Archive | Knives

Tactical Handyman: Pocket Clip Grip Tape

When you withdraw a folding knife that is clipped in your pocket, you typically place your thumb on the grip of the knife and your index finger on pocket clip. This leaves you with just one finger on the slick, texture-less clip as you attempt to produce your knife. The more aggressive the texture on a knife handle is, the harder it will be to withdraw from the pocket which has always left me wondering why knife makers don’t add texture to the pocket clips of their knives.

The Tactical Handyman doesn’t wait for knife makers to wise up. He just adds his own texture easily and inexpensively with grip tape. Here is how he does it.

Grip Tape Knife Clip Endura

Materials:

  • Knife of your choice
  • Grip tape (the Tactical Handyman prefers 3M 7635NA Safety-Walk because it doesn’t shed its grit everywhere)
  • Scissors
  • Rubbing alcohol

Instructions:

Tactical Handyman projects don’t get much easier than this.

  1. Cut the grip tape to fit. Be careful to round any sharp corners as this will help prevent the tape from lifting over time. You can cover as much of the pocket clip as you want. I usually just put a bit of grip tape on the top portion of the clip.
  2. Prep the surface of your knife’s pocket clip by cleaning it with rubbing alcohol. Make sure it is dry before moving to the next step.
  3. Stick the grip tape on your knife’s pocket clip.

It is just that easy. You can do this to all of your pocket knives in just minutes. When you are done, take your knife for a test drive. You will notice that is much easier to get out of your pocket.

Try this in conjunction with the Cable Tie Knife Opener.

Grip Tape Knife Clip

Knife Rights is Getting Things Done

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If you aren’t familiar with Knife Rights, you need to be. They are to knives what the NRA is to firearms and they get results. They recently released this statement outlining some of their recent victories:

The results speak for themselves. Knife Rights is America’s most effective knife owners advocacy organization! As we BLADE Show, it’s time to review the extraordinary accomplishments of Knife Rights so far this year. 2013 has been our most productive year yet, building upon our prior successes to create an even Sharper Future™.

Some naysayers argued that political reaction to the Newtown tragedy would make it impossible for us to make headway this year, but we were not convinced. Turns out we were right!

Knife Rights passed FIVE more Pro-Knife Bills this year!
Knife Rights passed Switchblade Ban Repeals in FOUR more states this year!
Knife Rights passed Knife Law Preemption in THREE more states this year!

Persistence pays off. Our success in passing legislation in Kansas, Alaska and Indiana was the culmination of a two-year effort in those states. This is testament to our determination and understanding of the legislative process. A setback is not defeat. We’ll always come back stronger the next time around.

In every state where we claim success, it is the result of aggressive lobbying by Knife Rights on the ground in the state capitol, working closely with legislators to get pro-knife legislation passed.

Knife Rights Successes in 2013:

– Kansas Knife Law Preemption, Ban on Switchblades, Dirks, Daggers & Stilettos Repealed
– Alaska Knife Law Preemption, Ban on Switchblades Repealed
– Tennessee Knife Law Preemption
– Indiana Ban on Switchblades Repealed
– Texas Ban on Switchblades Repealed
– New Jersey Opposed Anti-Knife Bill

In addition, our Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit against New York City and New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. continues, with significant successes in the past year. Earlier this year Knife Rights submitted Experts’ Reports that support our positions made in our pleadings. Neither NYC nor the DA filed any Expert Reports. Depositions of our experts are scheduled to be held in New York City the middle of June.

With your support, no organization in the history of pro-knife legislation has accomplished more in less time than Knife Rights. No organization has been more effective at proactively fixing bad knife laws than Knife Rights.

5 Years: 2009 – 2013 (see below)
13 Pro-Knife Bills Passed
7 Knife Law Preemption Bills Passed
7 Knife Ban Repeals Passed
4 Anti-Knife Bills Defeated

The results speak for themselves. Knife Rights is America’s most effective knife owners advocacy organization!

Thank you for helping us create a Sharper Future for All Americans™!

