Tactical knives are useful in many different situations,especially if you are in the military. Since you are reading this you are someone who plans ahead and you don’t want just a tactical knife,you want the best tactical knife that you know can get the job done .The analysis of the tactical knives in the interactive chart below that follows will help you decide what the best tactical knife is for you.We all have our personal preferences on what makes a good knife to go camping or hiking with or in some cases fighting on the battlefield, but in an extreme situation you want the absolute best tactical knife possible, and so we’re here to help.
Features to look for in a Tactical Knife
The main purpose of our tactical knife is to be used for self-defense and in survival situations. This means we want to be was to carry it around with us every day. A folding tactical knife is preferred. Nowadays the word “tactical” seems to be thrown around all the time with knives it is hard to know which one is actually the best knife. However by keeping some important aspects of the knife in mind, you can find a perfect knife for yourself.
1.Handle
A good handle is essential for a knife because after all you are holding the knife there. In a survival or self-defense situation you don’t want it to break when you apply too much force. It must feel comfortable when you use it and handle it under stress. There must be no pinch points, sharp corners or unnatural feel to the handle. It must feel that way in both a forward grip (blade coming out of the top of your closed fist) and in a reverse grip (blade coming out the bottom of your closed fist).
Watch out for over-pronounced finger grooves which will force your hand into a predetermined position.
2.Blade Material
Knives usually come in two types of steel which are stainless steel and carbon. The main difference being that stain less steel has more chromium than carbon steel.
- Stainless Steel-The benefit of the stainless steel in knives it that it is more resistant to wear and tear compared to carbon blades.IT is also resistant to rust and water damage and they are easy to sharpen.
- Carbon-Carbon blades on the other hand or tougher than stainless steel, but they are highly vulnerable to rust damage. They are also more difficult to sharpen but they don’t dull nearly as easily as stainless steel.
3. Grip
You need to have a good grip to prevent the knife from slipping from your hands at the time when you really need it. There are three main types of grips and those or textured/checkered handles, rubber grips and cord.
- Textured or checkered handles provide you with a good grip and are the most durable option since they are crafted into the handle instead of being attached to it.
- Rubber grips can provide you with a better traction than textured/checkered handle but rubber grips or easily damaged. This is because it is attached to handle instead of being crafted into handle which means it can pop off.
- Cord allows you to have a good grip in wet conditions unlike rubber which gets make sit more slippery. There is also an added benefit of having extra cord stored on your knife if you ever need during an extreme survival situation.
4. Weight
Tactical knives come in a wide range of shapes and weights. A smaller knife is almost weightless, while the larger knives can weigh more than half a pound.To summarize, the weight of the knife is directly proportional to its size.
The weight of the knife is greatly dependent on the weight of its blade. You would choose a lighter blade for day to day tasks and a heavier one for more intense tasks. This means that you have to choose your knife on based on what you want to use it for.
5. Size
Tactical knives are available in many different sizes and it depends upon what kind of blade you are looking for. Most people prefer EDC (Everyday Carry) knives so that they can fit easily in their pockets and purses.You might have seen movies,actors carrying large knives, but in reality, people do not prefer big knives to walk around with.
Knives with small blades are generally used for regular tasks like paring, skinning or even for self-defense. The most important factor that one should worry about when purchasing folding knife is about the quality of the knife hinge in the locking mechanism.
On the other hand,A fixed blade knife may be larger in size but it is more likely that it will last longer than a folding knife. So depending on why you want a tactical knife, you need to select the right size for the best tactical knife to fit your purpose.
Differences between a tactical knife and a fighting/combat knife
The modern Tactical Knife is designed for a wider range of tasks than a fighting or bayonet knife. A good example is the ASEK (Aircrew Survival Egress Knife) system that has been recently introduced to the community. These knives may be used for emergency escape from a downed aircraft using the multi-tools and glass breakers included with these knives.
They can also perform other Survival-Escape-Resistance- Evasion (S.E.R.E.) tasks. This certification is especially useful for Search & Rescue personnel to assist in extrications from vehicles and other complex rescue missions. The A.S.E.K. and S.E.R.E system combined is the very definition of a tactical knife. Tactical knives are designed for maximum usability. When you hear Tactical, think multi-mission!
On the other hand,combat/fighting knives are designed to inflict a lethal injury in a fight between two or more individuals at very short range (grappling distance).They were designed primarily for personal or hand to hand combat situations.This single focus is the main difference between a tactical and a fighting/combat knife.