There is some interest on the Busse Forum over a Tac Vest knife and Jerry has offered to make something up for a couple of SWAT guys. My thoughts are that in the DMCG Dan probably has the most popular design so far...out of the existing range of current knives...and allowing for the take up by troops such as our own "Reconseed"....but if you could improve on it what would you do?

My thoughts would be to start with the DMCG below...



Extend the back of the finger choil at the base to create a deeper finger guard and have this slightly longer with a cross sectional inverted "U" grinded into the base so that it could be placed over Barb Wire on a post and batoned to cut through the wire. It would also serve as a "quillion stop" so the hand could not slide forward onto the edge. The depth needs to be enough to go through wire and leave clearnace before catching the main edge and would serve to protect it. Barb Wire is a constant hassle for me whether moving around on roof tops or even simply "in theatre". It could also be used as a strike point for a ferro rod. One of the guys posting said this type of feature was needed to enable some protection whilst stabbing...I don't really think along the same lines here...I have stabbed lots of Deer in the chest to bleed them out after shooting them and have not found a quillion necessary on my hunting knives...but hey...whatever the why's and where for's...it would serve to offer that bit more protection.

I believe it has been debated before as to whether a pommel can be added to a knife so that it extends through the Res C and Dan has said it is very hard to do....that is fine by me...I use the flat of the blade for tasks like that and it works fine.

For me I would then leave it as is....maybe I would prefer a differentially tempered SR101 steel...and just a slightly longer handle for bigger hands...but that is it for me. The over all length needs to come in at 10 inches or slightly less. What are your thoughts?

If anyone can photo-shop my thoughts I would be very interested <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I don't even have a Tac Vest and never had one, but wouldn't the Scrapper 5 make a good knife to carry on a vest?

Are they talking about IBA or body armor? A small knife like DM or S-5 would work great!!!

I would think the Scrapper 5 is too thin.

When I was in the Army we had the LBE suspenders and butt packs and flak jackets, but now they have these vests with all kinds of attachment loops called MOLLE, or some such. I guess the body armor goes under that? They wear so much stuff they move as slow as I do, and I'm a fat old man. I think they carry knives on those vests like some infantry guys carried theirs on their suspenders. The smaller 5" pilot survival knife was popular for carry that way.
Not being familiar with the new stuff, I don't really know, but it would seem that a nice light 5" blade like the Scrapper 5 would be ideal.

It is as thick or thicker than the issue Ka-Bars or AF knives. I know some soldiers carry the Benchmade fixed blade.

Well I presently use my RMD and the S5 would be fine...but there is a tendancy on these "types" of knives to have a "prybar" application at times...hence the DMCG seems to be a bit more popular....or so it seems from those in the US who have posted and who advise they are "operators" or whatever the right buzz word is....

You need to see the Busse "post" I guess...but after some suggestions were thrown around....the Scrapyard's DMCG seemed to glean a few more mentions than other knives...or so it seemed.

I agree though that the Scrapper 5 would be an ideal choice...especially an LE if in Infi...or there would be the SS4....but these are rarely up on the exchange....as are some of the others mentioned...like the SHBA...

Personally for me such a knife which had one or two modifications to tackle some of the common obstacles like Barb Wire are what would make the knife a better "class" winner...but you could use any number of basic knives as a starting point...such as the S5. The idea being to cut down on the other amounts of gear needed....or perhaps more realistically have them as back up features.

Wasn't the Busse HG55 designed as a combat knife? That one is sure thick enough to pry with.

Wouldn't you want something a bit longer for penetration ? I know it has to fit on vest- but also has to hit home <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Perhaps something like the Urban Mutt? That’s sort of a cross between the DMCG for strength and the DCDC for utility.

Love the Urban Mutt. It is one of my carry knives for my little walkabouts. Very compact, cuts well, and is strong enough for prying.

That is a really true point Vic...I actually prefer my old webbing and suspender rig to the newer "Vests"...I can keep a low prone profile with the old system...the newer vests if you mount on all the attatchment pouches have you carrying your gear so you have to lie down on top of it...and if you stick them round the back you cannot carry a Bergan...plus when you lie down in a vest you are still quite high off the ground and "vulnerable" to say the least.

Belt webbing with a shorter Bergan like the old fixed frame versions which can slot in above your pouches on your belt are far better than the bigger and longer PLCE system which necessitates moving the belt pouches to be fitted all over the front of the Molle Vest IMO because....when you are prone you are lying on top of the "mags" you need to re-load with as opposed to having them reachable by being at your side or round the back where your kidney pouches are.