| Tactical knife (also known as a fighting knife or a | | | | has used KA-BAR knives since the Second World |
| combat knife) refers to a type of knife that was | | | | War. The Chilean armed forces use the Corvo |
| originally meant for use in the military and in | | | | knife. Another tactical knife that is popular with |
| combat but has since morphed into other uses. | | | | military units and civilians alike is the British |
| The tactical knife is built in a way that makes it | | | | Fairbairn-Sykes. Though this double edged blade |
| ideal for cutting branches and leaves, clearing | | | | knife can be used as a general purpose knife, it |
| paths and even opening ammunition crates. The | | | | usually serves as an assault weapon and is thus |
| knife also comes handy when setting up military | | | | often classified as a dagger. |
| tents and is one of the main reasons that saw its | | | | When it comes to civilian use, probably no other |
| rapid rise among civilians such as campers who | | | | group of persons has found greater use for the |
| recognized its importance in setting up camping | | | | tactical knife than camping enthusiasts. But the |
| tents. | | | | tactical knife is also used by farmers and other |
| But even as useful as the tactical knife in these | | | | persons whose work environment is primarily in |
| non combat roles, it is important to understand | | | | the outdoors. Tactical knives are often sharper |
| that tactical knives were traditionally built as | | | | than ordinary knives and how one handles the |
| weapons for use in close combat, something that | | | | knife is important to ensure the safety of both |
| was quite common in the wars of times past | | | | the person carrying the knife as well as the |
| before the onset of missiles, bombs and guns. | | | | people around him or her. Many knives come with |
| The knife would be used to subdue an enemy | | | | a safety sheath and can also be clipped to the |
| combatant. | | | | belt bucked under the pants around the waist |
| As wars started to subside and armies | | | | area. |
| increasingly relied in weapons that required very | | | | Other than the different types of brands, tactical |
| little proximity to an enemy soldier, the need for | | | | knives come with different functionality which can |
| the tactical knife as a weapon in the battlefield | | | | be used to categorize them. For instance, some |
| started to wane. However this did not mean that | | | | tactical knives come with a fixed blade while |
| the tactical knife was no longer required at all by | | | | others use a folding blade. Whether to go for a |
| soldiers. Rather, most military units still provided | | | | fixed blade knife or a folding one depends on |
| their soldiers with tactical knives but their purpose | | | | what you intend to use the knife for. If you need |
| was now more to do with general use on the | | | | a knife for camping and for use in the outdoors, it |
| battleground as opposed to actual fighting. | | | | is more convenient to have a folding tactical knife |
| The ancient Gurkhan army of the 13th Century | | | | since it is easier and safer to carry around. On the |
| AD used the Kukri tactical knife. The knife had a | | | | other hand, is your goal is hunting or activities that |
| wide and curved blade and somewhat resembled | | | | will require a great deal of cutting, then the fixed |
| the modern day machete and was purpose built | | | | blade tactical knife may be the better option. |
| for war. With the passage of time, the types of | | | | Another way of categorizing tactical knives is by |
| tactical knives one can choose from have greatly | | | | use of the blade. Some tactical knives have plain |
| increased and both the military and civilians have a | | | | blades while others are fitted with a serrated |
| wide range of knives to choose from. That said, | | | | blade. The plain blade tactical knife is mostly used |
| the military unit from each country will usually | | | | for general purpose cutting since it produces a |
| settle for knives from one manufacturer | | | | cleaner final cut. Serrated blades are more apt for |
| sometimes made to special order. | | | | cutting rough surfaces such as tree branches and |
| The US Marine Corp for example uses the | | | | where the cut does not have to be a clean one. |
| KA-BAR tactical knife. Actually, the Marine Corp | | | | |