Cudeman's Boina Verde the 299B Tactical knife

Cudeman 299B Review

This is a review of Cudeman's 299B or Boina Verde that is the Green Beret model 299B Tactical knife.

Cudeman have been making knives in Spain for over 25 years and are a well respected Spanish company.
This knife is a Hardcore camping and survival knife (if you happen to have it with you when the shit hits the fan). Whilst marketed as a "tactical knife" it can be also described as thus but not for military tactical ops, not with that big 190mm shiny blade! You pull this thing out in the sun and start flashing it around and you may as well start signaling your location. You will be seen. It will be just like a reflection off an uncovered watch face or case. This is a weighty knife at around 700 odd grams including the sheath (leather sheath and 1200 grit stone).

I'm not going to get into an argument either about how a "survival knife" should have "tactical qualities" either. Use common sense, and as I said a survival knife is the knife (if you happen to have one on you at the time) you have when everything turns bad.

The blade steel is Böhler’s N695,

do not confuse this with Böhler’s N690, a high speed stainless steel alloy, which of course is also used in making knives.

N695 is a martensitic stainless steel that's hard wearing with good corrosion resistance and can be heat treated and tempered to a high Rockwell.
Some of you may recognize this alloy composition as AISI 440C and you would be correct! Despite the plethora of marketing hype out there regarding the "best blade steel" 440C is an excellent steel to manufacture knives from albeit not an "in" steel on the numerous knife forums out there. Ok so let's cut all that marketing crap out from knife manufacturers and forum members and YouTubers who wouldn't know the difference between martensite and austenite if they fell over it, can't be bothered to read the steel manufacturers technical documents, or how to even prepare a steel sample to see it let alone provide ones opinion on what is the best steel in use today. There is no ultimate steel alloy for knives at present.

Enough said.


The spine of the 299B is 5.5mm thick

and it's hardened to over 60HRC according to Cudeman. It can't be much harder if Böhler’s N695 is being use anyway. Check out Böhler’s documentation, it's in English if you don't read German. I should say here that N690 being another martensitic stainless steel is really over rated for use in knife steels as the alloying components, notably Cobalt (Co) is unnecessary for use in hunting and outdoor knives. The function of the Co is to increase and maintain hardness at high temperatures. This is why this is a high speed tool steel.

Right back to the 299B, it's fitted out with micarta scales held in place by stainless steel allen bolts.

There are several places to attach a lanyard. The holes are chamfered to prevent unnecessary lanyard wear too, a nice little touch.

There are 3 wire cutter notches/slots

that easily handle standard two strand barbed wire. They simply work by twisting resulting in work hardening the barb wire until failure occurs. Just like those oversize notches in the Rambo Knife made famous in First Blood.
Ok some of you out there are saying hold on, where am I going to find wire to cut in the wilds of the middle of nowhere?? Well unless you are moving in really really, and I mean really really remote territory, you can indeed have a high probability of finding wire to cut with these notches. Old mining camps can provide such material, long abandoned vehicles, machines, washed up flotsam etc. How about in the gear you may be carrying? Like your rucksack??? Now stiff wire is very very useful for all sorts of things, making hooks, crab spears, hanging meat to dry, catching fish etc etc.


The blade shape is a recurve design with the maximum spine thickness extending to within one inch of the tip. A great shape for some serious outdoor use for the experienced knife user. I say experienced as a recurve edge takes more skill to sharpen than say a Tanto type edge or a standard drop point.
The recurve portion makes it easier to cut with compared with a straight edge, that's just plain old physics if you compare like to like as there will be a greater blade surface area in contact with the material you are trying to sever.
 At 5.5mm thick, the blade is teetering on being too thick for food prepping hard vegetables like potatoes and pumpkins but hey it's not a vegetable knife but you must  be able to prep food with a knife either meat or veg.
The designer was Angel Corts and the original incantation was made by Yarara in Argentina. As such this type of blade will excel in camp tasks found in jungle-like environments such as cutting bamboo, vines (slightly too thick in my opinion for vines especially if the vine is small hence the use of a machete), de-husking coconuts, building shelters, hammering pegs, cutting sugar cane etc etc and of course batoning.

Batoning

Since this blade is thick at 5.5mm batoning is easy as. It forms a good wedge even though the actual blade profile is a sabre hollow grind.

The blade with is also good for smashing things like garlic and ginger

and of course beating the appropriate vines in water to kill fish. As I've already said it's just no good taking a knife with you that you can not prep food with or it is just too uncomfortable to use for long periods prepping food. The tip is pointy enough for fish prep too as it is sharpened for about 1.5cm on the spine side. You could skin with it but it's clearly not a hunting knife as it's just too thick and heavy and of course too long. But not long enough to be a Zombie killer either.

The thumb/finger gimping is very comfortable on the 299B as well. The 299B weighs in at 475gm knife only and with a leather scabbard and 1200 grit sharpening stone

it's 732gm or 26Oz. But that's the kind of weight you would expect from such a large knife. It's not light and you need to think about this when planning a trip as this adds almost a 1kg to your pack weight or your weight.

The handle is contoured for a no slip grip even when swinging this baby.

Who is this knife for???
If you go out into the wilds and plan not to move around too far from your camp sites  then this is a good bushcampingtool to have with you. Remember it adds almost 1kg in weight.

If you just want a testosterone machine (hey I didn't say that) then this baby is a must. If you just want to hack away at the garden plants then knock yourself out but I'd go to the hardware store and get some proper tools for the garden LOL

The 299B comes with a Kydex sheath carry option (I haven't tested this out as yet)

Finally, it's got a lifetime warranty and that says it all.


BCTs.