I first heard about Grayman Kives in the Summer 2005 Combat Tactics: Jab, Grab & Stab. I started communications with Mike at Grayman knives shortly thereafter in early November 2005. Several months later (than I intended) I had my first Grayman knife, the Darfur Defender.
It was a beautiful piece of work and very solid! It was ¼” thick, hefty, and had a deep belly that made it ideal for tasks as delicate as skinning or as laborious as hacking. You are also looking at a large, deep wound channel if you ever need it as a weapon. This has become my basic survival knife. The only thing wrong with it was the grip was just a bit too big for my hand. That didn’t stop me from adding it to my kit, though!
In the Spring of 2006 I thought I might be doing some traveling to the Middle East in civies (civilian clothes) and requested another knife from Mike. He sent me a mini-Dinka that I would be able to carry on my belt under a shirt, around my neck, under my arm, or wherever I needed, yet keep it well concealed, giving me a solid fighting knife if I needed it!
The first night I had it, I wore it on my belt with a thin t-shirt over it. I hardly noticed it and it was completely invisible on my waist! I was hooked and it now resides on my waist any time I am in uniform! Unfortunately, I ended up not going to the Middle East but FL instead… I didn’t have much use for the mini-Dinka there but it was always on my belt.
By the fall of 2006 I had volunteered for my second round in the Dust Bowl of Iraq. I sent my Darfur Defender in to Mike to have the handle reduced a bit, which he gladly did for me. It is now the perfect size! I quickly came to the conclusion, however, that I wanted another Grayman knife that would be more suitable attached to my body armor. At this point, Mike had re-designed the Darfur Defender to what you see now on his website and I REALLY liked the style and size of the 6.5” x 1.5” x 1/4” version. Mike, in a cold, calculated move, also sent me a picture of one of his last Kordofan Fighters in satin finish… Alas, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, and I ordered both knives…
When you visit the Grayman knives website, Mike advertises his knives as Rough, Rugged, Real, and “custom designed and crafted by one knife maker, Mike, when he's on hiatus in the US and are designed and priced for those who need them most.” There used to be a comment somewhere on the site about his knives being as attractive as a Russian tank. This did not apply to the Kordorfan Fighter! This knife is a piece of art that is also a solid weapon! This is by far my favorite knife!
Mike’s knives are some of the best knives I’ve ever held, much less owned. They are solid, heavy steel and yet can be sharpened on a ceramic toilet bowl if need be (read: field expedient!) You can find good knives that are much prettier knives (Randall, Strider and Mercworx come to mind) but you can’t beat Mike’s prices, customer service and most importantly, his awesome knives! I know I can trust my life to his knives, and have, on many missions over Iraq as I ALWAYS had two of his knives with me: the mini-D on my waist and either the new Darfur or the Kordofan Fighter in my bug-out-bag. I also had his GRAX in my bag (see separate review)! Mike is probably one of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure of dealing with and can recommend him and his products 110% whether you are a seasoned operator taking down HVIs or an 11B humping the streets of Baghdad. You won’t go wrong with a Grayman knife. In fact, the Suenami is next on MY list…