Aircrew knife/knives

[Bishop]

Been doing some reading up tonight (I was bored) I got on the topic of combat knives (was looking up info on straight razors).. and after dredging throuhg what seemed like a long commercial or the USMc Ka-Bar I was wondering if USAF Aircrew still is issued a knife when they go through training, or is that a thing of the past, are you even authorized to have a knife on you, if not issue is it up to your preference or is there any regs on it? what type of knife is it if it is issued? some sites claimed to have the "US Aircrew issue knife" but I coudlnt find any validation if this was just a selling gimmick, or it was true. Further on the subject I heard back as recent as the korean war, that all aircrew also had a pistol when they flew to, is that true.

Thanks in advance

[Hacker]

I've been issued knives by both of my fighter squadrons when deployed. Benchmades both times.

[LockheedFix]

Herk guys get issued a Smith and Wesson knife at the FTU. Pistols are issued for combat missions and then turned back in at the end of the night (or the next morning.)

[GBock]

Tanker guys get issued plastic knives with our boxed lunches.

[Guest RuffRider101]

UAV guys get the MGH-1483 Full Combat Utility Knife with a double edged blade. It comes in purple, pink, and hot pink.

[tac airlifter]

everyone i know carries a knife while flying, although i have never used mine for anything. a leatherman and a flashlight is all you will really need for hercs, in my opinion.

[Techsan]

While I was deployed to the Deid we were able to score a Benchmade. You had to show them a copy of your aeronautical orders though. I guess there was a Herk LM that was getting them and selling them on ebay, so they made the A.O. a requirement.

The only thing I ever use my knife for is cutting the strings on my flightsuit at cruise.

As GBock stated, tanker guys are issued the Dixie 69P knife with BOX lunches. Most use them to spread peanut butter/jelly or mayo on their bread/sandwich. What makes the 69P knife so great is that it can be discarded after each flight. The downside is that they only come in white.

[Guest DDerrick51]

Being an Apache pilot for the Army, I carried a Benchmade switch blade, Air Warrior break out knife, a Buck Hatchet, an M-4 with 6 - 30 round mags and my M9 with 4 -15 round mags. Flying 100' over cities with small arms rounds coming through the cockpit makes you a tad paranoid to winding up on Al Jazera getting your head cut off with a sphork.

[outbreak]

I carry my personal swiss army knife on our T-43 Strike Pig missions. We also get the Dixie 69P in our aircrew lunches, which don't come in a box (sts).

[JeepGuyC17]

I got issued a Camillus switchblade in UPT. It's the one with the orange handle and the parachute cord cutter. As far as weapons, I'm pretty sure C-17 crews are required to be armed when carrying passengers as an anti-hijacking measure.

Edited December 2, 2007 by JeepGuyC17

[Clayton Bigsby]

All AMC aircrew members are required to have a knife and a flashlight of some type on their person, as a result of the Dover C-5 crash - in the troop cab, one of the escape slides was triggered and inflated inside the aircraft without the door being opened, pinning some of the passengers. One of the loads had to deflate the slide by stabbing the shit out of it, hence the requirement.

[PapaNav]

Leatherman and an "US" knife (the cheap, silver, folding knife you got at Fairchild). My leatherman has swapped a lot of guages in flight on the Herk and I like the bottle opener on the US knife (beer in Europe doesn't twist off you know).

[zrooster99]

Not in PACAF baby. Actually I don't think it's required in AMC anymore either since PACAF usually follows their lead. But having been out of AMC for 3.5 happy years--couldn't say for sure.

Turns out it's an AOR only thing, should have looked it up. Vol3 says carry if the FM59 or OPORD says so...

[pcola]

I got issued the orange switchblade too, but AFAIK, it was a Whiting only thing. None of the guys in the class I joined at Vance were issued a knife.

I'm pretty sure if the AF made carrying a knife mandatory, they'd have to issue you one. As a matter of fact, now that I think of it, there is a Benchmade switchblade included in the MSK onboard the C-21. I'd be willing to bet there is a similar knife included in the survival kit on every USAF jet.

We carry the M9 with hollow points on every flight (except local trainers) in the C-21. Never know when the General is gonna want to hop in the seat and "take her for a spin" and just won't take no for an answer.

[DFRESH]

Any recommendations for a knife that will fit nicely in the flight suit pocket? I was looking at maybe the Benchmade 3300 infidel? Thoughts?

[nsplayr]

I have this knife but with a black finish.

Modified knife based on the already-great Benchmade Griptilian. Fits well in the flighsuit pocket, good grip both barehanded and in gloves and works like a champ after 2+ years of use. $119 bucks.

[BQZip01]

Any recommendations for a knife that will fit nicely in the flight suit pocket? I was looking at maybe the Benchmade 3300 infidel? Thoughts?

I'd recommend against a front opening knife and go with the Benchmade 5300SBK Black Auto Presidio Tanto. Owned one for 6 years and never had problems.

Contrary to advice previously given on this topic, if you are military, you are allowed to purchase a switchblade. You don't have to be aircrew.

[M2]

Contrary to advice previously given on this topic, if you are military, you are allowed to purchase a switchblade. You don't have to be aircrew.

Um, please reference what allows the military to possess them; as the following from Wikipedia seems to state that possession is illegal...

