MOVING!

Today my website officially went up you can find it at:
www.blades411.com
From now on, I will be posting all information and reviews on that site and the blog on that site. I will be uploading all of my old reviews, but they are all being updated and new content is being added.

Tanto and Sheepsfoot Points

                There are many different types of points on knives. One of the points is a tanto point. The tanto point is an angled straight edge that is designed to be strong. These were originally from Japan and designed to pierce armor. A tanto is actually a style of Japanese dagger where the point comes from. Over the years, it has evolved into the Americanized tanto which has more bevels, and a steeper angle on the point. Tanto points are good for utility because of their strength.

                The sheepsfoot point is rounded. When I got my first sheepsfoot knife, I wondered why anyone would want a knife with no point. I learned, however, that the sheepsfoot point is designed for rescue teams. This way, the knife can cut through rope or a seatbelt without the risk of stabbing the person being rescued with the point. 

Review: Gerber Bear Grylls Scout

     This review will sort of be a follow up to my rant on Swiss Army Knives. So an alternative that I like is the Gerber Bear Grylls Scout. The blade is excellent. It has stayed sharp and has great jimping on the spine of the blade. It has serrations on it which are surprisingly effective. The one thing that I really don’t like about the Scout is the handle. It feels really cheap. I think they tried to make it more lightweight with a plastic. The handle is very ergonomic, but it’s thin. I should point out that the knife is not balanced at all. The overall knife is very good. It has a basic locking mechanism. This is the standard rear lock. I guess the designers were trying to reduce weight by not adding liner locks. This knife is about $20 which I think is pretty extravagant for what you are getting. Still, it is better than a Swiss Army Knife and half the price. I think this knife is good as an EDC, but it is not a necessary piece to add to a collection.

Terminology

   I apologize for not posting in a while, but here is a short post for the week. I will try to do a review by Thursday. When you read some of my knife reviews, other reviews, or anything else pertaining to knives, there may be some terminology that you might not be familiar with. Here are some terms that are not super common, but they are useful.

Choil- indent on the blade in front of the guard or if there is not guard, it will be on the handle

Swedge- a small sharpened area on the spine of the blade

Ricasso- unsharpened area of the blade between the hilt and sharpened edge

Jimping- notches on parts of the blade to provide a better grip

Buying Guide 4: Stainless or Carbon?

     Knife steels are very important because they determine durability, sharpness, and rust-resistance. So, which category of steel should you choose, stainless, or carbon. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. I have several stainless steel knives, and also carbon steel knives. Let’s start with some advantages and disadvantages of stainless steel. The lowest grade stainless steel that should be put in a knife is 420 stainless steel. The Buck Tempest is made of 420HC steel. This is a different steel than ordinary 420 because it contains a higher carbon content. The most common stainless steel in a knife is 440. I am going to skip all of the technical stuff about that steel and go straight to practical application. Overall, stainless steel is very rust resistant, holds an edge okay, and is easy to sharpen. However, I know that 440 stainless is not good for water (diving) and that carbon steels are better for that. In my experience, AUS 8 is great for water applications and you can leave a blade in water for over a week, with no problems. Carbon steel holds a really good edge, but is harder to sharpen. It takes longer and you need a better sharpening stone. Personally for a pocket knife, I like stainless, but for a tactical knife, I usually go with high carbon steel.

Review: UTG Tactical Law Enforcement SWAT Vest

     This week I am going to change it up and do a gear review. A while ago, I bought the UTG Tactical Law Enforcement SWAT Vest. This vest is great for home defense or airsoft (airsoft being the more practical choice). Personally, I use it to store all kinds of things and for the occasional airsoft game. Not to mention, you can store plenty of knives. One of the most important features of the vest is the holster. I know for sure that it holds a standard 1911 and also a Glock 17. It probably can hold most other guns too. The downside of the holster is that it is too high up for a left hand draw (it is on the left side) and too far to do a cross-body draw. If it was angled, it would be better. Another downside of the holster is that the thumb release is impossible to release with your thumb. The vest also has many pockets for rifle magazines, pistol magazines, and high caliber sniper ammo. There is also a removal patch for shotgun shells, or ID. All of the loops for these are different sizes. In addition to all of the ammunition pouches, there is a walkie-talkie pocket on the left shoulder and a rear pouch on the back to the vest. The rear pocket interferes with having a pack or any type of bag. Another feature of the vest is that is adjustable and can fit even the smallest person. I say smallest person because this vest will definitely not fit a big guy. It is a bit short too. Unfortunately, there is about a mile of cord for adjusting, which you can cut, but it will fray. Something else that needs to be fixed are the zippers because they make noise when you walk and a racket when you run. This vest was about $35 on Amazon (cheapest price I found) and is worth it for just messing around. There are lots of good things about this vest, but I really only covered basic ones and flaws. Overall, this vest is great for fun tactical adventures and airsoft. I give this vest a rating of 7.4/10 stars because it isn’t very practical for real tactical use.  

Knife Wish List!

This is a short list of knives that I really want to get for personal use, a gift, or just from a recommendation. Please note that I do not own any of these knives. 

My “To Buy” List:

1.        Short Black KA-BAR- Surprisingly, I do not have any KA-BARs in my collection, but I would like to add this one.
2.       Benchmade 470 Emissary- Pricey, but I have heard great things about this knife and love Benchmade products.
3.     SOG Vulcan- This knife is truly beautiful, but will it work well?
4.     Spyderco Delica- I know, I know people are always saying, “You don’t have a Delica?!?” I apologize to all of you Spyderco fans, but I just never got why the Delica is so popular. I guess I should get one and see.
5.        Kershaw Clash- I don’t know whether I would actually like this knife. I am kind of picky about knives and the Kershaw Leek didn’t work for me.

Anyways, these knives are all interesting and I would love to try them out. I will definitely keep an eye out for a good deal on these knives!