Victorinox Swiss Army Soldier Knife Model #53945 Standard Issue

Have you ever got a hold of a knife and for some reason just couldn’t put it down?  Or if you did put it down, found yourself picking it back up for no apparent reason but to look at it again?  Well, if you haven’t, the  New Victorinox Soldier Knife  is the knife for you.  This has got to be the coolest knife I have ever got my hands on .   It was even field tested & approved by the North American Hunting Club.  Let’s check it out.

The first thing you notice when you remove the knife from the box is how comfortable it feels in your hand.  This is due to the new high-tech handle designed to minimize discomfort and maximize efficiency whether the  conditions outside are hot, extremely cold, or very wet. The handle is olive drab in color which fits the knives personality very well.

The 3 3/8″ combo serrated/fine edged locking blade is very easy to open with one hand due to the large opening in the blade.  The combo blade has a 1″ smooth edge toward the handle with a 2 1/8″ serrated edge on the tip end.  The blade easily zips through nylon/cloth webbing, rope, leather and just about anything else you may need to cut, and it does it comfortably.  An interesting note about the blade is that they stamp the year of manufacture on it.  If your knife was made in 2009 it will have a “9” stamped on it, likewise, if it was made in 2010 it will have a “10” stamped on the blade.

In the blade section of the knife are also contained the 3 1/2″ wood saw, a can opener, wire stripper, and a large flat blade bottle opener that is of a liner-lock design, making it very useful for prying.

On the back side of the knife is a decent sized Phillips screwdriver and a pretty sharp awl/reamer.  There is also a keyring attached on the end though it is a little on the small side, it would be great should you want to attach a carabiner to it.

Don’t look for toothpicks, tweezers, or corkscrews, because they’re not there, this knife was built for business and that is exactly what it’s ready for.  The Victorinox Soldier would be an awesome survival knife/tool and is perfectly capable of tackling anything you can throw at it.  As with any product that is the best of the best, Victorinox Swiss Army Knives have been the victims of some pretty good counterfeiters.  Before purchasing a new knife, visit the Original Victorinox Swiss Army Forum on counterfeit knives.  They show detail pictures of the real deal and the counterfeits and tell you what to look for.  Cisco’s Trading  is an authorized dealer for the Original Victorinox Swiss Army Knives.

Features & Specs:

• Weight of Knife  – 4.6 ounces
• Closed length – 4 3/8″
• One hand combo serrated/smooth 3 3/8″  liner-lock blade (1″ smooth/2 1/8″ serrated)
• Phillips screwdriver
• Can opener
• Small Screwdriver
• Bottle opener
• Large Liner-lock screwdriver
• Wire stripper
• Awl/reamer
• Keyring
• 3 1/2″ wood saw
• High Tech handle designed to minimize discomfort & maximize efficiency.  Stays comfortable whether the weather is hot, extremely cold, or very wet.
• Olive drab color
• Victorinox Lifetime Warranty

We check out the Kershaw Responder Knives models 1078YL & 1078.

Kershaw is by no means a new comer to the knife market, having been around since 1974 when a sales person at Gerber resigned so as to produce and market his own knives.  The rest is history, with Kershaw now being owned by Kai Cutlery Corporation of Japan with Pete Kershaw being the President of the Kershaw Knives  Division in Oregon.  Kershaw knives are manufactured in the U.S., Japan, and China with each product being  marked with its Country of manufacture.  Kershaw Knives come with a limited Lifetime Warranty and have won numerous awards throughout the years for their outstanding knives.

Kershaw is well-known for making knives for Survival, military, law enforcement, and other extreme use agencies so it is no surprise that they have a knife designed for the First Responders out there.  The Kershaw Responder comes in two models, the 1078YL Responder with a Yellow handle and the 1078  with a black handle.  It should be noted that in addition to the handle there are a few differences in the knives themselves.  Both knives are manufactured in China and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

The 1078YL features a AUS8A stainless steel fixed blade with black teflon coating and full-tang construction.  The handle is non-slip santoprene and is double injection-molded.  It has a partially serrated 3 3/4″ blade with a seatbelt/webbing cutting hook on the back.  The blade has a blunt tip and the handle has a glass breaker on it.  The overall length is 8 3/4″ and it weighs in at 4.6 ounces for the knife and 6.9 for the knife and sheath.  The sheath is made of Kydex, a very tough thermoplastic (aircraft pull-down trays) and can easily fit a 3 1/2″ belt.  The belt loop has a pivot point on one end and a thumb screw on the other so it does not have to slide onto a belt. 

