When your life depends on it

Your primary edged weapon for Close Quarters Battle or Close Quarters Combat

On this page, you will see dozens and dozens of tactical combat knives. I've also included some relevant topics, information, and details. The important thing to remember is that these are real combat knives, real primary edged weapons, and most of them pictured are or have been in actual combat, rescue, or tactical situations.

Welcome USAF 27th Special Operations Wing from Hurlburt Field, Florida to Cannon AFB in Clovis, New Mexico!

I look forward to serving all your Spec Ops knife needs here at your new base!

--Bernardo M. Perez

Deputy Assistant Director-Ret.

FBI Laboratory

Washington, D.C.

Topics on this page:

Knives Featured on this page:

Our nation's top military rescue service elite, USAF Pararescuemen, "The PJs"

USMC "Bulldog"

Above: USMC grade "Bulldog" combat grade custom knife

To order one of these beauties, contact me here.

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Testimonial:

What are the top errors, failures, or deficiencies of factory knives sold for combat?

If you don't come to me for your knife, that's fine, there are a lot of good professional knifemakers out there that will work with you. But please, go to someone who knows what they're doing, don't buy a factory piece of junk to save a buck!

Knives sold as "tactical" or for "combat" by knife factories is a huge business, netting over 1 billion dollars last year. The market is directed toward civilian, military, and professional knife users as well as civilian knife buyers that just want a tactical-looking knife. You would think that because of this extremely large market, there would be vast, credible information on these types of knives, there would be a quality product at every outlet, and the competition would hone the quality to a high degree. Unfortunately, this is not so. Most of the knives sold for tactical, combat, or professional use by factories (and some knife makers) are simply junk.

My words might be harsh, and they represent only my opinion. My opinions are derived from my own experiences as a professional knife maker. This is my only business, it is my profession, it is how I derive all my income, and has been for the last 20 years. I've been making knives for nearly thirty years. I've seen a lot of knives. The truth is that I've made more knives than the average man has ever seen. I'm not boasting here, it's just a fact of this tradecraft, profession, and art. Along the way I've seen lots and lots of bad knives. I've had exposure to literally thousands of professional knife users, and they run the range of types from infantry to special ops to marines, pilots, policemen, SWAT and Emergency Response Teams, federal officers, Sheriffs, rescue professionals and Pararescuemen. I have the benefit of a tremendous amount of input from them, and the experience of making hundreds and hundreds of combat, tactical, and rescue knives. Those knives are used in the active duty, real field of combat and rescue, and I use the feedback from active duty clients to tune in and refine my work on all my knives.

There is a lot of hyperbole on the internet. Forums about knives, tactical usage of knives, and knife related subjects are heavily slanted towards factory knives, and this is due to several reasons. As much as we'd all like to believe that we're independent thinkers, we are subject to the same advertising onslaught from knife companies and purveyors as the next guy, and we're influenced by words, presentation, associations, and appearance. Advertising campaigns work, and a great deal of the knife industry's dollar is spent on advertising. We are influenced into buying a particular knife, just as we are influenced to purchase a particular soap, automobile, or toilet paper. Most people do not research the knife they buy with a discriminating eye, they are simply sold by the hype. It is my goal that this site be a thorn in the side of ignorance, and continue to be.

Another reason the slant in internet discussions about knives is heavily weighted toward factory knives is that factory knives are common, accessible, and cheap to buy. So everyone can have access to them. I compare many of these discussions to boys laying out their glassy marbles in the sun, comparing them, admiring their appearance, and discounting or diminishing the marbles of other boys. Like marbles, among factory knives, there aren't enough features or quality to make any clear distinction of performance or value. And since most of these knives will only encounter some stubborn tape on a shipping box, it doesn't really matter which factory knife you choose.

For professionals though, men and women that actually use a tactical knife in the field of combat, rescue, searches, or defense, there are options. These professionals will sooner or later educate themselves, and realize that an inferior tool can be a crippling sore, rather than a useful, reliable adjunct. It is to those pros that I write, so you can benefit from the hundreds of professionals that went before you, and helped me improve my tradecraft of making fine custom tactical knives.

Please think hard about the knife you want to carry into combat, the knife you are going to trust your life, your squad's life, your victim's life to.

Mercator Combat CQB, CQC, CSAR Tactical Combat Knife

Featured:  "Mercator"

"Mercator" is a CQC and CQB tactical tanto blade knife, designed for true combat use, going to one of our Special Forces warriors. This is an evolution of several of my tactical designs, combining the best of features. The tanto blade has two straight edges, razor keen, and hollow ground, with a half-length top swage for a devastatingly aggressive point insuring deep penetration. The blade is made of 440C high chromium martensitic tool steel, for maximum corrosion resistance in any theatre of combat. I fileworked just the top of the thumb rest with a clean, light pattern, for increased thumb purchase and a hint of flair. The bolsters are the toughest, best material possible, high nickel-chromium 304 austenitic stainless steel. The front bolster is carved and sculpted to extend forward into the blade, and the rear bolster has a full hawk's bill for easy removal from the sheath and a through-tang lanyard hole. The bolsters are dovetailed and hold a tough, strong pair of Micarta phenolic handle scales, secured with eight 304 stainless steel pins. The knife is carried in a full, deep double thickness kydex sheath built on a frame of 5052H32 corrosion resistant aluminum, secured with blued steel Chicago screws and aluminum belt loops. This is the real thing, one of the best for one of the best, ready for the worst.

