My Background:
I have been a police officer for several years. I've been a beat officer, bike patrol officer, and was previously an EMT/Firefighter. I am an Eagle Scout and I've always carried a knife
Opinion:
I feel as though a knife is an essential piece of equipment for any first-responder, I prefer a partially serrated blade for seat-belt cutting. The knife MUST be able to be deployed with one hand quickly and must be 100% reliable. I've bought a few knives from different manufacturers based on other's opinions.
The reason I don't spend over a lot on a knife is simply because I feel like it's going to be a catastrophic event when I lose it because i'm crawling through some ungodly bed-bug infested house to chase after a burglary suspect. I'm a cop. I'm not a doctor, lawyer, investment-banker, or professional mall-ninja that has a large amount of funds. I have a mortgage, car payment, and realistic expectations.
*Disclaimer* I am not a knife expert. All opinions are based on my experience alone. I am also not a photographer, the pictures are for reference.
Reviews:
Benchmade Mini-Griptillian Tanto - Satin Finish - Non-Serrated
I recently purchased this benchmade mini-griptillian for about $50.00. It has a nice tanto blade and it is not serrated. For my purposes, I wish it was partially serrated. I like the axis lock, although I don't feel as though the knife suits my purposes in police duty. I don't like the deployment method. The thumb stud is not effective for quick draw. The axis lock thumb button can be held down and the knife can be flicked out, however I find the blade only locks about 50% of the time... it likes to come back towards the handle. I really like the action of the knife when I engage the blade. I am thinking about looking into one of the automatic axis lock models of the benchmade, however, I think it would be overly-expensive and if I lost it I would be pretty upset. The gripping on the knife is adequate and I feel I could hold onto the knife in a slippery situation adequately. Overall as it relates to police duty I give it a 6/10. It will get the job done. The big plus is that if it falls out of my pocket I won't have to take out a second mortgage to replace it.
Schrade Extreme Survival Automatic - Satin Finish - Partially Serrated
I purchased this knife at the beginning of my police career. I was at Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville, TN and happened across the "Law Enforcement/Military Only" section of the display case and I just had to buy something with my newly acquired credentials. I looked through the case and didn't have any idea what I was looking at. I couldn't tell a benchmade from a cold steel. I asked the worker his opinion of a good knife for police work. He recommended the Schrade Extreme Survival Auto. For as long as I've had this knife, I'm pretty happy with the purchase. I believe it cost about $50.00. The knife has wierd wavy serrations on the blade which I'm told is supposed to cut seatbelts better (it does cut seat belts effectively from several experiences). The knife is an automatic, and has a window punch attachment on the butt of the handle. I thought the steel was pretty cheap at first, due to it reminding me of different crappy smith and wesson knives i've had. I've had no problems with the knife other than the knife developing slight blade play after many years of use. The auto button is large and easily used with gloves on. The automatic opening is strong and locks firmly into place. It comes with a safety you can engage if you're afraid of the knife going off in your pocket, but I've never had an issue with having the safety disengaged. The handle has a very sandpaper-like grip section on the knife which really helps you hold onto the knife. The pocket clip is designed for point up carry only, which I like. The knife served me well for many years, and it would be good for someone looking for an automatic knife with a first-responder in mind. Once again, if I lost the knife, no huge loss. I rate it an 8/10 for police duty..
United Cutlery "Colt" Police Task Force - Satin Finish - Partially Serrated
I got this knife as a gift from my girlfriend after I lost the first one of these I got. The first knife had normal serrations on it and I liked it a lot better. After a few days of looking I found this knife. It has "laser" serrations and has a tanto blade. The knife has a neat looking badge logo and "Police Task Force" on the knife... obviously good for policework? The knife cost about $40.00 when purchased and I am not a big fan of it. It's an inexpensive solution for someone wanting a knife that says "police" on it, however it's not broken in very well. I carried the first knife for a while until the weak pocket clip finally gave in and I lost it in a pool car. Someone found it and kept it. I liked the first one a lot, this one seems cheaper and less effective. The knife has a sort of "flipper" in order to deploy the knife fast, and it turned me on to the "flipper" on knives because of the ease of openings but overall it seems like this knife is just playing up on the "police" and "colt" moniker. The framelock on this knife seems pretty weak, but there is no noticeable blade play. Overall i'd rate this a 4/10 for police use. If you get this knife, and use it regularly, it's probably going to fall out of your pocket at some point.
