Tactical Tools: A Handy Solution for Outdoorsmen and Craftsmen Alike

Whether it’s for a week-long camping excursion, an overnight hunting trip, or a few hours working in the backyard in the evening, a bladed military, or tactical-style cutting tool is a great piece of kit to have handy. Nothing’s more convenient for trimming frayed ends off climbing ropes, batoning small logs for kindling, or cutting runaway vines from around the side of the house.

The fact, however, is that while every outdoorsman needs a hardened tactical-style tool when tackling nature, many of these same implements are just as useful in the asphalt jungle as they are in the backcountry. Chippies, sparkies, and Average Joes can all benefit from keeping a tactical-style tool in a toolbox, a glove box, or an everyday carry pouch. And they don’t have to be big to capable. That’s modern blade design is more specialised, and ultimately more adaptable than ever.

Versatile Tactical Tools That Add Value Everywhere They Go

While it’s no secret that military-style tactical blades are most likely to be associated with outback activities, a well designed tactical tool can be as valuable on the jobsite as it is at the campsite. The evolution of blade profiles and grinds, along with their wide selection of grips and handles offers a range of perfect combinations of everyday-use qualities that are sought after in all modern cutting tools, which includes:

• Unmatched blade strength. Unlike the low- and medium-hardness 10xx-series steels used in older bladed tools, today’s high carbon martensitic 4xx-series stainless steel alloys like 420 and 440 are heat annealed, and offer unmatched wear, chip, and scratch resistance under the heaviest use.
• Extraordinary corrosion resistant. The double-digit chromium content of 4xx-series stainless steels, together with their increased molybdenum and vanadium content, gives modern tactical-styled tools extraordinary corrosion resistance, even against prolonged exposure to salt and moisture.
• Superior balance. Balance is crucial for controlling bladed implements, and modern tactical-style military tools offer both the superior balance and weight distribution needed to maximise the blade’s cutting ability, while reducing the amount of strain placed on the hand and wrist.

Whether it’s hand cutting dovetail joints and custom gaskets, or trimming linoleum sheets and vinyl flooring, the versatility of modern tactical-style tools gives them an edge, regardless of how they’re used. And in the hands of an experienced craftsman, a properly bladed handheld army tool or tactical-style multitool can replace a multitude of other specialised cutting tools that are far less versatile but cost significantly more.

Hard Working Tactical Blade Profiles For Hard Working Tradies

From the ultra-light, stainless steel multitools trusted by virtually every tradie and sparky, to the durable, ergonomic pack hatchets that are as suitable for framing houses as they are at clearing undergrowth, there’s no shortage of tactical, and military tools for sale that can stand tall in any civilian setting. And with brands like Buck, Leatherman, and Gerber, investing decades of experience into perfecting their product lines, they’re synonymous with some of the most respected bladed military hand tools and cutting implements available anywhere.

There are no less than twenty unique blade profiles that tactical army tools and knives are commonly fitted with for hunting, camping and other outdoor activities. And as purely handheld implements, it’s no coincidence that some of these profiles are as capable on the workbench as they in the bush, to include:

• Straight back blades. Straight back blades feature a spine that runs perfectly straight from the handle to the tip, and are the cornerstone of basic blade design. These heavy-duty knifes can be used by chippies, sparkies, or tradies for any cutting job that requires power and control, such as joinery, carving, or basic utility work.
• Clip point blades. Clip points blades are known for the concave, or cutout section at the tip of the spine. The point created by the cutout provides an added degree of precision to the blade’s cutting power, making it suitable for tasks like cutting tarps, ropes, or any material that won’t put too much lateral pressure on the tip.
• Drop point blades. Drop point blades are easily distinguished by the light downward drop at the tip of the spine. Their strong, well-balanced edges are ideal for a broad range of general tasks such as light woodwork, opening boxes, or simply sharpening pencils.
• Spearpoint blades. Spearpoint blades are easily recognised by their identical top and bottom halves. As their balance is perfectly centred, these blades are exceptionally well suited for making starter holes, piercing gyprock, or as a trailing point or markout blade for wood.
• Trailing point blades. Trailing point blades feature a slight upward curve at the tip that rises slightly above the spine. While these blades are better suited for backcountry jobs like skinning and filleting, they can also be used for a select array of precision cutting jobs that hawkbill blades can be used for, including cutting paper, linoleum, and even carpeting.

These unique handheld blades, together with the more specialised varieties of bladed tactical tools such as axes and pack hatchets, EMT rescue tools, and commando saws, make up virtually every type of handheld implement that a tradie, chippie, sparky, or even landscaper would ever need. And with the right blade grind, tactical-style army tools for sale can be counted on to cut, carve, or pry their way through almost anything.

Blade Edge Grinds For All Types of Cutting Contingencies

While the basic shape, form, and even size/length of a knife’s blade is defined by its profile, the shape of its cross section is defined by its grind. As a critical dimension, a blade’s grind refers specifically to the shape of its bevel. 

And as many tactical-style and military tool blades can have multiple bevels extending varying lengths along both their edge and spine, grinds also indirectly reflect blade thicknesses. The fact is, the largest part of a knife’s functionality is determined by the grind of its blade, the most common of which would include:

• Flat grinds. Flat ground blades form a symmetrical V-shape from just under the spine that leads directly to the cutting edge, and is regarded as the most versatile grind with the widest range of applicability.
• Scandi grinds. Designed to take up less than half the width of the blade, scandi grinds are known for their thin, easy to sharpen V-shaped edge, and are the grind of choice when it comes to making shallow cuts in slightly thicker material.
• Hollow grinds. Hollow ground blades feature a concave-curved, razor sharp edge that, while more prone to chipping and rolling, is also one of the best for slicing, trimming, or carving into low friction materials like plywood or melamine.
• Convex grinds. Convex ground blades are common on axes and hatchets, and are known for having significant amounts of metal along their cutting edge for added strength when it comes to hard-wearing jobs like chopping, splitting, and batoning.
• Compound grinds. Compound grounds feature two or more different grinds along the cutting edge, creating a true tactical-style cutting tool that’s both less prone to chipping and capable of handling multiple tasks with relative ease.

Premium military tool kit knives and tactical-style tools can also feature serrations along the cutting edge for more aggressive cutting, as well as notches and thumb rises along the spine for added grip. These are all features that give the best possible cutting advantage for even the most unconventional contingencies.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, while outdoorsmen are no strangers to the abilities of tactical tools, their benefits are sometimes overlooked by professional craftsmen. Once they’re aware of them, however, it becomes very obvious that a single, easy to sharpen tactical knife can conveniently replace several specialised tradie and chippie tools, and at just a fraction of the price.

The reliability and flexibility of a premium quality tool can be as advantageous in the workshop as it is in the field. From their size and weight, to their design and cost, these tools have all the attributes that a professional could ask for in a bladed implement.