There is hope and redemption in Africa

When I think about who I am or who I have been in the past, I don't like it.  Who I am hates who I have been. 

One reason why I am so concerned about African development is because I love Africa, I love the people in Africa.  When you live there for two years that will happen to anyone who has a bit of a heart.  I want to help and enable people who cannot help themselves.  That can bring them hope and change.  Real hope, for a better future for them and their children.  Change, that improves their lives and improves their government, and their nation. 

But perhaps in my adventure and my work to bring hope to them, I can bring some hope and redemption to my own life.  Maybe I will still dislike who I was in the past but there can be hope for my future. 

I am looking for redemption in helping others.  Maybe that makes me a selfish ass.  That probably depends on the lens through which you view the world. 

Go to China, Teach English?

I graduate from university next year. 

I don't know what I want to do with my life.  I applied for internships and jobs but I haven't heard anything back yet, other than rejection. 

I am considering going to China to teach English.  I am not the best at English, I don't know the rules that well, I only know how to speak it. 

Maybe I should go teach English over there.  It would probably be a great experience. 

Review of the Leatherman Style PS: Retain Self Sufficency When Flying

Last week I finally got my hands on a Leatherman Style PS.  I am really excited for it. 

This is Leatherman's attempt to make a TSA compliant pocket or key chain tool.  I think they did a very good job at this.

It consists of a spring loaded pliers along with a wire cutter.  Honestly I would probably never use the wire cutter.  This is a light duty multi-tool.

The file doubles as a flat-head screwdriver.  The tweezers is decent.  The scissors is a nice little scissors.  I have no complaints about it.  The carabiner  that attaches the tool to your keys is also a bottle opener or cap lifter.  I tested it on Saturday, it worked, but it didn't work great.  If this is all you have then it will do the job but there are better tools. 

I didn't have any problems taking it through the security at the airport.  I decided to keep it on my keys and leave it in my jacket pocket when it went through the x-ray machine.  I figured that if they had a problem with it then I would address the fact that it has no blade and meets their regulations.  But you never know with TSA they can make whatever rules they want on the spot.   

Leatherman notes that on their website that they had problems with security at two airports.  One in South Africa and one in Southern China.  I will keep carrying mine while I fly and as part of my EDC. 

If you have another multi-tool then you should use it, but if you are flying and this is all you have its pretty darn good.  I would recommend it to people who fly often, especially if they want to retain a little bit of self sufficiency.  

New knife thoughts

I have the itch for a new knife. 

Benchmade Mini Griptilian- I bought one of these back in 2007 and I carried it almost exclusively until I went to South Africa in 2008.  It is a great little knife.  I have nothing but praise to give it.  But my Dad started using mine while I was gone and now it is his.

Kershaw Skyline- I always hear good things about this knife.  Nutnfancy and a lot of other Youtube reviewers really like it for a nice, light EDC blade.  I like the flipper design.

Kershaw Thermite- I really like knives that are designed based on Rick Hinderer ideas.  The Thermite is a $35 Hinderer design which really appeals to me as a good looking, tough EDC blade. 

Kershaw Knockout- Crocket20 really digs this knife, I held it once and I also really like it.  It just hasn't excited me enough to pick one up yet. 

Spyderco Stretch ZDP-189-  I love Spyderco blades and the Stretch is no exception, it just looks good.  Plus I want to try out ZDP-189.

Spyderco Caly series (3 or 3.5) - I love the leaf style blade and wire clip.  These knives just look awesome and I am sure they would fit into my system very well.

Emerson CQC-7- I have always thought that Emerson blades look cool.  I really like the idea of the wave opener.  It just looks like a tough, no nonsense blade that I can do anything with. 

Zero Tolerance 0566- I cannot wait until this knife comes out in the United States.  I owned a Zero Tolerance 0561 and I recently sold it just because I didn't carry it enough.  This one is smaller and I think it will be more useful. 

Selling my possesions to go to Africa

What if I sold my guns, sold my bike, sold my knives, extra back packs, and maybe even my car and I went to Africa and traveled.  I could have a once in a lifetime experience. 

