This is my current collection of knives, minus those Im in the process of selling. I hope to get some pictures up once a few return from being modified.

　

Machetes/Goloks/Wakashai’s

Rambo 4 1095 Golok 12″ 6mm

Rambo 4 1060 Golok 12″ 6mm

Swamprat Waki 17″ (SR-77)

Valiant Survival Golok Medium 14.5″

William Nease Naga 14″ (S7)

 

Cold Steel

Kukri Mini Gurka Lite 9.5″ 1095

Bushman 7″ 1095

Recon Scout 5.5″ 1080

Urban Dart

FGX Tanto 6″

Scottish Spike 3.5″

FGX Skean Dhu

Rajah 3

Mini Tuff lite?

Counter Point 4″?

Hold Out 3″

Recon 1 Tanto 4″

 

Jensen Elite Blades (D2)

PPK Warncliffe 2.5″

PPK Upswept tip 2.5″

PPK Reverse tanto 2.5″

Mini Adze 1075

Kukri 8″

Kukri 9.5″

G10 & Micarta Frequent Flyers

Beast Tanto 7″

 

Busse Knives (INFI steel)

Battle Mistess (8.5″ modified) 2007 LE 0.320

Badger Attack 2007 LE 5″ 0.270

Game Warden Fatty 0.270

 

Swamp Rat Knife Works (SR-101)

Swamp Warden 3″ Parawrap

 

Nessmuks

Karim Haddad Tharwa Valley Forge 4.25″ 5120 Birch burl

MuskratMan Mini L6 Afzelia 3.0″

Breeden mini survival tin nessy

 

Paul Fenech – Custom Knives and Sticks

Talisman Bushcraft 4.25″ 52100 4mm Masur Birch

 

Boker Vox

Rhino

Prymate

Gnome

 

Double Edged Blades

Sog Pentagon Boot Knife 4″

Boker Applegate/Fairbairn 6″ Desert

Boker Applegate/Fairbairn 4.5 Desert Storm

Kershaw Amphibian 3″

Smith HRT 3″

Richard Derespina Model 11 Karambit 3.5″ ATS-34

CRKT AG Russel Sting 1050

Cold Steel Safe Maker I 4.5″

Gerber Applegate Covert

Boker Applegate/Fairbarn 4.8″

SOG Northwest Ranger Spear Point 5″

 

Extrema Ratio (N690)

Shrapnel 4″

 

Esee

RC-5 SERE 5″

 

KaBar

Tdi Ankle 3.5″

Tdi large drop point

Becker 1095 BK 2

BK 5?

 

Spyderco (VG-10)

Spyderco Featherweight FB-101 3″

Spyderco Delica

Spyderco Pikal

Mule Team 6 CPM-S35V

 

Becker Knives (0170-6)

Becker Necker BK11 3.25″

BK&T BK2 Companion 5.25″

BK&T Tac Tool 7″

 

Gene Ingram Knives

Gene Ingram Pocket Warncliffe 2″ D2 Sea Cow

 

Gerber

Pro Scout 600 Multi Tool

Compact Sport 400 Multi Tool

Clutch Multi Tool

LMF Tactical 5″ (Original model)

Steadfast 5″

Shard

 

Leatherman

Charge Ti multi tool

 

Misc Parasite Blades/Neckers

Atwood Micro Card S30V 1.5″ x 1″ x 1/8th

Micro Tech Credit Card Titanium

CRKT Bear Claw

Boker Bud Nealy Spear Point

Fallkniven WM

Katz Caper

Branton Knives Urban Defender

Anso Pikal

Foxwell Warncliffe necker

Benchmade Tether

WT Warren Thomas Shikra Ti/G10-Warncliffe /Pikal

Tinbasher Ti- Micro Card

Tinbasher Ti- C.A.R.D Covert and Rescue Card

 

Mission Knives

Mission Knives MBK-TI 4″

Mission Knives MPK-A2 5″?

 

BK Johnson Knives (O1 Steel)

Busse Police Recruit Copy 3/16

Kiradashi 1.5″x 3 7/8th”

Kiradashi Parawrap

Altoid Tin Kiradahsi

Altoid Tin Drop Point

 

TOPS Knives (1095 steel)

Ferret

Wortac 5

Hoffman Harpoon Small

Hoffman Harpoon Mini

Alert 01

Bagdad Boxcutter Cammo

Street Scalpel

UTE XL Hunters point

Game Warden?