Marlin Tactical Response Knife - Black Finish - Partially Serrated
You may have never heard of this knife brand, I sure didn't prior to buying it. They have a website if you google it. Our equipment supplier got these in and had our department's patch put on it and it looks pretty slick. It has a partially-serrated tanto blade along with a built in seat-belt cutter and window punch. I've seen this design on a lot of "cheap-o" knives with various things printed on the handle such as "security", "fire department", "police department",etc. I had it engraved with my badge number and name on it so my co-workers won't steal it. The knife is pretty solid, I carried it for a while and didn't have any problems quickly deploying it with the built in "flipper". It deployed quickly, and adequately met my needs for my job. The seatbelt cutter works well, although I'm just as likely to cut the seatbelt with my blade. The window-punch is simple and unorthodox but works effectively. The pocket clip isn't moveable and is made for tip down carry which I don't like. The model I got has no grip texturing on the blade so it does have a propensity to be somewhat slippery in my hands. The liner-lock on the knife is kind of thin but never gave me any problems or made me think the knife would fail me. The knife came in a plain white box marked "made in china" so I'm sure its not the best materials/craftsmanship but I was very happy with the knife. I'd recommend this to someone wanting a knife with some good features for first-responders. I paid about $45.00 for the knife and I like it because of the whole pride in my department with the patch on it. Overall I'd give the knife an 8/10.
Spyderco Stainless Steel Delica - Stainless Finish - Partially Serrated
I was working as a security guard at a local entertainment venue and I came across one of my co-workers who was a "sergeant" and I noticed a silver pocket clip in his pocket. I asked him what the knife was and he ignorantly told me it was a "Spyderco VG10". I didn't know any better and took a look at the knife and decided I liked it. Why did I like it? The pocket clip. This pocket clip was the strongest I'd ever handled. The knife was stainless steel and looked sharp. My father carried one of the first spydercos for many years (which one day I ignorantly tried to sharpen it and destroyed it) and I decided to buy it. I did some research and found out it was the Spyderco Delica. The knife is the perfect size and the thumbhole is easy to use. The blade is excellent and stays sharp for a long time. The knife developed blade-play after many years of carrying the knife through college and EMS duties. It still finds a way into my pocket even after getting knives i prefer more. The knife in stainless steel looks great in dress-clothes/class a's/etc, but isn't very good for working with when you've got slippery surfaces. The plastic/g10/whatever model would probably suit my needs much better but this knife still was excellent. The knife has good ergonomics and the lockup is great. The knife did develop blade play which is disappointing, but I guess since i've had it forever I can expect it on some knives. I like the shape of the blade and the serrations in the knife and it's cut many things that needed to be cut fast and dissected a few drug dealer's wares. The big bonus about this knife is that it cost about $50.00 at the time and I am pretty sure it's gonna stay in my pocket until I need it, this is my only knife that the clip can be moved in four different locations. I have it set up for tip-up carry. Honestly, I think the waved version would be the best version and plan on buying one soon and it might replace my current duty knife in the future. It's not he fastest opening knife, but it's easy to use with gloves on. If this knife had the wave function it'd be a 9.5. I rate the knife an 8/10 for police use.
Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto (2010) Partially Serrated
I read a ton of articles on this website. I watched the videos, I was impressed as hell. I first heard of this knife on that show "Deadliest Warrior." and only recently opted to buy the knife for work use. Christ, this knife is huge. I love the size of it. I wanted the version with the "Ultra-Lock" and thought I ordered that one... however I was disappointed. I almost returned the knife until the more I held it the more I liked it. The ergonomics of the G10 handle are among the best I've ever held. The knife is beefy, NO blade play, and a top-notch lockup. I accidently cut myself about six times with this knife... sharpest I've EVER handled. This knife was the best knife i'd ever held to date... then I looked at the stupid thumb stud. I understand the knife has a "Demko Triad Lock." The lock snaps firmly into place and locks the blade in. I love the serrations and the size of the knife, it's definitely a great tool. I can't for the life of me understand why the hell they would put a crappy thumb stud on this knife. There is NO fast way to deploy this knife. It's a big disappointment. I would have preferred the thumb disk, the AK-47 knife they have's thumb thing you can use as a wave, a flipper, or hell even a thumb hole would suffice. Cold Steel has a great knife here, but not very tactical-friendly opening function. I carried it on duty for a while, but the thumb stud pisses me off. The clip on the knife and g10 handle are phenomenal. It's designed for right hand/left hand tip-up carry. This knife could be so much better and practically rule the tactical knife arena, but Cold Steel obviously hasn't taken into consideration operator input. The previous version of the knife seems like it's more put-together and operator friendly. This knife is still a great knife but a big disappointment in fast deployment. I don't carry this knife because if I need to cut something in a hurry in a life/death situation I can't open it as fast as any other knife listed. It cost me about $60.00 If the knife had a better opening it'd get a 9.5/10, but since it doesn't I rate it a 7/10 for police duty use. Don't get me wrong, I love this knife and will still use it, just not for EDC or duty use.
