View Full Version : 2009 AUSA Annual Convention
Bill Harsey
10-03-2009, 19:45
Anyone from here going to the annual AUSA (Association of United States Army) Convention being held in Washington, D.C. on 5-7 October?
If so please drop by the Gerber booth and see what the new Larsen Harsey Reeve knife looks like.
If you see it, you will have one up on me as nobody sent me a first production prototype for inspection.
Maybe like this...:confused:
http://www.defensenews.com/osd_story.php?sh=VSDF&i=3761538&c=AME&s=LAN
Richard
Papa Zero Three
10-03-2009, 21:18
That is a good looking knife. I like it and will probably pick one up when they become available.
Bill Harsey
10-04-2009, 09:11
Richard,
Yes that was the first prototype shown to some at AUSA last year. It was not supposed to have been photographed at that time.
Papa Zero Three,
Thanks.
The key to this project is the weapons (knife) retention lock that I designed.
When the lock bar is swept aside to release the knife the thumb is in the right place for gripping the handle, no second movement or hand adjustment is needed.
Claemore
10-04-2009, 23:56
Very cool knife, Mr. Harsey!
I note that the Ft.Bragg female team won their division again in the 10 miler, gotta love airborne/Civ affairs/Psyop chicks
Punisher_nbi45
10-05-2009, 06:15
Just from looking at the pics, I'd say you have created another winner, Mr. Harsey!
Could you please give us some specs on this knife? In the article, the knife is 3/16" of an inch, would it ever be offered with a 1/4" thick version? What went into the knife development as far as the idea behind the design?
The design is really cool, by the way, especially where the choil is. I really think it would help in activities where you would need to choke up on the knife, but I also like the way it is subdued and that it just flows easily into the overall design.
Great job, sir, and another great knife!
Bill Harsey
10-05-2009, 06:47
Several years ago Matt Larsen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Larsen met with Chris Reeve and I with his idea of a combat knife with a weapon retention style sheath.
The blade is a little over 3/16 of an inch thick by about 7 inches long and made from 420HC steel.
Handles are injection molded glass filled (tough stuff) with rubber over molding for grip.
A month ago Chris spent a full day at Gerber and I watched as Chris helped the CNC blade grinder operator fine tune the curve of the grind to the front of the blade. Chris speaks CNC much better than I do.
Special thanks to Gerber's head blade grinder for getting it right and putting up with us.
CPTAUSRET
10-05-2009, 12:39
Studly looking knife, Bill!
I need one. We'll be in Paris on those dates, though.
Ret10Echo
10-06-2009, 07:32
Bill,
Rolled by the booth today. It looks good.
The ladies let me take a couple of photos. :D
R10
Bill Harsey
10-06-2009, 08:06
Bill,
Rolled by the booth today. It looks good.
The ladies let me take a couple of photos. :D
R10
Thanks and good news.
I'd like to see a picture of the knife and sheath someday. ;)
Ret10Echo
10-06-2009, 08:45
Thanks and good news.
I'd like to see a picture of the knife and sheath someday. ;)
PM inbound
Defender968
10-08-2009, 10:26
Here is one of the pics I took from the show, they didn't mind me taking a couple though one ended up too blurry to post. If there's any issue with posting it please take it down, I didn't get shot of the sheath though it did have a retention lock as Mr. Harsey indicated. Overall looked like a very nice knife, not that I'm surprised.
Bill Harsey
10-08-2009, 10:38
Defender968,
Thanks for the pic. No problem posting it.
Based on the photo, it looks like the grind might be how we want it.
Thanks to all the others who stopped by the Gerber display at AUSA and for the kind words after.
Bill Harsey
10-08-2009, 10:38
PM inbound
Thank you very much.
Dozer523
10-08-2009, 15:09
I guess it must have been a great conference. At least from the slurred phone call I got last night from a friend I haven't spoken with in over 15 years . . .
"Dozer-erino! guess who? I ran into Mikey and we've been swilling beer! Five beers, each . . . no wait, oh, I got TWO hands.
"Anyway, anyway. Mikey said it was the Battalion Commander that was mad at you about the duece and a half I said it was the Brigade Commander. What was it?"
"Well, the Battalion Commander was always mad at me. But, on this occasion, it WAS the Brigade Commander."
"That was SO funny."
"I hate you"
Warrior-Mentor
10-09-2009, 12:22
Bill - that's a sweet blade!
Was good to meet the "L" in LHR,
but if you want me to spend more time hanging around the booth,
they need to hire the HESCO Girls
and start slinging free beer at noon.... :p
Very nice Bill. You guys do good work.
sal
Bill Harsey
10-12-2009, 09:04
Very nice Bill. You guys do good work.
sal
sal,
thanks for your kind words.
x SF med
10-12-2009, 20:15
So that's the knife Jeff kept cussing about at Blade West...:D:p
nice looking chunk-o-steel there Bill. Now about those desert camo hoppers you were taunting me with... I'd like a dozen please.
Mr Harsey,
What are your thoughts on this new blade using 420HC vs CPM S30V? I read the bit in the blade steel sticky here where 420 is a couple notches below S30V for edge holding and other qualities.
I also noticed the new knife grip is secured by two fasteners instead of the usual three used on the Pacific, Green Beret, and similar knives (the prototype pic also has three). As well the grip material on the one pictured in Oct looks to still have micarta handles.
Are these all just cost cutting measures due to Gerber and production/price point? Or...?
Thank you.
Bill Harsey
10-13-2009, 17:09
Mr Harsey,
What are your thoughts on this new blade using 420HC vs CPM S30V? I read the bit in the blade steel sticky here where 420 is a couple notches below S30V for edge holding and other qualities.
I also noticed the new knife grip is secured by two fasteners instead of the usual three used on the Pacific, Green Beret, and similar knives (the prototype pic also has three). As well the grip material on the one pictured in Oct looks to still have micarta handles.
Are these all just cost cutting measures due to Gerber and production/price point? Or...?
Thank you.
We have to hit a specific price point in order to make it in the kinds of no.s that would make it useful to the most troops. It's not fair to compare this to the the other knives mentioned as they are high end custom production produced in smaller amounts.
The prototype should never have been photographed as it was not the exact model for production but intended to proof the concept. I always use micarta for prototypes because the cost of making a handle mold is in the five figures. Two handle bolts are quite strong.
Thank you for the fast response. Points taken.
But because of that prototype photo, now you'll have some of use wanting one like that, out of SV30, three bolts and a micarta handle perhaps as a special run to go along with the other high end knives... :D