Relatively recently, the very combination of the words "plastic knives" evoked associations only with disposable catering kits and plastic knives designed for opening envelopes in offices.
In addition, plastic knives were actively used as training knives in mastering knife fighting techniques. The use of plastic made it possible to switch from wooden and rubber knives, imitating only the general shape of the knife, to dimensional copies of real knives. The use of dimensional copies of real samples increased the efficiency of mastering knife fighting techniques and knife manipulations.
Training dimensional copies of knives and their prototypes
Common household knives and tactical knives were made of steel, although the first knives in history were made of wood, bone, silicon, and volcanic glass.
Achievements in the chemical industry have led to the creation of new, fairly durable types of synthetic materials, which were used to make tactical knives and personal self-defense knives.
For the manufacture of the first plastic knives, plastics such as ABS (ABS) and Zytel (Zytel) were used.
Zaitel knives had good penetration, but a weak cutting edge. In the future, instead of these materials, they began to use more advanced composite materials based on epoxy resins, reinforced with carbon fiber (carbon knives) or fiberglass. These include the G-10, Gravory, GPR and MP45. Reinforcement of plastic with glass and carbon fiber made it possible to provide a significant increase in the cutting properties of knives, since micro teeth were formed on the blade due to the fibers.
Leadership in the field of plastic knives belongs to American companies.
In addition, nowadays there are knives made of ceramics, which in terms of cutting ability are practically not inferior to knives made of steel. However, due to its fragility, until recently, mainly kitchen knives were made from ceramics.
In the 1980s. The American company "Lansky Sharpeners", known for its knife sharpening devices, has launched a plastic opening knife on the market. For the manufacture of the knife, ABS thermoplastic was used.
Lansky Knife
One side of the knife was convex and the other was flat. To increase the cutting properties of the knife, half of its cutting edge was made in the form of a file of small teeth. It is interesting to note that on the handle was the so-called "thumbprint", which first appeared on the blade of the famous commando dagger "V-42". The total length of the knife was 17.8 cm, of which 8.9 cm was on the blade. The weight of the knife did not exceed 20 grams.
The operation of this knife showed that it can also be used as a means of self-defense - the strength of the plastic made it possible to inflict a stabbing blow, breaking through a layer of clothing.
From the same material, Union Blade has already made a full-size utility knife under the name “Practical Dagger”. The knife was made in the form of a Japanese tanto knife with a blade length of 15 cm, with a full knife length of 29 cm.
The famous American knife designer A. G. Russell was one of the first to use the material for making knives.
In the mid-1970s, he developed the CIA Letter Opener knife. Its shape was almost identical to its steel boot knife "Sting 1 A", which was very popular at the time.
Knife "CIA Letter Opener"
The total size of the knife was 16.5 cm, and the weight was only about 23 g (the steel counterpart weighed about 110 grams). Stiffening ribs and a blade on the blade provided strength sufficient to punch through a wooden board. At the time, it was the most durable of plastic knives, designed to be used in a variety of situations - from self-defense to being used as camping tent pegs.
The name of the knife is due to the fact that it was "invisible" to metal detectors. The abbreviation C. I. A. (CIA) in the name of the knife is synonymous with everything related to intelligence and espionage. That is, the name of the knife can be translated into Russian as "Spy knife for opening letters."
The knife was very popular and served as a model for the creation of numerous clones with the common name "CIA Letter Opener".
Knife clones "CIA Letter Opener"
At the beginning of this century, Blackie Collins, with the assistance of Shomer Tec, released a new version of the classic C. I. A. Letter Opener”by E. J. Russell.
For the manufacture of the knife, a variety of the new Gravory polymer (gravory) - GV3 H, reinforced with glass fiber (60%) was used. The use of this material has resulted in superior penetration and a much stronger edge compared to the prototype knives from the seer.
To provide a better cut of fibrous materials, a microsaw appeared on part of one side of the blade. For the convenience of carrying the knife, a plastic clip is installed on its handle, and the knife has got a plastic sheath. In addition, the handle had a hole for attaching a lanyard / lanyard.
