Tactical?

Mike Martinez

Mike Martinez

Well-Known Member
What does the term tactical mean to you in knife context? Being an Army Vet via multiple deployments to Iraq, the term feels like a catch-all for cool looking knives. I carried a CUDA CQB from Camullis, a Twitch, SOG Pup, and Trident from SOG, a Fighting/ Utility Knife, US Army service Ka-Bar, and Tanto Ka-Bar from KABAR, Kukri from a mystery maker, Peter LaGana Tomahawk and a Kershaw Vapor... of course, not all at the same time... except one. Anyway, regardless of their Tactical name, none really ever did more or less than my Kershaw Vapor and I'm quite sure that any hunting knife would have been as adequate.

Now, I'm not trying to stir up any mess, rather, I'm trying to further my knife knowledge base. If you gents could help me out with your take on the subject (please keep it friendly, I don't want this thread to get growls) I'd deeply appreciate it.

(Waiting for surgery has me spending more time indoors than in the shop, this is the result. :biggrin: )
 
Thanks for your service.

You ask a valid question. I was an Officer of Marines and a Special Forces Team commander. I am unable to provide you with an answer to your question. However, I am confident the fellow below can give you a definitive answer.

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Hoorah/Hooah! I was thinking the answer might be somewhere along those lines. And thank you for your service as well. I have a brother in the Corps for whom I'm making a knife... I was talking to him about the design and he asked why every knife with, "screws and plastic looking handles," was covered by the "tactical," banner and it got me thinking. So, since I can't come up with a better answer than yours, I may just have to email him that de-motivation picture. :steve:
 
A tactical knife is sort of like an assault rifle. Everyone has their own definition. To me it is a heavy duty utility knife that is designed so that it could pressed into service as a fighting knife if the need arose. To others it might mean a knife shaped tool that is part knife, part saw, part entrenching tool. Yet others might feel that it's nothing more than a catchy phrase that really doesn't mean anything. Sort of the way that I feel about bowie knives.

Doug
 
I think of a tactical knife (or any tactical gear) as a tool designed to serve the needs of a mission. That mission may be military, exploration, rescue or recovery to mention a few. All are likely to present a variety of tasks. Contrast this with a skinner - or a paring knife - both designed more or less to a single task.

Of course, this isn't a definition - just my sense of the term.
 
Knifemaker.ca said:
I think of a tactical knife (or any tactical gear) as a tool designed to serve the needs of a mission. That mission may be military, exploration, rescue or recovery to mention a few. All are likely to present a variety of tasks. Contrast this with a skinner - or a paring knife - both designed more or less to a single task.

Of course, this isn't a definition - just my sense of the term.
Click to expand...

^^ Exactly ^^.

Firstly, thank you guys for your service. You are who I make knives for.

The term "tactical" is over used for any number of things. You can market anything "tactical"....and they do.

demotivational-posters-tactical-ipad-pants.jpg


We've all seen the knife makers who for years have made the same 14" damascus bowie and with a little micarta it's now a "tactical" knife. I'm not throwng stones here - a knife maker can promote his work anyway he like as that's his business. Look around here on KD - the term "tactical" is used to describe all types of knives. A word search will reveal that.

I don't market my knives to hunters or chefs. Have my knives been used to skin game? yes. Was that the intended purpose? no.
Does that matter? no. I market LEO & military becuase that's where my passion lies. Coming from the street as a medic and flight RN/paramedic I hang out/shoot/train with military and cops.

It was my knifemaking that untimately got me go to Afghanistan last year as a civilian medic. My life has been enriched by gentlemen like yourselves that go in harms way. After sending knives to guys overseas and the "thank you, that knife...." phone calls started coming in I knew I had to go Afghanistan. I was completely inspired by men like you to go over, pitch in and help out. I jumped at the first position that came open - an unarmed medic job. Although hesitant not to have at least a pistol, I went anyway.

You got it right: I brought a knife to a gun fight.

Sorry for the long winded response but for me the term "tactical" means just that. Not hunting. Not kitchen. Not mirror finish.

Mission specific (no serrations on a 10" french knife). Stonewashed finish. Kydex, plastic and screws. Throw in a couple serrations for good measure.

Thanks again for your service and the inspiration.

BC
 
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Former Marine here too. 1999-2005

My thoughts about defining tactical for any type of gear, including knives: constructed from tough and resilient materials that can stand up to adverse conditions, all materials finished with non-reflective surfaces, and constructed to be tougher and to withstand more abuse than a typical piece of comparable sporting equipment.

IMHO, a great majority of items advertised as tactical fall more in the tacti-cool category - which is just a normal piece of gear with black finishing, which would fail under heavy use and abuse conditions.
 
I imagine one of the grandfathers of tactical knives, Randall, could provide a good bit of info. I don't know if he is still alive...probably not. Someone there is still taking orders so info should be forthcoming. I did not serve in a bonafide combat area, but a friend of mine said his Randall saved his outfit a world of hurt in Vietnam when the knife was used to open a stubborn 55 gallon barrel of helo fuel. Tought knife. As with you I have experience with Incident Command folks and use that experience when designing or dreaming up tactical/working knives. Being in the Air Force did not really provide experience with blades, or at least the communications side of the AF anyway. I believe it is a knife specific to the branch of service and possible specific to the unit. Whereas AF rescue types may like a particular blade, Marine Recon may want something else. In any event I think it should be damn tough, and I am not sure the plastic handles with screws fits that bill. As with the old Kabar if I have a need to pound something with the knife will it hold up? Hope this helps.....
 
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