Anyone remember the late '80s tactical folders?

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NeilB

Joined
Jul 26, 2013
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What was for sale back then? Anything interesting?

When I was in the Army, back in the day, pretty much all I ever saw was a Gerber this or that. It was rare to see anything else.

Any of you guys remember anything other than Gerber or Buck?
 
Al Mar and Cold Steel. The US-made Gerbers were good. Buck mods included pocket clips and studs for one-hand opening. Nylon cum velcro carrying pouches were also the rage. The Benchmade Balisong was creating a stir.
 
you know, come to think of it.
there is probably a co-relation
between the emergence of martial arts in movies
and the eventual progression of folding fighting knives
into what is now tactical knives
so if movies are progenitors which fuel knife fever trends.
then one of the finest 80's example was
jeff imada's balisong and keibo sequence.
in the movie
big trouble in little china
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATax8S02PJY
naturally, martial arts practitioners would have been the first folks to turn tactical...
and pacific cutlery was pretty instrumental.
http://www.pbase.com/balisong/image/35721002
i suppose folks slowly took notice of the
al mar sere folder and sog knife tomcat
which were still pretty much top end and expensive stuff.
thus the direction was slowly turning
against the generic brass bolstered lock-back folding hunters.
as the younger generation drew fascination for newer non traditional folders.
 
I had one of these:

images


I bought it as a closeout sale from a "House of Knives" outlet in a shopping mall for 75% off. They were apparently not good sellers. It was the first knife that I had ever seen that was a liner-lock, had a thumb stud, and a skeletonized handle. Awesome knife. Way ahead of it's time.
 
I remember thumbing through brigade quartermaster catalogs in Jr high waiting for the day I could save up for a SOG Tomcat. I remember Benchmade knives being basically untouchable in high school. They would be off in their own case and I remember having to show a shopkeeper my cash before he'd let me handle one.
 
Puma lock backs, in different sizes with names like general, lieutenant, etc. They had one piece liners and bolsters with a sharp clip point. The base model had a plastic insert, higher priced ones had stag.

Like Buck 110s, for quick deployment, you wore the sheath upside down. This way you could reach back, thumb off the flap and the knife drops into your hand, quick flick and it was open.

Locking italian stilletos, like Kissing Crane and the monster one used by OJ.

Gerber had a belt buckle knife. My uncle, a cop, had one. You could reach down and twist off/open simultaneously.
 
Isn't that an Al Mar Quicksilver? I got one off the prize table at an IPSC match around '90-'91.
 
NeilB said:
What was for sale back then? Anything interesting?

When I was in the Army, back in the day, pretty much all I ever saw was a Gerber this or that. It was rare to see anything else.

Any of you guys remember anything other than Gerber or Buck?
Click to expand...

I was in the Army at that time too. I remember I found a Gerber LST for $11 in the PX at Ft Cambell and carried it for years. I still have it. I was also issued a Gerber multitool that didn't lock anything open. Still have that too.
 
RonTong said:
Isn't that an Al Mar Quicksilver? I got one off the prize table at an IPSC match around '90-'91.
Click to expand...

IIRC, the Quicksilver had a spear point blade. Don't recall them having a metal frame either. They all had black scales. Could be wrong. May go dig through my old pile of brochures later and see. Believe Al MAr designed that knife for Gerber, before quitting Gerber to start Al Mar Knives.

Mods: The knife in this add is sold, so don't go giving me a warning or infraction. I got too many already! ;-)

http://www.cutlerscove.com/jack-knives/almar-quicksilver-fillet.htm
 
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I think that it was in the mid 1980's when I bought my first Spyderco Police model. That was my first Tac type of folder. Before that it was either a buck 110 or a Schrade LB7.
 
ArchAngel said:
I think that it was in the mid 1980's when I bought my first Spyderco Police model. That was my first Tac type of folder. Before that it was either a buck 110 or a Schrade LB7.
Click to expand...

The first large locking knife with pocket clip and one-hand opening I ever owned was a Spyderco Police, aluminum with tufram coating. Bought it at a swap meet while visiting Oklahoma in 1991. I know the design dates back to the mid 80's, having seen ads for them in all the gun magazines.
 
Bucklite drop point with olive-drab handle was pretty sweet. You could hold the blade and wrist-flip it open it pretty easily, and the one I had locked up nice and solid.
 
I had a BuckLite in the late 1980s. I know there were other 'tactical' folders in the 80s, but I can't recall owning any others.
 
The Cold Steel lockbacks, el-cheapo whatever brand knives. My knife in the mid to late 80's was a balisong.
 
seanp said:
I had one of these:

images


I bought it as a closeout sale from a "House of Knives" outlet in a shopping mall for 75% off. They were apparently not good sellers. It was the first knife that I had ever seen that was a liner-lock, had a thumb stud, and a skeletonized handle. Awesome knife. Way ahead of it's time.
Click to expand...

Yes, Al Mar Quicksilver. That's the second version. The first had a little heel type lock that was a little iffy. Someone lifted mine a long time ago.
 
Had an LB7, al mar quicksilver and the Spyder Police model( for $35 at a swap meet also).
 
I had several Gerbers in good steel, Gator, EZ Out, etc. with pouches, then my first with liner lock and opening stud, the POS Schrade Cliphanger, the worst folder ever made.
 
GronK said:
I had several Gerbers in good steel, Gator, EZ Out, etc. with pouches, then my first with liner lock and opening stud, the POS Schrade Cliphanger, the worst folder ever made.
Click to expand...

I remember them. Never could convince myself to buy one of them. I remember Smokey Mountain Knife Works selling them in their catalog.
 
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