Armament Systems and Procedures, more commonly known as ASP, has a new line of police duty knives out. Aptly called the PDK, for Police Duty Knife, these knives are designed for police officers. The duty knives will complement the ASP handcuffs and batons that many police officers already carry.
The ASP Police Duty Knife
ASP’s Police Duty Knife series was designed by its in-house product designers in conjunction with knife engineering and manufacturing experts. Those folks designed the PDK with input from active law enforcement officers. They wanted to make a tool that was tough, practical, and affordable to the average street cop.
Materials and Construction
The PDK knives use a 3.5-inch drop point blade of AUS-8 stainless steel. AUS-8 has a good balance of edge retention and ease of re-sharpening. It’s also very corrosion-resistant and affordable. There are certainly a lot of newer wonder steels out there, but you’ll pay a heck of a lot more for them. AUS-8 has been around for a long time and works well. Blades are available in either a black PVD or stonewashed finish.
The PDKs open using a back flipper, assisted opening mechanism. There’s also a thumb groove in the blade if you prefer to open your knife that way. Both methods offer ambidextrous use. The PDK is held open by means of a liner lock. The scales of the PDK are made from textured G-10 scales. You can get either a flat or grooved profile handle in either of the blade finishes. ASP adds its signature Shark Fin™ jimping to the back of the blade for additional control during use.
The Police Duty Knife has an ambidextrous deep carry pocket clip set up for tip-up carry. A unique feature of the PDK is that the clip is not held on by a small Torx screw like most clips. It uses a quick-release pocket clip system that’s engaged by using the double lock pin on a handcuff key. This system eliminates having to worry about tiny screws and extra tools, especially since every cop has a handcuff key on them.
Some final aesthetic touches are the Thin Blue Line tribute spacer in the spine of the knife and a die-struck ASP Eagle medallion mounted over the pivot pin on the right side of the handle.
Price and Availability
I had a chance to check out the Police Duty Knife prototypes at the SHOT Show earlier this year. They’re a good-looking tool and feel good in the hand. The action was fast and smooth, and the lock-up was tight. The ASP Police Duty Knife has an MSRP of $90.00, which is even a little less than they estimated back in January. Better still, ASP has them currently listed at $79.00.
While these knives are geared toward law enforcement, they’d make a nice EDC knife for anyone wanting a solid utility folder.
Specifications
- 3.5 Inch, AUS-8 Steel Blade
- Textured G-10 Scales
- Assisted Opening
- Quick-Reverse Clip
- Blue Line Accent
For more information, please visit ASP-USA.com.
