Do you guys have a piece of legendary gear?

[SAR_Squid79]

Here are my 2 pieces of "ultimate gear"

My time as a boyscout, and as a kid in rural North Carolina who spent most of his childhood out in the woods, taught me how invaluable a good knife is.

The 2 knives pictured here are:
M9 Phrobis III Bayonet, and Emerson MCQC-7 (with "wave").

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M9 Phrobis III Bayonet:
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_edged_weapons_bayonet_m9.php
http://www.m9bayonet.com/buck-phrobis-m9.html

The M9 is a Multi-Purpose Knife System. Designed to be used as a bayonet, fighting knife, general field knife, utility knife, and wire cutter (when used in conjunction with the sheath). I have had this knife since I was about 10 years old. I've cut both chain-link, and barbed-wire fences with the wire cutter configuration. The pouch on the front of the sheath is designed to hold a magazine for a 92F Beretta pistol, but I've always carried a magnesium fire starter in there. The sheath also has a sharpening stone built into it.

The Emerson MCQC-7 Wave:

Due to tremendous demand from Emerson customers they have finally produced a "waved" version of their signature knife and made it miniature, the MCQC-7B model. This knife has all of the qualities that have made it a legendary knife, now with the lightening quick wave opening feature.

Features:
Handle: Black G-10 epoxy/glass laminate
Liner: Aerospace grade Titanium
Blade: 154 CM
Finish: Satin
Grind: Chisel Ground Tanto Style
Overall Length: 7.75 in.
Blade Length: 2.20 in.
Blade Thickness: .125 in.
Hardness: 57-59 RC

I carried a mini-CQC-7 for about 14 years. It was actually an Emerson/Benchmade. I got it as a present when I was in the 7th grade. It served me well, as I carried it with me nearly EVERY SINGLE DAY for 14 years. Finally this past year I decided it had outlived its intended lifespan, and I just got the new Emerson for Christmas, and I now carry it EVERY SINGLE DAY. Hopefully it, too, will serve me well for the next 13 years!

 

[Fifthpro]

Might every Infantryman on here agree...

1. 'Cho Liner: any weather, any time, any location! Everyone in my family has them
2. Leatherman Wave: Fix weapon systems, cut and saw stuff that needs it and scissors to cut mole skin for the dogs...
3. Canteen Cup: Coffee & Hot Chocolate or Romin
4. Surfire Flashlight: Got to have a good light...
5. Your favorite pair of boots.....I broke my leg in three places and completely dislocated my ankle on a jump but refused to let the medic cut off my boot! I unlaced that thing and took it off while gritting my teeth. There was no way he was going to cut off my best road marching boots!
6. A Lensthetic compass: I have the same one I had as a Private, I have others but always trust the old girl.
7. A good folding knife.....I have a bunch but they all have the same basic formfactor.

Times have changed over the years and various items have found their way into my kit, bail out bag or rig but I can always be found with these basic items....minus the canteen cup. It has been replaced with other items over the years but still a darn good piece of kit.

 

[Clark White]

Gerber LMF-II Infantry.

5" blade (I think, or something very close to it). Built in sharpener and leg strap.

I just wish that it had the mag ouch of the older version above, and maby the wire cutter too. It pretty much goes everywhere with me, and being issued, it was the right price.
Also carry flint block, Glock/1911, and my Cold Steel knife that goes with me everywhere every day.

 

[Tucson T4R]

Drifting off subject but....

My son went to Europe after he graduated from high school a couple years ago. He visited a historic sword and knife factory in Toledo Spain and brought me back this little gift. :elkgrin:

I don't plan for it to be a daily carry but I sure do like it. :wings:

 

[Spikepretorius]

I've had many good knives and still have a few of them, but in my time in the forces I found that I always ended up reverting back to a plain old swiss army knife. The plain one with only two blades and a toothpick. It just seemed to do all the jobs and my Rambo knives gathered dust.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I never leave town without my Zippo. It's the Zippo I bought when I was on my ship. It's all brass and engraved with my ship and insignia. I've had it since 1991.
I put it in the mail and sent it to Zippo once, nearly ten years ago, for repair. You send it to the address on the bottom of the lighter. Zippo, Bradford PA and the Zip code. Put a little note in there with a return address. A few weeks later I got it back, good as new. Nice customer service. No questions asked, just fixed and returned.

