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Mystery Ranch Streetfighter

By on July 5, 2011 in EDC, Tactical Gear

The new Streetfighter from Mystery Ranch is one of the smallest packs in their line. It is designed to excel as a jack-of-all-trades, general purpose pack. It would be at home on the hiking trail or a cross country flight.

Even though this pack is small, Mystery Ranch didn’t skimp on the suspension. The Streetfighter features their excellent Futura Yoke which mean you can pack the Streetfighter until the seams are bursting without fear of overloading it.

It features 2 exterior water bottle sleeves which I really like because it frees up the interior for cargo and protects the contents from spills. If you prefer to use a hydration bladder, there is an interior sleeve that will accommodate one. There is also an interior accessory pocket and external panel pocket with internal organizer that will help keep you keep your small items squared away.

The Streetfighter boasts 1150 CU-IN of capacity. That sounds small but that is kind of the point. I should also note that, in my experience, Mystery Ranch tends to underestimate their pack’s capacities.

Navy blue and yellow are the only colors available now but there will likely be some more subdued colors in the future. Black and OD green have been mentioned. Hopefully coyote brown and/or Multicam will make the cut as well.

You can check out the new Streetfighter on Mystery Ranch’s website.

New from Revision: The Alphawing

By on July 1, 2011 in EDC

The new Alphawing sunglasses from Revision represent a little bit of a departure from their typical products in that they are not really designed for ballistic protection. However, they are still packed with the style and innovation that you have come to expect from Revision.

I am not really into fashion but I do know a classic style when I see one. Aviator style glasses like the Alphawing are certainly classic. They have always been stylish and they always will be. Thankfully, Revision made the choice to do away with the gaudy gold color of many aviator frames in favor of an understated stainless steel color.

I mentioned “innovation” in the first paragraph and you may have thought, “What in the world could be innovative about aviator sunglasses?” The Alphawing is not your typical set of aviator sunglasses. Most aviator frames are made from thin metal that is brazed together. Those brazed joints add weight and weak spots to the frame. The Alphawings are actually acid etched from a single sheet of stainless steel. That makes them stronger and lighter.

Revision has also changed the way the lens are held in the frames. Most sunglasses place the lenses into a channel in the frame. Revision uses a thin frame that rides in a channel that is cut into the lenses. This makes for a lower profile design.

The Alphawing also features adjustable nose pads which is a feature that I have really come to appreciate about my Revision Hellflys. The arms are overmolded with grippy rubber to prevent the Alphawings from sliding around on your head. unlike most aviator frames that have harder rubber covers that get slick with sweat.

Check out the Alphawing on the Revision website.

IZULA Custom Handles from The-Knife-Connection

By on June 29, 2011 in EDC, Knives

The-Knife-Connection continues to add to their line of custom knife handles for ESEE Knives. Their latest addition is the new IZULA Custom Handles and they look excellent.

These handles can be bolted directly to your ESEE IZULA with no modification. They improve the usability of the knife by improving your grip. The handles feature a rounded, palm swell shape to fill the hand. The handles are tapered at the end closest to the cutting edge. This allows for a pinch grip that I find very useful on a small knife like the IZULA. The large lanyard hole of the IZULA is covered slightly by the handles which creates a more usable grip while still providing plenty of room for a lanyard.

The IZULA Custom Handles from T-K-C come in a ton of different colors including the ever popular and highly visible blaze orange and a really attractive ranger green. They come with all the hardware necessary to mount them. I would consider using a dab of thread locker, like Loc-Tite, when installing the handles.

While these may cost considerably more than the OEM IZULA handles, they are also a much more refined solution. You can check out the new IZULA Custom Handles on The-Knife-Connection.com.

 

New AR Treated Watch Dials from LUM-TEC

By on June 4, 2011 in EDC

High end watch makers have been using anti-reflective (AR) coatings on watch crystals for years. These coatings reduce or eliminate reflections and glare on the crystal (the window that you view the watch face through) in order to make the watch more readable and more discreet. LUM-TEC is taking that technology beyond just coating the crystal. They have introduced AR treated dials for their M49-M51 models.

These new dials reflect very little light. The result is a pure, dark black dial that makes LUM-TEC’s renowned luminescent markings stand out even more. These things are like a black hole – light can’t escape!

Image is property of LUM-TEC

In the above image, you can see that the 2 untreated dials are reflecting the bright studio lights. The center dial, which has been treated with the new AR coating, doesn’t reflect anything. The luminescent dial markings really stand out against the dark black, non-reflective background. This is some really cool technology!

These watch dials haven’t hit dealer shelves yet but when they do, you can expect Thomas at CGA Company to have the models sporting these dials and all your other LUM-TEC needs.

Tactical Innovations Engineering Kydex

By on June 3, 2011 in EDC, Tactical Gear

Kydex sheaths and holsters have been with us for several years now and for the most part they are similar from one maker to another. Tactical Innovations Engineering’s (TIE) kydex work looks different than most kydex on the market because it is different.

One of the most striking things that you notice about TIE’s kydex is that there are often two different colors of kydex layered over each other. This makes the sheath very visually striking. All of TIE’s kydex designs offer “level 2” retention. Much like a level 2 holster, there is active retention that must be unlocked before the knife can be removed from the sheath. The retention is achieved with an easy to manipulate tab that Kevin, the proprietor of TIE, calls the TIE Lock. It is a very clever design.

TIE has been making kydex for 2 years and they just recently started a new website – TIETactical.com.

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