What are the uses of a tactical knife?

Tactical knives have many uses, ranging from the practical (such as opening boxes, and cutting rope, twine, heavy tape) to more of a sporting use (such as in fishing and hunting: cutting line, digging out hooks, cutting branches or clearing your way through brush). Tactical knives are usually more ergonomic than other knives; they fit your hand better and are easier to keep a grip on. Tactical knives are light, easy to handle, and strong.

What is a tactical knife?

A tactical knife has one or more military features designed for use in extreme situations. Originally, tactical knives were used by the military for combat and as a tool out in the field, and were usually fixed-blade knives. Tactical knives are longer and stronger than pocket-knives. They typically feature stainless-steel blades. Higher quality tactical knives use 400-series stainless steel and titanium. Tactical knives feature either fixed or folding blades.
Folding-blade tactical knives feature a lock to prevent the blade falling out of the fixed blade position during use. Folding tactical knives are made either in a frame lock, or liner lock design. The frame lock has G-10 or carbon fiber on one side and titanium on the other. Liner locks have either stainless steel or titanium frames and handle material on both sides. This can be had with or without a bolster.

BCT uses the most advanced design technology and 3D programs to design their knives to the highest standard. All the knives are made by hand to give them their unique look, feel and appeal.

Some folding tactical knives have a stud to facilitate one-handed blade opening, and some have cut-outs along the handle for ease of grip and help make the overall knife lighter. Also, some of the knives come with a belt clip to easily fasten the knife where desired.

ENDURANCE

All of our knives are made from the highest quality materials. We use Carbon Fiber, G-10, exotic materials, spring stainless steel and grade 5 titanium. You can be sure that the knife you buy is going to be functional and will stand up to the rigors you may put it through.

Modern knife steel is very high quality material, but all metal will corrode through time. Occasionally oil the joints and springs of a folding knife with a drop of oil. Carbon Damascus needs to be kept in a light film of oil, as it corrodes very easily. This will assure easier opening and closing and will prevent rust and lessen wear. Wipe the blades now and then with an oil-moistened cloth to prevent rust, especially if you live in a damp climate or near the ocean. If your blade should get wet, dry it thoroughly as soon as possible. If your knife comes into contact with salt water or any substance you are not certain about, you should rinse it immediately with tap water and a mild detergent, dry it, and apply a light coat of oil.
Check the locking notch of lockbacks regularly to ensure that it is working properly. Keep all sand and grit out of the knife. Keep the mechanisms clean. Remember to never rely on a folding knife to be permanently locked in the open position.

Do not use the blade as a can opener, chisel, pry bar, screwdriver or for any heavy work for which your knife was not designed. Don't use the back of a knife as a hammer, as that may break the springs, handles or pins.
Handles made of wood can be occasionally rubbed with furniture polish or oil. Warthog tusk, Hippo tooth ivory and bone should be rubbed with baby oil. Brass and stainless steel can be polished with household polish.
Remember to keep your knife sharpened -- a dull blade can be more dangerous than a properly maintained one.

BCT uses the most advanced design technology and 3D programs to design their knives to the highest standard. All the knives are made by hand to give them their unique look, feel and appeal.

Black Caste knives carry a limited warranty. Any products we find to be defective in their original material, construction or workmanship, will be replaced or repaired with the same item.
Abuse such as prying, neglect or normal wear, are excluded from the warranty.

ABOUT FOLDERS

A folding knife connects the blade to the handle through a pivot, allowing the blade to fold into the handle. To prevent injury to the knife user through the blade accidentally closing on the user's hand, folding knives typically have a locking mechanism. Different locking mechanisms are favored by various individuals for reasons such as perceived strength (lock safety), legality, and ease of use. Popular locking mechanisms include:

-Lockback – Also known as the spine lock, the lockback includes a pivoted latch affixed to a spring, and can be disengaged only by pressing the latch down to release the blade.

-Liner Lock – Invented by Michael Walker, uses a leaf spring-type liner within the groove of the handle that snaps into position under the blade when it is deployed. The lock is released by pushing the liner to the side, to allow the blade to return to its groove set into the handle.

-Button Lock – Found mainly on automatic knives, this type of lock uses a small push-button to open and release the knife.

