Top 5 "Tactical" Knives

[numbersman]

Like many here, I am horrified by the notion of having to defend myself with a knife. However, in the spirit of the debate, may I suggest that a quick opening folder with a good lock would be about the best. Not only from the point of being pretty handy for defense, but also from the point of defending one's actions after the event. (Bear in mind that I live in a country where a farmer was recently charged for threatening an intruder, in his own home, during the night, with an unloaded rifle.) A kerambit or pikal knife screams "tactical", ie the intent to hurt others before the event. I also suspect that these knives would require more training than a simple folder. So an ordinary, everyday knife like a Spyderco or similar looks good. Not only is my Paramilitary 2, or Native 5, a damn good utility knife, they are sharp enough to actually be useful, and that compression lock, in particular, is very strong. I would recommend G10 handles, though, not the Spyderco FRN, which I find a bit slick. As for that Tsunami Fighter, above, forget it. My ass would in jail so fast, that it would take days for the rest of me to catch up to it.

 

[A.L.]

SMATCHET!!

 

[W. Anderson]

The word tactical folder is an oxymoron

For my money in a easily carried piece this fits the bill

[/URL]

Every time this blade comes up it impresses me. Looks perfect for all grips. Can you run down the specs?

 

[W. Anderson]

More on topic, I guess I've got my top five list:

1. Spyderco Civilian

2. Randall Model 1

3. Perrin Lagriffe

4. Emerson HD Karambit

5. Al Mar Warrior

No particular order. All of the listed blades are built with a sole purpose and are iconic.

 

[Balls Deep]

I'll throw in my 2 cents
1. Keyshawn Emerson launch 5, no bladenplay auto
2. cold steel recon 1 clip point, knife goes nowhere In Your hand.
3. Cold steel American lawman, again sticks to your hand
4. Keyshawn Emerson cqc4 (I think) xl. 4 inch waves blade, still quality doesn't super matter for stabbing
5 Emerson kershawn cqc9k again long big beefy Frame lock, sticks in the hand.

I feel like this thread highlights benefits of concealed carry. If you're not a convicted felon (sorry for those who are I know it's not always fair) and you've already committed to taking a life to protecting yourself if need be, the symabtics of knife vs gun is small. But I appreciate the caveat of knives that can ASO do other stuff. That's cold steels jam.

 

[The Whip]

folders are for opening mail

Not always.

http://scout.com/military/warrior/Article/Switchblade-Armed-Fighter-Fends-Large-Army-101457068

Sure training is preferred. To recommend someone throw away what could be a weapon because they don't have formal training is a thought process I don't understand or agree with. I will skip over the scenarios about what is preferred and better to the one that says " I don't have any other options". In that case you do what you can with whatever is available.

I worked a career and recently retired from the prison system and saw my share of incidents. Do you honestly think all the fatalities across the world from stabbings are all attached to people who trained to use a knife in close combat? To be honest all it really takes is overcoming ones own inhibitions. Humans have lived with edged weapons for over 10,000 years. Humans take to stabbing and clubbing like a dog takes to biting. It's almost a natural action.

I don't recommend to people they should rely on knives for self defense but to tell people to not try something that could possibly save their lives because they haven't trained in it seems like pretty horrible advice. When someone is trying to kill you there shouldn't be any self imposed inhibitions to staying alive and healthy.

Joe

Hear, hear! I'm all for proper defensive instruction, but I'm tired of people claiming that you need training to employ a knife combatively. You don't.

For me, anything with a decent sized blade that waves is good to go. The stilletto is for if it were 50 years ago.

Which model is that Spyderco? That's a very nice-looking knife!

Several times i have had to "use" my knife to protect myself. 2 times i have slashe a person attacking me and once i stabbed someone. I was however employed by NYPD at the time and fighting against larger opponents trying to get my gun from me or trying to assault me with a weapon of their own. the knife was easier to get to than my oc spray

The last thing that I want to do is cause you to relive traumatic memories. But because your experience can benefit others, I'm curious about one detail of your self-defense incidents. Was your back-up knife a fixed blade or a folder? How difficult was it to deploy under such life-threatening circumstances?


Wolfeye, lots of great recommendations have been made, some of which are on my personal list. Here are two folders and two fixed-blades that I think are worth mentioning:

1) Cold Steel Espada (Medium or Large)
2) Microtech SOCOM
3) Gryphon M-10
4) Al Mar Backup 2


-Steve

 

[Nystagmus]

Several times i have had to "use" my knife to protect myself. 2 times i have slashe a person attacking me and once i stabbed someone. I was however employed by NYPD at the time and fighting against larger opponents trying to get my gun from me or trying to assault me with a weapon of their own. the knife was easier to get to than my oc spray


edit by stabbed i mean in the leg and after a few stitches they were just fine to get locked up.. charged with resisting arrest and attempted murder of a police officer..i think he plead out to 5 yrs or some garbage.. it was 10 years ago+

Thank you for your service.

 

[Lapedog]

Ok if I have to decide then I am going to list the best 5 Tactical Knives for me. Not a best ever, most iconic or alltime influential, just the five tactical knives that I love. These are the ones that keep me safe from everything like apple peels to North Koreans riding Godzillas style invasions.

1: Cqc7 - Any waved model - Really almost any Emerson is an awsome tactical knife if they have good lock up. For urban living the 7 is just a better size for me. Being a lefty I love the chisel edge. The 7 is ideal in that it is capable of doing any EDC task I ask of it, but is also capable of self defense.

2: Spyderco Pikal - Not as good at EDC tasks as the Emerson. I would rather have this knife in a fight though. There are some tasks hawkbills excell at.

