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The
MAP Knife Report: Great News for the Soldiers, Bad News for the Enemy!!
by: Capt Ian Humphrey
The New Military Award Program (MAP) Knife!
I have the distinct honor of testing the new MAP knife before they head
into harm's way with the 10th Mountain Division in Iraq. This
knife started as the old Aviator model from Relentless Knives, but soon
Dan Certo created an entirely new model. Once anyone handles this
knife, they will soon notice the biggest feature about this knife:
everything with the new MAP knife has a purpose, in other words, no
"fluff" on this knife! Many knives claim to be for "tactical"
purposes, but the new MAP knife proves it.
First Impressions
The MAP knife is not a dainty knife. It
is 1/4" thick and heavy in the hand. The blade length of five
inches was chosen to optimize carry comfort while still being long
enough for most cutting tasks. The handle length of five inches
was also well thought through to allow plenty of handle for gloved use,
and long enough to allow the user to choke up on the knife despite a
double cross guard. There is an exposed pommel for pounding, and
also a wire breaker that turned out to be very effective in breaking
different types of wire (even concertina wire). The double cross
guard prevents the hand from accidentally riding up onto the blade, and
includes two holes to aid in lashing the knife to a pole for a
makeshift spear. There is almost three inches of serrations along
the top of the knife that are extremely effective on green and dry
wood, and should be able to saw through light metal with ease.
The upper two and a half inches of the blade is flat to allow for a
baton or similar object to pound the knife for chopping wood, wire,
etc. There is even a cord cutter built into the choil of the
blade to save the blade's edge when you need to cut a lot of 550 cord
for Air Assault missions, dummy cords, etc. There is also a
lanyard with each knife, which came in handy when chopping wood and
using the "snap cut" technique.
In The Field
In order to get a true feel for the new MAP
knife, I decided to test it during a survival outing in the
woods. Using only the MAP knife and a Pocket Survival Pack (which
I will review in the future), I created everything I needed to survive
the night in a cold, windy New York climate in March. I carried
the knife the entire time in the included Spec Ops sheath and found
that despite the weight of the knife, I never noticed it until I needed
the blade for a task. The knife was used to trim branches and cut
wood for a shelter, as well as cutting wood for a fire. The
serrations were used for making fuzz sticks to aid in starting the
fire, as well as notches in a pole to help in lashing the knife for a
spear, as well as creating a makeshift fishing pole. The
serrations also came in handy for making start cuts in wood to help
split bigger branches, and a heavy stick was used to strike the top of
the knife to split wood. While doing all of this, I wore standard
issue black work gloves and found the handle ample in length and
comfortable to grip. The included lanyard was used to help in
snap cuts as well as preventing the blade from flying out of my hand
during chopping. I tested the exposed pommel by pounding in some
sharpened stakes I made and found the one-inch long length more than
enough for effective hammering. I tested the wire breaker on some
old rusty wire I found in the woods, and once I got the hang of how to
use the breaker, I could break the old wire in less than 10 seconds per
strand. I even found some concertina wire (current “barbed” wire
used by the military) in the field and was pleasantly surprised to find
that with a little more effort, the wire breaker was able to break this
heavy-duty wire. The double cross guard protected my hand during
chopping, and the two holes proved really handy in lashing the knife to
a pole for a makeshift spear. I also liked the cord cutter that
is cleverly built into the choil since it can save the blade edge when
you need to cut a lot of cord. I also found the cord cutter to
work effectively with the blade edge pointing away from you, as well as
towards you.
Sheath
The MAP knife comes with a well-made Spec Ops
brand sheath. These sheaths are made in the United States and
include a ton of features. The sheath has a kydex insert that
keeps the knife secure in the sheath and protects the user from the
blade. The lip of the kydex insert is expanded to help guide the
knife into the sheath. The handle strap is adjustable to allow
you to choose how securely you want the strap around the knife.
One of the best features of the sheath are the split loops for
attaching the sheath to belts, MOLLE vests, etc. They are backed
with Velcro to allow a custom fit to whatever it is being attached to,
as well as snaps that allow the user to attach and take off the sheath
without removing your belt, etc. The split loops also "move" with
a person and allow the sheath to flex and not move along your belt (a
real plus in my opinion since I have had several sheaths ride all along
my belt). There are also several loops along the back of the
sheath, as well as grommets and plenty of 550 cord, to allow for more
attachment options. The sheath I tested was there survival sheath
model, and features an expandable pocket on the sheath. While the
pocket is too small to fit a Surefire flashlight or spare 9mm magazine,
it is large enough to hold survival supplies, sharpening stone,
etc.
Dislikes
There were only a few minor issues that I had
with the new MAP knife, and Dan intends to fix them before the final
MAP knives are made. While the handles are more rounded then some
of the models I have tested, they could still be more rounded to
improve long-term comfort. I would also suggest using 550 cord
instead of leather for the lanyard. After hard use, the leather
started to fray. My only other issue with the knife would be to
have some more space between the wire breaker and the handle
slabs. Currently, the handle slabs stop right at the wire breaker
and I found they got in the way while trying to break the concertina
wire. In terms of the sheath, my only two complaints were the
small pocket in the front, and the Velcro on the adjustable handle
strap tended to get caught as I sheathed the blade. Since I like
the idea of being able to adjust how tight the handle strap is, this is
a minor annoyance.
Overall
Dan Certo has created an incredible knife that
will be treasured and well used by deserving Soldiers in harm's
way. This knife is not some showpiece that is "tactical" in name
only. The new MAP knife is designed to offer a lifetime of
service and to be used in the field. Every item on this knife has
a purpose and the included sheath is a perfect compliment. The
knife performed every task I did without a problem and was a perfect
balance between size and weight. Soldiers could not ask for a
better knife then the new Relentless MAP knife!
.............................................................
These reports,tests and reviews are the result of lots of hard work by Capt' Humphrey.
They are objective, and unedited by me.
Their purpose
is to give you an unbiased opinion of the product, and for me to,
through test and reiew bring you the best product available...
Take it with you on your next adventure. It's built to
withstand extreme conditions, and waiting to become your faithful
companion.
Also remember to send photos of your adventures
for our "ABOUTYOU" webpages.
I'm sure you'll be pleased. . Thanks for your
interest, Dan Certo.
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