View Full Version : MOD Issue Knife
bigjackbrass
16-09-2003, 01:33
Surprisingly a search through the forum turned up nothing on the MOD issue field knife. Has anyone used these? The very brief descriptions on the sites offering them for sale seem to suggest that the knife is very robust, but I wonder if that means they're a bit clunky for bushcraft.
A bit clunky would be being very generous.
They give sharpened(ish) pry bars a bad name :-D
They make a good bludgeon, or ballast.
bigjackbrass
16-09-2003, 15:37
Ah, I take it we're not exactly looking at a knife you could shave with. Thanks for the info.
Justin Time
16-09-2003, 22:20
good for batonning, splits wood nicely
Justin
I assume we're talking about the Wilkinson Sword issue MOD Survival Knife. It's been around for years and is really a small machete :-) - so much too big and clumsy for bushcraft uses. I found them very hard to sharpen and swopped mine for something more useful. Don't waste your money unless you want it for the military pose value :lol:
Ted W
bigjackbrass
19-09-2003, 20:22
Actually, I would gladly spend extra just to avoid the military pose value. Thanks for the tips, I think I can safely cross this one off my list of possibles.
don't know about military pose value. but i'd say the MOD knife is more of a hand axe than a short machete. i don't think that wilkies are the current contractors though.
i have a wilkinson D pattern knife, it's an excellent tool. the MOD knife works within it's design constraints. no it certainly isn't much cop at detailed whittling. but then your average puukko isn't much cop at heavy chopping...
cheers, and.
Like everything has an intended use, this knife is designed to be an all rounder although I carry one of these as well as a four inch bladed knife, as I have enough common sense to realise that the mod knife is more suited to heavy work including digging holes, and for the finer work the smaller knife is better suited.
The mod knife has a very good quality high carbon steel blade of which sharpens beautifully if you use a corse diamond card first and then a 800 grit waterstone gives a very useable edge, if however like me you are a sharpening nut you could finnish off with a 6000 grit waterstone and have a finish that you can shave with.
There are now two versions of this knife the original wooden handled one and the new black fibre version, other than the handles there is no differance other than the price the latter is approx £10 dearer.
The best place to locate these is via the manufacturer based in shefield there web address is www.sheffieldknives.co.uk
I find this knife a great asset, and so should you providing that you dont try to use it beond its limitations, and for the price you cant beat it, I bought mine second hand at a militaria fair for £10 and as far as robustness with a blade 7" x 2" x 1/4" thick it makes a bloody good pry bar, the only thing that I have done to mine is to whip the handle with para cord as the riveted handle can be uncomfortable for prolonged use.
I hope that this response is of use to you, if you need any more info let me know.
Chopper.
gurushaun
28-09-2003, 16:06
Has anyone seen one of the older Wilkinson knives? Flat ground, with a shaped handle (similar in shape to the SLR bayonet handle), I've seen them in books but never found one in the flesh.
Cheers
Shaun
hi gurushaun,
the knife you refer to might be the one i've got, the wilky D pattern. but it's a full convex rather than flat grind.
it's excellent, but lacks the fine tip for small whittling projects.
cheers and.
gurushaun
06-10-2003, 14:12
Sargey
Yep, that sounds like it, the piccies that I've seen show a different grind profile to the current issue, but I did'nt know it was convex, makes it even more desirable :yikes: .
Cheers
Shaun
gurushaun
18-10-2003, 02:20
BJB
From other forums I'm aware of a little of yor past (FFL?), but where did you pick up that Wilkie D? I'm really keen to get one.
Cheers
Shaun
bjb or sargey?
i got mine on a flying visit to my favourite knife shop, framar knives in blackburn. http://www.framarknives.co.uk/ i was dropping off or collecting my darling beloved from manchester airport, it seemed rude not to pop in and treat myself. it was in a sorry state though. took a fair bit of TLC to restore it.
which other forums do you read?
cheers, and.
gurushaun
20-10-2003, 01:47
:oops: , Sorry Sargey
I read a lot of the US survival/woodsy/self reliance forums SRKW, outdoor forums, Plainsmans... anything interesting really :mrgreen: Tanks for letting me know I guess I'll have to keep working the militaria sites.
