Small Tiger Knapp by Blind Horse Knives...

During Practice What You Preach (PWYP) VII, in April 2008, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and spending some time with L. T. Wright and Dan Coppins of Blind Horse Knives. These men are true gentlemen and, together, they make a fine series of quality custom knives at very affordable prices.

I couldn't resist buying a matched pair of their Small Tiger Knapp Knives; one for me, the other for Care...



Here's the Specs for the Blind Horse "Small Tiger Knapp" :

∙ 100 % Made in the USA
∙ Laser/water jet cut blanks made from 4140* steel, hand finished
* 4140 is an oil-hardening alloy steel with respectable hardenability. Here's the breakdown of 4140:
Carbon .35 - .43; Magnesium .75 - 1.0; Phosphorus .035; Silicon .04; Molybendum .35; Chromium 1.10
4140 heat-treats well and machines well in the heat-treated condition. It has good strength, good wear resistance and excellent toughness.
∙ Overall length is 6"
∙ 2 1/2" sharpened edge
∙ 1" squared edge spine tip for use as a ferrocerium (FireSteel) striker
∙ Grind - Hollow (flat grind is optional, soon to be offered as the standard grind)
∙ MSRP - $20.00 USD plus shipping
∙ This Knife does not include a sheath. Sheaths are available from both Blind Horse Knives and from JRE Industries.*
* I highly recommend the JRE Industries sheath - see my "Trusted Friends" links on the left side of the page you're viewing for JRE contact info.
∙ Weight with JRE sheath is 3.2 ounces.

Here's a pic of me wearing the Small Tiger Knapp in a JRE sheath. With me is the talented "Spen" of JRE Industries...

I've been using the S.T.K. for a bit over a month now. It's been my primary utility knife around the house; handling chores such as cutting cordage, cutting or trimming cable ties, stripping wire, and cutting up the piles of boxes and plastics for weekly recycling. Performance on those chores has been first rate. Additionally, performance on making fuzzy sticks out of hardwood scraps down in my shop has been stellar. The edge has not suffered the experiences at all. With routine maintenance of stropping the edge after use and a quick wipe down with an oily rag, I've not yet had to put the knife on the SharpMaker.

Even without handle scales, the Tiger Knapp is very comfortable to use for short periods of time due to the nicely rounded and polished handle edges and most of the blade spine. The Tiger Knapping is inset into the handle and gives the user a little more bite to his/her grip as well as keeping the knife's weight to a minimum. The jury is still out on comfort level for extended use of the Tiger Knapp. The load of boxes I sent out two weeks ago was enormous, including the box from a new lawnmower and that from a new grill. By the time I got all the boxes and plastics cut, my hand was a tad crampy. I kind of suspect that discomfort would have occurred regardless of knife choice - those boxes were really tough material.

The "squared edge" spine tip makes for an absolutely wonderful FireSteel striker. Showers of hot sparks are very quickly and easily achieved with minimal effort, as the Tiger Knapp makes a very stable and capable striker.

In the camp kitchen, the Tiger Knapp shines. It makes a great paring knife for the veggies and it makes quick work of meat cutting and trimming chores. Thus far, it's handling characteristics lead me to believe that the S.T.K. would make a very serviceable field dressing knife for big game as well as an excellent choice for small game / fish / fowl processing.

In my opinion, the Tiger Knapp is an excellent choice for a neck knife, utility knife to be carried as a spare for a primary knife, patch knife for a muzzleloader or a primary knife for one interested in going ultralight. It's a great little knife that performs much bigger...

M

*Last picture added with permission from Luke Causey (LukeC)

Who gives a Toot? Whistle Tests Are In...

During PWYP VII, Care and I decided that we were going to finally take some time to test my collection of PSK sized whistles to see how they performed. After a fruitless search to borrow a decibel (db) meter, I finally broke down and bought one for the tests. I settled on a Radio Shack db meter and packed it with the whistles for the trip to North Carolina.

