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Review: Spyderco Delica4 and Endura4 Emerson Opener

By on September 19, 2011 in EDC, Knives, Reviews, Survival
I am constantly changing gear around in order to find the next great gadget. However, in the last several years, I haven’t changed the knife that I carry. It isn’t for lack of trying. I own or have owned several knives that, while generally very well regarded and expensive, just can’t unseat the Spyderco Delica4 or Endura4 with Emerson Wave from my pocket.

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

History

The Delica and Endura have been part of Spyderco’s catalog since 1990. They have gone through a handful of changes over the years to the handle, clip, and blade steel but for the most part they are still recognizable as the Delica and Endura. The most recent changes are perhaps the most sweeping and they resulted in the generation 4 models which I believe are the best yet.

Not long before the release of the Delica4 and Endura4 knives, Spyderco licensed the Wave Opener feature from knife making royalty, Ernest Emerson, for use on a special edition of the Endura3. The model featured both the famous Spyderhole and Emerson Wave. This model sold briskly and has since become somewhat of a collectors item.

Shortly after the release of the Delica4 and Endura4 models, Spyderco announced that an Emerson Wave enhanced Endura4 would become a production model along with the introduction of a “waved” version of the Delica4. My love affair with these knives started as soon as these knives hit dealer shelves.

The Delica4 (top) and Endura4 have a unique appearance when closed thanks to the Emerson Opener.

Emerson Opener (Wave)

The Emerson Opener or Wave is what really sets these knives apart. Without it, they would just be regular Delicas or Enduras (not that there is anything wrong with that). The Wave takes these models to a whole new level.

The Wave is a hooked protrusion from the top of the blade that allows the blade to catch on the pants pocket while it is being drawn. When the hook catches, it forces the blade open. It is extremely reliable and actually faster than an automatic because it is opening as the knife clears the pocket, not once the knife is produced.

The Emerson Opener catches the pocket...

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

Spyderco added the Wave in addition to their famous Spyderhole. The result is a knife that can be opened in a ton of different ways. The ease and speed at which these knives can be produced and opened is unbelievable.

The Wave is billed mainly as a self defense feature and it certainly makes sense as one. Being able to produce your folding knife and open it without extra thought or manipulation is certainly a great thing in a self defense scenario. Savvy users will also see the utility of this feature in an EDC or general use outdoors knife. Being able to open a knife quickly when your hands are cold and wet or when one hand is disabled is never a bad thing.

The only problem with the Wave is that you will eventually have a hard time accepting a folding knife that doesn’t have the feature. It will change what you expect from a folding knife to the point where it is hard to without. I really can’t over state how important the Emerson Opener has become to me.

Details and Observations

The Delica4 and Endura4 seem to be sized to comply with the most common knife laws. The Delica sports a sub 3” VG-10 steel blade that is legal in all but the most restrictive areas. The Endura and its sub 4” VG-10 steel blade can be carried where there are more permissive laws.

VG-10 is one of the only modern stainless steels that I like. S30V and others can hold a great edge but in actual use, I rarely see a difference other than the S30V being much more difficult to sharpen. VG-10 sharpens easily and holds a working edge for a long time. It also takes to the strop well. I don’t have to spend much time at all when the blade needs resharpening.

One of the biggest improvements that came with the gen 4 models was the inclusion of nested steel liners. The liners are heavily skeletonized so that their impact on the weight of the knives is minimal. These steel liners really step of the durability of the knife. These metal liners also give the pocket clip screws something solid to screw into which is an improvement over past models. The pocket clip is moveable for left and right hand, tip up or tip down carry.

The handles scales are made from plastic (FRN) and have multi-directional texturing. I love modern handle materials like carbon fiber, G-10, and micarta but the plastic handles on the Delica and Endura keep bringing me back. The plastic provides great grip without being harsh on your pockets. It doesn’t tear them up like other materials would and it doesn’t beat the tar out of items that you carry in the same pocket with your knife. It may not be the coolest, but it just works.

The multi-directional texture on the FRN handle generates a very secure grip.

Spyderco, more than any other maker, knows how to design a handle that is both very thin and yet very ergonomic at the same time. Both the Delica4 and the thicker Endura4 are very thin and carry unobtrusively in your pocket.

The blade shapes are very versatile. They have a spear point profile with a fairly fine point. It doesn’t have a ton of belly but it has more than enough for most tasks. I have yet to find a cutting task that I felt hindered because of blade shape.

The Wave feature as Spyderco envisions it is larger and more rounded than you will typically find on an Emerson folder. I find it to be just as reliable without being so hard on your pockets.

