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Review: Vosteed Mini Acorn

By on December 18, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Reviews

I am big fan of the Vosteed Acorn. It is one of their most affordable but also most ergonomic knives. I also happen to be a big fan of little knives so I have been itching to try the Mini Acorn.

Specs

Blade Length:2.46″ | 62.60 mm

Overall Length:6.01″ | 152.70 mm

Blade Width:1.16″ | 29.50 mm

Blade Thickness:0.118″ | 3.00 mm

Blade Material:14C28N

Handle Length:3.55″ | 90.1 mm

Handle Width:1.20″ | 30.5 mm

Handle Thickness:0.472″ | 12.00 mm

Weight: 2.72 oz | 77.00 g

The above consists of just the most relevant specs. Visit Vosteed.com to see the full specs.

Observations from Use

The Vosteed Acorn Mini is not mini in the same sense that something like the Raccoon Mini is. It is a smaller version of the Acorn but not necessarily a very small knife. It will fit the 5th pocket of most jeans but this design favors hand-filling ergonomics over small size… And ergonomics is something it has in spades.

The handles that Vosteed designed for the Acorn series are contoured, hand-filling, and they offer a variety of ways to grip the knife when coupled with the generous choil. This is a smaller knife that can do full-size work. Using these knives reminds me a lot of knives like the Spyderco Shaman or Manix where the overall size and shape of the handle and choil combo are so perfectly dialed, but the Acorn series costs a lot less.

Like the larger Acorn, the Mini Acorn is a great cutter. Vosteed went with a no-nonsense, all-around blade shape with a tall flat grind and thin edge geometry that slices well. My particular review sample also came with a surprisingly well-polished edge that was very refined from the factory. I am used to Vosteed knives being sharp, but this was a little extra.

The clip is the same shorter clip that Vosteed has been using on other smaller knives, and that is a good thing. In my experience, Vosteed has some of the best-designed clips. They are easy to use, have great retention, and aren’t a snag-hazard like some clips.

Not that looks are everything but I do want to point out that I think the Acorn series knives look great. Vosteed offers several handle treatments with various pops of color incorporated into the design that make these knives look great.

Nothing is perfect and so I should point out that my Mini Acorn came to me just a little bit gritty and with a less crisp detent than I have come to expect. I disassembled and cleaned it a bit. It has greatly improved but still isn’t quite as crisp as most of what I see from Vosteed. Understand that this is a high bar. This knife is still better tuned for front flipping than most others.

Wrap Up

Vosteed’s Acorn series goes hard on value. This new Mini version offers big style, big ergonomics, and big cutting performance at a mini size and price. If you need a sub 2.5″ folder for your specific locality but want something that fills the hand like a full-size knife, this is it.

The price on the Acorn series is already a very competitive value but watch out for sales when Vosteed really rolls out attractive pricing on these.

Check out the Vosteed Mini Acorn at Amazon.com

Learn Together: Meshtastic Part 3 – Is Meshtastic Even Worth Considering?

By on December 13, 2024 in Meshtastic

I wasn’t planning on writing this article as Part 3 in our Meshtastic series, but a handful of questions came across my desk recently that I thought were insightful enough to wrestle with. These questions made me think a bit more about why I am interested in Meshtastic as a preparedness communication option for myself and why I think it is worth considering as at least part of any communications plan.

Many of the questions boiled down to something like, “Why would I consider this when ham or FRS or GRMS or whatever other radio technology exists?” That’s fair and rather than answer directly, I’ll just share the strengths of Meshtastic that have driven me to experiment with it:

  1. The devices that drive Meshtastic have very low power requirements and are easy to keep powered even when grid power is not an option. This is not necessarily true of all radio technologies.
  2. Meshtastic has fewer barriers to entry than many other radio options. The devices that populate the mesh tend to be affordable, costing as little as $40ish. It is also license-free which is a big deal for some users.
  3. Meshtastic offers native encryption. It is relatively private out-of-box and can be made even more private with some settings changes. There will be more on this later.
  4. Meshtastic feels, to me, a little more consumer-ready. Everyone sends text messages so, in my experience, family members easily pick it up.

Another concern that was raised is that Meshtastic requires the use of a secondary device like a cellphone. I think this concern has to do with two potential misunderstandings that the cell network is required or that the cellphone itself is always required as a front end.

The cell phone, when paired with a node, acts as the front end or user interface (UI) to make text entry and receiving easier. Meshtastic is not leveraging the cellular network to send texts unless the user gets into more advanced MQTT functionality. I think most people try to keep their cell phone powered in an emergency so this doesn’t seem like too onerous of a requirement if you choose a device that is not stand-alone.

That said, a cell phone isn’t even truly required as there are Meshtastic nodes that are stand-alone, allowing users to send and receive messages directly on the node. The options for stand-alone nodes and their UI are growing and I see this as a direction the market needs to go to see larger adoption of Meshtastic.

Finally, I had one person say they disregarded Meshtastic because the node maps that are available online do not show any nodes in their area. My answer to that would be two-fold.

