Types of Tactical Knives

Whatever your need, tactical knives come in an assortment of shapes and sizes of to fit nearly any need. The best people to carry the tactical knives would be the military, police, rescue workers and hunters. A tactical knife can be folding like a pocket knife, or straight like a spear; (called fixed-blades) they could also be jagged edged or serrated for sawing things and others that are like a miniature sword. Some tactical knives fold and some remain straight and unyielding to a bend. If you are considering getting a tactical knife as a concealed weapon, you should check with your local state or city for more information about the laws for and against carrying a tactical knife.

The latest trends in tactical knives are the folders. What used to be popular were the fixed blade tactical knives in which the blade did not fold up. Today there are hundreds of designs and a couple dozen patents for the manufacturers of these and other knives. Since they have an all business look to them, but work like a horse, they have built quite the following. This has prompted several new knife manufacturers and even the conventional manufacturers to jump on the bandwagon of the tactical knives.

Some of the more elite tactical knives, the collector editions are made by hand by knifemakers who still know how to brush the steel and sharpen with grace. However, the manufacturers have machines and speed on their side. Many customers are willing to wait years for a handcrafted tactical knife.

The tactical knife is in the sporting category, even though it is used by working class people, such as the National Guard and police departments across the United States. The tactical knife could be placed in both the sporting and working classifications because when you need a knife to do a job; this is the knife you call on.

If you are looking for tactical knives, you can find them online or in most large hunting and fishing sporting stores. They are usually locked up for safety reasons so you might need to ask for help. Today, the folding tactical knives seem to be the most popular because of the easy of carrying them in your pocket or attaching them to your belt with a sheath.

What Makes a Knife a Tactical Knife?

Before a knife can be certified a tactical knife, it goes through many different rigorous tests such as blade toughness, tip breaking strength, sharpness and edge retention, two weeks saltwater immersion tests, gasoline and acetylene torch resistant, handle twist off limits, chopping, hammering, prying, penetration performance, cutting ability for six different types of rope and nylon line, low noise and low reflection factors and intense field hands on trials.

Where Did These Tactical Knives Come From?

Tactical knives first began as pre-tactical knives in 1990 when one of the best known knifemakers, Ernest Emerson, refused to use any part of an animal or plant that was on the endangered list. He began incorporating exotic materials such as abalone and paua shells, rare woods and mother-of-pearl. The blades were either hand rubbed or highly polished. The pre-tactical knives were made famous by their bright colored handles and the prominent use of clip point blades. These knives were also noted for their precision locking mechanism and close tolerance. Selling his knives for $800 to $2000 each and once he became a respected knifemaker, he was able to concentrate on making the knife he really wanted to make and that was knives for combat, folding Tactical knives. Today there are still many handcrafted knifemakers and many manufacturers both who make and sell the tactical knife as well as many others.

A tactical knife can be a hunter's knife used when hunting deer or turkey, or a diver's knife used to cut coral or ropes of various thicknesses. Not only can they save lives in a war zone or the mean streets of some dark alley in a city someplace, but tactical knives save lives everyday when rescue workers use them or police officers stop to help someone. Tactical knives are sharp and dangerous in the wrong hands. They are not meant for young kids, even the folding kind that mimics a pocket knife, are not for the very young. Like a gun, be careful where you leave your tactical knives.