Spyderco seems to have purposefully designed these knives to be deceiving in size when they are in your pocket. When you view the small portion of the knife that sticks up out of the pocket when stowed, the knives appear like they would be much smaller than they actually are. In fact, when clipped in your pocket, it is difficult to tell the difference between the Delica4 and the much larger Endura4. You can carry these without drawing a lot of attention to yourself.

Even without low-ride pocket clips, these knives appear very small in the pocket thanks to their tapered handles (Endura4 on right, Delica4 on left).

The Delica4 and Endura4 might also be one of the best supported factory knives around in terms of parts and accessories. You can buy spare parts kits directly from the factory that will let you replace commonly lost or worn out parts. You can also buy realistic and fully functional training versions of these knives.

Not Quite Perfect

While none of these gripes have been even close to enough to displace these knives from my pocket for the last several years, they are not perfect.

They have a plastic backspacer in which the spring for the lockback is housed. This seems to prevent the knives from having a very crisp feel when closing. They just don’t always seem to snap closed like an all metal knife might. Closing feels a bit mushy.

The blades are saber ground which means that they have flat primary bevel that comes about halfway up the blade. I would prefer a full flat grind but this is just a personal preference and these knives cut very well just the way that they are.

The black paint on the pocket clip scratches fairly readily. The pocket clip will be looking worn and ragged in no time. I don’t mind this but a different coating or treatment might hold up better.

Conclusion

You can spend a lot more on a knife that will have more exotic design, blade steel, and handle materials but you won’t find a knife that is more functional or easy to carry than the Spyderco Delica4 and Endura4 with the Emerson Wave Opener. The Emerson Wave Opener takes these already classic knives to a whole new level.

You can check out more detail specs of the Delica4 and Endura4 on the Spyderco website.

Review: White Sound Defense Glock Mag Springs

By on September 17, 2011 in Guns, Reviews

It has been said that the magazine is the heart of any magazine fed firearm. This saying speaks to the importance of the magazine when it comes to the overall reliability of the firearm. Many, if not most, malfunctions can be traced back to magazine issues. Magazines are very simple – many having just 4 or 5 parts. However, one of those 4 or 5 parts really has a tremendous bearing on whether the magazine is reliable or not, but few shooters ever spend a moment thinking of them. I am talking about the magazine spring.

I have been using a couple of Glock magazine springs from White Sound Defense (WSD) for the last several months. Magazine springs may seem mundane, but these springs have some features that set them apart from other springs on the market.

WSD’s magazine springs are designed to be direct replacement for full size 9mm, .40SW, and .357SIG Glocks. The springs are made from 17-7PH stainless steel. This allows the springs to be very resistant to environmental factors like rain and sweat. You can check out WSD’s technical article that compares how their springs weather compared to other common spring materials on their website.

They offer about 10% more pressure than the stock springs and you will notice some additional resistance when you are loading your magazines but this will ease with time and use. This extra pressure also makes these springs ideal for +2 magazines extensions and should help keep feeding consistent even in dusty/dirty environments.

They have been completely reliable for me. I have them installed in Glock 17 magazines. There were no issues with the magazines before I installed the WSD springs so it is difficult to discuss what, if any, improvement there has been. They do work and they are made from a material that should perform very well across all environments. I do not hesitate to recommend them.

You can read more about magazine spring materials and more about these specific springs on White Sound Defense’s website.

Review: TAREINCO VTP Sling

By on September 12, 2011 in Guns, Reviews, Tactical Gear

Slings have come a long way from the days that most of them were just simple straps used for carrying your rifle. While those simple slings worked for their intended use, modern slings offer a host of efficiency enhancing features. The VTP (Variable Transition Point) Sling from TAREINCO is one such modern sling and it is one of the most feature rich slings on the market.

It's a 2 point...

It's a single point... It's the VTP from TAREINCO.

Quality

The TAREINCO VTP Sling is well made. It is made from 1″ tubular webbing which I have found to be a very comfortable material for use in slings. It doesn’t have the rough edges of typical webbing. The tubular webbing sort of rolls over itself instead of abrading your neck when you are the move.

The hardware is all of good quality and it is the selection of hardware that gives this sling a lot of its functionality. There are Troy Industries heavy duty push button QD sling swivels sewn into each end of the sling, though there is a new option coming that will allow users to use the attachment points of their choice. Each end also has a quality SRB (side release buckle). These buckles are important to some users who may need to get out of their sling quickly.

The sling also features the previously reviewed Impact Weapons Components 2 To 1 Point Triglide sewn into it. It is an integral part of the sling and a source of some of the unique functionality of the VTP. The VTP certainly is made from quality components.

Unique Functionality

The VTP combines many functions that can be found in other slings but in a new and unique way that impresses me.

