ESEE Candiru ™

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru

Candiru, above my Izula

Yes, this knife is named after a tiny & legendary fish that is said to enter a person's least-comfortable areas if a person should accidentally have to pee while swimming where this fish lives.

     Cringe-Inducing namesake aside, ESEE has been on a roll with awesome offerings from before they were even called "ESEE".  Whether you know me from the knife-world, or whether you are a part of my immediate circle, you know that ESEE's Izula neck knife ranks WAY up there in terms of my "knives of all time" list.  Yeah, I probably don't need 5 variations of the Izula (also named for a painful little creature, the Bullet Ant), but it's a great knife.  I've been excited about the Candiru since I first saw it announced...& big surprise, I now own one, in green.  ESEE often calls it "OD" green, though in my experiences it's more of a forest green. Semantics & color interpretation aside, the little Candiru does NOT disappoint!  These are becoming very popular, very early into their introduction by ESEE just a few weeks ago.  I don't know that I'll do a full review, as there really isn't too much for a fan like me to say.  ESEE's (formerly 'RAT Cutlery) knives have already more than proven themselves both in the USA & in South America, where Jeff Randall, Mike Perrin & company teach people how to survive on a bare minimum.  Needless to say, the little Candiru performs like a champ, & (yes, I'll say it), is pretty much indestructible.  It's a nicely shaped hunk of 1095 steel, with a powder coating for wear & corrosion resistance.  It includes a cordura flap-over sheath with a hard plastic insert.  This may not be ideal for some users who are used to the Izula's superb plastic sheath, but I must say that the Candiru's sheath is VERY well made.  Stitching is clean & even, & unwanted/extra threads are burned away, the sheath has a small metal eyelet for lashing, heck, you could even throw it on a ball-chain & wear it like a neck knife.  The plastic insert keeps the knife in very well by friction, & the velcro flap is just extra security.  Chances are, whatever reason you'll be carrying a Candiru, it'll be a secondary knife, so I can't see the cordura sheath being a problem, at least not for most of us.  I've already seen a company that makes aftermarket hard sheaths for this knife.  Godspeed Tactical has been showing their Candiru sheath around on their Facebook page, so I'd contact them if I were interested in different carry options.  Like all ESEE fixed blades the Candiru are individually serial numbered, which I always find cool, & the ESEE skull logo on the blade looks great.  Like its larger & older cousin the Izula, the Candiru's animal-namesake is etched on the reverse side of the blade. A cute little top-down view, of what is probably the world's least-cute fish...at least if the myths are true.  I'm struggling against making urinary-tract jokes right now....so I'm just going to end this right here.  Again, Mr. Jeff Randall & his little-knife-company-that-DOES....do it again.  Good stuff.
-Aa
ESEE Knives

Tops' Waysun Johnny Tsai designed CUMA Tak-Ri 2.0, It Ain't Hard To Handle.

There is nothing wrong with the "original" Tops CUMA Tak-Ri, but some had requested a more hand-filling micarta slab on each side of the handle.  I'm fortunate to get to take a look at this beast with its modest, yet important upgrade.  I CAN tell you...when you pick this thing up, you want to start swinging it around & doing FMA style "stick" twirls...then you want to find a tree to chop down.  I resisted the urge, but a full run-down is gonna be up after I have had some proper outside-time with this beastly piece of steel.

Specs: 
O/A Length: 13 1/2"
Top Edge: 4"
Bottom Edge: 7"
Thickness: 3/16"
Steel: 1095 High Carbon Steel RC 56-58
Handle: Micarta
Blade Color: Black Traction Coating
Sheath: Ballistic Nylon
Desiged by: Waysun Johnny Tsai 


If you don't want to read my review & the urge grabs you, buy it HERE @ Tops Knives USA.


See what WJT is up to as of late at the dojo, with links to his other enterprises & designs.

28NL, Locker & OSS 10B Brunton Back to USA Manufacture

Super mega Tiny 28NL

Locker compass, with small thin drybox case attached for matches, meds, & other small supplies etc...

Brunton has always made good stuff...but with their new line of navigation devices, they appear to have cleaned up interfaces & simplified things...there are some VERY neat things on their updated site.  I'm excited to play around with my new OSS 10B, just the $12 USD entry level compass in their whole OSS line (they don't explain what the hell "OSS" means...is it just me?)  "Outdoor Super Stud maybe?  Outdoor Support System?  Hell if I know.  OK, it's "Orbital Sighting System", really, & all that means is the needle has a circle in it, & the circle that says "N", is encircled by that circle...seriously.  It's a clever marketing way to both use a fancy sounding acronym...& tell your customers, "it's okay, nobody else knows how to use a compass either, allow us to show you, with circles."  Get it? Orbits? Orbital?   Yeah, I said the same thing.  Anyhow...Brunton's basic compass prices are still very reasonable... I'm really glad to see that US Flag Star Logo & the words "Made In USA", on more of their wares!!!

I bought this little $12.00 OSS 10B at my local REI (Ridiculously Expensive Items), lol, as soon as I saw it was lighter & smaller than my neon green Chinese made Brunton...but it's also USA made, like most of Brunton's newest offerings.




Brunton's OSS compasses & more

Review en route; Boker Anso 67 Folder N690BO Blade, G10 Handles

      So, my good buddy Yusuke hooked me up with ANOTHER awesome gift just a day or two before i graduated a recent very intense program @ a local college.  I worked my ass off for about 6 weeks & earned several (7!) certifications in various fields that will help not only my resume, but my ability to get a good full time job & make more money...in order to feed my knife habit.  Yu just casually sent it through the mail with a handwritten "Congratulations!" note.  Man, he made my week awhile back...& now having this impressive package of professional (mostly HAZMAT/HAZWOPER related) certificates that I worked hard for, in addition to owning one of THE nicest Boker knives I've ever seen...I'm on Cloud 9!!

This is SERIOUSLY one of the NICEST folding knives in my collection, & the fact that it was a gift makes it that much more special.  I'm lucky to meet so many awesome friends just through this simple blog...very lucky indeed.  FULL review is on the way....soon, followed by more info & news on another new fixed blade model from SCAR Blades...then SUMMER, & camping, & road trips & plenty of reports on what knives went where.  Real quick, here's Boker's retail/company line (which doesn't do the knife proper justice, you need to see this one to believe it:


Pocketknife by Boker. With the model "67", Jens Anso presents another successful frame lock design, manufactured by Boker. The layout is similar to the “Haddock,” with a 3mm thick titanium liner and a front G-10 scale. The removable thumb stud and the reversible clip (tip-up/tip-down) make this exclusive design complete, combining ruggedness and a simple construction with a unique and expressive design. The blade is made of high quality N690BO steel. Blade length: 3 1/2". Overall length: 7 5/8". Weight: 4.5 oz. Made in Solingen, Germany.

I'm enjoying this knife EVERY SINGLE DAY, & I'm using it for all sorts of small chores, the blade seems impervious to dulling so far (just a few weeks in) & this thing is built like a tank....review  coming soon.