US Made Spyderco under $100!

Spyderco's Manix 2 should be widely available soon. I don't see it listed on their SITE, but KnifeCenter apparently has two versions in stock at a very reasonable price, compared to most recent offerings from the Golden, CO cutlery firm. It uses what appears to be a revised version of Spyderco's ball-bearing lock and has G10 handle scales and a blade of 154CM, an American made steel. I look forward to the opportunity to handle one of these in person, as I've always dug Spyderco's stuff. I just went through a box of stuff I had packed up from when I moved 2 years ago, and found an early incarnation of a Spyderco Delica Salt, with the H1 rustproof steel that utilizes nitrogen instead of carbon. It's been sitting in a garage a few hundred yeards from a saltwater bay for close to 2 years, and the blade wiped clean, no spots, no pitting or discoloration. Spyderco's knife offerings in recent years tend to have been hit-or-miss with all but the most diehard fans, but this new Manix 2 may prove that Sal Glesser and his crew always have something new up their sleeves.

Guyot Designs hits the spot with on-the-go meal kit and more.

On my first foray into the Tacoma REI location, I picked up some good, inexpensive every-day-carry stuff. When I moved down here, I threw out my old Camelbak and Nalgene bottles that were the old style using the harmful chemical, BPA (Bisphenol-A). So, first off, I got a new Nalgene widemouth 32 oz. bottle. It's Eastman Tritan copolymer, just as durable, and safer than the old stuff. I noticed Guyot Designs, known for their Firefly LED lantern device, has redesigned their widemouth splashguard to have more of a "universal fit" in theoretically, any widemouth bottle from any manufacturer. Instead of the old hard plastic style, they are now food-grade silicone, and flexible. I picked up one in camo, and a badass one with a skull and X-bones.

These new splashguards seem to be way more effective at their intended mission, of preventing water splashback at your nose when you tip your mammoth bottle back down after a sip. They slide right into any widemouth bottle and stay put, and work exactly as promised. Good stuff, oh and even better, they only cost about $3.00 USD each. Couple one of these bad-boys with an $8.00 Nalgene bottle, and you are in your own personal hydration business for the summer season and beyond. Good stuff indeed, I've been guzzling water out of one of either of 2 new bottles and I feel great. I'm trying to cut back on the soda and energy drinks, and these bottles are helping tremendously.

Next was an item I had seen on tadgear.com a while back. The Guyot Desings MicroBites set. It goes beyond your Snowpeak ti spork and offers a bit more, at about 2/3 the price. Microbites apparently come in 3 colors, tomato, slate and tangerine. Tadgear.com sells the more tactical looking slate color, while the REI I went to only carried the more vibrant "ketchup and mustard" colors, as I like to refer to them. Personally, when it comes to gear I will use and maybe lose on trips, or in the car, or wherever, I'm liking color. I've lost "camo" and tactical colored items on forest floors and sandy areas. An infamous camping trip that led to spiritual enlightenment of several individuals found me awakening to our food and cigarettes eaten by raccoons, and my camo zippo lighter and an old Benchmade Monarch folder nowhere to be found. No joke, I'm not a soldier or assassin, so I don't give a shit if my knife, spork, or water bottle stand out.

The MicroBites set is a competent spork which hitches a ride on the back of a square-ish spatula/spreader. The sporks tines are well placed and the middle two are nice and sharp. I tested it out with a container of Fred Meyer Chicken Gorgonzola salad. Everything from the chicken, to noodles and grapes and walnuts either scooped or stabbed easily with the MicroBites spork. The serrated spatula spreader is great too. one entire edge is nicely serrated, and interestingly, the grooves are beveled on BOTH sides of the device. I was able to cleanly slice through thin receipt paper and the plastic container the salad was weighed in, with the serrated edge. It's a hell of a lot sharper than it looks and works well.

To fix the two items together, just place the spork bowl-down over the spreader and press, you'll hear a faint click, then you can attach it to a carabiner, like the ITW/Nexus Grimlock pictured above. From there, the Guyot Designs MicroBites set can ride on your Nalgene bottle's loop, your belt, your pack, or even a fixed blade knife sheath. This little set far exceeds its $5.00-ish pricepoint. Excellent as well, is the ethical disclosure with which Guyot makes this and some other products. They claim that the materials and methods used in the production of MicroBites and a couple of their other products reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There's a whole section on their WebSite devoted to how they do what they do, and how it impacts the environment. Guyot seems like an ethical company, and they sure as hell make some inexpensive and smart items to add to your outdoor gear kit, or food tub on your next trip out. Now that I have both "tomato" and "tangerine" colors of the MicroBites set, I'm sort of wanting to get the "slate" color as well. I didn't think that I could get so into what amounts basically, to a portable plastic table setting...but these things are versatile and extremely intelligently designed. These are available @ REI, and tadgear, and probably other places too, and you should go get one. As a knife guy, I'm particularly impressed by the sawing ability of the serrated spatula, and the whole package is feather-light. These little sets actually carry a limited lifetime warranty also!
At $4.95, there's no excuse not to pick one up to throw in your car or bug out bag.
Guyot Desings MicroBites @ REI
IMO, this is an A+ product for either every day use, or specialized purposes. This is the evolution of the spork.

ipood! is no joke!