Cheers
Shaun
ChrisKavanaugh
22-10-2003, 23:15
The Mk4 is very similar to the Martindale para machete in profile. It has a very soft Rockwell of 52 and simple carbon steel with a small percentile of nickel. I reprofiled one with a fine mill ******* file and diamond hones in short order. I locked myself in a derelict caravan and proceeded to pick a fight with it. The Mk4 chopped and pryed an egress in @ 15 minutes. This was a hardwood frame, plywood and aluminium skinnned affair with unknown electrical and plumbing lines in side the walls. I tried to spark a metal match without success. I then split a seasoned oak billet and started a fire with matches. By this time the Mk4's edge was an utter disaster,my hands brutalised from the handle and left handed sheath still horrid. About sunset the caravan suddenly colapsed in on itself.
hiya chris, how're you doing?
cheers, and.
ChrisKavanaugh
23-10-2003, 02:27
Hey Sargey, thought I would pop in and tell some new lies here. We have 3 major brushfires, a grocery market strike and some Austrian bodybuilder taking over as Gaulieter,er Governor of California. Makes me want to take a Sir Richard Burton survival kit ( brally-sp-, cigar ,claret and sabre) and run for the Arizona border.
RAPPLEBY2000
03-12-2003, 01:29
i have had a "D" MOD survival knife! :-D
i already had a folding gerber knife, but i wanted something bomb proof for other camp tasks.
i have used several different knifes in my life but none seem as reliable as the D.
the tasks i use mine for are:
chopping wood to size for shelters
digging turf
banging wooden DIY pegs in the ground
stripping small twigs from large branches
cutting points onto wood.
i have made a 6" wooden tent peg with my "D" in about 2 minutes!
also pot holders and a fire bow kit.
it is as someone has mentioned a hand axe of sorts, but with some patience you can do finer work.
i have my lock knife for really tricky stuff.
as for the "army" looks, well theres not actually much to see, the knife has a wooden handle, the blade colour is matt black and the sheath is pretty boring plain leather.
you can't wear it in public anyway! :roll:
The MOD survival knife was made by a committee and doesn't know what it wants to be. They weigh a ton but you can - literally - drive a tank over them. Personally, if I've got a job that needs a small axe, I'll get a small axe. I guess they'd be excellent with a baton but I still reckon they're too big for normal camp work.
I have to say, I've never seen anyone in the military actually carry one.
Cheers,
Mike
RAPPLEBY2000
03-12-2003, 19:20
i'm not sure if they are still on issue today but certainly they were a RAF survival item for a long time which has now changed to an axe.
aparently they were first designed for pilots to hack thier way out of spitfires! so it's been around a while!
i have certainly seen one or two pictures of the knife in use and carried.
once on a royal marine on excersize in norway and several in the hands or kit of special forces.
i just like it cos i know that even i can't break it! :roll:
I think they are still in issue to the MOD. this is not howevere the only knife that is used by the MOD. The SAS and SBS have a smaller knife 6 inch blade with a clip point, which is i believe the same blade as the knife i use (mine has a leather handle not rubber) and this is very easy to use and is light and well balanced :lol:
RAPPLEBY2000
31-12-2003, 18:38
do you know what the SAS version is called ?
or do you have a picture?
Matt Langley
31-12-2003, 20:48
I must say that I've never handled a MOD Survival Knife but at the prices I've seen them at I can imagine them being pretty useless as a large knife simply because at that price the steel with either be too soft to keep a good edge or too hard to be useful for impact and prying work.