I thought about this and wrote it all down in my Moleskine journal. 

The most expensive part would be the plane ticket and a car if I rented one.  After that, food and and lodging wouldn't be that expensive, would it?

Benchmade 940 Osborne: EDC Beauty

I am a Spyderco enthusiast.  But my first quality knife was a Benchmade Mini Griptilian.  I still own Benchmade knives but Spyderco has supplanted their dominance in my collection.

That said the Benchmade 940 Osborne is a beautiful and 100% capable EDC blade.

Looks-  The 940 is a classic looking blade.  It is slim and it is beautifully proportioned.  The green scales and purple titanium back spacer looks great.  If you buy this knife I think the satin finished blade is the way to go.  In my opinion it looks the best with the green and purple.  The green aluminum handles will wear, get chips in them and look AWESOME!  I like character in a knife and as you use this knife over time it will only look more cool.  

Ergonomics- The handle is thin and fits very well in hand.  There is almost no traction from jimping or the scales but I consider this to be more of a gentlemen EDC blade and that is fine, in this intended purpose.  The pocket clip is the same great Benchmade design that is on so many of their knives.  When you put this knife in your pocket it stays there.  The reverse tanto blade is incredibly functional especially for EDC tasks.

While the blade is functional I do prefer a little more belly in my knives.  One reason why I like the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 so much is the almost constant belly.  But the tip is far stronger than many other blades this size. I prefer the Spydie Hole opening method, but the Benchmade thumb studs are some of the best I have seen. 

Durability-S30V steel is a great knife steel, it retains a good edge, has good rust resistance.  At least I have never had a problem with rust on any of my S30V blades.  It is a bit harder to sharpen and get it back to where it was before you used it. 

Value- This knife is a little more expensive.  That is the name of the game.  It is a US produced knife made out of quality materials.  Aluminum, titanium, and S30V.  None of these are super cheap.  Well the aluminum might be but the S30V is an expensive, premium steel.  You are getting a quality blade for what I think is a fair price although it is higher than other knives in this size.

Rating-For daily and Gentleman's EDC I give this knife a 9/10

Inital Impressions of the Tom Bihn Aeronaut

My Tom Bihn Aeronaut arrived today, and I am very impressed.  The Navy blue with Wasabi interior looks really nice.

I never thought that I would be so impressed with a zipper but these are very nice and they are just about as water proof as a zipper can get.

The nylon that Tom Bihn uses is thick, tough and it feels like it will stand up to a lifetime of travel use.  The guys in the shipping department even drew a South African flag on the box.  That was a nice touch. 

I also bought a medium sized travel stuff sack.  It seems very nice and it will be nice to try as well.

 

I am really looking forward to taking this on a trip, it makes me a little sad that the next time that I will be flying is in December.  

The Best EDC Knife that exists is the...

Spyderco Delica 4

I have carried my Spyderco Delica 4 on two continents.  I had it in the United States,and Africa.  I carried it all over South Africa and Lesotho.  It has been my go-to knife since 2008. 

Ergonomics- I would say that I have medium sized hands and the way that the handle of the Delica curves fits my hand perfectly.  The scales are made of FRN or fiber reinforced nylon and they have what Spyderco call, bidirectional texturing.  Through my experiences I have found that this texturing is fantastic, even when your hands are wet from water or sweat.  They are also durable.  Five years of use does show a little bit but the functionality of the scales is exactly the same. 

If there is one thing that I can trust Spyderco it is proper jimping on their knives.  The thumb ramp and jimping is sharp and well executed.  Your thumb will not slide forward on the Delica. 



The Delica has the standard Spyderco pocket clip which I like a lot.  It is not deep carry but I have never had to worry about my knife falling out of my pocket.  The clip holds the knife very securely. 

