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Vosteed Knives Gift Guide

You’ve probably noticed that I have reviewed a lot of Vosteed knives over the last couple of years. I have been provided several for review, purchased several, and I have given them as gifts. I like them. So, when Vosteed asked me if I would consider writing a gift guide, I agreed.

I am not being paid for this but some of the links below may be affiliate links which means I receive a small commission from sales (there is no additional cost to you).

I intend to break this down into categories and highlight one knife per category. That knife will be what I consider to be the pick of the litter in Vosteed’s line and in some cases, the best in category regardless of brand. I should also point out that all of these are knives that I have owned personally.

Budget Pick – Acorn

The Vosteed Acorn retails at $49 but is frequently on sale for less. What I like about it as the budget pick is that it large enough and has the style to make an impression as a gift. It is also VERY ergonomic so the gift receiver is likely to immediately connect with it.

This is the kind of knife that will resonate with knife guys or knife newbs equally. It’s easy to carry, it performs, and looks like a million bucks while doing it.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Acorn.

Fifth Pocket Pick – Raccoon Cub

The Raccoon Cub could very well be the Budget Pick as well as it is priced similarly to the Acorn. Not only is it the best “Fifth Pocket” knife on the market in my opinion, it’s also one of the most affordable.

The Raccoon Cub works as a gift because almost anyone can carry it regardless of their jurisdiction or work setting. It’s a small knife that feels big in the hand. It fits a wide variety of hand sizes despite its compact size thanks to some ergonomic design wizardry.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Raccoon Cub.

Fixed Blade Pick – Mink

Vosteed doesn’t have a ton of fixed-blade options but the Mink, is another that is best in class in my opinion. It is small enough to carry but large enough to be useful for a variety of tasks. If the gift recipient wants to carry it for EDC, they can. If they need a new knife for the outdoors, they can use it for that too.

The Mink comes with a very high quality sheath that will ensure the gift recipient can use it right away.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Mink.

The Easiest Pick – Raccoon

The Raccoon, the full size predecessor the previously mentioned Raccoon Mini, is the kind of knife that anyone can use and everyone will like. This is probably their best known knife for good reason. It is Vosteed’s do-all, EDC model. It ticks all the boxes – pocket friendly, stylish, all-around useful, and tons of variations that can tailored to the recipient.

The Raccoon is available with a number of different locks but I would choose either the crossbar lock (Vosteed does these very well) or the top liner lock which is currently my favorite lock.

If you want to give a knife but aren’t sure which one, the Raccoon is a solid choice.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Raccoon.

The Most Impressive Pick – Psyop

When you absolutely, positively need to wow someone with a high-end Vosteed… Psyop is the answer. This knife is stylish and premium in a way that newbs and knife guys will recognize immediately. It’s a large impressive knife that snaps open in a refined way and slams shut with a satisfying “thunk”.

It isn’t inexpensive but it is a great value for the kinds of premium features being delivered – titanium scales and machined pocket clip, Elmax steel blade with a striking and useful shape, a design collaboration, and overall size and shape that impresses. It has gravity as a gift that nothing else on this list can quite keep up with.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Psyop.

Wrap Up

Vosteed is already offering sales on their website and Amazon including their Black Friday deals. This is a great time to start checking prices for Christmas gifts.

Learn Together: Meshtastic (Part 2) – N+1 Theory of Meshtastic

When it comes to doing just about anything, there is the right way and there is the janky way that still works. My Meshtastic N+1 Theory could be either one depending on the context.

What I mean is, this simple idea would work for setting up permanent coverage around your home but it wouldn’t necessarily be the right way if done the jankiest way possible. However, if you are setting up an ad-hoc mesh on the side of a mountain, this might be pretty close to the right way.

Alright, I know I have some explaining to do and I’ll start by saying that if you don’t know what Meshtastic is, check out Part 1 of this series. Now, onto the N+1 Theory…

What is the N+1 Theory?

The N+1 Theory is a simple, practical framework for smoothing out some hiccups with Meshtastic. Here’s how it works:

  • N represents the number of people in your group who need to communicate.
  • You add 1 extra device—the “+1” node—to improve mesh performance and reliability.