The tests were conducted on Chestnut Mountain, NC – out in the woods with all of the ambient noises you’d experience in the field, not in some sound chamber. The decibel meter was set up 4’ from the whistle. Each whistle was blown three times, with each reading recorded by Care. The averages are seen in the following chart. Later, we recruited Jeremy, Rebecca and Emma (the J, R and E of JRE Industries fame) to help out. We had each of them test the whistles in similar fashion and we recorded the results as before. Their averages are also displayed below.

While the tests seem to indicate a clear winner, that’s not my first hand observation. My observations are that:

1. Any whistle that was capable of routinely reaching 105 decibels (db) or better is worthy of serious consideration for everyday carry and/or inclusion in a PSK or 1st Aid Kit. Reaching/surpassing the 105db mark is going to get someone’s attention!

2. Ease of blowing to reach or exceed the level of 105db is a serious consideration. One with a lung condition such as asthma, COPD, or chronic bronchitis would be well advised to look at the whistles that have been noted as being “Very easy to blow” or “Easy to blow.”

3. Whistle construction is critical if you’re going to depend on it to survive. Look for quality construction. If you opt for a metal whistle and live in a cold climate, take precautions to cover the lip piece of the whistle with a protective sleeve of some type to prevent lip damage.

Wykeite Custom (Cylinder Type w/ stainless reed)
Adult Average: 109.6
Child Average: 110
Overall average: 109.8 db
Very easy to blow. Easy to change tone/pitch using fingers to manipulate side of valve. Excellent small size for even the smallest of kits or key ring. Expensive, but the construction is nearly bulletproof. Also available in brass and titanium construction.

Acme Thunderer (pea type)
Adult Average: 105
Child Average: 107
Overall average: 106 db
The former standard issue police whistle and the former standard by which all others were judged.

Acme Tornado (pealess)
Adult Average: 105
Child Average: 107
Overall Average: 106 db
Very easy to blow. Great size for kits or key ring.

Fox Rescue Howler (pealess)
Adult Average: 109.6
Child Average: 110
Overall Average: 109.8 db
Very thin and slim design. Excellent for fitting into a survival kit. Easy to blow.

Mini Fox 40 (pealess)
Adult Average: 112
Child Average: 116
Overall Average: 114 db
A modern classic. Used in most professional sports and, now, in law enforcement. Easy to blow and very, very loud. Becomes much smaller when you clip or file the “wings” off the bottom of the whistle.

US Gov’t Issue (pea type)
Failed: Whistle was discontinued from testing when it could not routinely break the 100 decibel mark.

ACR (pealess)
Adult Average: 109
Child Average: 111
Overall Average: 110 db
Very thin and slim design. Excellent for fitting into any size survival kit. Very easy to blow.

Bass Pro Flat Marine Safety (pealess)
Adult Average: 107.6
Child Average: 106*
Overall Average: 106.8 db
Very thin, almost wafer like and easy to fit into a kit. Produces duo cord type sound.
* Routinely overblown by children present.

Tool Logic Knife (pealess)
Adult Average: 108.6
Child Average: 109
Overall Average: 108.8 db
Easy to blow. Easily overblown without absolutely perfect lip placement.

Jet Scream (pealess)
Adult Average: 109.3
Child Average: 112
Overall Average: 110.6 db
Odd shape and size doesn’t lend itself to being included in all but a large sized kit. A bit on the hard to blow side.

Windstorm (pealess)
Adult Average: 115
Child Average: 117
Overall Average: 116 db
Odd shape and size doesn’t lend itself to being included in all but a large sized kit or attached to a strap or harness. Very, very loud. Hard to blow, requires a lot of airflow. Construction seems a bit flimsy.

Roy Gonia Lucky Dog (pea type)
Adult Average: 108.3
Child Average: 109
Overall Average: 108.6 db
Easy to blow. Construction seems a bit flimsy.

Bison Small (Cylinder Type w/ plastic reed)
Failed: Reed fell out and was lost just before the test. If you own one or more of these, pop the reed out and epoxy it back into place before relying on its performance.

Bison Large (Cylinder Type w/ plastic reed)
Failed: Reed twisted 90 degrees and could not be blown loud enough to reach the 100db mark. See notes above.

