Tactical folding knives are a very large branch of knives referred to as EDC or ,,tactical folders". These are usually tools containing only a blade enclosed by a handle. At first they were intended only for use by the uniformed services, and their beginning can be traced to the World War II period with the appearance of the legendary Ka-Bars.Although these were fixed-head blades, it wasn't long before the military began to use more compact versions of the folder - lighter and taking up less space. It wasn't long before folding military knives began to appear in the pockets of virtually all buschcraft enthusiasts and all those who appreciate owning this useful tool.
Let's discuss the steel from which the heads of folding tactical knives are made. This is the most important element that affects the price and cutting properties of the blade. In the present day, the scale starts with 420 and 440 tool steels, and their variants are used in cheaper counterparts. Our range includes knives from Master Cutlery, among others, but also this steel is used by the Czech company Mikov in its popular springers. Next in the ranking is Japanese AUS-8 stainless steel, which has much better cutting properties and is very resistant to corrosion. An example of the most popular knives using this material is the Ontario Rat-1 folding tactical knives. These are true legends! Of the noteworthy steels, we still have high-carbon D2, which needs to be meticulously maintained, but will repay us with high resistance to dulling and ease of sharpening. Finally, we should mention the most durable steels such as 154CM, S30v and CTS XHP. These are so-called premium steels, which have the best cutting properties and, as a rule, high corrosion resistance. Examples of companies using these steels include Spyderco, Zero Tolerance or Cold Steel. These are, of course, not all the steels used in folding military knives, but certainly by far the most popular. The second important issue is the knife's locking mechanism. Every military folding knife is forced to have one for the safety of the user. This is usually a piece of tin under the blade, locking it from below and preventing it from closing during use, protecting the hand. The most common blade lock is the liner lock. It is just a tin or piece of metal between the handle facings that stops the blade from below - to unlock the knife you have to move it to the left. Another example is the axis lock, which involves the simultaneous sliding of two locking elements located in the handle towards each other - Benchmade's most recognizable locking technique. The third, but not the last technique is the back lock - this is the most robust type of lock, but to close this type of folding military knives we need to engage both hands.
The last element of folding military knives is the handle of our knife and the materials from which it is made. The better they are, the more comfortable you will be. In addition to the usual plastic or aluminum liners, we have the popular G10, which is a laminate of layers of fiberglass embedded in epoxy resin. The carbon fiber handle itself behaves similarly. These materials are primarily lightweight and durable, and weight and size are often a factor when choosing a folding tactical knife. In addition to these, we can also distinguish wooden, leather and paracord-braided handles, while the three mentioned at the beginning are the most commonly used by mass-producing knife companies. Folding military knives is a topic that does not end, and we realize this. The above information does not exhaust the topic of this fascinating industry. For further information, we invite you to the links of the individual models of the tools we offer, where you will be able to learn more about the steel, handles and applications of various types of blades. Among the wide collection on Militaria.pl, your dream folding tactical knife is waiting for you. We wish you good luck in finding it.