3. Perrin La Griffe - I am including Le Shark and Silent Soldier neck knife in this catagory. The Perrins are the better fighters I think. The S.Soldier is better at utility tasks. To me these are some of the best deep concealment knives out there. This is what the WW2 lapel dagger wishes it was.

4. Spyderco StreetBeat: Just a perfect edc fixed blade. I put it in waist band at around 3 o'clock position and then I can hardly feel it, even when sitting down. It doesn't show through my shirt at all. Fred Perrin bloody rules.

5. Crk large Inkosi - Maybe some wouldn't consider this knife tactical, but it makes a great knife for all types of situations where I want something abit classier.

 

[JeremiahWeaver09]

spyderco chinook
spyderco p'kal
old version cold steel voyager xl/vaquero xl
spyderco civilian/matriarch
spyderco police 3/4
spyderco military

the old school cold steel voyagers were awesome knives for self defense, they were big but light and easy to carry and deploy, and they were razor sharp. literal pocket swords.

heres a few of mine

 

[BenchCo Spydermade]

]

.

Which model is that Spyderco? That's a very nice-looking knife!

That's actually not a spyderco, I just didn't like the clip it came with. It's a brother 1602.

 

[Valyrian steel]

I dunno guys. In a close combat situation, iiifffff you have time to deploy a blade, a fixed blade would be the way to go. fiddling with thumb studs or holes is way too slow. Emerson's wave feature or a flipper works better.

 

[ThePeacent]

if talking of production blades that can stop or harm grievously enough an attacker in close time and with effectiveness, my favorites (that I own) that can be realistically carried

Folders, real big size (length equals safety, and effectiveness):
- CS X2 Voyager
- CS Vaquero XL
- CS Rajah II
- CS Hold Out I
- CS Vaquero Grande

Folders, big size:
- Spyderco Spyderhawk Salt
- CS Talwar
- CS AK47 (blunt force trauma ranks high in this one)
- Spyderco Pacific Salt
- CS Broken Skull

Fixed:
- CS OSS
- CS Safe Maker
- Spyderco Aqua Salt
- CS Desperado
- CS Bowie Spike

and of those that I don't own, my choices would be

Folders:
- CS Black Talon 2
- Spyderco Waved Matriarch
- CS Tiger Claw
- FKMD Col Moschin I
- CS TiLite IV

Fixed:
- KaBar TDI
- Bastinelli Mako
- Spyderco Ronin
- Bastinelli RED
- Extrema Ratio Col Moschin

 

[Lapedog]

I think the little ring for my waved endra would turn it into an even better SD knife.

 

[Sosa]

I always believe a self defense knife should be able to do massive damage to an attacker at a distance, therefore there is only one self defense knife I know of that does the job.

Nice mossy. My 500 20" is scary accurate out to 100 yds with 1oz deer Slugs.

 

[maximus83]

Like many here, I am horrified by the notion of having to defend myself with a knife. However, in the spirit of the debate, may I suggest that a quick opening folder with a good lock would be about the best. Not only from the point of being pretty handy for defense, but also from the point of defending one's actions after the event. (Bear in mind that I live in a country where a farmer was recently charged for threatening an intruder, in his own home, during the night, with an unloaded rifle.) A kerambit or pikal knife screams "tactical", ie the intent to hurt others before the event. I also suspect that these knives would require more training than a simple folder. So an ordinary, everyday knife like a Spyderco or similar looks good. Not only is my Paramilitary 2, or Native 5, a damn good utility knife, they are sharp enough to actually be useful, and that compression lock, in particular, is very strong. I would recommend G10 handles, though, not the Spyderco FRN, which I find a bit slick. As for that Tsunami Fighter, above, forget it. My ass would in jail so fast, that it would take days for the rest of me to catch up to it.

No offense to your country, but to the people who GOVERN your country: what a pathetic and absurd state of affairs when human beings are not allowed to exercise a fundamental human right--the right to life and to private property (and the corollary right to defend both). We live in a very messed up world when these elites whose brains are addled by liberal/progressive thought would rather let you and your loved ones be raped, robbed, hacked up by assailants or killed, than to allow you the freedom to defend yourself with small arms or knives. I hope that you and like-minded folks in your country figure out how to PEACEFULLY fight back and change your awful government. Check out our declaration of independence. We here in the states are fighting with everything we have to PRESERVE the constitutional freedoms guaranteed to us, which are being slowly eroded over time. But thankfully, we do still have these rights in most states here except California, New York, and a few others.

 

[JParanee]

Every time this blade comes up it impresses me. Looks perfect for all grips. Can you run down the specs?

Here you go

 

[crom]

The stabbiest one I own is the CRKT Heiho, blade is something like 3.2" but holy heck it looks like a prison shiv.

 

[ThePeacent]

The stabbiest one I own is the CRKT Heiho, blade is something like 3.2" but holy heck it looks like a prison shiv.

CRKKT Hissatsu is then "the" XL Shiv, forgot to mention it on my Top 5 fixed blades

 

[jill jackson]

Reate Horizon B, ZT G10 rose gold 0452, Hinderer XM-24 Bowie, ZT 0600 and Strider SMF.

 

[Spectre]

tactical covers such a wide spectrum of uses and designs. A concealed defenive blade for an under cover cop? A large fighting knife for a mercenary pirate bountyhunter ninja? A knife so women won't get raped in the shower a la Spydie ARK?

The Spyderco ARK wasn't designed "so women won't get raped in the shower". It was designed so service members wouldn't get raped going to, from, or while in the shower. And, yes, most service members raped by foreign nationals and allied troops have been male.

John Shirley