Under the Switchblade Knife Act of 1958 (amended 1986, codified at 15 U.S.C. §§1241-1245), switchblades and ballistic knives are banned from interstate shipment, sale, or importation, or possession within any territory or possession of the United States, within Indian lands (as defined in section 1151 of title 18), or within the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the U.S. Government.[60] In addition, federal laws may prohibit the possession or carrying of any knife on certain federal properties such as courthouses or military installations. U.S. federal laws on switchblades do not apply to the possession or sale of switchblade knives within a state's boundaries; the latter is regulated by the laws of that particular state, if any.

Occasional disputes over what constitutes a switchblade knife under federal law has occasionally resulted in U.S. Customs seizures of knives from U.S. importers or manufacturers.[61][62] In one case the seizure of a shipment of Columbia River Knife and Tool company knives resulted in an estimated US$1 million loss to the company before the shipment was released.[63][64][65]

Amendment 1447 to the Switchblade Knife Act (15 U.S.C. §1244), signed into law as part of the FY2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill on October 28, 2009 provides that the Act shall not apply to spring-assist or assisted-opening knives (i.e. knives with closure-biased springs that require physical force applied to the blade to assist in opening the knife).[66]

But honestly, I have not researched this in-depth to be sure.

I thought LOAC prevented you from using hollow points. We only get ball ammo issued.

It's not LOAC, it's The Hague Convention of 1899 (Declaration III) that prohibits the "Use of Bullets Which Expand or Flatten Easily in the Human Body"

Cheers! M2

[HU&W]

Um, please reference what allows the military to possess them

From Benchmade's site

FEDERAL CODES-

18 USC 1716 (G) (2) (1-4) provides this summary: Switchblade knives can be shipped to civilian and armed forces supply or procurement officers and employees of the Federal government ordering or procuring or purchasing such knives in connection with activities in the Federal government; to supply or procurement officers in the National Guard, the Air National Guard or militia of the state or territory of the District of Columbia ordering, procuring or purchasing such knives in connection with the activities of such organizations; to supply or procurement officers or employees of the municipal government of the District of Columbia or the government of any state or territory of any county, city, or other political subdivision of a state or territory ordering, procuring or purchasing such knives in connection with the activities of such government.

15 USC 1244 provides in summary: Knives can be shipped by common carrier, that sale, transportation or distribution, possession or introduction into interstate commerce of switchblade knives is authorized if it is pursuant to a contract with the armed forces or any member or employee thereof acting in the performance of his or her duty may possess switchblade knives any may have them shipped to him and sold to him or her. The possession and transportation upon his or her person of a switchblade knife or a blade 3 inches or less is authorized to any handicapped individual who has the use of only one arm.

Backed by the .gov site.

And 1244 from the House.

ETA hard to read fed links.

Edited September 12, 2011 by HU&W

[moosepileit]

OTFs are harder to clean. GSA has plenty of auto openers. I like Benchmade.

[fou]

This is what I was issued when I was a load. It's a little on the large side, but it is an awesome knife.

Benchmade 9500SBK

Edited September 12, 2011 by fou

[BQZip01]

Um, please reference what allows the military to possess them; as the following from Wikipedia seems to state that possession is illegal...

But honestly, I have not researched this in-depth to be sure.

Apparently you didn't even read the whole section on Wikipedia. the last paragraph of the section you quoted states:

15 U.S.C. § 1244 provides that the federal Switchblade Knife Act does not apply to: 1) any common carrier or contract carrier, with respect to any switchblade knife shipped, transported, or delivered for shipment in interstate commerce in the ordinary course of business; 2) the manufacture, sale, transportation, distribution, possession, or introduction into interstate commerce of switchblade knives pursuant to contract with the Armed Forces; 3) to the Armed Forces or any member or employee thereof acting in the performance of his duty; 4) the possession and transportation upon his person of any switchblade knife with a blade three inches or less in length by any individual who has only one arm, and 5) a knife "that contains a spring, detent, or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade and that requires exertion applied to the blade by hand, wrist, or arm to overcome the bias toward closure to assist in opening the knife."

[Spoo]

Can somebody explain to me what's so god-awful about a switchblade...ahem, a folding knife with assisted opening? After it's open it essentially becomes a "fixed" blade which, as far as I know, is completely legal. And don't give me that concealed weapon crap...

BTW, is AFSOC still issuing new knives every other month?

[M2]

Can somebody explain to me what's so god-awful about a switchblade...ahem, a folding knife with assisted opening? After it's open it essentially becomes a "fixed" blade which, as far as I know, is completely legal. And don't give me that concealed weapon crap...

A knee-jerk reaction by lawmakers back in the 1950s, that's all. The same reason we can't own fully-automatic firearms without going through an assload of bureaucracy via the ATF. But it seems odd that I can own a semi-automatic version of the most lethal weapon in the world (the AK-47) but I can't carry a small switchblade knife...

It's just as odd that the state of Texas allows me to carry a concealed pistol with 14 rounds of .45ACP in it; but not a switchblade!

Even worse, I live in Texas where--of all places--a Bowie knife is illegal to carry!

It all reminds me of DHS officer I met once, who was authorized to carry a firearm aboard commercial aircraft. He told us one day his bag was searched and TSA found a cigar-cutter in it. He was told he could not take it on the plane. He reminded them that he was armed, and the TSA agent replied that he had authorization to carry the pistol, but not the cigar-cutter!

Cheers! M2

p.s. Actually, switchblades are NOT illegal in every state. See here.

[Beaver]

I've been playing around with kydex lately. Here's something I came up with. The sheath mounts to the 2d and 3d eyelet and is curved around the boot. It's still pretty rough and missing a couple of rivets, but you get the point.