Combat knife - the basis of survival in battle or atavism

05 February 2021 10:25

Tags: knives, weapons  

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A combat knife is designed taking into account its priority function - destroying the enemy. The design of these weapons varies depending on the requirements of a particular special unit, but, ideally, a combat knife should meet several basic requirements that allow a fighter to use it in the most effective way. In this article we will present ten types of the most famous and most popular combat knives, which are still in service with some

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Bowie knife

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A typical weapon of the modern redneck, invented by a veteran of the Texas Revolution, Colonel James Bowie. This huge cleaver, with a cross-shaped guard, was loved to be carried by Crocodile Dundee in the film of the same name. A knife is not very convenient to use as a combat weapon - unless you are suddenly transported to the Middle Ages, where you simply cannot do without a sword

Combat knives and other edged weapons

The most common individual combat weapon is the combat knife. This is a melee weapon, proven over the centuries, that remains relevant today. It is universal in use, it can be used to survive in extreme conditions and be used as a means of self-defense.

All knives are required to be certified before being placed on store shelves. It is worth knowing that hunting knives and knives for household use may have virtually no external differences. To classify a knife as a bladed weapon, it has not one, but a number of distinctive features, which include the presence of a saw, fullers and lugs, the hardness of the blade and its length, shock teeth and spine thickness .

A knife that is recognized as a hunting or bladed weapon can only be sold if the buyer has a permit to carry a firearm and a certificate giving the right to hunt. Only after receiving the necessary package of documents can you purchase a real hunting or combat knife.

According to the law, bladed weapons do not include sports equipment, such as darts and javelins, household items - penknives and kitchen knives, and knives for industrial purposes. These products can be easily purchased at any specialized store.

Blade materials

A hunting or combat knife is usually made of high-carbon or specially rolled steel by cold or hot stamping . There are also forged knives. Imported knives are usually marked with the designation “high carbon steel”. The less carbon contained in the steel, the softer it is, therefore, in hunting and combat knives, the carbon content (C) plays an important role - high-carbon steel holds an edge better.

When the carbon content in a knife is more than 2%, the steel becomes unforged, so in the best examples the figure reaches 1.2%, while cheaper models contain 0.6-0.8%. To protect steel from corrosion and increase its wear resistance and other useful properties, impurities of other metals are added to it. To make steel stainless (marked “stainless”), a small amount of nickel is added, for resistance to chemicals - vanadium, for increased wear resistance - chromium .

When choosing a knife, you must first pay attention to the elasticity and hardness of the blade. The hardness of steel is measured using the Rockwell hardness scale in HRC units , and the blade is marked accordingly.

A good blade should have a hardness of about 58-62 HRC , and a value below 55 HRS for knives for combat and hunting purposes is undesirable, with the exception of models made of three-layer steel, when the hard layer is between two soft ones. This technology is used in Scandinavian countries so that the knife can be sharpened on any stone. It is worth noting that until the 10th century, this technology was also used in Rus'. As the outer layers are worn away, the blade of such a knife sharpens itself.

The elasticity of steel is an indicator that determines the load that can be applied to the blade without causing destruction or deformation . The best blades can bend at least 25% without breaking if first clamped in a vise. Of course, it is impossible to conduct such a test when purchasing a knife, but you can always ask a consultant to familiarize you with the technical characteristics of the product.

Damascus steel deserves special attention, and only some highly specialized stores can boast of such items. Blades made from real Damascus steel were made by casting in the Middle East back in the Middle Ages, but in our time the original recipe has been forgotten.

In the modern world, Damascus steel is a bunch of steel rods forged into strips of varying carbon content. The strips are then twisted and forged again, after which they are welded together. A blade is forged from the resulting metal. It turns out that the steel is forged throughout its entire volume, as a result it is very strong and flexible.

also deserves special attention - the forged strips are twisted into a pattern , and the more stripes used, the more intricate the pattern turns out. Damask has variations from single stripe to six stripe, or pink. As an example of the excellent quality of Damascus steel, one can cite a case when steel nails were chopped with a knife, after which not a single notch remained on it.

The structure of a combat knife

The main structural elements of a knife are the blade, handle, crosshair and pommel. However, there are also those in which traditional parts are missing or have an unusual shape. For example, a Finnish knife does not have a crosshair, while a push-dagger knife has a handle located across the blade for ease of delivering boxing strikes.

The crosshair may have a combat rest, when a figured or straight transverse plate protrudes from one or both sides . For convenience, a cutout for the index finger is often made under the stop in the handle. Some models, such as those from Helle, also have a rest for the little finger, and Gerber knives have a second front rest.

The cutting edge of the blade is called the blade, the blunt edge is called the butt, and the flat edge is called the blade . In cross section, the canvas can be: - wedge-shaped (triangle in cross-section); — double wedge (pentagon); - a wedge with an eyeliner (a pentagon whose long sides are concave).

Some knives have a saw or a shock tooth of a wavy or triangular shape on the butt, which makes it possible to inflict lacerations. The parts of the blade that taper towards the tip are called bevels .

Often there are valleys on the blade - these are longitudinal grooves that allow the blade to increase lateral rigidity and facilitate the release of blood if the weapon is not removed from the wound. In simple language, valleys are called blood flows; the word came into Russian from the German Blutrinnen as a literal translation. The upper bevel of the blade in many models is also sharpened, which improves its piercing characteristics and allows you to deliver cutting blows even with the hand moving backwards.