Knife Rights Getting It Done™ 2009 – 2013

2009
– 5th Exception to Federal Switchblade Act Protecting Assisted-Opening and One-Hand Opening Folders
– A collaborative effort including AKTI, NRA, NSSF, CCRKBA and others – Knife Rights representing Grass Roots Knife Owners

2010
– Arizona Knife Law Preemption
– Pioneering Knife Rights effort – IRST in Nation
– New Hampshire Ban on Switchblades, Dirks, Daggers & Stilettos Repealed

2011
– Utah Knife Law Preemption
– New Hampshire Knife Law Preemption
– Washington, Nevada & Florida Stopped Anti-Knife Bills
– Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit filed against New York City & NYC District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr.

2012
– Georgia Knife Law Preemption
– Missouri Switchblade Ban Repealed
– Washington Assisted-Opening Possession and AO & Automatic Manufacture Legalized
– Federal Lawsuit against NYC Continues

2013
– Kansas Knife Law Preemption, Ban on Switchblades, Dirks, Daggers & Stilettos Repealed
– Alaska Knife Law Preemption, Ban on Switchblades Repealed
– Tennessee Knife Law Preemption
– Indiana Ban on Switchblades Repealed
– Texas Ban on Switchblades Repealed
– New Jersey Opposed Anti-Knife Bill
– Federal Lawsuit against NYC Continues

Read more at KnifeRights.org.

ESEE Izula-II – Deal of the Week at BladeHQ

Blade HQ Izula-II DOTW

The ESEE Izula-II with accessory kit is the Deal of the Week at BladeHQ. I haven’t reviewed the Izula-II but I probably should because I own a few of them that I use for a number of different purposes. These knives make great EDC fixed blades, they are right at home mounted to a battle belt or plate carrier, and they are all the knife you need to dress out game as large as a whitetail deer (and maybe larger). The Izula-II can do just about everything well.

Check out the ESEE Izula-II Deal of the Week at BladeHQ.

Mad Blacksmith City Dweller Pen-Cap Lanyard System

city-dweller-smooth-satin-pl-s-s-pen-lanyard-knife-large

The Mad Blacksmith City Dweller Pen-Cap Lanyard System is a solution for discreet knife carry. It is knife lanyard that terminates with a pocket a clip that looks like the end of a pen. You attach it to the lanyard loop of your knife and then clip the end to your pocket. It allows you to keep your knife completely out of sight but relatively quickly accessible by pulling the cord.

The Mad Blacksmith City Dweller Pen-Cap Lanyard System is available in a number of different finishes. Check out the Mad Blacksmith City Dweller Pen-Cap Lanyard System at BladeHQ.com.

city-dweller-smooth-satin-pl-s-s-pen-lanyard-pocket-large

Tactical Handyman: Cable Tie Knife Opener

The Tactical Handyman is a big fan of one of Ernest Emerson’s best contributions to the world of tactical knives (that is really saying something, considering he invented the tactical knife) – the Emerson Opener. The Emerson Opener, also known as the “Wave” opener, is a basically a hooked protrusion on the spine of a folding knife’s blade that allows the user to catch the blade on their pocket to open it as the knife is being removed from the pocket. It is a very handy way of opening your knife quickly with just one hand. Every knife should have one!

If your knife doesn’t have an Emerson Opener but it does have a thumb hole, I have good news. You can simply add a cable tie to the hole, trim the left over cable, and viola! You have a dirt cheap “Wave” opener.

Cable Tie Knife Opener

 

Your new cable tie knife opener is easy to use. You can practice pressing it into the fabric of your pocket as you withdraw the knife. It should open the blade with little to no extra effort. The blade will basically deploy automatically with some practice.

If you need to remove your knife without deploying the blade, index the knife in your hand and twist it so the cable tie doesn’t catch your pocket as you remove it. This can actually take more practice than learning to deploy the blade.

There are many different sizes of cable ties available. I prefer smaller ones but larger ties make it easy to open the blade. A knife with a very curved spine will often require a larger cable tie to work well. It is very inexpensive to experiment with different sizes.

This isn’t a Tactical Handyman original. People have been doing this for years. Give it a try!

EDC Classics: The Delica4 (top) and Endura4 with Emerson Opener

A real Emerson Opener can be seen on this Spyderco Delica and Endura.

The Emerson Opener catches the pocket...

The Emerson Opener catches the pocket…

And deploys the blade as the knife is drawn from the pocket.

And deploys the blade as the knife is drawn from the pocket.

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