Yarará Paracaidista
The Yarará Paracaidista — the Argentinian Brigada Paracaidista IV (4th Parachute Brigade) official combat knife — might not be the best combat knife in the world — alright it’s not even close but at 220 Argentine peso or Euro 43.84 ($55.78), who isn’t going to buy the Argentinian paratrooper knife?
Despite the lack of quality — the blade is made out of Ac. SAE 6150 (HRC 54-56 ) and a rubber handle, with a cast aluminium hand guard – there is so much to love about this knife. For a start it’s a double edged dagger. It’s also a big chunk of steel. It’s 345 mm (13.5″) with a 5 mm (0.2″), 205 mm (8″) long and 31 mm (1.2″) wide blade. And it’s got a decent aluminium hand guard, which serves as a pretty good knuckle duster. On the down side the finger grip inside the guard is only 87 mm (3.4″), which is tight and the serrations on the top of the top edge are a waste of space. But what I love about it most is that it’s a throw back to the old WWI trench knives.
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About rob
I'm a Sicilian-Cockney. My father was English-Italian and my mother Sicilian, I was brought up in East London but live in Sicily with the two most beautiful girls in the world:my sister Stefi and wife Amica. I was a bodyguard for 8 years and a former national Greco-Roman wrestling champion. I was caporalmaggiore in the 186° Reggimento Paracadutisti "Folgore" and before that served in the 6° Rgt. Bersaglieri, Aosta Brigade. I've got a doctorate in history and I'm a maestro of Sicilian knife fighting and paranza, range master, tactical firearms instructor, shotgun and pistol instructor, and qualified Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, beach wrestling grappling, and S'Istrumpa (Sardinian wrestling) coach, hold a 4th Dan in Judo and 6th Dan in ju-jitsu, used to boxing for London as a kid. I train bodyguards and protection dog and teach tactical shooting and knife fighting. I run a sports company with my sister.
My hobbies include: Amica, driving Italian sports cars, motorbikes, jumping out of planes, paragliding, shooting, wrestling, Sicilian knife fighting, paranza, free diving, hunting, coursing, dog fights, collecting knives and firearms, historical fencing, playing darts, supporting the mighty hammers, metalwork, buying power tools I don't need and my dogs.
stefi
amica
rob
pietro amico
Jenny
9 September, 2010 at 2:32 am
“who isn’t going to buy the Argentinian paratrooper knife?”
Me. Why would you buy this knife?
El Fishing Musician
9 September, 2010 at 5:11 am
I want one for that price. I like the “jawbreaker” hilt as much as the handguard, and they compliment each other nicely. A bargain for a nice modern interpretation of history.
Jen, you should get one for each hand, and get a back holster (like Riddick uses or a double ninja sword holder) for strolls in relatively crime free NYC.
I’d be a great icebreaker to pull out of your pack or briefcase at the local tavern to give a stir to your tall double Jack Daniels and Coke. It would really gets the conversation started.
Actually happened here in Texas. Not with this knife, but a dude pulled a knife and stirred country music legend Billy Joe Shaver’s drink in a bar in Texas, and the jury found that this act was sufficient provocation for Billy Joe to be in fear of his life and pull some sort of small revolver (probably a NAA .22) and shoot said knife stirrer in the face in self defense. Jury wasn’t out very long and said not guilty.
So let that be a lesson to y’all, Jenny. Always stir YOUR OWN drink with your knife, never someone elses.
A stiletto is a great drink stirring knife, as I have recently found out.
P from America
9 September, 2010 at 5:43 am
Rob … I agree with you – the serrations need to go. Also, the aluminum guard is too thick at the blade end. And I’d like to see more thickness and a better grip on the handle (plus your suggestion of a longer gripping region). But I do like the blade length, and it’s affordable for general military & civilian use. The full finger guard is a good idea to protect troops who might not have a lot of combat experience with knives.
cheers,
P
amica
9 September, 2010 at 11:55 am
@ El Fish
Sensible jury. He didn’t kill him though, if you gotta shoot someone, think you should kill them cos if you don’t they can come back at ya. That’s what I think anyway.
