I'm sick of "Tactical"

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Chief_Wiggum

Chief_Wiggum

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What is a "Tactical" knife?

Why does black = tactical?

<rant>

Frankly, I don't care. I'm fed up with it.

I'm ready to have some FUN collecting knives. Anyone else feel the same way?

My next purchase is going to be a Protech Godfather in Jazz WITHOUT the black blade coating :p

p9160021.jpg


Why? Beacuse it's FUN! Not practical (okay maybe a little bit) and definately NOT "Tactical".

</rant>
 
I think they would have to dip it in black paint and double the price for it to be a real tactical knife. :D
 
Where's the black coating, tanto blade, partial serrations, and liner lock!?!?! :eek:

I think "tacticals" are the least practical knives. That knife you got there sure is beatuiful. A black blade would ruin it!
 
I was going to post a thread on why I thought Tacticals were the best, but this seems like a great place to discuss this subject.
To me, it seems as though all of my best knives are somehow claimed as being tactical.
Why?
Because knifemakers/companies know that a small percentage of Police and/or military may be interested in buying their products, and such endorsements sell knives.
But mostly because some companies are really serious about producing knives that will not fail in times of severe crises, expectially as far as grip is concerned. That's why I think the best feeling knives are almost called tactical.
Take a Sebeza for example. Yes they are incredibly well built knives, but where is the finger grove?
Alright, I realize that Strider folders don't have finger notches,
but to me this is of an utmost importance in a liner-lock, framelock type folding knife. YMMV
Walker
 
Don't get me wrong, I love my Strider SnG (this on has a finger groove, btw) and my Busses.

I'm just ready for something a little different and fun. Not so serious :D
 
Cheif_Wiggum, congrats on your next auto. The Protech Godfathers are wonderful, PVK has a few "Godson" prototypes from Protech. Including the Jazz with G-10 inserts.
 
I believe that it is better to give than to receive. Therefore, I'm going to give you the chance to rid yourself of all those tacticals with which you are fed up. Send them to me and I promise you'll feel much better. ;) ;) :D
 
Originally posted by Chief_Wiggum
I'm just ready for something a little different and fun. Not so serious :D
Click to expand...

I know exactly how you feel. I acted on it and bought a small gent's folder by John Fraps with creamy wooly mammoth scales, gold fasteners and thumbstuds, and light filework. It doesn't have a mean bone in its body, but it sure is a sweet piece. And guess what, if I've got it with me and somebody needs cuttin' its getting a field promotion to TACTICAL!!! - Lee
 
Originally posted by Chief_Wiggum

I'm just ready for something a little different and fun. Not so serious :D
Click to expand...

How about a Farid like mine :)

standard



You know, I keep trying to give non-tacticals a chance but I just can't do it...I love those "blackticals"!

RL
 
To me "Tactical" is more of an intention than a label. If you have a knife because you believe it will help you in battle it is tactical. If you have a knife because you think it looks cool it is a cool "tactical" looking knife.

<hoping I'm making sense...>

:D

So if "tactical" is out, I say we demand "strategic" knives!

:p

Or, as our Commander in Chief (who I support) would say...

"Strategerie Knives..."
 
I've long since been under the impression that 'Tactical Knives' are something dreamt up by the industry to push us into paying larger prices for smaller (and cheaper to produce) Knives


How many of the top manufacturers make a large sized utility /survival type knife these days (Silver Trident doesen't count in my book - too small.) It seems to me that
the price difference between an auto and a manual folder is rather large, bearing in mind the only difference is the insertion of a coil spring.


Perhaps I'm just being paranoid though.
 
Welcome to my world Wiggum. I've never quite understood why some knife nuts bicker so much about things like this.

I've always been a strong believer in only buying knives that appeal to me. (Of course this would seem that way for everyone). But some people would say, "Man I like the way that Cold Steel looks, but Im not going to buy it becuase its 'Cold Steel'...bleh" Its almost turned into a sort of fashion world for knives!

The word "tactical" has been degraded into a meaningless term signifying that it either, A) Has a tanto blade, or B) Is black.

I would be willing to bet that 85-90% of the people who purchase "tacticals" don't use them for any tactical purpose other than pruning the apple tree after midnight. :rolleyes:

I too am DIEING for a chance to get ahold of a P.Tech GodFather in Jazz. I want to wear it with my suit!

Good luck with your new outlook on knives, nobody is above an epiphany. :D
 
I think that the pendulum has swung on the tactical knife craze. People who first entered the sport because of Terzuola and Emerson have now started to buy other brands; they have become familiar with many quality issues.