The 1078  looks basically the same except for some reason it weighs in a little heavier at 5.1 ounces with the total weight of the knife and sheath being 6.2 ounces.  For some reason, the 1078 does not have the small glass breaker pin on the handle.  Since it is of full tang construction, I’m sure if you were to slam it into a window, the window would break.  The 1078 has a black teflon coated blade and a black non-slip santoprene(glass filled nylon) handle.  It has the same 3 3/4″ combo blade with a 1 1/4″ serrated section toward the handle and a 2 1/4″ fine edge toward the  blunt tip. 

Both of these knives are outstanding performers.  The combo blades had no problem cutting through a wide range of materials like seatbelts, webbing, and rope.  As with just about every knife with a gut-hook style cutter on it, we found it easier and faster to cut a seatbelt with the blade of the knife.  The gut-hook type cutters are great for ripping through things like canvas, vinyl tarps, upholstery, and leather pants, but  seem to have some difficulty getting started when it comes to webbing.  The Kershaw Responders are a quality built and durable  knife and would be a welcome addition to any First Response Tool Kit.  As with any new tool, an individual should take the time to practice using one of these knives before using it in real life situations. 

My guess is that the 1078YL is more geared toward paramedics, First Responders, and Firefighters.  The yellow handle makes it very easy to find should you drop it and the glass breaker in the handle could come in real handy.  The 1078 with the black handle is probably geared more toward the survival/tactical applications due to it being more difficult to see.  No matter what the application,  Kershaw has designed a couple of very nice Rescue/First Responder Knives that could be beneficial in a lot of situations.  This review was written by Cisco’s trading.

We take a closer look at the Gerber Hinderer Rescue #22-01534 & the Gerber Hinderer CLS #22-01870

I’ve alway’s felt the Gerber Hinderer Rescue Knife to be one of the best First Responder knives ever made, but I have also noticed another Gerber  knife (the CLS) sitting in the background just waiting to take orders.  I got a hold of the Gerber CLS (Combat Life Saver) model 22-01870 so I could compare it side by side with the Gerber Hinderer Rescue.  The Gerber Hinderer Rescue and the Gerber Hinderer CLS don’t seem a lot different when you quickly look at them,  but upon closer inspection there are a few interesting differences.   The real noticable difference is that the Rescue model has more of a Matte finished stainless steel blade with a Red handle while the CLS has a non-reflective black finished blade & black handle. 

Gerber Hinderer Rescue

Gerber Hinderer CLS

  Upon closer inspection you start to see some of the other differences that set these two knives apart.  The rescue knife has a fully serrated blade with a blunt tip while the CLS has a Combination fine/serrated blade with a pointed tip.  The blunt tips are preferable when using the knife to remove clothing and other items as it is less likely to injure someone.  The idea behind the pointed combo blade of the CLS might be due to it being more of a tactical/hunting knife that will not only be  used  for rescue operations but may see combat/survival  use as well.  The Rescue knife comes with a nifty tool kit and a heavy-duty sheath while the CLS comes without the tools and sheath and opts for a heavy-duty clip for carrying.  When it comes to dimensions, the knifes are close to identical.  The CLS weighed 5.6 ounces while the Rescue weighed 5.5 ounces.  Both were about 5 1/8″ when closed.  Both had a 3 1/2″ blade with the rescues being of a fully serrated blunt tip design while the CLS had a combo blade with a sharpened tip. The CLS blade features a 1 1/4″ serrated portion towards the handle with the remaining blade being fine.  Both of these knives are designed to be opened  and used with gloves on. 

After looking these two knives over and working with them for a while I realized that even though these knives are geared toward rescue work, they are also very much at home when it comes to survival.  The Gerber Hinderer Rescue  with its tool kit would be a great companion while on an outing.  It is capable of taking on the toughest of tasks and is a very durable knife.  The only thing that might be missed in a survival situation would be the sharp point on the blade.  This is where the Gerber CLS  really shines.  The combo fine/serrated pointed blade is a great blade for all around survival use.  The non-reflective black  blade  and the black handle keep it from being real noticable in tactical situations.  One must be careful when using this blade to cut off clothing as one slip could seriously injure a person.  The foldout seatbelt/clothing cutter is your best bet when working close to someones skin since it is designed not to cut into them.  The one thing I would add to the CLS would be a heavy duty nylon sheath as I feel the knife is a little to large for clip use and would less likely be lost if it were in a sheath. 