 

[Lynn]

Drifting off subject but....

My son went to Europe after he graduated from high school a couple years ago. He visited a historic sword and knife factory in Toledo Spain and brought me back this little gift. :elkgrin:

I've bought one like that for my father and one for myself when I was stationed near Toledo. Great knives.

I've also got a set of traditional Spanish swords, complete with the hand-carved crest of Toledo, from the Marto factory.

My wife has since educated me on interior decor, and, unfortunately, I need to find a new home for the swords.

 

[findleywarren]

legendary

My all time best gear piece-

USMC poncho liner-Is it possible to live without one? I bought my son one for his third birthday-he sleeps with it every night, camping or not. Wife kicked mine out of bed years ago. It lives in the mog now.

Runner up-Original Vasque sundowner boots-Getting hard to find these days, every pair I have owned has been the best money ever spent.

Honorable mention

Beretta 9mm pistol, MSR dragonfly stove, tilley hat, compass and every pair of sunglasses I have ever lost, crushed or kept some randon stick from poking me in the eye

 

[taugust]

Coleman stove.

I think I have an older one than yours. Bought it for $10 at a garage sale in 1992. It is slightly larger and has a more cylindrical tank. Replaced the valve and the tank cap. Works great all over the southwest. My older brother still uses our parents' that is the same as yours.

I am collecting .....anything and everything.....Coleman!



Dinner...........at the WBM Cabin.........

 

[biere]

I love this post. To some extent I have been seeking out the best stuff I can afford and that lets me have stuff actually worth having since it is nice to have and use.

I added a few things from this thread to my list, I already knew about the tilley hats but it is nice to see them mentioned again. Same goes for filson clothing.

I have some coleman stuff around, I don't collect it so much as I buy it cheap and fix it and use it and hope to pass it on when I am no longer going to use it. Then again some of the new stuff is not so impressive.

Right now I am working on getting back into some danner boots, bought a different brand for some reason I still can't figure out and I should have just dealt with losing a pair of boots and found some danners instead of trying to get by with less.

My benchmade pocket knife is my best folder, I am a big fan of fixed blades but a nice folder with a pocket clip sure can be handy.

These days I research most anything, I sure can spend money in a hurry but when something is a joy to use it is not a waste of money.

 

[greybrick]

This is a great thread. One of the things that always goes with us on truck trips is a something called a round point drain spade. I have about three or four of them but the oldest belonged to my grandfather which he carried on saddle horses and used for ranch fencing and so I'm guessing maybe 70 or 80 years old, handiest digging tool I've ever used. I don't have a photo but here's a generic pic from one of the box stores to give an idea;

Maybe this thread deserves to be a sticky.

.

 

[targa88]

It always seems that quality stands the test of time...
30 year old Opinel knife
18 year old swiss army knife

 

[orangeTJ]

Mine is a huge Victornox Swiss army knife that I bought back in the mid 80's for $2.00 at a garage sale. It was in great shape. New, they sold for about $50 back then.

I need to post a pic of it.

 

[KingCrabberCurry]

My most gotta-have-it piece of gear has to be my DSO T-bone polarized sunglasses.

I've had these since 2000 and wear them every single day. Simply put, I don't go outside without them. I've even worn the hard plastic coating off of the bridge and temples, exposing the softer plastic underneath.

They have spent time at the bottom of a lake, have ridden about 20 miles attached the the roof rack of my truck and have taken a direct hit from birdshot while quail hunting, but they keep coming back for more.

For camping gear, my most "legendary" piece has to be my dad's Coleman stove.

It served him well during countless surf fishing trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for over 25 years, and last year he passed it on to me. He estimated it has seen over 400 camping trips, and has never failed to perform. I would clean it up some, but I'm afraid that I'll scrub off all the durability and reliability that comes with that desirable bacon grease and salt spray patina.

 

[SunMan]

Gotta be Grandpa's old bowie knife....must be 50-60yrs old and bombproof. An old cast iron skillet from my parents, prolly 30-40 yrs old (talk about seasoned!), and sadly, Dad's old Coleman stove just had to go, the new propane jobs are just too easy.