Pry Knife?

 

Rescue Tools

Benchmade 7 Rescue Hook

Colonial knife Company TAT Cutter

ResQme Key Ring Tool

CRKT Belt Cutter

 

Swiss Army Knives

Victorinox Swiss Army Rescue Tool

Victorinox Swiss Army Trekker

 

Cariboo Blades

ULU 8″ L6 Moose

Crook Knife L6 Yew (sml 6# hook/med grip)

 

Axes

Firestone belt axe

Lee Reeves double bit camp (Nessmuk style) 1018/1080 Cocobola

Fiskar lge 20″

Gerber Sport 14″

Gerber Paxe 9″

Gransfors Bruks Wildlife hatchet

TOPS Mini Max modified to survival axe

RMJ Forge Shrike 13″

TOPS Joe Hawk*

Emerson CQC-T?

Hibbon Double Headed

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

The Urban Survival Vest idea came about from reading Mercops Bag of Evil and I guess is, half way between a Wilderness Survival Vest having the standard survival equipment required for use in the wilderness, (but carried within a vest instead of a bag) and a Tactical Vest holding Self Defense Tools where equipment is carried overtly.

An Urban Survival Vest allows you to carry a mixture of basic survival equipment, escape and evasion equipment and SD Tools in a covert manner and always have on your person, unnoticed by politically correct sheeple. The idea is to keep chosen items as low signature as possible, meaning not only flat to avoid outlines and limit reasons for possible body searches but also low metallic as possible in structure.

As a base for the system I like to use a 511 Taclite Pro Vest in black to help avoid noticing bulges in the pockets. These vests are lightweight and can be worn in all climates, even over jackets in cold weather.

Basic first aid is handled by an AMK Tactical Field Trauma kit with Quickclot broken down, flattening it out, to stop bleeding from major wounds.

Escape and Evasion equipment includes such items as; Button Compass, Photon Micro Light, Wire Saw for cutting cable ties, Sparklite for fire starting, Widgy Pocket Prybar, several sets of Handcuff keys seperated around the pockets, Credit Card picks. Dacron bow string make great heavy duty cordage material aswell as the makings for garottes and trip wires. Having cable ties on hand along with duct tape doesnt go astray either.

Items can be deposited within the pockets or attached by adding velcro strips, elastic loops, etc. Going all non-metallic cant be avoided unless constantly going through metal detectors. Metal can have advantages in performance. Having both, means the metallic items can be discarded when necessary.

Titanium products used as spikes such as Branton Urban Defenders, Phil Rose hair sticks are lightweight for carrying and easy to conceal in seams.

Impact tools can be as basic as tactical pens, NOK SD Tools or kubatons in either aluminium or delrin. To Foster Bros Saps or blackjacks and short ASP Batons 16″. I mention the 16 inch model batons in particular, being smaller to carry and in weight, but also because of trying to carry them in pockets and not on a belt.

Batons come primarily in three sizes, 16″, 21″ and 24 or 26″ depending on the brand. I used a heavy 26 inch casco when working without a firearm. The instructor refered to it as a horse killer, very heavy. I wasnt using it for crowd control as a police unit would but to prevent being attacked while patrolling in parklands etc where public toilets attracted rapists, muggers, dealers that used syringes for their weapon of choice. I wanted something with length that would break an arm with the least amount of effort as possible. Depending on which company your under contract to will acertain whether you can carry firearms or not here and the purpose of use. Cash escorts etc are allowed firearms, doing basic patrols youll be lucky. If carrying a firearm you want something a little lighter on a belt or as Im now training in double stick fighting techniques I like the 21 inch models.

The 16 inchers arent used for causing damage but for using your brain. They can be snapped open to not only be used in conjunction with locks, holds and takedowns, but for snap shots at hands for removal of larger impact weapons such as baseball bats, steel bars. Their also small enough in the grips to use different tactics to that trained in Casco, ASP and Manadnock training courses such as concealing them up a sleeve.