First, it is important to understand that those maps only show nodes that report their location in a very specific way that the VAST majority of users do not do. The maps show only 1 node within 100 miles of my area and yet I have been able to ping more than 80 nodes. So, do not let the online node maps dissuade you from giving this a try as they do not represent the actual state of the mesh on the ground.

Second, your plan for Meshtastic may not need to include the larger mesh. This technology is very well suited to smaller, local groups – think small groups like neighbors, hunting parties, or similar. In fact, I think this is one of the best use cases for Meshtastic and it can be extremely practical and affordable to do with devices like the SenseCap T1000-E which I am currently working with for review so stay tuned.

I actually think the Sensecap T1000-E is an ideal place to start for most people. You can pick one up on Amazon cheaply. The antenna is well tuned and it will provide similar range to nodes with detachable antennas. If you decide to go all in, you won’t regret having it. Again, we will dive more deeply into this device later but for a node that just lets you see who is on the mesh in your area, it is hard to beat.

I appreciate your feedback and I suspect there may be more posts like this as I drag you all along while I learn Meshtastic.

Review: Kizer Hare

By on December 9, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Outdoor Gear

The Kizer Hare is a stout new fixed blade from Kizer that splits the difference between EDC and outdoors. It might also represent an exciting new direction for Kizer fixed blade offerings – the introduction of stainless steel options.

Specs

  • Overall Length: 7.00″ / 177.7 mm
  • Designer: Azo
  • Blade Style: clip point
  • Blade Length: 3.14 “/ 79.70 mm
  • Blade Thickness:0.157 “/4.0mm
  • Blade Material: Nitro V
  • Handle Length: 3.86 “/ 98.0mm
  • Handle Material: Micarta + G10
  • Weight: 4.22 oz/119.5g
  • Hardness: 59-60

See full specs at KizerKnives.com

Observations from Use

I want to start this review with a shout to the Hare’s designer. This is yet another knife design by Azo who is responsible for designs like the Drop Bear, Begleiter, Towser K, and more. His utilitarian yet stylish designs are a huge part of Kizer’s success.

The Hare has everything you want from a knife that can do it all from EDC to outdoors. The blade is an all-around useful drop point shape with a stout tip. The blade stock is not too thick and not too thin at 5/32” thick. The tall flat grind ensures the cutting geometry is on point. The handle is generous with room for all four fingers. The Nitro-V steel takes a fine edge is quite tough and stainless.

Speaking of Nitro-V steel… If you follow Kizer at all, you’ll know that they generally only use D2 steel for their fixed-blade knives and very occasionally 3V. Neither of those are stainless steel. The Hare is one of their first fixed blades to be offered in stainless steel and I am glad to see it. I hope that this is a new direction for them that continues with future releases.

The way various parts of this knife are finished is very unique. For instance, the spine is crowned for comfort but there is a short section left sharp for scraping a ferro rod. This scraping section is located between areas of jimping (one near the scales, one near the tip), making it feel very intentionally integrated into the design. The butt of the knife also features a slightly exposed section of steel that can be used for hammering. Other niceties include a dual finish on the blade (rubbed on the flats and stonewashed on the primary grind), a machined texture on the excellent canvas micarta scales, and contrasting color handle spacers. The details are incredible.

If there is one area that lets this knife down just a little, it’s the sheath. It isn’t that the sheath is poorly made. That isn’t it all. The sheath is real, heat-formed kydex and quite well made. It is just that a nice compact knife like this would have been better served with a more compact taco-style sheath in my opinion. The included sheath is well made and ready to carry out of the box thanks to an included compact Tek-lok-like belt attachment.

Wrap Up

The Kizer Hare offers incredible value and very thoughtful features. The finishes are well beyond what you would expect from a knife in this price range. It seems like every decision on the design and materials of this knife was made to maximize the all-around usefulness of it.

Learn more at the Kizer Store on Amazon.com.

Review: Kizer Exist

By on December 4, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Reviews

I initially wanted to try the Kizer Exist because I was looking for a wharncliffe style blade to add to my rotation. I expected it to be good – it is a Kizer with their Clutch lock after all. The clever design touches that designer Nick Serrano baked into it took me off guard. Now, I hope this knife takes off for Kizer because I would like to see them introduce a ton of variants as they have with the Drop Bear, Militaw, and others. I think it’s that good.

Specs

  • Model: Exist
  • Overall Length: 6.79″ / 172.4mm
  • Designer: Nick Serrano
  • Opener: Thumb Stud
  • Blade Style: Drop Point
  • Blade Length: 2.78 “/ 70.70mm
  • Blade Thickness: 0.11″/2.8mm
  • Blade Material: 154CM
  • Handle Length: 4.00″/ 101.7mm
  • Pocket Clip: Reversible
  • Weight:3.36 oz/95.3g
  • Lock Type: Clutch Lock

Observations from Use

I mentioned some clever design touches that took me off guard earlier related to two things. First, is the blade shape. When I checked the listing initially, I assumed it was a wharncliffe blade. I didn’t notice that Kizer calls this a drop point and now I see why they do. It actually has edge belly, not much but it does, which makes this kind of a hybrid blade shape.

