Gear Porn and The End of the US Dollar

*Speak of the Devil: A few posts back I mentioned AWD motorcycles...and now a Japanese company called Tretta has marketed an AWD bicycle!  I really, really like the idea, and I find the design intriguing, but here's the rub: I like my mountain bike and don't want to replace it with an inferior bicycle that happens to have AWD.  I think someone should go with this design technology and develop and market a portable, front-wheel-drive add-on for regular bicycles.  That would allow people to customize their existing rides.  Maybe we will see more innovation in the future.

*Leatherman has released the new RAPTOR, a tool for medics that is built around a pair of EMT shears.  Being a fan of EMT shears, I am hugely excited by this new tool and plan to purchase one.

 

 

The shears themselves are composed of 420HC stainless steel and can have their tension adjusted to suit a user's needs. Additionally, the Raptor contains a strap cutter, oxygen tank wrench, 5 cm ruler, ring cutter, and carbide-tip glass breaker – almost anything a emergency responder might need to free someone so they can be taken to safety. The handles are made of a glass-filled nylon, which can stand up to hot and cold conditions and provide a firm grip when wet with water or blood.

The Raptor can fold almost in half into a more compact position with all the tools other than the medical shears themselves still easily accessible. It also comes with a molded sheath that holds the multi-tool whether it's open or folded and can be rotated and locked in place at a user's side, depending on their needs. The shears also have an optional pocket clip and lanyard for those who prefer to not use the sheath.

Leatherman plans to begin shipping the Raptor worldwide in spring of 2013 with a suggested retail price of US$70.00.

*Ooh, this is a neat one: A startup is selling a line of titanium stash tubes called Ti2 Sentinels.  Pricing varies from $25 to $200. Available in small, medium, and large versions with differing interior diameters, these titanium tubes are completely waterproof and corrosion resistant, can easily be hooked to rings, clips, or lanyards, and offer a three-piece design to ensure you can get everything out of them when the time comes. Great for caching survival tools, cash, valuables and medicine, or for EDC.

I foresee that a person could bury one if needed.  I hope we see these widely advertised in the future.

*China Launching Gold Backed Global Currency  Read this and weep, fellow Americans.  It may be alarmist hype(I don't know), but the truth is that China has been arranging deals with its trade partners whereby the US dollar is circumvented, and this bodes ill for our economic future.  As goes the status of the almighty US dollar, so goes the US economy.  My advice: Do wise things with your US dollars while they still have purchasing power.

Cyber Monday

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I went to the indoor range yesterday and blew off 50 birdshot rounds, 10 buckshot rounds and 15 slugs.  Breech-loaded most of them, and realized I need to practice racking rounds more.  I have trained myself to automatically thumb the safety on after every round I fire!  Talk about muscle memory.  Got home and all 3 new accouterments - the stock, the heat shield and the mag extender, were loose.  Damn near shook the gun apart!  Live and learn.  Gonna have to keep an eye on all of them in the future.

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Knives.  I have an interest in them.  I'm always looking for the knife that feels right for me, and I'm rarely finding it.  Below are 3 knives that I bought, and my amateur opinions on them (I apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos).

Scorpion Knives Overt Talon Range knife (Top) and the Scorpion Knives Parry Blade (Bottom).

Here is the description of the Parry Blade (aka The Mel Parry Brute Combat Survival Blade) as lifted from the Scorpion Knives web page:

"The knife is strong and heavy, with a blade 9 inches long made from ¼ inch thick X46Cr13 420 stainless steel. The main cutting edge is bevel-ground for strength, whilst the deep belly shape takes the weight forward, in the manner of a Khukri, giving the knife a powerful chopping stroke. The point looks clipped in shape but is ground to provide a spear point that accentuates its use for prying/levering and digging. Also near the choil is a hollow-ground section which is honed to razor sharpness for fine cutting and whittling, ideal for making fire sticks. The serrated edge on the spine of the blade provides for a sawing action capable of cutting rope, webbing or gristle. The knife is of a full tang construction, with black linen micarta screwed to the tang providing for ease of replacement, resulting from either wear, damage or the choice of an alternative grip to be fitted.