The most noticeable feature is the ability to transition from a 2 point sling to a single point sling. I won’t say much about this other than it works very well. This function is tied to the use of the IWC 2 to 1 Point Triglide so if you are interested in learning why this is better than any other way of transitioning from 2 to 1 sling attachment points, you can read the review of the Triglide. It is very cool to see companies making the Triglide an integral part of their slings. This one tiny widget adds an awful lot of functionality to a sling.

Many slings offer the ability to quickly adjust the length of the sling. The VTP does it in a fairly unique way. Rather than a tab, the VTP has a loop that is constructed from a clever combination of triglides. The loop, which TAREINCO calls the APT, is large and easy to operate. I found that I could easily hook it with my thumb to make quick adjustments. It can also be grabbed with your whole hand if you think you will have trouble hooking it with your thumb under stress or against the timer.

It may seem strange, but I think what I like most about the VTP sling is the use of a Ladderloc to provide the static adjustment of sling length. Most slings require you to move multiple triglides around on the sling to adjust the static length. The VTP makes it very simple and easy. In fact, this is the only sling I have tried that lets me adjust the static length while I am actually wearing the sling. This feature makes it very easy to adjust your sling length for armor, winter clothes, rain gear, or anything else that affects the fit of your sling.

In Use

The VTP works as advertised. It delivers a ton of functionality to the user.

The loop works very well as a quick adjustment point. It can be hooked with your thumb when you need to tighten it quickly or it can be grabbed like you would a tab on other slings. I can achieve enough slack to transition the carbine to my support side without having to drop my arm out of the sling.

When I first received the sling I was frustrated with how difficult it was to tighten the sling. It could be loosened easily but tightening could be a tough. Now it is broken in nicely and adjusts very easily. It only took one dry fire session to really break in the adjustments.

Tightening and loosening the sling took some getting used to for me. All of my other slings adjust in the opposite direction as the VTP. The VTP can be tightened by pulling the loop toward the rear of the sling (my VTAC and VCAS slings are the opposite).

My biggest concern with this sling is amount of hardware that is used, especially in the loop (ATP). If this were to come unraveled, I am not sure that I could ever figure out how to put it back together. I am sure that TAREINCO could talk me through it though. Thankfully, the loop would actually have to come unraveled from 2 separate triglides before it made the sling inoperable.

Conclusion

The TAREINCO VTP is heavy on features. It incorporates the IWC 2 to 1 Point Triglide to greatly increase the functionality of the sling. It is comfortable to wear, easy to use, and offers a lot of functionality. It works.

Check out the VTP on the TAREINCO website.

I will be giving this sling away, so stay tuned for details.

Disclosure: I received this sling free of charge from Impact Weapons Components, who I work with as a product rep, for review.

 

High Value Armor Set Up

By on September 7, 2011 in Guns, Reviews, Tactical Gear

There are many good reasons to own body armor. Some training courses may even require it, especially if there is a “shoot house” component to the course. Heck, I’ve seen enough unsafe boneheads at the range to make me want to wear armor just to go plinking.

Many people never purchase armor because they think it is expensive and, for the most part, they are right. It is expensive. However, sometimes it is not as expensive as people think. If you know where to look, you can get into a plate carrier and plates for around $400. I am not talking about a bottom of the barrel, less than ideal set up either. A quality armor set up is attainable for around $400 (maybe even less than $400).

The Shellback Tactical Banshee PC and TAP Gamma Plus Plates are a high value combination.

Plates

Many people who are on a budget purchase steel rifle plates. These work but they do have some downsides. The two biggest downsides are that they are heavy (often 8 pounds or more each) and they tend to have issues with spall. You don’t have to settle for steel plates. In fact, you can do much better for the about the same amount of money.

There are plates on the market right now from a company called Tactical Armor Products (TAP) called Gamma Plus plates. These are brand new NIJ level III stand-alone plates. “Stand alone” means that they don’t need soft armor to provide level III protection. Level III protection means that they will stop all common rifle rounds except purpose built armor piercing projectiles. They have even been tested by noted ballistician, Dr. Gary Roberts. They weigh less than 5 pounds a piece and can be purchased for $150 each (or less in bulk).

I purchased mine and several for friends from Ray at BodyArmorOutlet.com. Ray was great to deal with and really helped me out on a bulk purchase of these plates. You might find even better deals on these plates in his Ebay store under the name: auction_one_b.

Carrier

There are several plate carriers (PC) on the market that are fairly cost effective. Many of the $150 or less carriers are either slick carriers with no provisions to add pouches or off-brand knock-offs that are worth a dime. One sub-$150 carrier stands out from the crowd.

The Banshee PC from Shellback Tactical is easily the value leader. It can be purchased for $95-$130 including shipping and you get a lot of features, functionality, quality, and performance for that money. I won’t do a full review now but I will touch on some high points.