For instance:

  • If it is just you, N would be 1 and you would need N (1) + 1 = 2 devices.
  • For a team of 7, you’d need N (7) + 1 = 8 devices.

The “+1” node isn’t just a spare; it’s a strategic addition. By placing this device in a location that optimizes coverage—such as on a hill, at a central point, or in an area with poor connectivity—it strengthens the entire mesh. This ensures that everyone in the group remains connected, even in challenging environments.

This node is just attached to the end of an extendable paint roller pole and lashed to a fence post. Don’t judge me. It works.

Why Refer to This as Janky?

The beauty of this idea is that it can be done in a pretty quick and dirty way. It could be as simple as pulling a node up into a tree on a rope, running a node up an extendable painter’s pole, or even using a magnet to slap it on the side of a metal building… all of which I do on the regular. They all work.

Of course, for a more permanent situation, you may want to install a powered unit outdoors like which I have also done. That unit then serves as your +1 node – your first “hop” into the mesh.

This works because Meshtastic is a mesh network where every node functions as a repeater. The messages are intelligently routed across the mesh and therefore as long as any one node can hit another, there is a great chance that the messages will end up where you want them. So, by ensuring that at least one node is strategically placed, you help the entire mesh.

Meshtastic even expressly supports this kind of scenario with their “Client” and “Client_Mute” roles. I highly recommend you read up on roles when you are setting up your nodes.

The magnet and lanyard I added to this Lilygo T-Echo make it especially useful as a +1 node.

Wrap Up

I know this isn’t especially ground-breaking or even that smart. It’s just something I had to learn by trial and error. So… I gave it a name and now I’ll be rich and famous for it… probably.

I will note that I am working with a new type of node, credit card sized radios from Seeed Studio called the SenseCap T1000-E that makes this concept especially convenient and easy to do the janky way. Stay tuned for more info on those devices.

Whether you are doing it the janky way or the right way, I highly recommend having that +1 node in a strategic location to improve your Meshtastic experience.

It’s way up there but…
It’s easy to get down with one of these.

Review: Vosteed Psyop

The Vosteed Psyop is a design collaboration between Vosteed and Tuffknives. It sits at the premium end of the Vosteed lineup and, to me, is their flagship knife. Its a showcase of the kind of design, materials, and cache that Vosteed can bring at very competitive price.

Specs

Blade Length:3.32″ | 84.40 mm

Overall Length:8.01″ | 203.50mm

Blade Width:1.22″ | 31.00 mm

Blade Thickness:0.138″ | 3.50 mm

Blade Material:Elmax

Blade Grind:Flat

Blade Style:Drop Point

Blade Finish:Stonewash

Hardness:HRC 60±1

Handle Length:4.70″ | 119.40 mm

Handle Width:0.94″ | 24.00 mm

Handle Thickness:0.500″ | 12.70 mm

Handle Material:Titanium

Weight:4.66 oz | 132.00 g

Opener:Thumb Hole | Front Flipper

Lock Type:Top Liner Lock

Pivot Assembly:Caged Ceramic Ball Bearing

Pocket Clip:Non-reversible Titanium

Carry Position:Tip-up

Knife Type:Manual Folding

Backspacer Material:Titanium

Designer:Geoff Blauvelt (Tuffknives)

Observations from Use

If you are familiar with Tuffknives’ work, you can’t miss his influence here. There are also some distinctly Vosteed touches like the well-executed, multiple opening methods and large finger-choil. I think it’s a great-looking knife.

Vosteed’s Top Liner Lock is a great choice here. One, it’s more than strong enough to be a stout knife like this. Two, it has a small footprint that keeps it out of the way of the design. If you haven’t tried one of these locks yet, you need to. It has the crisp detent of something like a liner lock but the ease of use of a button lock. It’s my favorite knife lock right now.

The blade shape that Tuffknives designed for this offering is great. It plenty pointy thanks to a gradual drop at the spine and long swedge grind. The primary flat grind is very tall and renders the sweeping, curved edge very thin behind the secondary grind. Vosteed has a handle on cutting geometry and it shows here.

