What makes a knife a "Tactical"

KenOnion

KenOnion

Joined
Apr 21, 1999
Messages
739
This term Tactical seems to be used loosley to classify a type of knife.

What is the true definition of a tactical?
Is it just a knife that looks really rugged ? Or has carbon fiber or G10 handles
Is it a certain look? Or is it simply for knifes that for the most part don't really belong in any specific category and are thrown into this one?

Just asking !
Aloha Ken
 
My opinion is that "tactical" is an incantation intended to conjure an atmosphere of high adventure, risk, war, danger, etc. It's a word in the same category as "spec ops" or "covert," almost magically charged with testosterone, 007, and so on.

All cigarettes are basically the same, but Marlboro was marketed with images of the great western plains and Cool with that of urban night life.

I think we grossly underestimate the psychological power/image driven/I am what I buy thing that drives most markets.

That's why "tactical" knives are black, instead of fitted with stag, for example. And why western hunters with stag handles are designed to conjure romantic elk hunts in Montana, why Ka-Bar's slogan is "Ka-Bar was there," why Schatt & Morgan displays its classic pocket knives amongst turn-of-the-century barber shop equipment, and why certain folders are shown in catalogues clipped to the belt of someone rappelling off a 20,000 foot cliff in the Nepal.

But of course we've been down this path before and (as before) I think Lynn Griffith would answer differently.

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Bill

"They'll say I was a musician, won't they?"
--Beethoven on his deathbed (and you thought nobody but you was insecure . . . )
 
A TRUE "Tactical" knife MUST have:
ATS-34
G-10
Titanium
Blackened blade optional, but desirable
Some sort of one-handed lock (liner, rolling, axis, etc,)
Looks that will scare a liberal 2 blocks away
Totally impractical blade design (tanto, severely recurved, etc.)
Get my drift?

Really, a tactical knife must be:
Useful in a practical way (no tanto blades)
Medium size (Spyde Military or a bit smaller)
Be useable when crudded up (i.e. no lock-backs, an open design, grippy scales, stainless blade)
As stealthy as possible (folding w/ pocket clip, dull but not black blade [too many bad connotations], not too bulky, legal blade <4"
And frankly, NOT look like some Navy Seal wanna-be designed it (exludes half the stock of one particular manf., and all of a couple more)

Personally, I like my Military, but a Buck 110 makes an OK "tactical" knife if that's all you have.

Fixed blades are in a class by themselves. I'm more concerned with urban warfare, and folding knives lend themselves better to that.

Just my two copper coins. Hope I didn't step on too many toes. One or two would be OK.

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"A man has got to know his limitations." - Harry Calahan

John 14:6



[This message has been edited by Dry Heat (edited 16 October 1999).]
 
Uncle Bill,

What a fabulous response, you are a very visual writer . I enjoyed your definition

I am in total agreement with you. What do you think of starting a new category of knives of the millenium ?maybe something to define a totaly practical futuristic undefined style.
 
Ken
People that wear wild island colorful shirts and tell sick stories about their experance on the farm with weaning calfs are not allowed by law to even own a TACTICAL FOLDER.
Hope to see you in New York or what ever show we both show up at. I enjoy your sick sense of humor and your latest wiz bang ideas. Where are those Macadima Nuts you promised.

Bob Taylor

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Some days it's not worth chewing through the restraints and escaping.
 
Bob ,
How the hell are ya ? Wadda ya mean sick? I'm a regular pillar of the community! Hit me early in Vegas and I'll have your Macadamias and maybe even some Kona Coffee.

 
IMHO many of us buy "tactical" knives for the same reason we buy SUVs, or dream of owning a Humvee. Somehow we've been persuaded that the things we purchase make us who and what we are. If I wear Wranglers and a big belt buckle I create images of myself as a tough ranch hand . . . If I wear inner city clothes I'm a baaaad bro (watch out for me. didn't you see how I cocked my 9mm over to the side when I aimed; I mean I'm baaaaaaad . . . If I paint my bronco bondo/cammo and put jerry cans in the back I'm an instant survivalist!!! (you should see the kids in my prep school experimenting with clothes-driven identities, bouncing all over the map)

Since this is such a powerful reality in our present culture, I think the knife maker who wants to make a killing would do well to figure out how to translate visions of "I am the millennium man" into a blade shape.

