Humangear Capcap for widemouth bottles

This product has been available for several years now, so it's not my wish to go in-depth here. If I could say anything, it's that the Capcap by Humangear is the best Nalgene/Nalgene-type bottle accessory I've ever purchased. I love Guyot Designs' inexpensive and awesome Splashguards, but Humangear's product goes many steps further.

both cap pieces are made from foodsafe polypro from the get go, so no worries about BPA or any other tumor-causing, unsavory chemicals leeching into your water. It replaces the lid of most widemouth bottles, and creates a small, spill-free spout, via the top cap. When screwed on tight, both sections are leakproof.

Humangear's site and packaging card advocate hand washing of the Capcap, though I've put mine on the top dishwasher rack with no ill effect. I've also had my Capcaps (that's right, I like it so much I bought 3!) in and out of the freezer and fridge with no ill effects. On both Nalgene and Camelbak widemouths, it fits flawlessly, and I have several generic/no-name widemouths that it fits perfectly as well. As I mentioned, I own a bunch of Guyot Designs Splashguards, and they are a durable and inexpensive solution to drippy, drooly widemouth water bottles, but the Capcap actually replaces the entire top. At this point, I only keep my old Nalgene loop tops in case I need a spare, but I'll eventually have enough Capcaps for all (probably a dozen) 32. oz widemouth Nalgene (and other brands) bottles.

The thing that initially kept me from investing in some Capcaps, was price. I've bought all of mine @ REI, and they are just under $6.00 USD. Not terribly expensive, but almost the price of a new bottle. Well after I realized how much I was digging the Capcap, I said "screw it" and went back to REI for another one. I'd purchased an extra for a family member too, who uses her Nalgene both at work, and keeps another one in the car. This is just one of those pieces of gear you have to use to appreciate, you can see the immediate simple genius that went into the design, but it takes drinking from it to fully realize how great it is. I like the fact that the cap strap is set up so it can go around the bottle's collar, like a stock Nalgene top, or you can leave the Capcap assembled together and make quick changes between bottle fast and easy. In other words, to use the Capcap, all you need to do is take it off it's packaging card, rip your old top off your bottle and screw the Capcap on (my preferred method). Or, you can slip the black base ring around the Nalgene collar (like how they come new), then screw on the gray base cap, this way the strap is more securely linked to the bottle, with the only free-floating piece being the large gray base cap...if that makes sense.

Anyhow, at around $6, I personally don't have any excuse to have one of these permanently affixed to most, if not all of my widemouth bottles. The Humangear Capcap is an elegant piece of designwork. It's durable, and works exactly as promised, plus it's not terribly expensive, even if you buy it somewhere that's typically higher priced, like REI. Good stuff indeed.

Ken Onion and CRKT, new folders with Ikoma Korth Bearing System opening

From my understanding, Ken Onion's decade plus involvement with Kershaw has come to an end. I don't know the details, but I remembered reading something to that effect late last year. I haven't heard anything specific about other collaborations between Mr. Onion and other manufacturers, but it seems the first fruits of outside-Kershaw involvement go to Columbia River Knife and Tool. No doubt Onion's partnership with Kershaw was immensely profitable for both parties. Onion still turns out his handmade customs, and from what I can see, many of the Kershaw knives he designed will still be produced in some form or another. Allen Elishewitz did the Stryker with Benchmade waayyy back in probably 1997/1998 and Benchmade still to this day makes a variation of the Styker, with the same name, but sans Elishewitz's name and logo, so I bet we'll see the same thing with Kershaw and Ken Onion.

quick specs for the CRKT/Ken Onion "Ripple" series of folders: (note that a smaller version exists as well, with a 2.7" blade)

* CRK405KXS: High Satin blade finish with Black Titanium Nitride frame coating Pocket Worn, Partially Serrated Edge
* Blade Length: 3.125” (79 mm)
* Blade Thickness: 0.10” (2,5 mm)
* Steel: Acuto, 59-60 HRC
* Handle length: 4.375” (111 mm)
* Overall length: 7.50” (191 mm)
* Weight: 2.9 oz. (82 g)

I'm not familiar with "Acuto" steel, but it sounds fancy, and with an MSRP of $125 USD, and a discounted average online price of about $80, I'm sure it's a great steel. This knife also uses the IKBS (Ikoma Korth bearing system) popularized by custom maker (and fellow South Puget Sound, WA neighbor) Todd Begg.

