Tactical SAK/Multitool

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DracoKrys

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Jan 17, 2018
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Is their any such thing as or good examples of a tactical SAK or Multitool such as would be used in the military or for law enforcement?
 
Not sure what you mean by tactical. As a fighting knife? No, unless the user is pulling the old "lock in a sock" routine. But the soldier's knife version of the One Handed Trekker (OHT) from victorinox is an issued knife by a few militaries, and I believe now the US as well. The Leatherman MUT is designed as an AR-15 tool, although I think you can get Glock tools to fit it as well. SOG has a couple EOD specific tools. Gerber tools have been on the issue list for the US for a long time.

Multi-blade knives and multi-tools have a long history in militaries, but again, depends on your use of the word tactical, I'm sure many a tin can has been tactically opened with a multi.
 
Spyderco just released a Clipitool that's 4.4" closed. Liner lock with a caplifter/screwdriver and can opener/screwdriver.

 
There's the Mil-Spec Gerber mp800 which is issued by the military to EOD.

Btw the US ARMY recently adopted a version of the Victorinox "military " model.

You need to remember that a " tactical " military folder or multitool is usually just whatever someone wants to buy at the BX because they don't issue every person a folder or multitool.
 
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DracoKrys said:
Is their any such thing as or good examples of a tactical SAK or Multitool such as would be used in the military or for law enforcement?
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Certainly. 2003 German Army Knife, Victorinox design to Bundeswehr specifications,

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2010 Dutch Army Knife, GAK's wood saw replaced with seat belt cutter blade.

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German Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS, Federal Border Patrol) knife, custom version of Victorinox's Rucksack. The BGS was renamed Bundespolizei (BPOL, Federal Police) in 2005.

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Custom Victorinox Outrider for Malaysian armed forces, 2009.

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U.S. Military Knife (United States Government Spec MIL-K-818D) AKA demo knife.

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Swiss 1961 soldier knife, improved demo knife issued to Swiss armed forces 1962–2008, also used by Netherlands and South Africa.

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British Army Knife, new pattern.

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British Army Knife, old pattern.

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Note the marlin spike. Navy was the senior service when Britannia ruled the waves and Army used their knife.
 
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Piso Mojado, Pretty sure the British Army and Navy had separate knives going WAY back. That Army style goes at least back to WWII as the "Burma" pattern. Stainless steel because of the tropical conditions. John
 
Friends of mine who were in the U.S. Army were issued Gerber multitools but I don't know what model.

I personally believe that the whole tactical thing is overblown. What you need is a well - made knife, tool, multitool, or whatever that will meet your needs, be easy enough to carry that you will have it on you when you need it, and be reliable enough that you can count on it to do the job without breaking. If your personal criteria dictate that it is something that is either issued by the military or is in common use in the military, that is fine, but make sure it will also meet your personal needs.
 
John A. Larsen said:
Piso Mojado, Pretty sure the British Army and Navy had separate knives going WAY back. That Army style goes at least back to WWII as the "Burma" pattern. Stainless steel because of the tropical conditions. John
Click to expand...

No expert, only seen photos and what I've read online — which is that pattern 6353/1905 (blade, can opener, marlin spike) first appeared in 1905 and remained basically unchanged until WW2. Original stag scales replaced with checkered horn in 1913 and that was the service knife in WW1.

https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/knife_forum/viewtopic.php?t=9829

Late 1930s brought the sheepsfoot blade, plastic scales, less cumbersome can openers. According to Imperial War Museum, the plastic was "Bexoid – a celluloid based material." Issued until the early '50s, presumably standardized steel scales and a two-blade version came later. But IWM says this steel scale specimen "was given to donor by a wounded soldier at the Middlesex Hospital circa 1916."

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George Tichbourne posted this in 2002 and sounds like he knew whereof he wrote.

The same basic pattern has been around since the second world war and was used in almost all British commonwealth country's armed forces.

The marlin spike has been modified a bit but the knife is almost identical to one I had as a kid, assembled in Picteau Nova Scotia from parts provided by Case. All branches of the forces were issued the same knife. The blade and can opener have obvious uses but the marlin spike was used differently by each branch. The army used to recieve gasoline in sealed cans that had to be punctured to get at the contents so the spike became a petrol can opener.
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https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/british-army-knife-question.192318/
 
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Multitools are practical, not tactical.

However, Emerson makes a few models that have the wave feaure.
 
I’m retired army with 39 months deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The most issued multi-tool is the Gerber 600. Certain units have more job specific needs (EOD/Signal/etc) and might alter to a different model with more job specific functions in their tool.

Regarding the tool usage, most Gerber multi tools are used as pliers and for the tools and not for that horrible blade that comes on them. Most of the knife blades were regulated to backup if you lost your edc knife. The quick one handed open of the Gerber pliers makes it the most popular. They’re the ones being bought at the PX most often to replace ones broken/lost/stolen

Leatherman aren’t as popular although some popped up from time to time.

Soldiers can break anything and everything. I retired one Gerber 600 for sentimental reasons after carrying it for 6 years daily. I had broken the blade off and it was super beat up, but I went and bought the same model.

I have a leatherman wave on my belt right now as a civilian. If I were to deploy again, I’d choose another Gerber for the ease of accessing the pliers.

I was issued Benchmade Griptilian and Gerber 06 Autos for my folding knives but usually carried a Spyderco (mostly military and native models).

Fixed blades I was issued Ontario Air Force Survival, Ontario ASEK and Gerber LMF.

If you have any questions let me know.
 
There have been many military issue SAKs over the decades SAKs have been manufactured.
 
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