Review: Vosteed Mini Nightshade with New Aluminum Scales

I’ve been fortunate to handle several Vosteed Cutlery knives at this point and the Mini Nightshade is still in my top 2 (alongside the Raccoon). The Nightshade series knives, with their unique Shilin Cutter shape, are the knives that really exemplify what I like about Vosteed – great functional shapes and materials, great prices, and some really bold designs.

Vosteed provided the latest version of the Mini Nightshade for me to check out.

Specs

Blade Length: 2.60″ | 66.04mm

Overall Length: 6.31″ | 160.37mm

Blade Width: 1.13″ | 28.28mm

Blade Thickness: 0.098″ | 2.49mm

Blade Material: 14C28N

Blade Grind: Flat

Blade Style: Shilin Cutter

Blade Finish: Stonewash

Hardness: HRC 60±2

Handle Length: 3.71″ | 94.33mm

Handle Width: 0.89″ | 22.6

Handle Thickness: 0.437″ | 11.10 mm

Weight: 2.16 oz | 61.10 g

Opener: Thumb Stud

Lock Type: Crossbar Lock

Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing

Pocket Clip: Reversible | Stainless Steel

Carry Position: Tip-up

There are other finishes and handle materials available but my review sample has a black-washed blade, green aluminum handles, and gold accents (thumb stud and backspacer).

Observations from Use

I have already written in-depth why I like the Mini Nightshade in the previous review which I suggest you check out. In this review, I’ll focus on the differences with this new aluminum scale version.

I expected this would just be a scale-swapped version of an already great knife but I was surprised to find that the aluminum scales changed the character of the Mini Nightshade a lot. The new scales are slightly thicker than the original G-10 version. It’s enough that you notice a difference. That extra thickness with the great machined texture makes this new version feel a little more capable… more ready to work.

Speaking of the texture, Vosteed gets a gold star for how they executed it. They machined a scalloped pattern into the scales that provides great grip out near the edges but tapers down to smooth at the center of the scale. This means the clip rides on the smooth part of the scale making it very easy to take in and out of the pocket. This is such a clever touch that works and looks great.

This version of the Mini Nightshade feels more substantial in the hand in part due to a slight weight increase but it is still an absolute feather-weight at just 2.16 ounces. That is incredibly light for an all-metal knife.

The Mini Nightshade was already a refined, gentemanly knife but this new version received even more refinements from Vosteed. The deep carry clip is now nested into the scale and they provided a filler tab for the side that is not in use. They even took care to slightly extend the thumb studs to account for the thicker scales. That is some solid attention to detail.

If you haven’t tried something from the Vosteed Nightshade series, you really should. This blade shape is incredible. It holds material in the cut and gives easy access to the point like a sheepsfoot or warncliffe style blade but also offers belly for slicing and draw cuts like a drop point or leaf shape blade. It’s unique and useful.

Wrap Up

This is new version of the Mini Nightshade from Vosteed builds on the back of an already great knife. The proven cutting geometry, useful blade shape, lightweight, and compact design are still there but with some additional refinements, new texture, and a great new look. This is my favorite version of the Mini Nightshade to date.

You can see the whole Nightshade range at Vosteed.com. Now is a great time to check them out as many of their knives are up to 20% off for Easter (no code required).

The new Mini Nightshades are also on sale and available at Amazon: Mini Nightshade on Amazon.com

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Review: Flextail Tiny Pump 2X

You may be surprised to see a small, lightweight, USB-C rechargeable air pump on these pages but this Flextailgear Tiny Pump 2X has earned a permanent place in my backpacking gear.

This is sold as an air pump for sleeping pads but I think of it more as a lantern that happens to blow up sleeping pads. That is how it earned a spot in my pack… it kicked out the backup light/lantern that I was already carrying out of my pack.

Maybe it is weird to start out a review of this pump talking about its secondary functionality as a lantern, but is actually a very useful light. The included bail makes it easy to hang up in or near your tent and it has broad, floody beam with three well-spaced output settings. It’s a better backup light/tent light than what I was carrying before and it weighs less than many similar lights.

The main reason that I appreciate the pump feature is how easy it makes setting up my sleeping pad. After a long day hiking up hill the whole way, it’s easier to push a button than to blow up the pad with your lungs. It’s also nice to not introduce the moisture from your breath into your sleeping pad where mold can form. This might help extend the life of your sleeping pad and help you sleep a bit warmer.

At around 3.5 ounces and roughly the size of a shot glass, this Tiny Pump 2X packs a lot of usefulness into a small space. I would probably never carry a dedicated pump, but a lantern that also happens to pump up my sleeping pad effortlessly… I can get with that.

I bought my Flextailgear Tiny Pump 2X on Amazon.com but shop around, as sometimes there are better deals direct from Flextailgear.

