Club Obi Wan

I didn´t know where to put this one...But if I´d want to make Indy a little modernized I´d give him a First Blood Knife to use.A Bowie´d be nice too but something about the F.B Knife just suits him? Or I´d use it with the Gear.Similar Ideas?! Anybody

I'd go with something more like a kukri. Not only is it extremely practical and looks good, the exotic origins suits Indy's adventures. You could also get it to match period gear...



or go for a modern counterpart:



Kind regards,
Magnoli

I wish they would use a kukri since I have one laying around here somewhere.


Gailen

Those kukris have very nice handles...very well made

If he carried a knife it could possibly be one he picked up in the Belgian army during the Great war,

Wish I had one.
Found here-http://www.joesalter.com/detail.php?f_qryitem=18638

I like the Kukri idea. I have one stuck between my mattress and box springs......in case of emergencies.

Yeah the Kukri is a beautiful knife. There's some great looking ones here with a vintage look.
Here's a mini one that's only 13" (yeah mini) long.
http://gurkhakukris.com/Content/Catalog ... 90d|5c5c58

http://www.gurkhakukris.com/Content/Cat ... 735|5d5c58

Those Kukris are amazing. Great examples of the Ghurka knife and would suit Indy down to the ground. Especialy in a Nepalese adventure!
As an aside if we're talking post WW2 how about a Fairbairn Sykes Commando knife. I believe they were also used by US OSS operatives so would stick with continuity. There's a photo here...

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/al ... ntid=89075" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thoughts?

Something like this might work

I don't know about the Fairbairn Sykes Commando knife. They had only one purpose. I think he would have has an early Randal or Elk made knife. They were made in many sizes and could handle a lot of tasks.

Gailen

I was thinking something like this,a Bowie...

Actually thats a good call Gailen. This is actually quite tricky ..

I think multipurpose has to be essential.

How about a good old Ka-Bar? Although a Bowie or Kukri are calling me

I've never seen Indy as a knife-person, as he carries a gun. I think a Buck folding knife would be just fine and it would easily fit inside his pockets.

He already has a folding knife as seen in Raiders. Think he would want a fixed blade knife with a little more punch.

Gailen

If you're after a bowie, go with the Western brand bowie. I've carried one of this for YEARS and it was my dad's before me... so they hold up to some serious abuse! And the sheath is gorgeous:

That's a real nice knife. Love the belt loop.

Gailen

As much as I like the knives posted and could see an argument made for Indy carrying any of them, I would think Indy would carry a folding knife (and not just because we see him use one). He already hauls around enough on his weapon belt and a folding knife he could carry in his trouser or jacket pocket or in his MKVII.

And since no one has posted this yet....

"That's a knife."






Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I knew somebody would post that Knoife in here,eventually....

Here's another possibility; the classic USMC KA-BAR. It seems appropriate given Indy's penchant for military hardware.



That said, I really like the idea of the Kukris, particularly in the jungle settings he often finds himself in. Remember, he was all for taking that Conquistador's knife! So yeah, I think he'd go for a more exotic fixed blade, a useful trophy from another adventure.

Weston

Well,yeah..but he saw it as an artifact...probably.As an archaeologist he is...

MARQ wrote:Well,yeah..but he saw it as an artifact...probably.As an archaeologist he is...

Probably..., but the "I don't want to keep borrowing yours all the time" objection implied he intended to use it, not study it.

"Good thing we're not grave robbers!"

Nobody's perfect!

Weston

Tundrarider wrote:The fact that Indy...was caught without one in CS, bugs me.

Agreed. He doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who would go out without a knife.

Indy Magnoli wrote:

Tundrarider wrote:The fact that Indy...was caught without one in CS, bugs me.

Agreed. He doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who would go out without a knife.

Absolutely! What adventure worth his fedora goes out without his knife?

Weston

Indy Magnoli wrote:

Tundrarider wrote:The fact that Indy...was caught without one in CS, bugs me.

Agreed. He doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who would go out without a knife.

