Боевые ножи: история и современное применение.

Knife designed for military use for hand to hand combat

A combat knife is a fighting knife designed for military use and primarily intended for hand to hand or close combat fighting. Since the end of trench warfare, most military combat knives have been secondarily designed for utility use (clearing foliage, chopping branches for cover, opening ammunition crates, etc.) in addition to their original role as close quarter combat weapons, and may be referred to as "fighting utility knives." On the other hand, military knives that are intended primarily for use in a role other than combat are typically referred to by their primary role, such as "utility knife" or "survival knife".

Daggers designed for military usage in close combat engagements have been carried by soldiers for thousands of years. The adoption of combat daggers made of iron was a significant milestone in combat knife development, and such weapons were highly prized in the ancient armies of the Middle East. French and Italian military daggers of the 14th century were the first to introduce the acutely tapered, sharply pointed and double edged blade as a response to improvements made in armor design and the need to exploit weaknesses in armor protection. while the French poignard and the Scottish dirk were daggers designed from the outset as military weapons. The rise in use of firearms led to a decline in the use of combat daggers and knives as military issue weapons. However, privately purchased knives were often carried by foot soldiers for use both as auxiliary weapons and as utility tools. Some military forces issued knives for individual campaigns or for specialist troops such as pioneer or field engineer detachments, but these cutting tools were not primarily designed for use as combat knives.

Formerly known as a trench knife, the "combat knife" The KA BAR differed from World War I era U. S. combat knives in that it was designed as a dual purpose item, adapted for both combat and as a utility knife. It differed from earlier USMC knives such as the Marine Raider stiletto in that the new knife used a stout, wide blade with clip point that facilitated slashing attacks as well as blade thrusts. Reports on the effectiveness of the new knife in jungle combat justified the Marine Corps' decision to designate the KA BAR as the USMC's fighting knife for individual Marines. When adapted to utility tasks such as opening ration tins or ammunition boxes, the limitations of the M3 quickly became apparent.

The majority of military forces today have largely standardized the types of combat knife issued to soldiers. The Chilean Commando forces, for instance, are trained in the use of the Corvo, a traditional Chilean military weapon. The Gurkha regiments favor the kukri, a broad bladed, curved general purpose cutting tool and weapon that more closely resembles a machete or Filipino Bolo than a knife. In the United States Marine Corps, the standard issue combat knife since World War II has been the USMC Fighting Utility knife. In the 1970s and 1980s a student and protégé of Fairbairn, Colonel Rex Applegate worked with knife designer Bill Harsey, Jr. to design the Applegate Fairbairn Combat Knife, so named because it was designed as an improvement on the Fairbairn–Sykes based upon discussions Applegate and Fairbairn had during World War II to eliminate the weaknesses of the F S knife (e. g., weak blade point, inability to determine orientation of blade merely by grip). The first of these knives were made by Al Mar Knives, based on Harsey's designs. Knifemaker Bill Harsey later teamed up with Chris Reeve to design the Yarborough Knife, a combat knife presented to each graduate of the United States Army Special Forces Qualification Course. In the latest step of this evolution, Bill Harsey and Chris Reeve have collaborated with the father of the Modern Army Combatives Program, Matt Larsen, to design the LHR Combat knife. The German military uses the Eickhorn KM2000 as their standard issue knife. The design is a westernized Tantō, issued to the Bundeswehr. The blade is made of either 440A or N695 depending on different models. Some of them use 55Si7 spring steel. The knifemaker Eickhorn in Solingen, Germany has issued KCB 77 bayonets to the Canadian Military and the USMC. Apart from the KM2000 there are many other knives from Eickhorn, the KM3000, KM4000, KM5000, ParaCommando, and Aviator Series knives. The knives from Eickhorn are extremely sturdy and for professional use. Those knives are also preferred by military forces worldwide. The Austrian Forces use the Glock knife. This is also used as a bayonet for the Steyr AUG bullpup rifle used by Austrian Forces. The blade is made of phosphated carbon steel. The handle is a special strong polymer manufactured by Glock. The Glock knife is also used by special forces around the world.