me over. Keep up the good work and Semper Fi.

Every unit has their knife guy. The knife guy never changes.

I love veterans talking about knives they used. Thanks man 🇺🇸

"The recon guys, we would........ they would." He suddenly remembered he wasnt supposed to talk about that little chapter of his life 😂

Marines don’t break stuff. Stuff just breaks itself when we get frustrated. Semper Fi.

Enjoyed your presentation. Navy vet here. From one knife guy to another, good choices. Have a number of the same knives you showed in your video. Presently carry the Cold Steel SRK in the field and the SRK-C when a bit of concealment is a good thing, like walking my dog at night in the city. Have carried my K-Bar in the field and hiking/camping for more than 40 yrs. Has kept a good edge and have had zero issues. Use an Ontario machete for heavier work in the woods. Keep all your blades sharp. The way things are looking, we may have to put them to use again, sooner than later. Thank you for your service, from one vet to another.

I carried a knife in Iraq and I used it alot opening MREs and cleaning my finger nails

Army here. I deployed with a Camillus CQB1, CRKT M16z, Seal SOG 2000(I gave to my gunner) and as a team, we all got Cold Steel SRK which served me well.

The M7 bayonet was introduced in 1964 and it wasn't made for the ALICE system, but for the M1910 system, at that point the M56 webbing was in use.

i didnt serve but i always love listening to veterns talk about their time in the military and the gear they used! big thank you for your service and all other service members!

Great video my brother! As a USMC Veteran, I really enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing! Semper Fi! 😎👍🏻🔨🔥🔪🇺🇸

I was an Infantry and Reconnaissance Marine for 28 years, retired in 2007. I carried many of the same knives you showed as well as a Randall, an Ek, and a few other pricey knives, but always went back to the Ka-Bar with a hard sheath, which I took to Iraq. This was a great presentation, too bad they didn’t have RU-vid years ago, I could’ve saved a lot of money by not learning the hard way😂

Proud to see 5 Oregon knife companies supplying the DOD . I really enjoyed this episode. Thank you for your service . 🇺🇲 🙌

I was with Kilo 3/8 from 86-92. I carried the K-bar first. Picked up a Gerber BMF and Mark 2, both great knives. Later replaced the BMF with a working bolo in the Philippines for four dollars. Best knife for general work, love it, still have it.

I carried my K-Bar, and a spyderco. lost the spyderco, but the K-Bar is still with me

My father was 17 when he made the Inchon Landing with the 5th Marines under Ray Murray! He fought at Inchon and Suoel(?) ,the retreat.His knife was a Ka Bar. It was the only knife that he had all his life, never got rid of it.

Am a marine vet from Vietnam Nam 1966-1968 was with 1/4 4th marines.i carried a bo Randell model 1 combat .I still have it today.great vid my brother

I have my original Ka-bar that was part of my equipment given to me upon my arrival in, South Vietnam. It went out with me each time that we went out. 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Division/Bravo Company. Graduate of Parris Island, Fall of 1964.

Instead of Ka Bar-------Cold Steel Leatherneck-much more robust with big tang. Sheath is much better too.

When drawing the Gerber: As you grip the handle, put your thumb against the sheath top and push down as you pull. The knife will click out easily.

I just got on here to say thank you for your service, sir. You earned a new sub. 👊😎🖤🖤🖤

I boughtght a "Kukri" Machete by "Cold Steel" - a South African company, and I carried it on a number of my hiking and camping trips. After I learned to work with it, - I carried it instead of my small camping axe. It was ideal both for chopping down small trees and for clearing brush, and much lighter than an ax. Its two main cons are the odd, curved shape of the blade, and the 1820 high carbon steel making it a bit of a challenge to sharpen. However, once sharpened, - it would keep its sharp edge much longer than the more traditional machetes, and longer than an axe, and its ergonomic handle and its hand guard made it very comfortable to use without getting tired or worrying about injuring my fingers. Having had plenty of experience with straight edged machetes - I found this one to be superior to straight edged machetes of similar length for multi-functional use, despite its learning curve. Because it also has a sharp tip, - it does have some utility as a self defense weapon against wild animals, even at close range, although I'd definitely prefer a bear spray or a large caliber sidearm for that purpose.

Great video. Thank you for your service.

For Filipino soldiers whether Army or Marines, their carry knife as part of their battlefield tools is the bolo knife like those issued to filipino WW2 soldiers. It is for cutting and chopping woods, digging, butchering. cutting coconut fruit(drupe). Filipino bolo used by farmers are longer and wider that it is a small hatchet but it is pointed if not round tip but sharpened.

I really enjoyed this video. Thank you.

Thank you for your service.

Thx 4 sharing. Semper Fi brother. ✌️

Semper fi !! Thank you for your service.

Great video! Thanks for your service. New sub

Thanks, John Great review. Enjoyed it.

