Military Combat Knife

[JRB]

He will probably be issued a Gerber multi-tool. In my 14 years of fobbit life I've been issued at least four of them.
I don't have an SKU, but the fancier larger model Multi-tool with the front sight post adjuster also had a flathead blade that's closer to what you want for an M68 CCO or ACOG to adjust those sights. I've seen them and been jealous, but I've never seen one of those issued. So that's a good idea IMHO if you want a truly utilitarian gift.

If you want to buy him a high quality fixed blade knife, I'd second @blues and his recommendation of Carothers Performance Knives (CPK).
They are incredibly high quality custom and semi-custom knives . The specific Delta 3V steel and heat treat used by the maker makes every other knife I've ever owned look like a flimsy butter knife.
My father is hopelessly addicted to custom knives, and he gifted me a CPK 'Utility Fighter' or UF before my turbo-fobbit deployment in 2019. While I never used it to slit throats, I used it to great effect cutting apart basically everything that ever needed cutting, including the hopelessly tangled and destroyed flight webbing over an ISU-90 container of ours. That webbing is some seriously stout stuff. The guy at the CRSP yard left to get bolt cutters to cut it and by the time he got back with them, I'd done half of that webbing by hand with the CPK and it showed no signs of getting dull, which left him and a USAF E6 TSgt there astonished.
It's a knife that I found useful both in size and design for utility stuff, but I'd quite happily carry it into harm's way as well.

Another suggestion I'd make is a Clinch Pick or a Moore BoB or similar small fighting knife, and a trip to an ECQC class.
It's stupid easy to hide a clinch pick in an IOTV or on a beltline in uniform, and it'll be an ever-present entangled fighting weapon that weighs basically nothing and takes up very little space.

[Joe S]

ZT350 for a folder

for a fixed blade . . . something like an ESEE Izula or 3" model.

Distinct from multi-tools which are wildly popular and used a lot.

I have an Izula that gets used a ton both around the house and outside. Really good little blade for the money. It can also operate similar to a Clinch Pick with some training as mentioned above. They come in stainless now, different options for handles/blade coatings.

[Super77]

Spyderco Paramilitary 3 is the one I’ve settled on after 17 years of combat arms. Along with a Leatherman.

A big fixed blade is kind of heavy and cumbersome, but something 3”-4”, ideally stainless, and light weight might actually get carried. ESEE is well regarded.

[PNWTO]

If I could re-do my kit while I was getting paid to LARP in other countries it would include a CQC-7/8 and a Shivworks Push Dagger. Most of the bases are covered while maximizing the bang:buck ratio.

Best bang:buck combo would simply be a Delica and the push dagger. The “Rambo knife” is pretty useless, and heavy, for most things.

[Arbninftry]

I have an Emerson and don’t recommend them for anyone who is not L handed. The grind is on the wrong side for righties and my personal experience with customer service didn’t leave me feeling taken care of.

They have several different grinds. Try a V grind. you may like it. Versus a different grind.

[WobblyPossum]

A quality multi-tool for everyday tasks and a Shivworks Push Dagger for defensive use while wearing armor would get my vote. I like to add velcro to both sides of the push dagger sheath and then attach the sheath under the front flap of my body armor, with the handle facing left for a left handed draw. I learned this from Craig and found it easy to deploy in practice during entangled rifle instruction. Much lighter and easier to carry than the larger fixed blades.

[rcbusmc24]

20 years of USMC Infantry. Pocket folders and multi tools are very useful. Big sheath knives are dumb shit that boots carry out to the field the first time, then never again. All of us have one or many stuffed in gear bins in the garage or basement though.... A multi head screwdriver set is gold when deployed. As are tools like small pry bars. All a knife does is slay MRE bags and cut paracord. You don't want to hump around a sheath knife for that.

[Moshjath]

US Army Infantryman since '06, enlisted and officer. I've bought everything from a KABAR to a Gerber LMF II to a nice zero tolerance folder. These days I'm a fan of a leatherman multi-tool on my kit, and on my belt in my ACU's I always have a buck 110 in a leather sheath. I use it almost exclusively for opening MRE's, cutting 100mph or electrical tape, and cutting quarter inch cotton webbing for the upper tie down tape on a MAWC when doing Jumpmaster stuff.

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Probably a stupid question. Do you guys still have comm wire?