Ian Davies
9 September, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Rob, I never even heard of this knife before. I really appreciate your reviews of these foreign knives. I might not be able to afford to buy them all but its still interesting. You really know your combat knives.
rob
9 September, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Ian
Cheers mate, glad you liked it. I’ll try to do a few more gun reviews too.
rob
9 September, 2010 at 9:44 pm
P
The grip is too small for anything other than combat on the Yarará Paracaidista, so if you were to carry it as a combat knife. It’s a combat knife not a combat/field knife. If you want a cheap combat knife that can also serve well as a field knife, I’d go with the Glock ’81 Field Knife, but the Yarará Paracaidista is as cool as a cucumber, and like you said is easy to use.
rob
9 September, 2010 at 10:17 pm
El Fish — it’s a solid piece of metal. I use my Viper corkscrew and bottle opener and Stefi has a Maserin Sciabola per Spumante for Sabrage but we don’t use a stiletto to stir a drink.
rob
9 September, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Jen — you ask me that every fucking time. I teach knife fighting, I was a paratrooper, and have an interest in the history of arms and armour, and I like knives. Does that explain why I bought this knife?
Jenny
9 September, 2010 at 11:17 pm
@ Fishy. Which is why I’m glad I don’t live in Texas. Carrying a knife or gun is illegal in NYC.
More kitchen knife reviews please.
El Fishing Musician
10 September, 2010 at 6:31 am
@ Jen. You keep saying you’re glad you don’t live in Texas. Does that really mean you do wish you lived in Texas?
how about more “kitchen knives that double as tactical defense weapons” reviews.
Jenny
10 September, 2010 at 9:20 pm
@ Fishy. No, it means I very glad I live in a progressive state like NY and not a backward state like Texas.
Jenny
10 September, 2010 at 9:28 pm
@ Rob. “Maserin Sciabola per Spumante”
Stefi has a champagne sword, why?
Jenny
10 September, 2010 at 9:35 pm
@ Rob. I wasn’t being a wise ass. I know you collect European military guns, knives and other junk but why an Argentinian paratrooper knife?
Thedragonsedge
11 September, 2010 at 1:34 am
I like knives, swords, and all kinds of weapons. It does not matter to me the functionality of the knife. I collect for the look of the knife. I have some cheap knives to are of no value but I like the way they look. The Yarará Paracaidista looks “cool”. Does it look this nice in person. I have purchased a few knives/daggers online. In the picture the look great but when I opened the package up I was a little disappointed. Recently, I received “The gamblers full suit of aces dagger”. I really liked the way it looked in the photo but when I opened the package to check it out I was disappointed. Now, I have to ship it to the United Kingdom and it is not what I consider the same quality as pictured.
El Fishing Musician
11 September, 2010 at 5:46 am
@Jen
Why all the hating on Tejas? Tejas means friend.
Jenny
11 September, 2010 at 1:15 pm
@ Fishy. Well let me see… Bush! If that’s not a good enough reason to hate Texas what about all the right wing freaks, Christian Christian bigots, gun nuts, and pro death penalty crazies.
El Fishing Musician
11 September, 2010 at 6:41 pm
@Jen
Actually GW Bush was born in Connecticut, making him one of yours and not one of mine. His family, like so many carpetbaggers before them, came to Texas from the North to exploit our natural resources, which made an already rich yankee family richer.
So when you’re hating on Bush, just remember, he’s one of yourn. He may live here, but he is from your neck of the woods.
Next?
rob
11 September, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Jen – what is a “Christian Christian” or is Christianity something you detest so much you had to say it twice?
P from America
12 September, 2010 at 12:13 am
I wonder how a discussion about an Argentinian knife has morphed into politics and religion???
Jenny .. a knife is often used by criminals because it is very effective at instilling fear – it is an effective weapon of intimidation. You can overcome that fear by obtaining good training in how to defend yourself, preferably from a school that has real knowledge of knives.
Rob … do you happen to know what knives are preferred by the French Foreign Legion? They take in a lot of guys from many different countries, so they should have good knowledge of blades. I wonder what they use. Just curious.
cheers,
P
El Fishing Musician
12 September, 2010 at 7:13 am
Good question, P, about the French Foriegn Legion knives. That would be interesting to know.