Emerson CQC-7BW - Black Finish - Partially Serrated
I saved this knife for last. I've read on the forums there's some controversy over the Emerson brand for whatever reason, I don't care about that crap. I went to my local knife store, asked to see some Emersons because I've heard they were top-notch. I handled the CQC-7BW and after carrying the cold steel recon thought it was kinda small and wasn't entirely impressed with the size. The blade is beefy, but it has a wierd "chisel" grind on the knife. I don't know what pros/cons that has but I know it's sharp and cuts anything I want it to. There is a removeable thumb disk instead of a hole or stud which after some practice is really easy to use and user-friendly. The handle is made of really good G-10 with titanium liners and is very easy to hold onto in slippery situations. The knife has a liner lock that has been reviewed in detail in other posts, and I dont know about thickness and crap, however I dont feel like this knife is gonna fail on me anytime soon. The handle seems bigger then the blade and it's got a real beefy feel to it. The thing I love about this knife is the wave feature. I read into some of the background of Emerson and his knives and I feel like the wave on this knife is perfect for police applications. I've deployed the knife instantly in emergency situations and did what had to be done. It's performed flawlessly and I've got no complaints about the knife. I would be interested in getting a left hand version of this knife only for left pocket carry but I'm not entirely sold on the tactics. I carry my knives in a "sap" pocket which is located on my right uniform pants leg underneath my firearm. I have compared this knife to co-workers who have blackhawk knives, gerber, sog, benchmade, smith and wesson, spyderco, and a few others and I've convinced a few of them to get this knife. This knife is designed for military/police duty. This knife cost me $130.00 Overall this knife gets a 10/10 from me for police use. Best part about the knife is its 100% american made.
I've looked at buying automatics as opposed to the Emerson but I decided the Emerson is faster then any automatic on the market, which has proven to be true for me.
If anyone has any recommendations for a better knife to use, or simlar knives let me know i'm open to different knives. If you want a more detailed opinion or question about about a knife or more pictures let me know. I'm all about sharing our opinions on knives and personal experiences. I don't want to have a piece of crap in my pocket when my ass is on the line.
I have been a police officer for several years. I've been a beat officer, bike patrol officer, and was previously an EMT/Firefighter. I am an Eagle Scout and I've always carried a knife
Opinion:
I feel as though a knife is an essential piece of equipment for any first-responder, I prefer a partially serrated blade for seat-belt cutting. The knife MUST be able to be deployed with one hand quickly and must be 100% reliable. I've bought a few knives from different manufacturers based on other's opinions.
The reason I don't spend over a lot on a knife is simply because I feel like it's going to be a catastrophic event when I lose it because i'm crawling through some ungodly bed-bug infested house to chase after a burglary suspect. I'm a cop. I'm not a doctor, lawyer, investment-banker, or professional mall-ninja that has a large amount of funds. I have a mortgage, car payment, and realistic expectations.
*Disclaimer* I am not a knife expert. All opinions are based on my experience alone. I am also not a photographer, the pictures are for reference.
Reviews:
Benchmade Mini-Griptillian Tanto - Satin Finish - Non-Serrated
I recently purchased this benchmade mini-griptillian for about $50.00. It has a nice tanto blade and it is not serrated. For my purposes, I wish it was partially serrated. I like the axis lock, although I don't feel as though the knife suits my purposes in police duty. I don't like the deployment method. The thumb stud is not effective for quick draw. The axis lock thumb button can be held down and the knife can be flicked out, however I find the blade only locks about 50% of the time... it likes to come back towards the handle. I really like the action of the knife when I engage the blade. I am thinking about looking into one of the automatic axis lock models of the benchmade, however, I think it would be overly-expensive and if I lost it I would be pretty upset. The gripping on the knife is adequate and I feel I could hold onto the knife in a slippery situation adequately. Overall as it relates to police duty I give it a 6/10. It will get the job done. The big plus is that if it falls out of my pocket I won't have to take out a second mortgage to replace it.
