Category Archives: Product Testing

I just got used to always having a knife in my pocket. Last night I noticed that it was missing and I couldn’t find it in my car. I think it must have gotten knocked out of my pocket at the dog park.

I need a replacement pocketknife. I had a Spyderco Delica 4. It was great, and I used it all the time to open boxes, cut stuff, even cut apples. Now I feel handicapped without it. I am considering buying this knife as a replacement.

It’s the same exact knife, but with a purple handle instead of the weird tactical green, and it doesn’t have the serrations. I never really got much use from the serrations.

On the Book of Face people have recommended several other knives. I need to keep costs down (Unless some manufacturer wants to give me the knife). The other limiting factor is North Carolina law. I can legally carry an “ordinary pocketknife.” That is defined as

“small knife, designed for carrying in a pocket or purse, that has its cutting edge and point entirely enclosed by its handle, and that may not be opened by a throwing, explosive, or spring action.”

So, no automatic or “ballistic” knives. I can own them, but I can’t carry them concealed. I can carry an “ordinary pocketknife” in my pocket.

What I liked about the Delica.

• It was a good size. I could go a bit bigger, but I wouldn’t want it to be smaller
• It was easy to open one handed.
• I could pick how to carry it. I carried it in my left front pocket, with the tip upwards. I could just pull it out, flick my thumb, and start using my knife.
• It was pretty sharp

Some of the knives recommended so far

• Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn – Umm, no. It looks like a fighting knife. Probably not a good choice for my work.
• 14K Summit Series –  Looks nice, not too expensive. Can I carry this the way I want? Does the clip reverse? Doesn’t look like it.
• Svord Peasant Knife – Great price, but there is no clip. I want to clip it to my pocket.
• Benchmade Griptillian –  I hear good things about this one. Looks like the clip works the way I want.
• Delica with an Emerson Wave opener – Looks like a good upgrade from what I had.

Any other suggestions? Anyone want to send me some knives to try out?

Rings Manufacturing makes Blueguns. Wonderful blue colored cast plastic firearm mockups useful for holster makers and for safe(er) force on force training.

I bought their Springfield XD45 because my wife wanted to work on desensitizing herself to handguns. She actually brought it up all on her own.

This is what it looks like in the catalog.

There was one thing I wondered about. They had actually cast the grip safety into the mold. “That’s pretty strange,” I thought. “Does it move, like on my real XD45?”

Apparently not.

Seriously, Rings? You cast a training gun that no one could actually hold during training?

I took my brand new Rings Bluegun to the Wylie E. Coyote School of Gunsmithing and used a Dremel sander to sand it down flat.

A better view of the sanding job.

 I guess no one’s going to be hiring me to work on their firearm grips any time soon.

Other than that, I’m pleased with the Bluegun. I can practice draws in the hallway, which is nice. I taught my wife proper grip on it after I modded it. She still thinks the grip feels a bit unnatural, but she’s doing pretty well for someone who’s honestly terrified of handguns. She even has problems with cops being near her.

I’m pretty proud of her for trying so hard. Most people wouldn’t bother to face their fears.

Five days a week, 50 weeks a year, for six solid years. That’s how long it took me to break my SureFire flashlight. You have your “every day carry” flashlight, I have my work flashlight. I’m an inspector for a large insurance company. I make my living going into places and inspecting things. Dark places. Many of them in basements and crawl spaces, construction sites, and industrial locations. Some are really not what you would call “hospitable” places.

When I started this job, and coincidentally got married at the same time, my brother sent me a SureFire E2L Outdoorsman (this link is to the new, dual output version) flashlight as a wedding gift. He said I’d probably need it. He was right. It’s been my constant companion on the job since the day I started.

I’ve changed company cars 3 times, computers twice, and ran through more pens than I can possibly count, but I’m still carrying the same flashlight. I’ve dropped it so often that the strike bezel had extra crenelations. I’ve stepped on it and kicked it across the floor. And when I go into prisons and they take away my pepper spray and pocket knife, I still get to carry my flashlight. Until one day two weeks ago when I finally did something to it that it couldn’t take. 

So what did SureFire say when I told them my $130+ (at that time!)  flashlight had finally broken? They said “send it back.” Today, magically in my mail, here it is.

The tailcap and bezel are new. The light is new. The batteries are new. In fact, the only thing not new on this flashlight is the metal body and the clip. They included a free sticker too.

My next firearm related purchase will be a weapon light for my AR. I’m thinking that I should check out what SureFire has. I’ll bet that it will be tough enough to deal with my Shleprock attitude towards equipment. I was also considering getting an E1L flashlight for my wife to tuck in her purse. It’s nice to have a portable searchlight handy. And if you need something to signal passing satellites, my father has one of these monstrosities. I want one!

Thanks, SureFire. And thanks, Brian. It’s been a great wedding present.

FTC Disclaimer: I didn’t tell SureFire I was a blogger when I sent in my flashlight for warranty repair. They didn’t charge me for repairs because that’s their standard policy.

With a blog named “An NC Gun Blog,” it only made sense to have a name tag shaped like North Carolina. I did a quick Google search for “State Name Tags” and picked a place that seemed reasonable. They made me my original name tag, with the blogspot.com URL. It even has a little magnet to hold it on rather than pins. I’ve had the tag for about 18 months now.

With the move to self hosting came a new URL, and thus a new name tag. I’ve been very satisfied with my old tag, and so I didn’t see any reason to change suppliers. I dug out the old email, including the invoice number, and sent them a request for a new one with the new URL but otherwise identical. I sent the email on Sunday evening. They made and after verifying my shipping address shipped the tag on Monday. It arrived in my mailbox today, less than 72 hours after I sent in the order.

So if you’re in the market for a name tag for that next blogger get together, political event or gun club meeting, I highly recommend All American Trophy of Missoula, Montana. They have standard, custom, and state name tags in many different colors.

FCC Disclaimer: I paid my own hard-earned cash for my name tag. The price was pretty low, but it was not discounted just because I’m famous on the interwebs.

Laws are not intended to keep criminals in line. They are intended to keep the law abiding in line. They are like locks. They are just there to keep honest people honest. Perhaps the greatest discussion of how stupid the “one more law” crowd is can be seen in this video.

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