It's been a long time since I've been so far off trail or away from a campsite that I've had to dig a hole to drop a deuce. While I would usually turn to a thick stick, a beater fixed blade knife, or even a tent stake, seems there are many gear-heads that want a specific tool for everything. The U-Dig-It Stainless folding shovel has been popular at stores like REI and sites like TADGEAR for years, and seems well made, though I've never actually dropped dung in a hole dug with the U-Dig It.

I was at REI the other day, my first trip into the Tacoma location, and I happened upon the iPood! collapsible trowel/shovel by Sea To Summit. Just the name alone had me laughing uncontrollably, and it seems like another smart product from Sea to Summit who make or import a wide range of useful items for your camp kit or hiking bag.
I think these little devices to "cover your leavings" run about twenty bucks, keeping them off any outdoor-shitting need or want lists I personally might have, Butt for some, they may be just what's needed for what they leave Behind. Pardon the bad puns, this product practically begs for puns and jokes with its own lighthearted name, which is a hi-tech play on words in its own right, (in case you were too slow to get it the first time around).

Should the need arise, I'll stick with a stout do-it-all fixed blade, or a simple stick, as Ma Nature probably intended, but I had to at least drop off a quick little post, about the iPood!

Knife News: Whiplash, bold new Kershaw fixed blade!

I was just perusing Kershaw's site and found this under "What's New". I'm assuming it was shown at the SHOT show this year, but this is the first I personally have seen or heard about this bad boy!

The following is directly from Kershaw's site:
*******
"The new Whiplash has the kind of dramatic looks that are sure to turn a few heads. But, believe us, this is the kind of Whiplash you want. This bold, military-style fixed-blade knife has a built-in parachute cord lanyard. Pull the tab at the butt of the knife to release the elasticized lanyard, wrap it around your wrist, and you’re good to go. For an even more secure grip, the Whiplash features extra-large thumb notches and an oversized index-finger notch. For hardness and strength, the blade is 8CR14 stainless steel with matte-black PVD coating. Includes sheath for easy carry and storage."
*******

VERY cool! And the best part is the MSRP is $59.95! Which means on better knife retail sites, it should be available in the sub-$50 range! Looks like, though the knife is USA made, Kershaw chose an inexpensive 8CR13MOV stainless steel, the type of stuff that many companies have gone to to decrease overall cost lately. Benchmade has been using similar steel on many of their redbox knives for a few years, and I believe Spyderco and their sub-company Byrd use a Chrome/Moly/Vanadium type steel on many models now too. In my experience, it's good stuff, probably won't outperform blades of S30V...but there are whispered rumors of Crucible Steel (makers of CM and CPM knife steels) filing for bankruptcy, so I'm sure a new super steel for cutlery applications is bound to rear its sharp and wicked head next year, and for many years to come. I've actually found that in many name brand knives, the bladesteels perform very similarly. Can I tell in a blind test between ATS-34 and 440C? Probably not. I think people (knife enthusiasts) get too hung up on the "buzzword" hot knife steel of the year. In my opinion, if a company has a well established reputation, and a knife seems to fit your needs, blade steel alone should never be the sole deciding factor! When I buy a knife I look for things like comfort, looks, and manufacturer rep (and warranty). Then I think about how, where or when I'll use it. Not like I need another knife. But hey, I'm in this for life, I'll never stop learning about purpose driven knives that are made to be used.

Anyhow, I'm sure we'll be seeing Kershaw's new Whiplash soon. Some manufacturers save some of their new model offerings until late summer/early fall, so appropriate buzz can be generated by the time the Christmas holiday season rolls around. I'm still waiting on Cold Steel's big Spartan Folder to be released! Rumor had it that it would be this month...so I'm gonna get one as soon as I can find one and report on it, in full, right here.
-A
Kershaw's site is HERE along with a link to their excellent Zero Tolerance knife line as well.

Mini Tac Beaver Tail from Cold Steel

Those who know my knife preferences know I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Lynn C. Thompson's world famous company Cold Steel Knives. On one hand (for better or for worse) the man is a 3-ring hype master who unabashedly promotes and talks-up the violent use of his products toward both game-animals and humans (those who would do you harm). On the other hand, the man and his company have continually blazed trails and released some of the finest and most fairly-priced knives for outdoor use, self defense and any other application one could think of. I've never met the man, and I'm sure he's a good guy, so I'm not saying these things to judge the guy...I just think some of his advertising is a bit "over-the-top". I'm not sure how much good advertising of that style does for the image of we, the American knife-culture, and the entire American (and foreign) knife industry as a whole.

That being said, I own probably well over 25 or 30 Cold Steel knives and other products. They've always made some really badass stuff. One of my favorites which I lost in an unfortunate trade, was the Scimitar folding knife, fully serrated and black and mean as hell, that's a great knife. Cold Steel's Sjambok rubber short-whips are also great fun. They are dirt cheap (about $12.00 USD) on most knife retail sites, fill some gallon milk jugs with water and strike and them with a 42" Cold Steel Sjambok, it's a great way to spend an afternoon. Again, in defense of Cold Steel, they make probably THE widest range of creative and unique products of any cutlery company going today.

Anyhow, new for 2009 are 3 Cold Steel Mini Tac neck knives. There's a pointy Japanese Kiridashi inspired design, an upswept skinner with plenty of belly, and my fave, the Beaver Tail!



I've been waiting for this series since well before they actually became available. I was drawn to the kiridashi pattern at first, but I figured the beaver tail blade looked a bit less weaponized and probably had more utility applications.