One very interesting point is that even though both of these knives are built to the high standards of Gerber Legendary Blades, they are manufactured in Taiwan.  This seems to have no bearing on the quality and durability of these knives and both the Gerber Hinderer Rescue and the CLS include a Lifetime Warranty.   Bottom line, you can’t go wrong with either of these knives.  If you’re a Firefighter, paramedic, or First Responder, the Gerber Rescue would probably be your best bet, but if you find yourself in tactical and survival type situations you would probably be better off with the Gerber CLS.  Visit  Cisco’s Trading  for all your rescue knife needs. 

Victorinox Swiss Army Rescue Tool Model #53900 First Responders Knife

When I got my hands on this Victorinox Swiss Army Rescue Knife I could only imagine  how much more  McGyver would have gotten done if he had one.  First off, this knife is by no means a small knife.  The knife is  about  4  3/4″  long x 3/4″ thick x 1 1/4″ high.  When opened using the large blade it is almost 8″ long.  It is also pretty heavy, with the knife alone weighing in at 6 ounces and the sheath weighing in at 1.6 ounces for a total weight of 7.6 ounces.  This knife was designed to be used with your turnout gloves on, and was such a hit when it was introduced that it won the 2007 Knife of the Year Award during the IWA & OutdoorClassics  exhibition,  the largest knife exhibition in the world.

 This knife has some very nice features on it so let’s go over them.

♦ Main Blade – 3 3/8″ long with a liner-lock. Combination serrated/smooth blade with the serrated portion located toward the blunt ended tip. It is very sharp.

♦ Screwdriver/Bottle Opener/ Wire Stripper – About 1 3/8″ long and features a liner-lock.  The flat tip is about 5/16″ wide and is strong enough to be used to pry things.

♦ Window Smasher – Used for smashing windows and breaking things this piece is removable and replaceable.

♦ Seatbelt Cutter – About 3 5/8″ long with a curved upward blunt tip.  The blade is fully serrated and is very sharp.

♦ Disc Saw – 3 1/2″ long with a blunt tip.  Used to saw through safety glass after you have punched a hole in it.  It is removable and replaceable.

♦ Phillips Screwdriver – Extends 1 1/2″ from the handle is fairly large.

♦ Tooth Pick – Decent size 2″ toothpick.

♦ Tweezers – 1 3/4″ tweezer

♦ Punch/Reamer – 1 1/2″ long and very sharp

♦ Luminescent Handles – The yellow handles actually glow in the dark.

♦Key Ring/Nylon Loop – Very handy to remove the knife from the sheath

The Sheath is bright red with yellow piping around the edges. It appears to be nylon reinforced leather  and has the Victorinox logo on the velcro closure flap.  The belt loop is very large.  It should be able to fit on a fairly thick 3 1/2″ belt and is reinforced with 2 rivets on each end.  The loop is 1 1/2″ wide.

So there you have it, quite a lot of features for a “pocket” knife.  So the question remains, is this knife really capable of helping you out in a rescue situation??  Well the answer is a definitive Yes it is.  The following link will take you to a video on the Victorinox site of this knife in action and it proves just how tuff and capable this knife really is. http://www.swissarmy.com/Flash/RescueTool_video/rescuetool_video.aspx

  First Responders have used this knife to break windows, slice seat belts, cut off ski vests & clothing,  pry open windows and doors, and the list goes on and on.  This knife would also be totally at home on a camping trip with it’s very sharp blade and  many other features.

The Victorinox Rescue Knife comes with a set of instructions which describe the basic functions of the knife as it pertains to rescue situations.  This Victorinox Rescue is a great tool for Firefighters, EMT’s, Police Officers, and any other First Responders, but it is also a great tool for just about anyone to have in there vehicle for emergency situations.  As a follow up note, this knife is quickly becoming my favorite knife of all time.  The special seatbelt cutting blade makes very quick work of slicing through a seatbelt.  The narrow blade design with the blunt tip is very easy to slide up and under the belt,  and with a quick pull away from the persons body quickly slices the belt. 

The Victorinox Swiss Army Rescue Tool is also available with a Black handle, model #54900. l

Gerber & Rite-Edge come through with two Every Day Carry Knives for Firefighters/First Responders

Firefighter’s and First Responder’s are a very proud group of individuals and they have every right to be so.  Just about all of us have at some time or another been assisted in some way by a firefighter, whether it’s to help us get the darn cat out of the tree or rescuing us from an auto accident.  They are some of the most selfless people you will ever meet.  There are a ton of different tools out there that are designed to help  these brave people and one of them is the Firefighter Rescue Knife or First Responder Knife.

We got a hold of a few of  these  Knives and put them to the test to see if they were worthy enough to be carried by  First Responder’s and were quite surprised at the results.  What we found out is that a lot of these  knives are great to have in your collection but are useless as an EDC (every day carry) knife.   We did have a couple of surprises though. 

