I Notice many LEO Carrying Cheap Knives?

Minnesota Man

Minnesota Man

Joined
Sep 30, 2014
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Hey fellas, I work at a large convenience store and many Law enforcement officers frequent the place. I know almost all of them by name. I've made countless blue lives matter paracord bracelets and knife fobs for them. Most of the guys carry some form of multitool, mostly Leatherman. Often times old vintage ones. That's a different thread for a different sub- forum.....
I ask to see what primary knives they carry. It's almost always a beat up and a dull knife? I always offer to lend them a knife that doesn't mean anything to me overnight (a much better loaner than their EDC). While I sharpen, oil, tighten pivot or whatever is in my skill set for free. I'm happy to help out LEO anytime I can. They almost always say no, thank you it's a "pig sticker" or it's fine. I have known them for awhile plus their cops so they aren't concerned about me stealing.
My biggest question is why do they mostly carry Winchester, tac-force, Smith and Wesson, and countless Gerber Para-frames? I would imagine having a semi decent primary folding knife would be a priority. I'm not talking carrying a custom made with Damascus steel, woolly mammoth bone scales and a hand made cocobolo thumb studs. I mean a benchmade, spyderco, Cold Steel, ZT, or any other above average production knife? I know not all cops are automatically knife nuts but it seams like it would be a worthy piece of gear.
 
Those brands you mentioned are widely available at big box stores for really cheap. Like you said Cops are not automatically knife people. They probably bought something off the rack that they liked. Another thing might be brand recognition, I'm sure they see major gun manufacturers putting their names on knives so they could think those knives are the same quality as their firearms. I know I made that mistake when I first started looking at knives.
 
I am a LEO. I often offer to sharpen my co-worker's butter knife dull blades. The truth is, most cops aren't knife people any more than they are gun people. And I agree with you, it is a worthy piece of gear, but to many, a blade is a blade is a blade.
 
My bro, Chicago CPD, has a Chris Reeve neck knife and a ZT 0452. Both in S35VN. Good knives. We are both waiting for the 0452 to be released again in M390, 20CV or ZDP 189.

Everybody is different, including cops.
 
I had a friend (haven't seen him in several years) who's a cop, and the first duty knife of his he showed me was an old Benchmade Tsunami. Later he switched to a CRKT K.I.S.S. He said he'd broken the Benchmade. That was back in the late '90s.

Jim
 
They are usually just freebies or cheap knives used for prying, screwing, cutting evidence boxes/bags. Not being Knife people they also fall for all the tacticool marketing and I think gun maker name brands fool em too. Although I agree with the generalized observation, you also see the occasional bench grip, spyderco endura/delica, kabar tdi, etc.
 
I've noticed the same thing working alongside the Troopers, they probably just dont know any better. I think you'd be surprised at just how many cops are not knife or gun people at all.
 
I had this conversation with a SMPD officer recently and he said, yeah this cheap knife? i basically use it as a pry bar, key to get into back gates, stuck doors and if they brake, BFD!————-Some Police are Knife affectinados! Most aren’t and it’s just a tool they rarely use..
 
my brother in law asked me for advise on a EDC knife . He's a LEO . He was looking at a SOG Flash 2 . I told him I don't own any SOG so I couldn't give him advise . I did show him My Benchmade 940-1 that I had on me he looked at me like I was nut . I think he knew the price of the Benchmade .
 
If I made the kind of money street level LEO’s make I would have a lot fewer and less expensive knives. Plus, you want to carry a $200 knife on duty when you might need to do something awful with it in a hurry?

I do think there are far better cheap knives that they could be carrying if it mattered a little more to them.
 
The only thing cheaper than a cop...is two cops.

Most cops think of them as a "disposable" item much like gloves. If it gets lost, broken or winds up in another cops pocket no big deal.
Don't ask me to explain the Auto-Presidio I carry because I can't.
 
Of the cops I know who I have discussed it with, they told me that from a practical standpoint, the knives they carry were mostly "acquired" from crime scenes, seized cars, etc... They carry whatever was "free" to them. At least the ones I know...
 
Why would an officer carry a expensive knife when a $29 Rat 2 works fine....but ask him/her about hand guns and a completely different story...

Always a matter of perspective....
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
I had this conversation with a SMPD officer recently and he said, yeah this cheap knife? i basically use it as a pry bar, key to get into back gates, stuck doors and if they brake, BFD!————-Some Police are Knife affectinados! Most aren’t and it’s just a tool they rarely use..
Click to expand...
To be honest many said they have carried it for years and it cuts. Yet they haven't been sharpened, oiled, and have blade play.
 
Swear I've read this very thread before.

I'd like to add, expecting a cop to intrinsically be a knife knut like us is no different than...create your own fun comparison :)

There's an irrelevant association between carrying the gun (lethal defense), the baton and the tazor (non-lethal), and expecting the LEO to have a knife knut's knife. I'd much rather my local LEOs carry a seatbelt cutter and paramedic scissors. :thumbsup:

In the last thread, it seemed cops are a good chunk of the guys buying up the 'Special Forces' knives if ya know what I mean. :rolleyes:
 
The knife is a low priority item.
Their life is not dependent on a knife.
They usually use them for mundane things like cutting tape and opening boxes, or bags of contraband.
I used to know several police officers who did not even bother carrying a knife when they were out in the field.
 
Do knife co.s offer discounts to LEO dept.s? Do any dept,s supply a knife as an "on the job" tool.
 
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