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New Marker Panel Coming from Battle Systems

By on May 11, 2012 in EDC, Survival, Tactical Gear

Battle Systems gave us a sneak peak of their upcoming marker panel. It is functionally similar to the VS-17 marker panel but it will be made from lighter weight materials and be compact enough to fit in a pocket or admin pouches. This is the type of gear that can find a home in anyone’s kit without weighing you down.

This new panel will also be functional in low and no light. It has a 2×2″ Velcro field on each side where an IR reflective patch can be affixed. The patches will be available at the time of purchase.

These panels have a ton of uses for everyone from military members to hunters and hikers. I like to use a high visibility marker like this for land navigation in a technique that I will show in the review of this new marker panel. We have a couple inbound for review so stay tuned.

Becker Knife & Tool Tweeners

By on May 9, 2012 in Knives, Survival

Ethan Becker knows a thing or two about designing affordable, durable, and useable knives. His Becker Knife & Tool (BK&T) designs have been made by numerous manufacturers over the years, the most recent being KA-BAR. Much of the original BK&T consists of larger knife designs but now KA-BAR and BK&T are introducing the “Tweeners”.

The term Tweeners refers to the smaller size of the new BK-15, BK-16, and BK-17 knives. These new offerings are roughly 3/4 the size of the original knives. They are still large enough to serve as field knives but they are far from being small – hence the nickname, Tweener. Like the other knives in the BK&T line, the Tweeners are ground from 1095 Cro-Van steel and their handles are made from a durable plastic. Each knife comes with a nylon sheath and two sets of handle scales, one black and one coyote brown.

The BK-15 features a 5.5″ upswept or trailing point style blade that is reminiscent of the venerable BK-5 Magnum Camp that was a Jerry Fisk/BK&T collaboration.

The BK-16 has a 4.375″ drop point blade. Drop points are renowned for their all-around usefulness.

The BK-17 has a 4.375″ clip point blade. The clipped point allows for a very fine tip and is reminscent of the classic KA-BAR USMC Combat Knife.

These knives are not on KA-BAR’s website yet, but they will be soon. They are already available at dealers.

Omnivore Blade-Works Anubis Redesign

By on May 5, 2012 in Knives, Survival, Tactical Gear

I have had the pleasure of reviewing a couple of tomahawks from Omnivore Blade-Works in the past. I was very impressed with the designs, the durability, and the function.

Omnivore Blade-Works is now in the process of improving much of their current line of knives and tomahawks for 2012. The Anubis, Omnivore’s flagship tomahawk, is one of the products that will benefit from a design refresh.

The Anubis will now feature an enlarged guard to keep the user’s hand off of the sharpened edges of the head. It has a more hooked base of the handle to improve chopping performance. The 1095 steel of the older version has been replaced with .285″ thick O1 tool steel. It will be electroless nickel plated for extreme corrosion resistance. Like the previous model, it will be available with micarta handle slabs or a bare steel handle with cord-wrap. Cerakote is optional.

These are some serious tomahawks that can absorb and dish out some serious abuse. Check them out at Omnivore Blade-Work’s website.

Hill People Gear Kit Bags Now with Velcro

By on May 3, 2012 in Survival, Tactical Gear

Hill People Gear Kit Bags are now shipping with a 1.5″ wide vertical strip of Velcro sewn into the pistol compartment. This will be a welcomed feature for those who want to use a Velcro backed holster in their Kit Bags.

I have been using a Kit Bag for a while now and I have been generally pleased with the way it carries a full size pistol without a holster in the pistol compartment. However, I can see how the addition of the Velcro would be a big improvement for those carrying smaller pistols. A Velcro backed holster should keep them from shifting in the large compartment.

The Kit Bags are available directly from Hill People Gear.

Afrankart Prybaton

By on April 27, 2012 in EDC, Survival, Tactical Gear

What happens when you dim the lights, turn on some music, and lock the door behind a pry bar and a kubotan? Something a lot like the new Prybaton from Afrankart is what happens.

You may remember some of Andy’s (afrankart is his screenname) other work that I profiled on JTT. The Prybaton is his latest project. It blends of the functions and features of a pry bar and a (kubotan). The result is a versatile self defense/EDC tool that can handle a surprising number of chores. The tapered pry edge is not only a useful tool but it also packs a heck of a wallop in training hands.

The Prybaton is made from 6-4 Titanium and is 6″ long by .6″ in diameter. The Ti construction keeps the weight of this handful of metal down to just 3.8 ounces. The handle features texture to lock the Prybaton in your hand during strikes or while you are prying. The pry tip is cleverly designed to be flat on one side and hollow ground on the other to facilitate prying.

The Prybaton is a clever and down right nasty tool. Contact Andy via email at afrankart@woh.rr.com for more information.

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