IKBS is a technology designed by South American knifemakers Rick Lala and Flavio Ikoma. Ikoma from Flavio's last name, and "Korth" is the name that Rick's custom blades go under. I've heard from some folks that the Todd Begg folders using IKBS, are buttery smooth, maybe the smoothest opening knives ever. It'll be interesting to see how Onion's new collaboration with CRKT, as well as the licensed mass production of a super technical ball bearing pivot system translate to a new factory made knife.


On the Onion/Kerhsaw front, today I picked up the limited edition G10-handled "Needs Work" knife by Kerhsaw, USA made. I always thought "Needs Work" was funny, not only for the obvious, but how it could be misinterpreted, like the knife "needs improvement" LOL. It's a very cool little knife, extremely stout with a great pseudo wharncliffe blade shape. The original Needs Work has cheesy polyamide handles, so I was glad to find the limited G10 model today at Sportco, for nearly $15 less than the suggested retail price. I've only had it a few hours, but, so far, I can't think of any way it needs work, except maybe to be put to task breaking down recycling, or cutting through Coke cans like they were butter, just for fun. The G10 Needs Work is one of the most insanely sharp knives I've ever owned, right out of the box. I have owned and played with thousands of factory fresh knives, having worked in a knife shop, and this is definitely one of the sharpest. The Speedsafe assisted opening is pretty smooth, though not quite as fast or sensitive as many of Kershaw's other assisted openers. All around, the Needs Work is a great knife, and speaks nicely to the quality of Kershaw's USA made products.


Also amazing for having paid well under $20, is Kershaw's Chinese made Oso Sweet (Onion). It's super lightweight, and is a descendant of Kershaw's early A/O's like the Whirlwind and Blackout. Kershaw and Onion damn near perfected the foreign made assisted opener, and the overall quality of the Oso Sweet shows just how far they've come since the late 1990's when overall Kershaw quality was severely inconsistent.


Anyhow, it'll be cool to watch what direction Ken Onion's new CRKT partnership takes, I'll keep y'all posted.

(they also make the Ripple knives with blue handles)

Energizer LED Penlight, BIG value for small dollars

In the last decade or so, LED (light emitting diode) flashlights have flooded the personal lighting market, and with the exception of certain mega hot xenon or halogen light makers (Surefire for example), LEDs are becoming the standard. Even Surefire and Streamlight, known for their more traditional superbright bulbs, are ever expanding their selection of LED lights. The advantages are obvious, they are more energy efficient, cooler running, and more durable than traditional flashlight bulbs, as well as lasting virtually forever. LED technology just keeps getting better. Regardless of the flashlight manufacturer, you'll hear company names like Cree, Nichia, and Luxeon, when reading specifications pertaining to the actual LED "bulb" used in various flashlights. Nichia is highly regarded in this category, as one of the finest leaders in LED technology, and you'll find their diodes in dozens of manufacturers brands. Along with companies like Luxeon and Cree, Nichia LEDs are very highly regarded for brightness and quality. It surprised me that this little $7.00 (avg. US price)penlight from Energizer comes equipped with a Nichia LED "bulb".

Model PLED23AE, is one of the few "pen lights" that is actually very close to the dimensions of an actual writing pen, only very slightly thicker and longer,it's about 6 and 3/4 inches long, with a single Nichia LED bulb protruding slightly out of the tip. There's no reflector housing, or cover, as LEDs are generally very tough. It's got a nice pocket clip which works well, and some lightly engraved "checkering" toward the front, where you might grip it like a writing utensil. The body is likely made of aluminum, as seems to be the pocket clip. It's activated by a simple plastic clicker button, very much like many ballpoint pens. It comes with two AAA batteries (Energizer brand of course), and the last inch or so where the switch and clip are located, unscrews, and batteries are dropped in positive side down. I originally bought one of these at my local Target store for my teenage nephew as a little extra to give him with his birthday gift about a year ago. He's pretty mechanically inclined and clever, so I figured he'd find a use for it, after we opened it, I was a bit remiss about giving it to him, as it's such a cool light for the price. I mean, realistically, this little tool is about the same price as a fast food combo meal, batteries included, and loaded with a super premium Nichia LED!!