The shape of the knife “C. I. A. Letter Opener by Choat Machine and Tool.
Its own version of “C. I. A. Letter Opener "is currently produced by the Israeli company" FAB Defense ", specializing in the production of high-quality tactical equipment for the army, police and special forces of Israel. This knife has a serrator on both sides of the blade.
The total length of these knives is 20.5 cm, and the weight is only 30 grams. The knives are available in three colors - black, green and olive.
In the future, the "spy" direction found its embodiment in the "OSS Lapel Dagger" concealed carrying dagger of the "Blackjack Knife" company (it ceased its work in 1997). The company established the production of a small dagger with a triangular blade, which was a plastic copy of one of the last-chance weapons of British and American intelligence officers and saboteurs sent to the territory of Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
Dagger of hidden carrying "OSS Lapel Dagger"
Like its steel prototype, the plastic version could be attached to the lapel of the jacket. For this, there were several small holes along the edges of the transparent plastic scabbard, using which it was possible to sew the scabbard over the lapels of the jacket lapels.
The total length of the dagger was about 9 cm, of which 6 cm was the blade.
Ernest Emerson was one of the first designers to use G-10 fiberglass for the manufacture of tactical knives. His tactical knife was known as the Deep Cover Knife. The knife was designed for police, army and combat swimmers for use in conditions where the magnetic properties of the knife, electrical conductivity or the possibility of sparks can interfere with the task. The knife was produced by the Shomer-Tec company.
It was a sturdy, reliable knife that weighed only 85 grams. The knife could be used as a personal defense weapon, a probe for mine clearance, for digging the ground, or as an impromptu spearhead. The use of the new material and its design have significantly increased the strength of the tip and cutting edge. The knife was about 26 cm long and 6 mm thick. A nylon sheath was attached to the knife, allowing the knife to be carried both with the handle up and down. A non-metallic clip-clip on the scabbard provided the knife to be fastened to the waist belt.
In the future, Emerson's knife was taken as the basis for a series of Counterterror knives by Mission Knives, which specializes in the development of non-magnetic knives for the army and combat swimmers. The series included four knives in two size categories with a spear-shaped blade and an American tanto blade. The main consumer of these knives was the United States combat swimmers.
Mission knives
After the discontinuation of the production of these knives by the company "Mission knives" knives of the CT-3 model continued for some time to be produced by the company "Mantis Knives" in the line of knives under the general name "Ghost". This line also included the longest of the plastic knives, the machete knife (total length 35.5 cm). Knives of the "Ghost" series were completed with a nylon sheath.
Ghost Knives, Mantis Knives
Knife fighting instructor Laci Szabo, who is known for his original combat and tactical knives, as well as self-defense weapons, has developed a series of plastic knives "GLO Knives" made of G-10 material.
The GLO Knives series of knives includes 6 models of knives with different types of blades.
GLO Knives series. Designed by Lacy Szabo
After the events of September 11, 2001, they are sold only to police officers and military personnel.
The company "Mad Dog Labs" in the development of its plastic knife "Frequent Flyer" as a material used glass fiber laminate of its own design, which in its strength and cutting properties was superior to G-10. The quality of workmanship and well thought out design made this knife considered one of the best on the market.
Frequent Flyer Knife from Mad Dog Labs
The toughest of all plastic composite knives was Busse Combat Knife Co's Stealth Hawk.
This knife began production in 1992. Composite plastic "MP45", which has unique properties, was used for its manufacture.
Initially, this knife was developed for sappers of army units, police and special forces, who felt an urgent need for a knife made of non-magnetic material and excluding the formation of sparks during work. In addition, undercover drug control officers also needed a non-magnetic knife. When "buying" drugs from drug dealers, the latter often checked them with a metal detector to identify metal police badges or weapons.
Busse Combat Knife Co Stealth Hawk
Unlike other companies and craftsmen who chose an existing steel knife as a prototype for a knife, when creating this knife, the shape of its blade and saw on it was chosen so as to maximize the properties of the original material.