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Here are some common faults of factory or badly made knives:

Folding knives are not combat knives! As much as factories and makers try to push this, it's the biggest hype in the knife world right now. It's so important that I've written a special section about this: Read why below.

Factories are in the business of making the most money for the lowest cost of product and labor they can, pure and simple. This fact limits any knife you buy produced in just about any factory, large or small. Some knifemakers have gone the factory route, and started their own small factories. They, too, fall to the demands of bean counting, profit margins, and lowering their quality at the benefit of selling more volume. Factories cut corners, buy cheap materials, get cheap labor often from foreign countries, pay their workers less than they deserve, or they wouldn't make any profit. You can read more about this on my Blades Page here.

The blades on factory knives are too thick. This is because it costs a lot of money and requires skilled hand-grinding to produce a thin blade. Sure, a thick blade with a point can be used as a weapon (just as a screwdriver can be), but after three sharpenings, the cutting edge is a chisel. If you have a knife like this, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You won't see a thick grind on the picture, you might not even notice it when you hold the knife at a store or outlet. You'll notice it when you try to stone up a keen edge in the field, and you work, and work, and work, to no avail. That's because it's cheaper to make a thick knife, than a thin, properly ground edge, and by the time you need to sharpen the knife, the factory hopes you'll just buy another. Read more about blade geometry on my Blades Page here

The blade steels may not be properly hardened and tempered. This fault is harder to determine. You might have the edge "roll" over while cutting something hard, the edge might seem to dull far too often when you've only done mild cutting. The knife might actually bend. With a factory knife, unless you have access to a Rockwell penetration tester, you have no way of knowing what the hardness is, and many factories won't even tell you. Perhaps because the blades are farmed out overseas (in Pakistan) and they don't even know. I've seen this a lot, and there is no solution except to throw away the knife. Learn more about hardness and temper on my Blades Page here.

The blade steels are misidentified. This happens a lot more than you might think. As blades are farmed out, and as automated machinery is used to construct the blade, no one verifies, confirms, and assures exactly what the steel is. Factories might just trust the contractor they farmed the blades out to (often foreign) and rely on only what was written on their purchase order. I've had blades tested from big stateside factories, and they flat out lie about what the steel is! If you complain, they'll just give you another factory knife, or your money back.

The blades are often coated. This is a cheap, bad way to finish a knife. The coatings are bought from gunsmith supply companies, and are either sprayed on or dipped, and baked for hardness. They are only slightly harder than paint. To me, painting a knife is like painting a ladder. You don't do it, because if there is a flaw, crack, imperfection, or fault, you won't know it until it's too late and you have a broken blade in your hand. Factories do it to give the knife a "tactical" look and to cut corners on finishing the blade, pure and simple. A painted or coated blade may actually accelerate corrosion, because eventually there will be a hole in the coating, and moisture, salts, and corrosives may be able to get underneath the coating to attack the blade, without you even knowing about it. Factories have got a bucket of hype, though, about why blades are coated. The coating does not and can not protect the cutting edge or relief, because the instant the knife is sharpened, the coating is gone. Learn more about blade coatings on my Blades Page here.

The blades and handles are straight. This one is a little harder to clarify, because some clients specifically request a straight blade. I sometimes make them myself, at a client's request. But in factories, that is ALL you'll see. The reason is because steel is purchased as a straight, thin bar, and therefore the wider the bar, the more expensive the knife. So, it's in their best interest to make ALL their knives straight-bladed. But the human hand, the swing and curvature of a moving arm, cutting or thrusting motion: all these are curved arcs. So, in true combat situations, curves may be advantageous. You won't see that in large factory combat knives, only in little kerambit blades that are too small to do anything with anyway. And the straight handle should be downright outlawed, as it is the easiest to lose a grip on. More on that below.

The fittings are often neglected. A good, strong knife will be bolstered, that is, reinforced at the critical points like where the handle joins the blade, at the ricasso. Also, it should be bolstered at the butt, which may take a lot of abuse in the field of combat. Rarely are factory knives made this way, as eliminating bolsters, the materials to make them, and the labor to finish them is a way to increase profit. The bolsters also serve a second purpose: to help secure the handle scales. A good pair of bolsters are not squared off at the handle scales, they are dovetailed, so that the handle scale is locked underneath the bolster. Because handle scales are different materials (phenoic, Micarta, G10, plastic, hardwood, or even gemstone) they may have a different coefficient of expansion, may absorb moisture and dry out, and may try to move against the blade tang. So, bolsters on field knives become extremely important to the integrity of the handle. Pins through the handle scales are also very important on tactical knives. Whether hidden or exposed, there should be at least 4 through the tang on every tactical knife. That way, if one or two ever fail, the handle will still be secure on the tang. If only two screws are used and no bolsters (which are very common in factory and other makers' handmade knives) the handle scale to tang junction will be weak and will ultimately fail. Somtimes combat knives (mine included) are skeletonized, that is: have no handle scales whatsoever, only a full, non-tapered milled tang. In knives like this, for combat or tactical use, the blade thickness must be a minimum of 1/4"  (.250") thick or thicker to support the handle and blade. Anything thinner will be too weak. Learn more about handle bolsters, fittings, and construction here.