It was with this in mind, that I picked up my own a few weeks ago. I have a ton of flashlights in all different quality and price ranges (hence the "Bright" in my blog's name). Because I own so many lights, I didn't open this one right away, as I've been using my little Fenix E01 (I actually have 2! of those!)
I'm glad I finally did crack open the little Energizer though, as it's been immensely handy in the car, as my dome light is pretty shitty. I was at a stoplight, and my can of Swedish snus slipped out of my hand and onto the floor, pulling out and activating the Energizer very quickly, I was able to spot my tobacco can on the floor and retrieve it before the traffic light changed. I have a few generic yet high quality LED flashlights which have a super focused spot beam, and they're alright, but I actually prefer a wider, more diffused beam like the one produced by this little Energizer. With the tightly focused lights with a thick glass lens, fine work up close can be tough because of the precision of the beam, whereas the little Energizer throws light not only far, but rather wide, since the tip of the "bulb" sticks out a bit from the tip.

This little penlight might also work well as a last ditch defensive impact weapon, kubotan or yawara stick style. I'm not so sure how the light would hold up after using it to jam into some part of an attacker's body, but it is thicker, and heavier than a good ol' ballpoint pen, and I'm sure could definitely be used in a manner similar to a koppo stick or the current self-defense writing pens being sold by companies like Benchmade, Mil-Tac and many others.

If I had any real clout, aside from being a blogger, and gave out awards for "editor's choice" products or something like that, this Energizer LED penlight would certainly earn a "Best Value" ribbon among budget flashlights. No, it's not going to blind an attacker, but you could certainly poke him in the eye with it, or slam it into his jugular! No, it's not IPX-waterproof-dive-rated, but it's certainly weatherproof enough to use it to change a tire in the rain if you get a flat. I'm a big proponent of "you get what you pay for", but this is a situation where for less than the price of lunch, you can get something that works as promised, and will certainly last you several years, if not more. It should also be noted that Energizer claims it will run for just over 100 hours on a single set of (2) AAA batteries, and they also cover it with their limited lifetime warranty. This is the type of flashlight that's likely to be swiped a by a rotten co-worker, or misplaced because of its small size before you'd ever have to think about it malfunctioning, or sending it in for a warranty repair/replacement. Of course, such value for such a low price has a potential ethical cost...it's Chinese made, like pretty much everything else these days, so if you're hellbent on buying American, you can go with the oldschool Maglite, and have an indestructible light with severely outdated (except for their newer LED line) and underpowered light output, or go with something a bit more pricey, like any number of excellent flashlights from Inova or Surefire, both of those companies manufacture right here in America, and have some budget models available as well.

Foreign manufacture aside, this bad boy sports a Nichia LED, is EXTREMELY energy efficient. It's reasonably durable and has a pocket clip in addition to its light weight. Best of all, you should be able to find 'em at places like Walmart, Home Depot and Target (where I got mine). For far less than $10, this would make an awesome stocking stuffer for pretty much anybody, from DIY folks, to hobbyists, mechanics, outdoorspeople. Who doesn't need a good flashlight, especially this time of year in North America! Energizer is here, and Optics Planet has them for about 8 bucks.

Nite Ize S Biner

Nite Ize is probably best known for many years of providing aftermarket accessories for Maglite flashlights. They've built a solid reputation for innovative products since their beginnings around 1989. I remember seeing their headband device that converts a mini Maglite into a headlamp, more or less. They now even make LED upgrade kits for your durable but dim oldschool Maglites check this out.

Nite Ize makes a great non-locking, minimal load bearing dual-gated carabiner they call the "S Biner", obviously due to its shape. Our very own Crime.Wav; aka Joel had his housekey and a bottle opener attached to a metal S Biner many months ago when we hung out. I'd seen them before, but that was the first time I'd gotten to mess around with one, and really think about the practical applications. I was initially turned off by how wiry and light weight they are, however, now that I've had my own keys on a light blue plastic version for awhile now, the minimal weight is my favorite part! I'd always been a devotee of real mountain/rock climbing carabiners for attaching stuff to bags and packs, or even for linking my keyring to a beltloop. I'd become frustrated though in the last few years because although there are tons of super strong and light aluminum carabiners available at stores like REI, they tend to clink and make lots of noise against your keys, and are generally just a tad too big for my liking.



