Tactical Knives Getting Out of Control?

[ridnovir]

I for one do not buy them and believe they look ridiculous ie more looks - little to no function (like combi grinds) and the prices are over the top as well which is unfortunate because they push some of the respected custom makers prices higher as well.

 

[Silvanus]

"Ooh la la, zis eez my Opinel! Eet eez wafer theen!"

I love this! Classic marcinek!

 

[stabman]

Unfortunately as soon as the tacticul knives move along some new fad will be right there to take over, and you'll be complaining about them.

Yep.

Plus, they'll come back anyway.

"I just can't stand the current fad of (take your pick of the following) survival/combat/bushcraft/ninja/military/police/woods knives!"

Guess what folks, the "fads" keep coming back. It's cyclical.

 

[elkins45]

Pretty much. It makes the marketing a slam dunk. Look at the websites for the outfits that make these uber-slabs. They all go something like:

We don't want you buying our knives. We don't believe you are a 365 24/7 testosterone-soaked, troop-supporting, 110% American bad ass.
You are probably a mincing Frenchy with an Opinel: "Ooh la la, zis eez my Opinel! Eet eez wafer theen!"
Or an old fart with a slipjoint who only uses it to cut apples into tiny bits you can chew without teeth, and open up your Depends packages.

You can't handle our knives, pansy.


And people can't resist it. "I am too a bad ass! Here's my $500!"

There is much win in this post.

 

[Charlie_K]

If it's a heavy piece of steel with a sharp edge, the manufacturer adds grips and charges $800...and sell them. I look at folders that come in at seven ounces or more.
I have my own personal rule that tells me to ignore any folder greater than five ounces. That allows me the entire line of "common" models of CRK and Strider, with very few exceptions, along with many other fine knives. The SMF runs at ~5.8 ounces, but with that 0.190" thick blade, I don't find it to be useful for my daily carry.

The Buck 110 has been weighing in at nearly 8 ounces since it's conception. It's not exactly a new trend going on there.

 

[Balls Deep]

My contribution to the discussion is I think the prepper craze is really pushing this. The way I see the marketing is "sure $500 is an expensive knifd but tell me this civilian, how much is your life worth?" Or very similarly the advertising along the lines of "you dropped $600 on a glock why not $400 on an equally amazing killing machine that TAKES NO BULLETS.

I feel with the prepping trend there's a mind set shift that rather than investing in a financial future you're more investing in peace of mind, tangible objects that will keep you and your family safe. This is the piece of the population I really see these knives geared to. Folks who want to believe they have an all purpose emergency safety/ self defense, killing machine device in their pocket. The issue is the quality and function can be found for much less money from great established reputable sources. I'm not trying to knock I prepper right now at all. In my mind it's very analogous to bush craft. When it was called that name people were ready to drop $100 on a bushcraft knife despite that people have been making wilderness shelters and camping with minimal equipment for a long long time. Cool thread OP, it's been interesting reading over peoples comments.

 

[C_Becker]

The Buck 110 has been weighing in at nearly 8 ounces since it's conception. It's not exactly a new trend going on there.

But back then they didn't have access to all those fancy, light-weight materials we have nowadays.
So a knife the size of a 110 became heavy, because they couldn't make it lighter without losing strength.

 

[Sosa]

You guys are right, this is getting out of hand.

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[rustyrazor]

From looking at your posts of knives I don't know why anyone would want to buy a tactical knife over yours. A tactical knife looks useful but your knives for their role perfectly and would last four times longer if not more.

Thanks Chief... that is one of the best compliments I have received on here. I'd like to think I have a great product that is well thought out and is as useful as can be without having anything extra to get in the way. may not be the prettiest... but a solid companion IMHO. Maybe that is exactly the reason that someone would buy a "tactical" knife over one of mine. I should just make mine tactical "pretty" with more black finishes and shiny saw teeth.

That's it people... just gonna make a few of my user knives with a tactical finish and see the difference in attention we get... experiment perhaps.

 

[Peroni1973]

I feel the need to kinda defend the notion of a tactical knife.

Since being mugged some time ago now (less than a year) - I am happier carrying Emersons as they are the fastest deploying folding knives I have come across. There is not one once of 'machismo' in my preferring to carry knives of this kind. Prior to relatively recent events I was one of those who looked on tantos, etc. as irrelevant to my needs/'needs' but now I feel a valid purpose for carrying such knives.

