Back in the 1980's purchased a Survival Knife at a surplus liquidation for $7.50, I would have never guessed you'd call it the Grail Knife of Survival Knives. Carried it on the Pacific Crest Trail, gave it to a friend, it weighed a ton, but really impressed people along the trail. I did purchase another one a few years ago, ridiculously priced in mint condition. Now I don't want to carry it because now it's too valuable. And still weighs a ton, but still impresses people.
I think there all awesome. Your collection is amazing brother. There are so many brands of survival knives out there and finding one that will fit your needs can be a challenge. I have to say the more I see your LS1 the more I love it. Just a amazing job mark. You really made something special. Cool video brother 🇦🇺⚔️🇺🇸
The origin of Saw Backed Survival Knives is the Calamus ASEK, which stands for Aircrew Survival Egress Knife. The saw back was for cutting your way out of the aluminum fuselage. Then once you were free of the wreckage you had a knife to survive with.
It's very pleasant to see the legends of the 80's . Need to mention the Aitors Jungle King I and II and the Marto-Brewer Explora Knife. Thanks for the educational video. Saludos Amigo
I bought a Swedish Mauser bayonet at an antique store. The older gentlemen there was a hunter and he should me how he transformed his into a survival knife. (It has a hollow metal handle and is a great all-around knife.)
I did the same. Carved a wood plug and the end attachment held it in (kinda). Later found out some were imported and converted in the 80s. Called the "Scorpion".
I have the Schrade SCHF2sm, since it's one piece of 1070. I don't use it, though, because it's a bit unwieldy. What I've ended up with is a Gerber Prodigy with a pistol magazine pouch attached to the sheath. To start a fire, I have a peanut lighter in the pouch along with a compass, fishing kit and micro-flashlight. This gives me a full-tang knife and a survival kit. Thank goodness I've never needed it.
As a knife collector for over 30 years i would like to ask you a couple of questions: Yoy refer to quality. What is the type of steel used in these new knives? What % of carbon are there in the steel alloy? What is the official Rockwell hardness of the blades? What primary and/or secondary bevel on the cutting edge? Are they movie props or genuinely made for outdoor work and in what capacity? Everyone loves the Rambo movies, i watched them all on first release and have original on VHS tapes (yes im old!). Interesting uploaded nonetheless!
If you refer to production knives like Buck or Gerber, then chances are the steel is 420 or maybe some 440c. Buck claimed HRC 59, but Gerber published HRC 55. The problem is, almost everything is now made in China, including these new "super steels", and the codes change due to "improvements" to the alloy. So where 440c is a high carbon stainless steel,the new version is now called 9cr18mov. Whilst essentially it is still iron, (about 0.85% carbon) and chromium (about 18%), it seems they have added vanadium and even some silicone. Did old school 440c have this? Not sure. But the new stuff does and it seems to both hold an edge and is hard. Hard steels are also hard to sharpen. Lucky, industrial diamond stones are cheap.
My friends and myself all had one of those cheap shit Rambo ripoffs in the 80s. It was crap, but we still still had a lot of with them. Our's all had plastic handles. I also had a $30 Buckmaster knockoff. It looked superb, but half a dozen chops on a green tree almost broke the blade off, and stripped most of the threading off the tang rendering the knife next to useless. I have been dubious about hollow handle knives ever since. That is until I discovered videos like this one, which have restored my faith in them somewhat. My all-purpose (mostly as a bbq-ing utensil) knife in the 90s was my Gerber BMF, until an arsehole "friend" stole it when I relocated overseas. That still guts me. Great rundown.
What is the purpose of the pointy things on the Buck Masters hilt? Seems like it forces you to hold the knife wrong. The edge would point to the side instead of down. Also possible injury to your hand.
The cap has a beefy rope loop so the use of the "pointy things" act as a grabbers like on a grappling hook. They can be unscrewed. The modular plastic sheath had velcro pouches, 1 smaller pouch for the "pointy things" & 1 large pouch for a map compass. Also had a coarse sharpening stone embedded on the leg side of the sheath. Removing the pouches allowed you to strap the sheath upside down on a backpack shoulder strap. My Buckmaster has a waterproof handle since it was USN Seal issue in1980. I still have mine & use it whenever I'm planning a boat trip.