If any of you are looking for a small chopper, something between a small/fine blade and an axe, let's say 7.5" or 9.5", try Swamp Rat Knife Works. They're the best you'll find for the money, great quality and might well fill a niche in your kit. Ever heard of Busse? Well it's basically the same company but different steel and a different price tag. Considering the current exchange rate you'll find these knives quite cheap compared to the Woodlore and Wilkinson Sword knives alot fo you own (but they do serve a different purpose, obviously).
www.swamprat.com
Matt
i remember trying to chop a small tree down in norway for a centre pole for a tent with an MOD issue knife and it would have been easier and quicker to walk to sweden and borrow something from the GB factory ,i couldnt believe how useless it was,i suppose it would be ok if you wanted to trip an elephant up tho but thats about it in my opinion :-D
Colin KC
31-12-2003, 21:28
Anybody with any sense can see that these are not terribly efficient tools & Soldiers (of all types) are certainly no exception! I feel sure that very few of them achully use the damn thing (cos it is achully useless :wink: )
busse knives???? :lol:
where's the gob 'n' spit icon???
it's a very long story, but in 18 months time there'll be a busse knife worth carrying in the field!!! :lol: just ask lynn thompson!
sargey, falling off his delux office chair laughing icon!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
cheers, and.
Colin KC
01-01-2004, 03:30
sargey, is that a 2002 New Year message Frm Lynn Thompson?
'Cos Infi steel beats anything that Lynn has produced for the last year at least!
& Swamp Rat Knives are now producing superior blades To Cold Steel's at their best! (believe me, I'm a looong term Trailie fan (of ALL types & have one of each :-D ) BUT Even I'M not averse to moving with the times :roll: )
Col, & Happy New year :wink:
MOD survival knife is a beastie indeed I have seen it used by Marines in boat troops. I have seen it used by engineers especially on searched/clearances and I have seen it included in survival kits for aircraft.
Personally i owned one for a long time but found it to heavy and 'chucky' for a plain old footslogger. And experience has taught me that youd be better off with a good 'standard' knife of sensible size and a hatchet as oppossed to the MOD knife.
hiya col, that was an extract form a "you had to have been there" moment.
it occoured to me that busse knives have been so entrenched in an "our knives are the toughest" train of thought, much like cold steel once was. but now i notice there's a swamp rat knife only 1/8" thick, so i wonder if busse will follow suit. and will we see advertising blurb from busse like "it's only 1.5mm across the spine so it's a real slicer" the same sort of evolution that cold steel went through years ago. :lol:
cheers, and.
That's the thing with Busse knives. I always fancied getting meself a satin jack, the knife *looks* nice, but really, 1/4" thick steel - what use is it beyond a weapon/pry-bar? A chopper? It probably weighs more than a small gransfors. A slicer? Not unless you like your tomatoes bludgeoned in half.
(Hey Gary, your link is dead to your bearclaw site - I'm getting a DNS error)
how do i put a picture of it up here anyway?
RAPPLEBY2000
01-01-2004, 22:00
:rant: well i love mine ...so there!
the best damn knife iv'e ever had!
I'm taking it that this is the monkey you're referring to
http://www.city2city.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/moteng/images/SH71685.jpg
You can pick these up online from Penrith Survival for about 30 quid. I own one and it's not bad. The steel holds a decent edge and it's great for heavy chopping. The only fault with it is that it's very heavy, doesn't do fine work and the edges on the handle need to be filed smooth for comfort. Other than that, it's bombproof :-)
the SAS caryy this one but they have a rubber handle on it instead of the leather. made from the same blank though
http://www.faceparty.com/member_zoom.asp?member_id=1954 628&member_name=england_wonder&img_id=4600855
I love my MOD knife ok it's a lil on the heavy side but I find the wieght reasuring and I can do most of the chores I need to with it.
The handle needs sanding down because of the groove along the tang and Ive added ranger bands over the rivets as they can also creat problems over extended use.
For £30 if your buying I'd say well worth the money, mine cost me just 3hrs of my time and I havent felt the need to buy a fixed blade to replace it, OK I also carry a folder when out for the jobs it's to big for but from what I read most people carry 2/3 blades anyway depending on the jobs they need to do.
ditchfield
25-01-2004, 20:11
When you say "I havent felt the need to buy a fixed blade to replace it", do you mean that this is your only fixed blade? If so, I recomend you try something thinner like a Mora. Then you will see the light :-D.
Great Pebble
25-01-2004, 21:18
I used one for years and despite having played with all sorts of expensive and attractive steel, never replaced it with another fixed blade.
Until I did.
Mek!
I love my MOD knife ok it's a lil on the heavy side but I find the wieght reasuring and I can do most of the chores I need to with it.