The knife has a specific bullet-shaped tip - "BAT" (Busse Armored Tip), and most of the blade is a seryitor with rather large teeth. The shape of the teeth is selected in such a way as to ensure not a cut, but a ripping of the surface with which they are in contact.
Samples of these knives have successfully passed severe strength tests, during which they punched car doors, 200-liter steel barrels with a knife, hammered it into a wooden bar, sawed a half-inch hemp rope into 17 pieces. When clamping the knife in a vice, it withstood bends up to 20 degrees without deformation.
Despite these outstanding functional properties, the production of these knives was soon discontinued (currently Busse Combat Knife Co does not manufacture plastic knives at all). This was due to the complex technology of manufacturing sheets of polymer material for knife blanks. In addition, one of the components that make up the plastic was produced by just one small factory, which was closed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) due to harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Plastic knives were not ignored by such well-known knife companies as Cold Steel, Fox, Emerson, Boker Plus, etc.
Thus, the Special Project department of Cold Steel has developed and launched the production of plastic stylets Delta Dart and CAT Tanto, CAT - Covert Action made of the seer.
Dart "Delta" is a triangular stylet 10 x 10 x 10 mm, 20.5 cm long (blade - 8 cm). The handle with a diameter of 12 mm is knurled. Delta Dart can be equipped with a plastic round sheath (length 13 cm) with a chain for wearing around the neck.
CAT Tanto is an exact replica of the popular Cold Steel tactical knife, based on the legendary Japanese tanto and aikutti knives. Initially, like the Delta Dart, it was made from a semitrailer.
Subsequently, the company began to use the more modern and durable gravory material for the manufacture of CAT Tanto. A whole series of Nightshades non-metallic knives has been released from this material. In addition to the CAT Tanto, this series includes 9 more different knives and daggers - from the classic Boot Blade to the exotic Boot Ring, which is a weapon and multipurpose kunai tool that was part of the ninja's arsenal. Most are plastic versions of Cold Steel's steel knives.
Series of non-metallic knives "Night shadows"
Unlike Delta Dart, which is made entirely of one type of plastic, all knives in this series have a rubber-like polymer material “Kraton” that has been used by the company as a coating for handles since the early 1980s. This material provides a secure grip on the handle in a wide variety of temperature conditions, including high humidity.
Knives of the Granger Knives & Pale Horse Fighters company are considered the best among modern knives in terms of strength characteristics. They are made from new GPR material and are intended for sale to military and law enforcement personnel only. According to this company, the knives are used by federal agents and undercover police operatives. Knives were developed at the end of the first decade of this century.
Granger Knives
The use of GPR material made it possible to take another step towards increasing the penetration and cutting properties of plastic knives. In terms of the hardness of the cutting edge, they are second only to ceramic knives and are 4–5 times superior to knives from G-10, and 2–3 times higher than knives from other polymers reinforced with glass fiber. The hardness of their cutting edge is equivalent to 47 units on the Rockwell scale. When tested, a 4 mm thick GPR PCB plate with a size of 17.8 x 3 cm withstood a transverse load of up to 113 kg. Since the knives were made of 6 mm thick PCB sheets, their strength was even higher.
GPR knives are available with standard, serrated or combined cutting edges. For ease of carrying, they are equipped with a universal sheath made of kydex, providing various options for hidden carrying of the knife.
Editing a standard blade can be done with a regular file, and a serrated blade with a file.
As an example, the photo shows the Granger Knives models GKI 3 and 9.
The use of plastic in the knife industry did not bypass the karambit-type knives that became fashionable at the end of the last century.
Plastic karambits
However, plastic karambits of the classic design with a sickle blade do not provide the famous ripping cut inherent in steel karambits.
Therefore, knives oriented to a thrusting blow with a straight, rather than a crescent-shaped blade, but with elements of a karambit design, providing a reliable hold of the knife in the hand - handles with a ring (or rings) for the fingers, have become much more widespread.
Kerambit knives
Generally, the vast majority of plastic knives are fixed blade knives or daggers. Perhaps the only plastic folding knife was the Blackie Collins knife. The knife was positioned as a personal self-defense knife, as well as an auxiliary tool for electricians.
