New purchase

[CINDERS]

Just acquired this interesting item apparently this is a survival type tool/knife issued to our SASR chaps, what is the consensus either way it is interesting can go with the Sykes in my collection.

Copied & pasted the sales pitch;

Original MK 111 Sicut Survival knife SASR. These knives were originally part of the MK 111 survival kit. See Australian war memorial photos and description provided. These little gems are almost impossible to get hold of now and are very rare. This was in my survival kit Afghanistan.
Grab yourself a piece of SASR military history.
Good luck

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

You say 'apparently' issued to..... Without knowing I'd say that wording was used as a sales ploy and as such not issued to anyone in reality. A leatherman would be 10 times as useful

[Aragorn243]

I know nothing about the legitimacy of this website but it is listed among Australian knives.

Australian Military Knives - Specialty Knives

---------- Post added at 08:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 AM ----------

This one looks more official:

Australian War Memorial

[CINDERS]

Thanks Aragorn the AWM one looks about right the date also supplied by the seller ties in, Bob Cooper actually took us for our snake handling course capture & release for emergency response as the snakes like the warmth inside the power station he brought a few snakes for us but no red bellied black snake or Taipan.
We had Tiger snake (Very feisty snake with attitude), 2 x Dugites, King Brown & Death Adder along with a couple of Stimpson Pythons one day I will tell about a mate and I qualifying for catching the snakes in a classroom scenario they were hidden around the room had Bob Cooper and the other ERT member watching in stitches but we did pass.

[WarPig1976]

Made in M/F Pakistan. Isn't that where all the fantasy type swords, battle axes and knifes are made, as in the Conan movies? As well as reproduction edged weapons.

[browningautorifle]

Made in M/F Pakistan.

I've seen the website provided and heard the testimony, still find it hard to believe the SASR or anyone else would use them...but then if they're in a survival kit they may see use once or nunce...so what matter?

[Paul S.]

I believe part of the question and answer is does a SASR trooper prepare his own survival kit or is it an issue item?

[CINDERS]

From what the AWM speel says; "This knife was carried in the survival kit (REL30513.003) by an Australian Special Air Services (SAS) Regiment trooper in Afghanistan, 2002." so I gather they like the SEALS etc could personalize themselves with stuff (Within reason) they considered a viable tool I do not have dimensions of it but if its small & robust then I can see the worth of it instead of having a Johnny "Rambo" Bowie knife weighing you down, whilst still being good enough to do the deed if required.

[Paul S.]

Mate, looking at the handle of the thing I can't imagine getting a good enough grip on it to do any serious cutting. What I do see it being used for in a survival setting, given the number and placement of the holes in the tang is as a spear tip lashed on to a shaft or a length of bamboo.

[CINDERS]

I'll get some pics of it when it arrives it is a bit hard to get a scale with it as he has not put say a match box beside it for scale the company still exists but this knife is no longer for sale or made however they have a modified one in a Tanto style blade which is like this one having one blade removed and reshaped grind on it, anyway I am looking forward to it.

I look at my Fairbairn Sykes knife and wonder what else it could be used for apart from hammering a small tack in, or striking a fire starter maybe stabbing a piece of fruit to eat! you would not want to try and pry something with it as I have seen a fair few regrinds on them from broken points.