Eickhorn Military Knife: Nice!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

EickhornKM3000.jpg (11.1 KiB) Viewed 3333 times

What an excellent and superb knife. Do you all like the look of it?

It has a blade of N695 Bohler stainless steel and high-quality polymer handle.

N695 is 440-like I read. Anyone familiar with it?

[Stuart Ackerman]

N695 is 440C...

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Stuart would you consider this knife and that particular steel to be "Super duper" as far as edge-holding and durability go, based on the maker and what you see of the materials?

[Dr. Snubnose]

Yes the N695 is 440C as Stuart points out ....This knife pictured is the,3000 series which is a single edged version of the original 2000 series that were issued to and became the official knife of the German Bundeswehr Armed Forces. IIRC it's a 5-6mm spine measurement on an almost 7" blade. Like all military issue,,,,when it's going to the troops...they try to kept the cost of making the knife down as well as the price for the ELU (in this case the military series 2000). 440C Holds a decent edge, there are better steels out there but to be honest I see nothing wrong with it for field use, camping etc. The knife has nice ergos, other than that I see nothing very special about this knife if I was thinking about using it as a combative weapon. The sheath is basically crap...This knife commands prices in the $200 range.....really????...a bit pricey don't you think....when for under $30.00 You could purchase a Glock Knife (Field Knife 78) (official knife of the GSG-9 Anti-Terriorist Unit in Austria) made from spring steel.... and probably be better served by it all the way around.....and in this case you get more knife than you paid for not the other way around......Doc:)

[Ignaz]

You could purchase a Glock Knife (Field Knife 78) (official knife of the GSG-9 Anti-Terriorist Unit in Austria) made from spring steel.... and probably be better served by it all the way around.....and in this case you get more knife than you paid for not the other way around......Doc:)

GSG 9 is a German unit not an Austrian one. However, I would agree on that the Glock knife probably is a better option. Quite similar but much more affordable.

[Monocrom]

Yeah.... I'd just rely on my $30 Glock 81. Or, for another $30, buy a Glock 78 for an exact version of the Eickhorn.

[hudsonhawk]

When I owned my HK91, I had an Eickhorn bayonet for it. I was always very impressed with the quality of it. Eickhorn knives are supposed to be very well thought-of in the German community from what I understand.

Very nice looking knife, but I'm suprised you went for the PE

[SpyderEdgeForever]

When I owned my HK91, I had an Eickhorn bayonet for it. I was always very impressed with the quality of it. Eickhorn knives are supposed to be very well thought-of in the German community from what I understand.

Very nice looking knife, but I'm suprised you went for the PE

I know. That did surprise me. Here is why: The serrated-edge version, has serrations that look a little too "square" to me for some reason. I am used to the serrations on Spyderco knives, like the Pacific Salt, and Rescue. I don't know why but most other serrations don't appeal to me.

Thank you for the info on the Glock knives.

[JAfromMN]

Eickhorn makes a quality knife.

I'd like to own one of there fixed blades one day . I have owned a few folders from them. Excellent fit and finish.


This is the eickhorn I've been eywballing.

http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/EI8251 ... ura-sheath" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SpyderEdgeForever]

That is a nice looking one, JA.

They also make a version of the US M7 that is very good quality.

[The Mastiff]

Hudsonhawk, me too on the HK91 and the Eickhorn bayonet. I got mine before the 86 import ban when they were still being imported and cost around $600 retail. Norinco AK's were about $200 then so it was a lot of money to me. My monthly take home was maybe $900. My wife never understood that. :)

I've had plenty of field use with bayonets. In one unit they were the only knives we were allowed to have in the barracks so I used mine for a lot of stuff. Other than being used as a bayonet it isn't the best design for most of my uses but it can be made to work for many. Thick blades at low hardness weren't the best cutters but it sure beat fingernails or teeth.

Ours weren't as pretty as that Eickhorn either.

[Dr. Snubnose]

You could purchase a Glock Knife (Field Knife 78) (official knife of the GSG-9 Anti-Terriorist Unit in Austria) made from spring steel.... and probably be better served by it all the way around.....and in this case you get more knife than you paid for not the other way around......Doc:)

GSG 9 is a German unit not an Austrian one. However, I would agree on that the Glock knife probably is a better option. Quite similar but much more affordable.

