KM2000
{{Short description|German Army standard combat knife}}
{{no footnotes|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name = KM2000
| origin = Germany
| type = Combat knife
| is_bladed = Yes
| wars = War in Afghanistan, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
| designer = Eickhorn-Solingen GmbH
| manufacturer = Eickhorn-Solingen GmbH
}}
The KM2000 (KM designates Kampfmesser, literally "combat knife") is the standard combat knife of the German Bundeswehr.
Production
The knife is manufactured in Germany by the Eickhorn-Solingen company (aka "Original Eickhorn").
The knife is produced according to NATO regulations by the German company Eickhorn-Solingen GmbH.
Design
File:New KM2000.jpgThe assembly consists of three components: the laser cut 172 mm Black Kalgard coated, forged X55CrMo14 or 1.4110 (440A) stainless steel Westernized tantō blade, the ergonomic ambidextrous polyamide handle and screw.
The entire knife weighs approximately {{convert|320|g|oz}}. The sheath for the KM2000 is turnable, and includes an adapter to allow it to be mounted onto the MOLLE/PALS load bearing system(s).
Later revisions of the KM2000 (as of 2008) use a different stainless blade steel alloy with better edge-holding properties, X105CrMo17 or 1.4125 (440C) Böhler N695 (HRC 57).
Apart from the hard polyamide sheath, a special leather sheath is available from Eickhorn.
The newer version of the KM2000 has a modified tip for greater strength and stability while thrusting and prying windows and containers open.
The blade of both models has two versions: plain and partially serrated. The serrations are used for cutting ropes and fabric fibers for survival techniques. The scabbard has a strip of diamond sharpener used for field sharpening of the knife.
The handle end has a glass breaker tip which is actually the end of the knife blade tang and a lanyard hole.
The scabbard is MOLLE and IDZ military vest compatible.
Variants
Based on the popularity of the design, Eickhorn has developed the line-up introducing many variations in shape, material used, colors.
Models other than KM2000 are also introduced by Eickhorn such as Para-Commando, KM5000, FS knife etc. Most of these variations are not actually issued in the German Army.
= KM1000 =
KM2000 without blade-coating. Available with sand-colored grips and scabbards intended in desert environments like Afghanistan.
= KM3000 =
KM2000 with a spear-point blade instead of the KM2000's westernized-tanto point. Available with sand-colored grips and scabbards intended in desert environments like Afghanistan.
= Desert Command I =
KM2000 variant for desert environment.
= Desert Command II =
KM3000 variant for desert environment.
Users
- {{Flag|Germany}}
- German Army
Legacy
The KM2000 owes a lot of its fame to the fact that it is among the few (if not the only) "tantō"-style military knives actually issued in significant numbers.
See also
External links
{{commonscat-inline}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110210033805/http://www.deutschesheer.de/portal/a/heer/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP3I5EyrpHK9jNTUIr2S1OSMvMxsvYzEvJTyxLS01Dy97FwjAwMD_YJsR0UA08YWnw!!/ the homepage of the Bundeswehr (German)]
- [http://www.eickhorn-solingen.de/KM-2000 KM2000 on the Eickhorn-Solingen site (German)]
- Pictures of the [http://www.bimbel.de/artikel/artikel-30.html Kampfmesser 2000]