Also in order to extend the survival attributes of the knife it has been found that by wrapping paracord around the handle, this provides some 2m of cord for use in either a survival situation or correspondingly as a means of restraint for when the role is reversed to one of combat."

 
This is an expensive blade, over US$300 if I remember correctly.  I have not used it, I have merely hefted it, examined it and wondered at it.  It is a good-looking knife!  By all accounts, it is supposed to be the be-all and end-all of survival knives.  But I don't believe that, and here's why:

The canvas sheath is inadequate.  While well-constructed for what it is, it is big, shapeless and boxy.  It lacks precision and doesn't do the quality or price of the knife any justice.  And the sharpening rod does not fit adequately in its pocket.  

The knife itself is well made, on the heavy side, and BIG.  It feels like a small machete.  It lends itself to chopping motions.  The handle is VERY thick, so thick that small or medium-size hands will have trouble gripping it.  Forget about wrapping paracord around the handle - that is not remotely feasible.  The hammer-edge at the back of the grip?  It's nice, and allows you to really swing the blade around.  But the metal side pieces appear to be glued on or otherwise attached, and what part of the knife would you hold to hammer with -- the blade???  This knife is clearly a labor of love, but for the life of me I cannot imagine using it for anything other than splitting wood or chopping wood or chopping at zombie arms...and I'd rather use a hatchet for all of those things.

After owning this knife for some time, my conclusion is that knives this large have no real-world application.  PERHAPS an expert woodsman or soldier could survive with a knife of this sort, if it was the only tool he had...but he would have to have very large, strong hands, and I don't see how this knife can adequately whittle or carve wood, chop carrots, gut and skin an animal, or even cut rope for that matter.  Basically, I don't see how it can do any of the precise things that knives are normally used for...ie: any of the things that a $12 Mora knife can do, and do well.

There you have it.  I will attempt to sell this intriguing blade at a discount, online, in the not-too-distant future.

Below we have the Talon, also made by Sheffield-based Scorpion knives.  I really liked the look of this blade on the website, and drooled over it for 2 years before recently taking the plunge and buying it.  Here is a description of the "Overt" school of knives produced by Scorpion:

"The Overt range of knives - Talon, Interceptor, Pathfinder, Aviator and Snipe - has been created with intimate knowledge of what is required in the field of combat.

Scorpion Knives has undertaken the design of this range of knives in partnership with ex US Marine Corp Veteran Bob Beasley. These extremely effective knives are based on a selection of some of the more popular and functional designs currently used in military fields of operation around the world.

All the blades are 5" (12.7 cm) long and are made from 0.2" (5mm) x46Cr13 – 420HC stainless steel hardened to RC 57-58. These knives will hold an edge well but can be easily sharpened in the field – a must for military operations.

The full tang construction of each knife has an overall length of 10.75" (27.5 cm) and exquisite polished Linen Micarta scales form the handle that is contoured with finger grips. Linen Micarta not only looks great but is one of the most ergonomic of materials and ideal for use over extended periods. The lanyard end also incorporates a glass/Perspex breaker."

My amateur analysis of this knife:

It looked slimmer and smaller in the photos, and I fancied it to be a "dirk".  However, upon receiving it I was immediately struck by its size, and particularly the size of its handle.  The handle is very large, ungainly even, and looks and feels too large for the blade.  And yet the blade itself is also too big, even for combat (IMHO).  I also worried about that very sharp, pointed tip getting broken or dulled or smashed.

That said, the knife is well crafted.  It just seems "off" in its design.

Unlike the Parry sheath, this sheath felt like it fit the knife.  It was the right size.  BUT, the knife did not fit into it fluidly.  The last half inch was a wrestling match, every time, and the blade absolutely refused to slide in the last few millimeters, leaving it slightly out of skew.