My father carried the Gerber mp600 on every single deployment after 1990 when he got out of the Navy. He has one that's seen land on at least 4 continents. Me and my two brothers all have been carrying one or something like it every day for close to three decades now. Not a beater but boy does it come in handy.

New subscriber here from Florida, much appreciated. Thank you for your service.

👍👍👍👍👍👍 absolutely loved the background insert of ' Vernon Wells ' from the movie Commando. That was great !!! Good presentation. Thank you for your service SIR.

Thanks for this, very cool knives, great info

This was great! Thank you.

Fantastic video man.

Great Video and Very Cool knife Collection! Thank you for your service Devil Dog! I was a Navy Airedale 2003-09 and I have always been into guns and knives and it is very interesting that I have many of the same knives you do. The one that I did not see is the Gerber 06 Auto which was the last knife I got before the Flight line accident that medically retired me because of a severe spinal cord injury that put me in a wheelchair. I was given the USN Kabar with the leather sheath and I have it on display since it was never used but I do have the Kabar 2000/Next Gen KaBar D2 that I used and was part of my gear. I retired my CRKT M16-14D 1*(One Ass to Risk) with Carbon Fiber Handle after 4.5 years of faithful service and I rounded the Tanto edge as well but that blade cut thru an aircraft skin during an emergency that dulled the hell out of the edge.

Thanks for making the video 😎

THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY. Thank you for sharing with us and thank you for your reviews and ideas.

That Ontario 1-18 machete can also be purchased from your local military surplus store, as long as you can still find them. Ontario closed shop a few weeks ago after over 100yrs in business.

Ooooorah, thanks for your service. Great down to earth review. Semper Fi

Thank you for sharing your opinions and experience!

Thank you for your service

I also have a lan cay M9 bayonet knife, my marine buddy brought it back for me as a gift ! He had it in Iraq, and Afghanistan. It was one of 200 made that had a black finish before Other companies had to step in to help make more of them. Its pretty awesome, he knew I collected knifes to, I used to backpacking all over Idaho Washington and Montana,it's been some places.

Got some of these. Thanks for showing them.

Thank you for your service, great video very informative

Awesome video brother. Especially appreciate the links..

After years of screwing around I settled on the CRKT M21-04G (folder) and the Gerber Strong-arm in coyote for fixed.

Thanks for your service.

Excellent presentation. Liked, subscribed, and rang that bell.

OUTSTANDING presentation devil. I love your blades, been a big supporter of 3RB. RAH!

Great video, and thank you very much for your service to our country. I have the KA-BAR 1213 with the Kydex Sheath. Great knife. JT

Great video. I served from 2002-08, and deployed to OIF in 2006-07. I was an aviation ordnanceman and aerial gunner with in helos, and carried several different blades, both fixed and folding. We got issued the Ontario model 499 pilot survival knife as part of our aircrew survival vest. I’ve heard a lot of guys talk smack about that knife, but mine was razor sharp and tough as nails. Some guys, myself included substituted this for a Ka-bar though. Mine rode on my pistol belt with my M9 and spare magazines. I liked this better because the survival vest always got snagged while moving around the cabin or getting out of the aircraft in LZs and I liked my personal weapons on me. I also always carried a good folder, which was either a CRKT M-16-14D, Benchmade 580. These were for the basic tasks of opening MREs and ammo cans, or cutting a jammed cargo strap (which in a landing zone over there could make the difference between getting mortared or not). I also had a Gerber Applegate-Sykes combat folder, which was a great mix between utility and combat efficiency. My unit did a lot of prisoner transports and we carried our M9 and M16 in condition 4 when they were on board. That meant having a good combat knife wasn’t just for show, these were bad dudes and we were always outnumbered and had to protect the pilots if $hit got ugly. The last thing you needed was some AQI savage making a run for the cockpit at 3,000 feet. And yea, helos go down more than people know. It looks like we had a lot of the same choices. Semper Fi🇺🇸

Thank you for serving our country sir, my dad was never deployed but was a marine as well

Semper Fi, Devil Dog. I carried both a civilian purchased K-Bar and a Gerber Mk II.

Up till about 1993, we were still carrying around the old M7 bayonets.

Thank you for your service and videos I only served in a SOW unit from 1990 to 1993, then an F-16 Fighter wing till November 1999(Avionics).

I'm not a huge knife guy & didn't think I'd want to sit through 30 minutes of knives, but it was a great presentation & time flew by. Thanks for telling us the stories behind each one. My Grandfather was a Marine long before I was born. When he passed he gifted his Ka-Bar to my Dad and when I graduated boot camp, my dad gave it to me. I suddenly got the urge to go pull it out of the cellar and hold it again. The Ka-Bar will always be a part of our Marine Corps history. Thank you for your service. Semper Fi.