The sheaths are puny, weak, and cheap. By now, everyone knows the usefulness of kydex. But kydex alone is just a thin sheet of thermoforming plastic, subject to all the shock, damage, and abuse of wear that your body armor will see. Factories make sheaths more for appearance than durability. Rivets are an unsupported construction method, they will ultimately wear, work loose, or make the kydex crack at the thinnest, most stressed point, around the rivet. Sheaths are commonly made using one thickness of kydex from .040" to .060" and then covered with a "military-looking" sock of ballistic nylon. Ballistic nylon is not ballistic repelling, nor  is it hard and durable, so the term "ballistic" is pretty much a misnomer. This stuff tears, burns, holds moisture and rots, holds abrasive dirt and debris, wears through, flexes, snags on sharp objects and the most inopportune time, and will ultimately fail, sooner or later. Handle strap and snap loop retention should be outlawed on combat knives, as the strap will eventually be cut by the blade going in and out of the sheath, or the snap will snag on something close by, open, and allow the knife to fall out. But hey, it kind of looks tactical... Learn more about fine tactical sheath construction below, on my Sheaths Page here, and on my Combat Locking Sheath Page here.

 

Here's an excerpt from an email in response to a guy who asked me to compare whether custom knives are better than issued knives. "After all," he asked, "doesn't America get issued the best knives?" My Response: "The sad truth is that US soldiers do not carry the best knives, in fact, knives are no longer issued other than the bayonet, and most units do not carry them. Knives that meet specs in the past were horribly overbuilt, more like thick shovels than cutting instruments or weapons. Nowadays, most units go out to a vendor and purchase knives in bulk if they do choose to issue them. These knives, like most military gear, are bought by LOWEST BIDDER. This is an unfortunate reality in bulk government purchases. Factories do all they can do to cut the costs to them and secure the bid, making the most profit margin they can at the expense of the actual product. This includes importing parts made by foreign companies. The Ka-bar you refer to is a perfect example. In the early part of WWII, Ka-bars were made of D2, an extremely high carbon die steel, very tough, hard, and wear resistant. Current Ka-bars are made of 420 series stainless steels, the same steels used on cheap imported Asian kitchen knives bought in large discount stores. The use of 420 is needed because blades are blanked out in die presses, and the dies are often made of the steels that custom knifemakers use to build their blades. Look at the modern Ka-bar closely. It’s a hidden tang knife, a weak, small stud of metal extends through the handle, and the pommel nut secures a stack of leather washers on the handle. Leather is not even durable enough for most tactical knife sheaths, much less a combat knife handle. The crossguards are wafer-thin pieces of metal, uncomfortable, small, and dangerous to the hand. The blades are underground, thick and blocky, and poorly made. The reason for continued interest in this type of knife? Popularity and cheapness. Everyone recognizes this typical style, and if you’re on a tight budget, it may be all you can afford."

 

Bulldog, Special Operations, Airborne Above: Special Operations Forces "Bulldog" Tactical Combat Knife Back to list of Featured Knives on This Page

What are combat knives?

I hope and pray that you'll never have to use a knife in the field of combat, other than for cutting some cord or opening a can. What I'm hearing from my military clients though, is quite a different story. Though it happens seldom, it actually does happen. Knives are used in combat. If you've never had it happen to you, then hoo ya, may God shine his mercies upon you. Others have not been so lucky to escape the moving blade. We'd all like to live in a world where that wasn't necessary, but unfortunately it  is not so. I'm not going to sugar coat it here. Combat knives are used for a variety of purposes, including disabling or killing your enemy. So how are my combat or Close Quarters Battle (CQB) or Close Quarters Combat (CQC) knives different?

They're strong, sharp, and solid. They're balanced and designed to deliver great force at the point and cutting edge. They're made to pierce, stab, slice and chop. They often have serrations for ripping, sawing, or tearing. The handles are made to be stout, strong, and rigid, and be gripped with certainty. They often have stout, thick rear bolsters for strength and rigidity in a reverse blow. The sheaths are made as tough as any military gear, with metal frames, bolted together. My goal is to work with clients to design and make the finest military grade combat, tactical, and rescue knives and sheaths available. Many of these have been created with the direct input from the military, tactical, or rescue professional. What you will see on these pages are the real thing, used in the theatre of combat or carried in tactical and rescue operations.

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Testimonial:

Hi Jay, the Macha Knife is Awesome!!

Mate the knife you sent me is totally wild! It has a great feel in my hand and well balanced too. This knife is already fitted to my Tac Vest and it will serve me well over here in Baghdad. I have shown only a few and some of them are very excited and one who wants an exact replica of my knife. Thanks again Jay for this truly remarkable weapon! I will be in touch,

Your Aussie Mate in Iraq! --T.M.

 If you cant Stand Behind our Troops...Then Stand in front of them

Horrocks, US Army 101st Airborne

Featured:

"Horrocks" This is a fine tactical combat knife designed by a Sgt. in active duty combat in the 101st Airborne for use and carry in Iraq. The blade is ATS-34 high molybdenum martensitic stainless tool steel, bead blasted for non-glare finish. The bolsters and pins are nickel silver, and the handle is micarta (phenolic), all bead-blasted for a firm tactical grip. This is a great design, made for use and abuse. The blade is .250" thick, and about 9 inches long, with a full overall length of 14 inches! This is a monster of  a knife. The blade shape is like reminiscent of a Khukri, but with a manageable curve that is not too hard to sheath. The blade spine has a half-length swage for a thin, penetrating point without sacrificing strength. The knife is hollow ground and terrifyingly sharp, with the concavity near the hilt protected from heavy chopping while remaining razor-keen. The handle is very curvaceous, and forms to the hand in a way like no other knife I've seen. It stays positively locked into the grip. With extra heavy and wide bolsters, this is one stout weapon and tool. The sheath is made of double thick kydex over aluminum welt frame, secured with steel Chicago screws. The sheath has both horizontal and vertical belt loops for many different carrying arrangements. This is a serious combat tool, in combat right now.