I love the Spyderco thumb hole opening.  I do have a few knives with thumb studs but those knives always take second place to my Spydie hole knives.  One reason why I like the Spydie hole so much is because of an incident that happened while I was in Africa.  I was at a house late at night on the edge of a town.  Going to this area always made me nervous and this night was no exception.  I always carried my Spyderco Delica in my right hand pocket and at night my Surefire L1 was in my left hand.  Both were ready for use.  As a friend and I knocked on the door of the house we were supposed to visit, we heard dogs barking across a field.  These were feral dogs.  It is interesting how your mind works when the fight or flight response hits.  My mind tends to slow things way down and then I think through what I want to do.  It feels like it takes a long time, but in all actuality it probably only takes a fraction of a second.  The first words out of my mouth were, "Oh Shit!."  I don't remember taking my Delica out but grasped it firmly and without thinking the blade was opened because of the Spydie hole.  Under all that stress I didn't even have to think about getting the blade open.  Luckily I did not need the knife because the second I lit up the dogs with my flashlight they turned and ran. 

Durability-VG-10 steel is one of my favorites.  It holds a very sharp edge for a good amount of time and then it resharpens back relatively easily.  I have also found it to be very rust resistant.  My Delica is the model with the Saber Grind.  I have no problems with it but if I would buy a Delica today I would probably buy one with the Full Flat Grind.  I just prefer that more now. 

Value-   I don't remember what I paid for my Delica back in 2008.   But BladeHQ sells the Delica for $65.57 and Cutleryshoppe.com sells the Delica 4 with a full flat ground bade for $58.80 I probably will buy another Delica soon.  I want to carry the one that I carried in Africa less, I really don't want to lose it.  I am considering buying the Spyderco Salt 1 to replace it. 

Rating-I give the Delica a 10/10 as an EDC blade.  In my experience it will do anything that you can ask of a knife (within reason) It is a folding blade and cannot be torqued or cranked on like a fixed blade. 




I also carried a Tasmin Salt in Africa.  Here it is.

The Tom Bihn Aeronaut is on its way!

I recently got really interested in different kinds of bags and backpacks and ultralight traveling.  I mentioned this recently in another post. 

I am tired of taking a checked bag when I fly so I decided to pony up the dough and buy the Tom Bihn Aeronaut.  It is expensive.  But after reading reviews and watching videos of how people pack it and travel with it, I decided that I would spend the money and invest in a new bag.  I am really looking forward to using and reviewing this bag.

Stay Tuned for pictures when it gets here next week!

Update Tuesday September 24th

The Aeronaut is on the big brown truck of happiness right now.  It should be here this afternoon.  

Spyderco Endura 4 (FFG) First Post

I bought the Spyderco Endura 4 with the FFG blade.

  

I haven't done a whole lot with it yet, but a review is coming.  

Backpacks, The Real Shoebox of Daily Life

Lately I have been on a back pack kick.  I really like bags for carrying around my EDC items. 

Like I have mentioned before I lived in South Africa for two years and since then I have become very interested in packing light and then traveling.  I really like this blog, it got me really into the whole idea of traveling light.  Travel With Less

Right now the bag that I really want is the Tom Bihn Synapse 25.  I hope that I can buy one really soon.  If/when I buy this bag I will review it here. 

I really want to go back to Africa, also a few back pack ramblings

I lived in South Africa for two years.  I miss it.  I usually miss Africa at night, right now it is 2 A.M. and I miss Africa. 

Earlier today I looked up the price of plane tickets to South Africa, they were not cheap, but I do know that I can save up money and I can make this happen.  I am also looking at ways to lighten the load while I travel.  I really want to get into ultra-light traveling but then I would not be able to carry a knife when I travel.  I have carried a pocket knife since I had a paper route when I was 13 years.  The prospect of not carrying a knife isn't a very happy one.  I feel naked without a pocket knife. 

This blog really got me thinking about traveling the world light.

How to Travel with Less Stuff

It really is cool what the author can fit into a 19 liter bag for six months of traveling.  If he can do it for six months then I could do it for two weeks in South Africa.  At least I think I could. 

In addition to my longing for Africa I am really into backpacks right now.  I recently bought the Osprey Quantam.  I really like it so far, although I haven't taken it on any hikes yet.  I did take it on a cross country road trip and it did just fine.  So far I like it but I really need more time to try it and use it. 

I also seriously like this bag, Tom Bihn Synapse 25.  Although I have a few back packs, for example I kept my Kelty Redtail, which was my EDC bag for the last five years.  I really want the Synapse 25. 

