Archive | Knives

Gryphon M-10 Utility-Boot Knife from Cutlery Shoppe

The Gryphon M-10 is generally considered to be one of the greatest compact self defense knives of all time. It is a true classic that for several years was unavailable for purchase unless you could find a used one. A few weeks ago, I was lamenting the M-10 that I lost years ago when a friend told me that they were being sold again by the Cutlery Shoppe.

Not only is the M-10 available once again, the Cutlery Shoppe has made this classic Bob Terzuola design better than ever. Previous versions utilized ATS-34 or AUS-8 steel (I had an ATS-34 version), both of which are fine steels for a knife like this. However, this new iteration features VG-10 steel which is easily my favorite stainless steel (and I don’t even really like stainless steels). VG-10 may be outclassed in edge retention by some modern super steels, but it is no slouch and it is extremely easy to sharpen. Like the original, the blade is 4″ long and 3/16″ thick.

The new version also features a DLC black finish on the blade to cut down on glare. It has been my experience that DLC is a great coating for knives if you have to have a coating. It holds up well to wear and isn’t as thick and pasty as some coatings.

The best thing about the new version is the sheath. Many people try to carry fixed blade self-defense knives only to be turned off by how difficult or uncomfortable they are to carry. Most knives comes with sheaths that are nothing more than an afterthought. The Gryphon M-10 comes with a concealex (kydex) sheath system designed my Mike Sastre of River City Sheaths that offers nearly endless configuration options. My favorite way to carry a knife like this is inside the waistband on my weak side with the handle in toward my center line. This allows easy access with either hand and translates well to handgun retention techniques. Many people are surprised at just how comfortable and easy it is to carry an 8″ long knife once they have experienced a decent sheath.

Thankfully, all of the M-10’s best features are intact. The grippy, well contoured zytel handle is still the same as the original. This handle is part of what makes the M-10 great. It locks the hand in place without favoring any one grip. It also features just enough of a double guard to keep your fingers off the blade without getting your way during certain types of cuts. The well designed blade is still intact as well. It may be 3/16″ thick but the aggressive grinds keep the blade feeling light and lively with a very acute tip.

If you spend just a few moments with one of these knives in your hand or on your belt, you will see why the Gryphon M-10 is so well regarded. I am thrilled that they are back on the market and hope to pick one up soon for a full review.

Check out the Gryphon M-10 on CutleryShoppe.com.

ESEE Candiru and Laser Strike Pre-Orders

The much anticipated ESEE Candiru and Laser Strike are available for pre-order at The-Knife-Connection! This is the first look at the pricing on these upcoming models. Both will be available sometime in March.

ESEE Candiru

Check out the Candiru and Laser Strike on The-Knife-Connection.com.

ESEE Laser Strike

ESEE Candiru

ESEE is showing the new Candiru in their booth at SHOT. This little knife is smaller than their well known Izula. I suppose that Candiru is a perfect name for a small knife since the Candiru is a small fish that is known for lodging itself in their unfortunate victim’s urethra.

The pictures from Katie Becket of ESEE seem to indicate that it is roughly the same thickness as the ESEE3 which would make it somewhere around 1/8″ thick. It is being shown in all the same color combinations as the larger ESEE knives which is different than the Izula which is only has tan canvas micarta scales available.

I will share more details when they become available.

The Candiru is shown here with the Izula (left).

 

 

Spyderco Yojimbo2

The original Michael Janich designed Spyderco Yojimbo was one of my favorite knives of all time. The tall flat ground Wharncliffe blade had an awesome thin edge and a very fine point. That great blade combined with Spyderco’s excellent Compression lock made for a great combination for a hard use or self defense knife that also excelled at EDC tasks. I foolishly sold my Yojimbo years ago and it has been discontinued for quite some time. Fortunately, that isn’t the end of the story…

Spyderco has recently introduced the Yojimbo2 – a new, redesigned version of the original Yojimbo. Like the original it features S30V blade steel, grippy G-10 grips, the excellent Compression Lock, a Wharncliffe profile blade, and a very ergonomic handle. However, this new version also sports some changes. For instance, the blade is hollow ground instead of full height flat ground, the handle features slightly more rounded contours, and the spine of the blade has a new thumb ramp shape.

The pedigree of this knife is clear. It is still reminiscent of the original Yojimbo while offering some improvements in shape. Michael Janich and Spyderco appear to have another winner on their hands. Check out the Yojimbo2 on Spyderco’s website.