I will readily admit to carrying a more multi-purpose knife to augment my Emersons and typically that is either a SAK or a Spyderco slicer, like the Caly series. The slicer resides in my front left pocket whilst the Emerson is in my front right pocket.

Nothing any knife snob is going to say here will reduce the comfort I take from knives of this ilk (and I am probably one of those super-steel, latest this, latest that guy too).

I just wanted to give a perspective to this thread that seem to have been missing thusfar. These are tools and some are more oriented to different jobs but at the end of the day my SAK and my Emersons both open packages, etc...

Cheers,

Ben

 

[Larcivs Lepidvs]

This is what was called a tactical knife back then (WWII)...

 

[nbf]

I went to one of the few knife stores we have in northern N.J. One small area for Benchmade. The rest were hundreds of infomercial knives for $20.00 +. I talked with the owner about carrying high end and maybe even hooking up with a few custom makers. He said his market is young and they just want looks. Blade steel, quality construction, functionality do not matter. If they look cool they will sell. I turned him on to blade forums and hope he will realize there is a market for quality knives. Being from NJ, we have no local quality knife shops. Have a great Thanksgiving. My 30 lb turkey will be carved with a large Steven Kelly drop point. Support your local knife maker.

 

[22-rimfire]

Rambo (the movie and the knives) and pocket clips started it. Both actually pretty useful. Those were more real times, but we still had our fantasies. I view the first Rambo movie (First Blood), Start Trek, Star Wars, and Kung Fu as sort of an awakening (mostly the 1980's and 1990's).

It won't be long when folks that carry a SAK are viewed as relics. Knives have got to look cool, be a gravity or flipper, and cost cost cost. Who would have thought that people would drop $50 for a video game like it was nothing. There have been some good impacts.... knife laws are changing and restrictions against things like switch blades are becoming clouded with the newer designs. But it took time and effort.

 

[goldie]

Ive seen similar insanity on the new section of blade hq.so many new brands of fixed blades going for 300 and up, + overbuilt framelocks going for 600-800+ its really gotten out of hand in the last few years.anyone buying these knives is not really gaining much except a lighter bank account.I have really gotten tired and turned off of this overpriced trend.It makes the bm adamas and zt0200 a bargain compared to these overpriced monstrosities.

 

[B.F.U]

This is what was called a tactical knife back then (WWII)...

No it wasn't. That's a sailor's pocket knife. Nothing but utility, the sheepfoot is specifically so that it can't stab. A WWII tactical knife would be the fighting knives of Camillus/KaBar and others.

Edit: I was feeling pretty feisty from extreme allergies when I wrote the above, I didn't need to be so confrontational. Sorry.

I also think there are quite a few ridiculous knives being bought out there. Most of these knives have such thick blades that they really couldn't cut much, and worse many have such ridiculous grinds/shapes that they wouldn't even be good piercers. I don't think all tactical knives are over the top however, I think the Emersons and Spydercos and Benchmades etc have their place.

Oh, and the thing that really boggles my mind is when people act like all these ridiculously thick frame locks are so tough and unbreakable while a vast majority of the cut outs on these titanium (remember, titanium is weaker than steel) frame locks are thinner than the steel liners on liner locks.

 

[marcinek]

Nothing any knife snob is going to say here will reduce the comfort I take from knives of this ilk ...

That fits right in with the "website" stuff I posted before.

 

[Charlie_K]

My contribution to the discussion is I think the prepper craze is really pushing this. The way I see the marketing is "sure $500 is an expensive knifd but tell me this civilian, how much is your life worth?" Or very similarly the advertising along the lines of "you dropped $600 on a glock why not $400 on an equally amazing killing machine that TAKES NO BULLETS.

I feel with the prepping trend there's a mind set shift that rather than investing in a financial future you're more investing in peace of mind, tangible objects that will keep you and your family safe. This is the piece of the population I really see these knives geared to. Folks who want to believe they have an all purpose emergency safety/ self defense, killing machine device in their pocket. The issue is the quality and function can be found for much less money from great established reputable sources. I'm not trying to knock I prepper right now at all. In my mind it's very analogous to bush craft. When it was called that name people were ready to drop $100 on a bushcraft knife despite that people have been making wilderness shelters and camping with minimal equipment for a long long time. Cool thread OP, it's been interesting reading over peoples comments.