The basic First Responder Knife is usually of a folding design with either a lock back or liner lock blade.  The blade is usually either partially smooth/serrated or totally smooth.  They also have a seatbelt cutting function and are designed so the handle can be used to break a window.  Some models even have an Oxygen tank wrench included.  There are tons of these types of knives out ther ranging anywhere from $5 to well over $100.  Out of the knives we tested, we ended up with two that we felt were worth mentioning.  The first is the Gerber Hinderer Rescue Knife model #22-41534 and the second is the Rite-Edge Firefighter Rescue Knife model #210758-FF .

Gerber Hinderer – This knife in my opinion is the best of the best.  The knife was designed by firefighter/knife designer Rick Hinderer.  The knife has an overall length of 8 1/2″ and   a  3 1/2″ stainless steel serrated edge blade.  It weighs in at only 5.6 ounces.  This knife handled everything thrown at it and never missed a beat.  http://www.ciscostrading.com/gehireknwito.html

The key features of this knife are:

♦ Built-in oxygen tank wrench  ♦ Seat Belt / Clothing Cutter  ♦   Window punch  ♦ Liner lock release  ♦  Convertible oversized thumbstud   ♦ Tool kit ♦ Sheath

Rite-Edge Firefighter Rescue:

This knife  can’t be beat for  the quality you get for your money.  The knife is 8 1/2″ opened and sports a 3 1/2″ stainless steel smooth edged blade with a liner lock.  The handle is lightweight anodized aluminum so it only weighs   4.2 ounces.   http://www.ciscostrading.com/firefirekn.html

  The key features of this knife are:

♦ Seat Belt / Clothing Cutter  ♦   Window punch ♦  Liner lock release  

This knife is an excellent EDC.  Even though it has an attached clip, it is better carried in a case due to it’s large size.  This knife came with a very sharp factory edge on it.  The knife cut through seatbelt webbing with ease.  It also had no problem slicing  the webbing lengthwise on a 24″ piece.  It was able to easily slice through nylon cord and 1/2″ abrasive resistant anchor rope.  The seatbelt cutter was able to cut a seatbelt in half 10 times in about 15 seconds and could slice through clothing with no problem.  We couldn’t find any windows to break so we did the next best thing.  We used the window punch to hammer a nail into wood.  The knife was able to do this with no problem and sustained no visible damage.  One downside to this knife is the difficulty opening it with one hand while having gloves on.  With a pair of work gloves on it could be done but it took a little practice to do.  www.ciscostrading.com

Lost at Last – NowWhat?

 

Survival means  different things to  different people.  When I think of survival it is usually related to the outdoors.  I really don’t want to be one of those people you read about in the news that went out on a few mile hike, got lost and unfortunately never made it out.  If 99% of the people who get lost are found during the first 72 hours, I need to have a plan to survive that 72 hours. 

If you talk to 10 different people you will get 12 different answers as to what you should carry in your survival kit.  Most people are pretty much in agreement on what the first 10 items should be but after that it’s a free for all. The following are items I personally like to have with me.  While reading them, think of what is most important to you.  Just remember, a microwave or coffee pot are pretty heavy things to carry around with you, so try to always think of the weight factor.

 1)  Fixed Blade Knife – I’m not going to go into detail on this as we have already done a post on Fixed Blade Survival knives.  Your kit should have a decent quality full tang fixed blade knife with a 4″ to 6″ blade stainless steel blade that weigh’s around 7 to 10 ounces. Make sure you have a sheath for it.

2)  Pocket Knife or Multi-tool – A multifunction knife like the Swiss Army knife or a Multi-tool like the Leatherman are a great asset to your kit.  These small tools with their  multifunction capabilities are extremely valuable in a survival situation.  You should make sure you have a case for it and make sure it is of decent quality.  Take the time to understand what it is capable of.  If your not sure what to use a multi-tool for  go back and watch McGyver reruns.  The smaller blades on these knives are a lot better than a fixed blade when a lot of control is needed.

3)  Signal Mirror – This is must have item.  Make sure you get one that is unbreakable and has a sighting system built in.  Don’t wait till your in a survival situation to learn to use one of these.  They are very simple to use but they do take practice.  Go down to the park and practice aiming the reflection onto something.

4)  Whistle – Trust me, After you’ve gone for 2 days with hardly any water, you are not going to be able to yell when you hear someone calling out for you.  Stay away from the multi task whistles that do everything but cook supper.  Get a whistle that is NATO, Coast Guard, or other Armed forces approved.

