All posts tagged Kershaw

More blather about tactical knives

Here’s the scoop about which knife, tactical knife, folding knife or lightsaber.   It’s all about how much you want to spend.   Sure there are some knives that are better than others, but what good is it to spend a boat load of money on something that you are going to lose or break.   I have gone through cell phones and flashlights in the past because at first they were small and easy to carry, but then they were even easier to lose.   Not to mention that after working the Gatco Sharpener booth at the NRA Convention last Summer I noticed that no matter what knife people were carrying around with them, 80% of people didn’t even have a sharp knife.

The Gatco Sharpening System that we sell the most of are the 10003 and 10005 because they aren’t that pricey and they are easy to understand.   The 10005 sharpening system has a sharpening stone for doing serations and that’s a pretty big deal for tactical knives.   Being able to get in there and get the hard to sharpen parts of the blade is a big deal even for a small blade.  The serations should work like a saw and for small blades, the job of cutting through rope or re-enforced packaging tape ect should be easy if the blade is sharp, how much you spend on a knife can make it a better blade, but only if you sharpen it right.

Top

Tactical gear and clothing

There are a lot of words that get thrown around in the firearm industry that are fairly broad.    Tactical clothing these days may sound like BDUs to one person and 5.11 tactical clothing to another.    Tactical gear can mean anything from a folding stock to a knife, or a $1500 rifle scope.    The word “tactical” doesn’t really tell you what something is going to be used for in the field.    I have some pretty dressed down AR15 rifles that to some people, just look like violent weapons and scare them, while most of us that are familiar with the accessorized M4 Carbine, will find a A2 style AR15 to be  pretty bland.

The so called tactical clothing and concealed carry markets seem to be new markets and these terms get thrown around a lot but don’t really tell us much.  To the trained individual, they can spot a knife in the pocket and 5.11 style pants from a mile away and loads of pockets full of tactical gear and usually that’s a dead giveaway that someone is carrying a firearm.   Think about what purpose your clothing is to serve and adapt to it.   There are more than a few good clothing companies that are making concealed carry friendly apparel.

Top

The most useful tool outside of your cell phone

I am not one to promote the fact that I am carrying a knife.   I notice that many in the tactical community that carry firearms are also carrying folding knives and they usually clip them on to their front pocket.   I’m not being paranoid when making the claim that this is usually a dead giveaway that the person is also a CCW holder and is packing a 9mm somewhere.   Not only is the knife a weapon that a BG knows can be used against him, it’s a hint that is not covert.    People are going to do whatever they feel comfortable doing, but try to think about being discreet when carrying anything of the sort.     There are plenty of places where carrying guns is so common, that everyone knows there is a 75% chance that somebody in the building has a gun, so some crimes just don’t really happen that often.

Knives come in all lengths and durability.   I’ve still got knives I had when I was 8yrs old and they are still sharp even though they were neglected.   I’ve had previous jobs where keeping a box cutter in my back pocket was so common that I usually had a pile of them on my dresser because I always brought them home from work and forgot to take them out.   I think a good 2 inch blade is a good average size blade that is long enough for defensive purpose, but very practical tactical knives for the working man.   Since we deal with a lot of UPS boxes every day, it’s nice to know that my everyday carry knife is my box cutter, screwdriver and defensive weapon.    If you’ve got the job that carrying a fixed blade Cold Steel knife, then so be it, but like many of the firearms I have had to carry on the job, I always ended up working my way towards something smaller and more comfortable.

