I am looking for a "tactical" knife

[Buffalohump]

People who say that a knife is no good as a weapon should hang out with cops for a while. I think its a pretty safe bet there are way more stabbing deaths than those from shooting on any given weekend.

That being said, choosing a knife purely for self-defence is a tricky business. Most knives can do both (SD and utility) and I for one prefer a knife that can do many things.

However, seeing as how you already carry a couple of utility blades then a purely SD knife it is!

Of the ones you listed I would say the Civilian is definitely a knife designed purely to injure or kill. So get that one!

My second choice - if you decide you want a knife that can serve as both a weapon and a utility tool - is the CQC8.

Let us know what you go with eventually.

 

[2edgesword]

A tactical folding knife is any knife that has these characteristics:

1. Is legal to carry.

2. Can be carried in a fashion where it can be quickly deployed.

3. Has a sharp, durable blade that can sustain full force slashing and stabbing.

4. Has a blade geometry that allows for maximum penetration when stabbing and maximum cutting edge contact when slashing (this is not just a matter of blade length but blade shape).

5. Remains locked in the open position even under full force application of the knife.

6. The handle is made from a material that allows the knife to be gripped securely when wet.

7. Has handle ergonomics that allows the knife to be held securely when welded using full force.

A knife, just like a gun, is not the be all of every self-defense situation. It is potentially a useful SD tool in some circumstances. You increase the chance that it will be a useful tool in those situations by training. Might you get cut? Sure, just like you might get shot if you're using a firearm in a close quarters situation.

 

[tirod3]

First, there are far more incidents of violence with firearms than knives. If point of fact, DOJ statistics show that the category of "Anything Else" as a weapon is next, then knives, which comes third. In the knife category, the majority of incidents are spousal abuse and the female is armed with the knife - one from the kitchen drawer.

Let's get the mythology of actual knife incidents on the mean streets in it's proper perspective. It's a juvenile myth perpetuated by the ignorant.

"Tactical" is underdefined and overused. The most common indicators of a tactical slant in the aethestics and decor of a knife are that it's black, commonly has a black blade, avoids a user friendly blade profile, and has more visual cues in the styling than actual performance. Actually being constructed for hard use is uncommon.

Tactical blades are mostly sold to users who have no connection to the military or LEO. The few soldiers and officers who do carry blades often carry what they want, slipjoints included. After all, most of the need for the knife had been eliminated in their duty. They could and do get by just as well with a SAK or inexpensive EMT scissors.

For a collection sitting in the safe unused and potentially increasing in value 40 years from now, choose what you can afford from the most technically advanced maker with the lowest production and availability. Hinderer fits that right now. Factory production knives don't nearly as much, and they will be floating around for decades for trades.

If the definition of "collection" used misses the OP's point, perhaps a better explanation for a bunch of unused knives in box could be offered.

 

[InfidelShootist]

Hey everyone,

I am looking for a "tactical" knife (the reason I put it in quotes is because I am looking for a cool knife primarily used for self defense, but I am just going to put it in my collection).

The following knives are my top choices:

Spyderco Civilian
Spyderco Citadel 92mm
Benchmade Reflex
Benchmade Auto Axis
Emerson CQC8
Bradley Alias 1 Auto
Protech Brend 3
Protech Godfather
Protech TR3
Sog Tac Auto
Piranha Bodyguard

Which one would you guys recommend? What other knives would you guys suggest?

Thanks,

Ben

A small to medium sized fixed blade with a sheath designed be carried IWB would be better then any of your choices IMO.
Out of what you picked I'd choose the Protech Brend 3 or the Emerson.

 

[InfidelShootist]

Using a knife for self defense is a sure way to get yourself injured, Knives are not a self defense weapon, you have to get too close to your opponent.

George

Knives have been self defense weapons for thousands of years.
Is a pistol better? Yes?
Can everyone carry a pistol 24/7? No.
I do but I live in Florida and have a CWP.
George do You carry a pistol 24/7 in Canada and are you law enforcement or do you have a crossbow in your pocket?