ITWNexus AeroWave Zipper Pull (pealess)
Failed: Too small to manipulate easily. Far too easy to be overblown. Routinely overblown at >91 Decibels.

A good whistle is a must have item for daily carry and for survival kit inclusion. A whistle requires a lot less effort and fewer wasted calories than screaming for help. A good whistle will carry much farther than your voice will, too. Here's a funny but true example of which I speak -

One Sunday morning, I went to Connecticut Hills Game Management Area to do some shooting. (It's the largest piece of state wilderness in NY State.) Once done shooting, I decided to test out my new stainless Wykeite whistle. I blew the heck out of it - man is it loud! As I was packing my truck back up to leave, a NYS EnCon Police Officer pulled up in her vehicle and slammed to a stop. She asked me if I'd heard the whistle, too. (She assumed someone was in distress.) I showed her the whistle and told her it was me testing it. She had been out of her vehicle a full quarter mile away as the crow flies, through heavily forested woods when she first heard the whistle! I was really impressed by the whistle's performance. She wasn't...

M

PS. A special thanks to Jeremy, Rebecca and Emma for their participation in these tests. They're a bunch of great kids that really lend new meaning to what events like these are all about! M & C

Gossman Knives FireStriker...

A while back, Scott Gossman introduced a small knife like firestriker. On request/suggestion, Scott agreed to harden the FireStriker sufficiently to also be used to strike flint.

I received and tested mine at Marty and Aggie Simon's WAR rendezous, 2006. It worked and worked pretty well. I was able to achieve huge showers of sparks from a firesteel and I was able to render good sparks from various "sparky rocks" - jasper, agate, novaculite, quartz, etc.

PWYP N encampment, 2006, we used both the Gossman FireStriker and one of my homemade file strikers to conduct a mini firemaking workshop. What an awesome time! Even in broad daylight, I was able to catch Matt's sparks from the FireStriker and sparky rock in the air...

Look at his left sleeve -


Matt caught some of those sparks in a small piece of charcloth and immediately nested the ember into a jute bundle...


As you can see, Matt was successful at blowing the ember and jute bundle into flame...


Not wanting to slight anyone, I should mention that Tim, Marcelo, and Rob were all very successful in achieving fire with flint and FireStriker - I just happened to catch Matt on digifilm for this writing. Kudos to all - I made them each achieve fire three times before they left and they all did me proud.

My personal thoughts on the FireStriker are as follows -

The knife is diminutive and is intended to be capable of being carried in the smallest of fireboxes, PSKs, or to be worn around the neck. Scott designed the knife to be used with a completely unsharpened edge, but will sharpen the edge at the specific request of the purchaser. I bought mine unsharpened and have since used it enough to feel comfortable in using it with a semi-sharp edge. You will need to make up your mind how you want yours made, but I'm recommending that you strongly consider an unsharpened version if you intend to use it with sparky rocks. Once you become proficient with the sparking technique, you can always apply an edge if it's desired. The FireStriker knife is handy enough and fun enough that I've already placed my order for a second. It's an awesome tool with an exceptionally high "cool factor." I love mine and consider it a must have camp and survival tool...

Need more info? Try here: http://www.gossmanknives.com/

M

Survival Folder - The Ritter Mini Griptilian by Benchmade

Right after Practice What You Preach (PWYP) 6, I received a Benchmade / Doug Ritter Mini-Griptilian, Model Mini-RSK Mk1™. The Mini-Grip has been my constant companion since and I thought I'd share my thoughts and impressions of it here.

There's something to be said for carrying a knife which was conceived by someone with an outdoor survival mindset and background. "It works." Add in the following components and you have one great knife for either everyday carry in an urban environment or hard use in the field...