Esse Laser Strike Review

Purpose of the Esee Laser Strike- I have been using the Esse Laser Strike (ELS) since the middle of May.  Just about every week I have gone out and made a fire.  I used the ELS to split pieces of wood to get to the dry inside.  I used it to split wood to make it smaller, for use at the begging of the fire.  I shaved the insides of the split wood to make varying sizes of kindling.

I bought the ELS to bring hiking, and camping. It has a five inch blade that I feel is just right for carrying in a back pack.  If you are car camping or don't mind the weight, then bring a small hatchet or a big knife like the Ontario RTAK II or the Buck Hoodlum.   

Like I said above, I used my for fire prep, I also cut down a small dead tree.  Because it does not have a lot of mass it took a bit of time, but you can do it.

Ergonomics-  I have relatively small hands.  The micarta scales fit my hand very nicely.  The finger choil is placed perfectly and it is very natural to use, in fact I always use it.  The sheath is made out of kydex and very sturdy.  I like sharp jimping on knives, sadly the ELS has jimping but it is not sharp at all and useless.  But the shape of the handles and the finger choil mitigate the poor jimping.

Durability- The ELS blade is made out of 1095 steel.  I like the 1095 steel that Esee uses on their knives.  I have found that it holds an edge very well and it sharpens relatively easy as well.  That said I did put two chips into my blade.  One at the very back of the blade where I hit a staple in the wood that I was splitting.  The other tiny chips are near where the belly of the knife starts.  I think those came from when I was splitting wood and the knife went all the way through the wood and into the ground. 

The micarta grips are darker than when I bought the knife, but I am using it so it makes sense they would get dirty and darken up.  You can wash them if that bothers you. 

The ELS has a black powder coat over the steel because 1095 steel does rust more easily.  When you use the knife hard like I have been the friction from the wood will rub the powder coat off the knife.  That is okay by me.  I think it gives the knife character.  But watch out for rust. 

Value- I bought mine from Blade HQ for $120.  On every order of more than $99 you get free shipping, and I bought some other stuff on the same order.  I know you can find it for cheaper, but then you usually have to pay shipping.  In any case I really like Blade HQ.  If you ever get the chance go to Lehi, Utah and pay them a visit.  They are really nice people, they give great service and have a large selection on knives and other outdoor gear. 

Rating- I give the Esee Laser Strike an 9/10. 

Here is the link to Blade HQ  ESEE Laser Stike from Blade HQ

Umbrella?

Okay so, my girlfriend loves umbrella's.  She hates walking in the rain and she hates being stuck in the sun.  So she uses an umbrella.  Now in the past I had a tendency to poke fun at her for this. 

That was until I saw this video on YouTube.  These look like the most awesome umbrella's ever and I want one.  If I buy one I will post a review.  I will for sure buy one for my girlfriend. 

A plug for Knife Thursday

I love knives.  Ever since my first Swiss Army knife I have loved knives. 

Knives have become an expensive hobby for me.  I just bought my most expensive knife yet.  The Zero Tolerance 0561. 

I think most people that find my blog enjoy knives as well.  If that is the case then Knife Thursday is for you. 

Knife Thursday is a blog/website where people who love knives get together every Thursday and share their pictures and stories.  Usually once a month the staff does a knife giveaway, that you enter by doing something knife related and using your post as an entry. 

You should check it out:Knife Thursday

Summer Carry Guns

I have carried a Glock 22 (that is a .40 S&W) the Smith and Wesson 637-2 (.38 special) and a Walther PPQ (9mm) as my carry handguns.  The Glock 22 was just fine to carry in the winter but it is just too big to carry in the summer time, just because clothing is tighter and you cannot wear the same kind of cover clothing. 

The Smith and Wesson 637 was a fantastic summer carry gun.  I carry it in a Desantis Nemesis pocket holster.  Pocket carry was great, and perfectly safe because I didn't put anything else in that pocket. One thing that I really liked is that if the need arose I could put my hand right on my gun in my pocket and be ready to go.  ( This did happen once where I did have to put my hand on the gun in my pocket).