Probably had trouble getting it through airport security or something...

LJ

Mutt brought a switch blade. Of course, it was hidden his boot. Didn't have to take you shoes off back in '57.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I'd say that KA-BAR Grizzly is just about perfect! It strongly resembles the slip-joint folder he carried in Raiders. I love it!

As to the timeline of the USMC KA-BAR, since when did they ever let a little thing like anachronism get in the way of a great set of gear; look at the Mark VII bag! I'd love it if the included it with the rest of his gear; I have owned one for years and it's my favorite knife, but a robust pocket folder does make sense to me the more I think about it.

At any rate, for a guy like me who likes to spend lots of time in the woods, I don't see how this character could go abroad without a reliable cutting tool of some sort. And for a character renowned for iconic gear, why it would be anything but unique.

Weston

Here's what's on my Indy Belt!

I like that Indiana Bond. Can you tell us anything about it's make and history?

I picked this one up at a antique store a few days ago, and what a find! It's a Cattaraugus 225Q. The Cattaraugus knife company was one of the big manufacturers of military knives during WWII, along with other New York companies like Union Cutlery (maker of the KA-BAR) and Camillus Cutlery.

It was a heap of rust and dried out leather, but I've been working it over with sandpaper, beeswax, elbow grease, and alot of patience. For a 70 year old knife, it's got plenty of life left in it. It has a 6" blade, and is heavier than the KA-BAR. I think it looks right at home with the gear. I bought a sheath for it that is as close to the original as I could find.





Weston

Weston wrote:I like that Indiana Bond. Can you tell us anything about it's make and history?

I know I got it off ebay a few years back. I remember doing a bunch of research on what Indy might of carried and I do belive the knife is time period correct. The problem is the knife is back in storage in California and I'm here in Hawaii! And after all these years I have totally forgotten what it is and the story behind it!!

I do remember it had initials engraved in the end. Not H.J. though!! I think I may have even found some famous person of the time period with matching initials just to make up a story how Indy received this knife from this famous person! Might have that story written down on a piece of paper with the knife. At least I still had a pic of it on my computer. Anyone out there have any idea what it may be?

A little digging on my computer and I found something!! It looks like before I left California I had put together a .doc list of all my "Indy Gear" and I just found the file again on my computer.

The knife is a PAL RH-36 WWII Military Knife & Sheath. Definately a WWII piece. Google it and you will see it has quite a history and following. Back when I got it I knew it would definately be something Indy would most likely have.


Thanks!

Thank you! I'll definitely keep my eye out for one of those.

Weston

Weston, I have a K-Bar my late father-in-law gave me back in the 70's that looks a LOT like your setup. The only difference on mine is my ex-son-in-law put it on a Burr-King knife grinder and shaped the stacked leather handle into a more ergonomic shape to fit my hand better.

It holds an incredible edge too. Good choice if you need an all round knife.

Regard! Michaelson

Ooooh, a Grizzly. Good choice for an Indy knife.

Still retains that classic stag handled "Boy Scout" knife feel, but a little more aggressive looking and they were automatic (switchblade). A one handed opening knife is really convenient for when your other hand is occupied (you know, swinging over a pit, shooting a swordsman, punching a Nazi/Thuggee/Commie...etc).

I can't see Indy with a sheathed fixed blade. He's already got enough stuff hangin' off his belt as it is.

kwad wrote:I can't see Indy with a sheathed fixed blade. He's already got enough stuff hangin' off his belt as it is.

How ya figure that? He had a holster on one side and a whip on the other. Nothing else.

