military/law enforcement EDC?

I

ipm

Joined
Feb 26, 2009
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I have a kind of general question. I don't know if its about knives though.

I see that many companies market knives as 'tactical'.

I don't do 'tactics' much, and I am almost sure that most people do not either.

What I would like to know is, what do people who actually are capable, and do 'tactics' for a living, actually use?

Is there a standard issue knife for the military or law enforcement? Fixed or folding, it does not matter which for the discussion.

I imagine there must be.

If not, do people in these occupations pick their own knives and use them accordingly?

Is there really a preferred brand, geometry, etc. or it this sort of talk mostly company advertising?

What is in the military/law enforcement EDC?

Is this prescribed or a matter of choice?

All of this does not really matter to a punter like me who will never likely do 'tactics', but it is interesting.

Personally, I fall for 'tough', 'good fit and finish' marketing more than 'tactics'. :)

Also, I have no intention of insulting anyone or starting an argument about one company being better than the other. I am about 100% sure that most of the 'tactical' blades mentioned here are all quite capable and are worth the cost to their owners.

I am just looking for an opinion from tactics professionals.
 
Well... I'm in the Marines and I have an M7 Bayonet issued to me, although i dont use it as an edc. It just sits in the armory collecting dust until field ops or deployments.
 
Great observations. I've been wondering what "tactical" really means lately, as it applies to the folding knife market, as well... I use my knife tactically every day... If I have to covertly deanimate an envelope, I have a tactic for doing that... Also, no apple or cardboard box is safe from my tactics... And ZIP TIES...don't even get me started... I guess you could say that I'm a tactical knife user... :) Since any action you take, is either planned, or reactive, and the planned actions would, by definition, employ tactics...

tactic: a plan, procedure, or expedient for promoting a desired end or result.

Sorry, for my rambling... /rant
 
hi, i was in the army and just like player1219 i had a m7 bayonet. really didn't care for it kept it on my pack in the field. for edc i carried a spyderco i picked up in the px. in the field i carried a beker bk7 and all i used it for was basic camp chores and to cut the occasional rope or paracord and open mre's. like my daddy said and pretty much every instructor i ever had, we give you a rifle boy thats for all your interpersonal discusions, and if thats not enough use a grenade.

take it easy
cricket
 
As far as law enforcement goes, a good multi tool is best. It has all the things needed for what you may come upon during patrol. If you in law enforcement and carry a clipped knife or a sheath knife that is highly visible and easily accessed and opened, then in a fight it will be easily accessable to the suspect(s) you are engageing. I had to worry enough about my side arm ( that was in a specially designed retention holster), when I was fighting to hand cuff someone. I did carry a knife, but you would not see it till I needed it, and it was some what hard to open if you did not know how to deploy it.
 
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I think "tactical" is just a term the knife companies picked up to sell more knives, and it sounds a lot cooler to say you have a tactical knife than a pen knife. By definition, if you use your knife to castrate bulls it's a tactical knife.

It's like if you're into guns. Everybody wants military/tactical guns like an AR-15, which is, for the most part, a hunting rifle with pistol grips. It looks cool, and everything military is in these days.

Hey, I have "tactical" pants. Kinda like regular pants with more pockets. I like em, but don't plan on going into battle any time soon. :D

BTW, great question.
 
my brother who is a fed carries a serrated folder (a kershaw actually), as do most of his colleagues...i believe he was issued a s&w folder, which was crappy so he never used it...the serrated blade is definitely the preference over a plain edge, so he says...
 
I recently switched jobs to a law enforcement position.

On average, people carry pretty crummy knives by BF.com standards. There's the occasional Spyderco or Kershaw, but mostly people don't pay too much attention to it. Gerber or whatever Wal-Mart happened to be selling the day they want to the store.

Today, a situation came up where someone had to use a knife - it was to cut a piece of twine (literally, twine). A case peanut would have worked.

My family members that are in law enforcement all carry ZT200's, and I have a Tyrade, but we're definitely in the minority.

