Combat knives, tactical duty knives and survival knives
A combat knife is a relatively heavy and, above all, robust knife with a fixed blade, designed both for combat use and for use as a tool.
Origin and development of combat knives
Combat knives are generally designed for military use and serve both as a close-combat weapon and as a tool. Over time, however, close combat has played an increasingly minor role. At the same time, the demands on modern combat knives grew in order to obtain a tool that can be used as universally as possible. This development was also reflected in the functionality and design of various combat knives, for example by adding a sawback to the spine of the blade. Typical features of a field knife, such as the guard, have nevertheless been retained. Historically, the combat knife evolved from the dagger. A dagger is a thrusting weapon that has been used in close combat by many different armies over thousands of years. Typical features of the dagger are the symmetrical handle and the presence of several, usually likewise symmetrical, cutting edges on a pointed blade. Modern variants were first used by many warring parties during the First World War. At that time, the purely military use as a close-combat weapon clearly remained the main focus.
Typical features of modern combat and field knives
As development progressed from that point on, more and more single-edged field knives were designed, with their function as a tool moving somewhat more into focus. A typical feature of today’s combat knives is the blackened blade, which is intended to prevent highly visible light reflections. Some knives also have a hollow handle in which small items can be stored. Other possible features include a serrated edge for cutting fibers more effectively and a glass breaker for shattering windows.
Useful information on combat knives
Tactical knives are now increasingly used in the outdoor sector as well. They are valued above all for their stability and comparatively wide range of applications. They are less suitable for whittling, but thanks to their solid and sometimes hefty design, they can be used for chopping and can therefore replace a small hatchet. In the fields of bushcraft and survival, they are therefore often used for cutting off branches or splitting wood (“batoning”). However, this technique should only be used to obtain kindling, as it puts the blade under relatively high stress.
If multifunctionality is the main priority, people often turn to survival knives or so‑called Rambo knives. The latter name comes from the film title of the 1980s. Both are further developments of the original combat knife toward a tool that can be used as universally as possible.
Questions: combat knives
How can you recognize a good combat or survival knife?
For combat knives, the focus when assessing quality is on the properties of the steel. Depending on the intended use and individual requirements, multifunctionality can also be weighted more heavily, which is often the case with Rambo knives and survival knives. The unit of measurement for a knife’s hardness is Rockwell (HR, Hardness Rockwell).
Are there any special care instructions?
In principle, the same care techniques and methods that have proven effective for other outdoor knives can be used for combat knives as well.
Are the knives legally allowed to be carried?
Combat knives generally have fixed blades with a length of more than 12 centimetres. For this reason, carrying such knives in Germany is prohibited under the Weapons Act (§ 42a). An exception is carrying them in the context of a legitimate interest (e.g. sport, hunting, preservation of traditions). Otherwise, they may only be transported in a locked container.