The Walther PPQ is a great mix of the two guns.  I can carry 15 rounds of +P 9mm in a IWB holster and conceal it underneath a t-shirt.  It is still too big under some circumstances.  I feel that it makes a good mix between a winter and summer carry gun. 



The trigger on the PPQ is a fantastic trigger, it was even better than the trigger of a Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 that I just shot.  That 1911 trigger seemed like it had more creep than my PPQ and it was less predictable. 

Now that I said all of that, I still want the Springfield XDS 9mm.  I would be able to conceal that, even better underneath just a t-shirt.  8 rounds of 9mm is a big step up from 5 rounds of .38 special.  Plus it would be way faster to reload, compared to the Smith 637. 

Cautious Paranoia

I am a firm believer in practicing cautious paranoia.  I heard this term from Jared Diamond.  You may know him as the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, and The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn From Traditional Societies.  I highly recommend both of those books.  

Jared Diamond started his academic career as an ornithologist in Papua New Guinea.  He had experiences there that gave him the idea for the term cautious paranoia.  He had experiences in New Guinea where if he had practiced cautious paranoia things may have gone differently.

In the first story he was with ten New Guineans.  He was bird watching and doing research and the New Guineans were his guides and porters.  It had been raining all day long and all of them were very tired.  Jared went to sleep in his tent for the night and during the middle of the night he saw someone out side of his tent, he didn't think much about it because he was so tired and he thought it was one of the New Guineans that was in his group.  But there were foot prints outside of his tent and none of his party had been around his tent at night.  The New Guineans freaked out!  Someone had entered their camp in the middle of the night and there was a witch doctor in the area that was known for killing people.  If Jared had practiced cautious paranoia he would have shouted out to his companions and the man would have run away.  Jared reflects that he was very lucky that this man did not kill him. 

I lived in South Africa for two years and I learned how to have Cautious Paranoia there, I do believe that it saved me from being robbed a few times.

Really when it all comes down to it, Cautious Paranoia is another way of saying Situational Awareness, and think ahead before doing something. 

For example: My girlfriend will put her feet up on the dashboard while we are driving on the freeway.  I told her don't do that, if we get in a car accident then the airbag will break your legs and your feet may go through the windshield. Then you are screwed.  That to me, is a great example of Cautious Paranoia. 

IWI Tavor: Man do I want one

In 2010 I shot my first bull-pup style rifle.  It was one of the AUG clones made by MSAR.  It had a 4x ACOG scope on it. 

I loved the ACOG scope it was so clear and easy to use.  I really like how the bull-pup style rifle balanced so well.  Even though it had a 20 inch barrel it was so easy to handle.  I have seen pictures where a 20 inch AUG is shorter than a 10.5 inch AR with a supressor on it. 

I wan to sell one of my rifles so that I can buy the Tavor.  It seems like it is the best of the AR and bull-pup world. 

Watching these videos just make me want a Tavor even more.

KFU knives

Last week I obtained a KFU knife.  I had never heard of them before.  The little bit that I did know is that KFU stands for Knives For Users.  It is a beautiful knife, it reminded me of something that my grandfather would have carried while he was deer hunting. 

Since they are knives for users I took it out today along with my Esee Laser Strike and I beat on it.  I was batoning through very dry pine with almost no knots with the Esee with ease.  The KFU was more difficult and I had some other problems that I noticed when I got home. 

There were huge chips in the bade of the KFU.  I should have taken pictures but I didn't, unfortunately.  I did touch up the blade a bit on my sharpener and the chips smoothed out quickly but they are still there and pretty big still.  I will post some pictures later.

I still like the knife a lot and I am going to continue to use it and see what happens over time. 

A case for Spydero knives

On the topic of self defense Spyderco knives. I think that many Spyderco knives can fill a self defense role very well. This is mostly because of the thumb ramps on the blade and amazing traction offered by g-10, jimping and the bi-directional frn scales. The blade shape is great for cutting and the steel choices are fantastic as well.