Of course smiths with more integrity will just keep on doing what they've been doing.

Meanwhile, I wish people would try combining traditional looks with modern materials.

Wouldn't a barlow or peanut in 420v be nice? or a talonite pen knife?
 
I disagree Uncle Bill.
Personally I buy "tactical" folders because of the fact that they are inherently strong and easy to deploy with one hand. When I need a knife, I usually have the item that needs cutting in the other hand and it is a pain in the patootie to drop everything and fish that barlow out of the pocket and use both hands to open the thing.
The fact that most "tactical" knives use the best cutlery steel we have at our current disposal is another big factor I consider.
Creating an image is not even factored into the equation. I am who I am. A particular knife does not define who I am.
I don't mind this "tactical" fad. I'm getting lots of great knnives out of it.
JMO.
smile.gif


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The individualist without strategy who takes opponents lightly will inevitably become the captive of others.


 
misque,

You're right. It's the same with SUVs. As long as there's a fad, it's a great time to get a good off-road vehicle if you really need it.
 
I think the term "Tactical Knife" has become a politically correct title instead of combat knife or fighting knife. Whether it is appropriate or not is another matter all together. Personally, I like the term.

According to Webster, Tactical; "Of or relating to tactics" and "Marked by adroitness in maneuvering".
This can be cover just about any knife, given the situation. So I say keep using it. Don't get hung up on splitting hairs about whether or not a certain knife is truly "tactical". If it works for you, then it works!


------------------
"May you live in interesting times"

AKTI - A000389


 
Remember the Advanced Folding Combat Knife? The Close Quarters Combat#6? Tactical has just replaced Combat as the accepted term to market those types of knives to both those who really need them and those who just want them.

The truth is that those who really need a knife to perform emergency and defense roles would prefer a fixed blade or automatic, so that leaves the market for “tactical” folders to those who just want them.

To continue the analogy, those who really need to travel a good distance off road most likely wont buy a 4WD Mercedes or Lexus.


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James Segura
San Francisco, CA


 
I think that the most important attribute of being 'tactical' is when a maker calls it such, as some knives seem to have some of the typical attributes but aren't considered 'tactical', they're considered hunting knives or survival knives or utility knives or hi-tech folders or whatever.
 
"tactical" is pure marketing.

Used to be that there was such a thing as a fighting knife, but they're damned hard to come by these days...

If I had to pick one, I guess I'd go with the original fighting megafolder, the navaja-in the classic dimensions.

By the way, in case you missed my review, Sevillian Steel is a joke. Especialy the opening method. I don't know where that came from. The methods I've seen and was taught are wholey different, require half the time and only one hand;

#1: with navaja tucked into sash in traditional manner, pinch tip between thumb and forefinger and pull. Handle will drag a bit on the way up, automaticaly locking the knife open if you do it fast enough.

You can either swipe at someone like this, as described in Mobley's article in Modern Knives; or since the navaja is intended for an ambidexterous style of fighting, pass it to the left hand and stick the badguy on his blind side.

Method #2 works better when the navaja is carried in the pants pocket or around ankle or somesuch; start like #1, only give it a snap of the wrist when you withdraw it so as to effect an inertial opening.

The primary qualifications of a fighting folder should be a strong lock that you can't white-knuckle, coincidentaly like the clasp lock on the navaja- and a blade of a size and shape you can do something meaningful with, again like a navaja's 7-inch+ blade with ample point and belly.

They should also be concealable. The curved shape of the navaja conforms well to the contours of the body, and is almost undetectable even in the front pocket of a pair of Levi's.
 
