Introduction to Tactical Army Knives

The term tactical knife applies to almost any knife that is designed specifically for military or combat use. The first tactical knives specifically designed for the military were introduced during the Second World War. The original design for the KA-BAR, The most common tactical knife used throughout several branches of the military, was introduced in 1942. The prototype model was originally rejected for use by the armed forces. A reworked model was produced in 1945 that met combat requirements and the KA-BAR was quickly ushered into circulation. Many of these knives both original and replicas are still in use today and the KA-BAR remains the primary knife of choice for the USMC.
During the Vietnam War the Special Operations Group, (also called the Studies and Observations Group) division of the military was formed. This new elite group of fighters requested a knife that was unmarked and untraceable to a country of origin and the SOG knife was born. The SOG knife was designed by Benjamin Baker, who at the time served as the Deputy Chief of the US Counterinsurgency Office. The SOG knife features a convex false edge on the clip point of a Bowie knife. It was crafted of hardened steel known as SKS-3 and hardened to meet the Rockwell hardness factor in the range of 55 to 57.
These knives were produced solely in Japan and several thousand found their way into service throughout the 60's and 70's. In the 1980's the SOG Knife Company was formed and began to produce replicas of the original SOG knife. Most replicas were created to the original specifications of those produced during the Vietnam War, but stainless steel commemorative counterparts to the original knife bearing the insignia of the branch of service were also produced.
KA-BAR and SOG knives remain popular throughout the armed forces today, however, other non tradition manufactures such as Gerber are beginning to develop their own versions of tactical knives.