Specifications:
* Weight: 2.8 oz.
* Blade Thickness: 2.5 mm
* Blade Length: 3 3/8"
* Steel: Japanese AUS 8A Stainless
* Overall: 6 3/8"
* Handle: 3" Long G-10
* Secure-Ex® Neck Sheath

These things are feather-light. MSRP is in the upper $50-something range, but most good websites, including Cold Steel Special Projects should have them considerably less expensive. I got mine at a warehouse sporting goods store for under $35.00
These three new Mini Tac knives all come with a concealex plastic sheath and a bead-chain, but are light and small enough to wear in the front pocket of a pair of shorts or jeans. They might also be a good choice to tuck in your car's visor too.

Cold Steel's crazy "Proof" DVDs have to be seen to be believed. They hack up stuff with their swords and put their products through some really abusive and entertaining torture tests. I believe you can still request a free dvd and catalog on either of the two websites.
Cold Steel's original site

Cold Steel's discount site

The Mini Tac Beaver Tail, as well as the others in the series have very nicely textured G10 handle slabs over a full tang. The handle also features a pseudo-sub hilt design that effectively prevents your finger from sliding forward. It grips great, and is comfortable, even in large hands like mine. The knife snaps securely into the sheath and I'd have no hesitations about wearing this around my neck, it's not coming out of the sheath unless YOU want it to, which is more than I can say for a couple other neck knives I've owned that have cut my midsection while escaping their sheaths without my permission (Chinese V-Tech brand knives, I'm looking at YOU bastards!)
Any of the 3 new Mini Tac neckers would make great all-around choices, be they for utility, boat knives, camp kitchen, or even walking home at night through a shady urban jungle! I don't think you could go wrong with these guys if you want a small and easily concealable fixed blade that has definite crossover value. Cold Steel offers a 5 year warranty on their fixed blade/non folding knives.

Anyway, for less than the price of a night out at the movies with your sweetheart, you can own one of these really nicely done Cold Steel Mini Tac knives. Mr. Lynn C. Thompson, you are a despicable genius...

If you want to see all 3 knives in the series, here they are at KnifeCenter

Petzl Tikkina vs. Black Diamond Gizmo, coming soon

These two headlamps are probably THE two most affordable name brand headlamps. I got myself the 2 bulb, 3xAAA Petzl Tikkina recently. Today, for my dad's birthday, I picked him up the Black Diamond Gizmo, which I believe has 1 more bulb than the Petzl, yet 1 less battery also. My dad lives on a saltwater bay and sometimes has to bring the boat in in low light, amongst floating debris, steering while keeping an eye on the gps/depth screen. I figured a hands-free light would be useful.

I haven't had enough time with my little Petzl, and Pops hasn't unwrapped his Black Diamond yet, so a true review is on its way. Both lights retail for right around $20.00 (I think the Petzl was $19.95 @ REI and the Black Diamond $20 even).

I look forward to seeing how these budget-conscious headlamps perform, especially out on the water or as get-up-and-piss lights while camping!
more soon.
-A

Knife Rights redux

I didn't want this post and the KnifeRights.org link to get overshadowed by other recent content I've written here. So here's the post AGAIN, please go to the site and take 5 or 10 minutes to read and educate yourself about the potential threat against your freedom to carry an essential daily tool:

KnifeRights.org

Kniferights.org promises to be a strong voice on behalf of we knife users, carriers and owners. The AKTI, or American Knife and Tool Institute was a step in the right direction, but they mainly act in the interest of knife manufacturers, not individual citizens. Whether or not you believe in organizations like the NRA, please just check these guys out and read what they have to say, then pass it on to a friend or family member. I'm joining tomorrow, when I get my paycheck.



The US Government is poised to demonize and eventually outlaw many, if not most common pocketknives, and redefine "switchblade" laws to include almost ALL ONE HAND OPENING KNIVES. It happened in the UK not long ago, those poor citizens can't even carry knives with LOCKING blades (a safety feature for Chrissakes!).

Whether you join or not, is up to you, but please visit this site by clicking on the above banner, and pass the word on to somebody else!!!!!!

Light My Fire Spork vs. forklift and semi-truck

This video is from the Light My Fire website, care of Industrial Revolutions. Industrial Revolutions is a plastics company out of Redmond, WA the former home of both Eric and myself, Aaron. They are just blocks from my former apartment at Shadowbrook, and not far from where Eric grew up. They make those cool plastic balls that enable you to make ice cream on camping trips and I think they locally distribute some products for Light My Fire, through a partnership also. Industrial Revolutions is the sole maker also, of the very popular UCO candle lanterns and other outdoor lighting products.



I own that same green spork in the video, it came in handy when I worked for a corporate housing company and did much of my work out of a delivery van. There's no excuse to use a goddamn flimsy teriyaki joint fork to eat your lunch on the job! These sporks are cool because one end is a true spoon, for coffee and such, and the other end is a true fork, with a serrated knife edge. The best part is, these ingenious little things only cost (on average) about $3.00 US. I love my Snowpeak titanium spork, but these LMF sporks are way more versatile, come in a ton of colors, and what's $3, even in this economy, if you lose it? I think one of the coolest things about Light My Fire gear, is that it's MADE IN SWEDEN! I'm sure any company could crank out a polycarbonate spork in any armpit corner of China, where human rights violations are an everyday thing...but NO! These are Swedish MADE!!!!!!!!!!!! And Industrial Revolutions products are USA made, in my second hometown!