Review: Rusty’s Rags

Rust on a firearm can be anything from a mild annoyance to a very costly issue. It can ruin the value of a collector’s piece or, worse still, affect the function of a self defense firearm. The best way to deal with rust is to prevent it and that is what the products in this review from Rusty’s Rags are designed to do.

Who’s Whats?

Rusty’s Rags is a small company that makes unique silicone gun cleaning accessories. Their kits typically consist of 4 items: a bottle of Rusty’s “Famous” Silicone Gun Oil, a flannel polishing cloth, a pair of nitrile gloves, and – this is the really unique part – a small piece of sheepskin that is pre-loaded with the silicone gun oil. Everything comes packages in heavy mil resealable plastic bags that make them perfect for tossing in your range bag or hiking pack. They make a number of different kits that, while very similar in what they include, vary in size based on the product that they are intended to protect.

Why is It Better?

I have used silicone gun oil before on guns and knives. It works very well for preventing rust. The products that I have seen in the past typically had silicone oil loaded into a flannel cloth. It is common for gun shops to use these to clean the finger prints off of firearms that have been handled by customers. The silicone oil works great for this because it is a very light oil that goes on in a very thin coat that doesn’t feel wet or very oily. However, the flannel clothes are not really all that ideal because it tends to leave lint behind.

Rusty’s Rags kits are different because of their novel application method. These kits use sheepskin to apply the oil. The sheepskin holds together much better than the flannel type products. It just doesn’t leave little bits of lint or debris behind. The sheepskin also applies the oil into any nook or cranny that you pass it over with no extra effort. It really is a stroke of genius. It is just a better way.

In Use

The folks at Rusty’s Rags sent me 4 products to check out: a knife care kit, a handgun care kit, a rifle/shotgun care kit, and a sheepskin Q-tip. The kits are all very similar. The main difference is the size of the sheepskin. The rifle/shotgun kit comes with a larger 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ sheepskin while the knife and handgun kits come with a 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ sheepskin.

These kits are extremely easy to use. You just lightly rub the sheepskin over the surface of what you want to clean and protect. Then use the flannel cloth to wipe away any excess oil if necessary. If the sheepskin begins to dry out, just add a drop of oil from the included bottle. It is that easy.

The kit includes gloves that you can wear, but I didn’t. One of the advantages of silicone oil is that it doesn’t have that heavy oily feeling that some oils do, so I generally don’t worry about gloves.

I own a Marlin 336 lever action. It is blued, has tons of nooks and crannies, and has had rust issues in the past, so it was the perfect candidate for testing the Rusty’s Rag’s firearm kits. The sheepskin made getting oil into the space between the barrel and magazine tube effortless. Flannel clothes are too thick to get into this space but the small fibers of sheepskin worked the oil right in with no extra effort. That alone just about had me head over heals for these kits.

Many campers/hikers will be familiar with the flannel type silicone wipes. They are used to keep your knife from rusting and dulling when you are out in the elements on an extended trip. I found the sheepskin to be far better. It easily applies the oil to jimping and other unique knife features. Jimping are the small ridges that are cut into the spine of a knife to provide traction. These ridges can accumulate blood, guts, dirt, and moisture so they are a key place to protect. The sheep skin also works well to get oil right down into the corner where the handle scales meet the knife blade.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about the sheepskin Q-tip. Then it dawned on me that it was absolutely perfect for applying the silicone oil to your barrel underneath of a free float hand guard. I have had the distinct displeasure of trying to deal with rust that formed on an AR-15 barrel under the free float hand guards. The sheepskin Q-tip can be used to reach through all the holes in a typical hand guard to apply oil to the barrel to prevent rust. This would be a great thing to have in a range kit, especially if you attend a carbine class that can’t reschedule due to nasty weather.

I found that, in spite of their names, the handgun and knife kits work on long arms just fine. In fact, I think I prefer the smaller applicator pad. It makes the kit a bit more light weight and compact and really seems to apply the oil just as quickly, though it can’t hold as much oil so you may have to recharge the sheepskin more often.

Conclusion

I found that the Rusty’s Rags unique use of sheepskin makes them extremely easy to use versus similar products that use a flannel cloth applicator. The sheepskin applicator is what sets these kits apart. The kits are easy to carry in a range bag or backpack and could save you from a very costly outbreak of rust. Check out the whole product line at the Rusty’s Rags website and “Like” them on Facebook for a $2 coupon.

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