5)  Compass – Just about everybody says they carry a compass, but nobody seems to know how to use one to get home.  You should have a compass and a map with you whenever you adventure out and you should know how to use it.  Practice finding your car in the parking lot using a compass.  Once again, practice practice practice.

6)  Fire Starter – Even if you carry matches or a lighter every where you go, you need to have a fire starter in your kit.  Amazingly, most of the firestarters you see out there work.  A fire starter can light up to 1,000 fires, so dont hesitate to go into the backyard and practice lighting fires.  Please be carefull and don’t burn anything down.  Remember to carry some petroleum coated cotton balls as they make excellent fire starters.

8)  Flashlight – Don’t leave home without it.  Get a good flashlight that runs on AA or AAA batteries and always carry a set of spare batteries.  The adjustable  lights are wonderful for survival since you can use them in candle or high power modes.  Most lights made now even have SOS & Strobe capabilities.  It is a good idea to have a lanyard and a case for your flashlight.

9)  Emergency Blanket – These things are the greatest.  If your stranded over night and it starts to get cold, you can wrap up in one of these and you will definitely be warmer.  Get one that has a reflective side and an bright colored side.  This way it can easily be seen.  When it comes to survival, stay away from the Camo stuff unless you really don’t want to be found. 

10) Pocket Saw – These lightweight saws have improved immensely over the years.  The old braided steel ones which where prone to binding and breaking have been replaced by manual mini-chain saws.  These newer pocket saws can cut through a 3″ log in less than 10 seconds. 

11) Candle – A good quality candle can be used for a lot of things including boiling water. 

12) Metal Cup – This is a wonderful thing to have with you.  Water purification tablets are not always the safest way to treat water.  The tried & true method is to boil the water.  These cups along with a survival candle will allow you to boil water and cook things. 

13) Para Cord – Parachute cord is a very strong and durable nylon cord.  You want to make sure the cord is mil spec rated 550 with 7 strands.  The 550 means the standard test weight.  The cord has a continuous filament nylon shroud cord with 7 inner twisted nylon lines.  This cord is great for lashing and if you separate the inner lines you can use the strands for sewing or emergency repairs.

14) Bandana – This is handy for keeping your head and neck warm or for using as a sling in case you get injured.  You want to get a bright orange or red colored one so you can use it as a signaling device.  Once again, stay away from camo because no one will see you waving it.  Make sure you get the larger size which is about 27″ x 27″ and 100% cotton.

15) Sewing Kit – A couple of heavy gauge needles of different styles (curved & straight ) can be very useful for emergency repairs.  Carry some nylon thread and a few different sizes of safety pins and you’ll be good to go.

16) Braided Fishing Line – This stuff is lightweight & very strong.  Can be used for lashing, fishing, or for making repairs.  Stay away from the monofilament line since it has a memory and has a tendency to tangle.

17) First Aid Kit – You only need to carry a few items.  Some bandages, antibiotic ointment, chap stick, , tweezers, a few alcohol wipes, butterfly bandages, adhesive tape , aspirin/non aspirin pain relievers, and extra meds if you are on any special medications.

18) Fishing Gear –  A few hooks, weights, leaders can be very handy. Two each of # 6,8, & 10 baitholder hooks, a 6″ leader, 2 #16 snap swivels, 2 #14 barrel swivels, 2 size 10 snelled hooks, #7 split shot, bb split shot, & a  #3 hook for  a gaff.

19) Brass Snare Wire – 22 gauge snare wire is not only handy for making snares but also for making emergency repairs to things.

20) Water Purification tablets – Chlorine Dioxide can’t be beat for treating water.  Each tablet can safely treat 1 liter of water.  Since you should never be out hiking without water, you should always have a 1 liter water bottle with you.

So there you have it,  a list of things I like to  have with me should I ever become lost.   Try to picture yourself  getting lost on one of your favorite adventures and then write down the things that will help you survive until help arrives.  Visit are store at www.ciscostrading.com to see some of the survival items we carry.

Bring on the Sunshine – What makes a Flashlight “Super Duper”

My quest for a quality flashlight came about when I started doing a lot of off roading.  I have a knack for getting myself into trouble and a lot of times this trouble would happen when it was very dark out.  There’s nothing like trying to change a flat tire or locate a missing beverage when it’s pitch dark out.  All of us at one time or another had the bad experience of grabbing the old flashlight out of the glove box with the idea that soon we would be able to see what we were doing only to find out it didn’t work.  So what makes a good flashlight????