I've become partial to the plastic S Biner, the #4 size, of which you can judge its dimensions by looking at the pic where I've got it hooked to a Nalgene 32 oz. bottle. The gates are thin stainless steel and spring loaded, and the 'plastic' material seems to be a high strength polymer which feels very similar to DuPont's Zytel, or many other "glass filled nylon" materials that are used in manufacture of things like car interior parts and tactical knife handles. My blue #4 plastic S Biner has ridden on my belt, belt loop, or pocket daily for many months and I like the speed and convenience of just being able to grab it in one smooth motion and slide either end through a beltloop or a pack strap. You can also fasten things like split-ring key rings to the center plastic bar, and it's completely secure, there's nowhere for that item to slide off, since either end is blocked by the stainless gates. Last year, around Thanksgiving, we had a lengthy power outage where I live. I hung an S Biner from a bungee cord off of a hook in the ceiling, and slid 2 snap chemlight (glowsticks) onto the S Biner and created a makeshift hanging lantern. It actually worked very well, Just one S Biner, one Tactical Tailor plastic ended bungee cable, and 2 Omni Glow green light sticks. Pretty cool.

I especially like the lightweight plastic S Biners for my water bottles, as when the bottle is empty, you can simply clip it onto your pack or even a belt if you're out and about, your bottle is out of the way, but at the ready if you want to refill it, and most of the larger size S Biners do have some minor load bearing capability. The #4 that I like can hold about 25 lbs, which isn't bad for such a light and simple device, so even the tiny S Biners should easily hold the weight of a 32 oz. water bottle. I was thinking about other uses, and you could even use them as zipper pulls, or thread a smaller size through the holes in a double zippered duffel bag to keep the zipper from opening.

Nite Ize is an innovative company in the same vein as say, Camelbak or Guyot Designs. Companies along these lines make simple, high quality products that make certain aspects of life just a little bit easier. Nite Ize makes and distributes a wide range of neat gadgets in a ton of different categories. They can be found at warehouse sporting goods stores and high end outdoor shops like REI. I feel that Nite Ize products are an exceptional value as well, for instance, the #4 plastic S Biners I'm so fond of, only cost about $2.75 USD on average at my local REI store. Oh, I should also mention that for all of us gear-heads, they make a wide array of ballistic nylon pouches and holsters for tools, phones and other gadgets as well. :)

Here's a rundown of the dimensions and weight capacity of each S Biner size:
(this information is only for the METAL S-Biners, not the plastic body ones that I'm using. The max load on the plastic #4 is 25 lbs, which is still pretty good, and definitely plenty to hold a full water bottle or even a heavy keyring. The all-metal S Biners are not much more expensive than the plastic series, it's just a matter of your preference and intended use. I opted for plastic because they're so light, and I like the tactile feel better in my hand.)
* #1: 1.56 x 0.56 in (4 x 1.4 cm) - 5 lb (2.3 kg)*
* #2: 2.00 x 0.88 in (5 x 2.2 cm) - 10 lb (4.5 kg)*
* #3: 2.63 x 1.13 in (6.7 x 2.9 cm) - 25 lb (11 kg)*
* #4: 3.50 x 1.50 in (8.9 x 3.8 cm) - 75 lb (33 kg)*
* #5: 4.38 x 1.94 in (11.1 x 3.3 cm) - 100 lb (45 kg)*

Some new and relatively inexpensive knives for holiday gift giving

Just a quickie here:
I like to buy American when I can. That being said, I also like a good value, quality knives that don't break the bank. In many instances, and like many people, I'd rather have 2 or 3 moderately priced knives than one super expensive one. On the other hand, investing in an Emerson, Benchmade, or any number of high quality American made knives is smart, these are the type of knives that are rugged enough to be used every day, and durable and special enough to pass on to a friend, or your kids someday. Seems like every other week we're seeing new and affordable knife designs made overseas, usually in Taiwan or China. These foreign made pieces are generally very good, as long as they bear the name of an established company with a good warranty and American roots. The cost of everything has gone up, from dogfood, to appliances and specialty items. This post serves to highlight some newer knives that have a sturdy pedigree, but will not thin your wallet.