Basic baton courses for security and police teach blocks and strikes to limbs and limbs only for crowd control. Advanced courses include takedowns, locks and holds adapted from martial arts. Everything that is policitally correct. What they dont teach you are dirty tactics for use against three or more armed assailants when your by yourself at three in the morning or in the event of a SHTF situation.

Tactics used overtly when wearing a uniform are quite different to those used when alone and facing off against several attackers and so are the type of human your dealing with. Their not yuppies marching for equal rights or drunks in a mob mentality but predators with totally different intentions. Exposing your means of defense early and having your opposing hand raised as a warning and shouting orders and commands wont work under these situations but do the opposite and make you look like a target.

For example placing the baton up your sleeve before they can tell what your doing and draw them in close appearing to be defenseless and dropping them hard and fast when the opportunity arises by striking a knee during a kick by using the baton as a kubaton, up under the ribs, to the back of joints etc. Essentually every where they say not to strike during a training course. Being in a work environment and a SHTF situation are two very different things. So are having a baton to accompany a firearm to access the level of violence required for defense to suit a particular situation.

Cutting tools include products made by Cold Steel and TOPS aswell as Dog Tag knives and the Emerson La Griffes, anything small and flat. The NUK from TOPS and from Cold Steel the Braveheart, Scottish Spikes make great shivs, safe makers in steel and in the FGX Nightshade series the tanto, jungle dart, Shean Dhu, Delta Dart etc.

Mercops Bag of Evil

http://www.mercop.com/docs/bag.htm

 

　

 

 

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

 

I had planned on buying both the SRK and the Ranger for a comparison between the two knives being very similar to one another. Ive been holding off for some time on buying either over little things that turned had turned me off the purchases. Not being a fan of leather sheaths, thin blades or sabre grinds unless a sabre grind has an actual use and not just cheaper to machine, being on one plane or to use on a thinner stock blade for strength.

At maybe just over a 1/2 inch difference between the lengths and the SOG having a full height grind in 0.150-5/32 stock and the SRK being sabre ground out of 0.180-3/16 stock. I think if the Ranger was 3/16th I would keep it as is but its turned out to be more a camping blade than what Id class as a survival knife. If the SRK was slightly shorter with a full height grind it would also appeal more to me. I may be getting too fussy with knives now?

I dont know if you would actually class the SRK as a survival or rescue knife. It doesnt actually have any design functions to suit the name, being a 30mm wide slab with a clip point. The ranger would suit a lightweight camping blade easy to carry all day. Both being too long for good skinners. I think Ive become accustomed to chunky blades that I trust wont snap under heavy duress. Although not the best to carry all day.

The sheath on the SOG has got to be the worst Ive ever owned. The grip slips out, partially exposing the blade, the belt loop slops about etc. The blade just seems very thin. Fine for camping but not for the intended purpose I had in mind for it. The blade being so thin, I dont have a calipre to double check but from eye doesnt seem to be 5/32. I thought it may suit making into a spear point design for a boot knife. It wouldnt loose much length and resemble the Pentagon which is now an illegal import into many states of Australia.

To get the blade I wanted, Ive actually sent off a CS Recon Scout to be shortened to a 5.5 inch version. At 5/16th with a decent width and full height grind may work out pretty well.

http://www.woodsmonkey.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=527:sog-northwest-ranger-review&catid=34:knives&Itemid=55

My name is Jim and I must admit that prior to meeting these guys who call themselves the “Survival Cadre”, I would have defined survival as making it through Christmas dinner at my ex-wife’s, and would have defined preparation as having two days worth of snacks at the house during football weekends.

I’m a computer programmer by trade and my work brought me in contact with two of the survival cadre who work for a Federal Law Enforcement Agency. I would often find myself in the fringes of conversations about guns, repelling home invasions and preparing for some sort of infrastructure failure. Got me thinking, they did.

Living in a fairly secluded cul-de-sac near the center of a large metropolitan area I soon took their advice and bought a gun. $350 dollars later I was the proud owner of my first gun, a twenty two caliber Semi-Automatic Handgun with a couple of spare magazines. A concealed carry class soon followed with practice draws and magazine changes at my house in the evenings. I live alone, not counting my rather large dog, which I am told is another step towards personal protection – a living alarm system.