Thanks Ignaz, I missed that one while typing.....meant to say (official knife of the GSG-9...Unit) made in Austria from Spring Steel.....Anyhow...I stand corrected...TY...Doc:)

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I've had plenty of field use with bayonets. In one unit they were the only knives we were allowed to have in the barracks so I used mine for a lot of stuff. Other than being used as a bayonet it isn't the best design for most of my uses but it can be made to work for many. Thick blades at low hardness weren't the best cutters but it sure beat fingernails or teeth.

Ours weren't as pretty as that Eickhorn either.

Question: Is the reason why they make them at low hardness is for better toughness and flexibility, at the cost of not holding an edge as well?

Also, if a modern soldier in the US Armed forces was given one of the old time bayonets, purely as a field-knife, I mean one of the old early 1900s type knife bayonets, as a field knife (obviously it wouldn't fit the modern rifle barrels), would they probably allow them to carry it and use it?

[The Mastiff]

Question: Is the reason why they make them at low hardness is for better toughness and flexibility, at the cost of not holding an edge as well?

Yep. They also usually have a lower carbon steel. Spring steels. Some of the old time WW1 era bayonets I've encountered were case hardened and soft inside. No real edge is possible compared to the edges we talk about here anyways.

Also, if a modern soldier in the US Armed forces was given one of the old time bayonets, purely as a field-knife, I mean one of the old early 1900s type knife bayonets, as a field knife (obviously it wouldn't fit the modern rifle barrels), would they probably allow them to carry it and use it?

If issued, sure. I never saw one issued and I saw Korean war era stuff in 1980.

There was essentially a feeling of not trusting your troops with your career. Trouble comes easy in the military. The Blame game. One bad performance appraisal can sink a career. Criminal charges aren't needed. This led to a general feeling of not trusting subordinates much. If they only are allowed to have issued equipment which they are trained on then that can keep some maladjusted private snuffy from doing something sad or obscene to himself and your career. Or lesser the chance you are held responsible if the guy had something he knew was contraband and knew he was violating regs. That puts the blame on Pvt. Snuffy and not his superiors.

In the military every F U will have someone that gets blamed. Everyone knows in theory a coincidence is possible but no one has ever seen one. On up the line everyone reviewing an incident feels like "if I don't blame someone else then someone above me may pin the blame on me". That viewpoint is unfortunately all too prevalent in peacetime units. In deployed areas in combat units things are a lot different. Much more trust and responsibility however still the default to the blame game if something goes bad and it's caught on camera by someone.

One thing everyone hears during there terms is "someone is going to burn for this" which is said and repeated usually jokingly over even silly stuff like not emptying trash cans or making lousy coffee. :) It's just part of the culture and if you just do your job and avoid things you know are wrong there really isn't trouble. I never got in trouble once nor did most of the people I know.

I have a cousin who is retired Special Forces and over 30 years service and even when someone from the family does something like showing up late for dinner he looks at me and says" someone is gonna burn for this" as our private joke.



joe

[RexGig0]

The Eickhorn dagger that really got my attention was the FS2000, which has some characteristics quite faithful to the Fairbairn-Sykes design, but the distal part of the blade a bit more like that of the Gerber Mark II. I did not like it so much, immediately, but then its balance and handling qualities grew on me, to the degree I decided I liked it enough I wanted a "pair and a spare," and ordered two more, as these are a limited run.

I could, definitely, see myself carrying an FS2000, at least some of the time, in places that daggers are legal. (In Texas, where peace officers are generally exempt from the weapons portion of the Penal Code, I can carry a dagger, now, though at nearly 32 years of service, I am in the twilight of my career, and am searching for the perfect all-around knife with a single-edged blade just under 5.5" in length.)

[RexGig0]

Eickhorn makes a quality knife.

I'd like to own one of there fixed blades one day . I have owned a few folders from them. Excellent fit and finish.


This is the eickhorn I've been eywballing.

http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/EI8251 ... ura-sheath" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

JA, that link does lead to a quite nice-looking blade! Both the KM3000 and Recondo are quite interesting.

[awa54]

Best bayonet steel I have seen is the Swedish ones from WWI and WWII era. great steel, decent grind (though as issued the edge was useless for anything but stabbing), however the tube steel handle makes what would otherwise be a very decent camp knife fairly useless due to the terrible handle ergos.