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A knife is perhaps among the earliest duty gear that man has used. And in the way in which man’s duty gear has evolved, a knife in its various forms has become the duty gear of people in different professions today. A healing knife is the surgeon’s duty gear, a carving knife is the butcher’s duty gear, and a kitchen knife is the duty gear of every housewife and chef. Knives of different types are used by gardeners, fishermen, hunters, and carpenters. Even artists like sculptors need knives as their duty gear and ornate table knives are part of elegant table setting.
 In the case of policemen, knives are one of the more important parts of their duty gear. Ironically, the criminals, against whom policemen make their crusade, also use knives all the time. We can call it their performance gear, since it is incorrect to refer to any equipment in the hands of antisocial elements as duty gear. Even before metal was discovered, bone and stone and wood are believed to have gone into the making of knives that formed early man’s duty gear. The basic shape of a knife has not changed much from what the early men had used. In its latest evolutionary stage, knives like switchblades, butterfly knives etc. are a part of police duty gear, besides an array of knives designed for specific operations.
A switchblade, also known as flick knife, is a type of knife that opens instantly, when a button on its handle is pressed. Switchblades are generally of two types. One is the out-the-front or telescoping variety which pops straight out through the opening at the end of the handle when the button is pressed. The other variety jumps out through the side of the handle, the way all conventional pocket knives do. While switchblade is allowed as duty gear for several categories of law enforcement agencies, its use by civilians is strictly controlled by different laws.
Butterfly knife is a type of knife with two handles where the knife remains fully concealed in the grooves of the handles. Those skilled in its use can quickly bring out the blade of a butterfly knife with one hand. Many modifications of this type of knife are used as part of the duty gear for crime control and law enforcement. As in the case of switchblades, in many places it is illegal for general public to carry butterfly knives.
Hostage rescue teams have special knives as part of their duty gear, and one of these is combat survival knife. This knife with a rotating sheath and 7” blade is especially useful as duty gear for those involved in counterterrorism operations of rescuing people illegally held by criminals. Though different types of knives are designed for different jobs, individual preferences in handling a specific type of knife will also make it the preferred duty gear of a person.
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