The old 98% of gunfights start within 6 feet thing.
Within 6 feet and I have a fixed blade knife in a proper sheath for self defense
the best anyone will do is tie.
I've tested that theory on several Grandmaster IPSC shooters and always won.
A knife and the skill to use it are great self defense skills.
Anyone dumb enough to pull a knife on someone that has a gun drawn down on them from a distance needs to be culled from the gene pool anyway.
Street Smarts and common sense would dictate to wait until the bad guy was distracted before you act with a gun or knife if at a disadvantage tactically.

The idea of being armed 24/7 besides the training of the body and mind
is you need something light and concealable or you'll leave it at home.
A knife can be very effective and weigh only a few ounces and fit in a pocket.
Face it,you may be carrying for YEARS without anything happening and what happens to most people in that situation?
They become complacent. The 1911 they loved and carried when new is now the dead weight that pulled their pants down and now they have nothing.
Better a knife and the proper mind-set then nothing.
Personally,I'll take the knife,the 1911 and the correct mind-set.
Then again I'm in Miami. I may think differently if I lived somewhere else.

 

[moonwilson]

If you were on the ground and being beaten with a baseball bat and kicked by 4-5 people, producing a knife would only get you a bat to the head.

When confronted by 4-5 people, that is when you start shooting. if they get you to the ground and start pummeling you, you are a goner.

What he said. If 4-5 people have you on the ground, and one of them has a bat, you're done. A knife isn't going to do you one lick of good. Pulling a knife at that point would only worsen your odds of survival. Go fetal, and hope they get bored.

 

[InfidelShootist]

What he said. If 4-5 people have you on the ground, and one of them has a bat, you're done. A knife isn't going to do you one lick of good. Pulling a knife at that point would only worsen your odds of survival. Go fetal, and hope they get bored.

Go fetal and they might kill you anyway.
You cut their Achilles tendon they'll be down to your level soon enough.
IMO you're always better off going down fighting then leaving your fate and health to someone beating you with a baseball bat.

You won't get to Valhalla going fetal.
Going fecal either.
Even if you die,make them remember you and not for crapping your pants.
If your going to die,die like a man.

 

[moonwilson]

Go fetal and they might kill you anyway.
You cut their Achilles tendon they'll be down to your level soon enough.
IMO you're always better off going down fighting then leaving your fate and health to someone beating you with a baseball bat.

You won't get to Valhalla going fetal.
Going fecal either.
Even if you die,make them remember you and not for crapping your pants.
If your going to die,die like a man.

Excellent points. You are 100% right. :thumbup: I haven't thought that kind of scenario through much, as I carry a gun. I'm not going out like that.

 

[InfidelShootist]

Excellent points. You are 100% right. :thumbup: I haven't thought that kind of scenario through much, as I carry a gun. I'm not going out like that.

Alright.
Glad you agree.
Even if you end up blind and crippled if you kill them you win.
Never quit. You being injured doesn't mean the fight is over.
Get that in your head NOW and it can save your life later and even if you do die it could save your family.God will respect you for that.

The Samurai believed facing your own death daily and fighting without worry of your own fate, made you invincible.
Everyone dies it's just a matter of when and how,few live like men.
Mind-set is as important as skill.

 

[nc527]

I think cold steel xl voyager, it has a 6 inch blade. you would have about a foot of reach with it

 

[ginshun]

Without addressing anything else, I am just going to reccomend the Benchmade 710 or Emerson HD-7

 

[Kaizen1]

Getting an auto for the purposes of SD is really a waste as the auto feature doesn't increase one's SD effectiveness. Autos with the OTF feature in particular aren't known for their consistency unless you start going into the higher price ranges, which again isn't all that big of a deal anyway. More importantly than opening fast is opening securely. And that will have to do with how you carry, practicing the opening method and the ergos of the knife in question.

For a SD knife, I suggest something with a thinner blade, maybe something in a wharncliffe, hawbill or some sort of recurve. Those types of blades in my experience make making deep cuts the easiest. Thicker tipped knives I found seem like they might work against you. Here's a comparison pic between my Hinderer XM-18 and my Snody wharnecliffe shank:

I'm very confident in my ability to use my XM-18 for SD if need be, but the difference in slashing and stabbing is very noticeable when compared to the other two knives in the photo (Snody shank & DDR Madd Maxx).

Some blade off the top of my head that I suggest:

Spyderco Civilian
Cold Steel Vaquero Series (Grande is preferred)
Blackhawk! Be-Wharned

 

[Unka Bart]

Cold Steel Natchez Bowie.