To order one of these beauties, contact me here.

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Why do I need an expensive, professional knife?

Would you trust your life to a doctor who sees a hundred patients a day at $30 a pop? Of course not, so why would you trust that cheap mass-produced factory knife that’s designed to be thrown away after a month of service? Why would you carry a cheap, low grade piece of junk on a mission where your life might depend on the quality of your cutting edge? Why would you opt for that government issue, overweight, out of balance, unfinished bar of steel that’s more suited to digging holes in your backyard than backing up your firearm in CQB, CQC, or hand to hand? Most professionals these days seek out a fellow professional to satisfy specific needs and guarantee reliability. They know the importance of someone who has a reputation of trustworthy longevity for these necessities. I've been making knives for 30 years, and been a professional knife maker for 20 years, and have made hundreds and hundreds of knives used and carried daily in combat, rescue, or tactical situations by professionals. If you don't come to me for your knife, that's fine, there are a lot of good professional knifemakers out there that will work with you. But please, go to someone who knows what they're doing, don't buy a factory piece of junk to save a buck!

Professional knives are not cheap. Just as a well made firearm is not cheap, just as your gear, vehicles, and training is not cheap, just as your life should not be. You might get by with a low grade firearm, you might survive with cheap body armor, but why take that chance? What is the cost savings when you're in a pinch and your blade fails? What if the geometry is poor and it won't sharpen or hold a cutting edge in the field? What if it is cheap, weak, and breaks? What if it's hard to get to, is too small to penetrate seven layers of clothing, or too blunt to create a fatal incision? What if the handle is too small to deliver piercing energy? What if the sheath is cheap, and you lose the knife, or the knife injures you? What if the sheath is poorly made, gets in the way, or won't hold up and you leave your knife at your base because it's too much "trouble?" And then you're in the field and you need it...

There are many things that contribute to the cost of a fine primary edged weapon. Fine tool steels are expensive. Many steels used by factories barely classify as tool steels, some do not even rate that designation. I will always tell you exactly what the steel is, its limitations and advantages. The hardness and toughness of custom knives is carefully controlled, in factory knives it is not. Factories farm out their components to countries outside the United States, where quality control is questionable. The grinds and geometry of every factory knife is inadequate, I've not seen one that can approach a hand-ground custom knife. Many of the fittings and handle materials of factory knives are poorly selected and badly mounted. The sheaths, accessories, and mounts are absolutely cheap, weak, and short lived. Clearly, a cheap knife is just that, a cheap knife. Many, if not most knives called "tactical" are just tactical-looking, and useless in the field. Study and learn the difference; your life may depend on it.

I read in a post once that factories excel  over custom makers because they have "quality control inspectors" and "trained metallurgists." Evidently, the guy who wrote this has never had any contact with a real production factory. "Quality control" in factories is a woman sitting at the end of a line, looking for a bent or discolored blade coming out of the end of an automatic tumbling machine, which is used to put the finish on two hundred blades at once. Quality control inspectors look for workers who slow up the production line, cost the company money, are safety hazards that bump up their insurance rates. And they look for ways to produce more money while spending less on the product. No one is sitting at the end of the line with a ten-power magnifier scanning the grinds, looking for hairline cracks and uneven grind lines or a flaw in the finish. No one is adding a stress relieving pre-soak to the heat treating process, or a double temper to assure deep austentizing of the steel matrix. There are however, many bean counters and accountants sitting behind desks, thinking up ways to make more money for less product, inflate and exaggerate advertising claims, and pay the workers less than they deserve, because ultimately, that is how profit is made.

Though a custom knife maker is also working for profit, he has a lower overhead and higher attention to quality. A good custom maker should constantly examine all the facets of the knife individually, comparing how these operations and results interact with each other, improving his skill and execution on every single knife. He is solely responsible for every part of the knife and its quality, function, and essential value, therefore, most custom makers make knives far superior to factory knives. Why do you think the factories use the words like "bench" and "tech" in their names and court fine, well known custom makers to use their name and designs on their factory product?

And trained metallurgists? Please. Knife factories do not smelt their own ore, forge their own blades, and many do not even do their own heat treating. Some don't even make their own blades, and have their blades and components farmed out of Pakistan, India, or China. For those that do make their own blades, no knife factory is going to be bothered with someone analyzing tool steels when the exact methods of steel treatment and manufacture are carefully and clearly prescribed by the steel manufacturer.  These hyped-up concepts of high quality factory work are pervasive in every industry, and they're promoted by industries that want you to think that they are more than they really are. I spent 15 years in industry, you can read about my background here. I know how factories, plants, and production facilities are run. Low budget, low quality, low bid, and lots of hype and advertising. Get the product out the door as fast as possible with as little investment as possible. Cut corners on safety, insurance, retirement, and quality left and right to save a buck. If you think you know how bad industry is, talk to someone who's spend 15 years there, and they'll probably tell you it's a lot worse than you imagined. Hell, they give bonuses for workers who figure out how to cut corners! If the unions let them, that is... And all those extras: advertising departments, management, safety and loss control, insurance, human resources, unions, and even the company goat roast at the lake is paid for by your purchase. You might be surprised to realize how little of the money you pay goes into the factory knife in your hands.

