Bountiful Blades

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Show me a cop without a knife on him and I’ll show you a cop who doesn’t get out very much. We carry and use a variety of knives for many reasons. Some prefer folders to fixed blades, and with folders we can choose from a number of different opening and locking methods, blade shapes and edges. And if that’s not enough to make your head spin, there are all the different types of steels offering different levels of performance.

We can’t tell you what knife will work best for you because owning and using one is a personal thing. What we can do is present you with choices — plenty of them. So, bear in mind your needs and budget, and check out this bounty of knives. You likely might find something here with your name on it. For more info: www.americancop.com/index and click on the company name.

The Buck family has been making knives since the turn of the 20th century, and their iconic 110 Folder is celebrating its 50th birthday — one of the most used and copied knives ever. They continue to make great, affordable knives. Take this Bones knife at just $42. It features a 3″ partially serrated Tanto-style blade secured by a liner lock. The skeletonized handle and blade are stainless steel and the clip is set up for tip-up carry. The cool Tiger Stripe Camo is a nice touch. Left to right: 110 Folder, Bones, Redpoint Rescue, Trio, Spitfire and Vantage Force Select.

Dear friend Ken Onion, who knows a thing or two about the form and function of knives, designed CRKT’s Shenanigan Tanto. The partially serrated blade is 3.25″ long and made from AUS 8 steel with a black titanium nitride finish. Opening is via the flipper, and a liner lock secures the blade when open. The handle, with its arched hump (profile palm swell), and finger groove feels very good in my hand and is made from textured glass filled nylon with stainless steel liners. This is a lot of knife for an MSRP of $70, but you can splurge and get one with a cold forged aluminum handle for $125.

Here are two options from Benchmade, both featuring ambidextrous thumb stud openers and the AXIS locking mechanism — one of the easiest methods for manipulating the lock I’ve ever used — and a reversible pocket clip for tip-up carry. On top is the 14715 HK AXIS, a 3.7″ coated D2 tool steel clip point blade. Textured G-10 handles with stainless steel liners and ambidextrous thumb stud openers round out this knife. Shown here with a plain edge, it’s also available in a partially serrated version. MSRP is $155. Below, is the 904 Mini-AXIS Stryker. The version shown features a 2.94″ partially serrated Tanto blade made from coated 154CM stainless steel. It too comes with textured G-10 handles and stainless steel liners and is lightweight at 2.84 ounces. The Mini-AXIS Stryker is also available in satin finish and plain edge version. MSRP is $165 to $180.

The Boot Camp – Mini from SOG is a locking assisted opening folder featuring a 3.25″ clip point plain edge blade. It’s lightweight (2.6 ounces) thanks to its .1″ blade thickness and the glass-reinforced nylon and aluminum handles. The notch on the handle is designed for cutting rope or cord (or a seatbelt?). This is a good general-purpose knife for police work. Comes with a reversible clip and the price is right — MSRP $58.

Here’s a cool tool from Boker — the Minibar — it’s not a knife. This gadget is 4.5″ long with one end looking more like a bird’s beak, and the other end like a flathead screwdriver. Think of all your workmates who’ve broken off the tip of their knives trying to use them as pry bars. The Minibar was made just for that purpose. It also features a shackle opener and a .25″ bit compatible Allen key. The front side of this little wonder is on the cover of this issue (check out the picture) while the view here shows the removable clip. MSRP is $66.95.

One of Gerber’s three new knives is The Order (something we all need …). It has a partially serrated drop point blade made from 420HC steel with a black ceramic coating on it. The Order has a rectangular thumbhole opener and the blade is secured with a lock back mechanism. It comes with a pocket clip and lanyard hole on the rubber over-molded texturized glass-filled nylon handle. The blade is 3.1″ long and the knife weighs 2.6 ounces. This knife is being rolled out at the time of this issue being published and Gerber estimates MSRP on The Order will be around $45.

A beastly trio from TOPS Knives includes the MIL-SPIE 3.5 and the Pry Knife & Pry-Probe-Punch Tool combo. The MIL-SPIE 3.5 first: This brawny folder has a 3.5″ N690Co steel blade and 6061 T-6 aluminum frame with a tool steel liner lock. The knife opens with a thumb stud and the pocket clip is set up for tip-up carry. This is a tank-tough knife with an MSRP of $199. The Pry Knife & Pry-Probe-Punch (PPP) Tool combo allows you to be ready for damn near anything you could come across during your shift. The Pry Knife is 10.75″ long with a 4.5″ partially serrated fixed blade and micarta handle. The tip is chisel-shaped making it much easier to scrape and pry with. The blade is .25″ thick and made from 5160 spring steel. The PPP Tool is 5140 Alloy Forged Steel and is 7.25″ long. It’s essentially a mini pry bar with a punch on one end. There’s not a lot you can’t do with these tools and they’ll run you about $199, but they’re also available individually.

If you like something a little different from the ordinary, then look no further than this pair from Quartermaster Knives, the QSE-2 and QSE-3. The “2” features a pseudo-Persian blade, while the “3” is a modified tanto. Not for the shy, these are big, beefy knives with enough heft to slash and hack in their 4″ blades if needed. The “Gunner’s Grip” refers to the pistol grip-like angle and offers several grip options. Designer Jared West can be relied upon to push the envelope!

This Spyderco Matriarch2 Emerson Open just looks mean. Perhaps it’s because of the unusual reverse “S” blade shape, or maybe it’s due to the entire length of the 3.5″ VG-10 steel blade being serrated. Add the Emerson Opening feature (as in Ernest Emerson) to the elegantly aggressive look of the knife and you’ve got a quick-opening wicked cutting tool. The handle is fiberglass-reinforced nylon and the reversible pocket clip is attached for a tip-up carry. MSRP is $150. Oh, you can also trim the flowers in your garden with this knife …
By Suzi Huntington