Thoughts on the word "tactical"

C

Clint Simpson

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Nov 13, 2001
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Soldiers go into "combat" situations but police go into "tactical" situations. Since few departments would allow combat knives for their cops, or even SWAT members, the word “tactical” was used. After all, when SWAT "goes tactical" it makes sense to have a tactical knife. Of course they are authorized too, because they're not "combat" knives.

Just a thought on the origin of the word on knives. I figure (read: personal idea) this is the reason for, and first use of, calling them "tactical knives."

Any comments?
 
My guess is that most "tactical" knives are so named because the term appeals to testosterone-filled males--many of whom couldn't cut a corner, let alone successfully dissuade a combatant in a knife fight. IMO, it's a marketing ploy, plain and simple.
 
Guyon ,you nailed that one on it's head .
it's like this (and has nothing to do with anything tactical in the real sense ) just a concept. just a word . It's that cool knife.how it's design inspires U that tactical way.. trust me most women and men in all types of hazardous duty would like a knife at there
side to assist them in there duties.... But it is up to them to go after that Tactical Knife.. we don't give them those .. and is a tactical knives,a Folder ..... And Combat knife i guess is a fixed blade .It craks me up. trust me after being in USAF you buy them and well you no they can say you can't wear them.. it's worse now and one more thing theres a lot of black paint out there... ;)
 
Originally posted by Guyon
it's a marketing ploy, plain and simple.
Click to expand...

I agree. But my question is about when it was first used and the reasons it was put to knives. Hopefully the reasons are good and had meaning back when first used. It is a shame I did not pay attention the the knife industry back in the late '80's. But I was in grade school the whole time Reagan was President!
 
You can probably trace this whole tactical knife trend back to the giant survival knives in Rambo. People saw the film and thought they needed a commando knife to sharpen pencils. This lead to a ton of cheap survival knives on the market. Manufacturers had to make the knives at least sound good so, they started labeling them as tactical. This is a great strategy on their part...it makes people feel secure and powerful. This trend is more applicable to folders now since very few people carry fixed blades.
 
I believe the first person to use the term tactical knife publicly was Bob Terzuola, the inventor of the thumb disc opener. He came up with the thumb disc in reply to a suggestion from Steven Dick, editor of Tactical Knives magazine for an ambidextrous opener.

The term tactical knife to me means a knife I have with me that can handle any situation I come across, whether it be opening mail, cutting rope, opening boxes, or self defense. It may not be the best knife for each job individually, but it can perform adequately in each situation.
Just my .02
 
"Tactical" is marketing hype.

But, what else could they use? "Survival" had become deeply associated with those hollow handled, sawback, Rambo blades; "Hunting" was politically incorrect; "Police" / "Fighting" / "Assault" / "Defense" would have raised to much attention and alarm; and, "Camp" had limited appeal.

I would have preferred hyping using the word "Practical."

It is all meaningless anyway. Just about anything can and has been lumped under these headings.

n2s
 
By definition, the word is used correctly for the most part but occasionally stretches the limits of credibility. As a marketing idea, 'tactical' creates a dilemma for the industry. While it helps sell many knives, creates new interest, and broadens the market, it also perpetrates irritating and irrational stereotypes. It's probably music to the ears of those who wish to remove one of our basic rights and could eventually do more harm than good. ('Practical tactical,' as applied to Glocks, is a nice term, though.)
 
Good point, ASP. I agree. I use the term high tech whenever I can and try to avoid the term tactical for the reason you mention. The whole thing boils down to fashion. It has been a very important fashion for the industry, however, and has caused immense growth in it. Many knife companies wouldn't exist today if it weren't for the fashion. I would assume that the percentage of tactical knives actually used tactically is miniscule. Take care.
 
few weeks ago saw WOW selling Camillus EDC as a tactical.
if you view description of the e-bay knifes most of them are really tactica. starting from 0.01$ CCC that can't even sharpen pencil and ending with "rambo blade"

IMHO it's meaningless.

