LanCay M9 Bayonet

Alright, today I have a REAL nice piece of blade, not to mention it's great significance to both the great U.S.A's armed forces and to any knife collector. The M9 Bayonet. Mine happened to be produced by LanCay.

Now a little back round, the M9 bayonet is the main blade for Battlefield 3, and it is the reason why I desired this blade so much, along with my infatuations for knives. The M9 was originally produced to become the main bayonets of all the armed forces of the United States, being produced by four main companies : Buck, Phrobis, LanCay, and Ontario. Buck has stopped making them since the initial 5,000 produced, Phrobis has ( To my most recent knowledge ) also ceased production, and LanCay has since become defunct. Ontario is the company that is still producing them.


First the sheath, it is made up of thermoplastic nylon, REALLY hardened and durable, it seems to be reinforced from the inside with a contraption that traps the blade ( Which seems to be metal. ) so that it does fall off even if the holder is not strapped.  Attached to the sheath is a wire cutter emplacement that houses a raised bolt, so that the knife may be placed and allow for wire cutting. Now the wire cutter emplacement is metal and is screwed in to the thermoplastic sheath, it also houses a screw driver that is able to open the M9.

WIRE CUTTING:

The blade is black oxide coated, so that there is less reflections ( According to Lan-Cay ). The blade is 7 Inches long, being made with 420 Stainless Steel. It is also .235 inches thick. This knife was made to be abused and fulfill  a multipurpose role, from combat to surviving. The seven inch blade is great for batoning and just right for chopping, while the .235 inch thickness would seem impervious to destruction from prying open wooden doors. At the head of the blade is also a small oval opening, in which the discussed bolt from the sheath is able to fit through and when working in unison, able to cut through wire. The back of the blade also has sawteeth, which is able to saw through wood and plastic materials, along with light metal.

The M9 Bayonet is 12 inches overall, and that blade is not full tang. Instead the blade goes about 1-2 inches in and is attached by piece of metal that is screwed in to the blade, and that piece of metal runs through the handle and is again attached to the tang. Now, this might raise questions about the M9's durability, but rest assured, the M9 is far capable of taking a beating. It IS the knife that the armed forces adopted into service. The hand guard is also steel, with a big circular opening for the barrel's of AR-15 and the likes. The handle is also made up of thermoplastic nylon, and the texture is identical to that of a KA-BAR's, only much rougher and harder.  At the end of the blade is the butt, it is here that a lock is placed, and it is also here that the screw to open the knife is attached.

Overall, the M9 Bayonet is a real masterpiece. Mine is the Lan-Cay M9, made from the batch of 1995. They do not produce them anymore, since Lan-Cay has since become defunct. This knife is a real looker, it has that feel of toughness and raggedness about it. Not to mention all the history behind it. As a collector's item this knife will feel right at home with the many knives that have been collected, but believe that it will stand out as one of the best of the collection. As a tool, the M9 should also outshine most of the knives that are in the market today. The best part about the knife? It is stamped with the big ol' U.S.A symbol. Made by America, for Americans. No sign of China in the production of this great knife.

I got mines for around 100$.

OVERVIEW:
* 90 - 130 $
* 12 INCH OVERALL
* 7 INCH BLADE
* .235 THICKNESS
* 420 STAINLESS STEEL
* MADE IN THE U.S.A 
* MILITARY GRADE. 
* WIRE CUTTING ABILITIES.

SOG Seal Pup

***Alright gentlemen, today I have the SOG Seal Pup, a nifty 40$ blade at Walmart that is packed with durability and edge. ***

****First the sheath. The sheath is made up of Nylon ( Option of being with Kydex for a little extra ) And has several belt loops that are able to fit into a regular belt or a MOLL-E kit. It is able to be mounted into various positions thanks to the different orientations of the belt loops. On the front, there is a pouch holder that is able to house items of your choosing, be it fire steel , sharpening stone, or perhaps an implemented survival kit. The pouch is large enough to fit a magnesium fire starter. The cover that goes over the sheath is also labeled with a huge "SOG" symbol. Overall, the sheath is great and has additional holes in the corners in which you are able to      
tie lanyard and cord.

*****On to the knife.  The blade is 4.75 inches, and it's thickness being .16 , it is also partially serrated. The blade itself is full tang and made up of AUS 8 steel ( HRC 56 - 57 ). The blade also possess a great tip, able to puncture with ease where most knives ( Like KABAR's ) will have a little more difficulty.  The whole knife is 9 inches long, with the handle being 5.25 inches. The handle is made up of GRN material. The handle is pelted with rough textures to increase grip, though the grip is already pretty solid thanks to the curvatures in the handles, which fit the fingers of the users.  At the end of the handle is also a small hole that is able to fit lanyard and para cord.

******Again, the blade is full tang , which means the durability is bolstered, and was meant to be used for survival. The great thing about it being full tang is that you are able to baton through wood with it. I have no doubt that the SOG Seal Pup is a great fixed blade survival knife, it's sharp blade and small full tang makes it ideal for long hiking trips and survival situations. It is able to take abuse, it was modeled after the much larger SEAL knives that the U.S Navy Seals supposedly used.