Is it a wharncliffe with some belly or a drop point with a very, very low point? Well… I don’t exactly know but I like it and it works. There is a little bit of belly which improves slicing performance and the kind of acute, splinter-picking tip you expect from a wharncliffe. It’s a blade shape that does a lot of EDC tasks very well.

The second thing that took me by surprise was how the overall shape of the knife would play into the function of the knife. You may be familiar with offset/bent blade designs like traditional Shilin Cutters or a more modern example like the Ka-Bar TDI. The idea is they change the way we interact with the point by lowering it to make it easier to access with a neutral wrist position. The Kizer Exist gives you a similar feeling to those with its curved back that carries from the tip of the blade all the way to the butt of the knife. This makes the tip present in a very natural way that is easy to access without the additional bulk in the folded position that true offset designs suffer from. It’s very clever and I like it a lot.

Apart from the unique aspects of the design, the knife is everything you expect from a Clutch lock Kizer and that is a good thing. I think Kizer does crossbar locks better than just about anyone. The action is great. The lock-up is great. The ability to easily adjust the tension on the lock is still tops.

If I could change one thing, I would make the handle scales just a bit more rounded. As it is, the scales have very square edges. The Drop Bear, for instance, has similar construction – aluminum scales over steel liners – but it feels more compliant in the hand thanks to more rounded contours. I don’t think the Exist is uncomfortable to hold by any stretch but it is a little squarish in hand. It’s a comfortable handle that seems like it could be even more comfortable.

Wrap Up

This is a unique knife that I hope gets the attention it deserves. I don’t hear a lot of talk about this knife and I hate it when something this good gets lost in the shuffle. This hard-working EDC is easy to love once you put it to work.

You can learn more at Kizer.com or buy at the official Kizer store on Amazon.com.

Vosteed Knives Gift Guide

By on November 21, 2024 in EDC, Knives, Reviews

You’ve probably noticed that I have reviewed a lot of Vosteed knives over the last couple of years. I have been provided several for review, purchased several, and I have given them as gifts. I like them. So, when Vosteed asked me if I would consider writing a gift guide, I agreed.

I am not being paid for this but some of the links below may be affiliate links which means I receive a small commission from sales (there is no additional cost to you).

I intend to break this down into categories and highlight one knife per category. That knife will be what I consider to be the pick of the litter in Vosteed’s line and in some cases, the best in category regardless of brand. I should also point out that all of these are knives that I have owned personally.

Budget Pick – Acorn

The Vosteed Acorn retails at $49 but is frequently on sale for less. What I like about it as the budget pick is that it large enough and has the style to make an impression as a gift. It is also VERY ergonomic so the gift receiver is likely to immediately connect with it.

This is the kind of knife that will resonate with knife guys or knife newbs equally. It’s easy to carry, it performs, and looks like a million bucks while doing it.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Acorn.

Fifth Pocket Pick – Raccoon Cub

The Raccoon Cub could very well be the Budget Pick as well as it is priced similarly to the Acorn. Not only is it the best “Fifth Pocket” knife on the market in my opinion, it’s also one of the most affordable.

The Raccoon Cub works as a gift because almost anyone can carry it regardless of their jurisdiction or work setting. It’s a small knife that feels big in the hand. It fits a wide variety of hand sizes despite its compact size thanks to some ergonomic design wizardry.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Raccoon Cub.

Fixed Blade Pick – Mink

Vosteed doesn’t have a ton of fixed-blade options but the Mink, is another that is best in class in my opinion. It is small enough to carry but large enough to be useful for a variety of tasks. If the gift recipient wants to carry it for EDC, they can. If they need a new knife for the outdoors, they can use it for that too.

The Mink comes with a very high quality sheath that will ensure the gift recipient can use it right away.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Mink.

The Easiest Pick – Raccoon

The Raccoon, the full size predecessor the previously mentioned Raccoon Mini, is the kind of knife that anyone can use and everyone will like. This is probably their best known knife for good reason. It is Vosteed’s do-all, EDC model. It ticks all the boxes – pocket friendly, stylish, all-around useful, and tons of variations that can tailored to the recipient.

The Raccoon is available with a number of different locks but I would choose either the crossbar lock (Vosteed does these very well) or the top liner lock which is currently my favorite lock.

If you want to give a knife but aren’t sure which one, the Raccoon is a solid choice.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Raccoon.

The Most Impressive Pick – Psyop

When you absolutely, positively need to wow someone with a high-end Vosteed… Psyop is the answer. This knife is stylish and premium in a way that newbs and knife guys will recognize immediately. It’s a large impressive knife that snaps open in a refined way and slams shut with a satisfying “thunk”.

It isn’t inexpensive but it is a great value for the kinds of premium features being delivered – titanium scales and machined pocket clip, Elmax steel blade with a striking and useful shape, a design collaboration, and overall size and shape that impresses. It has gravity as a gift that nothing else on this list can quite keep up with.

Click to learn more about the Vosteed Psyop.

Wrap Up

Vosteed is already offering sales on their website and Amazon including their Black Friday deals. This is a great time to start checking prices for Christmas gifts.

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