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Review: Sub $30 Civivi Mini Praxis

It wasn’t that long ago that multiple solid knives were available for less than $30. These days, many of those knives like the Ontario RAT 2, have moved up market to closer to $40 or even more in some cases. So, when someone recently asked what I would recommend for an EDC or work knife for less than $30, I couldn’t fall back on my old recommendations. That’s why I purchased a Civivi Mini Praxis to see what $30 buys you these days.

Specs

  • Overall Length: 6.79″ / 172.5mm
  • Width: 1.27″ / 32.3mm
  • Overall Height(Include Clip): 0.62″ / 15.7mm
  • Blade Length: 2.98″ / 75.6mm
  • Closed Length: 3.81″ / 96.9mm
  • Blade Thickness: 0.1″ / 2.5mm
  • Handle Thickness: 0.45″ / 11.5mm
  • Knife Weight: 2.77oz / 78.5g
  • Blade Material: D2
  • Blade Hardness: 59-61HRC
  • Blade Grind: Flat
  • Blade Type: Drop Point
  • Handle Material: G10
  • Liner Material: Stainless Steel
  • Pocket Clip: Tip-Up, Right Carry
  • Clip Material: Stainless Steel
  • Screws Material: Stainless Steel
  • Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing
  • Locking Mechanism: Liner Lock

Observations from Use

The Mini Praxis is essentially just a down-sized version of the Civivi’s well-known Praxis. It is very impressive how gracefully that design, known for being a large work/tactical knife, scaled down to a surprisingly refined EDC-oriented knife that just about disappears in your pocket thanks to a true deep carry clip. I think this is due, in large part, to the finger choil. On the larger Praxis, the choil allows the user to choke up on what is a fairly large knife but on the Mini Praxis, it allows a very svelte and compact knife to feel much larger.

This knife cuts aggressively. Civivi generally does a very nice job with their D2. The cutting geometry on this little laser beam also helps. The spear point blade is thin, with a very high flat grind that thins out the edge very nicely. The long swedge grind provides an acute but relatively strong tip.

The flipping action is what you would expect from Civivi which is to say it is very good. The detent is crisp and the action is smooth so the blade rockets out when you use the back flipper. That’s a good thing because that is the only method for opening the Mini Praxis that is provided by the design. This design is classy enough to serve as an office carry so it would have been nice to have a method of opening that is more suited to slower opening but the design is true to the original Praxis which also only had a back flipper.

Civivi did a great job of taking weight out of this design. The blade is very broad compared to many folders of this size so you might expect it to be heavy but the liners are aggressively skeletonized. The 2.77 ounce weight puts this firmly into ultralight range.

It would have been nice if Civivi didn’t scale down the design quite so literally as I wish the jimping on the spine extended out a little bit more. It also would be nice if the G-10 slabs had a bit more thickness and contour. However, those are relatively small nitpicks at this price. I think people would buy this knife at $45-50 and feel it is was a solid buy. 10 years ago, you would expect to pay $80-100 for something like this… maybe more. In today’s market it is impressive to see it at a sub-$30 price point. That isn’t a sale price either. That is the everyday price.

Wrap Up

The Mini Praxis proves that the Praxis design was more versatile than any of us realized – able to go from rugged work knife to classy EDC just by scaling it down in size. This knife has great cutting performance, solid ergonomics, and it is easy to carry. It’s a well-designed EDC option that impresses at under $30. It seems like a worthy and very recommendable alternative to something like the RAT 2 at this price point.

I purchased my Civivi on Amazon for even less by taking advantage of their occasional used knife offers (returns): Civivi Mini Praxis with satin blade and black G-10 or the Mini Praxis blackwash blade with green G-10 on Amazon.com

Review: Vosteed Mini Labrador

The Vosteed Mini Labrador might be a lot of things. It might be Vosteed’s best value for money to date. It might be their best fifth-pocket knife to date. It might be their best gentleman’s knife to date. Let’s take a look at the newest offering provided by Vosteed for this review.

Specs

  • Blade Length: 2.73″ | 69.30 mm
  • Overall Length: 6.23″ | 158.20 mm
  • Blade Width: 0.72″ | 18.40 mm
  • Blade Thickness: 0.098″ | 2.50 mm
  • Blade Material: 14C28N
  • Blade Grind: Flat
  • Blade Style: Drop Point
  • Blade Finish: Black Stonewash
  • Hardness: HRC 60±2
  • Handle Length: 3.50″ | 88.90 mm
  • Handle Width: 0.72″ | 18.30 mm
  • Handle Thickness: 0.374″ | 9.50 mm
  • Handle Material: Titanium
  • Color: Black
  • Weight: 1.93 oz | 54.80 g
  • Opener: Back Flipper
  • Lock Type: Frame Lock
  • Pivot Assembly: Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing
  • Pocket Clip: Non-reversible | Titanium
  • Carry Position: Tip-up
  • Knife Type: Manual Folding
  • Backspacer Material: Titanium
  • Designer: Yue

Observations from Use

The specs above don’t tell the whole story of the value that this knife offers. The handle has full titanium construction including the milled pocket clip (which is great by the way) and backspacer. The blade is 14C28N which is as good as it gets for value steels. The lack bar features a steel insert that also includes an integral overtravel tab. These are materials and construction that is normally reserved for knives well above the $69 price point of the Mini Labrador.