I think you hit the nail on the head here. At least with knives being overbuilt compared to their brethren a few decades ago. When people are looking to buy a durable knife, at least I think, the primary concern is that at some point during the blade's usable lifetime, the company will go out of business, either due to the normal reasons, or end of the world reasons, and then they're really on their own, with no warranty options available to them.

A case in point would be the Becker line of knives. The warranty on them is officially only what KA-BAR will offer, but Ethan warrants them higher. And when Ethan Becker eventually takes the journey we'll all have to take one day -and that's going to be a dark day indeed- then that higher warranty will be going with him, and we'll be left at the mercy of what KA-BAR decides is appropriate.

 

[rustyrazor]

I feel that is another thing that gets too much criticism... warranties. I'm reminded of the movie "tommy boy" on this one. I will caveat this by saying I warranty my blades for whatever and will fix/replace as required, then again, I usually know my client personally or through a friend. My reason for this is I feel I can stand behind my knives, and it gives the guys that sense of "I can trust this thing if he's that willing to back it" and IMHO they can. I have tested my knives beyond what would be considered abuse and feel confident they will be there through anything anyone could need them for within all sense and reason (including a bit of abuse). But where does it stop? I hear people discussing on this forum how they would buy knife x over another because knife X warranty is a no questions warranty. And yes... I see the allure, but where does common sense come in? a knife company should not be punished for having a few questions when you send them a knife you broke in three pieces trying to do a Noss style destruction test shouldn't they? You wouldn't expect your next car purchase to be based on the fact that you could burn your car to the ground and have it replaced "no questions asked" ...No, you pick your car because either you love it, you know its good quality or after research, you found it the most suitable. How is that any different from the cutlery you buy?

 

[asdf12345]

Tastes change, fads develop and bubbles grow and burst. I see no problem with this - as in any kinds of art or product there are detractors and fans. I am extremely glad that those who are interested in what some might call 'overtly tactical knives' now have a great selection to choose from, just as people who are interested in more traditional knives do. These knives aren't using crap steels - they nearly universally have at least 154 CM and most go far beyond that. These knives have precision manufacturing thanks to CNC and waterjet technology regardless of what your personal feelings are on the use of those technologies. Cutting performance is really not that important for these knives. They are there to look nice and be fondled and cut the occasional thing or two, which, thanks to having decent steel and good manufacturing standards, they will do well. They are there to excite the end user and function as a usable, reliable tool. While you may not agree with the marketing strategies and the pricing, I'll argue that those things add to the utility of these knives. If the consumer is excited by the marketing and the pricing that comes with the knife then all the better for them, and the experience of that product has served its role.

 

[Inazone]

I feel with the prepping trend there's a mind set shift that rather than investing in a financial future you're more investing in peace of mind, tangible objects that will keep you and your family safe. This is the piece of the population I really see these knives geared to. Folks who want to believe they have an all purpose emergency safety/ self defense, killing machine device in their pocket. The issue is the quality and function can be found for much less money from great established reputable sources. I'm not trying to knock I prepper right now at all. In my mind it's very analogous to bush craft. When it was called that name people were ready to drop $100 on a bushcraft knife despite that people have been making wilderness shelters and camping with minimal equipment for a long long time. Cool thread OP, it's been interesting reading over peoples comments.

I think it's just a matter of "tactical" knives taking over where "survival" knives left off. So, add to the mix a school of thought that some catastrophe is going to drive people off to live in the wilderness or some Mad Max apocalyptic environment, which gives you this three-headed monster of a market segment calling for fighting knives, bushcrafting knives and sharpened pry-bars, all which absolutely must be of the highest perceived quality because after all, are you going to buy the cheapest knife when the lives of you, your friends and your family are at stake?!

Don't get me wrong, I can see the point to having purpose-built knives, but it leads to people spending entirely too much money on things that they're never going to learn to use correctly in the first place, and then either hurt themselves or damage perfectly good tools because the task at hand called for something entirely different. If not for people trying to come up with better justification (in their minds) than collecting, a lot less knives, guns and various tactical/survival gear would probably be sold.