When I first saw the Light My Fire Sporks at REI several years back, they only came in 4 or 5 primary colors (useful for outdoor use, if dropped). Now it appears they come in tactical blacks, greens, there's even a titanium version available for a few more bucks....and don't forget "tactical" pink for wives, girlfriends and moms (or gender "secure" male friends) who dig the outdoors! After all, Jeff Randall's RAT Cutlery Company makes their awesome Izula neck knife in pink, reasoning being they operate exclusively in the jungle, and the South American jungle's floor is pretty much *just* green. Pink might be an un-macho color, but for outdoor use, knives and sporks in pink make a hell of a lot of good sense!



btw: A recent trip to my local Tacoma REI yielded a $20 Petzl Tikkina basic headlamp (which kicks ass) and is made somewhere other than China (yay!)
I also picked up Light My Fire's "Grandpa's FireFork" which is simplicity and ingeniousness combined for about 5 bucks! Reviews on the Petzl lamp and FireFork are coming ASAP for an SB&T summer essential gear roundup (I'll need Eric's help on this one).
Stay safe, cool, and don't forget the sunblock!!!!
-Aaron

$19.95 USD Petzl Tikkina headlamp on the way:

My guess is that this is the best headlamp you can own in the sub-$25 range, I've only had mine a few days and I've already gotten my money's worth out of it! BAD F***ING ASS!

For more info on Sporks or Light My Fire's other cool Swedish Made products LightMyFireUSA

Kniferights.org, please check out this link!

Kniferights.org promises to be a strong voice on behalf of we knife users, carriers and owners. The AKTI, or American Knife and Tool Institute was a step in the right direction, but they mainly act in the interest of knife manufacturers, not individual citizens. Whether or not you believe in organizations like the NRA, please just check these guys out and read what they have to say, then pass it on to a friend or family member. I'm joining tomorrow, when I get my paycheck.



The US Government is poised to demonize and eventually outlaw many, if not most common pocketknives, and redefine "switchblade" laws to include almost ALL ONE HAND OPENING KNIVES. It happened in the UK not long ago, those poor citizens can't even carry knives with LOCKING blades (a safety feature for Chrissakes!).

Whether you join or not, is up to you, but please visit this site by clicking on the above banner, and pass the word on to somebody else!!!!!!

CRKT Hole In One, WTF?***UPDATE 6/12/09

"WTF is that?!", you ask?
That was my first thought too. This is a CRKT project in conjunction with an Oregon knifemaker/engineer named Tom Hitchcock. Good retail knife dealers will have this in the $25-28 price range, before shipping. I'm intrigued, for sure.

I have one of these headed my way, this design was just too far out and atypical, so I had to order one. It's inexpensive enough that if it gets here, and I totally hate it, I'll gift it to someone, or put it up for trade on craigslist for ammo or something. Pretty funky design, evidently somewhere in there, is a springloaded carabiner clip to attach this puppy to a pack or keyring.

this is what I know so far:
# Blade: Length: 2.50" (64 mm)
# Thickness: 0.14" (3.6 mm)
# Steel: 420J2
# Taiwan manufacture

CRKT has always been a leader in trying new stuff and giving designers a chance to have their work known far and wide. The CRKT warranty is pretty awesome (lifetime) and I've exchanged emails with CRKT president Rod Bremer, who seems like a hell of a nice guy.
Anyhoo, my Hole In One (no sex jokes guys!) should be here next week, and as soon as I get it, I'll post impressions right here on SB&T.
stay sharp
-Aaron


********************************************


Friday, June 12, 2009 addendum:
I got my Hole In One today via UPS! This thing is AWESOME, it's totally UNLIKE ANY KNIFE you have ever handled, the two-and-a-half blade length is only from the SHARP tip to the end of the sharpened edge, overall, it's actually a pretty large piece. It feels good in the hand and the blade swings out either way 360 degrees, then locks up. All you need to do is depress the little locking plate to unlock it, oh, did I mention it locks CLOSED also?! This is a knife that must quite literally be seen to be believed. The only thing that doesn't thrill me is the bead-blast gray finish, typical to a large majority of CRKT knives. Sure the bead-blast gray looks good, but if you live near saltwater as I do, or sweat half as much as I do, your knife will soon be spotted in little brown/orange "pre-rust" spots. Even Sentry Solutions' Tuff-Cloth, great stuff that it is, doesn't seen to help this problem. I have had similar pre rust occur on every bead blast finished knife I have ever owned, custom pieces, Benchmades and Emersons among them. So obviously the tendency of bead blast finishes to attract spotting is not at all contingent upon the cost or implied value of a knife, it simply IS what it is.

I realize it's a fairly inexpensive, attractive was to dress up a knife without doing a teflon based black coating, but it's because the blasting treatment opens up the pores in the steel so moisture and sweat can really take hold in there. Granted with regular tuff-cloth treatments and buffing out those little spots with a good metal polish (flitz or metal glow), your gray blade will never truly rust, but hey, it IS a carbon steel blade of which the shine has been blasted off, of course it's going to develop stain faster than a BK1 or black teflon coating. Anyhow, I would heartily suggest visiting a CRKT retailer, or just taking a gamble and buying a Hole In One online, hell son, it'll only set you back about $30 bones after shipping, and it's way fun to play with!
Hole In One FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kershaw-Emerson Auto Commander!

