By the time most of my students complete one of our courses, at some point or another they heard me say that "at the very least, get yourself a useful knife." This normally leads to the question of what kind of knife to procure. I am offering this advice not as an "expert" on knives, but I am giving it as a self-defense instructor and someone who has been in my share of situations related to the need of this tool. I am not offering a comprehensive knife course. Instead, I would like to give some key points of consideration when trying to choose the right knife to meet practical and self-defense needs. As always, please remember that regardless of what tool you choose, you should always practice and train with it to make you a safer operator with that tool. With training and practice, you will also become a more formidable opponent to an attacker.

The word "tactical" is thrown around an awful lot today, and I fear that on occasion people may be getting the wrong idea when they hear it. If you look up the definition of tactical you'll usually find a few different meanings but they are usually something like:

"of, relating to, or using tactics' or 'of, relating to, used in, or involving military or naval operations"

The one I tend to focus more on is:

"characterized by adroitness, ingenuity, or skill".

Basically, when I think of tactical equipment, I'm thinking of a tool that will work well with the other pieces of equipment I'm carrying in order to increase my ability to either accomplish a specific task or will aid me against things that may attempt to deter me from accomplishing that goal. If we put that into everyday terms, when I use the word tactical, I'm saying that I want a tool that will allow me to handle most of the situations that I don't want to find myself in, but in which I may find myself. So with that in mind, let's address some things to consider when choosing a tactical knife.

For the most part, the average person looking for something that's going to be useful and yet discrete enough not to draw unwanted attention to themselves should probably steer away from the "combat" knives that are out there. I'm not saying that these aren't wonderful knives, but they have a very specific purpose and use. When I was wearing my military equipment and doing my missions, I loved to have my old Seal Pup or a good Kabar knife strapped on to me, but as I'm trying to address here today, we're looking more towards the kinds of things people should carry with them in their normal day, not in combat situations. With that said, I'll address a few of the things that I personally tend to consider when I'm thinking of a knife to carry.

First, will my choice of knife draw unwanted attention to me either while I'm wearing it or if I produce it for a task like cutting the tie-down cord on my truck? For this reason, I tend to lean away from switch-blade or butterfly style knives and ones that have a blade longer than about four inches.

Will the knife hold its edge? What I mean by that is will the knife dull out faster than it should? Expert knife smiths will tell you that choosing the right material for the blade itself is quite possibly the most important choice you can make. I'm really not even going to try and explain knife blade materials here, and again that is not my field of expertise. For the most part you can find a blade's material and reviews pretty easily with a simple internet search. So, even though this is one of the most important things to consider, I tend to look up this information last once I've gotten my choices narrowed down to a few options. For the most part, though, if you find a blade made with ZDP-189, S30V, SGPS, or SG-2, you've found a good blade that will not disappoint you. By no means am I saying that those are your only choices, but at least you have some options listed here to use if needed.

Will the knife fit snugly and comfortably where I intend to carry it? Luckily with most folding pocket knives this isn't all that big of an issue, but you should still keep this factor in mind as you sort through your options. The fact is that this is a metal object, and if worn improperly, it can get quite uncomfortable. Try wearing it while seated, try doing a little jog while wearing it, come up with the situations you might find yourself in and see if it still meets the basics of comfort, secure fit (meaning it's not just going to fall off your person), and ease of access.

Are there additional tools available on the knife that may come in handy? I bring this up because though a knife is a wonderful tool that you'll find a million uses for throughout your time carrying one, there are some things that a knife isn't necessarily your best choice for.

There are many choices in "multi-tool" style knives that can prove quite useful, but again this might end up being too much for what you're looking for. If you are looking for a multi-tool option, then the two most common I carry are Gerber and Leatherman. Gerber or Leatherman multi-tools have wonderful designs and are easy on your hands while using them. These aren't always the best option for self-defense roles.

I tend to look for a knife that has at least two other options when picking a good self-defense or tactical knife. I look for a good glass breaker, and I try to stick to a sharp point Carbite tip on these options. I also look for a seat-belt cutter or cutter/crimper. The seat-belt cutter has a nice sharp blade that's protected on all sides with safety walls so that you can only place an object into the groove one way. This makes it a very safe device if you have to cut something that's near yourself or another person. Don't be fooled by the name either - just because it's called a seat-belt cutter or a wire cutter/crimper doesn't mean it won't have many other uses. There are a few versions of these. A good example would be a safety blade in use in many sews shops where they just run the tool down the line, and only the cloth that works its way into the grooves of the guide get exposed to the blade. Most needle nose style pliers will typically have a wire cutter or crimper at the base of the opening.

Does the company who makes the knife have a good reputation? The knife community is just as harsh in judgment as the gun community is about their products. Believe me, if you do a quick search for reviews on a company, you'll find plenty. A few companies that have earned and maintained a good record for quite some time now are Cold Steel, SOG Knives, Spyderco, and William Henry. Again, this is not a comprehensive list, but these are worth a look.

Does the knife manufacturer stand behind their knives? Some company policies fall into the "once you've bought it, good luck with it" category. The better companies, however, will stand behind their products and, should the knife fail you "during normal use", then they'll either repair or replace it for you. Some companies will even offer sharpening services for little or no cost throughout the lifetime of the blade. I tend to stick to these companies because they put those kinds of guarantees on their products since they know that they really won't have to use those services all that often. They can offer the service because they know the craftsmanship used to create their product.

Does the knife have a restraint of some kind on it? As with most other tools that I use, I try to ensure that I can get to my knife quickly, smoothly, and safely without needing two hands or having to dig around looking for it. A lot of knives today will come with a clip that can be used to clip them to a belt or the inside of a pocket. This helps make sure the knife stays where you put it and that it's kept somewhere easy to get to should you need it.

The different options available to you may seem endless. But if you take a little time, and do a little research, it's actually not as hard as it sounds to pick a knife that will work for your needs. I tend to lean more towards spending a little extra money on one good piece of equipment, as I know it'll be around for a while rather than just get the first thing I find, knowing from experience, I'll probably have to replace it in a year or two.

For those of you wondering, I personally carry a knife made by SureFire. I carry the EW-04 Delta Folding Combat/Utility Knife. I carry it inside my left front pants pocket, but it has a clip which I use to secure it in place by attaching it to the opening of the pocket and then pushing it down so that it lies flat along the front/outside of my leg.

All in all, a knife is a wonderful tool to carry. Again, if you think of the term "tactical knife", then all you're really looking for is something that will increase your options of handling multiple situations. So, just look for the right tool to do that, be certain that you understand the difference between a "combat knife" and a "tactical knife", and then choose the product that's the best for you.

After you've made your choice always remember to take some training from a knowledgeable instructor, and then practice with the knife you chose. Having a tool that you do not know how to use properly can be frustrating at best and dangerous at worst.