1. Griptilian handle & mechanical design by Mel Pardue,

2. AXIS Lock design by Bill McHenry and Jason Williams,

3. Blade Design by Doug Ritter of Equipped to Survive and KnifeRights.org, and;

4. A great knifemaker like Benchmade to put it all together.

Here's the tech specs on the Mini-Grip Mini-RSK Mk1™:

Blade Material: CPM S30V hardened to 58-60 HRC

Blade Length: 2.88 in. (7.32 cm)

Blade Thickness: 0.100 in. (2.54 mm)

Blade Shape: Wide-Chord Drop Point

Blade Grind: High Flat grind with 30º inclusive edge, 6.9º bevel

Blade Edge: Plain Edge

Blade Finish: Stonewashed or also available with Black BT2

Closed Length: 3.87 in. (9.82 cm)

Open Length: 6.74 in. (17.12 cm)

Handle Thickness: 0.51 in. (1.30 cm) max

Weight: 2.68 oz. (76 g)

Handle Material: Glass-filled Noryl GTX

Liners: 410 Stainless Steel

Pivot Washers: Phosphor Bronze

Pocket Clip: Ambidextrous Reversible Removeable Stainless Steel

Lock Mechanism: Ambidextrous AXIS Lock

Opener: Ambidextrous Dual Thumb Studs

That all adds up to a knife that's easily pocketable, extremely reliable, extremely durable, comfortable to carry and to use, highly rust resistant, and easy to maintain. It throws in an awesome blade shape for general purpose uses that takes and holds an awesome edge.

I've used mine for weeks now, inclusive to use during the Memorial Day weekend at Marty and Aggie Simon's encampment at the Wilderness Learning Center. I've used the Mini-Grip at work for cutting boxes, tape, and cable ties. I've used it at home for almost every routine chore, inclusive to preparing cardboard and plastic recycleables for pickup. I've also used it at camp for cutting 550 cord, boxes, food prep, and any other knife chore I could find...

While I'm at it here, I can truly say the Mini-RSK Mk1™ cuts very easily and cleanly. Special thanks to Fernando Gonzalez (Akabu1) for assisting me with testing by patching me up after just barely touching the blade to my left index finger.

Through all of the use the Mini has seen thus far, it has not needed a complete resharpening. Routine stropping of the blade after every or every other use has kept the blade nearly light-sabre sharp. There has been absolutely no evidence of any edge chipping, and accidentally striking the blade on my polymer cutting board several times didn't even cause an edge rollover. The S30V steel seems to be hardened sufficiently to allow for awesome edge retention without being brittle. I'll try to remember to report back on ease of resharpening when it becomes necessary.

Let me say that I am thoroughly enamored with the Mini-RSK Mk1™. Whether for woods walking or trudging a city street, it's a great companion and addition to my everyday carry equipment loadout...

For what it's worth, this one is so good, I have another on order. I am not going to allow Care to swindle this one from me by batting her eyes - she's getting her own.

Need more info on this one? Check out http://www.equipped.org/ or go to http://www.aeromedix.com/ to order...

M

UPDATE: Here we are, a hair over a year later. Care not only has her own Ritter Mini Grip, she also has a pink scaled Benchmade Mini Grip.

Mine has been used hard over the course of the year, but you'd never know it to look at it. I used a Dremel tool to take the scarred black coating off the pocket clip. Other than that, there's barely a mark on it. The stonewashed S30V steel really takes a licking and stays very sharp with routine stopping. The Noryl GTX handle is still flawless - I think it would survive a nuclear attack. The AXIS lock is still working well. Occassional use of canned air to get any grit and pocket lint out of the lock keeps it nice and smooth.

Here's a pic from last hunting season...

M

Where's Waldo? Using a signal mirror to stay found...

Where's Waldo?

Waldo in this case is Mr. Terrill Hoffman, the man behind the mirror.




During PWYP VII; Terrill, Garrett (poesprogeny), and I spent some quality time together testing signaling devices - the small PSK sized mirrors are to be discussed in this post.

The plan was to send Terrill deep into the woods up the mountain via ATV, approximately 3/4 +/- mile away. He would be armed with a standard computer CD, a BCB MayDay signal mirror, a StarFlash signal mirror, a Victorinox fiber backed signal mirror from their SOS kit, a mirror fashioned from commercially available auto mirror replacement material, and the standard sized Adventure Medical Kits mirror from the Ritter Pocket Survival Pack.