*******Now, it is made in Taiwan ( SOG Seal Pups  used to be made in Japan ) but nonetheless it will prove itself worthy in the field. For just 40$ at Wal-Mart, the SOG Seal Pup is a great fixed blade knife that is a great knife to have in case of an emergency or just general camp work.

OVERVIEW:
* 40 - 50 $
* AUS 8 STEEL
*  4.75 INCH BLADE
* 9 INCH OVERALL 
* GRN HANDLE
* NYLON SHEATH

BUCK 119

****Now, I have a great American classic skinning knife, which will naturally be made in America, the Buck 119 Fixed Blade Knife, from Buck.***

***As usual, I will first discuss the sheath. Now, I got my Buck 119 around April/March and it came with (I am guessing it was the first version of the sheath that was sold into the commercial market ) a nylon sheath. Now this sheath is pretty well built, it houses the Buck 119 really well and has a great "BUCK" sign on the button that is attached to the strap. It can can be worn on the belt thanks to the really wide opening. These days, the knife come with a leather sheath, rather than a nylon one, so I will infer that the leather sheath also does the job, if not even better.

*****On to the knife itself: It is a10 inch  fixed blade , meaning that it does not fold nor switch to any other form. The blade length is 6 inches, with the steel type being 420 HIGH CARBON STEEL. The blade is sharp as razor, able to shave hair from skin or slice through paper , it also holds an edge very well. Buck Knives are one of the best companies that have VERY sharp blades. There is a small blood groove on the knife which reduced the weight of the knife ( In total it weighs 7.5 ounces ). The handle is Phenolic, with the butt and guard being aluminum. To hold the knife is really comfortable, the small curvatures on the handle really makes for a solid grip.

******The look of the blade is also very stylish and mean, being painted with silver and black coating. Though with it's steel type and thickness, I would not use it to baton through wood, nor make it suffer any harsh survival work, but as a skinning and general field use knife, it will do wonders. It will be able to skin game with ease and slice through vegetables like butter. The 119 is truly a magnificent knife , I can see why there is a lifetime warranty, the blade will last a great long time if it is taken care of and handled well.

*********Considering that it is in the price range of about 45-50$ AND MADE IN THE USA , it is a great buy and will repay its price many folds in the upcoming years that it is put to use. 

OVERVIEW: BUCK 119

* 45 - 50 $

*6 INCH BLADE

* 10 1/2 OVERALL

*420 STAINLESS STEEL

*MADE IN AMERICA

*LEADER SHEATH

Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife

Now, today, I have a great knife called " Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife", the ultimate should have every knife-buyer wanting to purchase one, but does it live up to it's name?

I am going to first talk about the Sheath, it is a orange nylon sheath that houses two things : 1.) Fire Steel, and 2.) Sharpening stone. Everything with the sheath is great, the only major flaw being that the fire steel is hoisted underneath the sheath, which makes it prone to falling and thus being lost. The sheath is also colorful and very easy to spot, with traces of bright orange being painted over it. The sheath also houses the "Priorities of Survival " that details instructions on how to make it in the wild, which snugly fits in the back pockets of the sheath.

The blade measures to 4.8 inches and the whole knife being 10.0 inches. The blade is composed of high carbon steel, which is forged with equal durability and edge retention. It comes in two versions : 1.) Serrated and 2.) Fine Edge. Attached with the knife is a whistle that comes in handy if the user becomes lost and desires to make noise that would give his position. The handle is made up of a substance that can be likened to that of a rubber grip, which provides not only a solid grip, but also a comfortable hold on the knife. The handle , like the sheath, is also painted with orange and gray , which makes it very easy to spot and find when out in the wilderness.

Plain Side

Serrated Side

 Now the blade is a SEMI Full tang, which means that the blade runs about 3/4 into the handle but is not attached to the pommel. Due to this, the durability has been questioned and Gerber produced a second version ( One that is undoubtedly in the shelves of Wal-Mart, so have no fear ) which fixed many of the issues that were being had in the first version. Though it is not attached to the blade, the pommel is also strong and able to break glass or hammer in nails ,it is able to act as a hammer in the wild.

Knife with the Firesteel and Whistle.

The Knife price is around 50$ At Walmart, considering that it comes with a Gerber made knife ( made of High Carbon Steel ) containing a whistle, fire steel, sharpener, and a durable sheath, I would say that it is a bargain price and should be picked up by those who are either a fan of the Man Vs Wild show ( How cool is it to see your knife in action? ) or those are beginners in collecting knives. I say beginners because to those who have more experienced in knives and know other brands, the knife might seem inferior. It is also an ideal knife to purchase when preparing for a natural disaster, given that it is one of the cheap survival/hunting knives available in Walmart.

OVERVIEW:
* 50 $
*4.8 INCH BLADE
* 10 INCH OVERALL
* HIGH CARBON STEEL
*MADE IN TAIWAN
* SERRATED/PLAIN 
* NYLON SHEATH