For almost the last 30 years, I thought the same. But these threaded rod construction knives won't break. That said, I have no idea what to store in the handle.
@@marktecher3085 I'd be interested in seeing a hollow handle knife torture tested against some contemporary knives made to fill the same role. That role being a survival/combat/utility knife. The problem with these kinds of knives is that they're trying to be a jack of all trades for the purpose of weight savings. Of course, that's also why they're so popular. So a Ka-Bar would be an obvious competitor, and you've got all the different variations to those. The other major competitor would of course be a Bowie. One neat hybrid of those is the Cold Steel Leatherneck Bowie. Then you've got Gerber LMF II, GLOCK has a really good knife, and after that you've got a massive field of other competitors that guys will literally stake their pride and reputation on.
You'd have to be careful with what knives you picked though because to put a hollow handled knife like this up against a purpose built bush craft knife would be absolutely unfair. That's why defining the category is so important.
Sounds good at home. in the real world I had to spend a night (due to a fall) in last year's ice storm and would have traded that tang for a few matches.
@@marktecher3085 Lifeboat matches, dryer lint (best kindling; ask any fire marshal) and a compass. I always navigated by the sun or stars but found out neither works in a storm.
Good comparison, I remember every flea market I went to back in the 80s had someone selling those cheap ones
Back in the 1980's purchased a Survival Knife at a surplus liquidation for $7.50,
I would have never guessed you'd call it the Grail Knife of Survival Knives. Carried it on the Pacific Crest Trail, gave it to a friend, it weighed a ton, but really impressed people along the trail. I did purchase another one a few years ago, ridiculously priced in mint condition. Now I don't want to carry it because now it's too valuable. And still weighs a ton, but still impresses people.
I think there all awesome. Your collection is amazing brother. There are so many brands of survival knives out there and finding one that will fit your needs can be a challenge. I have to say the more I see your LS1 the more I love it. Just a amazing job mark. You really made something special. Cool video brother 🇦🇺⚔️🇺🇸
Thank you for the kind words.
The origin of Saw Backed Survival Knives is the Calamus ASEK, which stands for Aircrew Survival Egress Knife. The saw back was for cutting your way out of the aluminum fuselage. Then once you were free of the wreckage you had a knife to survive with.
It's very pleasant to see the legends of the 80's . Need to mention the Aitors Jungle King I and II and the Marto-Brewer Explora Knife.
Thanks for the educational video.
Saludos Amigo
Great prop movie knives. Rambo be the man !
I have the buckmaster and it's my grail knife I love it I will never get rid of it.
They very first was they Randall Knife Model 18 Attack-Survival made since 1963 to this day and used during they Vietnam War.
I bought a Swedish Mauser bayonet at an antique store. The older gentlemen there was a hunter and he should me how he transformed his into a survival knife. (It has a hollow metal handle and is a great all-around knife.)
I did the same. Carved a wood plug and the end attachment held it in (kinda). Later found out some were imported and converted in the 80s. Called the "Scorpion".
I have the Schrade SCHF2sm, since it's one piece of 1070. I don't use it, though, because it's a bit unwieldy. What I've ended up with is a Gerber Prodigy with a pistol magazine pouch attached to the sheath. To start a fire, I have a peanut lighter in the pouch along with a compass, fishing kit and micro-flashlight. This gives me a full-tang knife and a survival kit. Thank goodness I've never needed it.
As a knife collector for over 30 years i would like to ask you a couple of questions:
Yoy refer to quality. What is the type of steel used in these new knives?
What % of carbon are there in the steel alloy?
What is the official Rockwell hardness of the blades?
What primary and/or secondary bevel on the cutting edge?
Are they movie props or genuinely made for outdoor work and in what capacity?
Everyone loves the Rambo movies, i watched them all on first release and have original on VHS tapes (yes im old!).
Interesting uploaded nonetheless!