Batteries: A good flashlight should run on a common and easily found battery.  AA and AAA batteries are a dime a dozen anymore so they have become my preferred sizes.  With todays LED technology there is no need to carry anything larger than a 2 battery AA or AAA type flashlight. Lately, the CR123 battery has been gaining popularity, especially with the higher end lights. The CR123 is a lithium cell that is  a lighter more dense power source and  has a longer shelf life and better cold weather performance than the AA batteries. 

Weather Resistance: Weather resistance is very important in a flashlight.  Mother nature is not known to wait until we are comfortably home to unleash a torrential rain on our parade.  The last thing you need when doing something in the dark is to have your light quit because it gets moisture in it.

Durability:  Let’s face it, sooner or later your going to drop your light.  And if it breaks, end of story.  If your in a survival situation your going to be relying on the light for possibly 72 hours or more so durability is high on the list.  Durability means the light continues to work after being banged around,  dropped, or even thrown at you by the significant other for getting yourselves into the situation your in.  This not only requires a tough case but a quality bulb also.  Your flashlight should be in a case when not being used.

versatility:  This is important in a Flashlight.  Having the brightest light in the world is a wonderful feature but it will also result in your batteries running down really fast.  The ability to use a light in candle mode is great when you don’t want an abundance of light.  Some lights in the candle mode can run well over 100 hours.  Using the latest technology, lights now have adjustable settings for light output and include special features like SOS and Strobe capabilities.

Price:  Here’s where it get’s interesting.  When I first started looking at high end flashlights it seemed that the only way you could get a quality light was to spend the big bucks.  Well, I don’t have that luxury yet I still need a good quality flashlight.  If I bought the most expensive flashlight, knife, and other gear for my survival kit I would have to second mortgage the house. So price plays a big role in my choices.

After surfing all the forums on flashlights, one name seem to constantly be associated with quality at a decent price.  The name was Fenix. What??  Who on earth is Fenix??  Well it seems I wasn’t the only one out there who was dissatisfied with flashlight quality.  Evidently, there was a group of young men who had become increasingly unsatisfied with the flashlights that were on the market.  These young men organized a group of professional engineers and together founded FenixLight Limited www.fenixlight.com. A combination of ingenuity and craftmanship helped create Fenix’s legendary lights, tools that are held in high regard all over the world.  I am now waiting for my Fenix light to arrive so I can test it against my tried and true MagLights.  Let the Sunshine begin. www.ciscostrading.com

What do you mean Bigger isn’t always Better???

For some reason we have been let on from the get go to believe that “bigger is better”.  Though this may be true in a lot of circumstances, when it comes to survival knives, it just isn’t so.  We’ve all seen Rambo with the gigantic knife saving the world so the first thing we do is go out and buy a replica Rambo knife.  Now what?  Have you ever tried to cut something small with a Rambo knife??  Well guess what, it’s next to impossible. Try thinly slicing a tomato with one and you’ll understand.  If you honestly feel you need a gigantic knife, you would be better off getting a decent quality full tang machete.

Well then, what makes for a good quality survival type knife???   The answer to this question is really a matter of preference, but there are some things to keep in mind when your shopping. 

Tang:  The tang is the metal that extends into the handle.  You want to look for a knife with a “full tang”, that means the metal extends all the way to the butt of the handle.  With a full tang you are less likely to break off the handle and less likely to cause damage to the knife if you have to use it to hammer on things.  Try chopping a stick in half with a hollow handled knife and you’ll quickly learn to avoid them.

Blade length: The blade should be from 4 to 6 inches.  Less than 4 inches and you find if difficult to slice through larger objects.  A blade longer than 6 inches can be awkward and hard to control. 

Blade types:  The two most common types of blades are serrated and smooth.  You really can’t beat a serrated blade for cutting synthetics, clothing and a lot of other materials.  The only problem is they are not easily sharpened out in the field and are not able to chop and dice very well.  With a smooth blade you can always sharpen it on a rock or stone and as long as you keep a keen edge on the blade it will do just about anything asked of it.

Blade material:  Most blades are made of either stainless steel or carbon steel.  Stainless steel blades require very little care. Carbon steel blades hold an edge very well but are prone to rusting if not stored properly.  Considering that your survival knife might be stored in a survival kit and not taken out that often, stainless steel is a good choice.

Weight:  Weight is the double edged sword when it comes to survival knives.  Too much weight and the knife can become awkward to use while too little weight and the knife can become useless.  Ever try to chop a 1×2 in half with a paring knife???  When testing knives we found that the smaller blade knives needed more weight to accomplish most tasks while with the longer knives you could get away with less weight.  Chopping a 1×2 in half with anything shorter than a 4 inch blade was a very trying task.  Basically, the knives under 6 ounces had a more difficult time chopping a 1×2 in half and would usually require a little more effort when cutting.  Those over 10 ounces had no problem chopping or cutting but were much more difficult to handle because of their mass.

