View our photo gallery of fixed-blade knives that appeared in the June issue of POLICE Magazine. We covered 10 of these knives in a feature article; this gallery presents all the photos and information about these knives, as well as a bonus knife that didn't appear in print. The full article is "Fixed-Blade Knives for Duty."
Fixed-Blade Knives
Cold Steel's Leatherneck SF is as tough as its namesake Marine and was built to meet the needs of the USMC. Its SK-5 high carbon blade is full tang and its handle is made of textured Kraton for a secure grip in most any conditions. The Leatherneck's butt cap is machined steel and can handle some abuse, if used as a hammer. The knife offers you a wrap snap and friction/clip lock. The sheath allows you to choose how you attach the knife to your gear via a belt, MOLLE, etc.
The SOG Jungle Canopy is a 10-inch-bladed mini-machete. You would be right. This is a razor-sharp, reduced-size machete. It's made from chrome moly vanadium steel and highly corrosion resistant. This steel will also hold a sharp edge when used against soft items such as wood and bushes.
Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) sought input from Terry Renner to develop the Neckolas. This knife arrives with a fully serrated round blunt tipped blade. The sheath has a clip that allows you to attach it as a left- or right-handed knife. But this knife's most distinctive feature is its thumb lock. As you draw the knife your thumb pushes down, releasing the knife to keep the knife secure. The Neckolas' blade is made from 8Cr13MoV, which is highly corrosion resistant and holds an edge. The handle is made from bright orange checkered G10.
Spyderco's Warrior was designed for use with reverse-grip tactics inspired by the Korean martial art of HwaRangDo. It can now be had in a bright or blackened finish. The H1 steel this knife is made from is one of the most corrosion resistant steels on the market. The Warrior's full tang, curved blade is serrated on the flat of the blade. This gives you a knife that can be used to cut in a fore or reverse cut. The serrations make short work of most any soft item; rope, harness, seat belt, etc. At the opposite end of the Warrior is a window breaker. The Warrior's versatility makes it ideal for special duty service and it will serve those on waterborne units, SAR teams, or any team that needs a tough, compact knife.
The Gerber LMF II is MIRS Compliant and can attach to your vest or belt via the loop or MOLLE straps. A rubber overmolded grip covers the full tang blade so you will not get a jolt should you cut a live power cord. The end of the tang protrudes from the grip to form a glass breaker. The 420HC stainless blade is partially serrated. With its 4.75-inch blade, this knife should not raise eyebrows when you attach it to your gear.
The Benchmade Nim Cub II fits most agency policies with its 3.5-inch blade and tang that are one piece. For a solid grip, Benchmade uses Noryl GTX, which is also tough and capable of surviving most chemicals you could come in contact with on duty. The knife arrives with a range of blade options, starting with tanto or drop point, and a plain edge or a partially serrated edge.
The Nightedge is a new tactical product from BlackHawk. This full-tang knife was designed by Allen Elishewitz and can cut with a back stroke or a draw back stroke thanks to the serrated back edge. The special grinding of the blade yields a modified drop point, which is strong and durable. The blade guard and textured grip will keep you from sliding onto the cutting edges.
The Glock Survival Knife is offered with a saw blade on the rear of the blade. The saw will make short work of tree branches. The blade is high carbon steel and is coated to help it resist corrosion and reduce glare. It clips into the polymer belt sheath.
Because 5.11 Tactical's Side Kick RT's blade is both a flat point and partially serrated short single side edge, you can work close to flesh should you need more knife than the shroud/harness/clothing cutter. This one-piece rescue tool is a hair shorter than six inches with a two-inch blade. The taper of the front flat blade fits easily into a vehicle or house window or door frame.
The Kershaw Responder arrives with 8CR13MOV stainless steel with a Teflon coating. The blade is 3 3/4 inches long, and the knife weighs 4.8 ounces. It's available in HiViz Yellow or Black.
The Ka-Bar/Becker TacTool is a harness cutter, machete, hammer, window breaker, and pry bar. There really is no "sharp point" on this knife that could be a weak point. The distinctive design of this blade is what makes it a TacTool and not a tac-knife.