If you refer to production knives like Buck or Gerber, then chances are the steel is 420 or maybe some 440c. Buck claimed HRC 59, but Gerber published HRC 55.
The problem is, almost everything is now made in China, including these new "super steels", and the codes change due to "improvements" to the alloy. So where 440c is a high carbon stainless steel,the new version is now called 9cr18mov.
Whilst essentially it is still iron, (about 0.85% carbon) and chromium (about 18%), it seems they have added vanadium and even some silicone.
Did old school 440c have this? Not sure. But the new stuff does and it seems to both hold an edge and is hard.
Hard steels are also hard to sharpen. Lucky, industrial diamond stones are cheap.
@@marktecher3085 thanks for the reply. Interesting subject
My friends and myself all had one of those cheap shit Rambo ripoffs in the 80s. It was crap, but we still still had a lot of with them. Our's all had plastic handles.
I also had a $30 Buckmaster knockoff. It looked superb, but half a dozen chops on a green tree almost broke the blade off, and stripped most of the threading off the tang rendering the knife next to useless. I have been dubious about hollow handle knives ever since. That is until I discovered videos like this one, which have restored my faith in them somewhat.
My all-purpose (mostly as a bbq-ing utensil) knife in the 90s was my Gerber BMF, until an arsehole "friend" stole it when I relocated overseas. That still guts me.
Great rundown.
On the 184 one cryteirer was it had to puncture a steel brum
The Buckmaster is pretty tough.
What is the purpose of the pointy things on the Buck Masters hilt? Seems like it forces you to hold the knife wrong. The edge would point to the side instead of down. Also possible injury to your hand.
The cap has a beefy rope loop so the use of the "pointy things" act as a grabbers like on a grappling hook. They can be unscrewed. The modular plastic sheath had velcro pouches, 1 smaller pouch for the "pointy things" & 1 large pouch for a map compass. Also had a coarse sharpening stone embedded on the leg side of the sheath. Removing the pouches allowed you to strap the sheath upside down on a backpack shoulder strap. My Buckmaster has a waterproof handle since it was USN Seal issue in1980. I still have mine & use it whenever I'm planning a boat trip.
G’day Brother I would love to buy a Commando LSS knife off you if you are making them for private purchase 👍🏻🇦🇺
I have 2 for sale now. One is hollow handle and the other is a solid handle.
@@marktecher3085 oh wow what is your selling price Mark ;)
Alumi-WHAT!?! And WTF is a kilometer!?! LOL jk dude knice video :)
the buckmaster 184 is the best!!!
If I'm in the woods and gotta fight sasquatch or a bear, this is not my first choice...
Have you seen the spear I made. Yeah, I'm not gonna be keen to fight any critters with just a knife.
I don't think I'd ever trust my life to a hollow handled knife. I'd rather trade the small amount of storage space for a full tang.
For almost the last 30 years, I thought the same. But these threaded rod construction knives won't break. That said, I have no idea what to store in the handle.
@@marktecher3085 I'd be interested in seeing a hollow handle knife torture tested against some contemporary knives made to fill the same role. That role being a survival/combat/utility knife. The problem with these kinds of knives is that they're trying to be a jack of all trades for the purpose of weight savings. Of course, that's also why they're so popular.
So a Ka-Bar would be an obvious competitor, and you've got all the different variations to those. The other major competitor would of course be a Bowie. One neat hybrid of those is the Cold Steel Leatherneck Bowie. Then you've got Gerber LMF II, GLOCK has a really good knife, and after that you've got a massive field of other competitors that guys will literally stake their pride and reputation on.
You'd have to be careful with what knives you picked though because to put a hollow handled knife like this up against a purpose built bush craft knife would be absolutely unfair. That's why defining the category is so important.
Sounds good at home. in the real world I had to spend a night (due to a fall) in last year's ice storm and would have traded that tang for a few matches.
@@marktecher3085 Lifeboat matches, dryer lint (best kindling; ask any fire marshal) and a compass. I always navigated by the sun or stars but found out neither works in a storm.