Knives Illustrated March/April 2019

It’s only tactical if it gives you an advantage. Dictionary.com defines tactics as “any mode of procedure for gaining advantage or success” and tactical as “of or relating to a maneuver or plan of action designed as an expedient toward gaining a desired end or temporary advantage.” To expound on this, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines tactical as “using or being weapons or forces employed at the battlefront.” By these definitions, we can see that tactical tools or weapons are generally used in an effort to gain an advantage and bring about success. What generally sets tactical knives apart from most typical knife styles is their intended use. Whereas any knife can be used as a weapon, tactical knives give special emphasis on this. However, that is not where it ends.…

01 Exotac ripSPOOL One of my personal pet peeves is getting into the field ... only to have a piece of equipment fail or take damage. For this reason, I always have some sort of repair kit with me on backpacking trips, but it usually consists of a small baggy of stuff and a small pencil with duct tape wrapped around it. In other words, it is a bit sloppy—functional, but sloppy. Not long ago, Exotac worked with Battle Box to produce the ripSPOOL field repair kit that solves the issue of a messy kit. Recently, Exotac has been making the ripSPOOL under its own line, made a few modifications and alterations to it, and re-released it. This is a must-have piece of kit for anybody who spends any amount…

Your rights are in good hands. Luckily for knife owners everywhere, Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter simply doesn't give up the fight. After the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the plaintiff's petition for rehearing en banc (by the full court) in Knife Rights' long-running federal civil rights case against New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., a petition was submitted for a Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States, asking it to hear the case. Recall that the issue is the city's policy of treating any locking-blade folding knife that can be "wrist flicked" open as a prohibited gravity knife—a serious criminal offense. Currently, the city and the DA are arresting and prosecuting approximately 500 innocent knife owners per…

When survival shows go to extremes, the results can be brutal. The widely popular Discovery Channel television show, Naked and Afraid, is not for the weak of mind or weak of body. In each episode, one man and one woman are stripped of gear, food, water—and, most evident, clothing—as they attempt to brave the brutal forces of Mother Nature in diverse locations throughout the world. It takes a unique individual to take on the experience and an even stronger one to finish the grueling 21- or 40-day challenge. These diverse people not only share their love of the outdoors and uncanny knack for survival, they also share their primary choice of tool and weapon: the knife. Now, in the first of a six-part series, Knives Illustrated digs deep into the…

The national spotlight has shined on Melissa Miller over recent years, but underneath her hardcore survival persona lies a fun-loving, nature-infused country girl from Fenton, Michigan. During her very early years, Melissa didn’t follow the same path as most young girls. Instead of playing dolls or dress-up, Melissa preferred catching frogs and snakes. At 4 years old, she learned how to fish, and her family’s dock became her “second home.” Her love of nature expanded from there. She studied biology in college, ending her time with a valuable education degree. During her years there, she had the chance to study tree and plant identification, various natural sciences and Native American history and culture—all subjects that would be useful throughout her everyday life. Melissa became a park naturalist in Michigan, where…

Melissa has reached a milestone in her knife-centric career—creating her very own knife from start to finish and to her exact specifications. Working directly with the Maine Knife Company (MaineKnifeCompany.com), Melissa has created her very own signature knife, the Backwoods, based on all the positive features she has loved in the plethora of bushcraft knives she has tested over the years. This knife, still in the production stage, will feature a slight drop point and Scandinavian grind and will be composed of 1095 steel and all-natural wood handles. The best part is that a portion of the knife’s sales will go toward a nonprofit organization called Amazon Watch. This group advocates for many indigenous people in the region who are losing their homes to those profiting off the Amazon region.…