I intend to write posts for this site, in a semi organized Chapter format, as I become mentored and coached towards a better prepared lifestyle with a much higher survival quotient. I think about my next steps as the “Survival Cadre” coach me in my options and possible survival situations. I’m not necessarily buying into the total Armageddon concept, but I do see their point as storms and floods degrade the South California infrastructure and make many residents dependant upon themselves, as well as the recent earthquake in Haiti depicting looting and anarchy in that country.

I have been asked to imagine large banking failures and high inflation creating another Great Depression and to determine what preparations, survival equipment and skills I may find not only handy but vital in a situation where a large section of the population is unemployed and hungry; gas supply short and lines long, and, food expensive and getting short of supply.

Follow me as I learn survival skills, procure survival gear and make plans for my survival.

Click on link to go through chapters 1 to 23

http://get-urban-survival-skills.blogspot.com/2010/01/survival-chronicles-of-jim-chapter-1.html

I started doing an article on the available fire starting systems for inclusion within a Bug Out Bag and was reminded by a mate about one sort of fire starting method I had never tried, which was a Fire Piston. Always wanted one but had never gotton around to making a purchase. Until now.

He sent me several links and suggestions. Mainly to buy a Gen 2 that has a relief valve. The Gen 1’s lack the relief valve. With 2nd Generation fire pistons, the plunger can easily be closed after use by opening the valve. When the valve is again closed, full compression is restored and the piston is locked in the closed position by vacuum, preventing its accidental loss.

I ended up following one of his recomendations and buying a Ebprimitives model Survivalist. Due to design of these pistons all of the compressed air stays ahead of the end of the compression shaft and is forced directly into the igniter giving consistantly better ignition than string wraps or o rings…..

These high compression Fire Pistons operate with a minimum of maintainance and effort. They’re constructed with hardwood bodies, brass liners, heartwood hickory shafting and have “Totally Adjustable Compression Seals“….. an EBprimitives original design. The Survivalist Fire Piston also has wells built in for lube and igniter!

At 4 3/4 inches long…. The Survivalist Fire Piston…. will fit conveniently in your shirt pocket or can be tethered…. Durable and incredibly reliable, this piston is very user friendly due to the low friction of its brass liner and its “Totally Adjustable Compression Seal”.

If operated properly you can expect this piston to fire 100% of the time.

Using the EBprimitives Compression System you can fine tune your piston, eliminating efficiency robbing friction… a real plus in the fire piston world. Aside from a little lube this system is virtually maintainance free. A lifetime quantity of seals comes with each piston which will probably never be totally used as the seals are very long wearing if properly lubricated. Each piston will be supplied with enough Black Bear Igniter to spark over 2,000 lights!

Each order will include: 1 Survivalist Fire Piston, a companion tinderbox, 2000 lights of Black Bear Igniter, cleaning rod, lube, seals, a starter supply of tinder for the tinder box, and operating instructions.

Cant wait till it arrives and I can do proper review.

http://shop.ebay.com/ebprimitives-usa/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

While researching current fire starting systems for a post relating to Bug Out Gear Options I came across Ti-Survival. They make products made from titanium featuring Fire Pistons, Kubotans, Exo Tubes, Fishing and Trip Wire Spools, Pea Lighters etc. Lots of interesting toys to look over.

http://tisurvival.com/main/

TOPS HAVE JUST RELEASED A NEW PRY KNIFE, ALTHOUGH MADE FAIRLY SHORT IN OVERALL LENGTH, THIS IS AN EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG TOOL. A FULL 3/8″ THICK … FULL TANG BLADE AND MADE OF 5160 SPRING STEEL. WITH BLACK LINEN MICARTA, PISTOL GRIP HANDLES. UPON REQUEST, TOPS

FULLFILLED A REQUIREMENT FROM A GROUP OF LEO’S….MANY OF WHOM DO ‘HIGH RISK WARRANTS”, AND ‘FUGITIVE RECOVERY’….THE REQUEST

WAS NOT FOR A ‘TEAM TOOL’, BUT FOR INDIVIDUAL CARRY… A SMALLER PRY KNIFE, TO BE CARRIED CLOSE TO THE BODY, AND WHEN IN THE

