What is a "tactical" knife?

[Okiecruffler]

I see that adjective thrown around on just about everything, but was wondering what it meant when attached to a knife. I figure the old gerber boot knife would qualify. But what exactly is a "tactical" knife?

 

[hso]

Good question with a lot of disagreement on the definition.


The boot knives and small fighters are in the "fighting knives" genre while knives that combine characteristics of fighters and utility knives are what started "tactical" knives as a genre. Tactical knives were "ugly" and abandoned a lot of ideas about line and form that you see in purpose built fighters and let function dictate form (with the "function" being expanded to include hard use utility functions with fighting).

To my mind the whole "tactical knife" genre started with Bob Terzuola and the folders he started making in Central America. Spyderco, of all folks, was probably the first manufacturer to make a specific "tactical" folder (a Bob T model I still have today).

Lately tactical is a marketing term that has come to get tacked onto anything that is a fighter or fighter/utility knife.

 

[Rupestris]

Just my opinion.

1tac·tic
Pronunciation: \ˈtak-tik\
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin tactica, from Greek taktikē, from feminine of taktikos
Date: 1640
1 : a device for accomplishing an end
2 : a method of employing forces in combat

Fir a knife to be "tactical" in the second definition, it should be one of the following:
Tanto blades
"Waved" folders
OTF autos
a "tactical" name like deanimator.
Kerambit
Double-edged (stiletto/dagger)

Without one or more of those, I wouldn't call it tactical.

If you stick to the first definition, any knife can be tactical. If you need to put another hole in a leather belt, then a Harness Jack might be what you need.

 

[MaterDei]

1 : a device for accomplishing an end
2 : a method of employing forces in combat

Given this definition, number 1 suggests that any knife can be called tactical.

Number 2 applies to 'forces', which are military personnel, not tools or weapons, and therefore doesn't apply.

 

[BigG]

It's a marketing term.

 

[The Tourist]

It's a marketing term

This is correct.

At one time, the concept of "tactical" could easily be applied to knives made by Emerson and Terzuola. Unfortunately, the lowballers got on the bandwagon and simply started to spray their existing product line with black paint.

And today you'll find many examples of the exact same knife being offered in matte' stainless, sand cammo, green cammo and all black.

The word is now meaningless. I do consider it an adjective defining a time in cutlery, in this case, the mid 1990's. It is much like the term "muscle car," which describes cars of the late 1960's.

Right in front of me are several knives. Just knives, no descriptions. All and all are built stout enough for defense, even for deployment. None of them is a tactical knife or are they advertised in that fashion.

However, I can flip through my supplier's catalog (over one inch thick) and find pages of regular production items which are simply painted diverse colors.

 

[Rupestris]

Not tactical


Tactical

 

[hso]

The word is now meaningless.

It's a marketing term.

Unfortunately, the lowballers got on the bandwagon and simply started to spray their existing product line with black paint.

So the short version is, once upon a time it used to mean something to differentiate a knife from the fighters and camp knives, but now the term is a meaningless marketing term applied to sell knives that are painted black.

 

[Maelstrom]

It needs to be all black and should be featured in advertisements depicting exploding pants.

 

[JShirley]

Green and brown are the new black.

 

[TimboKhan]

You know, no one has been more vocal about his dislike of tactical marketing than me, which makes it hypocritical that I carry a tactical knife.

By any definition, my knife is tactical. It's kind of big. Its OD Green AND black. It's name is the "Predator II". Here is a picture of it:

Still, it has a lot of things I like. It's light. It rides like a much smaller knife in my pocket. It flicks open smoothly and rapidly. The lock is easy to operate safely with one hand. Overall, it's been my favorite folder I have ever had.

So, while I agree that "Tactical Knives" are largely a marketing gimmick, it's important to make sure to judge the knife on it's own qualities and not it's marketing.

 

[Valkman]

It's a perfectly good knife painted black to sell to a different crowd. It works - look at the companies that sell nothing but this stuff.

I have a new powder coating system on the way - henceforth all my knives will be tactical!

 

[The Tourist]

It's not hypocritical if the knife is actually designed for such use. We're talking about the vast numbers of knives that are fakes.

I carry many different Emersons. I think I have an Emerson Snubby and a Graham Stubby on my pants now. Either knife is a testament to strength, materials and design.

Ernie calls his knives "hard use." I think that's a better description of the focus and his intentions.

 

[Todd A]

Tactical slippie

To blatently copy Rupestris


Not tactical....


Tactical...

 

[JShirley]

Timbo,

Looks like a good knife. Good blade shape, tip-up pocket clip...lock style?

J

 

[Okiecruffler]

So basically it means the same thing in knives that it means in everything else. I mainly asked because a fella at work last night ask me where I got my "tactical" knife when he saw my CRKT M16. I was cutting my apple with it at the time, probably not the right task for a "tactical" knife, but it was all I had.

 

[Maelstrom]

I was cutting my apple with it at the time, probably not the right task for a "tactical" knife, but it was all I had.

I used to use my K-Bar to cook hotdogs over a fire.

 

[Rupestris]

I was cutting my apple with it at the time, probably not the right task for a "tactical" knife, but it was all I had

As long as you employed known and proven tactics when cutting that apple, then the knife was perfect for the task at hand.

 

[JTW Jr.]

tactical... man that word still kills me. Maybe it should be changed finally be changed to " Tacti-Cool "... " or " tact I cool "

or better yet " testical " , as those whom I hear use that word most , seem to imply they have bigger ones that everyone else.

personally , I think you can use a knife in a tactical way or during a tactical maneuver , but the knife by itself can't be tactical.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I usually refer to guns of the type as "tacky-cool" Seems to sum most of them up.

 

[Todd A]

I usually refer to guns of the type as "tacky-cool"

Umm...........lets leave guns out of this this.

Note to self -don't post pics of my Moss 500 with folding stock,6 round side saddle,sling ,and light in the shotgun forum.

 

[JTW Jr.]

no Todd that is an ass-halt shotgun , cause if that burglar don't , he is soon gonna

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

I use tactical to refer to knives with thumb studs/holes, pocket clips, and non traditional handle materials. Don't mean that they are used for tactical applications, just a term used by the industry and by most people.
Kinda like SUV. I don't how much the Saturn Vue gets used for Sport Utility, but I still call it an SUV.

 

[TimboKhan]

Looks like a good knife. Good blade shape, tip-up pocket clip...lock style?

It's a regular old liner lock.

I have been very satisfied with the knife, even more so considering that it was on sale at Sportsmans Wherehouse for 1/2 off when I bought it, making it an even $50.00. Plus, it has a small Eagle, Globe and Anchor etched on the other side, which obviously appeals to me. It's there and it's cool, but it's small enough that it is in no way garish.

Honestly, the only thing I don't like about that knife is the large "Predator II" printed on the side of it. Smaller, or not printed at all, would have been fine.

 

[Nate C.]

Tactical = flat spray paint (usually black or OD green) + a price increase of at least 20% (because the product is, after all 'tactical').

There you have it. Marketing.