Thank you for your service, I love the Spartan/ Corinthian helmet at the back there amazing knives, much love from Greece 💪🏼🇬🇷

Great collection and interesting presentation. Greetings from Germany!

Good stuff.

Thank you Semperfi 😊

Semper Fi Brother!

served 17 years in the Italian army overseas with us army airborne and marines.. We had the same m8a1 bayonet.. And for the same reason it remained in the backpack being registered material!!. We later received the EXTREMA RATIO FUKCRUM for the missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, an excellent but very heavy knife. In Kosovo, I bought a KABAR black handle at the px. After a GLOCK m76robust, excellent field knife and excellent Fighter!! it didn't take up too much space and allowed for comfortable carrying on body armor... As a folder knife, I've always had a leatherman mut.. And a crkt m16-14 bought at the PX in iraq

Thanks for Sharing

Thanks for your service. Nothing but respect for men like you. Thanks for the great video if i buy any of these knives I will use your link also going over to shop your webpage right now.

What a work of art .

Just for clarity: The K-Bar USMC knife, and its Ontario twin, do not have rat tail tangs. The tang is a straight extension of the blade, of 9/16" going all the way to the pommel, where it is squared down to 7/16" to fit the slot in the pommel cap. The pommel is secured to the tang with a driven pin. These knives are no frills, MilSpec tools that are robust and well made for the money. Sold rather rough, they can, with 30-40 minutes at any bench, be made razor sharp and they will hold that edge well enough. A rat tail tang is a far lesser construction that tapers as it goes back towards the pommel.

Thanks for your service. I carried the first two you showed. The bayonet goes all the way back to the early 60s. I then went to a Gerber MKII. The knife I carried the most eas a model 14 Randell. I had thought about cutting the blade on the machete to 10 or 12 inches. Oh I was army. 101st AB. Good video.

I was in the marines from 2009-2013 and that whole enlistment the only knife I had on my kit and used and still use to this day is my Gerber LMFll in coyote brown (same 1 on your table) and I completely love that knife and still have it on my civilian kit today in 2024

Your a true gentleman. I appreciate the service you provided for our country. Your nomenclature pertaining to blades, and the Information about it was justified. You are a well respected man, and I can tell by how you speak and hold yourself up. You are a true leader. I hope to see some gun videos next.

Knife people can be found about anywhere but they are absolutely irreplaceable. I'm a knife chick and the quality, versatility, weight, balance, and how well your blade holds an edge are absolutely vital. Thank you for your service!!!

I own the traditional ka-bar and the bayonet/fighting knife with the rubberized handle(brown). When I was in Afghanistan, I carried two, yes two, black combat survival knives with the leather stacked handle that you can get at the PX. I got them both when I went PTA (2×) for training( I was stationed I oahu,hawaii). When i went to Afghanistan I took them both with me and carried them on my waist. One on each side. I love knives(silent deadly weapon). My m.o.s. was 3381(food service specialist) 2bn 3rd Mar. 3rd Mar div. H&S Co. Ooorah and Semper fi devil dog. Outstanding video 🫡👍

I still have my kabar from '89, i love it, its a great field knife.

Remember if you in the Navy go with the cold steel cutlass be a true navy sailor

Great Knives 🔪🔥👍💯

I've carried a CRKT M16 knife in LE for 30 years. The first one lasted 20 years, and they replaced it at no charge. Great customer service. The steel in the new knife has less quality, but holds a great edge. Thank you for your service. Semper Fi

Good video.

Nice reviews, I've the Gerber Multi-tool DET 600, hopefully getting the OKC3S in my collection within the next 2 months, living in the highlands as a homestead caretaker... retired from the navy, am 62 years old. Nice to see that machete for your initial presentation, i possess 2 that were issued during the Pacific war belongs to my father serving the 🇬🇧 army in Malaya there wasn't any scabbard except for the leather handstraps...i used it and they're great bush beaters...

I'm a huge knife guy but never served, thank you dude. This video was a real pleasure to watch and listen to. Was wondering if you ever carried or considered carrying the Buck 119. Sharpened one for a deer hunter friend of mine recently and was so taken by its design and sheath I went to Buck's website and ordered a custom build. Glad you're home safe and sound brother.

Years ago you started making knives and ran a "yt deal".. send you some scrape metal and you will send us a knife. I did that, sent you a bunch of O1 and A2 tool steel, some brass rods, different diameters, some gloves, metal working discs and such. You sent me a bad ass bowie knife in a kydex sheath with an EGA on it. Its a skosh crude, but still completely badass!! I love it and every time I show ppl my knives that one gets big applause. (Along with the story). Well you inspired me to dabble in the knife making and I did.. (put out a yt vid on it yrs ago) anyways.. Im making leather stuff now (I got bored with kydex).. glad to see youre still trucking along. Always enjoy you vids. Semper Fi! (88-92)

It's amazing. I was joining as you left, and I can say I've used every one of those except that second monster green one. I never was a fan of crkt tho

I saw that CRKT M16 in the first second of this video. Mines laying on my nightstand. Its legitimately one of my favorite knifes ive had it for years and years. Its been solid. I break shit all the time. Pretty much everything. That one refuses to die

AWESOME Dude! Thank You for Your Service! I PRAY for our Future! BTW that M14 that went with you Everywhere, "Looks Awesome"! I Hope that it serves your family Well! A Beautiful knife.. Keep it well., and Really Cool!