The titanium handles on the Psyop offer solid grip thanks to their machined checkering pattern. The finish Vosteed uses also has a subtle tacky feel. Speaking of the finish, my review sample has their new subtle purple color that looks amazing. It’s a subdued, almost bronze color that reminds me a little of the Russian plumb furniture found on AKMs.

I’m pretty impressed with the value proposition of this knife. If you are the type who will never spend more than $20 on a knife, skip ahead a bit. For everyone else, check the spec sheet including Ti scales, Elmax steel, and a very well-known design collaboration. It is a very competitively priced knife at $250 if you can find it in stock.

So who won’t like this knife? Well, it isn’t a very light or compact knife so if you wear slacks daily it may not be your first choice. If you don’t like large finger choils, you probably won’t like this.

Wrap Up

The Psyop is a flagship knife for Vosteed and, while it is not cheap, it is an excellent value. It’s comfortable to use, bull-strong, and dripping with premium features. If you are looking for the slimmest, lightest, most compact EDC… it ain’t this. If you are looking for a premium knife with some gravity, the Psyop has to be in contention.

Vosteed.com

Vosteed Store on Amazon.com

Review: Olight Warrior Nano

I’ve been hesitant to write this review. On the one hand, I own several Olight products and like them. On the other, I am aware that Olight has a reputation for saturating the internet with reviews. So, I will say up front that I bought this and all of my Olight products with my own money because I felt that they met my needs and this Warrior Nano no different. And now that I have spent more than a year with it, I’m ready to talk about it.

I am not going to get bogged down with stats. There are a lot of great, much more technical, flashlight review sites that can help you decide on a light if stats are what is important to you. Instead, I will focus on what drew me to this light which is the well-designed user interface and very consumer-ready experience. I’ll also be honest about some things that bother me about this light (and many of Olights).

User Interface

In my opinion, this light has one of the most complete, easy to understand, and useful user interfaces I have come across. It is this interface, split between two buttons, that lets the Warrior Nano move effortlessly between a multi-functional EDC light and a full-on tactical light.

The Warrior Nano (an other lights in this series) has just two buttons: a tail switch and a separate button on the body close to the head of the light. The tail switch is a “gas pedal” style of switch which I prefer. In fact, I only found the Warrior series because I was looking specifically for lights with gas pedal switches. It allows me to press lightly for Medium output and push more heavily for a either Turbo and Half-Turbo. Basically, you just push for light and push harder for more light. It’s so simple and most of what I need from this light can be done with this switch.

The body-mounted switch allows the user to select from High, Medium, Low, and Moonlight modes. Just tap the switch to turn on the light. Press and hold from on to cycle modes. Moonlight can be accessed directly by holding this switch for a few seconds. The light will remember which mode you last selected the next time you turn it on with this switch.

All of that switch talk boils down to the fact that you can use this light however you want and it isn’t confusing. Want a tactical light? Just use the tail switch. Want a multi-mode EDC with lots of options? Use the side switch. It’s a great UI which is a big part of the polished user experience I want to talk about next.

User Experience

The experience of using this light reminds of using an Apple product. It is just so easily consumable and slick. Olight does this better than any other flashlight maker I can think of. They deliver features that flashlight nerds like myself want but in a way that is approachable to anyone.

The Warrior Nano’s charger is a great example. While other lights make you remove the battery or open a port to attach a cable, Olight’s charger magnetizes to the tail of the light. It is an absolute no-brainer. You just get it close and the magnet takes over. There is a small, easy-to-understand indicator light that keeps you up to date on charging status.

Other really user-friendly features include a small indicator light on the body switch that can tell you charge level at a glance, a two way pocket clip, and it can stand on its tail.

Until now, everything I have written is true of pretty much any light in the Warrior series. However, one great aspect specific to the Warrior Nano is its size. The Nano big enough to use easily and pump out plenty of lumens but small enough to be easy to carry. This might be the most approachable light in the Warrior series.

What I Dislike

I drew an Apple comparison earlier regarding the consumer-friendliness of this light and so it may come as no surprise that, like Apple, Olight uses more proprietary accessories than other light makers. The main issue to which I object is the use of a proprietary battery design. That kind of sucks for compatibility with batteries you already own, though at least Olight batteries tend to be competitive in price.

