Spyderco Forums

I've been looking at tactical folding knives from various manufacturers recently and I'm wondering why Spyderco hasn't made any inroads into this area! I'm thinking of Stretch Blade Profile, at least at the rear portion of the blade, with a flipper! I have a Southard, but the Stretch profile would allow for an adequately sized hole with a wide blade for Tactical strength! What do you think? :spyder:

Hey Eric ,
I'm not exactly sure what tactical implies (knife fighting?) and honestly I envision some aesthetics that wouldn't appeal to me. The idea doesn't really appeal to me either as I think 'tactical' is focused on violence, potentially self defense of course but still not my focus.

Of course Spyderco does offer plenty of knives that would serve really well in a self defense situation, and something like an Endura or Military will probably hold up as well as any folding knife.
If there's a more specific understanding of the term tactical mind clarifying?
Take care

Google tactical folding knives to get the idea! Heavy duty Police/Military use, Techno blade stock thickness for the heavyweight! :D

Mmmm....tactical knives...Since there is no clear definition on what is a "tactical" knife and mainly used as marketing BS I tend to go on the opinions of those that have been in the industry for some time. People such as Bob Terzuola.

Based on his opinion expressed in his book: Tactical Folding Knife: A Study of the Anatomy and Construction of the Liner-Locked Folder, I draw the conclusion that Spyderco is already making a "tactical" knife.

eric m. wrote:Google tactical folding knives to get the idea! Heavy duty Police/Military use, Techno blade stock thickness for the heavyweight! :D

That is the marketing BS IMO of what a "tactical" knife is supposed to be.

Tell me with a straight face the Szabo isn't a tactical knife.

I'm just hear to show my support for a Stretch 3 with a flipper and Ti Framelock... :o

Are you sure you don't mean "tacti-cool?"

Spyderco already makes some of the best tactical knives in the industry for people trained in the tactics of edged combat. That's just fact.

You mean something like the "op-focus" department? Plenty of extremely functional tools on offer, maybe it is your tactics that need refinement ?

"Tactical" is an over-used buzzword for peddling splitting wedges to mall ninjas. That's what I think. As for why Spyderco hasn't made any inroads into this area, they seem focused on making high-performance cutting tools rather than extracting as much money as possible from people.

Seriously, when was the last time you or anyone else here selected a pocket knife as your tool of choice to kill an enemy sentry?

Ah yes.

Tactical= Take dross, Paint it black or coyote tan and charge an extra 20% to the mall-ninja types.

Rather than look at it from the 'advertising copy writer' perspective of 'tactical' and look rather at the capability of the Spyderco products.....Tell me a Police, Civilian, Military, Szabo (etc etc) don't fit neatly into precisely the kind of capabilities that one would wish for the situations where 'tactical' is a statement of need not a fashion statement.

yablanowitz wrote:"Tactical" is an over-used buzzword for peddling splitting wedges to mall ninjas. That's what I think. As for why Spyderco hasn't made any inroads into this area, they seem focused on making high-performance cutting tools rather than extracting as much money as possible from people.

LoL....so true!

Seriously I think most of the knife iamges I see when I google this buzz word are either cheap hype-based knives or sharpened prybars. The minority of the images show a Strider here and a ZT there. Both of these companies make great "HEAVY DUTY" folders, but so does Spyderco. If blade thickness is an indicator for you, please look into the Tuff or Vallaton. The only advantage I see to a large 5mm thick knife with Ti handles and a 3/4" dia. pivot is that it weights 7oz. or more. Instead of deploying it in a military / police role, just use it as a blunt impact tool.

"Heavy is good, Heavy is sign of reliability...... if it does not work, you can always hit him with it!"

Wow, I can't believe the hostility on this thread so far! I was just questioning why Spyderco doesn't have it's own line of Tactical Folding knives! I am fully aware that there are PLENTY of Spyderco knives that can fulfill that role, and I have them! Just questioning guys!!! I didn't attack anyone! Just thinking that Spyderco could make inroads this PARTICULAR area. :eek:

yablanowitz wrote:"Tactical" is an over-used buzzword for peddling splitting wedges to mall ninjas. That's what I think. As for why Spyderco hasn't made any inroads into this area, they seem focused on making high-performance cutting tools rather than extracting as much money as possible from people.
Seriously, when was the last time you or anyone else here selected a pocket knife as your tool of choice to kill an enemy sentry?

+1
Well said Jack

Bill1170 wrote:Tell me with a straight face the Szabo isn't a tactical knife.

It's a Laci Szabo folder made by Spyderco! I have one myself! I'm talking about a Specific Spyderco designed knife line! I don't understand the tone everyone is taking on this, and why!!! I honestly thought more people would be interested in this! Sorry! :spyder:

Spyderco quasi invented the Tactical folder. When you read the little plate in the C01PCOM Worker Commemorative edition, there is stated "First Tactical Folder"

Lets say the Szabo and Embassy are 2 nice examples of recent Tactical Folders :)

When I look at Benchmade, ZT, Emerson, Strider, and Hinderer knives all geared towards heavy duty Military/Law enforcement "Tactical" folders, I say to myself, Spyderco can start their own line to target this Specific segment of the marketplace! Spyderco quality and ingenuity is certainly able to compete with the best of them, and able to exceed many! I realize many of Spyderco's knives are perfectly suitable for this role, but as stated at the start of the thread, a SPYDERTAC LINE of knives geared towards this segment of the market would, I believe, be a winner! Just putting my thoughts out there for you all! Didn't expect all this attitude! :)

Eric...The tone here stems from the fact that so many other companies make knives that don't cut very well due to overthick edge geometry, paint them black, talk about how they're used by Special Forces for "stealthy deanimation," label them "tactical" and then sell them to mall ninjas at a premium. The term "tactical" in this day and age - with regards to knives - very often entails a black or camouflaged blade which doesn't cut very well but is way overbuilt and looks nasty and which appeals to a specific demographic which often smells of Cheetos and body odor and wears fedoras. If that's your thing there are many knives out there to satisfy your craving. Spyderco's tend to be more about function than form, whereas the stigma attached to "tactical knives" is often that they're more about form than function. I could be wrong, but I think most people here don't really want to be associated with the stigma that surrounds "tactical knives."

Can't speak for the others who are pushing back on the need for a tactical line, but I submit it is not the look of a knife that makes a knife tactical. Instead, it is the person wielding the knife who makes the knife tactical. I would not want to get on the wrong side of Michael Janich wielding "just" a Caly 3.5...

ETA Besides, why would you want Spyderco to be a "me too" company? Many of us are here because it is not...

wrdwrght wrote:I would not want to get on the wrong side of Michael Janich wielding "just" a Caly 3.5...

I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of of Michael Janich wielding even a teaspoon

wrdwrght wrote:Can't speak for the others who are pushing back on the need for a tactical line, but I submit it is not the look of a knife that makes a knife tactical. Instead, it is the person wielding the knife that makes the knife tactical. I would not want to get on the wrong side of Michael Janich wielding "just" a Caly 3.5...

ETA Besides, why would you want Spyderco to be a "me too" company? Many of us are here because it is not...

Or a "TACTICAL PEN" for that matter! Any knife with a 2 in. blade can be suitable for self defense! Not what I'm saying at all! :)