/thread

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

My point wasn't "give up," My point was, that is a poor hypothetical scenario: "I carry a knife in case I am laying on the ground being kicked to death and being beaten by a bat."

all these people who say a knife is useless in a SD situation, lets see what they say when 4-5 people have em on the ground kicking the crap outta em and beating them with a baseball bat.

Just is a dumb statement. In that situation just about anything is useless at that point.

 

[Armadew]

My point wasn't "give up," My point was, that is a poor hypothetical scenario: "I carry a knife in case I am laying on the ground being kicked to death and being beaten by a bat."

Just is a dumb statement. In that situation just about anything is useless at that point.

I hate to bring this subject even further off topic (sorry OP!), but I recently wrote on another forum about how I was a victim of an attack where I was severely outnumbered. I didn't even begin to think about anything in my pockets until there was a break in the action and in that moment of clarity I realized that pulling a knife would be one of the worst decisions I could make.

 

[pholder]

Thanks for all the great responses so far. I believe I confused people about the use of the knife. It is not that I will never use it, it is just that I don't normally need a self defense knife. However, if I ever do decide to carry it for a self defense purpose I want to know it will not let me down. This knife needs no edc ability at all, if it did I would just be an added bonus. Most days I carry a RAT Izula around my neck, CRK large Sebenza 21 clipped to my front right pocket, a Spyderco Pacific Salt SE clipped to my back right pocket, and either a Swiss Champ, or a Leatherman Surge on my belt or in my pocket. So edc is pretty much taken care of for me.

Thanks

Ben

man if you can't defend yourself with ALL of that hardware you need to buy a gun or move somewhere safer

 

[fp125duncan]

dude, you need to get a Cold Steel Ti-lite. There's a tactical blade. And the 6" version is probably the best for self-defense. especially with the skull crusher for a tang that it has. you wouldn't even have to open the knife to drop somebody.

 

[din]

My point wasn't "give up," My point was, that is a poor hypothetical scenario: "I carry a knife in case I am laying on the ground being kicked to death and being beaten by a bat."

Just is a dumb statement. In that situation just about anything is useless at that point.

helloooooooooo, dynamite?

 

[tirod3]

Halloooo, you're in the blast zone, plan on going up with them?

I don't see much common sense or experience being used in the selective cases being thrown back as examples of ways to solve an attack. I got the same earlier this week reminding a poster that knives can't produce a "one-shot stop." The flip response was "just stab them in the skull." Despite cute avatars to the contrary, even bullets bounce off skulls. Case in point, projectiles bouncing around inside a Kevlar helmet tend to use the skull as another rebound point until it expends all the energy or exits.

Point being, there's a lot of clueless kneejerk macho responses about knife use in street altercations, when the plain facts are right out there - be vigilant, carry a gun, don't go down without a fight, and a knife is a last resort weapon.

Frankly, most people do everything they can to avoid repeated confrontations. And the OP just asked what cool tactical knife off his list would be best to put away unused in his collection - where most tactical knives seem to do their best work.

If somebody could please describe the superior characteristics of their favorite in some sort of repeatable, objective criteria, I'd be pleased. "Time in seconds until assailant loses bowel control after seeing knife deployed," "Effective sight distance to discern knife is awesomely powerful," "Number of cheat codes to expand lethality," or my favorite, "Time in seconds until assailant decides to counterattack and hurt you."

That's all the time you really get. Make the first shot count, don't just wound them and leave them fighting for minutes afterward because they don't succumb.

 

[Dave_H]

Stay on your feet! Curling up in the fetal position is the worst thing you can do. At the end of the day, the action you take when confronted by an aggressor is a physiological response, and not something you have a tremendous amount of say in, no matter how prepared you think you are. Your body wants out of the sutuation and will decide the appropriate resoponse. Stay awake and avoid confrontation at all costs and you'll hopefully never need a weapon. I personally, prefer to carry a knife incase i should ever screw up through lack of vigilance and land myself in a situation where it might be necessary.

Anyways, i'd get a Spyderco Police, or maybe a Military. Something with a good grip, long handle, sure handling and some reach. That's if you really see yourself as having the traits to dominate such a situation, otherwise probably best not to carry a defensive blade at all. Certainly don't deploy it unless you fully intend to use it.