I've never owned a Meyerco knife I don't think, but you'll see both their foreign patterns and American products getting solid reviews in magazines like Tactical Knives and on online webshops. Custom maker Darrel Ralph has teamed with Meyerco to produce these assisted openers in a variety of blade finishes for well under under $80 USD (MSRP). The Maxx-Q features G10 handles and a robust 3.25" recurved tanto blade. I saw them first @ Knifecenter.com.
I'm interested in getting ahold of one to see how they perform.

511 Tactical is known for its tactical nylon gear, and entered the factory knife game a few years back. This little boot/neck knife is the Sidekick, and will sell for about $45 USD at better retailers.

This burly little fixed blade is the 511 Surge and is 8.85” overall in length. It's designed by Mike Vellekamp of Blade-Tech fame and looks to be a competent little tool.


Timberline Knives is back with an inexpensive factory-made version of custom maker Tim Herman's Wallstreet Tactical.

The Wallstreet Tactical comes with a display case, and is said to open incredibly smoothly, it shouldn't cost much more than $55 USD at better web retailers.

I've been happy to report here in the last several months, that Buck Knives has returned most of its manufacturing back to the USA, in a new Idaho facility. These classic stockman style knives have wooden handle slabs, and are all in the $30 USD range, and best of all, they are American made.

Also on the American made front, is RAT Cutlery's awesome Izula neck knives. I have personal experince with the tan colored one which came out about a year ago. it's far and away my favorite neck knife, and comes in tan, black or pink. It's rugged 1095 carbon steel with a powder coat. If you think the pink one is only for your wife or daughter, think again...How are you going to find your black or green knife if your woods camping, or trekking somewhere with thick underbrush. The pink model was designed with this in mind from Jeff Randall/RAT Cutlery's extensive jungle training experience.

So, it's not hard to find a quality blade these days, it's just a matter of preference, education and some smart shopping. Even if you're on a budget, and dead-set against foreign manufacture, there's something out there that would make a great gift for yourself or somebody else.

Cold Steel Inferno Proof dvd shipping with new catalogs

Lynn C. Thompson of Cold Steel Knives fame is a master of hype regarding his own products, that much is clear. One thing I have found over the years, through ownership of several different Cold Steel knives, is that many times, the hype is not totally unfounded, they do make innovative and high quality products for personal defense. I just got the new Cold Steel Special Projects catalog, in which was nestled a lengthy demo of Thompson's new Inferno pepper foam. You can go to the good ol' Cold Steel website, or google Cold Steel Special Projects to order the catalog, or you can watch this segment, right here. Pretty entertaining if you ask me, I may have to buy a small cannister for the car, but there's no way in hell I'm going to take a shot for testing purposes.

Guyot Designs Squishy Pet Bowls

A few months back, during warmer times, I reviewed Guyot's Squishy Bowls and some other cool stuff. In my review, I showed one of my cats eating out of the larger bowl. Selby was foreshadowing the shape of things to come over @ Guyot Designs. They now offer Squishy Bowls for pets, in three sizes. An awesome idea, I just used my cat as an example, it's obvious these will be much more useful for dog owners. So cool, I look forward to possibly buying a few as gifts for the dog owners in my life. If you've got a trail dog who hikes with you,cram some kibble in the bowl, then smash it down into a ziploc in your pack, these would probably be handy for water at the dog park as well. Tactical dogs in rescue and law enforcement are always on the go too, so I'm sure there's a market for K9 officers and rescue dogs. Pretty cool. I'll report further if I stumble across any other new info on these.
Guyot Designs

As promised; Boker Plus Chad Los Banos RnR rundown

As most of you know, Eric and I typically pay for 99.9% of whatever we feature here, with *very* few exceptions. However, last year, I did get to conversing via email with Chad Los Banos, who most of you know as the Hawaiian law enforcement dude who saved Boker with his amazing and versatile high tech designs, like the venerable little SubCom series which has become popular in the last few years. Anyhow, Chad and I emailed back and forth for awhile, he's a really laid back guy with a great attitude toward life and knife design. Eventually, sometime last year, a Boker Plus folder of Chad's design showed up on my doorstep. You can catch our CLB Boker Plus Direkt knife review HERE

