When did "tactical" become a selling point?

"Tactical" is the successor to "Survival" and is currently being phased out by "Bushcraft".
 
Zombie Zeke said:
Whenever we are in wartime all the kids that didn't have the guts to enlist want to get a tag that makes them feel semi-tough. When I was a kid, everything was paramilitary, then special forces approved, then tactical and now mil-spec. When applied to a knife it makes absolutely no sense except as a descriptor to mean a certain type of knife like a Nessmuk or a Bowie. When I first saw Strider's table at a big gun show in the late 90's he kept saying things like "high speed, low drag" and "combat ready"....all I thought was what a tool, marketing man, it makes the US economy run.
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Spot on. I must have a knife that is "mission capable."
I will also combine tactical marshmallows with dark chocolate and desert camo graham crackers to create tactical s'mores.
 
Jesse B. said:
Spot on. I must have a knife that is "mission capable."
I will also combine tactical marshmallows with dark chocolate and desert camo graham crackers to create tactical s'mores.
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LOL! How could I possibly have forgotten "Mission Capable," another truly great buzz word?

Okay, I'm all for tactical s'mores. I mean, why not? They could be good. When they come out with Mission Capable tactical Reese's Peanut Butter cups though, I'm definitely aboard. I can see the camo wrapping paper (with fire starting capabilities) now. Now, that would rock my world.
 
a2d2 said:
Says the guy with a pewter skull on the bolster of what looks to be a Cold Steel Rajah 1 in the pic near his sig line. :D
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I am what I am...that Rajah makes me at peace with the world in the craptastic world of Southern California. Besides as soon as Demko puts out his own custom version, I'll be on it like Lynn Thompson on a pork chop. :D
 
Seemed like it got popular back when SWAT became glamorous.

Tactical vs standard patrol police equipment.

Special Weapons And Tactics sums it up.
 
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Jesse B. said:
Spot on. I must have a knife that is "mission capable."
I will also combine tactical marshmallows with dark chocolate and desert camo graham crackers to create tactical s'mores.
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Word up son, I'll drinking some High Speed, Low Drag Buffalo Trace Bourbon to go along with a god blessed, real sugar, Urban Tactical, Triple Hydrophonically, cold Quenched, Messican made Coca-Cola this evening. :D
 
I like the tactical pens that have value-added features that allow the owner to write ...
 
To me tactical means means black or some other flat earthtone ,with some kind of military influence. I like the stuff . Same with mil-spec ,alot of poeple think if it meets military specifications then its tough stuff.I for one would agree. Bushcraft to me is the opposite of tactical and I start thinking spiritual hippy traditional type stuff not that there is any thing wrong with that,just not "tactical".
 
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I don't know, I don't remember it ever being this popular though. I was a kid in the 90s and collected cheap knives, but I remember a lot of the catalogs advertising "tactical" junk. Still it wasn't nearly as popular then as it is now. Perhaps the war kind of brought in a resurgence of people interested in military-esque equipment?
 
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KennyB said:
Perhaps the war kind of brought in a resurgence of people interested in military-esque equipment?
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Definitely, my exact thoughts too. Although its possibly been around for far longer, the resurgence I believe happened back during the First Gulf War in the 90's and a lot of military equipment was being showcased (i.e. - the US Patriot Missile System to counter the SCUD of the Iraqi's). It then cascaded down to the grunt level gear and then to the average guy.
 
Jesse B. said:
I don't have enough knife experience to know when the word "tactical" came into vogue, but I am curious about when that was.
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The 80's!

Spyderco made the first "tactical" folder in my opinion (first company to use a one-hand opener and pocket clip built into a folder - The Worker - in 1981). The knife could be accessed and opened quickly, for "tactical" applications. Autos were around much longer, but unless you had a sheath, you'd be digging around in your pocket for your knife.

Bob Terzuola is said to have coined the term, "tactical knife," in the 80's. Ernest Emerson is another maker who lays claim to having started the genre, in the 80's. The truth is, the things that make knives "tactical" came about in the 80's, when people wanted to be "tactical" all of a sudden. In the 90's, you had people bead-blasting knives, adding thumb-studs and items like the Emerson "wave" opener. It seems to have gotten beyond ridiculous in the past decade, when a certain company's ad copy included the use of the word "de-animation."

"tac·ti·cal (tkt-kl)
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or using tactics.
2.
a. 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.
b. Carried out in support of military or naval operations: tactical bombing.
3. Characterized by adroitness, ingenuity, or skill."
 
"tac·ti·cal (tkt-kl)
special meaning for knife marketing - having any one of these properties:
1. Black or camo.
2. Cool looking
3. Sharp
4. Made of steel

If you buy a knife based on it being described as 'tactical' then you are a mall ninja or mall ninja wannabe.

There are plenty of good knives that are described as tactical.
There are plenty of crap knives that are described as tactical.
A good knife is a good knife and a crap knife is a crap knife - calling it tactical doesn't actually add anything to the knife.

Of course most of the people on this forum are well informed and tend to buy the good knives, the mall ninjas . . . well they just buy what they think looks cool and don't really worry about the quality.
 
Tactical socks...

tac1.jpg


tactical underwear...

tac4.jpg


tac6.jpg


Bob Terzuola is said to have coined the term, "tactical knife," in the 80's. Ernest Emerson is another maker who lays claim to having started the genre, in the 80's. The truth is, the things that make knives "tactical" came about in the 80's, when people wanted to be "tactical" all of a sudden. In the 90's, you had people bead-blasting knives, adding thumb-studs and items like the Emerson "wave" opener. It seems to have gotten beyond ridiculous in the past decade, when a certain company's ad copy included the use of the word "de-animation."
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That's about right. Calling a knife tactical sells. Call a handgun "Combat" and paint it black, it sells. It also gave birth to the idea of "hard use" folders like the Striders, Emerson and others. Folders that were "tactical" could be used liked fixed blade knives. Ads began to appear with folks stabbing oil drums, punching through hoods of cars, chopping sides of beef, etc. with their folders. The "tactical" blade was for instant one handed deployment (Yep deployment the tactical knive is never just pulled out of a pocket and opened it is "deployed". "Ready for instant deployment!").

The idea was a tough hard use folder oriented to self defense more than any other purpose. Not a bad thing per se but over hyped and done to death.

tipoc
 
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