I admired this knife, but it didn't feel like anything I'd ever use.  It felt very strange in my hand.  So, I returned it.

These two knives are most interesting, and clearly hand made with love and talent, and I'm sure that they are right for the right people.  They are simply too big for my comfort level.

Below we have the Boker M3 Trench knife, which I am very, very happy with.  Here is a description lifted off the internet:

"Designed in 1943, the M3 Trench Knife was intended to be used by any U.S. soldier during World War II who was not equipped with a bayonet - soldiers with pistols, submachine guns, light and heavy machine guns, etc. The first troops to receive the M3's were the Airborne, Mountain Ranger and Glider infantry units. Among the nine manufacturers who produced the M3 during wartime was H. Boker & Co., with a total of 31,300 pieces, which was the smallest quantity. For the 65th anniversary, Boker Plus is reintroducing this classic piece of combat cutlery, along with a reproduction metal U.S. M8A1 scabbard. The black coated blade is made of high carbon SK-5 steel and features the original H. Boker & Co. blade tang. The handle is made of stacked leather pieces. To ensure the quality of the M3, each knife features a laser engraved serial number. Blade length: 6 3/4". Overall length: 11 3/4". Weight: 8.4 oz. Made in China."

This knife can be had for less than $70, which makes it a bargain (IMHO).  Here is why I like it:

It is a proven combat knife, very similar to the KA-BAR but with a dagger blade.  It is easy to hold and wield, and the stacked leather grip fits well in the palm of my hand.  Despite its almost terrifyingly long bade, it is a surprisingly slim, lightweight knife.  The blackened carbon steel blade is VERY sharp.  It feels dagger-like and is clearly capable of delivering death with a single thrust.  The metal sheath is substantial, and has a drainage hole in the bottom, as well as a leg-tie.  I removed the web-belt wire hook at the top and replaced it with a cord hanger.  Yes, this is a trench knife, but it will also effectively cut cord and rope, and whittle wood.  It will make a good truck box/BOB knife.  And if the shit ever hits the fan, rest assured it will be as important to me as my Mossberg.  Bummer it's made in China!

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Saturday

*Gonna go fire some birdshot tomorrow.  At the indoor range.  Got an itchy trigger finger.

*Scored an antique hand crank tool grinder at the Flea today.  Came home, used it to put a piss-poor edge on a railroad spike, then took it apart, cleaned it up, and determined that it has some...issues.  Irreparable issues.  But it got me thinking.  They still make these handy little machines, for less than a C-note.  I'm gonna buy me one and use it to put sharp edges on dull metal.  I try not to use power machines if I don't have to, just don't like them.

*Sometimes the cat is just TOO warm and TOO fluffy, but I can't turn her down and I can't kick her out from under the covers, so I just have to bear with it.  Things could be worse.

*That's it, just a short entry tonight.  Time to go to sleep.

Ugh

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Well, shoot, I didn't mean to re-format/design this blog, but I hit the wrong button and there was no going back.  I have to fine-tune a couple of things but it seems OK for the time-being.

But Black Friday doesn't care!  Black Friday just roars on.

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A Small Miracle

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This post isn't about me getting laid.  When that small miracle occurs, rest assured I will describe the event in excruciating, stomach-churning detail.  No, what I am about to say is infinitely more interesting.  You might wanna empty your bowels before you read any further, so that the shock of the following paragraph doesn't cause you to fill your pants.  Think I'm joking?  Hey - don't say I didn't warn you.

Back in the early-mid 80s, when I was a budding camper/survivalist, I purchased a high-tech waterproof flashlight at a store in Palo Alto.  I remember that the battery was special - it was lithium, and it was supposed to last 10 years(!).  Let's say I bought that Tekna Splashlight in 1985.  Well, that flashlight never felt quite right to actually use, so in the decades since it has spent years at a time hidden in various bugout containers, and to this day I have never actually used it.  But every few years I pull it out and turn it on...and it still works, as the photo below attests!  The battery is...let's do the arithmetic here...probably 27+ years old, and still functioning.  That is rather astonishing.  Most batteries begin to leak acid after a few short years, and actually destroy the plastic casing of the flashlight in doing so.  That's it.  That's my exciting story.  You may now fill your pants, if you haven't already vacated yourself.