Anyhow, I know Chad's a busy guy, and Boker can't just hand out sample product to everybody. So I expected nothing further, time passed, and last month a UPS box showed up on my doorstep! This time it was Chad's RnR knife, and also another Chad Boker Plus design called the G4, which I'll cover later, needless to say, I'm enjoying it.


Please excuse the blurry-ass phone pix, my digital camera, (yeah the after Xmas sale 2007 garbage model) has gone missing, maybe for the better! Anyhow, the RNR is loosely based on a kiridashi design. Evidently (even today) Japanese youths might carry a kiridashi in their pencil pouch to sharpen pencils or for other crafts. A simple traditional kiridashi might look something more like this, forged from a single piece of quality carbon steel:

So, Chad's RNR is a big-bellied take on that concept. Suitable I'd think in the camp-kitchen, or just about anywhere, even formidable in defensive use, because of its short blade length and conceal-ability in its kydex neck sheath. The blade is roughly 2.5 inches, but because of the massive curvature, seems much larger in the hand. The odd cutout pattern in the handle greatly aids grip on this knife, I did my hand-under-running water test in the shower, and the grip was more than secure, even with soapy hands! Very cool.



The RNR is very reasonably priced no matter where it's purchased from, and the kydex sheath is compatible with Blade-Tech's Tek-Lok (not included, but not expensive either). I love my Tek Lok on my Strider WP fixed blade, Time Wegner @ Blade-Tech is a genius in my book.


Anyhow, Chad Los Banos and Boker Plus keep cranking out good stuff at really reasonable prices. I gave Chad's BokerPlus Edit neck knife to Eric as a gift this past summer, maybe someday he'll get his ass off the bench at the range and write a review on something other than guns once his current life chaos settles down! That sounds sarcastic, but that's me wishing my good friend the best in his new-found challenges. We'll be hearing lots more from him soon, including range reports about a couple of really trick rifles, in the near future!


Oh hey! Don't forget to check out Chad's personal site!!HERE

Point Blank Cutlery...WOW!

I stumbled across this apparently new company during my daily perusal of knifecenter.com's new offerings. Both of these pieces stopped me in my tracks. These appear to be custom quality blades for working professionals, at prices similar to other good factory production blades. Sergio Franco, the owner is a military vet, and they make all their stuff inside the USA. Kudos to him, and all the other Vet Owned companies (like Spartan Blades) who are turning their real-world experience into awesome products for other soldiers, hikers, outdoorspeople, and plain 'ol enthusiasts like me! Way to go guys.


Again, I don't have much more to say than DAMN!!!!! Looks like their initial offerings are WELL below $200 USD, and significantly more reasonable on sites like Knifecenter.com



I'm stoked, and you can bet that one of my next knife purchase, will likely be the double neck knife set, or this awesome little multi-use axe. Again, so cool, I'm floored, and too excited to write much else!! Check out Sergio and Dan's site!! NOW!!!!

PBC's site is here

all photo/video posted here is respectfully borrowed from PBC, knifecenter and "Coop"

Quick addendum: Looks like all their stuff so far features full tang 1095 HC steel blade, with G10 handles, a winning combo in my book. Good ol' 1095 carbon steel might take a tad bit more care (wiping down with tuff-cloth etc after use) but I've found the stuff to be Abrams Tank Tough (ok, I've never ridden in an Abrams, and I'm sure there are better tanks out there in 2009/2010, but dammit! you get my point). For hard use tools like these that may be in the kits of fire/rescue/police or professional soldiers, 1095 is a great way to go IMO.

