S.W.A.T. December 2007 - McKeesport Police Department

Dialer sheath
mounted on IBA.
blade, with a blade length between two
and a half and four inches. Anything
shorter might not be enough knife. Anything
longer would be unnecessarily
heavy and long, and would violate the
four-inch blade rule some barracks mandate.
Storage is also more complicated.
My hypothetical knife would have quick
access and be inexpensive. (“Joe” will
most likely break or lose the knife eventually.)
After I deployed for combat I refined
my ideas. Knife carry on body armor
is common, but soldiers carry so many
pouches of equipment that it is difficult
to find a convenient place to attach even
a four-inch blade. Some commanders order
their troops not to carry large knives
because of “public relations” problems.
I tried several folding knives after I
arrived, eventually returning to a desert
version of my favorite Spyderco Native,
which offers a terrific balance of size,
weight, ergonomics, cutting ability, and
price. I was still looking for an efficient
system for a vest-mounted knife, and
with my discovery of On/Scene Tactical’s
Speed Dialer, I believed I might
have found the optimal combination.
Spyderco makes some of my favorite
folding knives, the two most popular being
the Endura and smaller Delica. These
knives have constantly evolved over the
years, and offer some of the best values
in the market. Spyderco began offering
these knives with the Emerson “Wave”
feature in 2006.
The Wave is designed to make a folding
knife self-opening. This is accomplished
by building in a hook meant
to snag the pocket seam as the knife is
drawn. I’m still not sure of the need for
this feature on a pocketknife, but combined
with the Speed Dialer—a sheath
designed to accomplish opening—I believed
I might have found the ideal vest
carry combination for military or LE personnel.
The Endura has a four-inch flatground
blade. It features twin liners for
strength inside the textured, lightweight
blue-gray fiberglass-reinforced nylon
handles, which blend in nicely with current
ACU colors. The pocket clip can
be mounted on either side and can be
configured for blade tip-up or tip-down
carry. The front lock positively engages
when the knife is opened.
With a little practice, the Wave is easy
to use, and the draw becomes instinctive.
From the pocket, my Wave opens incredibly
quickly. Unfortunately, the grip required
to draw and open the knife from
the pocket also requires a shift to gain a
firm grasp on the handle. For the hook to
catch the pocket seam during the draw,
the Endura must be drawn forcefully
out and down. Because of the need to
shift hand position before hard use, and
especially the need to draw away from
the body, I do not feel the Wave offers
any defensive advantage over folders
without the Wave. The situation when
mounted on my Interceptor Body Armor
(IBA) is entirely different.
The Speed Dialer is a small Kydex
sheath with two rivets through which
a chain or cord is typically threaded for
neck carry. At the bottom of the sheath
is a knot of 550 cord around which the
Endura’s hook is inserted. The sheath is
lightweight, but strong, and I zip-tied
it high on the left side of my vest. I am
right handed, so I could reach up with
my dominant hand and easily access
the Endura. Figuring out how to snap
the knife in took a few tries, but quickly
became instinctive, and the Endura was
held securely in place.
From this mount, the Endura deploys
as quickly as any fixed blade, with the
drawing motion leaving the hand positioned
in front of the body, ready for
action. The Endura is not a small knife,
but folded, it still occupies less room and
looks more innocuous than virtually any
fixed blade.
I highly recommend the Endura/
Speed Dialer for those preparing to deploy
to a combat zone. If you know a
serviceman leaving for one of these areas,
this knife and sheath make a great
gift. The versatility of this folding knife
allows it to be carried in the pocket when
not “geared up,” and on the armor when
in “battle rattle.” Troops will not find
any piece of equipment they will use
more. §
SOURCES:
On/Scene Tactical
Dept. S.W.A.T.
3940 Suffolk Dr, RR#2
Harrow, Ontario, Canada
N0R 1G0
(519) 738-6693
www.onscenetactical.com
Spyderco Inc.
Dept. S.W.A.T.
820 Spyderco Way
Golden, CO 80403-8053
(800) 525-7770
www.spyderco.com
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