A colleague that did a few tours overseas carried a Leatherman. Said it was very useful.

We'll see, maybe I can convert a few people :)
 
While in the Marines I carried a Gerber mulitool and a SAK.

In the police department I work for I am the lone ranger, carrying a Spyderco Manix. AFAIK every other officer carries one of the waved Emersons.
 
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i personally plan to carry a KaBar TDI on my utility belt as well as a kershaw blur in my pocket, and my tenacious in the other. this is of course when i become a police officer in 2 years.
 
Idaho Jarhead, in a large city where the crowd is actually rooting for the bad guy to win, that is how we are trained. I don't think it would apply in other areas, so if I spoke to harshly I take it back. I have been in many fights were anything you dropped or was pulled off you by the surronding crowd was gone in seconds if you were lucky enough not to have it used on you. In downtown Brooklyn, it is referred to as the "Brooklyn Bounce" when what was dropped is gone in a few seconds. The only city officers that carry visible knives are in emerency service or court officers.
 
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Check out the Makers page for bottom forum SDS- he is making knives for his units and he is Oklahoma City Motor cycle Police. He works with a lot of Tactical units and that is what they came up with for their use.
 
tom, I thought about that once I responded. I've never been to a city as big as Brooklyn, let alone work in one. Sorry for jumping the gun on my response. I'll edit it to remove the flame.
 
I would carry a Leatherman Supertool and a Spyderco Police (serrated) back in my military days. I could have gotten by with just the Supertool without a problem.
 
I carried a multitool and a Buck 112, along with the obvious bayonet.

Very few people carried fixed blades at that time, partly because it was discouraged in many situations, and partly because you couldn't get at a fixed blade on your belt when wearing your web gear anyway.
 
When I served I used to carry a SAK and a Cold Steel Tanto, that last one was mostly 'cause I thought it was cool, still do, but I only used it if the SAK couldn't handle something. :) I'd carry a different FB now, more practical.

As for 'tactical', I take it to mean 'suitable for offense or defense.' And in that regard, any knife is better than no knife. But really it should mean 'designed to fight or kill with.' But that's a bit Politically Incorrect... :D
 
I'm going to make an educated guess and say that the most common knives in the US armed forces are the blades on assorted Gerber and Leatherman tools. The majority of people in uniform aren't (normally) in combat roles. They're truck drivers and mechanics, cooks, aircraft support, warehouse workers... the people who keep the pilots, tankers and infantry fed, mobile and armed. People who are going to find a multitool more useful than a combat knife.


Also, I think the word 'tactical' as applied to any product has lost whatever original meaning it might have once had. It's a marketing buzzword now. Paint a fruitcake black, charge an extra $20, call it tactical, and it sells better.
 
well the forum members yery intelligently & throughly covered the subject. i've only been here since july but these guys really hit the subject on the head. no crazies in this crowd.
 
Leatherman supertool in a snapped sheath behind the strong hip. Spyderco Endura serrated in the back pocket on a lanyard. Spyderco police III in the strong side cargo pocket. Regular small Old Timer 3-blade pocket knife in the front pocket.

Use the Old Timer most.

I don't think many departments issue a knife or tool. Guys that carry probably find something to suit their needs. I would never take off the Leatherman but if I had a plain edge Endura I'd lose the Police.

I bought the Police because it is a large plain edge knife that I can open one-handed and it has the G-10 handles for grip. Problem is it came with the crappiest pocket clip known to man that broke after two days on the pocket. Emailed Spyderco customer service and was told I could buy a new clip. (Gee, thanks.) So into the pocket it went. I would have put the lanyard on it and put it in my back pocket but the newer style handles don't have that huge hole in the scales where the clip used to screw in. My bad for not checking it out closer before buying.

Carry what you need. I don't cut seatbelts or rope so dont need a serrated edge. Also don't plan on fighting with my knife. But I got one I could fight with if all other options were gone. Practice, practice, practice - opening and closing and make sure you know how to retain it if TWAWKICTAE.
 
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