Why are handmade custom knives by well-known makers so expensive? Mainly, supply and demand. The maker may be working in years of backorders, and he has to not only consider how valuable his work is, but what it's worth a year or two (or more) in the future when the client's balance on a commissioned project comes due. For a custom maker of fine handmade knives chooses to make a combat knife, he has to weigh the value of the combat knife against a fine art piece which may offer him a high income than the field knife. It's easy to see. Why would someone want to buy a fine, expensive, well-crafted rifle to hunt with when a cheap one would do? If you don't know the answer to that, you're on the wrong web site.

Remember, factories are in this business to make the most money they can from the cheapest investment in the product. I'm in this business to make the best knife I can for your money. In the factory knife, a factory worker's name will not appear on the blade, only a company moniker or trademark name. My very name goes on every knife, and my reputation goes along with it.

Are there good factory knives? Sure there are. But please, for God's sake, educate yourself, know and understand the differences, quit buying the company inspirational slogan, and think for yourself. Understand what your life's worth. How important is it to be well equipped and knowledgeable?

You can read more about factory knives dirty little secrets and proper knife, blade, handle, and sheath design and construction on my FAQ page and Blades page.

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N.F., USAF Pararescue

Kapetyn: BladeCombat Instructor's, Tactical Combat Knife

Featured:  "Kapteyn"

"Kapteyn" is a new design, an evolution of several of my more popular combat knives. This knife was made for a professional knife combat instructor. The knife has excellent lines, a full and aggressive blade, hollow ground from 440C high chromium martensitic tool steel, hardened and tempered, and bead blasted for a flat finish. The top of the razor sharp blade has a half-length swage, for reduced cross sectional profile of the spine and therefore, excellent penetration. The spine top has light, comfortable filework, and the fully tapered tang reduces the handle weight without sacrificing strength. The bolsters are sculpted and dovetailed 304 high chromium, high nickel austenitic stainless steel with a brushed finish for zero care. The front bolster is full to the blade spine for increased strength, incorporating the handle belly and curvature for a comfortable grip in either traditional or defensive grip style. The rear bolster has a strong hawk's bill for easy and fast removal from the sheath, and a through-tang lanyard hole for security. The handle scales are Lignum Vitae hardwood, the heaviest, densest, hardest hardwood on the planet. This stuff is so tough, it's used for machine and water turbine bushings. It's so naturally heavy and full of resins, it sinks in water. A knife like this needs a serious combat sheath, so this one is made of double thickness kydex over a 5052H32 corrosion resistant aluminum welt frame, with full aluminum belt and gear loops, secured with blued steel Chicago screws. The sheath features an engraved blue lacquered brass removable flashplate. This is a tremendous tactical tool and weapon.

Here are some more thumbnail pictures of the knife:

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Can't I find a good enough knife at a "Boutique" Knife Shop or smaller factory?

I get a lot of questions like this. Why not go to one of the small factories that supposedly specialize in combat knives? After all, I'll save some real money... Time for some straight talk, after all, you are looking for a professional knife.

Yes, you will pay less, perhaps much less than I would charge for a real combat knife. The boutique knife shop or small factory is usually started and run by the guy who originally made the knives, that is, the knife company is simply the guy's name. You can probably list several right off the top of your head. They started out as good makers, and went the way of mass production, but are determined to keep their name on every piece, as if each knife is hand made by this guy sitting behind a bench wearing an Optivisor®. The truth is that these are small factories. They may employ a small family group or up to several dozen employees. Most of the work eventually ends up being automated, and these days that means fabricated on a Computer Numerically Controlled milling machine or worse, farmed out to overseas companies. CNC mills are getting cheaper every day, and they make machining a knife a matter of inserting stock in a holder, pressing the start button of the programmed mill, and watching as the wonder of automated instructions by computer creates a knife from raw stock. You'll see a lot of "integral" knives made this way, as it's actually easier to have the CNC mill carve away the area of the blade, and leave the bolster standing upright, than to independently make a superior bolster and mount it rigidly to the tang. The handles may be turned perfectly round by the lathe function of the machine, and then knurled for traction. I can  think of a no more soulless way to make a knife.

Cheap: Okay, there is a benefit from making this type of knife, and that is expense. These knives are cheap, mostly selling for under $500, some for under $200. If you want a cheap knife that "looks tactical" then they may just be the ticket for you. But here are some of the differences between their knives at a couple hundred, and my knives that will run you over a grand.

Steel: One thing they do tout is their steel types. Some of these shops use good knife steels, and you would expect that. But steels alone are not the major factor contributing to a fine and valuable knife. Here's an important clip from my "Blades" page:

Overall Design: The first thing you notice in the cheaper small shop or boutique shop knife is design. Their designs are straight (because straight, narrow stock is cheap). Their designs are limited by the capabilities of the machining process. Every cut you'll see on the knife and handle can be easily automated by machine, there are no graduated curves, no careful radiusing of the form. They don't look inviting to pick up, they just look machine-made.

