MkIII Navy Combat Knife

Reviewed by: Bill Ames
Where to buy: Brigade Quartermasters
Cost: $45

Of all the knives I've tried out, this is the one I carry.

I like it for a lot of reasons:

• It comes with a sheath ready to hang from a pistol belt
• It's water resistant
• The grip is excellent
• Doubles as saw and hammer :-)

While many combat knives are designed for fighting, such as the Kabar, made famous by WWII Marines, I take mine along on hikes, mostly. Since guns are illegal to carry in most hiking areas, I strap on the Mk III.  I've used it far more often to whittle sticks than to fight off bears, but I think if I ever do need to use it, it'll do the job nicely, and since it's water resistant, I don't have to worry about the thing rusting away or losing its edge. The Mark III is nearly rust-proof, as I can tell, and I've had mine for about 7 years, now.

I've trained in the Okinawan martial arts, and this knife is well suited to the task of fighting. Naturally, that's what it's designed for, I suppose, but I seriously doubt that I'll ever use it for that. Still, it's tempered edge is still quite sharp without ever having sharpened it.  I also like having it inside my tent while in the back country . . . it just makes me sleep better!

I've used this as a hammer, an eating utensil, a game piece and just about anything else a knife is good for. It's in nearly perfect condition, except for some of the epoxy grip where I used it to drive some nails--use the butt end for that, not the side of the handle.

If you're going to get one of these for its intended purpose, or any knife, for that matter, I'd recommend getting the Boker rubber training knives as well . . .