I volunteered for the Navy in 1972, served 20 years and never carried weapons on duty (I maintained a weapons system, while others kept me safe). But being at least a First Class Boy Scout (Be Prepared mindset), I was qualified with sharp objects. One of my jobs was Aviation Tool Control Petty Officer where I got into "tool kits". After I retired, I wanted a Mission Knives Titanium SEAL TEAM model, but had to settle for a Underwater Kinetics Blue Tang Titanium Drop Point Dive Knife, which I later gifted to a nephew learning to dive. In the 1095 carbon steel knives I've affordable options at CONDOR Tool & Kinfe Co. I prefer a 4mm to 5mm blade thickness.

Thanks for sharing

We also carried the D2 Ka-Bar and we ended up cutting those plastic pieces off the sheaths. Fun fact: the strap is secure enough with the friction fit you can carry it inverted. The plastic sheath on the Mk1 Navy is the same way. I loved that little guy.

Brought back some old memories from Vietnam. Broke the tip off chopping blocks of ice in the field, I was a Combat Infantryman, I used a file that we carried to sharpen our Ontario Machetes to round off the blade. The Puma Bowie was a great addition to my issued bayonet, that I never used and we never fixed bayonets. I still have the original leather scabbard that is rotten and held together with twine. It is a classic sheath. Later I carried a solid black knife similar to the Marine Corps K-Bar knife, I still have it in the old Puma Bowie knife scabbard, truly amazing combination to see. Leather doesn’t last in a wet environment like Vietnam. Enjoyed your knives.

I was issued that same machete when I was stationed at Ft Sherman at the JOTC. The tramontina is a far superior machete for clearing brush than the gov issue machete. In airborne school a guy gifted me a Colonel Rex Applegate combat folder. . . it was only good for opening MRE's. . .I later gifted it to a guy in my company who admired it. We were issued the M9 bayonet as well and, although it was a very good tool , your right. It was too heavy. I carried an armor piercing tanto chisel point combat knife on my LBV. . .outstanding tool. Put it through a metal wall locker with no damage to the blade tip. I was gonna get a Kbar combat knife, but because of all the equipment I had to carry I opted for the smaller pilot survival knife. It was a very good tool but the leather didn't like the salt water during waterborne training at Ft Sherman. As for folders, the Gerber Gater lockblade with clip point was ubiquitous in my unit as were the old school Spyder Co. lockblade. I carried a gerber gator clip point lockblade and later carried the lighter weight Gerber EZ-Lock. I carried a balisong for opening MRE's and cutting 550 cord but it sucked as a field knife and would've sucked as a combat knife having a thin blade that was held in place by one little pin. . . So got rid of that toy. I then acquired a fix blade Fairbairn-Applegate combat dagger , the improved upon version of the WW2 F/S commando dagger. . .Very good combat knife but sucks as a utility knife. Our most ubiquitous, most useful, knife tool was by far our leatherman multi tool. Back to civilian life: my most used knives are my tramontina machete, LeDuck neck knife, SAK camper with wood saw blade, leatherman multi tool and sodbuster pocket knife.

Great video, just a slight notation - 8A1 is the scabbard / sheath. The bayonet / dagger it holds is the M7.

Thank you !

Just found your channel love it great reviews in the UK so blades are a real issue getting in but yes looking forward to seeing your range of blades 👍 thank you

Thank you brother !! 🇺🇸

I like the point you made about the K Bar's lone snap making the sheath susceptible to opening in the field and losing the knife. I never carried a knife my six years in the reserves and most of that time we spent in a desert and not a forest. But we were not even allowed to carry a K Bar there for some reason. Maybe command thought we would hurt ourselves or a fellow Marine. Comical.

Had a Cold Steel Push Dagger on my 782 gear also. Great knife collection.

Gunner on a riverboat. Ka-bar was a great blade. Only used it for utility, but it was extremely durable. Great video. 👍🇺🇸

Very true, Marines are Marines and they do what they do. Hospital Corps here. Great video.

💯 on Sog sheaths. The Seal sheath with a plastic belt loop that snapped shut was absolutely horrible. It would not stay shut. You had to tape around it or your knife would disappear.

Heeey, I signed up in 94’-09’ / Semper Fi!!!! 1371 Combat Engineer

I have carried quite a few of those ty brother