Top

Folding knives and camping

I have a few knives that have been passed down through a few generations.   Most of them look like they were used in Boy Scouts.  Some were Bowie knives that must have been fun to use, but were really an over kill.   Not that there is anything wrong with it, but carrying those around all the time made a  kid feel cool, but mostly likely got in the way.   Recently I got out to do some nature conservation and decided to spend the weekend at a State Park.    We weren’t allowed to bring in our own firewood which I normally do, just because I like to know that I’ll have good dry wood for cooking in need be even if the weather isn’t good.
At the gate of the park, we picked up a few bundles of wood, we took it back to camp and I brought out my Columbia River folding knife and slashed open a bundle that was shrink wrapped and tied with a rope.   I’m still not sure what tactical knives are, but this one works for me.  A co-worker of mine was tugging and pulling on his stack and had trouble getting it undone.    Everyone likes to bring knives for cooking, but even just a simple folding knife in your pocket can be very useful.   Whenever your camping, there is room for you to pack a knife.

Top

It’s metal, it’s shiny and it’s cool

Tactical KnivesUtility knifes can be tactical, but my idea of a tactical knife is something with a good sharp edge that can be used defensively, can pry things open and also be used to cut a seat belt without sawing it.   Folding knifes are in their own category and I know some people frown on them, but you gotta use what you have and know in your mind what it is capable of withstanding and what it can be used for.

I think that sums up about 75% of what the tactical knives market and the remaining 25% have a different reason they own a knife.   I think a lot of America has lost the idea of how useful a knife is these days, probable because people have access to so many fancy tools that the idea of having to sit there an sharpen something that knife owners know is a tool, is something they don’t understand.  Nowadays, most highway emergency reponse and law enforcment are carrying knives that can slice a seat belt in half a second.

 

Top

Tactical knives for life saving purposes

tactical knivesAnyone that works for a fire company will tell you the stories about having to cut people out of cars.   This is literally what occurs when really bad car accidents occur.   Not only do you have to pull people out of twisted metal, but you may have to cut them out of their seat belt of they were fortunate enough to be wearing one.   Storing fix a flat in your car is very practical and useful for you and if you know someone who is in a bad situation that can use it.    There are times when I have done more good samaratin deed and handed someone a can of fix a flat and told them to just get on their way, but what about if you get in a car wreck, can you get yourself free of your own seat belt?  They make quick and easy to detach slings for rifles for such incidences, but seat belts can restrain  you in situations where you need to get out.

Any knife should be able to cut through a seatbelt if used properly, but some of the rescue tactical knives work much better.   Something you should consider for your car, not only for you, but what if you come across a car that was in an accident and the driver or passengers are trapped inside and something is burning?   What if you’re in the car and you can’t even find the belt release because the car is twisted up?   I’ve seen people walk away from some pretty bad wrecks unharmed, but I also know of people dying in fires because bystanders didn’t have anything to break the glass or get them out of the seat belt.   We have a few rescue knifes in stock for these types of purposes at Rogue Elite.net

Top

Tactical, Practical and vesatility

Tactical KnivesMany of us think we know what tactical knives are for, but not everyone may think they need it for anything other than putting butter on bread or cutting something open.   The reality is knives have been used in the military for everything from combat, cooking, opening ammo cans, hunting, bayonets ect. that trying to explain what a knife actually does, is pointless.   For most practical purposes most people probable don’t need a knive longer than 2-3″ but the older I get,  the more I realize that carring a knife at all times can be usefel and can even save lives.  While folding knives such as the  Columbia river crk1090 is a practical knife that can be folded to fit into a pocket easier than a non folding knife.  We have to think about which size knife we can comfortable carry just like we think about guns.
Some knives like the Kershaw zipper is a great thing to have around if you are travelling in a car or on the road alot.   A knife like this can easily be used to cut a seatbelt off.    Try cutting a seatbelt off and you’ll understand why they design knives like this.  It may even be something  you want to keep in  your glove compartment just incase you’re the one trapped in your own car.  Crazy things can happen in this world and being prepared is one way to live longer and save lives.  Mil-Tac, Spyderco, Kbar, Cold Steel, Command Arms, SOG Knives, Leathermen, Kershaw, Blackhawk and Emerson all made quality knives.   You can always pickup a trusty swiss army knive if you wan’t versatility, but that’s not always the best when it comes to day to day carry.

Top
Page 1 of 1