Grind Geometry: The blade grinds are inferior and shallow. The grinds are done by jigs and machines, so not too much metal is ground away, as that takes a good deal of skill to pull off, and the jigs do not follow the curvature of the blade profile. By the way, following the curvature of the blade profile is the ONLY way to have a uniform thickness of the grind throughout the length of the blade, and throughout the life of the knife. If you have a thick area, and you sharpen the knife repeatedly (which should happen over the life of a combat knife), you'll have a chisel-thick area that can not achieve a thin cutting edge until it's reground and relieved.

Grind Terminations: The grind terminations are abrupt. This is a very bad thing, because a squared-off grind termination is a weak spot for the blade-handle junction. I detail this on my Knife Anatomy page here. The grind termination (or plunge) should be a sweeping, rounded formed with a good radius, so that stresses are distributed over some length of the blade in front of the ricasso. Squared-off plunges are the sign of inexperienced makers and/or automated machinery.

Handles: The handles are uncomfortable afterthoughts. I sometimes think that handle construction in the boutique shop knife is determined by the capabilities and limitations of the machine cutting the blank, not by the human who might hold the knife in his hand. The handle is not just some place to grab onto like a bar on a turnstile, elevator, or shower door. The handle should be designed as a comfortable link to the human hand, curved, formed, and inviting. A handle should not be a round post covered with knurling cuts to quickly finish the surface and ship the knife out. In my opinion, knurling on a knife handle should be outlawed, because it is absolutely the cheapest way to finish a piece of metal. You can have grip marks in the handle where a chuck for the CNC mill is holding the knife cut deeply into the handle form, and then just knurl them away with a couple revolutions of the lathe. Even the Chinese are moving away from knurling on their crudely made machine tools, and opting for smooth finishing and bluing or even chrome plating. All of these finishes are superior to knurling, and I don't know why someone would purposefully expose their hands to abrasive, rough metal more suited to scraping the scales off a fish than to securely and comfortably control a knife in combat, police, or SAR functions. By the way, NOTHING holds dirt, debris, and contaminants more than a knurled finish. It's just a dirty knife handle.

Finish: The blades are never, ever finished. This is a very expensive and time consuming facet of this trade, and any way a small factory or boutique knife shop can hasten the finish, they will try. They will do their best to describe these cheap finishes as "utilitarian" (flat), "stone washed" (tumbled with stainless burnishing media in a mass finishing tumbler), and even "polished finished" (which, as near as I can tell is just sanded with a moderate grit abrasive). You'll see painted finishes: which are called baked, powdered, coated (a horrible way to finish a knife, read here on the FAQ page). You'll see Parkerized and plated, all meant to quickly mass-finish the blade and send it out the door. What you won't see is any finish that allows you to see every square millimeter of steel, in uniform and clear finish, so any imperfection of the steel or construction can be seen. And you won't see mirror polished blades coming out of these places, ever. See my Blades page at this bookmark for details.

Mechanics, Bonding: The mechanical attachment devices of woods, phenolics, micarta, and plastics, when used, are too few. Usually a couple screws or a few rivets are all that holds the handles to the tang. There is no bedding, no adhesion, and often no sealing of the handle scale and tang junction. They are secured with a minimum of mechanics, in other words, cheap, weak, and fast.

Sheaths: The sheaths and their appearance alone should stop anyone interested in a professional knife cold. They are the most horrible types of sheath ever thought of. What was going through these guys heads; have they ever even worn one of their knives in the sheath they supply? Riveted single layer kydex is simply not strong enough to prevent flexing. Rivets are thin walled, and will corrode or rust away. There are often no welts to support the spine of the sheath, and only a thin area on the outside of the rivet exists, and that is right where the sheath will break. They also use ballistic nylon type or canvas type sheaths and outer coverings with all kinds of loops, folds, eyes, straps, and cord hanging off, ready to snag and tear and rip and make a soldier stumble when he least expects it. What, do they intend on you hanging your keys off your knife sheath? Perhaps a compass, a mag light, and a pair of pliers... All this stuff mounted to a sheath is just fluff. And parachute cord? Read this section on this page. Even worse are their leather sheaths. Often farmed out to outside companies (that alone should tell you how much they care), they are poorly constructed in fold-over form out of untooled, unfinished 5 oz. thick leather (half as thick as it should be) with small or no welts. This is because machines can not stitch through three quarters of an inch or more of leather, so in order to have the machines do their work, the leather and sheath has to be thin. No tedious hand-stitching for them! What happens when you fall down wearing a sharp knife in a thin sheath? Ouch. Read more details about fine knife sheath construction on my "Sheaths" page.

Variety, Customization: Variety is not something you find when a boutique shop or small factory throws out the images of models on their website. Less than twenty is the standard fare. By the way, do you wonder why their images are only two to three inches across? Is there some details they don't want you to see? Some of these may be spruced up with "custom" engraving by a CNC machine, and maybe some differential heat anodizing of titanium thrown in for variety. But their designs are crude, obviously machine-generated, and hardly custom. Custom means "made to order," not made in a small selection of variety, and chosen from that small group. Comparatively, look at my over 350 patterns here. I make them all, and any new one that you might need that comes along. That's real custom knife making.

