What Are Brands known for "Tactical" Knives?

[orthogonal1]

Case, Wenger, Victroninox are some.

 

[GIRLYmann]

Crawford Handmade Knives
Mercworx Knives
Spartan Blades

 

[jill jackson]

Tactical is defined as:
Of, relating to, or using tactics.

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.
Carried out in support of military or naval operations: tactical bombing.
Characterized by adroitness, ingenuity, or skill.
tactically tac'ti·cal·ly adv.

So it's fairly meaningless when applied to a knife. At least it is to me and I never think of a knife as being "tactical", I believe it just sounds "cool" and is used because of that and it's more discrete to the public than the term "fighting knife".

 

[motts]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Dark Ops Knives yet, they are the epitome of tacticool, I mean tactical! lol

Tactical usually denotes something that people would picture Special Operations Forces using in a secret, covert, undercover mission....whatever that means.

 

[Samael]

Yep. Don't forget those ninja clothes, too. They're important.

 

[tirod3]

The difficult part of defining tactical is that it's not supposed to be noticed when in use, just like soldiers in the field. Despite the urban police actions our troops are constantly misused in, most operations are to be conducted as stealthily as possible. No sense giving the opposition a clue.

So, carrying a Buck Mayo TNT in church or the mall is MORE tactical than sporting a black reverse clipped Tanto outside your pocket. High carry is less tactical than low carry - speed of deployment can be compromised for surprise, and it's a matter of a split second, anyway. Wearing a pair of Dickies comfort band slacks with your IWB 9MM is more tactical than a pair of 5.11's and bloused boots. You have the extra space when you need it, and can tighten up when you don't. There is certainly no one staring at you like you're a mall shooter.

No, it's not the general public understanding and practice, but what the heck do they know? They watch the media and emulate play actors. Actual professionals are rarely in the news.

Because they're tactical.

 

[mdauben]

isnt tactical a nice way of saying its meant to be used against other people?

As you can see by the responses, its a hazy term. Personally, I have always seen it as a more PC term for fighting knife. That is, a knife designed primarily for use offensively or defensively against another person.

Well, not every knife is suitable in a tactical situation. The ones that are, which are tactical knives I think should have: (let me know if I'm wrong, I'm a newb.)

Just my opinion, of course, but taking "Tactical" to be synonymous with "Fighting"...

• Anti-reflective - Certainly a good quality for a tactical knife.
• Very very robust - Up to a point. You certainly want a knife that will not break in normal use.
• Deep hand grooves and hand guard. - Not necessarily. I have a number of fighting knifes with no guard or deep hand grooves. Still, it should provide a firm, solid grip.
• A blade that is designed to stab. - Not really. It all comes down to your style and training, but cutting and slashing are just as effective and some fighting knifes are not optimized for stabbing.
• Thick blade - Not at all. Thick blades are intended for chopping your way out of aircraft or splitting logs, its not a necessary feature in a fighting knife, and can even be counterproductive.
• Concealable - Can be a good feature in a fighting knife, but not a defining feature. I have a couple of big, fixed blade fighting knives that would be hard to carry concealed in summer clothing, but they are no less fighting knifes.
• Grippy handle material... A good feature in any knife, not just a fighter.

I'm asking for brands solely known for tactical knives, like Emerson and ZT.

Its something of a niche market so while there are a number of custom knifesmiths who specialize in fighters, there are not a lot of production companies that focus exclusivly on fighters. The only other one I can think of off hand is Blackhawk. Certainly, many companies produce some fighting knives (CRKT Ka-Bar, Spyderco, Cold Steel, Gerber, Benchmade, etc.) becuase they do have a certain popularity among military, police and civilians.

 

[vjb.knife]

While there are true "tactical" knives out there (think Gerber Mark II), I personally don't consider any folder to be much use in a fight, so I really don't think much of the current "tactical folder" trend. In most places, it's actually more legal to get a concealed carry permit and carry a gun than it is to carry a knife with enough blade to actually be worth anything in a fight. Still, if you live in one of the few places where a concealed carry permit isn't available, or if it's out of the question for other reasons, just about any knife is better than using your bare hands. I wouldn't place too much faith in the whole "tactical" thing, though. Mostly it's just an excuse for them to charge more money for the knife.

I would have to agree with you on this. There are plenty of non-tactical knives that will do just as well in any situation as many that are advertised as tactical.

 

[Buffalohump]

In military terms, 'going tactical' simply means subdued, ie, blackened, darkened, camouflaged and suppressed so as not to alert the enemy.

I think it would be more accurate to describe it as a knife that is designed primarily as a weapon and secondly as a tool.

I use the term 'defensive EDC'.

The wonderful thing about a knife is that it can be both tool and weapon. Unlike a firearm, which is one thing only.

 

[mmmotorcycle]

Emerson Knives are best known for their tactical knives. Strider is another well known company.

 

[eburon]

Although I have no experience in real-life knife fighting, I would use my Extrema Ratio Dobermann 2 for 'tactical' purposes. Why? Fair reach, strong, good grip, light and most of all, it looks bloody scary!