Whether you’re running out of ammo or just feeling too bold, you might want to get up close with your airsoft opponent and finish him. Since airsoft emulates tactical combat, you might wonder whether it is possible to stab your opponents.
Knives made from rubber are allowed in airsoft, and plastic knives that retract upon contact are also allowed occasionally. Using them can be difficult because of the odds of getting detected and being shot by one’s opponents.
In this article, you will discover the fundamental rules of Airsoft knife use and the optional rules that the teams can agree to invoke. You will also find out the advantages of using an airsoft knife alongside the best ones you can buy. This post is your mini-guide to airsoft knives, so make sure to bookmark it before you proceed.
What Are The Rules For Knives In Airsoft?
Airsoft relies on Good faith in many aspects including self-reporting hits, targeting to minimize pain, and playing around opponents’ handicaps. That’s why the rules regarding knives in airsoft are mutually set before a game. For the most part, the rule set is negotiable and quite malleable. However, there are a few non-negotiable rules. The non-negotiable rules of knives in airsoft are:
You Cannot Use Real Knives In Airsoft
This rule is 100% immutable because it concerns the safety of players. You cannot even bring a real knife to the airsoft field.
You Cannot Use Toy Knives That Stay Rigid Upon Contact
Toy knives are the only knives used in airsoft. Still, you cannot use ones that can hurt people. Rubber knives bend upon contact, and spring knives retract when they touch the target.
Both of these knife types are ideal for airsoft. Rigid plastic knives can hurt people if shoved with enough force, so they are not allowed.
You Cannot Use A Knife If You’re Inactive On The Field
Finally, the overarching rule of airsoft weapon use applies to knives as well. If you’re dead in the game and can’t shoot anyone, you cannot attack them with a knife, either.
Aside from these essential rules of airsoft, you can set other conditions with mutual agreement between all parties playing. Any additional rules should ideally make the game more engaging and challenging.
Potential rules that can be invoked with prior mutual agreement include:
Not Using The Knife Until Out Of Ammo
This rule minimizes BB hoarding and can be invoked when it seems like very few players are using their guns. If the game starts to get boring because of overreliance on knives, then this rule can be invoked to bring guns to the forefront, as they are the primary weapons in airsoft.
Respawned Players Lose Knife Privileges
This rule can raise the stakes of being shot once. Initially, in airsoft, there were no respawns. The introduction of respawning, according to airsoft purists, has made airsoft deaths mean less. But by restricting the weapon usage of the resurrected players, you can incentivize everyone to dodge BBs instead of getting complacent.
Stabbed Players Can’t Respawn
You can also make your game more fun by raising the stakes of receiving a knife strike. Knives are hard to use in airsoft because players need to get close to armed opponents to stab them. They are at risk of getting shot, so they have to be sneaky. Raising their reward makes sense, but everyone has to agree for knife kills to be permanent in airsoft.
One Knife, One Stab
This rule is often invoked in combination with the “knife deaths are final” rule. If you can permanently remove a player from the opposing team, then it makes sense to limit that number to one. Otherwise, a skillful Airsoft player will reduce his opposing team to a single player over the course of a game.
Advantages Of Airsoft Knives
The fundamental rules of airsoft knives create limitations around using them in the game. And the presence of guns on the field makes airsoft knives riskier to use. So why do players even carry knives on their slings? Because of the following advantages:
- Knives are fun to use in airsoft – It is just more fun to get up close and use a rubber knife to stab someone than to shoot them with a plastic pellet from far.
- You have a backup to resort to – If your electric gun runs out of power or gets damaged, you can always use the knife as your backup weapon.
- You can preserve your BBs – Finally, the greatest perk of using knives in airsoft is that you can take out your opponents without using a single BB. This is beneficial when you’re running out of ammo or are already out of airsoft pellets.
Best Airsoft Knives
Unlike guns, airsoft knives don’t vary in their functional power. They vary in their appearance and prices. So when you choose a knife for airsoft, make sure to find one that looks cool and is reasonably priced. Here are my recommendations for the best airsoft knives.
This airsoft knife has a sleek black exterior and looks pretty cool. It also complements black masks and outfit elements. So if you choose to wear an airsoft vest or helmet that is black, this black rubber knife will go along with it.
It has 130 reviews and ratings with a collective average of 4.4 stars. Over 85% people have given it 5 or 4 stars, so you can assume that most of its customers are satisfied.
This knife has an operating mechanism that lets the blade slide into the handle when you stab anyone with it. Aside from airsoft, it can be used for party tricks as well. It has a 4.3-star average on a 5-star scale, so it is a well-received purchase.
This rubber knife is pretty cheap and looks decent. It gets the job done and is the ideal purchase for someone who cares more about the budget than the appearance of his airsoft weapons. It has a 3.8-star rating on Amazon out of a pool of 69 reviews. While this sample isn’t very reliable because of its small size, the average checks out for the price.
Final Thoughts
Only rubber knives and toy knives that can’t hurt people are allowed in airsoft. To be considered valid in Airsoft, the knife being used has to be a retracting one or made out of rubber. Knives are risky in airsoft not because they hurt other players but because they can increase the odds of you getting shot. Still, they are your best bet at minimizing BB use and can help you save your AEG battery on the field.