SHEATH NOT EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE FROM SOMETHING LIKE A MULTI TOOL… ITS USED TO OPEN WINDOWS, SECURE DOORS, BREAK GLASS,

OPEN CONTAINERS….AND OF COURSE ‘A TOOL OF ‘LAST RESORT’ …FOR: EMERGENCY SERVICES, SWAT, PATROL OFFICERS, SEARCH AND RESCUE,

FIREFIGHTERS, MILITARY FIELD OPS …THE SIZE TO STRENGTH RATIO IS AWESOME…

O/A Length: 8 1/8″
Blade Length: 3 1/2″
Thickness: 3/8″ +
Steel: 5160 RC 56-58

 

I stumbled across a Spyderco mule while checking out youtube vids of the new Temperance 2 model. They look like a great little adaptable blade. Especially with paracord wraps for the grips. I managed to find a Mule Team 6 ~ MT06 blank on eprey made from an improved version of CPM-S30V called CPM-S35VN and has Niobium 5% added to the powdered steel to increase toughness and reduce edge chipping.Developed by Chris Reeve (of Chris Reeve Knives), working with Dick Barber, a metallurgist at Crucible Steel (at the time).

Overall 7-5/8th 194mm

Blade 3-5/16th 84mm

Thickness 1/8th 3mm

http://muleprojects.blogspot.com/

What is the Mule Team:
For those of you unfamiliar with the Mule Team Project, it is unique to Spyderco. In-house knife samples designed and built for testing and evaluation are called Mules. A healthy percentage of knife users are interested in different blade steels and their performance abilities. Running with that, they released an ongoing Mule Team Project. Several times per year Spyderco unveil the same single-piece fixed blade patterned knife in a different and exotic blade steel. This lets steel-obsessed knife knuts test, try and use something normally not offered to the industry. Product runs are limited to 600 – 1000 pieces of each steel type depending on foundry requirements.

 

Mule Blades are leaf-shaped with a sharpened and finished PlainEdge blade but with an unfinished handle providing a do-it-yourself opportunity. The unfinished handle has a series of holes for attaching custom handle scales or for wrapping with para-cord. Each piece is sold without handle scales or a carry sheath focusing the project on the blade steel. This opens endless creative possibilities for the owner to design their own handle scale and carry options. 

This is part of a general update on old articles aswell as being part of the suggestions section for gear to bugging out. My primary BOB cookware hasnt really changed that much from the original article posted many years ago, where weight didnt matter as it was being carried within a vehicle or rollar bag. Some of the product range are no longer available from those companies and a few new products have come out.

http://www.urbanevasion.com/escape-and-evasion-techniques/62-escape-and-evasion-kit-bug-out-cooking-gear

I no longer have to shop overseas for titanium products. Sea to Summit now have a good local market in OZ for the Titanium foldable cutlery I like to use. Ive also brought several sets of Light my Fire meal kits for use in vehicles. They dont bounce around or chip like enameled cookware. The knife I now use for food prep is a Boker Vox Rhino. It doesnt slice up the cutting boards like the warncliffe designs I were using in the past.

Several new products worth mentioning for the ultralighters are the CRKT Eat/N/Tool, a combination of a spoon, fork, bottle opener, screwdriver/pry. Handy for smaller kits. Several new pots have also come onto the market made by Vargo Outdoors. The Ti-lite 900 is very similar to the MSR titan kettle being a 900ml capacity and only half the price. Diameter 4.6 inches, height 3.7 inches. It also has holes in the lid to act as a strainer.

Which pot do you choose for carrying within a BOB, between the Snow Peak Trek Combo, MSR Titan Kettle, Vargo Ti-lite 750ml, Vargo Ti-lite 900ml. Once again, it comes down to weight, size, price, personal choice etc. I still like using the Snow peak pot sets where weight isnt an issue if not carrying within a backpack and using two pots. One for cooking and the other for boiling water. For my medium sized BOB where weight is an issue Ive ended up with an MSR Titan kettle and eat straight from the pot. Not many accessories just bare bone basics in this kit.

The difference between using the Vargo and the MSR 900’s really come down to the handles on the lid. If using the holes in the lid as a strainer then the Vargo handle wont conduct heat like the MSR but if not, then the ring pull design of the MSR can be lifted with a twig or tent peg. The Vargos also have a nice rustic colouration.