As a material for the knife, we used a grater reinforced with nylon fibers (30%).
The knife can be edited with a regular nail file or sandpaper.
Blackie Collins Plastic Folding Knife
The only metallic, but non-magnetic element of this knife was a small beryllium bronze spring that provides a semi-automatic opening of the knife blade. There was a plastic clip (clip) on the handle for convenient carrying of the knife.
The knife was produced with both regular and serrated blades. In the open state, the length of the knife was 16.5 cm, of which 7 cm fell on the blade. When closed, the length of the knife is 10 cm. The weight of the knife did not exceed 40 grams.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that recently the strength of plastic knives has increased significantly, they, of course, are inferior in their capabilities to knives with a steel blade, especially in their ability to cut. In the best plastic knives, the hardness of the cutting edge is equivalent to 47 points on the Rockwell scale, while in combat steel knives this figure ranges from 58 to 62 points.
These knives are well suited for common day-to-day operations such as opening plastic bags, cardboard boxes, cutting tape and rope. As for tactical use, then they lose to steel blades. They are capable of inflicting only shallow cutting wounds on the surface of the body unprotected by clothing. At the same time, their strength is sufficient to pierce even fairly dense clothing. The destruction of the knife can occur after 5–6 blows. At the same time, the design features of the knife are of great importance, primarily the geometry of the blade, its thickness, the presence of additional structural elements that enhance the strength of the blade, and the presence of a full-fledged guard.
Therefore, for self-defense purposes, the most preferred are plastic knives and push-type daggers with a brass knuckle grip of the handle, oriented to a thrust rather than a cut.
One of the first to market a jogging knife was the Choat Machine and Tool company called Ice of Spades. The knife is made in the form of a keychain for keys, made of a stitch.
Jog type plastic knives
Cold Steel's Push Blade knives have good combat characteristics. They are based on the Safe Keeper series of their excellent steel jog knives. Push Blades are made from gravory material and are available in two size categories with blade lengths 8, 8 (Push Blade I) and 5, 7 cm (Push Blade II). Both knives are 6.5 mm thick.
An interesting variant of the "last chance weapon" was developed by the already mentioned Laci Szabo.
This weapon has the unusual name "Covert Straw" and is a 7, 4 mm diameter carbon fiber tube with an oblique cut at the impact end. For ease of holding in the hand, this "straw" has a winding of synthetic cord or tape. In a slightly modified form, its release was established in the USA in three sizes - small with a length of 9.5 cm, an average of 12 cm and a long one of 14 cm. Unlike the prototype, a soft plastic tube with two small rollers to hold the implement firmly in the hand.
Secret Straw Cannon
A similar weapon, disguised as a ballpoint pen, was produced by Shomer-Tec.
For women's self-defense, on the market you can find plastic combs in the form of knives by Italian designer Lorenzo Damiani, as well as stilettos disguised as a hairbrush (Cold Steel) or a comb (United Cutlery).
Hidden in the handle of the Cold Steel hairbrush is a stiletto consisting of two flat blades with an end, forming a single whole and arranged in a criss-cross pattern. The thickness of each blade-blade is slightly more than 1 cm. The length of the stylet is 9 cm. The design of the stylet handle provides the ability to use any grip.
For the manufacture of the stylet, a fiberglass-reinforced zaitel material was used.
The total length of this brush with the attached stylet is 21.5 cm and the weight is 2.2 ounces.
The stylet in the United Cutlery comb has a similar design but is made of polypropylene.
Knife and stilettos for women's self-defense
For a long time, plastic knives were perceived by society as nothing more than an exotic toy, especially since the special forces did not particularly spread about the experience of their use by operational workers.
Photos and videos about testing plastic knives, cited by manufacturing companies, were perceived as nothing more than a publicity stunt. However, the effectiveness of using such knives has been confirmed by independent tests.
The unique property of these knives is that they are not detected by metal detectors. Therefore, they can be freely carried through the frames of these devices installed at airports, in crowded places. Unfortunately, criminals also take advantage of this.