Value: Is your combat or professional knife something you want to hand down after your service? Will the recipient of your sacrifice be proud because the knife is actually MORE valuable then when you purchased it? ....What? You mean the knife from the small factory or boutique shop is depreciating because so many are made so cheaply? Could they also lose value because foreign companies copy them, crank them out even cheaper, and devalue them? Could it be that they're just not that well made, and are common, so therefore not of any long term value? This point is simple. A good custom knife by a well-known maker appreciates in value over the years, a factory or small firm's knife does not. They depreciate and lose value. Which would you rather hand down?

There are the tough basics. For a detailed discussion, please click here to see what the differences are in a FINE custom knife that sets the knife apart, namely: fit, finish, balance, design, accessories, and service.

That sums up some major points. I'll continue this in greater detail in my upcoming book. If you have read this section, and you still think that there are valid comparisons of a small firm, factory, or maker's name boutique shop knife to a fine handmade custom knifemaker's knife, that's okay. They have many of them available for sale and are counting on your purchase. Please remember this: there is a reason well-known makers work in huge backorders and are paid well for their work. They are committed to making the very best.

But you already know that don't you?

Various Skeletonized Knives for the 101st Airborne, OIF, Air Assault

Featured:

Knives made for the US Army, 101st Airborne, carried in Operation Iraqi Freedom year one. These are skeletonized knives, that is: just the essential blades and cutting edges with swages, and full milled tangs for great strength and light weight. The design allows a very flat profile, for comfortable carry. Since the blades are not bolstered, the knives are left at full thickness along the handle and are very thick and strong at the critical points (like the ricasso), and unyielding. The black blades are O-1 oil hardening high tungsten-vanadium tool steel, bead blasted and hot blued for a flat, tactical finish. The gray blade is ATS-34 high chrome-molybdenum martensitic tool steel, bead blasted for a non-reflective finish. The sheaths are doubled-layered .060" kydex over a .250" 5052H32 corrosion resistant aluminum welt frame, with nickel plated steel belt clips or aluminum belt loops, secured with nickel plated and hot blued steel Chicago screws. These are serious combat knives and have seen serious action.

To order one of these beauties, contact me here.

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What about mirror finished vs. flat finished combat knives?

Though you may see a lot of bead blasted and satin finished blades here, you'll also see plenty of mirror finished ones. In dealing with the military, police, and combat, rescue, and protection specialists, there are generally two schools of thought.

One group says: no "bling-bling," no bright mirror finish to reflect the blade and telegraph its position. The are concerned that a glistening blade will reflect and indicate a position for a sniper. The mirror finished blade might be a tell-tale, eliminating the stealth of a flat or dark object. They're also concerned that a fine mirror finished blade will make them a mark for theft of the knife. They also relate that they don't want to be gaudy, ostentatious, or appear too proud and showy. They like the appearance of flat, unremarkable steel, and are not afraid to scratch, scar, and deface the blade. They also do not want the added expense of finishing a blade to a high polish.

The other camp is just as resolute. They feel that they want their enemies to see the blade, that a large, glistening piece of steel will assure that they are well armed with a professional blade, and are tough and well trained enough to know how to use it. The appearance alone is one that might make the enemy change their mind about a CQB, or CQC hand-to-hand attack. A bright, shiny blade of fine high chromium steel with a razor edge is the visual threat that may not only forestall a direct attack, but will be so imposing that their perceptions are challenged and they become unnerved at the prospect, giving a distinct mental advantage to the one who wields the blade. The bright blade also appears physically larger. The enemy might also be so concerned with the position and movement of the blade that their concentration is diverted from other moves and threats. I find similarities in the history of edged weapon battles, and some armies of earlier times started their frontal attack with unbelievably large, polished steel blades (like six foot long, two-handed swords), wielded by huge, mighty men just to crack the resolve of the enemy. The modern warrior might want the enemy to know he is well-equipped and proud, and that if he has to pull out his combat knife, things have already gone to hell and he doesn't care what the enemy thinks.

Further clarification:

A flat finish is usually achieved on my knives by bead blasting or sand blasting and is a more economical way to finish the steel. This is a process where a high pressure air stream carrying the blasting media (in most cases a mix of sand, glass beads and sometimes silicone carbide particles) is played over the knife blade, bolsters, and handle, and the surface is abraded away. This roughs up the surface texture, and gives a flat, but uniform finish. If the handles are to be bead blasted, they are usually made of Micarta (phenolic) or G10 (carbon fiber/epoxy) or other plastics like nylon, delrin, or polyester. I do not bead blast any gemstone, horn, bone, ivory, or wood handles. The surface of the metals on the knife are roughed up, and subsequently, may offer "tooth" that will hold debris and sometimes contaminating fluids or particles. That same "tooth" also holds a heavy wax well, and I encourage use of a good quality silicone automotive wax to help protect the knife from corrosion. Though this helps, it must be understood that the bead blasted knife is more susceptible to corrosion than any other surface treatment. Even the blade made of high chromium stainless steel can corrode and rust, and more so with a bead blasted finish. I have had very good luck though, with my military clients specifically, as they are attentive to the care of their equipment. The bead blasted finish does not work well with etching, so I do not etch images and graphics on bead blasted blades, only on mirror finished blades where a crisp clean line can be seen. I do, however, machine engrave bead blasted blades using a diamond or rotary stylus. Some knives have bead blasted blades only, and the bolsters and handle material are left with a bright or sanded finish.

