Knives for SWAT

A fixed blade knife is a multiple purpose tool for the intense tasks associated with SWAT operations. With a fixed blade, prying and other utility uses may be more important than cutting. A tactical folding knife has to be sharp. A fixed blade has to be everything else.

Most of all, it has to be tough enough to withstand extreme abuse while performing a wide variety of field-expedient tasks. SWAT officers will use the fixed blade as a pry bar, chisel, screwdriver, center punch, pick, shovel, knife, wire cutters, hammer and axe. The fixed blade is used more for tasks it was not intended than any other piece of tactical gear. And, ultimately, that is how the usefulness of fixed knife designs is judged.

The Model 140 Nimravus is one of Benchmade's fixed blade offerings and was designed by Allen Elishewitz. The Nimravus sent for testing had an ATS-- 34 blade, however, this alloy has recently changed to 154CM. These are both members of the 14-4 stainless steel family. They can be nearly as hard as the old high carbon steels but offer better corrosion protection.

These are high carbon (one percent), high chromium (14%) stainless steel hybrids originally developed for jet turbine blades. They use molybdenum, which increases the hardness depth in steel, are tough and hold an edge. The Nimravus is also available in M-2 high-speed hardened steel.

The Nimravus blade is four and a half inches long, .115" thick and has Benchmade's BT2 protective, nonreflective coating. The drop-point blade cut and penetrated a variety of materials without problems. Though the Nimravus is shorter, thinner and lighter than many of the fixed blades tested, it had no problem cutting.

The handle of the Nimravus is made of two black G-10 scales screwed to the tang of the blade, making the entire knife non-reflective. G-10 is an epoxy-- filled fiberglass composite. The handle is flat and has comfortable contour lines for finger placement with a small amount of tread for solid thumb placement. The exposed pommel is comfortable to use and functions well to break materials open.

The Kydex (acrylic and PVC) sheath has a nylon thumb strap that fits over the handle. The sheath is now available with a tension release device that...