After several incidents with the use of plastic knives in the United States, various restrictions are imposed. These restrictions were tightened after the September 11, 2001, airliner hijacking attacks, when, according to some reports, the terrorists also used plastic knives to hijack the planes. In a number of states, their sale and wearing was generally prohibited, many manufacturing companies stopped producing such knives, while others limited their sale only to law enforcement officers and the military.
Some firms began to place small metal plates inside plastic knives in order to make them "visible" to metal detectors. For the same purpose, all Cold Steel plastic knives were sold with a metal ring attached to the end of the handle.
In the aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, the FBI began collecting information about small, easily concealed knives and other similar potentially dangerous objects that could be carried by air passengers in carry-on luggage or under clothing. Based on the analysis of this information, a special directory was compiled, the FBI Guid to concealable weapons. This handbook has been distributed to X-ray television introscopes operators and US law enforcement agencies. The publication contains photographs of items that are dangerous from the FBI point of view, which should be seized when found in the hand luggage of passengers on flights. In order to help identify the items included in the handbook, their description is accompanied by photographs of their display on the introscope screen.
FBI Handbook of Hidden Weapons Directory
Later, this guide was also available for free sale. Among other items considered dangerous, the handbook, of course, also included plastic knives: a plastic Tanto-type knife, a small butt dagger with a leaf-shaped blade United Cutlery, a Blackie Collins folding knife, two knives disguised as United Cutlery hair combs. »UC-732 and UC-2714, Delta Dart stiletto, and Lansky opener.
Of the plastic knives listed in the review on the territory of the Russian Federation, Knives of the Night Shadows series by Cold Steel and a household knife from Lansky are available for free sale.
As already noted, despite the excellent cutting properties, ceramic knives have not been characterized by impact resistance until now. However, to date, high-impact ceramic materials have been developed and, as a result, tactical ceramic knives.
From our dossier
Polymers are high molecular weight substances (homopolymers) with additives (stabilizers, inhibitors, plasticizers, etc.) introduced into them.
Plastics, or plastics - complex (composite) materials based on polymers containing dispersed or short-fiber fillers, pigments and other components.
ABS (ABS) - acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer. High-impact technical thermoplastic resin based on a copolymer of acrylonitrile with butadiene and styrene (the name of the plastic is formed from the initial letters of the names of monomers). An opaque material that lends itself well to coloring.
ABS plastic is widely used in various industries due to its properties - shock resistance, moisture resistance and heat resistance (operating temperature range from - 40 ° C to + 90 ° C), resistance to acids, alkali and salt solutions. ABS parts are manufactured by injection molding.
G-10 is a type of fiberglass - a material whose main components are fiberglass and epoxy resins. The manufacturing process of the material is the soaking of fiberglass in resins, after which the impregnated fiberglass is compressed. The material has high strength characteristics, moisture resistance, non-flammable, works in a wide temperature range and lends itself well to coloring. As a rule, it has a characteristic textured and slightly rough surface. It is widely used in the knife industry as a material for knife handles.
From our dossier
GRIVORY is a registered trademark of the material produced by EMS-CHEMIE AG (Switzerland).
Gravory is made on the basis of semi-crystalline technical thermoplastics polyphthalamides (PFA), reinforced with glass fiber, has high rigidity and strength, weak absorption of moisture, retains its shape well, is resistant to chemicals, and is close to wood in terms of thermal conductivity.
GPR (Glass-reinforced plastic) is a glass-fiber reinforced plastic made from polyester-based plastic reinforced with thin glass fibers. Possesses high mechanical strength, resistance to chemicals. The material is fire resistant and retains its properties over a wide temperature range.
Carbon fibers (HC) were first obtained by the famous American inventor T. Edison back in 1880. They were used as filament for incandescent lamps. However, due to the fragility of these threads, they were soon replaced by tungsten threads.
In the middle of the 20th century, on the basis of a new technology, hydrocarbons were obtained with high thermal stability, strength, and resistance to aggressive chemicals. Due to these unique properties, HC was used in the manufacture of rocket engines. As the technology of HC manufacturing improved and its cost decreased, it began to be widely used in various fields as a filler in various types of carbon fiber reinforced plastics.