Regard! Michaelson

I agree with Magnoli on the kukri for adventures in the jungle. Seems awfully practical for cutting through the bush. Also, I agree with possibly the bowie. Didn't young Indiana Jones (I am not hip to the Young Indy series stuff) ride with Teddy Roosevelt or Pancho Villa? In that case he would have probably had a bowie around similar to the Jayne Cobb bowie as that was Teddy's signature knife and all his troops had them. But for everyday use and not to over do it on the weapons belt I would think that an knife similar to the one shown by Indiana Bond would be the most practical and would fit on the belt, in the bag, or in a backpack. I personally love knives and don't go anywhere without one. I also have quite the extensive collection as well. For the type of adventuring Indy did throughout his life I would think it most practical that he would change up his selection to fit the adventure. Also time period would have had something to do with it. Post WWII he would probably of had a K-Bar handy as well. I am partial to the Kukri though, as I have several Book of Eli style machetes/kukris and they're just really awesome in the bush and for combat. I wouldn't even think of going to somewhere like the Amazon or the like without one handy.

Cool thread.




W.E.

Weston wrote: For a 70 year old knife, it's got plenty of life left in it.

I have the exact same knife as yours laying around here somewhere and you are right, they just don't make them like they used to.

Michaelson wrote:Weston, I have a K-Bar my late father-in-law gave me back in the 70's that looks a LOT like your setup. The only difference on mine is my ex-son-in-law put it on a Burr-King knife grinder and shaped the stacked leather handle into a more ergonomic shape to fit my hand better.

It holds an incredible edge too. Good choice if you need an all round knife.

Regard! Michaelson

They really do. I just got back from visiting my family up north. My uncle showed me the knife his Dad carried in WWII while stationed somewhere in the Pacific. It was a Case, one of the hunting knives the troops carried early on before the factories were tooled to produce the military designs. He said his Dad opened lots of coconuts with that knife during his time there, and afterward was his go to knife for everyday tasks in the farm and field, and my uncle still uses it to dress game now and then.

Finding a knife from that era is great, but when one is handed down with that kind of personal history, man, you cannot put a price on it!

Weston

The kind a guy Indy is, he´d pick up any blade he´d get his hands on, so that means all knives suggested here would do..

Indy has a whip. I would prefer to give a sidekick of his a throwing knive(s) and maybe he uses it to get them out of a tight spot in serious peril, such as throwing it to cut a rope or something?

Sounds good to me!

If I were going to include a knife into my Indy outfit, I'd probably go with my prized Muela...

While most adventures can be handled quite well with the classic Boy Scout folding knife (blade, can opener, bottle opener, awl), it's hard to go wrong with a kukri for any bigger jobs. Handy hatchet/machete/sheath knife combo.

I've been carrying my Boy Scout knife for over 30 years now--it's a good friend. But whenever I leave the pavement, my kukri is right there with me, too. Especially when doing battle with the blackberry bushes in the yard!!


This one has served me well for the last 10 years. Pretty good for $40.

I guess the one question one should ask would be, exactly WHY does Indy have a knife?

He's first and foremost a field archaeologist, so he needs a utilitarian edged tool for use in that pursuit of his line of work.

He's not a mercenary, so would he really want or need some of these huge fighting knives?

Regards! Michaelson

Well...you never know who´s gonna jump outta the bushes..snake,monkey or the random assassin.

That's why he has the gun, remember? Shooting varmints!

Michaelson wrote:That's why he has the gun, remember? Shooting varmints!

True. "Never bring a knife to a gun fight." Or a sword, as noted in Cairo.

Machete comes in pretty handy in the bush, though.

Michaelson wrote:He's not a mercenary, so would he really want or need some of these huge fighting knives?

Big "fighting" knife? Maybe not. But if he didn't want to go full machete, I could see how a large, hefty knife (like a Bowie or Kukri) could come in handy...

-- Chopping vines away from an old temple entrance
-- Cutting / chopping small firewood for a campfire
-- Skinning fish/game for camp
-- Cutting cloth / shroud / rope / etc. (where the material might be too thick for a pocket knife)

That's what you have graduate students for.

Yeah, why do you think Indy had Shortround carrying the knife in TOD? Of course, SR wouldn't even be a grad student. He'd be an unpaid intern.

Lesson #1 for our newly minted Dr. nicktheguy.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

We'll show 'em the ropes, Jeff.

Regard! Michaelson