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Tomorrow I may take a file to the false edge of my East German AK-47 bayonet, and attempt to give it a real, double-sided edge.  I run the risk of utterly destroying the blade, but then again the thing is built like a tank and can only spread peanut butter at the present time, so I don't have much to lose.  It's not like I'm going to diminish its razor edge.

The photo below shows the false edge, which can't cut paper.  Yes, this...tool, for want of a better word...would function as a bayonet...but you would have to jam it into your victim, the way you would jam a nail or a pen or a railroad spike or anything else that does not have an actual sharp knife edge.

This next photo shows the other side of the blade, which has precisely no edge whatsoever!  This is the side that I will file down.  The key will be in angling the new edge consistently.

Don't get me wrong - I absolutely adore my AK-47 bayo.  Like the AK-47 it is meant to augment, it is designed to last a hundred years, even if buried in the mud and never maintained.  I don't refer to it as a knife, but rather as a tool, because while it can't presently cut anything, it can spread peanut butter, dig, open letters, punch holes in flesh, pry nails, cut wire...and replace a tent stake.  It appeals to the creative side of me.  You can't bust it, no matter what you use it for.  But if you did bust it, you wouldn't care anyhow, because it's no work of art.  Just think of it this way: THIS BAYONET DOES NOT EVER NEED TO BE SHARPENED.  BECAUSE IT CAN'T BE SHARPENED.  IT HAS NO EDGE.

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After less than a week, my lock picking skills have increased dramatically.  I figured something out.  When using the tension lever, there is no tension, the "tension zone", and full tension.  Full tension locks the pins in place.  What you want to do is hold the lever in the tension zone, and gently move it back and forth, taking care not to bridge the boundary to no tension or full tension.  When you learn to do this correctly, locks that otherwise seemed virtually impossible to open, open in a matter of seconds.  The reason being that the gentle motion in the tension zone allows the pins to slide right into place...and stay.

But also, my sense of touch has increased dramatically.  I am using new parts of my brain.  It causes me to think differently, and to visualize the interior of the lock.  Pretty cool.

Lock picking is a fun hobby.  And the motto for us hobbyists is: "Only pick locks that you own".  For obvious legal reasons...but also because it damages the locks.

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Beautiful weather today.  Absolutely heavenly.  Spent the afternoon in the shed, sorting tools and materials, figuring out some crafty and inexpensive Christmas presents.  The cat stalked and almost caught a bird, but the bird merrily flew away.  I went on two separate bike rides around town.  No traffic.  Ahhhhhh.  Happy Thanksgiving!

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Two-Wheel Drive Motorcycles

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Rokon seems to have been the only maker of two-wheel drive bikes in the US of A - or anywhere - for as long as I can remember.  I've never driven one and rarely seen one, but they hold a certain mystique as being durable and unique All American machines.  As far as I can tell, they aren't like regular motorcycles.  Their engines put out a scant 7 HP, they have low-geared automatic transmissions, they don't have suspensions, they have hollow wheels which can float the bike when empty or be filled with water or fuel, they have very high clearance, and of course they have power to their rear AND front wheels.  They look like real ball-busters.  Perhaps the coolest thing about them is that they actually function more like tractors than motorcycles, and they can be outfitted with a plethora of attachments to turn them into farm/work vehicles.  Accessories include a game rack, a side car, a PTO with pump or generator, saddlebags, farm implements and front suspension.  If I had the money to outfit a Bug Out retreat, I'd furnish it with a few dirt bikes for transportation, and at least one Rokon for work.

