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What to get a newly minted U.S. Marine?
NeoBlackdog
Member Posts: 17,196 ✭✭✭✭
A couple we know has a son that is about to complete the Marine Corps boot camp. I've known this kid since he was two months old and am the one that first taught him how to shoot. My wife and I want to get him something to commemorate this milestone in his life but are unsure what to get him. I'm leaning towards a real good knife that will be useful in his time in the Marines. Any former Marines here (or other service members) that have a good suggestion as to what to get him?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
Comments
I don't know about the other branches, but I wore a good old Buck 110 for over 4 years aboard ship and still have it.
Most of the SeaBees carried a Buck 110
A knife: The Buck 110 or a KABAR.
Let me be clear that I never served, I'm just offering a suggestion.
I wasn't pitching any brand of knife Steve, just the suggestion that it is a very useful gift which can last a long, long time, A snappy salute to him!!
Hows about a big ol badge pin with a photo of his CIC?🤣 Just kiddin', a KABAR/knife like already mentioned is a great idea.
My recommendation would be a folder from the Spyderco "Salt" series. Note: Black will be the best color for in-uniform carry.
https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/category/salt-series
In my early career, I carried a variety of other knives. However, they all corroded in the salty marine environment. Then I found the "Salt" series...... and have been using the same folder for the last 18 years. The H1 steel is totally incapable of rusting, and is THE thing to have in a salty, sandy job.
Marine K-Bar
I have done a giveaway on the forums for two of them through Spider. Both winners loved them.
KA-BARs are fantastic, but he won't be able to carry one around for daily use (if that is your intent - usefulness vs a display knife). When he deploys or trains in the field, I'm sure they will issue/dictate the fixed blade knife he will carry, and it will likely be the Ontario OKC 3S USMC Bayonet......
A friends grandson just joined the US space Force. His main job will be working with electronics so I want to give him either a Leatherman or Gerber multi-tool.
I agree a nice Leatherman engraved with his name and some USMC stuff would be very useful and a great gift.
I would think one of the Leatherman or a good swiss multi purpose knife would be handy
hard to beat a buck 110 I have carried one and have one in my truck for 50 years now ( well not the same one I lost one and gave one away )
short story can be found on the internet I am sure I seen a short story on buck knifes from the latest shot show by the buck family the navy out lawed buck 110 models due to some incident on board a naval ship so the old man ( grandpa ) buck came out with the 112 model with just under the new blade length limit set by the navy ? back int day to get around the rules
Buck knives are great. As a Scoutmaster I ordered one for each Eagle Scout that came out of my Troop. Most folks don't know it but Buck offers a service to Scoutmasters, they'll engrave the blade and all 4 bolsters with whatever you want on there. So I'd put the Troop number, "Anchorage, AK", the date of the Eagle Board of Review, and the Scout's name. The blade is engraved with "Eagle Scout".
I bet, knowing how that company operates, if you approached them and asked nicely, they'd make you a Marine Corps knife.
Please message me for the name and phone number of the lady that handles these orders.
not sure I would get him the knife, as frog said for everyday carry we weren't allowed a knife I think it was with over a 3 maybe 4 inch blade, had the MP's "confiscate" a knife my neighbor made me out of and old sawblade at the main gate one time. I am sure they now have it in their own private "collection" or pawned it, this was over 40 years ago so not sure if things have changed or not, my guess is though with the current political climate it has gotten MUCH worse. I would wait and ask his folks what he may tell them he needs or wants then see if you can personalize it for a keepsake.....
Nice wristwatch
No matter what your taste in fixed blade knives is, Marines tend to sneer at anything that does not say KA-BAR on it. Frankly a good engraved pocket knife or Leatherman will be of greater use. But if you want to throw one in, get him a Ka-Bar tactical spork. They are only about $12.
You will face a lot more MRE bags than you will human wave attacks.
We wound up ordering a Leatherman MUT EOD multi-tool for him. Black stainless with a black nylon sheath and engraved with his name and U.S.M.C.
I appreciate all of the input!
Chme, I might have to get him one of those, if for no other reason than to see the goofy grin on his face!
Wow, that’s a great choice! I had not even seen that model. I think it will serve him well. A very nice gesture by y’all.
I got married 3 months after finishing tech school as an Air Force medic. Friends got me a bed pan as a wedding gift😄
Sign him up for a course to deprogram all the woke training he'll get. Maybe something anti-CRT or something similar.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
A Water Filter. Airbase on Guam has worse water than Camp Lejuene and still has to pump Navy Fena Lake water up to the Air Base and mix 50-50 with base pumped water. Highly contaminated. Now a Marine Corps Base.
My blood tests in military medical records show high creatinine (1.4 mg/dl) soon as I started drinking it years ago.
career Air Force all get non hodgekins / hodgekins with swollen lymph nodes.
Military got caught tossing chlorine pool tabs down wells at NorthWest Field there a few years back. That's not how you chlorinate water.
Chlorine tabs in wells is actually a common way to shock them for bacteria. No real problem there. As to the other chemical nasties (i.e. the toxic drums of stuff that got buried or just dumped on the ground back in the day), I wouldn't trust a typical water filter to sift them out anyway. Best policy - bottled water only for drinking, so long as you can get it.
I agree ,we routinely put the tabs in water wells when was an active well driller . In fact at the time FHA required it on new wells for houses they financed .
Very nice gift. You done good.