The thumb hole is awesome. I have had to draw a Spyderco under duress and the thumb hole helped me open the knife and have it ready without even remembering doing it until it was all over. I have other knives that open different ways, Benchmade thumb studs and the flipper on my ZT but I still think the Spyderco thumb hole is the best. (Short of having an auto knife).

I look at Benchmade knives and other knives from ZT and SOG and I think, "those are great knives but its not a Spyderco." I always come back to Spyderco.

Addition- My carry knives today include a Spyderco Tasmin Salt with the serrated Hawkbill blade in my reaction side pocket and a PM2 in my right front pocket.

Beating the Esee Laser Strike (Picture Reveiw)

Zero Tolerance 0561-Pocket Clip thoughts

Before I bought my new Zero Tolerance 0561 I was concerned that the pocket clip would be too flimsy.  It looks narrow and it is only attached by two screws. 

I was wrong about this.  The pocket clip is thin but it is not in any way flimsy.  It is strong and keeps the knife right where it belongs in your pocket.  The knife stays exactly wherever you place it. 

Up until today I had only used the ZT 0561 with jeans.  Today I wore a pair of pretty light khaki pants.  The pockets are slash pockets and light.  Once again the knife stayed right where I put it.  It did not move and it did not flop around in my pocket. 

The ZT 0561 is a heavy knife, but the well designed pocket clip and the length of the knife keep the knife right in place.  I know the knife is in my pocket but it is stable and therefore very comfortable while in the pocket. 

Bear Guns- A discussion

I haven't talked about guns yet on this blog but today I had a conversation with my Dad that brought it up.

I go hiking and I do a very small bit of mountain biking in some national forests nearby.  This is also bear country.  Whenever I go out in the countryside I always bring food, water, firemaking tools, a folding knife and fixed blade, first aid supplies, and my handgun (Walther PPQ 9mm) and an extra magazine.  I love the Walther, it is a great EDC gun and concealed carry, but it would be a poor bear gun.  9mm does not have the energy to stop a bear.

I talked with my Dad for about an hour and I told him about my small adventure today in the foothills.  I did a little mountain biking with my buddy, we hiked a bit and looked for more trails for hiking and biking.  While we were up there the thought crossed my mind that, "this is bear country, it is spring, and mother bears are very protective of their cubs."

I wished that I had my DSArms FAL while I was up there, 20 rounds of .308 will make anyone feel safe in the wilderness.  But that rifle is heavy!  He told me about a man in Wisconsin who was recently attacked by a bear and it mauled him pretty good.

Large bore revolvers are good guns but hard to shoot well and a follow up shot is nearly impossible.

Rifles like the FAL are super heavy.

A lever action in .45-70 would be a great wilderness bear gun, but they are expensive.

We decided that for the price a pump action shotgun with ghost ring sights, magazine extension, and a sling would be a great wilderness bear gun.  An 18inch barrel would be nice and handy, the rifle sights would be great for accurate shooting.  That shotgun filled with slugs would be a great wilderness gun.  Buckshot and bird shot only add to the versatility. 

My Dad and I will be on the lookout for used or new 12 gauge shotguns to be my new wilderness gun. 

What are your thoughts on bear guns or wilderness guns?  Post in the comments. 

Zero Tolerance 0561 Intial Impressions

My Zero Tolerance 0561 arrived today.  I have not cut much with it, but I did carry it all day.  Most of my thoughts will be about simply carrying the knife and my initial impressions. 

First of all I have one small criticism.  The blade did not come as sharp as I thought it would.  Do not get me wrong this knife is freaking sharp, but one side of the grind is noticeably more dull than the other. 

Intended Use-I bought this knife to be an EDC/Tactical blade.  I am going to carry it a lot for a while to get more impressions.

Ergonomics- The handle and blade are big.  The blade is 3.75 inches long.  The handle fits my smaller hands very well.  The jimping on top of the spine and top of the blade is fantastic.  My thumb gets locked right in.  The 3-D machining, as ZT calls it, is great on the G-10 and the titanium side.  This is my second framelock knife and so far I really like it.

The flipper combined with the new bushing system that ZT is using is super fast and smooth.  The thumbstuds are also very well designed.  They are sharp and positive, when I open the blade with those it also flies open.