Handles:  When it comes down to it, handles basically become a preference of what feels good to you. Micarta handles are very tough and durable.  Micarta is a composite of fabrics  and is resistant to corrosion, acids, oil, heat, cold, moisture, compression and impact.  Textured rubberized handles are a lot more shock resistant and have a very comfortable feel to them.  Some knives don’t have a handle at all, instead they wrap nylon cord around the tang to make it a little more comfortable. In testing these knives have done well but you do have to be carefull of the nylon cord coming off the tang.  One extra benefit about the nylon cord is that you can always use it in an emergency for tying things together.  As long as the handle can survive  being dropped without breaking and is comfortable in the hand it will do just fine.

Fixed vs Folding blade:  Your main survival knife should be of fixed blade full tang design.  The last thing you want to have happen when using your knife in a  survival situation  is to have the blade fold on you.  This is not to say that folding knives are bad, as you should always carry a folding knife with you.  They are excellent for doing the smaller detailed work, but that’s another story. 

In summary, what we want in a decent survival knife is a 4 to 6 inch full tang stainless steel blade with a smooth edge and weighing in at around  6 to 10 ounces.  www.ciscostrading.com

Everything you wanted to know about Sunglass Tint but were afraid to ask.

Not to age myself, but I can remember when a pair of sunglasses came with a green tint, and nothing but a green tint.  Well to keep up with the ever changing world here is a brief breakdown on all the available tints and what their good for. www.ciscostrading.com

Tints and shades of sunglasses do not reflect  UV  blocking ability. When sunglasses and safety glasses are made, the lenses are treated with UV-absorbing chemicals to be able to block UV light. Because these chemicals are usually colorless, clear lenses can block light just as well as dark-colored lenses.

A rose tint is cosmetically appealing, soothing to the eyes, and seems to provide a degree of relief when the wearer is working in brightly lit offices. A rose tint is often recommended for computer users to help reduce eyestrain and glare.A yellow tint makes objects appear sharper against a blue or green background. Blue light bounces or scatters the most and can create a kind of glare known as “blue haze”. Yellow tints are sometimes marketed as “blue blockers” because they are fairly opaque to blue light. Yellow tints are good for overcast, hazy or foggy conditions and are a favorite of shooters, skiers and pilots. Yellow is generally NOT a good choice for any activity that depends on accurate color perception.Brown and amber tints work well in variable light conditions and provide good contrast because they filter some blue light, although not as strongly as a yellow tint. Brown lenses are good general purpose lenses and work especially well for sports where judging distance is important like tennis and golf.

Green tints filter some blue light and enhance contrast in low-light conditions. The human eye is most sensitive to green wavelengths of light so green tints offer the highest contrast and greatest visual acuity of any tint.

Grey – A grey tint provides good protection from glare and keeps distortion of colors to a minimum. Grey is sometimes referred to as a “tru-color” tint. Grey is available in a wide range of densities and is an excellent choice for general use and driving. Grey is the most popular sunglass tint.

G-15 – This sunglass tint is sometimes called the “Ray-Ban” tint. It is essentially a combination of a grey and green tint that transmits 15% (blocks 85%) of the light.

Purple is balanced color which provides natural color perception while shading the eye. Purple lenses can be a good choice for hunters.
 

Blue can be a good choice for fashion tints in lighter shades. If the lenses are intended for outdoor use, remember that blue tints can increase glare. In this case, consider using a brown or grey lens combined with a blue mirror coating.

A “gradient tint” describes a lens with a darker tint at the top, fading gradually to little or no tint at the bottom of the lens. This provides additional protection from light coming from above, without blocking too much light from straight ahead or below. Gradient sunglasses work particularly well for driving; glare coming through the windshield is blocked but the speedometer and other instruments are easy to see through the lighter bottom portion of the lens.

Double gradient tint – A “double gradient tint” describes a lens with a darker tint at the top and bottom of the lens, and a medium tint in the center of the lens. Double gradient tints are good for skiers, because glare coming from above (sun) and below (snow) is heavily blocked but a clearer viewing area is present in the middle of the lens. Mirror Lenses – A mirror coating applied to the outside of a lens helps deflect reflected light. The outside of the lens looks just like a mirror but the wearer sees only the tint. – Photochromic or transitional lenses are lenses that darken on exposure to UV rays.  When the UV rays are removed by going indoors, the lenses gradually return to a clear state. Some plastic photochromic lenses are available in unusual colors. These lenses are one color when UV light is not present but change to a totally different color when activated by UV. There are teal-blue lenses that change to green, yellow lenses that change to orange, and red lenses that change to purple.