A friend brought this to my attention. Looks like this Emerson/Kershaw collaboration should be available very soon.

Emerson's Commander has a huge following in military, LE and civilian circles. No doubt a push button auto version will be a huge seller. I'm thinking the build quality will be similar to some of Kershaw/Zero Tolerance's pricier auto knives, based on the looks, and the fact that it's coming out of the same US factory in Oregon. Pretty cool.

Badass Budget Blackhawk!

The Blackhawk Blades BHB41, the little brother of the BHB40:

I went into a local tactical supply store near Ft. Lewis to buy a belt, specifically another 5.11 Tactical TDU Belt. It's the easiest, most comfortable belt I've ever worn, they come in large sizes, and I wanted one in OD green. Of course I couldn't JUST buy a belt at a store that sells as much cool shit as these guys. Their knife prices are usually right around suggested retail, but certainly never overpriced. The Blackhawk! BHB40 caught my eye. It's a folder; China-made and tanto of blade. It was priced around $49.99, but for some reason, the guys at this store always give me the military/LE discount, maybe they give it to everyone, who knows, I wasn't about to argue with saving $6+ on my purchase total!

Let's take a look at the overall specs:
* Blade Length: 3.75"
* Overall Length: 8.85"
* Blade Material: 9Cr13CoMoV stainless steel
* Blade Finish: Matte stonewashed
* Edge type: Partially Serrated
* Handle Material: 420J stainless steel liners nested in injection-molded nylon scales
* Pocket Clip: Right or left-side, tip-up or tip-down carry

It's light for a knife of its size and feels good in the hand. The nylon scales are patterned with the MOD/Blackhawk Blades delta symbol which provides a good grip, even while wet. When I got home, I toyed around with switching grips and flipping and turning this knife in my hand under the running shower nozzle, I was surprised at the way this relatively nondescript handle shape stuck in my hand. It's a simple lockback, like a Cold Steel Voyager or Spyderco Endura, but it snaps in place with authority, and feels solid.

I like the fact that holes are tapped to allow for left/right and tip up/tip down carry. The clip on mine came attached for right side tip down, and I may keep it that way, but knowing my preference, I'll probably flip it to tip up carry. The thumb opener is an odd-looking sort of slot, but it works surprisingly well with the thumb, or my trademark double-jointed thumb hold/middle finger flick (too complicated to demonstrate here) which I mastered back in the day on Spyderco Enduras and Delicas.
I also like the fact that these knives have a long thin leading edge, as opposed to the square-looking tanto style where the front of the blade comes up at say, a 45 degree angle, giving such knives kind of a blunted, bulldog sort of look.

My knife was shaving sharp right off the shelf, as it should be, and the serration pattern looks competent enough to slice pretty much anything that might need slicing, and the tip is needle sharp.
This knife has only been in my possession a matter of hours, so I obviously haven't had any real time or energy to use and abuse it (and honestly, that's not really my style anyway) but I'll update as needed with anything this blade excels at.

Some might have their reservations about a Chinese made folder, but many simply can't afford, or or don't want to spend the cash associated with a US made knife like an overpriced (IMO) Strider folder or even a higher end Kershaw/Zero Tolerance, or a blue or black box Benchmade for every day carry. The $50-or-so retail of these makes them affordable for cops, firemen and military people with a family on a budget, and just makes knives like these damn tempting for single dudes like myself with no kids and minimal expenses. Even better, I've seen this same knife up to $10 less online, than what I paid for it in a brick-and-mortar store!

Addendum:
I'm liking this simple blade more and more. I've repeatedly pierced the bottoms of several aluminum energy drink cans and the tip, while very pointy, is holding up well. This knife is a cinch to touch up on a diamond rod. I'm thinking this Blackhawk knife would be a good self defense tool in trained hands as well. Nice...

Benchmade Mini-Barrage 585SBK review coming soon

Wow, my desire for new 2009 Benchmade product is getting me into trouble. I went ahead and pulled the proverbial trigger on this one. My local store had a good price on it, and they had one untouched, new in a box. It's even smaller than the Mini Presidio Ultra! Not by much though, and this knife totally kicks ass. I think I've found my new EDC for the summer. Full review on its way...

See the Mini barrage @ Benchmade.com

Spyderco Kopa and musings on knives as Father's Day gifts

Just a quickie here...seems the older I get, the more I'm prone to liking the looks of knives I would have laughed at when I worked in retail cutlery in my 20's, not that long ago. I keep seeing new versions of the Spyderco Kopa on various knife sites. I think most of them, if not all, have VG10 blades and are made by Spyderco's Japanese partners, maybe Moki. They all seem to be limited runs and all share the trait of exotic, colorful handle materials.

These are kind of cool, in an industry dominated, by and large by stealth black, foliage green, desert tan and the recently trendy camo, or even ACU digital camo.