I have alwaus considered "tactical" to be a frame of mind. But, if I have to define what makes a tactical knife I would say the following:

Ergonomics- it must feel like an extension of the hand (preferably in more than one grip)

grip security- it needs to be secure in the hand

ease of deployment- if a folder it must be relatively fast to draw and open. If a fixed blade it must be relatively quick to draw

size- I would think the blade would need to be long enough to pierce vital organs and stout enough to use as a tool. I don't believe tactical is all about fighting. Tactical could be about using the knife as a tool if the situation called for it (perhaps entry or escape).

lock- if a folder the lock must be reliable, period.

sheath- must be able to hold the knife secure until it is needed.

color- I am tired of black, but I think on a true "tactical" knife subdued is probably better.

I think it is funny that there are alot of knives being marketed as "tactical" that dont fit alot of the criteria. Especially ergonomics. I have found that an excellent tactical folder is the Spyderco Wegner, which is marketed as a folding hunter!

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-Dennis


 
TACTICAL! TACTICAL! TACTICAL!

Cool name? Overused? Overated, Marketing Ploy? Deadly Weapon? Utility Knife? Combat/Fighting Knife? Aggressive? Stealth? Covert? Flashy? Glitzy? Subdued? All Black? Strong Lock? Reliable? Clip? One Hand Opening? G-10? Titanium? Wonder Steel? A wolf in sheeps clothing? A sheep in wolves clothing?

Bottom line is buy what you like, carry what you like and if it cuts whatever you need to cut, you done good. If you or the maker/manufacturer want to call that knife "Tactical" go ahead, it's a free country.

[This message has been edited by Tiger (edited 18 October 1999).]
 
My reason for posting this topic is because IMHO I know alot of knifemakers who don't like there knives to be classifyied as Tactical,Why ? because it's to general a term and they don't feel that this accurately represents there style of knife .
Seems that any time you put carbonfiber on a knife it turns into a tactical just because of the materials used to make the knife.
A true tactical should be defined and it should represent a certain type / class of knives.

On the other hand a new bastard stepson is emerging from the womb of the tactical knife .A more refined class of knife that is not judged on the basis of "can it pry the lid off of a 55gal drum?" The old tacticals were massive knives that were more pry bar than precision cutting instrument. The new I'll call them Techno Tacticals , are smaller,slimmer,more refined, more ergonomic, super engineered precision cutting tools,that are tough as nails but are not meant to be used as a pry bar. These Hybrid tacticals need a new classification to do them justice and not be included in the generic tactical classification.Nothing against tacticals I just feel that it means nothing to be tactical because it's been overused and is to broad .
Am I wrong ? Look at all the responses to this thread and you can't deny that no one nows exactly what it means to be a tactical.
I don't even know .
Were doing tacticals no justice nor are we recognizing tacticals offspring

Just my 2 cents What do you think ???
 
Techno Tactical or Art Tactical or Gent's Tactical, It seems that these formerly "tactical" knives are pushing in new directions because of all the people who screamed "I'm sick of black"!

Hey, I've got black knives, but I've been saturated with tactical, schmacktical and if one more seal tries to sell me a knife I'll bark!
wink.gif



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~ JerryO ~
 
Ken,
My first experience with "tactical" knives was with Benchmade's Emerson line. In essence that gave me a certain mindset on tacticals.
Chisel ground(at first anyway) then I discovered other blade styles on "tacticals", subdued in some way(bead blast vs. black coat) and some type of fancy marketing name....e.g. CQC7, AFCK,
Commander, Raven etc....
I have since been more or less, enlightened by my readings on the forums and in the various cutlery magazines.
I no longer consider any of my knives "tactical" per se, as I am not in that line of work. I look at them "all" as more or less utilitarian and in the case of the BM975, a good back-up.
I do however, like the term "Tactical Hybrids" though.
Hope this helps.

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The greatest thought that has ever entered my mind is that one day I will have to stand before a Holy God and give an account of my life.
*Daniel Webster

Rev 20:12

 
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