Schrade Extreme Survival Automatic - Satin Finish - Partially Serrated
I purchased this knife at the beginning of my police career. I was at Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville, TN and happened across the "Law Enforcement/Military Only" section of the display case and I just had to buy something with my newly acquired credentials. I looked through the case and didn't have any idea what I was looking at. I couldn't tell a benchmade from a cold steel. I asked the worker his opinion of a good knife for police work. He recommended the Schrade Extreme Survival Auto. For as long as I've had this knife, I'm pretty happy with the purchase. I believe it cost about $50.00. The knife has wierd wavy serrations on the blade which I'm told is supposed to cut seatbelts better (it does cut seat belts effectively from several experiences). The knife is an automatic, and has a window punch attachment on the butt of the handle. I thought the steel was pretty cheap at first, due to it reminding me of different crappy smith and wesson knives i've had. I've had no problems with the knife other than the knife developing slight blade play after many years of use. The auto button is large and easily used with gloves on. The automatic opening is strong and locks firmly into place. It comes with a safety you can engage if you're afraid of the knife going off in your pocket, but I've never had an issue with having the safety disengaged. The handle has a very sandpaper-like grip section on the knife which really helps you hold onto the knife. The pocket clip is designed for point up carry only, which I like. The knife served me well for many years, and it would be good for someone looking for an automatic knife with a first-responder in mind. Once again, if I lost the knife, no huge loss. I rate it an 8/10 for police duty..
United Cutlery "Colt" Police Task Force - Satin Finish - Partially Serrated
I got this knife as a gift from my girlfriend after I lost the first one of these I got. The first knife had normal serrations on it and I liked it a lot better. After a few days of looking I found this knife. It has "laser" serrations and has a tanto blade. The knife has a neat looking badge logo and "Police Task Force" on the knife... obviously good for policework? The knife cost about $40.00 when purchased and I am not a big fan of it. It's an inexpensive solution for someone wanting a knife that says "police" on it, however it's not broken in very well. I carried the first knife for a while until the weak pocket clip finally gave in and I lost it in a pool car. Someone found it and kept it. I liked the first one a lot, this one seems cheaper and less effective. The knife has a sort of "flipper" in order to deploy the knife fast, and it turned me on to the "flipper" on knives because of the ease of openings but overall it seems like this knife is just playing up on the "police" and "colt" moniker. The framelock on this knife seems pretty weak, but there is no noticeable blade play. Overall i'd rate this a 4/10 for police use. If you get this knife, and use it regularly, it's probably going to fall out of your pocket at some point.
Marlin Tactical Response Knife - Black Finish - Partially Serrated
You may have never heard of this knife brand, I sure didn't prior to buying it. They have a website if you google it. Our equipment supplier got these in and had our department's patch put on it and it looks pretty slick. It has a partially-serrated tanto blade along with a built in seat-belt cutter and window punch. I've seen this design on a lot of "cheap-o" knives with various things printed on the handle such as "security", "fire department", "police department",etc. I had it engraved with my badge number and name on it so my co-workers won't steal it. The knife is pretty solid, I carried it for a while and didn't have any problems quickly deploying it with the built in "flipper". It deployed quickly, and adequately met my needs for my job. The seatbelt cutter works well, although I'm just as likely to cut the seatbelt with my blade. The window-punch is simple and unorthodox but works effectively. The pocket clip isn't moveable and is made for tip down carry which I don't like. The model I got has no grip texturing on the blade so it does have a propensity to be somewhat slippery in my hands. The liner-lock on the knife is kind of thin but never gave me any problems or made me think the knife would fail me. The knife came in a plain white box marked "made in china" so I'm sure its not the best materials/craftsmanship but I was very happy with the knife. I'd recommend this to someone wanting a knife with some good features for first-responders. I paid about $45.00 for the knife and I like it because of the whole pride in my department with the patch on it. Overall I'd give the knife an 8/10.
Spyderco Stainless Steel Delica - Stainless Finish - Partially Serrated
I was working as a security guard at a local entertainment venue and I came across one of my co-workers who was a "sergeant" and I noticed a silver pocket clip in his pocket. I asked him what the knife was and he ignorantly told me it was a "Spyderco VG10". I didn't know any better and took a look at the knife and decided I liked it. Why did I like it? The pocket clip. This pocket clip was the strongest I'd ever handled. The knife was stainless steel and looked sharp. My father carried one of the first spydercos for many years (which one day I ignorantly tried to sharpen it and destroyed it) and I decided to buy it. I did some research and found out it was the Spyderco Delica. The knife is the perfect size and the thumbhole is easy to use. The blade is excellent and stays sharp for a long time. The knife developed blade-play after many years of carrying the knife through college and EMS duties. It still finds a way into my pocket even after getting knives i prefer more. The knife in stainless steel looks great in dress-clothes/class a's/etc, but isn't very good for working with when you've got slippery surfaces. The plastic/g10/whatever model would probably suit my needs much better but this knife still was excellent. The knife has good ergonomics and the lockup is great. The knife did develop blade play which is disappointing, but I guess since i've had it forever I can expect it on some knives. I like the shape of the blade and the serrations in the knife and it's cut many things that needed to be cut fast and dissected a few drug dealer's wares. The big bonus about this knife is that it cost about $50.00 at the time and I am pretty sure it's gonna stay in my pocket until I need it, this is my only knife that the clip can be moved in four different locations. I have it set up for tip-up carry. Honestly, I think the waved version would be the best version and plan on buying one soon and it might replace my current duty knife in the future. It's not he fastest opening knife, but it's easy to use with gloves on. If this knife had the wave function it'd be a 9.5. I rate the knife an 8/10 for police use.
Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto (2010) Partially Serrated
I read a ton of articles on this website. I watched the videos, I was impressed as hell. I first heard of this knife on that show "Deadliest Warrior." and only recently opted to buy the knife for work use. Christ, this knife is huge. I love the size of it. I wanted the version with the "Ultra-Lock" and thought I ordered that one... however I was disappointed. I almost returned the knife until the more I held it the more I liked it. The ergonomics of the G10 handle are among the best I've ever held. The knife is beefy, NO blade play, and a top-notch lockup. I accidently cut myself about six times with this knife... sharpest I've EVER handled. This knife was the best knife i'd ever held to date... then I looked at the stupid thumb stud. I understand the knife has a "Demko Triad Lock." The lock snaps firmly into place and locks the blade in. I love the serrations and the size of the knife, it's definitely a great tool. I can't for the life of me understand why the hell they would put a crappy thumb stud on this knife. There is NO fast way to deploy this knife. It's a big disappointment. I would have preferred the thumb disk, the AK-47 knife they have's thumb thing you can use as a wave, a flipper, or hell even a thumb hole would suffice. Cold Steel has a great knife here, but not very tactical-friendly opening function. I carried it on duty for a while, but the thumb stud pisses me off. The clip on the knife and g10 handle are phenomenal. It's designed for right hand/left hand tip-up carry. This knife could be so much better and practically rule the tactical knife arena, but Cold Steel obviously hasn't taken into consideration operator input. The previous version of the knife seems like it's more put-together and operator friendly. This knife is still a great knife but a big disappointment in fast deployment. I don't carry this knife because if I need to cut something in a hurry in a life/death situation I can't open it as fast as any other knife listed. It cost me about $60.00 If the knife had a better opening it'd get a 9.5/10, but since it doesn't I rate it a 7/10 for police duty use. Don't get me wrong, I love this knife and will still use it, just not for EDC or duty use.
Emerson CQC-7BW - Black Finish - Partially Serrated
I saved this knife for last. I've read on the forums there's some controversy over the Emerson brand for whatever reason, I don't care about that crap. I went to my local knife store, asked to see some Emersons because I've heard they were top-notch. I handled the CQC-7BW and after carrying the cold steel recon thought it was kinda small and wasn't entirely impressed with the size. The blade is beefy, but it has a wierd "chisel" grind on the knife. I don't know what pros/cons that has but I know it's sharp and cuts anything I want it to. There is a removeable thumb disk instead of a hole or stud which after some practice is really easy to use and user-friendly. The handle is made of really good G-10 with titanium liners and is very easy to hold onto in slippery situations. The knife has a liner lock that has been reviewed in detail in other posts, and I dont know about thickness and crap, however I dont feel like this knife is gonna fail on me anytime soon. The handle seems bigger then the blade and it's got a real beefy feel to it. The thing I love about this knife is the wave feature. I read into some of the background of Emerson and his knives and I feel like the wave on this knife is perfect for police applications. I've deployed the knife instantly in emergency situations and did what had to be done. It's performed flawlessly and I've got no complaints about the knife. I would be interested in getting a left hand version of this knife only for left pocket carry but I'm not entirely sold on the tactics. I carry my knives in a "sap" pocket which is located on my right uniform pants leg underneath my firearm. I have compared this knife to co-workers who have blackhawk knives, gerber, sog, benchmade, smith and wesson, spyderco, and a few others and I've convinced a few of them to get this knife. This knife is designed for military/police duty. This knife cost me $130.00 Overall this knife gets a 10/10 from me for police use. Best part about the knife is its 100% american made.
I've looked at buying automatics as opposed to the Emerson but I decided the Emerson is faster then any automatic on the market, which has proven to be true for me.
If anyone has any recommendations for a better knife to use, or simlar knives let me know i'm open to different knives. If you want a more detailed opinion or question about about a knife or more pictures let me know. I'm all about sharing our opinions on knives and personal experiences. I don't want to have a piece of crap in my pocket when my ass is on the line.
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