Garrett and I would stay back to record the event, keeping in communication with Terrill via FRS/GMRS radio.

Long story short, The clear winner of the flash-off was the AMK signal mirror from Doug Ritter's Pocket Survival Pack. It outshined the others; with the StarFlash, BCB MayDay, and auto mirror replacement material coming in about tied for "place." The remainder were tied for "show," with the exception of the compact disk which was rated as an "also ran."

Lessons learned?

1. There's no substitute for a quality made, dedicated signal mirror. The compact disk signal was simply not quick to spot and didn't catch the eye well enough. Even with it's massive size in comparision to the 2x2" and 2x3" dedicated signal mirrors, the CD was easily outshined. Let this not go unsaid - if a CD is all you have, by all means, use it!

2. The larger the mirror, the better the signal.

3. The better the clarity of the mirror, the better the signal.

4. Buying a mirror? Buy two. One to practice with, the other to keep protected and scratch free until needed in an emergency.

5. PRACTICE! It takes a bit of practice to learn to use a signal mirror properly.

After this set of simple tests, my kit will not be without a dedicated signal mirror again. A decent mirror will signal for miles and miles under the right conditions and can be seen for a good many miles through haze. A dedicated signal mirror is an excellent investment in promoting rescue in the event of emergency...

M

Stocking My Timbuk2 Metro Bag...

Here's this Layman's Guide to Properly Stocking a Timbuk2 Metro Bag for field and EDC Carry...

1. Add a Spec-Ops knife pouch to the shoulder strap...

2. Add a set of mil spec hearing protectors to the strap D ring...

3. Add a solid fuel handwarmer to the external side pocket...

4. Stuff the large internal zipper pocket with a matched pair of Otterbox 1000's - one with a First Aid Kit, one with your PSK...




5. Stuff the remainder of the pouch with other essentials you deem appropriate...


I use the internal water bottle mesh pocket for sunscreen, insect repellant and personal meds. The pen pockets carry spare tools for my ToolLogic knife (to be reviewed seperately). The ID pocket carries, well, ID. The small zipper pouch behind that carries a spare bandana and some extra Sweet-n-Low for my coffee. The large pouch carries my MSR Ti mug with 20oz Nalgene bottle nested inside, a XL Siltarp poncho by Equinox, a spare smoke kit, TP, a flashlight or two, and a Batuca battery case. The "under the flap" pocket hides an ammo wallet, while the zipper pocket in front of it stashes a few extra bills.

So far, the Timbuk2 Metro has been a WONDERFUL addition to my field and EDC gear. It carries everything I routinely need and still has room to spare for the odds-n-ends that one finds useful.

The bag has held up nicely under EDC use, banging and sliding around the floor of my truck, and a hard trip to PWYP.

I cannot rate a product higher than this...

M

BRKT Canadian Special Knife Review

A long awaited dream came true for me, just in time for PWYP. I received my copy of the finalized production version of the BRKT Canadian Special...

The Canadian Special is 8.75" overall with a 4" by .170" A2 tool steel blade. It tips the scales at nearly 6 ounces. The handle scales shown are maroon linen micarta, but handle scale choices from BRKT are seemingly endless. The Canadian Special sports a finger grooved handle, but the grooves are shallow and do not limit gripability in the various common grip positions for sporting knives. The humped blade puts the tip of the knife right in the perfect position for crafting in the woods.

The Candian Special is supplied with BRKT's modular pouch sheath which will easily accommodate the piggyback attachment of a smaller BRKT knife sheath. The sheath will also accommodate a 3/8" diameter ferro rod or most AAA sized LED flashlights. It can be had with BRKT's newest addition to the lineup - a matching handle ferro rod. Nice touch for the obsessive compulsive matching gear freaks like me.


The Canadian Special is a cutting machine. It makes quick work of whittling chores and utility cutting tasks.  It also batoned well, making quick work of prepping a pile of kindling. The humpty back blade is a joy to work with for this task.