Enter Christini Technologies, which is now producing state-of-the-art two-wheel drive dirt bikes.  You've got to see them to believe them.  Unlike the Rokons with their ungainly front wheel chain drive, the Christini's front drive is hidden within the frame and front forks.  They are decidedly hi-tech, 2-stroke bikes.  Check out their website!

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Do you ever miss the good old days, when the Cold War was in full swing and the threat of nuclear war was ever-present and the Russkies were scaring the piss out of us with their bat shit antics in the Sandbox?  Sometimes I do.  It wasn't a fun time to live in, but it has become brighter in retrospect.  I remember honest-to-God REAL survival magazines like Soldier of Fortune and Survive, and t-shirts that said Big Mac Attack and Nuke Em Til They Glow Then Shoot Em In The Dark.  Back then you could buy Uzis and real AR-15s and high-capacity pistols in California, and full-auto parts kits at gun shows.  But the world has changed.  TEOTWAWKI took a sharp turn and become The Slow Slide.  Survivalism, my Friends, has gone mainstream.

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Tuesday Hippie Farm News

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Hi!  Holy fuck, work really knocked the piss out of me this afternoon.  I got hit with a ton of work and sank under it like hot shit in cold water.  Oh man.  Thank God the day ended.  Now I'm at home on the couchola - picking locks, researching chain mail supplies and breech-loading snap caps for fun.  Was gonna watch Paper Moon, but left the effin DVD at work....

So I found a new gear site that is kind of like County Comm but better.  Less merchandise, but a better selection of unique BOB/EDC high-end micro-gear.  It's called VigilantGear.  Also, located zipper pull-concealed handcuff keys HERE.  And, I went online looking for lock pick sets and found a bunch of picking gear that I won't even post links too...some things just shouldn't be legal in the hands of civilians.  Really, the peeps selling this stuff online are fucking the rest of society over.

The kitteh kitteh is looking beautiful these days, glowing and reminding me of a wedge of German chocolate cake with a wet nose every time I look at her.  She likes it when her Poppa sits with her on the couch.  Last night she was a little fireball, kept my legs hot all night long.  When she cleans herself under the covers, her whiskers and fur tickle like mad.  It's ridiculous, it's like sleeping with a hot, heavy, feathered potato.

Season III of The Walking Dead really rocks hard - they finally eased up on the drama and got more story/action in the works.  It is hard core!  Dang.  There really isn't any letup any more, it's just run, fight, kill, on and on.  Me likey.

Me, I'm lucky.  Got a good job to work at, a blessed cottage to live in, the most beautiful kitty cat in the world, the best sister ever, a great bicycle, and my dream M590A1.  I live in California, and you can say what you want about it, but it is in many ways one of the freest places anywhere, ever.  It lies at the far edge of World culture and civilization.  Go any farther West and you get wet.  Can't wait to live up North one day, deep in the mountains.

Of course, everything is not perfect in Egypt - I also have a fucking bladder infection that has required 2 separate fingers up my ass and 3 rounds of antibiotics to date.  Ever had a 35-year old Asian woman stick her finger up your ass?  One word: Mortification.  "What did you feel?"  "A BURNING SENSATION!"

Ordered 3 rain barrels the other day, got a good deal.  Gonna daisy-chain them together under a single spout, probably raise them a foot or so and attach a hose for the lawn.

The current fantasy is an AimPro Tactical 185.  Still waiting to get pricing from the website, they don't list any.

Well, it's another boring post from another boring Hippie Survivalist.  Yeah, this ain't the best blog in the world, I know.  But it gets around!  God, shotguns, gear porn, the lovely kitteh, prophecies.  Once in awhile I even have something worth saying.  Hey, Happy Turkey Day!

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My Baby

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Yes, Sir - that's my baby in the photos below.  I've owned a Mossberg 590A1 Mariner for many years now, and the only regret I have is fucking its finish up.  It is a hell of a weapon - extremely fun, intimidating, heavy-duty and effective.  This shotgun comes stock with 5+1 capacity, a weatherproof Marinecote finish, an 18.5-inch heavy wall barrel, an aluminum trigger assembly, an aluminum safety, a metal magazine cap, a brass bead sight, and lightweight plastic furniture.  It is a heavy weapon, much heavier than a Mossberg 500.  The weight does not bother me, though - I figure it just reduces the recoil and muzzle jump that much more.