-Frame Lock – Also known as the integral lock or monolock, this locking mechanism was invented by custom knifemaker Chris Reeve for the Sebenza as an update to the liner lock. The frame lock works in a manner similar to the liner lock but uses a partial cutout of the actual knife handle, rather than a separate liner inside the handle to hold the blade in place.
-Automatic or switchblade knives open using the stored energy from a spring that is released when the user presses a button or lever or other actuator built into the handle of the knife. Automatic knives are severely restricted by law in most American states.

-Assisted openers - Increasingly common are assisted opening knives which use springs to propel the blade once the user has moved it past a certain angle. These differ from automatic or switchblade knives in that the blade is not released by means of a button or catch on the handle; rather, the blade itself is the actuator. Most assisted openers use flippers as their opening mechanism.
Assisted opening knives can be as fast or faster than automatic knives to deploy.

-Another prominent feature on many folding knives is the opening mechanism. Traditional pocket knives and Swiss Army Knives commonly employ the nail nick, while modern folding knives more often use a stud, hole, disk, or flipper located on the blade, all which have the benefit of allowing the user to open the knife with one hand. The wave feature is another prominent design, which uses a part of the blade that protrudes outward to catch on one's pocket as it is drawn, thus opening the blade.

ABOUT FIXED BLADES

Steel blades are commonly shaped by forging or stock removal. Forged blades are made by heating a single piece of steel, then shaping the metal while hot using a hammer or press. Stock removal blades are shaped by grinding and removing metal. With both methods, after shaping, the steel must be heat treated. This involves heating the steel above its critical point, then quenching the blade to harden it.
After hardening, the blade is tempered to remove stresses and make the blade tougher. Mass manufactured kitchen cutlery uses both the forging and stock removal processes. Forging tends to be reserved for manufacturers' more expensive product lines, and can often be distinguished from stock removal product lines by the presence of an integral bolster, though integral bolsters can be crafted through either shaping method. Knives are sharpened in various ways. Flat ground blades have a profile that tapers from the thick spine to the sharp edge in a straight or convex line. Seen in cross section, the blade would form a long, thin triangle, or where the taper does not extend to the back of the blade, a long thin rectangle with one peaked side. Hollow ground blades have concave, beveled edges. The resulting blade has a thinner edge, so it may have better cutting ability for shallow cuts, but it is lighter and less durable than flat ground blades and will tend to bind in deep cuts. Serrated blade knives have a wavy, scalloped or saw-like blade. Serrated blades are more well suited for tasks that require aggressive 'sawing' motions, whereas plain edge blades are better suited for tasks that require push-through cuts (e.g., shaving, chopping, slicing).

A fixed blade knife, sometimes called a sheath knife, does not fold or slide, and is typically stronger due to the tang, the extension of the blade into the handle, and lack of moving parts.
Modern knives consist of:
-a blade
The blade edge can be plain or serrated or a combination of both.
-a handle
The handle can include a bolster, which is a piece of material used to balance the knife, usually brass or other metal, at the front of the handle where it meets the blade.

The blade consists of:
-the point – the end of the knife used for piercing;
-the edge – the cutting surface of the knife extending from the point to the heel;
-the grind - the cross section shape of the blade;
-the spine – the thickest section of the blade;
-the fuller - the groove added to lighten the blade;
-the ricasso - the flat section of the blade located at the junction of the blade and the knife's bolster or guard;
-the guard - the barrier between the blade and the handle which prevents the hand from slipping forward onto the blade -the end of the handle, or butt.
-the choil - where the blade is unsharpened and possibly indented as it meets the handle, may be used to prevent scratches to the handle when sharpening or as a forward-finger grip.
The knife's handle or butt may allow a lanyard to be used to secure the knife to the wrist, or a portion of the tang to protrude as a striking surface for hitting or glass breaking.

Single edged knives may utilize a reverse edge or false edge, in which the forward section of the knife's spine (opposing the sharpened edge) is thinned and left unsharpened.

ORDERS
We welcome customers wishing to order custom made knives.
There are many different ideas and views on what a custom knife is. To us, it is a knife that is a one-off piece that has been designed by ourselves, or by a customer. There is, and never will be, another like it. It may be plain or elaborate. However you choose it to be, it is yours, and no matter how hard it is tried, it can never be duplicated. All our knives would fall into this category, but some are more special and have more work involved. All of our custom designed knives are hand cut from N690, 12c27 or stainless- or carbon-steel damascus. Damascus and Macume bolsters are available on certain custom liner lock folders and fixed blades.

To order your custom designed or custom handmade knife, please contact us.

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