Archive | June, 2018

Independence Day Sale at Tyrant Designs

By Matt on June 30, 2018 in Guns

Tyrant Designs is hosting an Independence Day Sale. You can save up to 10% on many of their products and receive free shipping on all orders during the sale. In addition, orders of $50 or more will receive a free patch.

TyrantCNC.com

Bargain or Just Cheap? – CRKT Minimalist

By Matt on June 30, 2018 in Bargain or Just Cheap?

Welcome to Bargain or Just Cheap? This series will review budget friendly knives for a variety of uses in a short format. All of the knives will cost less than $50 (in most cases, much less) and will be purchased out of my own pocket. I’ll buy them, carry them, and use them in an attempt to determine if the knife is a bargain or just cheap.

The CRKT Minimalist is based on the original, custom Alan Folts designed Minimalist. This popular compact fixed blade can be found for less than $30 and it is extremely easy to carry… but is it a Bargain or Just Cheap?

Specs:

Handle: Micarta slabs

Steel: 5Cr15MoV

Blade Length: 2″

Overall Length: 4.875″

Weight: 1.2 ounces

Sheath: Injection Molded Plastic

Observations from Use

I’ll spill the beans right up front. The Minimalist is a Bargain, not just cheap. It doesn’t have the latest super steel. It doesn’t have the cache of a custom knife. But still, it’s a great knife in part because its small and well designed.

The Minimalist is small – truly small – which makes it very easy to carry. Whether you carry it on your belt, as a neck knife, or in your pocket, the Minimalist is small enough to forget it’s there. It can be carried on your belt as a compact self-defense knife or even attached to something like a Raven Concealment Pocket Shield.

Everybody hates knife handles with finger grooves… until they try a CRKT Minimalist. In most cases, finger grooves are an annoyance but in the case of the Minimalist, they are the key to how a knife with such a small handle manages to lock into the user’s hand. That is really the genius of this Alan Folts design.

The Minimalist is ground from .10″ thick steel stock and has a relatively high hollow grind, especially on the wharncliffe style blade that I prefer. It is an extremely aggressive cutter thanks to this thin stock and good geometry.

The sheath is injection molded but it would pass for real heat molded kydex at a glance. It is actually a decent sheath that retains the knife well and allows a full grip on the knife handle.

Bargain or Just Cheap?

Like I said, it’s a bargain. The Minimalist is a great little knife if you want a small utility blade to EDC. It’s an affordable, compact defensive fixed blade. It’s just a great knife all around.

I am using Amazon as the price base line for this series. All knives were purchased by me from Amazon: CRKT Minimalist

Our goal is to represent knives for a variety of uses from EDC, to outdoor, to tactical knives. Do you have a favorite affordable knife? Let us know about it in the comments!

The above article may contain affiliate links.

Wndsn Pocket Quadrant Telemeter

By Matt on June 29, 2018 in EDC, Survival

We’ve showed you Wndsn’s pocket calculators before. These trigonometry based tools allow the user to calculate distance, angles, and more with the need for electronics or electricity… none… at all. Their newest tool, the Pocket Quadrant Telemeter, is likely their most ambitious tool yet.

The basic function of this tool is to determine distance based on known object size but it can do a lot more than that. In fact, it has about 50 different known uses and the math involved is flexible enough that people are still finding ways to use it. The Pocket Quadrant Telemeter comes with an acrylic card etched with graphics that contain all the baked in trig functions, a dyneema cord, a tungsten carbide plumb weight, and a sleeve.

It also includes a printed cheat sheet for using Wndsn Telemeters and a digital copy of their comprehensive guide to telemeters. These instructional items are a must if you plan on even scratching the surface of what these tools can do.

Check out the Wndsn Pocket Quadrant Telemeter at WNDSN.com and learn more in their blog post.

Production CCW Blades from MilMak Industries

By Matt on June 29, 2018 in EDC, Knives

Milmak Industries has opened pre-orders for the new production versions of their CCW and CCW-L knives. The production CCW blades are being produced by WE Knife Company to MilMak’s specifications and offer a very affordable option for those looking for a defensive knife for center-line carry.

Both the CCW and CCW-L are ground from 5/32″ S35VN steel and come with a kydex sheath from the factory. They feature sculpted black G10 handle slabs with black handle screws over full tang construction. The CCW is 7″ overall with a 3″ blade while the CCW-L is 8″ overall with a 3.75″ blade.

Check out the production CCW and CCW-L at MilMakAZ.com.

KDG Fix It Sticks SCAR Tool Kit

By Matt on June 28, 2018 in Guns

Kinetic Development Group worked with Fix It Sticks to create a kit specifically for the SCAR.

We asked FIX IT STICKS to make us a one-stop tool kit for maintaining the FHN SCAR, and here is the result: A highly modular, multitool system that features a variety of specialty tools for maintaining and servicing your favorite firearms! The kit comes with standard 1/4” bits and two torque limiters for precise adjustments. These kits are designed for tightening down scope rings, mounts, action screws, M-LOK accessories, SCAR Barrel Change Screws, etc. in the field or at the range. The trademark FIX IT T-handle provides several modes of use, to gain leverage and reach hard to access parts like AR type pistol grip screws. Combine shop level function with the lightweight and portability of this field kit, and never find yourself wishing for a tool left back on the work bench when issues arise at the range. The entire kit comes organized in a black zippered ballistic nylon case, with enough room to add additional tools, lube, thread locker, etc.