The sharpening angle of the blade of a combat knife should be 25 degrees, plus or minus five degrees.

The part of the knife handle that is grasped with the palm is called the back, and the part that is grasped with the fingers is called the belly . Often there are rounded cutouts on the abdomen for ease of fingers. A knife with a smooth handle, which has a narrowing toward the pommel and crosshair, is less likely to constrain your hand.

There are three types of handles for knives - solid, stacked, and made of applied plates. In the first two cases, the knife is butted or mounted, in the third - cloaked or crypted. Natural materials are used to make handles - dense wood, horn, birch bark, leather or bone.

The structure of a combat knife: 1 - butt; 2 - dollar; 3 — guard (crosshair); 4 — false blade; 5 - blade; 6 — handle; 7 - top.

As a rule, a wooden handle is made from exotic types of wood, oak, beech, walnut or hornbeam. Materials that are too hard have the disadvantage of too little impact resistance, which is why some handles are made of leather. However, after a certain period of use, it becomes saturated with moisture and blood, after which it loses its appearance and stretches. This is an important point for knife collectors who love expensive and rich finishes.

However, the undoubted advantage of set knives made of birch bark and leather is elasticity , which is why they do not slip in the hand when cutting or stabbing when the handle becomes covered with fat or blood.

The metal handle is unsuitable in winter conditions. However, thanks to modern technologies in the field of chemistry, there are already materials that have the advantages of natural ones, without including their disadvantages. Kraton polymer , which was developed specifically for the manufacture of handles for combat knives, does not slip at all in the hand when wet or greasy.

Combat Knife 6x9 “Warrior”

As stated above, the “Ratnik” combat equipment is equipped with a multifunctional combat knife. This edged weapon of increased strength is suitable for both close combat and throwing at a target.

Combat knife "Ratnik" ShN-2 6x9 -1, designed to destroy enemy personnel and service dogs; damaging enemy equipment, cutting hoses, ropes, ripping a uniform before bandaging a wounded soldier, cutting wire, breaking tempered glass and for many small and large tasks - in battle and in the everyday life of a modern soldier.

Components of the 6x9 combat knife “Ratnik”

The NB-2 6x9 combat knife is supplied to the Russian army in the following configuration

• The combat knife “Ratnik” itself;
• a sheath with wire cutters and a diamond stone for sharpening the blade;
• case for carrying a knife;
• safety cord;
• strap with quick release for wearing on the leg.

This is quite enough for everyday use of a knife by a soldier in a combat situation and on vacation. Naturally, the tactical and technical characteristics of this bladed weapon help with the survival of a soldier behind enemy lines and in the wild.

Tactical - technical characteristics of a 6x9 combat knife (TTX)

This type of modern weapon has excellent performance characteristics. The tactical and technical characteristics are as follows:

1. The “Ratnik” combat knife can withstand up to 100 kg of load applied to the middle of the blade. That is, if you fasten the knife blade along its entire length and press on the middle, it will withstand at least a hundredweight of load;
2. knife length - 281mm;
3. weight of the knife when fully assembled is 700g;
4. Dimensions of the combat knife including the sheath (dimensions): 330 mm (length) x 70 mm (width) x 35 mm (thickness).
5. The time it takes to remove the knife from the sheath is about 2 seconds;
6. Blade thickness - 5 mm;
7. The blade of the Ratnik combat knife is treated with an anti-reflective coating. This is so as not to hand over a warrior on a sabotage mission at night. This characteristic of the “Ratnik” knife was one of the main ones when drawing up technical specifications for the manufacturer from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Blade steel 95X18. This is an analogue of steels 420 and 440. Very durable. Sharpens well. Anti-corrosion.

Bayonet ShN-2 “Ratnik”. Tactical technical characteristics - performance characteristics

The ShN-2 Bayonet differs from the combat knife from the “Ratnik” kit only in that it is equipped with a mount on the barrel of a machine gun. And it has some differences in size and weight.

• Overall dimensions of the bayonet-knife together with the sheath - 35x85x340mm;
• Weight of the bayonet - 325 grams;
• Blade width - 30 mm;
• Blade thickness - 5mm;
• Weight of the bayonet with sheath is 750 grams
• The removal time from the sheath is about 2 seconds.

Possibility of using combat knives

For a soldier, a knife serves not only as a tool for silently eliminating the enemy, but also as a multifunctional working tool. Moreover, in most cases this is not a forced measure, but an opportunity initially built into the design. And here are just some of the possible ways to use a combat knife.

Preparing a firing position

Accuracy and efficiency of actions are important here. The fighter must clear as quickly as possible the space for firing, both natural, for example, tree branches and bushes, and artificial, for example, curtains, if the firing point is located in a building. In some cases, you can use a knife to remove excess soil, but only high-strength blades are suitable for such work.

Freedom from various hindrances

The knife will help you quickly cut tangled lines and ropes used when landing and descending on vertical surfaces. To do this, it is better to use special knives with a saw edge on the butt.

Clearing underwater space

For combat swimmers and paratroopers, sabotage groups and other units in contact with water, a knife often becomes the only effective weapon. With its help, you can not only silently, without attracting attention, eliminate enemy submariners, but also quickly get out of fishing nets. The latter are often found in coastal waters, and getting out of them is quite difficult. It is not easy to break a strong fishing line, but a sharp knife copes with this task perfectly.