P.S. someone said that tactical came from some sugestion from tactical knide magazine. I'm nor familar with this magazine, but how it got this name in the first place ?
 
Elvislives: the difference is that tactics are employed at a smaller level to accomlish local objectives. For example, you use tactics when clearing a building, while the direction of an armored campaign is strategic in nature. basically, small objective versus big ones.

As far as the "tactical" classification of something, anything from rifles to nuclear weapons can be tactical in nature. It means that when the tool/weapon is employed in it's intended manner, a tactical advantage will be gained. A tactical rifle is used to eliminate threats at long range and disrupt the enemy by taking out leaders. A tactical nuke is designed to destroy a target or targets and force the enemy into a disadvantageous position. With the exception of daggers (or smatchets) designed for taking out sentries, "tactical knives" neem to be misnamed. Although tactical teams may require knives to complete their mission, the employment of the knife (or boots or glasses or any other piece of kit) itself does not achieve any sort of tactical advantage. The term is here to stay, but I think "hard use" and, if applicable "combat" more closely describe the role of a military/police/survival knife.
 
tac·ti·cal Pronunciation Key (tkt-kl)
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or using tactics.

A)Of, relating to, used in, or involving military or naval operations that are smaller, closer to base, and of less long-term significance than strategic operations.
B)Carried out in support of military or naval operations: tactical bombing.

2. Characterized by adroitness, ingenuity, or skill.
 
The term "Tactical Knife", started to be applied to knives, about one week after the first issue of "Tactical Knives" magazine hit the news stands.
 
The adjective tactical is not merely hype. Many respected and respectable knife makers use the term to describe their fighters, combat knives, and personal defense knives. There are categories for tactical knives at major knife shows. There is a very popular and successful magazine devoted to tactical knives. The word tactical has useful meaning to thousands of cutlery afficianados.

There is not a consistent definition for what makes a knife tactical, and there certainly is hype in cutlery advertising. However, there is also a large and very popular genre of knives today designed for extreme use, and almost anyone would recognize them as tactical knives with no hype at all.
 
Well, the knife industry has been guilty of making poor choices before regarding use of words in relation to the product.

Like "custom".

If I read my Bladeforums correctly, and I think I do, the vast majority of folks who claim to have knowledge of such things (I do not) insist that only a complete idiot (with a few rare "stealth" exceptions) would undertake a primary attack or defense with a knife. Guns, I read, are far and away the consensus on hand tools for such activities.

Since "tactical" is clearly related to military or combat situations, I have a very hard time believing that the application of "tactical" to the vast majority of knives purchased and carried is reasonable.

I believe some in the industry (like Sal Glesser) have tried to use the term to mean something that would apply to every day use. The one-hand opening concept with the clip so that a knife was "at the ready" was I believe, what they were trying to convey.
 
Although there is not a consistent definition, and the term is used for marketing, I think it did have some vague, but recognizable meaning when first used. It meant:

1. Could be applied to applications besides strictly cutting, like digging, prying, and breaking through walls with the tip.

2. Was designed to be deployed <i>quickly</i>. This has as much to do with the sheath as the knife, but I think was an important part of the "tactical concept"

Yes, both of these apply equally well to "combat knife" for obvious reasons. 'Combat', however, implies an intention to fight and kill, while 'tactical' may, but does not have to, have this implications.

I don't know about B. Terzula's "thumb disk", but the spydie hole was around before "Tactical Knives Magazine". Indeed, the magazine capitalized on the existing popularity of the term, not the other way around.
 
To me it's just a marketing ploy. I personally am dissuaded from buying something if it's advertised as "tactical." I prefer "hard-use" as a means of describing this particular style of knives.
 
Matthew is correct, the term tactical knife was being used before the first issue of Tactical Knives magazine was published. I know the editor, Steven Dick, reads the forums sometimes so maybe he'll be able to chime in here.
Regardless of Webster's definition, I remember when the term was first being used it was said that a tactical knife is the one you have with you when you need it. Since then it's been used, abused, distorted, and overused to the point where it doesnt really have any meaning anymore.
 
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