First "tactical" knife.

L

LG&M

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Dec 19, 2005
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I didn't want to take another thread off topic.
Who would be the "father "of the tactical folder?
I always thought of Bob Terzuola but really don't know.
Also I think of Spyderco as the first production tactical folder and the The Fairbairn–Sykes as the first modern fixed blade.
Honestly I don't like the word tactical applied to knives
How about modern sporting folder?
That might be a different topic all together.
 
I think the word "tactical" gets used too loosely. What makes a knife tactical? I think that the advent of pocket clips on folders and the ability to open with one hand is the basis for a tactical knife. This allows the user to carry the knife in a ready to deploy mode without having to dig in their pocket.
So I would argue that whoever came up with these two features could be in the running.
 
That is why I thought Spyderco would be the first production tac folder.
 
Bob Terzuola IS the Father of the tactical knife. Look it up, if you don't believe me.
 
Bob Terzuola and Sal Glesser both released their first folding knives in 1981, both knives fit the criteria of "tactical" they had pocket clips, locking blades, and one hand opening mechanisms. You could argue that the Bob Terzuola was a purpose built tactical folder and the spyderco was a more utility focused knife but if you check out the C01 Worker it looks pretty nasty and I wouldn't want to get stabbed by it. So I think Bob Terzuola probably coined the term tactical, but spyderco were the ones who really made it well known and got "Tactical" knives out to a lot of people.
 
Thetimefarm said:
Bob Terzuola and Sal Glesser both released their first folding knives in 1981, both knives fit the criteria of "tactical" they had pocket clips, locking blades, and one hand opening mechanisms. You could argue that the Bob Terzuola was a purpose built tactical folder and the spyderco was a more utility focused knife but if you check out the C01 Worker it looks pretty nasty and I wouldn't want to get stabbed by it. So I think Bob Terzuola probably coined the term tactical, but spyderco were the ones who really made it well known and got "Tactical" knives out to a lot of people.
Click to expand...

Makes sense to me.
 
I'll give formal recognition to Terzuola, who wrote the book "The Tactical Folding Knife," and informal recognition to the first man to stab someone (tactically) with a folder lol


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Ernie Emerson said:
During the late 1980's and early 1990's I was the lead Hand-to-Hand Combat instructor for a company named Global Studies Group International (GSGI) run by a group of U.S. Navy SEALs who were former members of SEAL Team Six. By that time, my knives had become well known among the Naval Special Warfare Community, Army Special Forces (Delta), The British SAS and various other Government agencies. In fact, the founder of the German GSG9 and also the 2nd in command of Scotland Yard carried Emerson Custom Knives. This knife, the CQC-6, became so sought after in the Special Operations community that owning an Emerson CQC-6 became a symbol of a "Made Man" in the SPEC OPS community and carried tremendous bragging rights among the operators that carried them. As a result I ended up working directly with a number of special groups and sub groups within the Naval Special Warfare Community, Army Special Forces and U.S. Government DoD branches along with several international and foreign agencies. My work included specialized combat weapons and of course hand-to-hand combat and edged weapons training. Benchmade Knives approached me to make a production version of the knife that I was building for all these world's elite operators, the Emerson CQC-6, the true father of the modern tactical folding knife. I told them no, but I had another design, the CQC-7 and that knife went on to become the most popular and sought after tactical folder of all time. In fact it created the genre of the Tactical Folding Knife
Click to expand...

Ernest Emerson Interview
KnifeArts.com
(my emphasis)

Would you look at that? Not saying that I know errrmmm.....insert reference here...just sayin'.
 
Wouldn't a stiletto switchblade or balisong be the first 'tactical' knife? Or heck, even a sword. Unless you just mean a knife with a pocket clip, a single blade, and a lock, that can be carried and deployed in a quick manner?
 
Hickory n steel said:
Folding knives would not be where they are today without the buck 110, so it is the grandfather of the modern folder which is way more important .
Click to expand...

I was checking the knife display at my local Wally today. They have the Buck 110 for $27 and change. That is just a couple of $$ more than I gave for mine 40+ years ago.
 
DDDWho said:
I was checking the knife display at my local Wally today. They have the Buck 110 for $27 and change. That is just a couple of $$ more than I gave for mine 40+ years ago.
Click to expand...
Mine was about 36$ 4yrs ago.27$ is a good price, but not what they always cost.
Either way the buck 110 was such a game changer that no modem folders would exist without it.
 
If we're defining tactical as something like "a bladed tool used in hand-to-hand combat as well as other tasks such as cutting & throwing" then we have to give due consideration to the Native American tomahawk. Used as recently as the desert wars in Afghan and Iraq by the US Army Stryker division as well, so this tactical weapon is still widely deployed. It's seeing some use in SWAT operations as well.
 
Prototype of ATCF made in 1986.

ATCF__First_Prototype__17755_1.jpg


And here you have pics of sold 2nd or 3d ATCF ever made.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-BABY-Collector-Dream-Knives-SOLD-amp-SHIPPED
 
I new someone would make a case for Emerson sooner or later. Thanks,RLD.
I was thinking more of the modern folder. No question fixed blades and hawks were used in combat since the beginning of war.
Also yes the good old Buck 110 has its place but IMO it is a precursor to the modern tac folder.
 
This is why the whole "tactical" issue can be such a quagmire. The definition of Tactical: relating to or constituting actions carefully planned to gain a specific military end.
In layman's terms: anything that helps you achieve a certain goal in the face of adversity in the most efficient manner possible.
People are going to have different ideas about what makes a tactical knife: does the blade HAVE to be black?, does blade shape matter?, textured G10 over smooth titanium or aluminum?

The debate is just that...debatable. Someone mentioned balisongs earlier which is a great point, a knife that can be deployed quickly with one hand. How long have balisongs been around?

Oh yea, you can't forget that every tactical knife needs a bottle opener incorporated into the design for cold brewskies after every mission!! :)
 
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