There are words in the preparedness/survival community that are thrown around a lot. The word “tactical” is one of them. Merriam-Webster says this about tactical:
1a (1) : of or occurring at the battlefront (2) : using or being weapons or forces employed at the battlefront
To me, tactical is a combat term. When I hear “tactical knife”, I think, combat knife.
Now any knife can be a tactical knife by that definition. But a tactical knife is one that has been specially designed for combat. This is the definition I will use here, a knife for self defense. I can use a butter knife for self defense, but there are other knives that are tactical by design. Not only that, a tactical knife can have practical use as a survival or utility knife too. I won’t talk about brands, but styles and designs. I will not be able to cover everything here but will cover knives that are typically used in a tactical setting.
Throwing Knives - This type of knife is designed to be thrown. There are numerous throwing techniques and styles and all require skill and practice. My boys like these knives. It might be a stretch to call these knives tactical.
Diving Knives - This type of knife has more of a practical than tactical use and is primarily considered a tool for use by divers when working underwater. They do offer a practical choice where corrosion or exposure to wet conditions may be a concern.
Boot Knives - This type of knife is usually designed to be carried inside of a boot and its main purpose is to conceal. They may be attached by means of a clip or a strap.
Neck Knives - This type of knife is designed to be carried on a cord or necklace around your neck and can offer you an alternative to carrying a more traditional folding style knife in your pocket. It also offers concealment as well.
Rescue Knives - This type of knife is generally designed with the ability to enhance rescue operations and normally include functions for cutting seatbelts, breaking glass or cutting wire. Some of them are designed for one handed operation.
Belt Knives - This type of knife is usually designed to be carried in a horizontal or a vertical position, depending upon the level of concealment that is desired.
Pack Knives - This type of knife is usually designed to be attached to a pack or load bearing equipment (LBE) for easy access. These are generally fixed blade knives which may be too large or cumbersome for pocket or belt carry. They are usually sheath knives where the sheaths include attachment loops or lashing holes to tie down in a variety of ways.
Folding Knives- This is probably the most used style of knife. These knives have a blade length of small, under 2.75 inches, medium 2.75 to 4 inches, and large over 4 inches. They are also most associated with self defense. Those who carry a knife every day usually carry something in the medium range.
Tactical knives can come in many different materials and steels. Buy a knife that will meet your needs. There are many different knife points and designs. They are available in numerous blade configurations that may include a spear point, a drop point blade or a combination blade that includes a partially serrated edge. The blades may also come in a mirror finish, a satin finish or have a black coating on the blade. They can also be found in different types and grades of steel and in varying degrees of thickness depending upon your planned use. The type of steel in your tactical knife will also determine its ability to maintain an edge, be easily sharpened and be corrosion resistant. Blade lengths will vary greatly depending upon whether or not your tactical knife is a folder or a fixed blade. The handles may be made of high quality aircraft aluminum or other lightweight but rugged materials such as G10 or Zytel. They can be more traditional materials such as stacked leather or a rubberized handle material. The handles may also include a pommel that can be used to break glass or to hammer objects and may or may not have a lanyard hole. Some also come with only the fixed tang which is then wrapped with paracord or leather to create a handle grip. Most of the handles are designed to handle extreme weather conditions and give you a firm and secure grip while keeping weight to a minimum. Tactical knives may also come with either a nylon sheath or a Kydex style "hard" sheath. The quality of the sheaths often depends upon the quality of the knife. Most dive knives come with rubberized attachment straps and polypropylene cases to make them as water-proof as possible. Sheaths may also include accessory pouches that allow you to carry additional items such as a sharpener, fire starter or multi-tool. There is a wide variety of tactical-style knives on the market. When deciding which tactical knife will be the best for you to use, it will serve you well to consider all the available options and try to get a tactical knife that will meet as many of the possible needs you may require to get the job done.
I’d like to say something about knife fighting. There are not too many people I have met who really know to how to knife fight. This is a skill that is not taught like it used to be. The little experience I had with it was in the military. This skill is taught more through martial arts schools than a school devoted just to knife fighting. If you want this skill you’ll have to seek it out. It’s probably not as prevalent as gun training. The same goes for non-lethal weapon training. These skills are not taught as often as other forms of self defense. Knife fighting is something that must be taught correctly. Ensure the school or course you take is recommended or certified. This may just be my experience but I’m very leery about how knife fighting is taught.
Knives are very handy and very cool. Because there are few restrictions on making and buying knives, there are many available. Learn all you can about types and brands. Some, to me, are way too high in price. Then there are others that are cheaply made. This is what I check.
1. The type of steel
2. Ergonomics (How it feels in my hand)
3. If it is a folder is there any play in the knife blade
4. I also like a folder with a pocket clip.
5. I consider weight and bulk
6. If it’s a folder can it be opened with one hand
7. Price. I am hard on knives in my everyday use. I prefer a good knife under $100 because of how I use and abuse them.
When choosing a tactical knife you must know your local laws and restrictions in carrying this weapon.
Semper Paratus
Burn
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