Were American policemen ever "issued" a knife ?

Sonnydaze said:
Cops that I know will purposely carry a junker Chinese knife. You don't want your grail cherry expensive knife to be dipped in blood, guts and dope all day and then carry it home to your family...
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Blood guts and dope?
On a knife?
What countries LEO does this?

In the US, LEO uses knives for cutting seatbelts and opening packages, and the occasional weapon retention, so a bad guy doesn't take their gun in struggle, but that's extremely rare.
Most LEO I know carry good quality gear.
 
Conversely, most first responders I know, including LEO, carry some cheap beater knife. Most don't know, or care what a really good knife is. I see more carrying a Smith & Wesson 'branded' knife, or anything else they can get for under $50 than I do carrying even a decent Spyderco or Benchmade.

Most LEO's (like most people in general) are not 'knife people' and therefore think any knife is just as good as another. Add into that, that they usually have to buy their own knife, and don't really consider spending good money on a beater/disposable item.

And yes, they abuse the hell out of a knife. They open bags of drugs with them, use them to move things they don't want to touch, pry with them, use them as screwdrivers, and just abuse them in general - just like most other people do.
 
I sure there are a few departments that all got Boker Cop Tools, but yeah my understanding of police departments is that they are effectively "independently owned and operated" (so to speak). So they vary pretty wildly in requirements, budgets,and practices. I know there is are a lot of various events and conventions to kinda share notes and to try and standardize "Best practices" but its still pretty spotty in US IMO.
 
I'm familiar with NYC and NJ.

Never have known to be an official "issue" knife for fire or police. They are permitted to carry almost anything. Most carry Spydercos or leatherman with blade.
 
craytab said:
No need to insult. Perhaps if you participated more you wouldn't miss obvious answers to your questions...
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Um, okay, I don't need you to point out "obvious answers" to my questions and it wasn't an insult to give you a little ribbing. I participate if and when I can so thank you for your candid advice. :cool:
 
GronK said:
Spyderco tried to corner that market with the Police model. They even engraved a neat motto to make it more endearing to cops:

Pride
Integrity
Guts

Never did figure out why it didn't catch on in the law enforcement community. ;)
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Because most cops, like most people, don't really care about the knife. It's just like a screw driver from the dollar site. For their use, a cheap Smith and Wesson branded knife from China will do the job just as well, and not cost a lot. And by their reasoning, they are right. With he exception of the 1% of society that are knife nuts, and elevate the knife to a cult worship item, the whole rest of the world gets by very well with cutlery that most here wold look down their noses at.
 
GronK said:
Spyderco tried to corner that market with the Police model. They even engraved a neat motto to make it more endearing to cops:

Pride
Integrity
Guts

Never did figure out why it didn't catch on in the law enforcement community. ;)
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Because it smells too much like bacon?!
 
Most police departments do not issue knives and some even have policies governing how a knife can be carried. In an altercation a knife is just another weapon an assailant can grab to use against an officer. Pretty common item for a police officer to carry, but they generally are folders or small fixed blades. A big Rambo bowie is bad PR, extra weight, and an obvious liability when arm distance with deranged people that may try to grab at it.
 
specgrade said:
Um, okay, I don't need you to point out "obvious answers" to my questions
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Yet you still asked :cool:

Some people only read the OP, not the rest of the responses and post questions that have already been thoroughly answered. Just trying to help in case you missed it.
 
jaseman said:
Conversely, most first responders I know, including LEO, carry some cheap beater knife. Most don't know, or care what a really good knife is. I see more carrying a Smith & Wesson 'branded' knife, or anything else they can get for under $50 than I do carrying even a decent Spyderco or Benchmade.

Most LEO's (like most people in general) are not 'knife people' and therefore think any knife is just as good as another. Add into that, that they usually have to buy their own knife, and don't really consider spending good money on a beater/disposable item.

And yes, they abuse the hell out of a knife. They open bags of drugs with them, use them to move things they don't want to touch, pry with them, use them as screwdrivers, and just abuse them in general - just like most other people do.
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This has been true for most officers I'm friends with. I do know a few that carry better stuff like Spyderco or Benchmade and one that carries a Kershaw that he took off a suspect but, most carry S&W or some cheap model from Big 5 sporting goods. The funny thing is that most officers I've spoken with really think they own good knives.

My time in uniform reflects the same knife patterns and attitudes. I remember one LT that thought his S&W was the greatest knife ever. There were a few NCOs that had better knives but, almost everyone had CRKT knives that they bought at the Exchange. SAKs and demo knives were popular when I was a private. By the time I got out, multi-tools were what most people carried. If you were lucky, it was issued. Now, it seems like every soldier owns a Gerber or Leatherman.

The few firefighters I know seem to have better taste in knives. Same with the Paramedic/EMTs.
 
sabre cat said:
Now, it seems like every soldier owns a Gerber or Leatherman.
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All I ever carried on duty as an LEO was a cheap S&W "rescue" knife w/a glass breaker and a Gerber or Leatherman multi-tool.

All made much more sense to carry, given my duties and the availability of other weapons and devices, than a single purpose knife.
 
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sgt1372 said:
All I ever carried on duty as an LEO was a cheap S&W "rescue" knife w/a glass breaker and a Gerber or Leatherman multi-tool.

All made much more sense to carry, given my duties and the availability of other weapons and devices, than a single purpose knife.
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I would have to agree with you. That pair does make a lot of sense even though I am not a fan of S&W knives. Personally, I have a Spyderco Clip-it rescue knife and a
Gerber 600 Scout that stay in Jeep Cherokee most of the time. The Gerber is part of my extended EDC (things I like nearby but, not on my person) and the Spyderco is in the 1st aid kit.

As for another budget rescue knife, I have often thought that Spyderco's fully serrated Tenacious would make a fine rescue knife. File the tip slightly and you are done.
Carry that on duty and a plain edge version off duty.
 
I can't speak specifically or with complete accuracy, but from what I've read, Grayman knives, along with Three Sisters Forge seem to have a back catalogue in supplying LEOs/Military with their goods :cool:. I know TSF has done some NAVY SEAL Foundation donations with the sales of some of their Beast knives :thumbsup:
 
I had an old school chief of police go crazy on anyone who had a clip showing on their front pockets. He said it didn’t look professional to have the clip showing and told us to take it off. He also said it was an officer safety issue because someone could take it off our person and use it. Then we would be forced to shoot. He was a major dick. This was 2007ish. He finally retired. One of the worst supervisors and chiefs ever. Urbana police department in Illinois.
 
My memory is fuzzy on this, but I recall reading an article in a knife or gun magazine in the late 1980s (?) about a law enforcement agency which I think was the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (State Troopers?) issuing a fixed blade knife to their officers. They contracted with a custom maker and had a set number made. I remember the article talking about considerations such as blade length and sheath configuration due to officers having to sit in a vehicle. I recall I liked the look of the knife, but I can't remember who made them. I think the knife looked similar to something Al Polkowski would have made, but he wasn't the maker.
 
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