Jerking the Trigger

Benchmade 14205

By Matt on March 12, 2010 in Knives, Reviews

The HK 14205 – A Serious Sleeper
I have been able to spend some quality time with a knife that isn’t really new to the market but you don’t seem to hear a lot about it. It seems to be overshadowed by several other “hard use” knives and never comes up in EDC conversations, yet it will fill both of those roles easily. So why should you pay attention to the Benchmade HK 14205? Let’s take a look.

Stats and Features
The 14205 is designed by Mike Snody, the money man himself. His finger prints will be obvious to anyone who is familiar with his work. It is manufactured by Benchmade and features their excellent Axis locking mechanism.

The blade is made from .150″ thick 154CM steel and is 3.40″ long. The blade features a spear point shape with an unsharpened swedge which renders a very sharp and usable point. The handle slabs are thin, textured G-10 over full steel liners. There is a large, aggressive thumb ramp. It is 4.5″ long when folded and 8.19″ long opened.

As you can see, this knife was made to be used, and used hard. However, it is also very slim and refined. So is this a hard user, an edc, or both? Maybe we can find out by comparing it to a more well known Benchmade folder.

14205 top, 520 bottom

A Comparison
The Benchmade 520 is a knife that does get talked about, at least more so than the 14205. Before I saw the 14205 in person, I figured it would just be another 520-like knife. While there are some similarities, these are two very different knives.

Note the blade thickness and large stop pins – these are beefy folders!

Both knives have 3.40″ blades made from 154CM. However, the 14205’s blade is thicker .150″ versus .130″ on the 520. Both have the large, beefy stop pins and rock solid lock up. Both offer a good grip and enough handle for your whole hand. This knife, like the 520, is obviously built for abuse.

Open construction and classy stand-offs of the 14205 versus the closed back spacer of the 520

However, the similarities end there. The 14205 features beautiful, sculpted stand-offs. This open construction is attractive, makes it easy to clean, and keeps the weight down. It is slimmer than the 520 without really sacrificing grip. It weighs only 4.92 ounces versus the 5.68 ounces that the 520 weighs. So not only is this a hard user, but it is also a refined EDC worthy knife.

Nitpicking
I am going to pick a few nits. I think the 14205 falls just touch shot of what it could have been were it not for two small items. If the full steel liners were skeletonized (like they are on the 520), it could have been even lighter without sacrificing strength. Also, it would be great if the pocket clip was attached as high as the one on the 520. This would allow the 14205 to sit lower and more discreetly in the pocket. In the scheme of everything that this knife has to offer, these are very small issues.

Conclusion
I really like this knife. It is capable of everything the beloved 520 is capable of, but it is far more pocketable. It almost seems to be having an identity crisis. Maybe that it why it doesn’t really get mentioned often – it just fits too many categories. This knife is definitely worth talking about mroe often, especially for the price. These can be picked up from very reputable sources for just over $100. This is one serious sleeper!

A Visitor

By Matt on March 12, 2010 in Other

Over the last several weeks we have been blessed with a very cool visitor. We have had Barred Owls in our woods for years but usually they would never come any closer than the creek which is about 30-40 yards from the back door. That has changed recently probably due to us using the back door less frequently in the winter. Now the owl has been roosting on our deck, patio furniture, nearby tree limbs, and bird feeder poles while it hunts moles and chipmunks.

We have actually been able to watch it hunt from less than 10 feet away. We have a few picture windows that look out over the woods in the back and these have allowed us to be up close and personal with these amazing creatures. They are so mellow that I can actually walk right up to a window in full view of the owl while it watches no more than 10-12 feet away!

Being able to get that close makes for some great pictures…

US Palm AK Magazines

By Matt on March 12, 2010 in Guns, Tactical Gear

I have been looking forward to the release of these magazines for some time now. US Palm has finally brought their US made AK-47 magazine to market and they are in stock at SGC.

This magazine is brought to you by the same folks who make the excellent Tango Down ARC Mags for the M16 family of weapons. In fact, it shares many of the same features like ribs on the front and back for grip, deep waffle texture on the sides for additional grip, low friction follower, and permanently sealed polymer construction. The AK mag also has metal reinforcements in key places.

You can also keep an eye on US Palm for more products built around the venerable AK. They are bringing a great looking AK specific chest rig to market soon and I hear they are working on a grip that will likely be the best thing going in AK grips. Hopefully they will bring a 20 rounds version of this magazine to market. I much prefer the size, weight, and handling characteristics of 20 round mags for the AK-47.

These mags have been tested by a lot of pretty serious AK users during the development stages and passed with flying colors. I very rarely run my AK but I still appreciate a great product when I see one. If you run an AK with any regularity you will want to check out these mags.

If you have these in hand already, I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a comment.

Girls and Their Bags

By Matt on March 12, 2010 in Other, Tactical Gear

I recently picked up a new Kifaru Molle Express. It is a great pack and I have had a few chances to wring it out already so look for an upcoming review. Until then, enjoy these pics of my highly paid fashion model wearing the pack.

It passed the taste test.

Tactical Handyman: Tournequit Retention Doohicky

By Matt on March 12, 2010 in Survival, Tactical Gear, Tactical Handyman

So you need a way to keep your tourniquet at hand? Well the Tactical Handyman has the simple (and cheap) way to build your own Tourniquet Retention Doohicky or TRD (pronounced turd). If you are anything like the Tactical Handyman, you have the stuff to make one laying around already. Why pay $5-12 plus shipping for something you can make on the cheap?

Necessary Materials:
– Short piece of mil-spec shock cord

Optional Materials:
– Cord End
– Cord Lock

Instructions:
This isn’t rocket science. This is simply a loop of shock cord. The cord ends are nice since shock cord will fray readily but a simple knot will do. You will have to experiment with different lengths in until you find a length small enough to really secure your tourniquet. The cord lock allows you to make your TRD a bit more universal. You can cut it a little bit long and use the cord lock to take up the slack.

Simply thread the TRD behind two rows of webbing like so:

Now you can stretch the ends over your tourniquet. I found that the cord stayed out of the way well if I twisted it so the ends were to the side like so:

Or, you can loop the end onto the windlass or other part of the tourniquet:

I found that spanning 2 rows works best because it allows the cord to be placed toward the center of the tourniquet but still have a couple of inches in between straps for stability. If you get the straps toward the center of the tourniquet and make them tight enough the tourniquet is locked down and isn’t going anywhere. This type of design is common to most tourniquet holders. The ability to loop the small tab onto something like the windlass gives a 3rd contact point and even more confidence that you will not lose your life saving gear. If you felt the need, a third strap could easily be added, but I think it is unnecessary.

To remove the tourniquet quickly, simply pull on the cord end (or knot) which will free the top (or bottom depending how you have it positioned). Once one end is free the tourniquet can be tugged to be released from the remaining loop. This can easily be accomplished with one hand.

This sure beats rubber bands. The Tactical Handyman has your back.

I am using the SOF-T Tourniquet in the pics but this should adapt to just about any model.

PS – This works great on the webbing that is sewn on the side of many blow out kit pouches like the HSGI Bleeder Pouch.