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!

Review: SOG Seal Pup Elite (Satin, Straight)

     If you are looking for a great fixed blade knife, look no further. I have had this knife for about a year and I love it. I have taken it camping, batoned through wood, dropped it on stone, and it still works amazingly well. There are so many good things about this knife that I can’t possibly list them all in this review. First of all, the blade is amazing. It is made out of AUS8 steel and has stayed pretty sharp. When it came, it was razor sharp and now it is still relatively sharp. It has gotten duller than it was because I was using it as an axe for batoning (when you set a knife on wood and hammer on the blade to chop through). Not to mention, the blade looks really cool too (an added bonus). The one really small problem I have with the blade is the satin finish. I know that I chose it, but wow that blade is shiny! If you were stranded, you could use it as a signal mirror, that’s how shiny it is. I find it a little distracting and it shows dirt and fingerprints more easily. Again, that was my choice to get the satin finish and it doesn’t really affect the quality of the knife therefore I will not be counting that little issue in the total score. Another thing with the blade is the ricasso. I say “thing” because in my opinion, it is neither a flaw nor an advantage, simply a fact. The ricasso is a little over half an inch. This bothers some people because that means the blade doesn’t start for half an inch, but I really don’t care. In my experience, the ricasso has in no way affected the performance of the knife. Another fact about this knife is the spine. There is heavy jimping all along the spine which I like; it allows you to choke up to get more leverage. There is a small hilt on the knife which is nice so that your hand doesn’t slide up and get cut. The handle is made of zytel and is extremely sturdy! I have dropped this knife a few times and it hasn’t even scratched. There is checkering on the handle so it provides a nice grip. Finger grooves also help with the grip on the handle. In the pommel, there is a lanyard hole if you want to add that, which I haven’t). The handle is extremely sturdy and high quality which would explain why it is heavier than the blade. The SOG Seal Pup Elite is slightly off balance due to the handle. However, when you are using it, you can hardly tell that it is off balance. I chose the nylon sheath because the kydex wasn’t available. I am pretty pleased with my choice and the nylon has held up very nicely. As I stated in a previous post on sheaths, nylon straps can get cut. The strap that holds the handle in place has gotten cut a little; the cut is barely noticeable. My only problem with the sheath is that it is kind of bulky. The kydex sheath may or may not be like this. By the way, whether you strap the knife into the sheath or not, it is not going anywhere. I should also add that the sheath is ambidextrous. The best place and price I found to buy the SOG Seal Pup Elite Straight Edge Satin Finish was on Amazon for about $60. Now, it is closer to $50. This knife, in my opinion, has a $150 value and in some places, that is what it retails for. Overall, this knife is an amazing purchase and great fixed blade. It looks cool and is extremely durable too. Definitely add the SOG Seal Pup Elite to your To Buy List!