Saw part of a cool TV show the other night on the Military channel that was about the life of new recruits in the Legion, but I didn’t notice anything about the knives used. But I only saw about a third of it.
rob
12 September, 2010 at 11:33 am
P –
The so-called “French Foreign Legion knife” that you might see on E-bay is a cut-down Remington M1913. But it has nothing to do with the Legion, they’re issued with standard French army bayonets. The current French army bayonet is the Extrema Ratio Fulcrum. It was selected under the FELIN programme. Extrema Ratio knives can charge exuberant prices because they have so many military contracts.
rob
12 September, 2010 at 12:05 pm
@ Jen
As it goes I’ve been to Argentina quite a few times, I do business there, but that’s not why I bought the knife. I bought it because it’s an interesting paratrooper knife and a throwback to the old trench knives with the knuckle guard.
rob
12 September, 2010 at 12:07 pm
@ Jen —
For sabrage. Why else? Best way of opening a champagne bottle.
rob
12 September, 2010 at 12:14 pm
@ Thedragonsedge —
It looks that good yeah, but it’s not good quality steel and it’s a polished aluminium guard. As I said the biggest problem could be the grip. It’s a small space inside that knuckle guard. Grip a knife and measure the distance between your forefinger and little finger, then you know whether your hands are too big to squeeze into the grip.
P from America
12 September, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Rob – now that’s pretty interesting. The Foreign Legion is using an ER knife as its standard bayonet. That confirms my suspicions – they’ve had a lot of input from guys who served in other military units in Europe (and elsewhere). Thanks!
cheers,
P
P from America
12 September, 2010 at 9:41 pm
El Fishing – Like you, I saw part of that show where Bear Grylls had signed up to go through the recruitment process for the Foreign Legion. It’s quite interesting. The part where they bury you up to your neck in the desert (as a punishment) looks pretty harsh.
The show is a smart move from the Foreign Legion. They get free advertising out of it. My opinion of them has definitely been raised after watching the TV program – the few NCO’s and officers that you see appear to be quite experienced and knowledgeable. Not to mention very fit.
cheers,
P
rob
13 September, 2010 at 2:22 am
P — Nah, it’s nothing to do with input from the French Foreign Legion, although I suspect a lot of them have privately purchased (or more likely stolen) ER knives. It was chosen as the standard issue of the French army as part of their future soldier programme (Félin). The reason for that is that ER knives have been used by a lot of European special forces. The Italian army also has the Fulcrum. The amount they spend on a modern soldiers equipment nowadays is staggering.
rob
13 September, 2010 at 2:43 am
@ P — Their motto “March or Die” is famous, so is their reputation. I’ve had mates in England join the French Foreign Legion to escape the law. They’ve changed that rule nowadays but you used to be able to walk into a French police station and sign up, no questions asked, and you could have a new identity. Their paratrooper 2ème REP are an elite force and better respected than the normal French paratroopers. The Legion is a tough outfit and Legionnaires are fit, disciplined, and well trained soldiers. I didn’t think they still buried people up to the neck as a punishment, I thought they had to stop doing that.
Jenny
13 September, 2010 at 3:13 am
@ Fishy. You elected him. New York didn’t.
Jenny
13 September, 2010 at 3:15 am
@ Rob. “Christian conservatives”. I detest all religions.
Jenny
13 September, 2010 at 3:17 am
Do you drink a lot of champagne?
stefi
13 September, 2010 at 3:38 am
@ Jenny
No, but it’s nice to sabrage if open a bottle of champagne.
stefi
13 September, 2010 at 3:43 am
@ Amica
Not really self-defence though is it?
Thedragonsedge
13 September, 2010 at 3:52 am
@rob thanks rob I am learning more from reading this blog. As I said before, it is always entertaining also.
amica
13 September, 2010 at 4:25 pm
@ Stefi
It is in Texas.
amica
13 September, 2010 at 4:41 pm
@ Jen
You call yourself a freaking liberal but you want to ban religion, guns and knives, and let homo-humpers marry and adopt kids to rape. You’re against hanging murders, rapist and paedophiles but you think it’s alright to assassinate unborn babies. Don’t think people in Texas need God mockers from New York to tell them what’s right.
El Fishing Musician
13 September, 2010 at 7:33 pm
@ Amica
Thanks for the backup.
We generally use New Yorkers as cannon fodder down here. They like telling people what to do, but they don’t have the huevos to do it themselves and they’re up to their necks in violent crime up there and can’t defend themselves. I’ve been listening to them squawk so much in my life that it’s no problem just tuning them out. They’re unhappy and they spew that unhappiness (with themselves and their miserable gunless, godless and knifeless lives) on everyone else.