If trying to find a Cup/Pot for adding to a 32oz Guyot/Nalgene wide mouth water bottle, the only size Ive found that fits is the Vargo Ti-lite 750. Diameter 95mm x height 105mm. This is the combination I use in the rear pouch of my Maxpedition Mongo Versipack. The stainless widemouth bottles can be used to boil water in Ive been told, but Id rather use a smaller container for boiling and emptying the hot water into the bottle. This saves pulling off the cap and lets the water cool down faster, by reheating from a smaller container two or three times. I also dont like drinking from the widemouth bottles but rather from a mug, so if the water is already purified with a filter system, the cup is used. The widemouth bottles however, are much easier to keep clean than narrow mouth models. Heating water from a smaller container to add to the larger also wont inadvertantly cause contamination from the water source to the storage container. It also saves in making up a holding loop out of wire for the nalgene bottles.

A couple of other points are, how you pack your BOB. Using the side pockets of a backpack for cookware and food will also dictate which size pot you’ll choose. Ive tried to place the pictures showing the hinge systems. Snow peak have the heaviest hinges, with absolutely no movement. MSR have the better designed lid that folds down for storage and when cooking will push over into a locked upright position. Snow Peak make their products so the two pots and a cup all fit within one another.

In the last few years Ive sold about two thirds of my knife collection. Ive been meaning to do an update of what Ive got left and post up some pics, which will still take up about 10 seperate posts to fit in all the pictures (possibly more actually). Some of what I still have, tend to double up on similar models. Now unless I have a particular use for something I dont bother to buy anymore unless something really interesting appears or I find I have a gap in my intended uses. I’ll always find a gap somewhere. Ha Ha, or want to learn about a steel or design I havent used before.

Two knives I have similar blades too, but havent been able to part with due to either not getting my money back or just liking them too much are the Cold Steel Recon Scout and the Esee Sere. So I thought Id try out some ideas, Ive had for a while.

The first is why Esee/Rat always used 3/16th steel stock until designing their Sere version in 1/4 inch. The longer blades can be used all day without tiring out, but lack weight for chopping and have to rely on leverage. The Sere is just plain heavy with a sabre grind. The sabre grind being neccessary where battoning is applied. My idea here is to lift the grind, removing the sabre to a full height V grind and placing in a flat clip point, relieving some weight behind the handle slabs and removing the glass breaker to the very rear of the grip and maybe rounding off the edges of the grips. Just to see what an Esee would feel like using 1/4 inch bar stock with a full height grind.

The second idea which Ive emailed to Cold Steel to see if their interested in seeing the finished pics is to modify the Recon Scout. Recieved a reply within a day saying to send them in when completed. The idea is to see if a 5 inch Recon Scout can be made up to compete with the Becker and Sere blades. Due to the long clip point will be starting to cut it at 5.5 inches, there wont be as much weight out front as the other two models. Even though the Recon is 5/16th thick it still seems lighter than shorter blades due to the full height grind. It should look exactly like a production blade in a shorter length when completed.

I got this idea from a vid by nutnfancy about a Cold Steel SRK being a battle ready blade, just as I made up my mind to buy a Sog Northwest Hunter with the same idea in mind. Then thought Id want something chunky for prying but light in weight for fighting. Hence the short Recon.

Thirdly Im still not happy with my Valiant Survival golok. After removing the convex grind to a full height V grind hoping to get rid of the harmonics, its still a little heavy in the hand with no weight in the grip due to the rat tail tang. Will be cutting it back to a 12 inch blade.

The forth project involves a custom made job. Must have been watching Sword of Eli too many times. William Nease from Unsubtle Blades in Ontario Canada is making me up a short sword similar to the Naga Solid in his line up but out of 1/4 inch stock with a sabre grind, using A Mod steel, which has been described to me as half way between D2 and S7 shock steel in strength. 14 inch blade and a 9 inch grip for balance with a cord wrapped grip and turks head knot for a hand guard. Something that is carriable and can be used in training methods of both waki’s and goloks. The longer grip being better for defense against a baseball bat or large impact weapon for double handed use and better balance when moving the hand along the grip for extra leverage.

http://www.unsubtleblades.com/