Cold Steel Spike Drop Point 53NCC

8 inches of Krupp 14116 stainless steel, an eigth of an inch thickness, full tang, 4 inches of handle and 4 inches of blade, flat ground. Secure Ex sheath designed for neck carry. Made in Taiwan. Faux G10 handle scales with a very secure texturing.

Currently, three variants are available. Bowie, Drop Point, Tanto and “Tokio”. I chose the middle ground and ended up with a nice and solid steak knife that has some defensive value for people with small hands. Actually, I can very well envision this knife in the purse of a well prepared lady besides a can of pepper spray. For my paws, I would rate it as a bit too slim and would prefer some more handle beef.

I have not used mine for anything else but slicing pizza, but I would bet this is a solid penetrator. The sheath does not offer enough tightness for neck carry in my book and I do not know if the material will take the abuse of re-forming it. If you have big hands, better check this one out in a knifeshop before you buy.

I have therefore chosen a pencil, a SAK Hiker, and a classic Mora knife for the photo impressions. The knife seems not comparable at all to the older cord-wrapped versions of the Spike.

Modified & Inexpensive Companions

Cutting tools are not always perfect. Slight changes can make them satisfactory. Here is a picture of three of my woods companions. The Tramontina 14 inch bladed machete has a grip that is easily reground because it is made from soft wood, and also slightly grooved. The Nepal Service Kukri knife has its horn grip also ground off at the rear to make it more comfortable for swinging chops in my hands. It is also covered in bike inner tube. The discontinued Mora Triflex has grooves in the slippery handle and a “sweet spot” in the spine of the blade for striking a fire.

Seiko Santa Claus Attack ! SNX111 & SGEF81

Recently, I “stumbled” over two inexpensive Seiko timepieces that I absolutely had to have. One is quartz powered, the other is an automatic timepiece. 

The Seiko SNX111 is one of your typical famous Seiko 5ers. The stainless case is 37 or 38mm (depending on where you measure, but always without the crown) wide with a classic silver colored dial and Lumibrite markings on the hands and hour index points. Seiko has great lume. The crown on this model is placed “correctly” at three o´clock, not at four o´clock. You find that very often on 5ers. I can´t stand that. If it were not for the day and date display window, this automatic watch reminds me a bit of the Rolex Air King. 5ers have an unusual 19mm strap lug width, so if you want to replace the somewhat noisy and hair-popping folded metal band, be sure to find a piece of leather that perfectly matches.

The 5er movements are reliable and time-proven and should be good for many years before they will need major servicing. At 70 dollars including shipping from Asia, this watch was a good bit cheaper than usually found in German shops. The white colored date window has black English and French letters, so maybe this model is not officially imported at all into this market. The SNX also comes in a black face version, with a highly contrasting white date window. I prefer my version, as any leather strap color will eventually match and the “SEIKO” logo is somewhat pale.

The simple 5ers should be kept away from too much water, swimming is not recommended with them. I have had watches with “100m water resistance” damaged by heavy summer rainfalls, 5ers are only good for 30 meters from the factory. I guess you can wash your car or fish around in a water bucket for a few moments with one on your wrist, but take it off before you shower.

Since a few years, Seiko shows off the mechanical 7S26 movements in their 5ers with a see-through base. I have read once that his is a marketing move meant to teach teenagers about mechanical watches. In Japan, many kids do not wear watches, using their cell phones for telling the time. Is this an urban myth ? Mail me if you know more. 

My other new Seiko is a black faced (with corresponding black date window) quartz model named SGEF81 with a 39mm sized case. This one comes with a 20mm wide calf leather strap that is a bit stiff, but looks great. The hands and face of this one are free of any lume, so the “EDC”-value might be lowered a good bit.

The second hand on my sample is hitting right on the corresponding minute bars. I have emailed the seller about this before buying as I consider it a quality feature. I know this is somewhat “anal”, but I do not see why it cannot be a part of the factory quality control. This watch should be great for formal attire, as it is very understated and elegant at the same time.

I don´t like watches with too much “bling” factor and find that they can be “boring” to own over time. Timelessness in watches (what a great pun!) can be achieved by leaving things away, not adding fashion fads. The keepers for me are always the ones which achieve “perfection” by simplicity.