She needs to take her medication or tell her doctor to change it because the old one is not working.
Besides, if she’s an atheist, she’s going to hell. Nothing can save her here on this earth if you don’t believe in Jesus. IMHO.
Also, the US in about 30 years will have a voting majority of hispanics, which are about 90% catholic, so if she doesn’t like the radical right wingers, she’s in for a bit of a surprise in her older years.
Our government, our money and our pledge of allegiance all say the US is “One Nation Under God”, “In God we trust” and so on. We tolerate atheists, but barely.
El Fishing Musician
13 September, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Amica said: @ Stefi It is in Texas.
True that.
rob
13 September, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Thedragonsedge — cheers mate.
Jenny
13 September, 2010 at 11:32 pm
@ Fishy. Christians with guns. I’m just feeling the love. lol This is why you shouldn’t have a gun. Guns and religion don’t mix. We’re a secular country and lets keep it that way. In NYC we don’t need guns or to kill animals to feel good about ourselves.
Jenny
13 September, 2010 at 11:46 pm
@ Amica. Gays don’t adopt to rape children. Your Church does that. We don’t hang people in America and abortion isn’t assassination it’s every woman’s right.
El Fishing Musician
14 September, 2010 at 6:44 am
@ Jen Don’t forget the Death Penalty. I’m very for that.
stefi
14 September, 2010 at 11:56 am
@ Jen
It may be every girl’s legal right to kill her unborn child, but it’s still assassination and morally no different to dashing unwanted babies against a rock. It’s not a right to be proud of and a child is far more likely to be sexually abused by a secular teacher, social workers or probation officer than they are a Catholic priest.
heather
14 September, 2010 at 7:15 pm
El Fish…
Wow, you really don’t like us, huh? BTW, we’re not all anti gun rights. NYC gun laws suck but what can we do about it?
heather
14 September, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Amica…
Why are you so against gay marriage? It doesn’t hurt you.
amica
14 September, 2010 at 10:08 pm
@ Heather
The same reason I’m against people marrying animals. I don’t care what perverts do to each other in private but marriage is between a man and woman. What do these freaks want to adopt children for anyways? They ain’t going to raise them to be normal, they’re going to try and butt rape them.
heather
15 September, 2010 at 1:46 am
Amica…
Not all gay men are paedophiles.
El Fishing Musician
15 September, 2010 at 3:42 am
@ Heather
I don’t despise all New Yorkers, just those who are full of themselves and miserable and don’t know when to stfu.
I married a Yankee girl, and one of my sister in laws lives in NYC.
You certainly seem like a nice person, and my anti-NY comments are not directed towards you, and I apologize for not phrasing my rants better and more specificallly.
I tire easily of caustic and toxic people. Some people have no problem feeling the love for Texas when they are filling up the gas tank in their car (likely their petrol came from Texas or was refined here) or when they are coming here to make money or live a decent lifestyle but they seem to just love to be hating on Texas about everything else and blaming the world’s problems on us.
I am pretty passionate and indeed radical about those things I believe in, and about those people I care for. Sometimes I get carried away suffering fools.
Sorry again for the generalizations. I know better.
El Fishing Musician
15 September, 2010 at 3:45 am
Stats will show that very little sexual abuse of children occurs with gay adoptive families. I generally don’t support it because I think it can be hard on the child, but know gay folks who are excellent parents of their children.
An interesting trend I’ve noted over the past 10 years is that men abandone their wife and child and the woman takes up with another woman and sometimes they become very functional family units. In those cases, to me it’s forgiveable because the poor mom had no choice when abandoned by her man, and I guess had trust issues with relationships with men thereafter.
heather
15 September, 2010 at 11:27 pm
El Fish
Okay, no problem. I hadn’t read some of Jenny’s comments. I have problem with NYC gun laws not Texas’s gun laws. Guys from Texas are tougher than guys from NY. I love European guys’ attitudes too, they’re so not like guys from NY.
El Fishing Musician
16 September, 2010 at 1:54 am
Anybody, and especially a female, that owns a 624 has got to be cool. That’s what we call in Texas a six shooter.
Sorry again to generalize. I really know better than that.
Emerson
8 January, 2011 at 5:53 am
Where can I buy one?