Most PCs in this price range have shoulder straps made from webbing only and you have to purchase pads if you want them. The Banshee comes with nice padded shoulder straps. It is very well made and constructed from 1000D nylon. It can be worn with the removable cummerbund or with simple side straps if you need a low profile option. It is extremely compact but offers more than enough MOLLE webbing to configure into a very useful PC. It is also made here in the US and backed with a lifetime warranty. I really can’t say enough about this PC.

I purchased mine from Ares Armor and I highly recommend them. However, right now you can get a significant discount as a Facebook fan of Shellback Tactical. If you miss the Facebook deal (runs through 9/9/2011), buy it from Ares Armor. They offer a great price and great customer service.

Conclusion

The above combination of plates and plate carrier will give you an armor set up that weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 13 pounds (before you add pouches) and costs you around $400. That is certainly beats getting shot by some bubba in your carbine class who can’t keep his finger off the trigger and his muzzle down range.

Review: Armory Rack (8 Gun)

By on September 5, 2011 in Guns, Reviews

You may have noticed that guns safes are not cheap. You may have also noticed that no matter how large a safe you buy, it seems you outgrow it nearly as soon as you install it. It is easy to end up with too many guns and not enough space. You could buy a new, bigger safe or you could find a smarter way to store your guns. You could find Armory Racks.

Armory Racks are metal handgun storage racks that let you maximize the space that you already have. They are made from extremely sturdy heavy gauge metal wire that is powder coated. Instead of inefficient “U” shaped brackets that hold your guns in place like most rack designs, the Armory Racks use a post that slips inside the handgun’s bore. The bore of the handgun is protected from scratching and wear by the powder coating and a very tightly fit red plastic tip. The handguns are positioned vertically, with the grip presented to the user. This design also holds the handguns up off the surface that the rack is sitting on which allows you to store additional items underneath the handguns.

More Guns, Less Space

In practical terms, the 8 gun version of the Armory Racks allows you to store at least 8 handguns in the same amount of space that 4 handguns would typically take up. It holds at least 8 handguns in about the same amount of space that most other handgun rack designs hold only 6 handguns.

Notice that I said “at least” 8 guns in the paragraph above. The design of the Armory Racks allow them to accept an optional tray in the space underneath the handguns. This tray can be used to store ammo, magazines, accessories, or whatever else you can fit. It also allows you to store… more guns! In my Armory Rack right now, I have 12 guns stored neatly. That is 12 guns in the same amount of space that I was storing 4 before. That is just too cool.

The accessory tray will hold 4 compact handguns easily.

The para-cord outline in this picture represents the footprint of the Armory Rack. With the Armory Rack, you can store at least 8 guns in the same amount of space.

Its All in the Presentation

In addition to the space saving design, there are several other features to love about the Armory Rack. Most importantly to me is how it presents the handguns. They are held in a position that presents a full firing grip to the user. Because the handguns can swing side to side on the posts, they easily hinge out of your way when you reach in to grab a specific handgun. Armory Racks let you store a handgun in a way that is secure and immediately accessible.

When you reach in to access a handgun, the others on either side swing out of your way.

Handgun mounted lights are no problem for the Armory Rack. It easily accepts handguns with the light attached. This allows me to store my “nightstand” gun loaded and ready with a light attached. That is a very important feature to me.

Armory Racks will even let you store handguns that are still in their holsters. If you have an open bottom holster, you can slip the handgun onto the post while it still in its holster. This keeps the trigger protected and stores your carry gear in one place so it ready for the next time you leave the house.

The Armory Rack handles allow you to pick up the whole rack, handguns and all, and move it easily. You can also run a cable lock around the handle on one side, through the trigger guards, and around the handle on the other side in order to effectively lock all of the handguns on the rack. I have had a shooting instructor comment to me that this set of features would be handy in his handgun classes where he likes to have an assortment of handguns for new shooters to try.

New Coating

I have found that the powder coating and plastic tip on the metal posts has been more than sufficient to protect the bore of the handgun from metal-to-metal contact. In fact, the bore barely contacts the post while you are placing your handgun on the rack. Most of the contact is with the red plastic tip. However, some people have concerns about undue wear on the bores of their handguns. Armory Racks will now offer an additional neoprene coating for the posts that should ease your mind (if you had any concerns in the first place).

These red plastic tips are fit extremely tightly to the post in order to prevent loss and protect your handgun's bore.

Conclusion

Armory Racks are the most practical and efficient handgun storage option that I have encountered. They maximize your space while actually enhancing accessibility. I really don’t know what else you can ask of a handgun rack.

You can read more about these racks and check out the 4 gun version on the Armory Racks website and Facebook page.

Special Pricing for Trigger Jerks

Stay tuned for details on special pricing and free shipping on Armory Racks exclusively for Jerking the Trigger readers.

Disclosure: This product was provided to me by Armory Racks, free of charge, for review.

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