Photochromic

Here’s a tip for people with transitional lenses that don’t seem to get as dark anymore.  Put them in the freezer and freeze them.  Then take them outside and leave them in the sunlight for a few hours.  This redistributes the chemicals in the lenses and brings the sunglasses back to life.  A big thank’s to the people at www.globalvision.us for that tip.

Sunglasses that are tougher than You???

Imagine a pair of sunglasses that are as tough as you are.  Extreme sports require extreme eye protection.  Whether were  riding Motorcycles, ATV’s, UTV’s, Shooting, Skiing, Skateboarding, Skydiving, Rollerblading , Mountain biking or just enjoying the outdoors, superior eye protection is extremely important.  We all know what happens when we abuse our sunglasses.  They get broken, scratched and really don’t do a good job of protecting our eyes.  When we think of sunglasses, the first thing we think of is the good old UV factor.  Protect the eyes from the UV rays and everything will be ok.  Unfortunately, this is not where the protection should end. 

We have a tendency to take our sight for granted.  Try walking around the house for just 10 minutes with your eyes closed and you’ll quickly realize just how much you use them.  All of us are pretty much guilty of not always protecting our eyes.  We mow the lawn, drill a few holes, grind off some metal, or head out to the outdoors, never giving any thought whether our eyes are protected.  This started my search for a sunglass that  would protect my eyes from the harsh environment, offer UV 400 protection, be of safety glass quality (ANSI Z87.1), look good, and be affordable.  After a lot of research, I put together a list of features that I felt a quality pair of glasses should have.  So, let’s take a look.

1) Polycarbonate Lenses:  Polycarbonates are part of a group of thermoplastic polymers.  They offer impact resistance, temperature resistance and high optical quality.  The windshield of the space shuttle is made of polycarbonates as are your favorite DVD’s and CD’s and bullet proof glass.  Polycarbonate lenses are thinner and lighter than traditional glass and plastic lenses.  They offer 100% Ultraviolet (UV) protection and are up to 10 times more impact-resistant than regular plastic lenses.

Regular plastic and glass lenses can shatter upon violent contact with rocks, debris, bb’s or other flying objects.  This can cause serious injuries to the eyes and face.  Polycarbonate lenses are a lot safer because there not brittle and when hit with fast moving objects they have a tendency to give instead of breaking into pieces.  In fact, in a test done with polycarbonate, glass, and plastic lenses, a bb was shot at the lenses of glasses that were on a mannequin.  The glass and plastic lenses completely shattered and impacted the eye while the polycarbonate lens did not break the lens.  Never throw objects or shoot BB’s at anyone,  there is no guarantee that a lens will never shatter.

2)  Decentered Lenses:  What???  High quality decentered optical lenses use technology that shifts the optical center of the lenses so they align with your pupils.  This results in better vision and less headaches. 

3) Aerodynamics:  The last thing you want is the wind getting under your glasses and into your eyes.  If the wind is hitting your eyes, your susceptible to small objects and dust also getting in your eyes.  Look for a wrap around lens with foam padding so it fits well on your face.

4) Scratch resistance:  Polycarbonate is tough but it can still scratch.  Make sure there is some form of anti-scratch coating on your lenses so they will last longer.

5) Flexible ends:  The ends have to be flexible.  Flexible rubber coated ends are  a lot  more comfortable than the rigid ones, especially when your in extreme conditions.

6) Warranty:  What if you end up with a pair of sunglasses that have a manufacturer defect???  Look for a warranty just in case.

7) Price:  Paying $100 for a pair of sunglasses is something a lot of us have to pass on, especially if they do nothing for our eyes but make us look good.  Quality eye protection at a reasonable price is worth looking for.

What I found in my journey was that there are sunglasses out there that are not only high quality, but are affordable and look good too.  What really surprised me is where I found these glasses.  It is a company called Global Vision www.globalvision.us .  They specialize in Motorcycle Eyewear.    What better people to understand the needs for eye protection than those who ride motorcycles. motorcyclist need 24/7 eye protection from UV rays and flying debris.  It’s not fun having something get in your eye at 65 miles an hour.  With a wrap around design and foam padding on the inside these glasses are hard to beat for aerodynamics and comfort.  Kudos to Global Vision for coming to the aid of the extreme sports people. www.ciscostrading.com