 

Infiner “Mad Dog” Clone

These days, I´ve had the chance to handle and photograph one of he latest fake knives from China. A copy of the Mad Dog Pygmy 1 made by “Infiner”, a company that is also manufacturing copies of the Mission MPK and ESEE4. The prices are appreciably higher than your typical fake knife. 50 Euros or more have to be paid for most Infiners, which is making the basic idea of faking a bit senseless.

The Pygmy clone is very well made with a flat ground blade of 5 inches that is supposed to be made of 440C and a 4.5 inch long handle of very smooth G10. The kydex sheath is well fitted and even features a reproduced TekLok adapter that seems trustworthy at first glance.

I have never handled a handmade Mad Dog knife as they are beyond my financial opportunities, but I am amazed at how comfortable the handle is. I would love to see this great grip design in a more affordable commercial version of the original knives.

The chinese clones make no real sense to me, as it is hard to judge what the blade steel really is, if there is a decent quality control at all or how much stress you can put on the handle. Decide for yourself if supporting such companies to get a cheap version of your dream knife is OK or if you will just obtain an overpriced wall hanger that might hurt sales of the original designers.

Cold Steel Barong Machete (Discontinued)

Sadly, this 12 inch carbon steel bladed wilderness tool is no longer made. Like the Sax and the Bowie Machete, these were china-made. The grips are of a softer material compared to the current south-africa-made machete models by CS, cushioning your chopping in wood. Also, the sheaths are of appreciably better build quality and perfectly adequate. I like the fact that the edge has a nice constant belly to it and offers an acute tip at the same time. At almost 3mm spine thickness, the CS Barong is not flexible but very lightweight at the same time. In a pinch, the Barong should make a very decent short sword. Why this series was discontinued remains a mystery to me. If you can find one used or NOS for an adequate price, make sure to buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Ka Bar “porn”

If you are into knives, you probably already own one of these. I recommend getting the “original” made today in Olean, NY, USA. Especially the straight edged Model 1211 with its very comfortable Kraton handle. It just feels a good tad better than the leather handled version, which is why I leave my USMC unused for display. Your standard 7 inch KaBar is a remarkably lightweight (310 grams) universal “field knife” that can serve a soldier or an outdoorsman equally well. The short KaBar, to me, feels like a toy (or very massive letter opener) in the hand, and seems more at home as a christmas present to a 10-year-old, from an ergonomic standpoint.

When using your KaBar, bear in mind that it is a “rat tail” knife with 90 degree angles at the tang/handguard junction. These are generic stress risers, so care has to be taken when hitting the back of the blade with a wood baton. Knives like these must not be taken granted to tolerate these somewhat punishing techniques. I do not think it has to do with the heat treatment at the factory.

I have done it on three to four inch diameter trees, using short strokes and a lighter baton, with no negative results on my 1211, but it is not recommended. The youtube-kids are able to destroy Recon Scout or Trailmaster knives made of good carbon steel with this “survival skill”, so the not-so-thick KaBar is even more endangered. A knife like the Peltonen M95 cannot be broken this way.

R.I.P Jerry Ahern ( 1946 – 2012 )

It is with great sadness that I was informed these days via Facebook that adventure novelist and well-known gunwriter Jerry Ahern has passed away after having battled with cancer. As a teenager, I have spent countless hours enjoying the adventures of well-armed SURVIVALIST John Thomas Rourke with his trademark twin Detonics .45 Combatmaster pistols and the Jack Crain LS-X knife (Step aside, Arnold, book knives can be bigger than movie knives…). The series nearly turned into a movie for the big screen. Later, I read the DEFENDER and FREEMAN novels while following Ahern´s articles in Petersen´s Handguns magazine. Today, I still listen to a SURVIVALIST graphic audio novel from time to time, bringing back nice memories. I raise the glass to you, Jerome. I am sure your life was filled with everything a man could want.

 

 

Cold Steel Lone Star Hunter

Only yesterday, I received the Cold Steel Lone Star Hunter. At 173 grams, this is one solid folding knife! The blade is flat ground from AUS-8 stainless steel and a full 4 inches in length. Scary sharp from the box, too. It locks with the Tri Ad mechanism, a fantastic improvement on the traditional lockback system. The lock bar takes a deep push to close, it cannot happen by accident. I cannot make out any bladeplay, the overall workmanship of the Lone Star Hunter is clearly first rate.
I ordered the version with a nail nick blade instead of the ambidextrous thumb studs due to the latest legal complications in Germany since 2009 concerning the carry of one-hand-opening knives with locking blades. Criminals couldn´t care less, the good guys worry.

