To paraphrase the Charles Perrault classic Le Petit Chaperon Rouge ..... Over the the Internet and through the stores we hear... the word tactical, as it is applied to knives. I understanding the marketing aspect of using this word as a branding device, wherein "tactical" tends to sell better than "combat" or "fighting" when associated with a particular styling of knife. But what gets to me, is when such a marketing branding is misapplied to an inappropriately designed knife model. The problem lies in the misunderstanding of this word "tactical," as it applies to intended usage and practical applications as to knives.

The predecessor of the Tactical Knife was (and still is in certain situations) the Combat Knife. Contrary to popular belief, a Combat Knife was not intended to be used to engage with the enemy as a primary/secondary fighting weapon. Rather, it was a knife intended to be utilized as a multi-functional utilitarian implement within a field of combat, that may or may not be called upon as a last ditch weapon when all other fighting resources were expended... Hence the name Combat Knife. By the mid 20th Century, smaller, more task-specific units were formed and utilized by both the Military and Law Enforcement Agencies. These units, with their specialized gear, needed to have a knife that could be utilized within the construct of their emerging strategic and tactical environment, that would be more practical than the previous Combat Knife .. Hence the Tactical Knife was born.

Now then, it should be noted, that a Combat Knife and a Tactical Knife, are not the same thing as a Fighting Knife. The styling, length, grind, material and usage of all three classes (Combat, Fighting, Tactical) of these knives differ significantly from one another to the point that they can not be construed as being one in the same. They are of the same family lineage, being that of the Blade, but they are inherently and independently distinct, so as to be forming their own sub-species class of knife.

• A Combat Knife, will usually have the characteristics of being solid, stout, utilitarian in design, of a medium blade length of four to six inches, and generally constructed of low to medium grade materials. The classical example of this would be the WW II-era Ka-Bar.
• A Fighting Knife, will usually have the characteristics of being solid, svelte, functionally elegant in design, of a maximum blade length of six to twelve inches, and generally constructed of high-grade to exotic materials. The classic example would be the traditional Bowie Knife.
• A Tactical Knife, will usually have the characteristics of being solid, rugged, ergonomically functional in design (more often than not it will be a folder,) of a minimum blade length of three to five inches, and generally constructed of medium to high-grade materials. The classic example of this would be the Emerson CQC 6.

Many people today, both consumer and manufacturer, have specific models of knives that fall within the three categories listed above, and whether through ignorance or by intentional design, refer to such models as Tactical Knives, when in fact they are no such animal. Additionally, many Knife Users misapply the term Tactical for that of Fighting when they refer to the manner in which they utilize their blades. Over the past 30 years, I have used knives in combat, fighting, military, and paramilitary situations and scenarios. And not once in all that time have I nor any one else I know in those situations/scenarios, ever thought of using a Tactical Knife as a Fighting Knife, and vice versa. The paradigm of "right tool for the right job" holds sways in such circumstances. A Tactical Knife would be used for cutting away repelling ropes & entangled lines, scoring drywall for breaching, cutting detonation cord, cutting clothing to treat injuries, etc... A Fighting Knife is just that, a knife that is designed and/or intended to be used to fight, harm and/or kill an opponent as effectively and efficiently as possible. It should have no other function or purposeful use except to fight with. Using a Fighting Knife for routine cutting activities is simply profanity (to profane is bring the sacred into the mundane,) and could quite possibly be detrimental to one's survival and life when one needs it the most. A Tactical Knife, on the other hand, can be used for almost any situation, but should never be thought of as a primary fighting weapon. It is an edged tool par excellence, that if in a situation of WTSHTF could be used to negate a possible threat if there were nothing else at hand that could do the job more expediently and effectively at the time.