If you know about Martinez Tools, it is probably for the same reason that I do. You’ve been coveting one of their modular titanium hammers. Well, prepare yourself for that covetousness to go to the next level…
Martinez Tools is teasing a “tactical axe” head for the modular handles. It features a cutting bit and spiked. The head bolts directly to existing Martinez M1/M4 handles.
These are just a prototype at this time. Hopefully Martinez Tools brings them to market.
If you have been reading JTT for a while, you know that I like Mora knives. The Mora Companion in particular finds its way onto my belt or into my packs more often than other models. I actually don’t mind the regular plastic sheaths that Morakniv includes with these knives but there are times that I need some extra retention and a way to position the sheath some way other than perfectly vertical which lead me to the Armory Plastics Mora Companion sheath.
I didn’t have high hopes for this sheath. If I am being completely honest, I wondered if a molded kydex sheath this cheap can be any good. I also had doubts about the plastic clip – would it break, would it hold the angle that I set, would it have a good grip on my belt?
I purchased the sheath in June of 2018 and have been using it since. It has been swimming in a creek, to the top of some local peaks, bounced around in the center console of my truck, and carried during sub-zero days on snowshoes. None of those environmental factors seemed to have any effect on it. I was especially keen to see how the cold would effect the clip but it seems to have shrugged it off.
Speaking of the clip… That has become one of my favorite features of this sheath. It is lightweight and seems durable. It handles thicker belts without issue and holds on tenaciously. Best of all, it is easily rotatable without tools but its tight friction fit keeps the sheath at whatever orientation you set.
The Armory Plastics Mora Companion Sheath accepts every Mora Companion model I have tried. It fits the standard Carbon and Stainless models perfectly with no rattle and a crisp “click” when sheathing the knife. The thicker Companion HD knives fit very well too (this is what I usually carry) but the “click” is a bit more mushy.
The bottom line is that I have spent a lot more on sheaths that I don’t use nearly a much as this one. It is functional, affordable, and works with several of my Mora knives. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
Armory Plastics offers these sheaths direct from their website in a TON of different colors: ArmoryPlastics.com
I purchased my sheath on Amazon where they only have black and orange available but at a much lower price: Mora Companion Sheath on Amazon
Zulu Bravo Kydex just rolled out the newest addition to their line of non-metallic defensive tools – the Dart. This compact tool has a push dagger-like shape and is ground from G-10. The geometry of the blade hints at is purpose as more of a puncturing device than a slashing device.
The Dart isn’t available on the Zulu Bravo website yet but it will be shortly. It is expected to retail around $75.
TOPS Knives passed 20 years old in October 2018 and they have been releasing some very special knives to celebrate. This is their second 20th anniversary offering…
From TOPS Knives:
TOPS Knives turned 20 years old in October 2018 and to commemorate the accomplishment, we released a limited run of the Tom Brown Tracker #3 made with special steel, handles, and sheath. The success of that model led us to make this next 20th-anniversary edition model.
The Tex Creek is an excellent all-around knife design. It’s perfect around the campsite, if you’re out on a hike, fishing for the day, and makes a great hunting knife as well. The original was designed by Leo Espinoza to be his personal hunting knife for deer season in Idaho a few years back. Tex Creek is the name of the unit where he grew up hunting in Idaho.
This will be a one-time run made with CPM154 steel hardened to 58-60 on the Rockwell C scale. It has thick, well-rounded handles with a white liner sandwiched between black canvas Micarta and a gorgeous red/black carbon fiber on top. The sheath is red Kydex with black Kydex on top and a burgundy leather dangler to finish off the package.
Specs:
Wingard Wearables is making tomahawks that are probably unlike any you have seen before. Their Backripper Tomahawk is extremely compact but still offers excellent reach. It’s forged W1 tool steel head has a main cutting bit designed to pierce and a hooked spike designed to, like its name suggests, rip backs. See the video below for details.
The Backripper Tomahawk has a hickory handle with a rectangular cross section to index the tomahawk in hand and prevent it from rotating. The flat shape also allows the tomahawk to lay flat against the wearer’s leg. Wingard Wearable applies texture to the handle with a hot file.
