TO THE POINT OF IT

Crane TEC's Tempest Defensive Blade

- Tom Marshall

Preparedness is a highly individualized pursuit, with very few provisions being universally agreed on. But one principle that remains essentially beyond question is the utility (and value) of a good knife. Whether dressing out game, shaving down sticks for kindling or clipped to your pocket for everyday jobs, there is a knife for every situation - many of which are purpose-built to the task. The Tempest by Crane TEC (Tactical Everyday Carry) is a perfect example of an edged tool that arose directly from a specific need to fill a capability gap.

Crane TEC's founder, Hugh Crane, is a martial artist, self-defense instructor, and former corrections officer. He has spent years refining an edged weapons defense system that is simple, easy to learn and integrates into existing hand-to-hand and defensive tactics systems. But the more Crane refined his system, the more he realized that existing self-defense fixed-blades all fell short of what he wanted. In 2017, after years of toying with design sketches and rough ideas, he set out to produce his own knife. In addition to aesthetic preferences, there were several key performance factors this knife needed to have. Specifically, it needed to be comfortable to wear all day, easy to conceal, and able to be deployed with either hand from either side of the body. A double-edged blade was chosen to keep the knife fully functional regardless of carry side, draw side, or tip up/down deployment.

About the Crane TEC Tempest