What was the first "tactical" folder?

G

GarageBoy

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May 23, 2003
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What is considered to be the first folding "tactical" knife? The Buck 110 was a hunter, but many 'Nam soldiers used them. The Terzuola ATCF defined the "tactical look"
 
My vote: The Spanish Navaja.

And speaking of ATCF: I think mine is at least as old as you are. I picked it up from Bob T. in the late 1980's at the NYCKS. ;)
 
I would think the Buck 110 base was used to create whatever came about. It was a very sturdy knife. And with use those shiny brass handles became quite subdued and blackened so they were fine tactical knives.

I think in the military the first folding tactical knives were probably the automatics for cutting the parashoot cords when they touched down or got tangled. I believe these were made by Camillus.
 
Spyderco invented the 1 hand opening knife with a pocket clip.
 
I think maybe the Buck 110 sorta' started it, and then Spyderco came out with the thumb hole opener and the pocket clip and the Tactical folder was born! My opinion only.
 
Benchmade Emerson 970 was in the beginning of the craze. That's when they knives started getting exotic, but Cold Steel had tantos before that.
 
I think all the stuff about the Buck 110 and Spyderco is spot on along with the other knives mentioned in the posts.
Does anyone know as a point of fact the first folder that was advertised or pitched to the dealers by the manufacturer as a "tactical folder."
I mean, who coined the term? I just sort remember hearing thrown around about lots of knives.
 
Planterz said:
Spyderco invented the 1 hand opening knife
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They actually didn't invent one-handed opening, there were thumb-stud opening knives close to a hundred years before Spyderco. they do have a right to claim the first knife using the hole as a fast one handed opening system.

As for the first widely available tactical knife, gosh, I think Spyderco holds the crown. Buck was a modernization of the folding hunter, but it still lacked a few of the things most think of when they think of tactical folders. Things like pocket clips and one handed opening systems.
 
First mass produced tactical folder was probably the Swiss Army Knife, GI Camp Knife or some other folding knife that was issued to soldiers.
 
bob bowie said:
They actually didn't invent one-handed opening, there were thumb-stud opening knives close to a hundred years before Spyderco. they do have a right to claim the first knife using the hole as a fast one handed opening system.
Click to expand...
Actually, that's not exactly true. He said one hand opening with a clip. Not just one handed opening. The device you're thinking of is called the Bandit, and I've had a few installed on my various lockbacks (Buck 110, Rigid Folding Hunter, Al Mar Eagles). But before the Bandit, not counting all the automatics and only concentrating on the purely mechanical knives, there was the Benchmade Rolox series. Very easy to open using one hand.
 
For what it is worth I've never had any trouble opening my 110 with one hand. The body is heavy enough that if you grab the blade it pops right out. Same with my LB 7 and a little Squire Buck made.
 
Not so sure there is one right answer.But mine is the 110.I don't think its as much about features(clips,studs etc.) as it is use.

Look at the folks who used to carry 110's and why. Cops,bikers,soilders to name a few well known ones.Today while they still carry folders for the same jobs as before you'll see not sak's or stockmans but what we call tactical knives.Just like they did before.
 
You could open a lot of 110s one-handed with your thumbnail. They probably still are the most common locking folder, no?
I know my first tactical was a zytel Spyderco Endura or Delica, then a Benchmade CQC7 (Emerson). I still have my father's Air SOG, which is a pretty beefy one handed opener (no clip).
 
tonyccw said:
Actually, that's not exactly true. He said one hand opening with a clip. Not just one handed opening. The device you're thinking of is called the Bandit, and I've had a few installed on my various lockbacks (Buck 110, Rigid Folding Hunter, Al Mar Eagles). But before the Bandit, not counting all the automatics and only concentrating on the purely mechanical knives, there was the Benchmade Rolox series. Very easy to open using one hand.
Click to expand...


Yes, I admit I was a bit unfair to Planterz, I took a quick look and though he was attributing the first one handed(non-auto) design to Spyderco singly. If that wasn't the case, I apologize.

I know about the Flick-it and the Bandit, but wasn't refering to them, as I view them more as an after-market product/accessory.

I was thinking of W. Pellett's patent of 1893. This was a patent for a thumb disk. Some fatorie used the Pellett lift on folders, but that was the age of the legal switchblade, and the Pellett lift was soon forgotten:(.
 
Actually, the Filippinos invented the ultimate 1 handed-opening knife hundereds of years ago: the balisong. :D
 
Planterz said:
Actually, the Filippinos invented the ultimate 1 handed-opening knife hundereds of years ago: the balisong. :D
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Yes, but that hundreds of years is a bit of a stretch. However, the navaja has written records that dates back several hundreds, and has it's own martial arts form. That alone should qualify it as one of the first tactical folders.
 
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