Don't get me wrong, I love "tactical" looking blades, but these Spyderco Kopas have sort of a carefree, utilitarian look to them, and hey, if one was willing to shell out the cash, they'd probably make an awesome father's day gift for anybody's Old Man. Except my dad. It's funny, out of all of the knives I've given him over the years, the only one he carries consistently is an old early-generation Gerber EZ Out, with the wonky oval opening hole and the "gator grip" handle. I don't even think the steel is ATS-34, it's some rock hard, impossible to sharpen Gerber junk steel, but hey, he's used the hell out of it, and seems to enjoy it. It seems in the past, the more supposedly "high performance" a folding knife is, the less he uses it. I've given him an Emerson he's never carried but once when we were out on our annual trout trip. One year I gave him a $10 Frost's of Sweden carbon steel, rubber handled fixed blade, similar to a Mora knife, and it's his trusty bait knife on his boat, even though the thing rusts like hell on his saltwater bay. Oh well. I think this Father's Day (followed by his birthday the same week), I'll stick with the tried-and-true gift of kitchen knives. He has a ragtag collection of knives he's used for 20+ years and he's an outstanding chef and takes real joy from cooking, and using high quality tools to prepare meals. I bought him a Cold Steel Kitchen Classics bread knife for Christmas, and he loves the damn thing.

With kitchen blades, i never get him anything too expensive, because he throws the shit in the dishwasher, and sometimes leaves cutlery out in his barbecue shack. Kershaw's parent company KAI makes some cool, reasonably priced kitchen knives, as does the aforementioned Cold Steel. Hmmm, if I can't find anything in the kitchen cutlery vein, I'll go to the old standby...bottle of wine. That always does the trick, and it's one of the last vices the man enjoys.

If you have any funny father's day gift stories, or want to share gift ideas, leave a comment, or email me.

And I'm back.....

So it's been forever and a day since I last posted anything up here, and thought I'd go ahead and put something up real quick since it's a slow day at work and I've got nothing better to do or on my mind. Went out to the range yesterday and enjoyed firing off the first box of 9MM that I've been able to find in ages. Nothing more than a 50 count box of Magtech FMC range ammo, but fun nonetheless, discounting a couple of stovepipes throughout the duration. Also wasted a few targets shooting my oldest 10/22, since it hasn't gotten much love in many of my recent range visits, and it has a sick new scope from NCstar that makes it pretty much right on target every time.

Also new in the life of yours truly, a sweet new ride... well, new for me anyway. I went ahead and traded in the 2005 Hyundai Elantra for a 2001 Honda Passport. It's a 3.2 liter V6 4x4, which fulfills my requirement for the vehicle. While an AWD model may have run me less in the fuel efficiency department the whole purpose in switching up vehicles was so that I could get places off the beaten track. Washington state happens to be littered with thousands of miles of forest service roads unsuited for standard rear wheel or even all wheel drive vehicles. Mind you, I'm not think about the Rubicon trail, as the Passport is still my primary means of transport and I really don't wanna wreck it, but I want something that will tackle sketchy terrain putting me that much closer to the outdoors and away from normal car-campers.

As well my birthday is coming up, for which I can generally expect a pretty fair amount of cashola, and I'm now contemplating shotguns. I've got my choices narrowed down to a handful, but haven't really come to an executive decision just yet so to speak:

Benelli Supernova Tactical 12 GA with pistol grip
(MSRP $499)

I love the Benelli, which is a universal name alongside Mossberg as far as their shotguns are concerned, and in my opinion aesthetically better looking than the Mossberg 500 as well. My only real qualm is that it's one of the more expensive entry level shotguns out there, and while it pales price wise in comparison to the Benelli M4, it would still hurt my wallet a bit to procure... but damn it's hot.
Charles Daly Tactical 12 GA
(MSRP $344)

The Charles Daly Tactical is nothing more than a clone of the Benelli for about a bill fifty less. But unlike the Benelli the Charles Daly comes equipped with a picatinny mount for a red dot or other optics. More than likely were I to go with one of these pricier gauges, I'd go with the Charles Daly. They make AR15's that have reviewed exceptionally well, plus the gun just looks badass.
Harrington & Richardson Tamer 20 GA
(MSRP $160)

I have long contemplated this survival shotgun. It's a single shot break barrel shotty styled after the classic marine shotgun with synthetic furniture and a nickel finish. It's a bit more reminiscent of a cowboy gun, yet still maintains a bit of bad-assery for folks like me that are actually concerned about their firearm's appearance. I also like the added utility of the storage for extra shells, and I'm familiar enough with this piece to be able to reload it quick in a panic.
IAC Hawk Model 982 12 GA
(MSRP $230)

Most people list this model as a Remington 870 clone, but with the ghost ring sights it's more reminiscent of the Benelli in my opinion. But apparently 870 accessories will work with this firearm without modification. I've seen some especially awesome looking home defense variations built on this platform. Apparently IAC is actually manufactured by Norinco in China, but I haven't come across any negative feedback here, so this one is high on my list of possibles.
New England Firearms Pardner Pump Protector 12 GA
(MSRP $198)

Another Remington 870 clone, the NEF variation is a bit cheaper than the Norinco, but also lacks quality sights though it is drilled and tapped for additional optics. Again, 870 hardware will work with this piece from my research, and not require any mods made to the firearm, which makes it another high contender for whichever shotty I happen to go with. Tough call indeed.

Anyways, that's about all that's on my mind today... I'll be sure to keep whomever reads this blog these days updated with my decision after the birthday occurs next week. I'm fairly confident that whichever one of these options I actually go with, I will be pleased with the end result. Also, will be certain to give my thoughts on how my forest service road adventures go this season... can't wait to take the new ride in the dirt!

