CRKT has introduced two new tomahawks designed by Ryan Johnson. The Khogan (left) and Kangee (right) T-hawks are both crafted from a single piece of Black powder coated SK5 carbon steel. The grip scales are glass filled nylon and removable for cleaning. The sheath is MOLLE compatible.
There’s an interesting story behind RMJ Tactical’s new website and it reflects how that company is run. They are people oriented and it shows when you meet them. Now, they’ve shown me a bit more of that in the development of tis website.
Alan Campbell is building the website for them. Apparently, he started working on it a little over a year ago, but before he was halfway complete, he was diagnosed with a tough strain of cancer. I’m happy to report that after months of radiation and chemotherapy he’s back at it and getting better every day. Although, he says its going to take him a little while longer to get the site exactly the way they want it. The point is, RMJ stuck by Alan in this. They could have gone a different direction and no one would have batted an eye, but they worked with the man to see it through.
The new site does the RMJ Tactical line of full tang tomahawks justice. It looks better, is easy to navigate, and gives you some cool insight into the brand. Check it out.
MATBOCK has a really cool addition to their carbon fiber litter poles. This new kit turns the poles into a ladder.
The final kit will feature five V-shaped rungs to create a 7.5 ft ladder. I asked about the V-shape of the rungs and was told that they lay flat on the poles when you use it as a horizontal ladder. Very smart guys!
Transition back to litter is easy as the rungs just slide right on and off the poles with weight being borne by Spectra cord and engineered end caps. Yes, this means there is an up on this ladder so keep that in mind.
This is a final prototype but look for these late 1st quarter 2013.
PrecisionWerx has been around for 7 years but this family-owned business brings 65 years of experience in the rolls of machining and precision manufacturing. In addition to producing parts and assemblies for other companies in a variety of industries they have introduced a line of tomahawks.
New from Medford Knife & Tool is the MKT Rake n Break. It’s lightweight and slim lined for easy storage and teh design means zero windup for breaking glass and features a hook for reaching valances and pulling them down. It’s also ambidextrous and Medford claims that even a 10 year old girl could break windows with it.
www.facebook.com/pages/Medford-Knife-Tool or www.medfordknife.com
The Glowbar is a high-carbon steel crowbar that also happens to glow in the dark! Each Glowbar is coated in a Silicate-Aluminium-Oxide-based powder that glows up to ten times brighter than conventional glow in the dark items. It’s available in 12″ and 24″ versions, with 2% of profits going to the EFF, a non-profit that fights for technological freedom. Also available is the Glowbar T-shirt, and the company says they’ll be making more tools with the hyper-phosphorescent powder coating in the near future.
Glowbar.com
This article originally appeared on Tactical Fanboy.
Manufactured by Hardcore Hardware for Platatac, the Platxe is quite a bit different than their previous tomahawk.
The new Plataxe is designed as a impact/MOE/CQB tool and features an articulated handle to place more force of the swing onto the blade. The head features a full blade and on the reverse a reverse penetrating spike. Manufactured from D2 tool steel coated with black Teflon and topped off with a G10 contoured handle.
The sheath might just be overkill. It offers full coverage. Made from Cordura with Kydex insert it can be attached to equipment via PALS.
Available exclusively from Platatac in Coyote and Black.
The Punch and Pull entry tool may be the next evolutionary step in manual breaching kit. It may, in fact, relegate the hallagan (which a lot of folks incorrectly call a “hooligan”) to a much more secondary role.
“A lot of tactical guys are a little iffy at first,†says the Punch & Pull’s designer, “but once they try it and see how well it works they love it. A SWAT team should have more options on an entry than a hallagan, a ram and a damn big hammer.
Originally developed in 1996, the Punch & Pull was built by Rick Lopez, a 20+ year veteran of LAPD’s D Platoon (SWAT) and Narcotics Division for use on the fortified doors their narcotics officers were encountering on drug warrants and SWAT operations. Because it causes a lot less collateral damage (and doesn’t leave quite the same amount of wreckage) than other breaching equipment he describes it as more “brass friendlyâ€.
“Its actually pretty simple,†Lopez advises. “It’s usually a two man operation. The guy with the hammer spike sets the hole in the security door, the guy with the Punch & Pull, handling it like a weapon at port arms, comes in at 45 degrees and sets it. “BAM,” it comes open, opening up the inner door for the slam man [ram carrier].†The Punch & Pull remains hooked so it’s not in the way, lying underfoot or encumbering anyone during the immediate entry.
The spike is set by the doorknob to preset the Punch & Pull’s hold. It doesn’t break the deadbolt (most times you can barely bend a deadbolt), it tears the plate open. The plate is much more vulnerable than the rest of the mechanism. That’s what the Punch & Pull busts out. (Lopez prefers to do a door peal on the doorknob side at an angle to pop the door. It puts all the tension around the doorknob.
“You don’t want to hit the center of a door with it,†Lopez warns. “Some guys did that despite being trained not…that puts the torque on the hinges. They wound up with the door right on top of them when it came off.â€
Note: if the target door is more than moderately fortified (like if it’s strongly lagged), the Punch & Pull probably won’t work. “It’s popped some lagged doors before,†Lopez says, “however they were lightly lagged. That’s why proper surveillance and intel gathering is essential prior to ever making the approach. If it’s lagged heavily in the door frame or the floor using welded bolts, you’re going to need to do a vehicle pull.â€
The Punch & Pull is in use by a number of different agencies and units, including the LAPD, Ventura County SO, DEA, FBI and several municipal departments. Rick, who is a former grunt turned ANGLICO Marine, has also provided several to units at Camp Pendleton and taught them how to best employ it.
For more information, check out www.PunchandPull.com. You can also e-mail Rick at punchandpull@hotmail.com or call him at (562) 754-3214. He is on Pacific time.
Some video featuring door peels vs. door pulls, along with some training iterations with the Punch & Pull visit Youtube.
– DR