The handle needs sanding down because of the groove along the tang and Ive added ranger bands over the rivets as they can also creat problems over extended use.
For £30 if your buying I'd say well worth the money, mine cost me just 3hrs of my time and I havent felt the need to buy a fixed blade to replace it, OK I also carry a folder when out for the jobs it's to big for but from what I read most people carry 2/3 blades anyway depending on the jobs they need to do.
Hey Smudge.... What's a "Ranger Band"?? :shock:
Ranger bands are wide, thick rubber bands, kinda similar to bits of inner tube.
giancarlo
27-01-2004, 22:56
Dave, it's like big rubber bands, for attaching "stuff".......to umm "stuff"
here explains it better:
http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips___Tricks/RANGER_BANDS/body_ranger_bands.html
Ahhh Bits of mountain bike inner tube !! I'm enlightened :-)
Sorry I didnt get to you in time Dave but yeah thats how I did it cheap and effective.
Powderburn
28-01-2004, 19:31
I'm still amazed that some people actually pay money for "Ranger Bands." :roll: I walked into a bike shop last summer and asked for an old inner tube. The guy looked at me funny, but offered as many as I wanted.
I had one of these knives issued to me in the RAF
I sharpened it , smoothed the splinters off the handle and made it really nice
Of course someone pinched it off me but never mind eh :twisted:
Of course someone pinched it off me but never mind eh
Ahhh - the bugger had yours as well?
they cost about £40 where i live is thius a good price
£36 with leather sheath or £42.50 with cordura sheath +P&P, at http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/banner.asp?companyid=55
i tell a lie £36. the guy at the shop says he has loads of seconds that i can play with
Like everything has an intended use, this knife is designed to be an all rounder although I carry one of these as well as a four inch bladed knife, as I have enough common sense to realise that the mod knife is more suited to heavy work including digging holes, and for the finer work the smaller knife is better suited.
The mod knife has a very good quality high carbon steel blade of which sharpens beautifully if you use a corse diamond card first and then a 800 grit waterstone gives a very useable edge, if however like me you are a sharpening nut you could finnish off with a 6000 grit waterstone and have a finish that you can shave with.
There are now two versions of this knife the original wooden handled one and the new black fibre version, other than the handles there is no differance other than the price the latter is approx £10 dearer.
The best place to locate these is via the manufacturer based in shefield there web address is www.sheffieldknives.co.uk
I find this knife a great asset, and so should you providing that you dont try to use it beond its limitations, and for the price you cant beat it, I bought mine second hand at a militaria fair for £10 and as far as robustness with a blade 7" x 2" x 1/4" thick it makes a bloomin good pry bar, the only thing that I have done to mine is to whip the handle with para cord as the riveted handle can be uncomfortable for prolonged use.
I hope that this response is of use to you, if you need any more info let me know.
http://www.yoxio.com/images.php?id=15631
http://www.yoxio.com/images.php?id=15632
Nice looking kit ... and a well used looking firesteel! :-D
Great setup!
im not sure if they include postage.
Great Pebble
01-03-2004, 13:10
Silly question.... The lanyard that's attatched to the knife, I've seen it before on other blades, sometimes even more elaborately done.
Know I know they teach kids to do things like that in primary school these days, but how is it done? Is there a web page somewhere with an idiots guide?
Nick in Belfast
giancarlo
01-03-2004, 13:13
Peb, Stew posted a few links in this thread:
http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/community/viewtopic.php?t=650
Not sure how good they are, seen a few other posts in here about those types of knot. couldn't find them though :(
Its actually called a chain knot or a drum knot.
I have looked for the destruction on how to tie it but no luck as yet if I find a site that covers it I will post it for you.
Its actually called a chain knot or a drum knot.
I have looked for the destruction on how to tie it but no luck as yet if I find a site that covers it I will post it for you.
Do you mean one of these?Click on Knots in left frame, then Daisy Chain (http://www.virtualinks.com/knotlist.htm#CHAIN)
Thats the bugger.
Create a loop, then pull the cord through the loop and just keep repeating,
if you have got it right when you pull both loose ends it should untie. :-D
We used to use that "knot" for packing away parascending canopy rigging lines