The Art of the Affordable American-made Folder; Benchmade 527 Mini-Presidio Ultra

I'm a little surprised it's taken me this long to purchase anything from Benchmade's 2009 lineup. There are plenty of newer BM offerings that I wouldn't mind owning, but several irresponsible knife-buying sprees late last year, coupled with my recent urges to purchase guitar-effects and music gear, put my Benchmade wishlist on hold...until today. Aside from a routine checkup with my new doc, I didn't have much going on, so after paying a credit card bill, it was off to my favorite warehouse sporting goods store. The store in question isn't real quick to get new model knives from any brand, but they are a big Benchmade dealer, and it's late May after all. I knew they'd have something I wanted. I played with the 10700 Nagara from BM's red box line of overseas-made knives. It has the same Nakamura-designed "Nak-Lock" that last year's Shoki gentleman's folder has. It's got a slick (as in cool, not slippery) titanium handle, and is reasonably priced. The blade is ground from a budget-oriented chrome/molybdenum steel; 8CR13, or somesuch equivalent. It didn't win me over though, and I ended up playing with a few variations of the Barrage series, the first assisted openers from the Oregon City juggernaut. I liked the size, look and overall feel, including the lightning-quick blade deployment of the 585 mini Barrage, and it seems all Barrage-series knives sport a backspacer-mounted safety (which I guessed I overlooked when I originally read the specs for the Barrage knives), in addition to BM's venerable Axis Lock. I didn't care for the Valox (a grippy hard rubber resin) handle scales. They felt nice, but looked sort of cheap IMO. Maybe we'll see the Barrage knives in colored aluminum handles eventually, that would get my attention! I was curious about the red box series Aphid knife also, but it wasn't in stock where I was at.





I settled on the 527 mini Presidio Ultra, plain edge, uncoated blade. The blade is 440C with sort of a tumbled or stonewashed look. The 522 and 527 Presidio Ultra knives are based upon the look of the Mel Pardue designed Presidio series, which have aluminum handle scales. These new-for-2009 Presidio Ultras are still USA-made, but much more affordable, due to the cheaper (but still very high-performance) 440C blades. The handles are Noryl GTX, a high-strength plastic that sounds to me like a high-tech birth control pill. The use of Noryl GTX, instead of machined aluminum also keeps cost down. My new 527 mini was about $65.00 before sales tax, discounted with my store membership card. This price is about comparable with pre-shipping prices on many discount knife sites.
Here's my 527 next to my 745 mini-DejaVoo:

The smaller DejaVoo was always one I considered on the smaller side of things, with its 3.23" blade. The new 527 Presidio Ultra's blade is about 2.97", making the little DejaVoo dwarf this new knife. I used to feel that bigger was always better in a folding knife. I've always been a peaceful and mostly-law-abiding person, so I never worried about legalities, I just was usually more comfortable with a larger folding knife in my right front pocket, and at times, I've been known to pack folders with 4 inch to 5.5 inch blades. Fine and dandy, but lately (last 3 years or so) I've realized the freedom of carrying smaller, lighter knives. I'm working a job now too, where I often may need to produce a knife to cut something in front of NKPs (non-knife-people) and shocked looks and gasps get old very quickly when you're trying to avoid unwanted attention directed at your knife from simple minded folks who startle easily or don't understand that knives are tools and not simply weapons that movie-bad-guys carry. It's also the time of year where I wear shorts even more frequently than usual, and a smaller knife is simply more comfortable than a behemoth with a 4 to 5 inch blade. To me, a smaller dedicated folder, also means more room to carry a small or midsize Swiss Army or multi-tool.

The pocket clips on the presidio Ultra knives are left/right reversible, but only allow for carry with the folded knife's tip in the UP position. I tend to prefer tip-up carry anyhow, for the most part. The Noryl GTX handles feel very similar to Zytel, or any number of other "glass-filled nylon" hybrid plastic materials, and are nicely textured in what Benchmade refers to as an "EDM" pattern. It's almost like a diamond plate shape, and I'd assume that the acronym stands for "external diamond milling" or something like that, which sounds way more high tech than it really is. Either way, the texturing provides a nice grip, and I just tried it with wet hands too. Thumbstuds are pretty standard and allow for quick opening because of the short distance from the pivot pin. The Axis Lock is as solid as I've ever seen on any Benchmade which uses the mechanism. The knife's liners appear to be made of aluminum, though it's possible they're stainless steel, and the blade pivot rides on what appear to be dual phosphor bronze washers. The blade is a simple but modern-looking drop point and is one of the sharpest knives I've ever handled from this company, right out of the box, and that's saying a lot, as Benchmade's knives are always scary sharp from the factory, whether they are US-made or otherwise, regardless of the blade material!

It's a safe guess that this knife will accompany me to Ross Lake, mid-August, for the annual trout fishing trip, and I'll probably pack it in my checked luggage when I go to Disneyland with my sisters and their kids a week after that, as it is a smaller knife, and CA is known to have somewhat picky knife regulations, at least when compared with your average Seattle law enforcement personnel.

I've always liked the look of the original Presidio series from Benchmade, and I'm pretty stoked that these less expensive, yet still Oregon-made versions are available. If I end up with another knife from Benchmade's 2009 offerings by the end of the year, it'll probably be the full size Barrage with the black combo blade, but this 527 mini-Presidio Ultra will hold me over until the next great knife urge rears its head.

