With an alert sentry on watch, he might just spot a reflection and be able to shout a timely alarm, leaving your own Blokes out in an open field of fire. Yes, 1 + 1 = 2, in most wartime situations. It's before the war and after the war that the math gets screwy.

Some people like shiny blades, some don't. Even Doug's blades are finished in a "satin finish" which is very similar to a "stonewash finish" by other manufactorers. Its still "shiny", but not like a mirror polished treatment. Personally I LIKE tacti-cool finishes and gizmos. Yup, I might be a mall ninja, but I do have cool toys to play with and I can admit it. Its your knife bro, enjoy it like ya want it and don't worry about the naysayers.

-Bill Liptak

Take an object. Paint it OD green or a camouflage pattern. Call it 'tactical' and Ranger or SEAL or SF or .... well, you get the picture ... put it in the hands of a steroid-pumped gay swimsuit model wearing BDUs and scowling at the camera and you can charge about 50% more for it selling it to mall ninjas and killer-thriller wanna bes.

Take that same object out into a forest with a good foot of soft duff at dusk and drop it. Spend the next four hours on your hands and knees digging through the duff trying to find your widget.

Some things I understand. Young bucks are insecure and feel the need to look more competent and manly by associating themselves with macho male figures. Most overlook the simple fact that the best way to look unmanly and incompetent is to trying too hard to look competent and macho.

Some things I don't. Who in their right mind buys a camouflage wallet. Or camouflage flashlight. I see them for sale but I don't understand. Is the wallet for those who don't want to be seen paying the check? Won't that camouflage pattern on the flashlight sort of be wasted when it is on? And counterproductive when it is off and you need it?

On a practical level there may be some disadvantage to a tool being too shiny. Down here in Florida with the stronger sun shiny tools can be annoying and potentially dangerous as they flash and blind you. Nothing like being twelve stories up on a scaffold and getting dazzled to the point you have to close your eyes.

Usually wear, tear and a bit of dirt is enough to keep the shine down on most things. Lacking that bead blasting would work. Any good gun shop can put a matte finish on it. Parkerizing, browning or any of the newer coatings would do it.

wa ha ha ha ha!! ROFLMAO!!

I also prefer the non-shiny blades. Satin finish, bead blasted, black coated, etc. are among my favorites. I'm not in the military and I don't plan on going on any recon missions anytime soon.

The reason I prefer the "tactical" blade finishes is due to the fact that they're much less conspicuous (at reasonable sizes). That is very important to me in this day and age when everybody is so paranoid about anything that can be perceived as a weapon. I've found that if you take out a shiny knife (even a small one), it tends to attract more attention from people. With a dull, non-reflective, surface I find that I can generally take out my knife in public and rarely get any stares or comments. It's as if nobody notices. Even if it's legal to carry the knife, being hassled about it by civilians or law enforcement when all you want to do is open a package is frustrating. If I can reduce my chances of attracting attention with my knife, I'm all for that.

I suppose even for such a benign reason as I explained, you can still consider it tactical. My tactic is trying to stay inconspicuous .

Your strategy is trying to stay inconspicuous.

Tactics and strategy are not the same.

A shiny knife is as eligible as a crow bar at being used tactically.



-JRJ

A bare steel shiny blade should cut easier.

mall ninjas and killer-thriller wanna bes


What wrong with making a product to fill the customer’s needs? As long as you do it ethically I see nothing wrong with it. If you are a knife maker, theses people’s money feels just as good in your pocket as any other knife enthusiast money does.

I have one use for coated blades- corrosion resistance.

Anything else... Yeah, if my brain is in "tactical" mode, odds are I'm past carring. And if they are enough of a fashionista they worry about it, they aren't likely to be why I'm in the frame of mind. If I have to get close, that is what sheaths are for. :P

Concur. Tumbledown was an example of closing to bayonet range when the other guy still had bullets. Stupidity at it's finest, not shiny blades, combined with bad luck got those men killed.