For me, it was the usual strength and quality issues that got me thinking of tactical knives. After all, I sweat on them, I drop them, and I want to be able to cut various disgusting things without worrying all of the time. As a newbie, I thought 'tactical.' Fortunately I had guys like Josh Burbank to guide me as an early collector.

I love my Striders, but I just bought a Buck 110. I'm more attentive to the metal alloy, the hardening issue, distal taper and cutting geometry. The Edge Pro has opened my eyes to sharpening.

Now if a company wants my money, they have to earn it, not just paint it black and elude to use by Navy SEALs. We're a more educated group of consumers. I'm interested in how this new concept will be addressed in Tactical Knives magazine.
 
i go thru phases. i started out with ultra tactical:
bm- emersons, alishiewitz(spell?) microtech, mod.
now i have discovered the pleasures of simple/traditionalknives.
like my sardinian "pattada" slip joint knife.
however my bm 800s sees alot of use. in the summer.
around the campfire. will buy a rosselli hunter soon.

matthias
 
Sounds like diferent dialects of english are getting some people confused.
First, the protech godfather is expremely well suited for urban/business-casual tactical environments. If I was undercover as a pimp I'd want mine in "jazz" for extra flair.
Second, shiny Buck 110s were the #1 folder during the Vietnam conflict. (not a bad choice, Ichabod) I'll go ahead and assume, for the sake of argument, that Vietnam was a tactical environment.
Third, knives named SEAL but made of 440-A don't hold up in combat, no matter what color they are.
Fourth, complaining about others' definitions of tactical doesn't change the facts as they apply to you.
Finally (for now) your tactics determine what is tactical to you. There may be no such thing as a tactical folder: only a tactical environment folder, suitable for your environment. A Godfather is probably more suited to human intelligence gathering ops than a big black Emerson Commander, but a SWAT guy might rather have the CDR.
 
JWBirch,

I don't think it's the users who are classifying this group of knives. I'm more of the belief that the manufacturers are using this term as a marketing ploy. Of course, a Buck 110 is worth it's weight in tough environments; it had been doing so when Ernie was in short pants.

For example, I'm not a big fan of 'ricer' cars. However, an WRX Sti has some nice features, it's AWD, and can accelerate up to speed on highways. My wife used to drive little cars, and she'd be right at home in one.

But don't think for a minute she'd be street racin' ala The Fast and the Furious. In the final analysis it's a tarted up, low buck Subaru. It's the manufacturer who is carving out the niche' market.

And let's face it, a lot of common knives have been painted black in the last few years. Nice meeting and debating you!
 
My main carry knives are a 2 blade trapper and a Spydie Rescue. I used to be concerned with opening speed first and then I would worry about overall build quality. Then I got on a traditional kick and only carried slip joints. Now I go back and forth. There are times when I wouldn't trade those thin carbon steel blades for anything. Other times I'd give a small toe to have a good fixed blade with me. Most of my cutting is accomplished very nicely with a thin 3" clip point. Very rarely have I wished I had a mega folder. I have only been assaulted once in my life, and that was by a childhood friend who got mixed up in drugs. But I live in a sh!tty part of town so I do have defense in the back of my mind. I try to use my eyes and my wits as my first line of defense, though. I am a little tired of black plastic everything, but it is light and durable. Offerings in grey and green might be refreshing. YMMV

Frank
 
I guess my point is that I'm tired of being marketed to death by "Tactical". Just because a knife looks a certain way, or has certain features doesn't make it "Tactical". A knife may be used in self defense or combat that originally wasn't designed for this purpose at all.

Knives should be about more than just "Hard Use", "Tactical Black", "Tactical Liner Lock", "Tactical _insert feature here_". Let's have some fun :eek:

Same thing for "Assault Rifles". Just because it has a folding (scary) stock or pistol (scary) grip or flash hider (scary) does'nt make it an "Assault Rifle".
 
Chief, I'm really glad you brought this up. Ichabod, I'm just happy to be in good company. And I'd rather be corrected than wrong. I think people like us may be turning the tide though. We had a huge discussion about the color of "tactical" on the busse forum a while back, and most agreed that the desert tan was better than black, but not definitively. And Beckers are available in brown now too. Orange, red and neon green are good tactical colors for emergency personnel. My Sebenza is the most "tactical" folder I have: its grey and stonewased silver but it'll beat the snot out of my Emersons. I wish we could get enough interest to get an article printed in a big magazine disputing the myth for the hype followers. But that might be bad for ad sales... I guess it gets back to "friends don't let friends buy bad knives".
 
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