New images for 'coming soon' Boker Plus knives

Boker, originally founded in Germany, has found tremendous success with their less-expensive BokerPlus line. It all started with the fantastic Chad los Banos designed CLB series, which now boasts a ton of models. It seems Chad's creativity and forward thinking knows no bounds, as he keeps on cranking out really cool and functional designs under Boker's overseas-made banner. I don't know how Boker got around a lawsuit for their Batman knife, but that's what it's called. I've been hearing about this chunkily-serrated semi karambit for nearly a year on knife forums like edcforums.com. It's designed by South African knifemaking couple, Kevin and Heather Harvey. The Batman folder looks both utility-functional and self defense capable, I look forward to playing with one and putting it through its paces.

I still can't find any actual product photos for the 2009 Kalashnikov knife. Boker tends to do this for whatever reason, quite frequently. It may be a cheesy CG mockup, but it at least gives us an idea of what the finished product will look like. I've liked some of their Kalashnikov knife variations in the past, but this one ain't doing it for me, at least not yeat. I think that's probably due to the fact that it's not a real pic though.

This second set of pics shows 2 additional knives due out in either December of this year, or January of 2010; the credit card knife, and a handsome fixed blade called the Jermer EDC, with what appears to be polished linen micarta on the handles.


If the general quality-to-price ratio of these new models is similar to the Boker Plus Chad Los Banos stuff, then sign me up for one of each! The Boker Plus "Batman" is definitely on my looking-forward-to list, and I assure you, there'll be a review right here as soon as I can get ahold of one.

Surefire St. Minimus headlamp

New from the folks @ Surefire. The Saint Minimus is a high end entry into the outdoor headlamp category.

Straight from the horse's mouth:
Features

* High-performance LED, in concert with proprietary refractive optic, produces a smooth, powerful beam optimized to your field of vision
* Variable light output dial permits selection of 0 to 100 lumens of output with one hand
* Hard-anodized aerospace-grade aluminum housing is lightweight yet tough
* Custom-made headband built for comfort, durability, and to provide a secure fit with or without a helmet.
* Breathe-O-Prene pad fits comfortably against forehead while wicking away moisture, and is removable for washing
* Includes one high-energy 123A batteries with 10-year shelf life
* Backed by SureFire's No-Hassle Guarantee

Specifications

* Output:
o High: 100 lumens
o Low: 1 lumen
* Runtime:
o High Setting: 1.5 hours
o Low Setting: 50 hours
* Weight: 3.3 ounces with batt.
* Batteries: One 123A lithium
* Made in USA


I love Surefire's G2 and G3 plastic-body flashlight series, in particular for the reasonable pricepoint, and this past summer I purchased a decent Petzl headlight, but the St. Minimus looks pretty freaking badass. MSRP is around $140 USD, probably becasue of the aluminum housing, and the variable light output dial, which allows for 0 to 100 lumens of light output. I'd love to get my hands on one for a bit of testing, but Eric and I typically pay (just like everyone else)for all of the gear we actually get a chance to review here, with very few and far between exceptions.

If anybody has hands-on with this one, and wants to do a review, please let us know, and we'll post it up here, for all of teh interwebz to read.

New Boker Plus reviews on the way!!!!!!!

Sorry for the crummy pic, but Boker USA just sent us some cool stuff for T&E...updates imminent!!!
And hopefully my man E will have some new firepower reviews and info coming soon as well......

USA-Made Buck, under 20 bucks. Paklite Skinner

I'm VERY pleased to see Buck Knives returning to doing much of their manufacturing here in the United States. Evidently they have a spanking new facility in Idaho. Inexpensive, American made designs have been coming forth since the beginning of the year. I'm not a hunter, but I really liked the looks, price and general idea of this knife. It should be here early next week, so I'll throw out some further impressions after I've had a day with it. I found it on a retail knife site for $16.95, brand new. It's from Buck's new Paklite series, and they have this to say;

"Lightweight, sturdy and effective. This skinning knife can be carried alone or used to compliment any hunting knife. The skeletal steel frame is heavy-duty, yet lightweight for easy carry. You won’t even know it’s there. The 420HC stainless steel blade ensures durability and corrosion resistance, while the minimalist design is effective and reliable while in use."

Pretty cool, I'm a fan of carrying small neck-knife style fixed blades in a pants pocket, and that's likely where this one will go. It has a brother, a slightly thinner caping knife, with a unique profile, that looks cool too.
Kudos to Buck for helping to keep jobs here in our country, and hopefully redeeming themselves for some of the less-than-impressive product they've put forth from China and Taiwan in recent years. More to come...

