Varying from size and purpose, these knives are hard, sturdy and practical. Some of the functions are different such as a fixed blade or folding. Each knife brands has different point like a clip point, drop point or spear point to their knives. All these blades do have some things in common, there’s deep history, founding and manufacturing to them.
#01 Columbia River
Columbia River Knife and Tool is famous for its tactical edc knife which is founded in 1994 by Paul Gillespi and Rod Bremer. They were both employees at Kershaw Knives. They had a slow start but when K.I.S.S (Keep It Super Simple) folding knife was a smash hit. Within its opening days, the knife was sold out. The company now has a wide range of regular and tactical folding knives, fixed knives, and other tools. CRKT has collaborated with many people over the years, such as Michael Leon Walker, Ken Onion, and Harold”kit” Carson. Tom Veff, a knife maker and sharpener, developed ‘Veff-serrations’ which is different from normal serrations. These have a set angle of 60 degrees, most normal serrations are small. CRKT is the only one knife brands who make these tactical serrations because it is only licensed to them. The headquarters are located in Tualatin, Oregon.
#02 Kershaw
Kershaw began in Portland, Oregon in 1974. Salesman Pete Kershaw left Gerber Legendary Blades and formed his own company to better fit his designs. He wanted knives that would make people proud to use, carry and own. The early production Kershaw knives were first made in Japan, but in 1997 the U.S production plant opened in Wilsonville, Oregon. The first blades started out with six fixed blades models, now have many to choose from on their website and in stores. Kershaw is one of the first companies to invent an assisted-opening mechanisms tactical pocket knife. They called it SpeedSafe Assisted Opening. Since then they have won 14 awards. Their headquarters are currently at Tualatin, Oregon.
#03 SOG
Starting out in the Vietnam War, all the members of a highly classified US special ops unit carried a one of a kind combat knife into private missions into the jungle. Many years later, a company named SOG Specialty Knives made a knife very similar to the one used by the soldiers in Vietnam. A young designer, Spencer Frazer, designed the commemorative knife as a replica. It soon became a massive hit and became a full line of models. They have been field proven by US Special Forces and then honored by the Navy Seals. The original models are very sought after and are priceless or extremely valuable. The blades haven’t changed much over the years, apart for some paint finishes or handle work. It is enjoyed and bought by hunters, military enthusiasts, and knife collectors.
#04 Ontario
Although the founding of Ontario Knives is a tad faded, we do know that William B. Ensworth, Charles Albert Brace, and William Maudsley had something to do with the founding in 1889, in Naples, New York. The men choose the ‘Ontario’ from Ontario County, not Ontario, Canada. Ontario Knife brands Company is a well-known supplier of the US Army. Ontario has more than 10 tools and numerous tactical knives they supply to the military. Their most recent contract was the USMC OKC-3S Bayonet. The knife is very similar to the Ka-Bar fighting knife but is thicker and sturdier. The company is known to provide quality craftsmanship and commitment to its buyers.
#05 Benchmade
Founded in 1979 in California as Bali- Song, it is now known as bench made. They moved to Clackamas, Oregon in 1990 but now permanently reside in Oregon City, Oregon. This company is known for their balisong or butterfly- style outdoor or survival knives. The founder, Les de Asis, wanted a knife that incorporated the latest technology and materials. When he first made the knives he would sell it to a Gun store, where the knives would sell very well. Over the next couple of years, the company grew and began making other kinds of knives, such as tactical folding knives and fixed blades. The company was the first to use a high- power laser cutter and is the world leader in automatic knife manufacturing. Custom design also can produce this knife brands. Today Benchmade focuses on advancement, quality, and innovation.
#06 Ka-Bar
The Ka-Bar has a high military background; it was designed for WW2 soldiers. But before the war, Ka-Bar started out with brothers Wallace and Robert Brown along with 36 other men to form Limited Partnership in Pennsylvania. Soon after that they expanded and became known as Tidioute Cutlery Company. They manufactured and sold cutlery, tactical and hunting knives. This stayed the same till WWII, the standard issue knives for soldiers were old, expensive and was hard to secure in the soldier’s scabbards. Since the standard knives didn’t work as the soldiers wanted, they often brought their personal knives. It was usually hunting or utility knives.
The military began working with the company to make a stronger and better tactical knife. They made the blade with a stronger, longer blade along with a penned pommel. It also proved easier to manufacture than past military blades. The design was named, ‘1219C2’, It also commonly known as the Ka-Bar. The U.S Navy and Marine Corps now have this combat knife as their standard issue. It has proven to be a great, technical and affordable tactical knife. Their main headquarters are now in Olean, New York.
#07 Victorinox
Another name for this company is known as;” Swiss Army Knives” is one of the most popular and oldest knife brands in the world. Swiss Army knives are also the biggest manufacturer of tactical pocket knives in the world. Victorinox was founded in 1884 by Karl Elsener and Nicholas Elsener in Ibach-Schwyz, Switzerland. Victorinox was a key role in delivering soldiers tactical knives to the Swiss Army. In 1931, the company is set up the world’s first all-electric hardening plant, which meant that all their knives would have a stable high quality in all their knives.
These tactical knives are multi-function tools coming in many sizes. A typical tactical knife contains a single sided blade, a saw, scissors, and bottle opener. Since these knives are very helpful, many people use them in everyday life. These knives have been taken in space and Mt. Everest, and in 1986 was introduced into the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Now in modern times, Victorinox sells fragrances, travel gear, watches and of course knives. The company strives for value, and to solve problems.
