While EDC knives are certainly tools, I think anyone who carries a gun also acknowledges that they’re a backup weapon as well. Especially in a weapons retention situation. Even if you don’t carry a gun, if you carry a knife you’re probably cognizant of its defensive potential if needed. While there are a lot of knives out there that you can choose from, with a lot of good reasons why, let’s take a look at the humble boot knife and a couple of examples from SOG Knives and Cold Steel.
What's a Boot Knife
So how do we define a boot knife? Well, if you’re a kid of the 1980’s you know immediately what I mean by a boot knife. The style was epitomized by the classic Gerber MK I and was copied by myriad Japanese companies at the time.
Generally we're talking about a double edged, fixed blade knife with a blade ranging from 3 to 5 inches or so. Handles at the time were typically cast aluminum, although you did see wood and stacked leather options as well.
They got the nickname boot knives because they typically had a sheath with a metal clip that allowed it to be tucked inside the waistband or, as the name implies, to the top of your boot. Boot knives didn't originate in the 80’s but I feel like that’s when this particular style came into its own.
As far as usage goes, boot knives follow the basic dagger principle. While you certainly can slash with one, they’re really designed for stabbing. Now, I'm never going to advise against getting training. If you can do it, you absolutely should. Anything you do, you're going to do better with some training under your belt. With that said, if you're trying to get someone off of you or away from your primary weapon, a good way to do that is to poke some holes in them.
The boot knife is pretty well designed for poking holes. Being that its main purpose is poking, it honestly doesn’t need to be made of any kind of super steel. This isn't a hunting knife, a bushcraft knife, or even an EDC utility knife. Yeah, you can open your Amazon boxes with it, but that doesn’t exactly require anything fancy either. Knife guys get obsessed about boutique super steels, but you honestly don’t need them for everything, and that helps keep costs down.
Old vs New
I had a Gerber MK I that I bought in the PX when I went into the Army, I also had a couple of the Japanese knock offs before that, and learned some lessons from those. First off, even the Gerber, which was the gold standard of boot knives, didn't have anything fancy steel wise. They were made from 440C stainless steel, which was good, but not anything crazy. The Japanese ones were often made from 420HC. Not as good, but good enough for their intended use. I never really saw much difference between the two for what the knives were used for.
If you try and look for an old Gerber MK I you’ll see they have quite the collectors market these days, and prices are well over $100 depending on condition. Even the Japanese knock offs from the era have a surprising following and will run $50 to $100 or more depending on model and condition.
If you want a boot knife today though, there are still affordable options, just like those Japanese models were back in the 1980’s. Manufacturing is going to be mostly in China or Taiwan, but the prices are right for something that’s going to be mainly just carried around and only used in an emergency. Let’s take a look at some options I found from SOG and Cold Steel and see what you get for your money.
The Cold Steel Counter Tac I & II
Cold Steel is a brand that just about everyone is familiar with. They have a reputation for making rugged knives and their boot knives stay true to that. At first glance they follow the same basic double edge design as the old Gerber MK I but there are differences.
They use an injection molded Kray-Ex handle over a full tang. The Kray-Ex has a rubber like feel that adds texture to give you a sure grip. Blades are made from AUS8A, which falls in between 420HC and 440C in properties. That’s plenty good for a boot knife. The Counter Tac has an interesting grind, being a double edged bevel on one side and a concave grind on the opposite. In theory this should enhance penetration. I’m not sure how much practical effect it has or not, but it certainly doesn’t detract from the knife’s capabilities.
The Counter Tac’s comes with a Secure Ex sheath with a belt and boot clip that is durable and resistant to sweat or environmental conditions. Retention is molded in to the lip of the sheath. Cold Steel makes two sizes, the Counter Tac I and Counter Tac II.
The Counter Tac I features an overall length of 9.5 inches. It has a 5 inch spear point blade with a stonewash finish and a thickness of 5mm. The 4.5 inch durable Kray-Ex handle is symmetrical with a double guard and a lanyard hole at the butt. It weighs just 4.6 ounces. The knives are made in Taiwan and the MSRP is $79.99, although street prices tend to be under $50.
The Counter Tac II is a good bit smaller with an overall length of 6.75 inches. It features a 3 3/8 inch spear point blade with a stonewashed finish and a thickness of 4mm. Same style grind as the Tac I. The 3 3/8 inch handle is made from Kray-Ex like its bigger brother. The Tac II is feathery at only 2.1 ounces. It comes with a Secure-Ex sheath with belt clip but also includes a chain that allows it to be carried as a neck knife. MSRP is $54.99 with street prices running $35- $40 with some shopping around.
The SOG Nightshade
SOG’s Nightshade boot knife has an overall length of 9 inches. It features a 4.75 inch dagger style blade made from 420 stainless steel.
It has a flat double edge grind, and black finish. The 4.25-inch handle is injection molded black polymer. It doesn’t have the rubbery feel of Cold Steel’s Kray-Ex, but is well textured and grooved for a secure grip. It also has a brass lined lanyard hole at the butt.
Following the classic boot knife pattern its handle is symmetrical with a double guard. It’s a touch lighter than the Counter Tac I at 4.16 ounces. The Nightshade includes a nylon sheath with retention strap and belt loop. It’s made in China and has an MSRP of only $34.95 with some online prices running as low as $25.
Handling and Performance
The Counter Tac 1 and the Nightshade handle pretty similarly. They’re about the same size and weight.
I prefer the tackier feel of the Kray-Ex handle and the wasp waisted handle design on the Counter Tac, but functionally they both work equally well. The knives are nimble in the hand and work well in a variety of grips thanks to the symmetrical handles. You don’t need to worry about edge orientation with a double edge dagger profile either.
The Counter Tac II is a lot smaller than the other two knives. I can still get a three and half finger grip on it though. The handle material and grip shape actually make it feel pretty secure despite being so compact.
Testing of a dagger style blade is a lot different than testing a utility knife or a bushcraft knife. I did try various thrusts and stabs at stacked cardboard targets, both bare and covered in layers of old denim. The sharp tips penetrated easily and I could generally get full blade penetration with all three knives. Slashes with the tip were shallow but still would probably be rather nasty. I even did cut open some boxes and packages and yes, they do still work for that too!
When it comes to carry, the Cold Steel sheaths are by far the winners. The slim profile and clips allowed for a variety of carry methods. Inside the waistband was my preferred method, but they also clipped to my pack straps and MOLLE vest easily too. Plus, the Counter Tac II could be worn as a neck knife. The Nightshade’s traditional drop style sheath pretty much limited it to be carried on the belt. Not great for concealment for sure. I was able to zip tie it to my pack, which did work okay though.
Best Budget Backup?
So is a boot knife your best bet for a budget back up blade? I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it certainly is an option. All of the blades covered here have street prices around $50 or less so they’re pretty affordable too. They may not have the high end materials you see on other EDC blades, but they really don’t need them for what they’re intended to do.
Of the three blades I give the nod to the Cold Steel Counter Tac 1 as being my overall pic for feel and handling, and the sheath. It's the most expensive option though. The Counter Tac is definitely viable if you want something smaller. SOG’s Nightshade is the best deal, and is still a solid choice although personally I’d have to invest in a Kydex or aftermarket sheath to make carry practical. The traditional belt style drop loop sheath just doesn’t seem that practical for this style knife in my opinion.
As with anything else, check your local laws before stuffing a boot knife in your belt (or your boot). Pay attention to any length restrictions you may have in your area, or rules against double edged blades.
– Tim Stetzer, Shooting News Weekly