The more expensive mirror finish is achieved by successive sanding of the hardened and tempered blade with finer and finer grits, all the way up to 2000 grit (5 micron) abrasive, on both the hollow grinds and the flat grinds, followed by polishing compound on a high speed buffing wheel, which polishes the surface of the steel to a super smooth, monolithic, uniform surface. Some people refer to this finish as "chrome," but it is not. A chrome finish refers to a chromium electroplated finish, the same finish as old automobile bumpers, and is never used on fine custom knives. Any knife that is chrome plated is a piece of cheap imported junk. It's easy to see why someone initially  might think the two were similar, as the high chromium content in a martensitic stainless steel blade can produce a bright, highly reflective and clean surface similar to electroplating. Only the tedious, specific process of careful finishing by skilled hands can produce a fine mirror finished blade. Blades finished this way are strikingly beautiful, of much higher investment value, much more resistant to corrosion than any other finish, and display an etched image or graphic to fine, high resolution.

Here's a simple chart to compare the two:

In either case, it's a matter of preference, and I am a true custom knife maker, and I can make the knife you want, either way.

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Please click on thumbnail photos for enlargements

Grim Reaper, US Army, OIF Combat

The Grim Reaper

This true combat push or punch dagger was made for a US Army client who carried it in combat. His testimonial is below. It's a very aggressive dagger, made to punch through layers of clothing or light armor. The five inch blade has a serious double hollow grind with a small 3" radius hollow and a full .375" thick spine. This allows a full, thick, heavy ricasso area where the fingers can wrap around the handle while the palm can deliver plenty of force. The end bolsters are bead blasted and cold blued nickel silver, and the handle is black micarta tough phenolic. The sheath is a double thick kydex body built over 5052H32 corrosion resistant aluminum frame, secured with blued steel Chicago screws. There is a screw mounted snap-release leather retaining strap for secure carry, that releases with thumb pressure. The belt clip is nickel plated steel, for a variety of carry options. Here's what the client had to say about the knife:

Testimonial

Jay,

That Grim Reaper knife made it through two year long rotations to Iraq.   It is well made and the heat, sandstorms, and all that chaos that Iraq could throw at it did not phase it one bit. Thank you.

Very Respectfully, R. M.

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Creature Combat Tactical Knife

Featured: The Combat Knife Sheath

The Combat Knife Sheath

Every now and then, I get a letter that moves me. It is one of the reasons I'm so hard on factories and other knife makers about their work. It disturbs me greatly to know that our men and women are not carrying the best knives into battle that this country is capable of producing. Here's one of those letters and my response.

Sir,
I'm currently deployed to Iraq and found that a back up is a must have. I work in closely with the local population and my weapon at time's cannot be used due to distance or situation. I have a fainbrain-Applegate full size fighting knife now. I read your web page and you seem to know what's going on with knifes and sheaths. The problem I have is: I don’t have the proper sheath. I need a combat locking sheath like in your pictures, so I can access my knife in a split second. The best and most concealed place while in IBA is  the small of my back. Mounting the knife horizontal on my belt seems the best. If you have any ideas on what to do or a different path to take please let me know.

-TSgt H.L.
 Ali AB, Iraq

My Response:

Hello, TSgt L. Thanks for writing. And thank you for your service to our country. 

Your letter hit me hard. It is truly sad that manufacturers and makers of knives do not carefully consider the sheath when making and selling their knives, and do not consider the lives that may be at stake because they do not supply an adequate or useful sheath. All I can do is not make that mistake on my own knives.  

I’m sorry that I can not make a sheath for your knife. My locking and combat grade sheaths are constructed with the knife, in concert, so that components like thumb rises, ricasso ramps, edge clearances, and mounting variations must happen in the construction of the knife, so that a workable locking sheath can be designed around the knife, with the knife. Each individual sheath can only fit a specific knife. Unfortunately, I cannot build a sheath around a factory knife or other maker’s knife, as they don’t build the knife with the components and geometry that will allow a locking sheath to work. Beyond that, I get so many requests to correct inadequate sheath work that I would be out of the knife making business, and into the sheath making business only. Even if I did take on that type of work, it would require the knife in my hands while you would be left in the field unarmed.

I do make an extremely good combat knife, and can make it to your specifications, to fit a specifically designed locking combat sheath of my own construction. I know my work is not cheap, but I’ve got one of the best track records of useful and durable combat and tactical knives and sheaths in the business.

I know this does not help you at the moment. In the chance that they might be of help, I would contact the company or maker who made the knife and ask them to outfit their knife with a proper sheath. Please be brutally honest in their shortcomings of the sheath they supply for their knife, because it is your life and other lives at stake.

Barring that, you may have to do what I’ve heard of other soldiers doing in the field: using found parts, moleskin, leather bindings, bent metal, screws and other parts to make their sheaths work. I’m terribly sorry I could be of no further help.

Jay

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Have you thought seriously about your tactical sheath? How important is it? I saw a recent advertisement in a big knife dealer's catalog with a picture of a tactical "fighting" knife that was evidently well made, because it cost over $2000.00 (!)  It had a micarta handle and the blade wasn't even finished. Accompanying the fine German knife was a sheath that Tandy leather sells as a hobby sheath project for high schoolers. This was the typical 5 oz. plain unfinished leather, machine stitched with cotton, a thin, tiny leather strap made to secure the handle, a universal bad sheath that you can find at an