After being washed up and thoroughly inspected, the CS was put to work in the camp kitchen. Care and I were making a huge dutch oven full of stew and the CS was up to the task.  Even with the beating it'd been given earlier, the CS easily drew through the meat for the feast.  Using the blade like a chef's knife, veggies succumbed easily to the convexed razor edge.


Although prejudiced, I rate the BRKT Canadian Special very highly. This one really performs and the production version was worth the wait. It's a great field tool and valuable addition to my hunting, camp craft and survival gear...



M

Care's Tips to Getting Your Significant Other Involved

When I first was introduced to all of this I have to admit I was happy that SgtMike was "amused" and "entertained" by all of this. I was happy because it gave me time to read my books, do my projects or whatever else I wanted to do.Now I am a "girly girl" I like to pamper myself, paint my nails, wear make-up, and I like to have my hair neat and clean. I don't mind getting dirty, I love to garden, but I also love my baths and showers. Now don't get me wrong, I love camping, but never did the "backpacking thing", "take only the essentials" kind of camping. As some of you have seen I haven't packed light. But, I also wanted to do things with SgtMike that he enjoyed. He has had such a great time at PWYP that I decided I might give it a try. The only problem was, it was a long ways away if I decided it wasn't for me. That's when "War" came into play. "War" was my first experience, and I want to thank Marty & Aggie Simon for having such a wonderful weekend for us. I learned many things from the people there and was quite impressed. I actually had a great time. I took in a lot of things and really thought about how they came into play with me. You know what? I had fun! I met wonderful people and learned some great skills. Most importantly, I shared something with SgtMike that he really loved and was surprised at how much I really enjoyed it.I have some knives, some great gear and now some decent skills. However if I was transported to a remote area with just my BOB I have to admit first I'd panic, then I would cry and then I'd get myself together and do what I was taught. Shelter, fire, first aid and water. Prioritize. I may not have the best skills, but I am confident enough to know I'd be able to do all of this.

Now as for your significant others, if you really want them to come and enjoy themselves then lets take a look at what you can do to make their first experience a good one.

1. Let them take what they think they will need. SgtMike shook his head many times at me but always said that as long as I was happy it was ok. Keep in mind, he knew he was going to have to lug most of it. Ladies try not to take the kitchen sink.

2. Talk about the meals you will be making. You can make the stuff at home and freeze it so all you have to do is heat it at camp. Make it simple for her and make sure you help her. Ladies think of meals that you make well and practice cooking them over your grill.

3. If you want her help putting up your tent, give her a lesson at home so she has an idea of how it should go up. Ladies it's always a good idea to know how the tent goes up, if he tics you off you know which stakes to pull out to collapse it on him

4. Let her know what usually goes on at these campouts and what to expect. Ladies pay attention to this, you'll learn a lot.

5. When you get there don't leave her while you go off saying hello to all your friends, include her. Ladies don't be afraid to approach someone and strike up a conversation. Try to meet new people, too.

6. If you know they are going to have different competitions going on, let her know what they are and give her a few lessons. She won't join if she's not confident about it. (Hey she could be another "Ace-Shot Kathy!") Ladies it's all about having fun. Join in the fun, try different things. Kathy joined in the air gun competition and won...she hadn't shot before.

7. Keep in mind that you may have to sacrifice some of "your" time in order to make her time enjoyable. Ladies make an effort to meet new friends so that your guy can have some time with his friends too.

8. See if you can't come up with some competitions that the ladies could do. (If you want them to come no nasty comments!) Ladies what would you like to see made into a competition, or maybe you'd like to be a judge??

9. If you see that she's having a hard time, help her, talk to her, make her feel better. (Tell her about the first time you camped and the mistakes you made) Ladies if you're having a hard time don't pout or give the guy a hard time, make the most of it and know that you don't have to come back. At least give it a chance.

10. Above all, never embarass her or make her feel bad. Encourage her and if it doesn't work out....hey she tried, give her credit! Ladies he'll love you for trying and you'd be surprised at what you actually learn...

Care