Removing the studs from other knives has always seemed like castration to me and looks obscene. The Lone Star Hunter has a classic design, the nail nick fits the general look. You can also grasp the spine and flick the knife open by using gravity and the smooth action in an emergency. Opening the blade with your thumb and middle finger (as if there was a hole there in the blade) can be done with dry hands, but makes it easy to slip on the edge.
The whole knife has a somewhat slippery feel to it thanks to the polished surfaces and smooth faux stag scales screwed to the frame. I strongly would suggest Cold Steel to offer this knife with G10 scales (Dark blue? Light brown?) with rounded edges and a rougher finish. The look of the “cowboy” scales fits the overall design and is a bit cheesy at the same time, reminding me of cap pistols for boys or 1950s TV western heroes. I have not made up my mind if I like it or if the look has to “grow on me”. It remains to be seen if the material holds up to abuse or being dropped on hard surfaces.
The 3.5mm spine of the blade is sharp edged. A fire steel will love this, if you do a lot of carving you might want to file the edges down a bit. The stainless handle is long enough to fit the largest hand with gloves on.
I have not carried the knife around with me a lot yet, but it certainly feels comfortable despite its weight and size, even in tight fitting Wrangler jeans. Retrieving the knife from your pocket is not as easy as you might think. There are two pocket clips shipped with it, for right and left handed users. They are so tight you will have to bend them a bit to be usable. Also, the knife carries quite deeply in your pocket and the slippery end of the handle is quite hard to grasp. You will need some dexterity for this operation or go the old fashioned way and use a belt pouch.
In a defensive situation, forget about it. While I consider knives to be tools first, an urban EDC folder should stand up to this task in a pinch. Have your Lone Star Hunter out and open in a dark alley! Maybe this knife is not “urban” at all.

The sheer size will dramatically lower social acceptance. I also understand that a 4 inch blade is not legal to carry in many jurisdictions. Measuring from the handle end to the very tip, the LST is acutually a tad over 4 inches in blade length.
Overall, the LST impresses me with its heft and workmanship. The blade shape makes it a real slicer. The Tri Ad lock and flat grind make it mucho superior to a Buck 110 in my opinion. If a folder is all you have in a survival situation (Remember the movie “The Edge” with Alec Baldwin and Antony Hopkins? The lack of equipment seemed quite realistic to me…), I can think of none better than something like the LST. Most of us do not carry Kukris when on a day hike with the family.
I would like to see redesigned clips (or a different spot for them on the handle), a lanyard hole, different scales and a more compact version from Cold Steel. And I want many more Tri Ad knives from CS in 2013!

Norinco “Model of the 1911A1″

This was actually my first 1911 pistol and purchased in the late 90s. They were (and still are) bargain guns considering they are made from very good steels with correct hardening in the right places. My Norinco has an attractive parkerized finish that has held up quite well to endless holster presentations. Accuracy is what you can expect from a GI-grade gun, the triggers get better over time. I never experienced a small parts breakage in all those years. The grips are trash and have to be replaced. I also would not trust my life in the magazines, so I used only MegCar. These guns were quite popular for custom projects in the 90s and gunsmiths, as I recall, actually complained about the hardness of the steels. I cannot comment on other Chinese pistols, but if you can pick up a Norinco 1911 for a nice price, you will not be disgraced. I have later upgraded to a Colt Gold Cup because of the superb accuracy (my shooting is mostly done at 25 yards, target style), but the Norinco will stay with me.

 

Crusader Forge Fake Knife

Ripoffs of high-end knives keep getting better and therefore become harder to spot. Look at the enclosed pictures of this Crusader Forge Mini 02 “hommage”. Steel is 7Cr17 stainless, handle scales of G10, the sheath is thin Kydex. Workmanship is very decent, if not perfect. The knife comes shaving sharp out of the cheapest of cardboard boxes. I am not quite sure why the Chinese are sometimes choosing such rather exclusive knives like the CF as a basis for fakes. If someone sees it at an auction site for 40 or 50 dollars (which is what these seem to cost including postage from Hong Kong), he must be pretty aware of the fact that it cannot be the real thing. Keep your eyes open ! Extrema Ratio and Strider seem to be the brands copied most intensively, but they are reaching makers now that you would never have guessed.