Best Tactical Knife Features (and Others That Aren’t So Much)

You can look up “the best tactical knife” and see what specific recommendations the top listicles make, or you can get good at identifying the features and attributes that a high-performing tactical knife will deliver. Let’s follow the latter approach. Here are some of the things to look for in a quality tactical knife.

So What Makes the Best Tactical Knife?

If you’re in the market for a tactical knife, you’re either in the market for a knife to support you in the line of duty, either as a law enforcement officer, as a military or paramilitary professional, or in some other official capacity, or you are looking for a knife that will deliver in the face of harsh conditions.

Here are some features that make what you might call the best tactical knife. 

• Good steel. Just what “good” steel is should be determined by the conditions, because there are some instances in which a higher degree of corrosion resistance will be merited, for instance, but as a general rule, the three attributes you want to look for in a knife steel are corrosion resistance, wear resistance (which will in turn deliver better edge retention) and toughness, which will help protect the knife against abuse. 

• A suitable blade profile. Many blade profiles can suit a tactical knife, depending on application. For knives intended primarily for defensive applications, needle point, tanto point, and spear point profiles are highly effective, as are clip points. For general utility, drop point and straight back knives are ideal. Wherever a stouter tip is warranted, a sheepsfoot profile is a better option. 

• A lanyard hole. A lanyard hole affords you the flexibility to add a lanyard to the knife, which can be used to extend the grips of the knife, or used as a wrist strap to secure the knife to you, aiding in retention. 

• A Kydex sheath with a perforated margin. Though a lot of emphasis on the “best tactical knife” as a concept is placed on the knife itself (and justifiably so), the sheath it comes with can add a lot of value or leave a lot on the table. While leather is classic, a Kydex sheath (or some other thermoformed plastic sheath) with a perforated margin will offer a great deal of value because of the versatility it affords in how the knife can be carried. A knife sheath like this, especially one that is MOLLE-compatible, can be rigged for carry a whole bunch of ways. Some can even be neck carried. Also, plastic knife sheaths need comparatively little maintenance. 

• A serrated back. Some tactical knives are made with serrated spines. This feature is not absolutely necessary in the best tactical knife but it can potentially add value by making it easier to cut through hard materials like wood, bone, or plastic, among others. 

Other Things a Tactical Knife Should Offer

In addition to what has been covered so far here, here are a few features or aspects that the best tactical knife available to you should also offer: 

• A generally practical design.
• Good edge geometry and an appropriate grind. 
• A comfortable, ergonomic handle that offers a grip even with gloved hands. 

It’s important to remember that the utility of a tactical knife is performance, not aggressive aesthetic. It’s more important that a tactical knife can deliver under pressure rather than that it looks the part.

What You Can Skip

While we’ve covered some of the best attributes of quality tactical knives, here are some things you can skip. 

• The hole by the point of the blade. This feature was built into the design of some bayonets like the M9 because it mated to the sheath and enabled the bayonet to double as a wire-cutter. However, on your run of the mill tactical knife, which doesn’t have a sheath that enables it to be used this way, it is more or less a useless feature that is simply there for aesthetics. 

• The hollow handle. Skip this feature at all costs. Some marketers use this as a gimmick to claim that survival gear can be stored in the handle, but if you’re so hard pressed for space on your loadout that you need to stuff some fishing line in the handle of your knife, you have far bigger problems. Let alone the fact that a knife with a hollow handle does not have a full tang. Avoid this feature like the plague; it weakens the knife for no reason at all. 

Shop Tactical Knives at The Knife Connection

Still wondering what the best tactical knife or survival knife for you is? Use this guide to point you in the right direction, then shop our collection or get in touch with us directly and we can help make recommendations.