The pocket clip is fantastic.  I was afraid it would be flimsy, especially for its size on a knife this big.  But I was completely wrong.  The clip is strong, locked down and four way positionable.  It is a deep carry clip and it allows the knife to sit deep in the pocket.  That coupled with the length of the knife keeps the knife very stable in your pocket.

I am very excited for a Zero Tolerance 0561 that is on the way.

I ordered a Zero Tolerance 0561 after handling one at Blade HQ over the weekend.  Look for my initial impressions soon. 

Spyderco Paramilitary 2 Digicam G-10 Black Blade Review

Two weeks ago cutleryshoppe.com posted a message on facebook that they would be getting be putting a batch of Spyderco Paramilitary 2's on sale on Friday at 10am Mountain Time.  Luckily I was able to be sitting on my computer waiting for the sale to start.  They sold out in 5 minutes!!!

I was one of the lucky few that obtained one of the knives.  I owned a Paramilitary 2 before, but I had to sell it.  This one I will not sell.

I have carried this knife as my EDC/tactical blade since I bought it arrived a week ago.  This knife is fantastic in every way.

Ergonomics- The scales are medium traction G-10 that will remain grippy even when wet, the handle is longer than the blade enabling the user to get a full grip on the handle.  The handle is comfortable in the normal position or reverse grip if you like that kind of thing.  The jimping and thumb ramp are typical Spyderco perfection.  I don't know of another company who has jimping as good as this knife.  One reason why I keep coming back to Spyderco knives is simply because my hand gets locked into the grip.  The thumb hole is perfect for one handed opening, it is larger than the openings on standard Spyderco knives.

I know from person experience in stressful situations that the Spyderco thumb hole is a great way to open a knife fast, and one handed.  When I have had to use a Spyderco under duress the knife was out of my pocket and open before I even knew it. 

The blade is razor sharp CPM-S30V steel.  I have not had to sharpen it yet because the blade retains a very sharp edge.  The tip is delicately thin, you could snap it with bending and prying.  So if you need to un-screw something get a screw driver or carry a small multi-tool or mini pry bar.

On my scale of awesomeness I give this knife a 10 out of 10.  I have absolute faith that in my every day life or if the SHTF this knife will perform. 

Update on Spyderco Para-Military 2

Now that I have been carrying my Para-Military 2 for a week I like it even more.  I really like the compression lock and that I can close the blade one handed.  The jimping on the thumb ramp is perfect and it really locks your thumb into a firm position. 

Here is Nutnfancy's review on the Para-Military 2.

Spyderco Paramilitary 2 Preliminary Review

Yesterday my Spyderco Paramilitary 2 finally came.  I have been waiting to order one since last May.  At the time I didn't have the money to buy one.  Then when I had the money to buy one every single Spyderco Paramilitary 2 was sold out.  On every website that I went to every Paramilitary 2 was sold out and then when they would come in stock they would sell out almost immediately.

Last week Wednesday I received an email from gpknives.com and they had a satin finished Spyderco Paramilitary 2 in stock.  I ordered it as fast as I could.  It arrived yesterday to my delight.

I have only carried it for two days so a bit later I will talk about what I think about it. 

Benchmade 940 Osborne Review

About three weeks ago I finally bought the Benchmade 940 Osborne.  I was drooling over it since the middle of 2012.

My initial impressions are really positive.  It is thin and fits very nicely in my pocket.  I love the blade profile.  It is a reverse tanto blade style similar to the the Benchmade 810 Contego.  The 940 also has S30v steel.  I have never had a knife with S30v steel before so I cannot give my opinion on the steel so far simply because I have not used it very much.

The pocket clip is fantastic just like most Benchmade's are.  The knife is incredibly light because of the skeletonized aluminum scales.  Additionally the purple titanium back-spacer looks awesome. 

I bought the knife for every day carry.  It does not have jimping or and texturing on the scales so I feel that the 940 Osborne is not a tactical blade at all.  It is purely an EDC blade.  It could be pressed into emergency tactical use but that isn't my primary use for it.  I think it would be a good camping and hiking folder.