In the photo below, the modifications I have made are, from muzzle to stock (L - R): a fiber optic sight, a Vang Comp +1 magazine tube extender, an AimPro Parkerized heat shield, a Hogue foregrip, a bright red magazine tube follower (not visible), a 5-shell ammo sleeve, and a 13" LOP Hogue stock.  I do not have a sling attached at this time, but the swivel studs are in place.

This photo (below) shows the Grateful Dead sticker on the receiver :-), and the open action.

IMHO the fiber optic sight, magazine extender, red magazine follower, and ammo sleeve are must-haves.  The Hogue furniture is VERY nice and grippy, but not essential.  The heat shield is cool as hell but a bit of a gimmick - my shotgun doesn't have a bayonet lug.

All of the modifications shown above are recent additions, with the exception of the fiber optic sight, which I've had - and used - for years.

I have shot skeet with this gun on 3 occasions (before the above-mentioned additions) and it was incredibly fun and satisfying each time.  The gun had considerably less kick than a longer-barreled skeet gun, weighed less, was much easier to shoulder and maneuver, and was very effective at hitting the first clay pigeon...but not so good at hitting the second clay pigeon.  The shot pattern simply opened up too wide too fast to effectively dust the pigeon at range.  A hit on the second pigeon usually consisted of a pellet or two striking it, and it breaking into two pieces.

I recently learned how to breech-load, and it is now one of my favorite hobbies.  I use snap caps at home, but have range experience, too.  Even tried breech-loading at skeet!  Fun as hell.

I know people that excel at the pistol, or are into optics and long-distance shooting, and that's fine.  I'm happy for them.  But it takes all kinds to make the world go around.  Me, I love my short-range 590A1 riot gun.  I have an affinity for it.  It's my CQB End-of-the-World weapon. Now I just gotta see how much survival kit I can pack into the stock...

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Bat Cat - Part the Second

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Alfred tossed me out of the mansion again last night, after he caught me licking the frosting off of Robin’s birthday cake.  The stodgy old crumb.  Never one to let the dramatics of an old buffoon get me down, I hoofed it thru the rain to Gotham’s Gaslight District.  There I threw dice and drank with my furry brothers in the back alleys.

I quit while I was even, then Batphoned Cat Woman.  We met for lattes at Cafe Vampirica, made small talk and smoked a Gitane.  Then she slipped me inside her purse, bought a single ticket to the late show at the Red Brick Theatre across the street, and smuggled me in.  I sat on her lap while we watched The 39 Steps from the balcony.  Her hands were warm and she rubbed my tummy.  In no time at all I was purring like a V12 on the autobahn.

However, nothing is as it seems with that beguiling seductress, and soon she was pressing me for details of the “Wayne family fortune”.  When I played coy and merely meowed in reply, she grew perturbed, and hissed at me.  I gave her knee a hot bite, and we yowled at each other until the usher booted us out of the theatre.  Outside in the alley, she lifted my tail and gave me a sound spanking.  I stole a quick kiss, pawed her tights once, and skedaddled with a snarl.  Her laughter followed me for blocks.  Outwitted again - that woman knows how to play me like a stringed instrument.

It was half-past-two when I slogged back to the mansion.  The cat door was locked (Alfred - of course).  I slipped into the basement thru the drainage tunnel, fluffed myself up, and curled up on the still-warm hood of the Batmobile.  My Batphone buzzed.  It was a text, from Cat Woman.  “Next week, my Kitteh?  Purr Purr.”  I texted back, “Same Bat Place, same Bat Time.”

That woman: Impossible, impetuous, bewitching, unknowable.  In a word: Purrfect.  She always was the one for me.

I slept.

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