What makes a knife "Tactical"???

The word 'Tactical' is the juiciest worm on the marketing department's hook. All they have to do is add it to the name of a knife (or any product) and the suckers start biting!
The female equivalent would be 'low fat' in case anyone was wondering.
 
Quiet Storm said:
IMO "tactical" is not a term which can be rationally defined - everyone has his own definition of this word. Therefore it's more or less pointless to discuss this topic. Just my 2 Cents.
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That's why there's a point to discuss this topic. Everyone has their own opinion thus it starts a discussion. These discussions let people voice their opinions and adapt new opinions.
 
Tactical = advertising. Now mall ninja, well that's a different story... Advertising + stupidly unpractical designs.
 
Calling it "Tactical" is probably an improvement over "Offensive" from a marketing point of view. ;)
 
Glow in the dark duracoating...

But that would be my version of the truth. In the really real world of knife sales Tactical means black everything, skull crusher pommel tactically disguised as a window breaker, serrations on 3/4 quarters of the knife, tanto tip with an upsweep for greater chest cavity penetration, skateboard tape thumbstuds and a 1000meters depth proofed digital timer in the liner that chimes an alarms when its tea time. :p
 
Seems to be a catch all for a "hard use" knife that doesn't quite fit into the EDC role. Seems to be themed around doing things most people do not do with knives (hunting, breaking down boxes, trimming nails etc.). It is supposed to show that the knife goes above and beyond the everyday lives of normal people, and is for people in more intense career's (EMT, firefighter, police, military), and those that wish to emulate them.

Also attracts excessive extra "features" to show just how different than the run of the mill EDC/Hunting blade it is. Hence Skull crusher pommels, seatbelt cutters, sawbacks, black paint, tantos, glass breakers etc.
 
bobusx i read the emtire thread and your take is the 1 i agree with most. Well put. I would like to see makers switching from the word 'tactical' to 'tech' (ala SOG) its a change thats long overdue but like many things inertia gets in the way.
 
TheCarbideRat said:
bobusx i read the emtire thread and your take is the 1 i agree with most. Well put. I would like to see makers switching from 'tactical' to 'tech' (ala SOG) its a change thats long overdue but like many things inertia gets in the way.
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Thanks! I also liken a lot of the hate on tactical to be an similar to how the old Mountain Dew commercials took "Xtreme sports," to such an over the top level that they became parodies of what they were trying to support. Some of the marketing of Tactical, and yes some of the products themselves, have gone so far as to lessen the appeal of the entire category. I sense that "Hard Use Folder" is going there, with both the marketing, and the new knives with 1" thick framelocks and such that are coming out. Sometimes it seems like the next knife I will see will be two brick sized slabs of titanium, with a 1/2" thick chunk of steel between it and a pivot the size of a coke can holding it all together.
 
bob you just might be right. Its the inertia of the almighty dollar and it wont be going away anytime soon. I like a post i read somewhere about "juicing the market in order to milk the customer"
 
bobusx said:
Sometimes it seems like the next knife I will see will be two brick sized slabs of titanium, with a 1/2" thick chunk of steel between it and a pivot the size of a coke can holding it all together.
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I want one of those!!
 
singularity35 said:
And don't forget the tactical bacon.

Tactical%20Bacon.jpg
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Tactical cause its fully cooked! Yeah baby! You want death by heart attack, then eat tactical bacon baby!
 
Nutnfancy loves to use the word tactical, I think its the person using the knife what makes it tactical.

A kitchen knive wielded by a Seal or a CQC by an old granny, whats more tactical?
 
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