The other thing that I hate but manage to live with about many Olights is that they don’t have a glass lens. The optic is just sitting there, ready to be scratched. It is recessed in the bezel so it is not without some protection but these acrylic optics will eventually get a bit scratched and scuffed which may impact that beam shape. It would be nice to have a glass lens over it.

Wrap Up

This light does everything I want it to in such a way that it is actually easy to use. I can access moonlight from off. I can access Turbo/Half-Turbo from off. Momentary, constant, multiple modes, tactical simplicity… it’s all there. On top of that, the charger is so easy to use that there is no excuse for running out of juice.

When it comes to lights, it is easy to chase stats but this Warrior Nano is just so easy to live with that it can’t be ignored.

A Word on Price…

Never buy an Olight at the original price! Don’t do it. They are on sale frequently (25% off as of the time of this writing). I just waited for a good price at Amazon to buy mine: Warrior Nano on Amazon.com

Review: Kizer Militaw

The Jonathan Styles designed Militaw has been a smash hit for Kizer. The original Militaw, with its unique design and premium construction, has spawned seemingly endless variations that sell out quickly. I’ve had the chance, thanks to Kizer for providing the review sample, to check out the original version that started it all.

Specs

  • Model Number: Ki3634A1
  • Overall Length: 7.99″/203mm
  • Designer: Jonathan Style
  • Opener: Front Flipper, Thumb Hole
  • Blade Style: Drop Point
  • Blade Length: 3.35″/85mm
  • Blade Thickness: 0.12″/3.0mm
  • Blade Material: S35VN
  • Handle Length: 4.65″/118mm
  • Handle Material: Titanium+Micarta
  • Pocket Clip: Machined Ti Clip
  • Weight: 3.92oz./111g
  • Lock Type: Frame Lock

Observations from Use

I have always liked the look of the Militaw. It reminds me of a classic Green River Traditional knife in its shape when it is opened. But, it wasn’t until I had one in hand that I fully understood why this knife is so popular.

It is lighter than you expect but also has the kind of heft that only comes with titanium construction. The Ti handle is countoured and radiused so that not a single uncomfortable corner remains. It’s blade has a very finely executed stonewash finish that feels oily smooth under your fingertips and it swings through its ark with ease thanks to ceramic bearings in the pivot. In short, it feels like something special in hand.

The front flipper on this knife is very well executed. It features very effective jimping that wraps up and over the top of the flipper. That setup makes it very easy to get the leverage needed to operate the flipper, even on this larger blade. The triangular shaped opening hole also works well. The user can slide along the relief cut in the handle to catch the corner of the opening hole with their thumb and the the blade flies open with haste. The reverse flick is absolutely effortless thanks to the crispy, well-tuned detent.

Kizer calls the Militaw’s blade shape a drop point but it almost looks like a straight clip point with a long straight clip. This shape brings the point basically in line with the pivot and makes it very easy to access without having to cant the knife too much. That point is also fairly fine but plenty strong thanks to the long swedge grind. The almost full-height flat grind tapers down to a decently thin edge that cuts well and seems to hold up well in cutting thanks to the relatively tough S35VN steel.

The handle design is one of the most distinctive and unique parts of the Militaw design. It is mostly straight with a relief cut that serves to allow access to the opening hole and lock bar and as a finger groove of sorts. This long, straight handle is very neutral in it’s shape, so it accommodates just about any grip type you could want.

The handle also showcases the micarta inlays which have a complex shape that really shows off Kizer’s ability to achieve impressive fit and finish at a production knife price. These inlays are fit with precision and perfectly blend into the contours of the machined titanium handles. The micarta inlay on the lock side of the knife also functions as an integrated overtravel stop for the lock bar.

Wrap Up

The Militaw isn’t not an inexpensive knife but it is an incredible value. I am not sure there is another knife with these premium features that can compete with it on price. This is a showcase of what Kizer can do – precision manufacturing, premium materials, and high-end design, all at a very competitive price.

Kizer Militaw at KizerKnives.com

Kizer Militaw at Amazon.com

The above links may be affiliate links.

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