This tiny fifth-pocket knife is built like a lot of knives costing 2-3x as much… but tiny is the operative word. I think everyone I have shown it to has made the statement that it was smaller than they thought it would be (and that is important to know if you are considering buying one). The specs given by Vosteed are spot on but somehow the knife seems smaller than you are prepared for. I think that is part of the success of the design as a gentleman’s knife that can still do some real cutting as opposed to a jack-of-trades EDC knife or a work knife. This knife is visually smaller than you thought it would be and yet medium-sized hands can get a 3 or even 4-finger grip for real work. It’s voodoo.

This knife is SOOO slim and SOOO light (under 2 ounces!). Normally, I would say something like, “It’s a joy to carry.” But that would indicate that you are actually aware that you are carrying it which seems unlikely with this featherweight. It’s perfect for the fifth-pocket of jeans thanks to plenty of clearance under the clip or dress slacks where it won’t weigh down lighter or thinner fabrics.

The Mini Labrador is an aggressive cutter. The blade has a full-height flat grind, thin blade stock, and is very thin behind the edge. The point is very acute which I think is especially useful on a gentleman’s knife.

This knife has a single opening method, a back flipper. It works very well inspite of how tiny it is thanks to a perfect detent and very smooth action. My example started smooth and only became more smooth as it broke in. It is smooth enough that it will drop shut with some light shakes and that is noteworthy when you consider how lightweight the blade is.

Normally, I try to have some constructive criticism for these knives but I am struggling to come up with anything for the Mini Labrador. In terms of a gentlemen’s knife design, this is a great success. It is an actual tool first, slim, light, and easy to carry while also being classy and a great value. I would love to see Vosteed try more titanium frame-lock folders, maybe some that are larger with more opening methods.

Wrap Up

If you are looking for a high-value knife that is as easy to carry as possible or something to carry at the office, this is a great option. If you just want a fifth-pocket knife that is built like a tiny tank, this is a great option. Vosteed has made some great small knives like the Mini Nightshade and Chipmunk but if you want something that works hard but is truly small, this is what you are after.

The Mini Labrador is currently available at Amazon (sold out at Vosteed.com): Vosteed Chipmunk at Amazon.com

You can learn more about all Vosteed’s offerings at Vosteed.com.

These two images may help give a sense for how compact this knife is. The Mini Labrador is similar in blade length and overal length to the Chipmunk but it is signiificantly slimmer and lighter. The Chipmunk (top) seems more like an compact, jack-of-all-trades EDC while the Mini Labrador (bottom) comes across more as a svelte, compact, gentleman’s knife.

Review: D&M Leather Mini Composition Book Cover

The affordable, simple, minimalist leather cover for mini composition books is probably my favorite EDC item purchased in 2023. D&M Leather sells these on Amazon, claiming them to be hand-sewn with a saddle stitch. I was skeptical but took a chance based on the customer pictures. I’m glad I did.

I often carry a standard mini composition book in a back pocket to log workouts, take notes in church, log range data, remind myself of appointments, or anything else I would like to track on actual paper. These notebooks can be surprisingly durable if you buy the type that is stitched and then taped on the binding. However, the basic cardboard or craft paper covers will eventually degrade faster than I can fill one with notes. This is where the leather cover comes in…

The cover does a great job of preventing the notebook from breaking down which allows these dirt-cheap composition books (3 for a $1 at your local Wal-Mart) to last long after you fill it with notes. Not only that, but it looks great and it is actually real saddle-stitched leather. I am blown away with the quality for the price.

You can spend more than the cost of this cover for just one notebook that will stand up to the rigors of pocket carry but you don’t have to. This affordable leather cover adds class and style to your EDC while allowing you to reuse it over and over again on affordable, readily available mini composition books. It is one of those things that is does just one thing and does it satisfyingly well.

D&M Leather Mini Composition Book on Amazon.com

Notes on mini composition books: Look for books with bindings that are stitched and taped. The ones that are glued or stapled will never hold up. Also, this cover comes with a 50 page book but it will easily fit the standard 80 page mini composition books.

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