Benchmade.com

5/25/2009 Addendum:
So, I've been carrying this little bastard a few days now, and I'm liking it more and more. Everyone who has seen it has liked it, and expressed some measure of surprise at the relatively inexpensive pricepoint. Good Stuff, I'm jonesing now, to play with Cold Steel's forthcoming Spartan folder, it's one of only a few new CS products for 2009, and the only one I'm really interested from them, so as soon as it's available for purchase, look for a review right here.

Leatherman Freestyle now available

If there's one knife/tool category I love as much as "tactical folders", it's multi-tools. I have a shitload of multi-tools, even some I've never used!! Anyhow I just saw this badboy online and had to post pix 'cause it looks awesome. I hate to sound like a knifecenter shill, but I love that goddamn site. I stole these images from them too, which they probably kiped from Leatherman's site, oh well. Leatherman continues to crank out cool designs, this one's in the $30-$40 USD pricerange, and like the Skeletool, a slightly more expensive carbon-fiber handled version is available. I certainly don't need another multi-tool, as I regularly use an old Victorinox Swisstool, and last fall I bought a Leatherman Kick, and I've been carrying the 125th Anniversary Victorinox Climber I wrote about a few weeks back. But I'm certainly tempted by the $39.95 price of the stainless handled Leatherman Freestyle!!!


I'm guessing these guys should be available at most online knife retailers, though knifecenter is the first place I've seen them. I like the fact that many companies are starting to bridge the gap between folding knife and multi-tool with designs like this that just pack the basics, along with a good size blade.

Hi-Vis budget camp knives from Marble's

This time of year I always keep my eye out for newly available, inexpensive knives to test out on light hikes and camping trips. Marble's is a name synonymous with outdoor knives, going back farther than most of us can remember. I was pretty stoked to see three El Salvador-made choppers on Knifecenter.com's new products section today. These all have a super high-visibility orange-finished blade and wooden handles. You're not likely to lose track of these budget-choppers (unless you're truly color blind) and even if you do, $11.95 USD + shipping won't break the bank if you accidentally leave one behind at a camp site. A sheath is not included, but big deal, right?
See the bolo, machete, and camp cleaver @ Knifecenter

Victorinox Swiss Army 125th Anniversary series

I've always preferred Victorinox Swiss Army knives over Wenger. Wenger lays claim to being the "Genuine" Swiss Army knife, and Victorinox is the "Original" Swiss Army knife. Until this year, both companies were authorized to make knives for the Swiss Government and armed forces. These two cutlery giants came to an understanding. They are both "real" Swiss Army knives, but as of this year, Victorinox will be the official provider for the actual Swiss Army.

When Knifecenter.com got these a month or two back, I knew I had to have one. I'd recently bought a Victorinox Hiker model as part of a value pack that came with an awesome Smith's diamond sharpening rod, but I had it attached to a lanyard, and one day at work it flew out of my hand, hit the cement floor of the place I was working and chipped up the plastic scale on the "logo" side of the knife. This was my perfect self-justification to get another knife!

The 125th Anniversary series consists of a special edition Swisscard, a Classic SD, a Cybertool and the model I chose, the Climber, which is similar to the Hiker, but has a scissor, and a corkscrew instead of the right-angle phillips driver. The finish on these badboys is sweet. Little tiny Victorinox shields are patterned on using a special process, and near one end of the knife a larger shield logo is present. My climber came in an impressive gift box with a magnetic flap, and a cool red suede bag, I guess to store the knife in when not in use.
When I first got this limited edition, I wondered whether or not I was going to carry it or not. I've been known to treat some of my more expensive knives like "safe queens", ie: polishing them and locking them up. But at this point in my life, I figure I have too many nice knives to ignore, and what the hell's the point of owning them if you aren't gonna use 'em?!
So, I've been carrying my 125th edition Climber everywhere. I used it to pop beer caps at a friend's bachelor party, I use it at work to cut plastic from petfood cases, hell, I used it today to peel an orange. Owning knives is much more satisfying if they seem to serve a purpose. I generally carry a medium to large size "tactical folder", usually a Benchmade, Spyderco, Cold Steel or something comparable, in my right pocket, and then a small multi-tool or Swiss Army in my left pocket. Granted, this Climber model is no different from the regular Victorinox Climber, aesthetically, it looks a bit cooler, and it was a few bucks more than your off-the-shelf Climber, but I feel like it's more fun to carry, because nobody (okay, nearly nobody) has seen a Victorinox SAK with this pattern before. I attached a Lanyard Zone Glow Cobra lanyard, one of my favorites. Scott is the main man up at the Lanyard Zone in Canada. He hand-ties all of his products from super-tough paracord, and offers an incredible array of color choices and evil-looking skull beads to spice up your lanyards. I'll be ordering from him again, as his Glow Cobras glow bright and make finding your gear in the darkness of a car at night, or a tent in the woods, very easy.
So, if you're looking to replace that tired and rusty Swiss Army Knife your uncle gave you when you were ten, check out the re-decorated 125th Anniversary lineup from Victorinox.

Victorinox at Knifecenter




Oh! And one more thing...The Victorinox brand-new Soldier Knife is finally available at better knife retailers on the web and in physical brick-and-mortar cutlery shops. This knife looks far more functional for EDC, or for active duty military than the time-tested classic Soldier from Victorinox.

Check out the specs at Victorinox's site!