9-17-2009; post-arrival addendum:
So, I really AM impressed with this piece. It's stout, with a high hollow grind, the spine thickness is nice, and consistent throughout the entire length of this knife. The handle is nicely shaped and comfortable, surprisingly, even in larger hands like mine. There are little patches of 'jimping', areas on the handle treaded for traction. I tried it in my hands under running water, and found the grip to be decent. The sheath, while not great, does leave plenty of handle room, and doesn't lock the knife in like kydex, so you could wrap the handle in some cord fairly easily, and it'd still fit the sheath, which secures the knife in a hard plastic insert with a snap-strap.

I'd like to check out the little Paklite caping knife too. Way to go Buck! For bringing back American manufacturing!!

LOL @ Kershaw's Ted Nugent knife

Haha!
I'm guessing Kershaw has resorted to recruiting washed up 80's rockers for "signature" versions of best-selling knives because custom knife guru Ken Onion's contract is reportedly up with them. Yup, The Nuge has his own signature edition of Kershaw's Leek assisted opener (designed originally by Onion).
Goofy rockstar/"activist" aside, it's a pretty cool take on the little folder. I wish so badly it was a fixed blade, so I could've titled this post, "Wang Dang, Sweet Full Tang".

"You one ugly muthf***er..."

Arnold's famous words from 'Predator' ring true with Spyderco's newest beast!!!
Spyderco's "Ethnic" series of knives seemed to start several years back with Ed Schempp's Persian (which I own and love) and continued with a folding kriss design from Schempp and several others. Here's the lowdown from the great Sal Glesser's Spyderco marketing team:
"Chokwe people live in the Zambia/Democratic Republic of Congo region of Central Africa. Primarily agricultural, they are gatherers, fishermen and hunters. Highly positioned in their society are blacksmiths who craft fixed blade knives for daily use in feeding, harvesting and protecting their communities. Our Chokwe folder is patterned off a historic fixed-blade, keeping true to the triangular shaped blade and coffin-shaped handle."

Other than being incredibly ugly, it's made with quality materials:
* Overall Length: 8.5" (216 mm)
* Blade Length: 3.75" (95 mm)
* Cutting Edge: 3.375" (86 mm)
* Handle Length: 4.75" (121 mm)
* Steel: CPM-S30V
* Weight: 3.7oz (104g)
* Clip: Right
* Tip Carry: Up
* Made in Taiwan

I would hope that with an MSRP of $220 USD that the framelock side of the knife would be titanium, but I can't find any info on that yet, it just says "Full length internal liners reinforce the Reeve Integral Linerlock (R.I.L.).", not bothering to state whether it's steel or aluminum or titanium. Based on the fact it's made in Taiwan (WTF?), I'm guessing aluminum, as a full framelock like that made from steel would create a hellishly heavy knife in the pocket. I would have hoped for Japanese manufacture (especially @ this price!), as by and large, everything I've ever owned from Spyderco out of their Japanese factory has been close to flawless.

The following is from an outstanding Spyderco site based out of the Netherlands. These guys have fantastic pix and info, and a really nice site, so be sure to check them out. The address is clearly printed there right on the photo, and I'm too lazy to post a link right now. But really, a great site for the Spyderco enthusiast!


So you guys know I'm a Spyderco fan, in general, I'm not hating on this knife, I think it's bold, but very ugly. I have to give props to Sal and his spyders for branching out and constantly innovating, the man, and his company are owed a HUGE debt by the entire industry for what they have done since the 1970's, the company is nearly as old as I am, and I'll be 32 in a couple weeks.

So, performance wise I'm sure the Chokwe is beyond competent, maybe even outstanding, but for me, I'll pass until I see something that grabs my eye at the right price, but you can find any number of Spyderco knives in my pocket, @ least one day of the week, every week. Lately it's been my trusty ol' Police model with G10 handles, or a combo-edged Ladybug in my shirt pocket.

the coast, near Kalaloch/Forks, WA

We camped off of some isolated logging roads and messed around with fire on the beach a few miles away the following day. A good short trip, good friends, lots of knives...more to come soon.....