Archive for the ‘Knives’ Category
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Wednesday, November 24th, 2010Gerber Unveils New Products at AUSA 
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Gerber Legendary Blades is known to unveil new tactical products as the Association of the US Army’s Annual meeting in Washington, DC and this year did not disappoint. This time, they released three completely new products as well as a new color (Tan 499) for the Strap Cutter which makes it OCP compatible.
The first and most impressive of the new products is the Cable Dawg. Designed specifically for communications troops, this tool will find a home with anyone looking for a handy tool for fiber optic and other IT-related work. Featuring wire cutter, CAT5 jacket cutter, RJ45 Crimper Head, Wire strippers, Knife blade, Magnetic driver extension with tool heads. Additionally, the handles are crafted from glass filled nylon to help reduce weight and the side of the handle that houses the driver extension and tool heads can be removed.
Gerber also introduced a new light, the Hands Free Recon (HFR-M) which is kind of a new take on the mini angle head. The on/off switch in on the top with the lights mounted perpendicular to the body. It includes four outputs including a low Night Vision System detection, White, Red, and IR. Additionally, you can choose low, medium, high, or beacon modes. Mounting options include helmet and MOLLE. Finally, the HFR can use AA or CR123 batteries for up to 6 hours of illumination.
We’ll leave that fourth product a mystery for now. After all, we have to leave something for the other guys to write about.
All Gerber products are available for unit or agency purchase from ADS.
Tags: Gerber
Posted in Comms, Gadgets, Knives, Lights, Multicam | Comments Off on Gerber Unveils New Products at AUSA
PALS Universal Platform
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010Bawidamann Blades has developed an innovative solution for attaching equipment to PALS compatible platforms. As you can see from the graphic it is versatile in that it allows you to assemble your sheaths and pouches to the PUP at virtually any angle.
Thanks to Thad for the heads up!
TNT – A Knife, by ZERO POINT
Monday, September 20th, 2010Zero Point is a small company established by a group of US Navy EOD Tech’s with a great deal of tactical experience who saw a need for unique equipment to support the EOD mission. They specialize in Training/Equipment and Development of New Equipment for unique requirements and mission sets.
The TNT is obviously built and designed by folks who have been in the trenches and know what is necessary for this unique group of warfighters. The staff at ZERO POINT; Perry, Bob, and Jeff, impressed us as guys who know what the end user would benefit from and you can see this in the TNT. Thanks to Perry over at ZERO POINT for allowing us to push their knife through some serious testing and evaluation or the past three months.
As we’ve mentioned in previous articles on knives, they are a personal choice, and will often be misused and abused – we’ll let you decide when and where to do that. While a few will choose not to carry a knife, many others choose to do so and a few choose to carry several knives at the same time. This author believes a good cutting blade can often be more useful than any number of other tools if used properly. When mounted and carried in an easily accessible location the knife is often the first tool at hand.
Not every knife is a fighting tool but rather, many are utilitarian, which is exactly what the TNT is, in both design and form.
For example, the sheath is made of KYDEX and is ready to go with either MOLLE or belt attachment hardware. Additionally, it can quickly be attached via straps for SCUBA/Dive Operations. Now that’s some forward thinking, wouldn’t you agree? Very versatile.
Not only is TNT a slick design, it’s made of some pretty impressive material as well.
The TNT Knife is made of grade 5 titanium (annealed) Ti-6AI-4V. Perry tells us this is basically aerospace grade titanium. That’s some pretty impressive material. Further their knife registered .79 on the magnetometer, which easily qualifies as non-magnetic. So if you have a J-O-B that requires your tools be non-magnetic, then TNT will easily fit this bill.
TNT impressed us time and again as we cut, hacked, tore, ripped, sawed, smashed, thwacked and thumped our way through the junk yard. Really there’s an unlimited list of opportunities inside a junk yard and this knife really did some neat stuff. Additionally, we utilized the TNT in training and real-world applications which should never be separated. Remember the old adage; You will Fight like You Train.
Fit, Form, Feel, and Functionality are always of importance to the end user. Although the TNT may look meek and mild, it is very well built and will take most any abuse it can be subjected to.
The blade is flat edged so there is no way to puncture or rip a lifevest or rubber boat, making this design is an excellent choice for Dive Ops as well as for use in other Maritime applications.
TNT is more than an EOD Knife. It will also easily facilitate numerous capabilities such as cutting through pipe, leather, cloth, straps/seat belts, and anything you may face in the field. This knife is sure to do so with ease and precision. Just look at this video as it cuts through a hydraulic pipe with the saw side of the blade, under the hood of this car in the junkyard.
Smashing through a window is not as easy as it seems on TV where things are not always portrayed correctly. Attempting to use a round ended or blunt object to break a vehicle window often ends in utter failure. That’s why it’s important to have the right tool at hand, or in this case the right knife with the right tip as it can make all the difference in the world. Design, form, fit, and functionality all work together in this knife, making window breaking a simple task.
Slim Profile and Ergonomic Design combined with Sheath fit and functionality are all capabilities built into one small knife unit.
After seeing how this knife easily cuts multiple wires, breaks windows and saws through tubing, you can only imagine how well it would work in any of the multitude of tasks you could use a knife for. TNT is definitely one of those GOT TO HAVE items in any Go-Bag!!!
To get yours, order direct from ZERO POINT or from www.blueridgeknives.com.
Stuff We Didn’t Write About
Saturday, September 11th, 2010Mad Duo – The Rifleman’s Tool
Tuesday, September 7th, 2010The Mad Duo attended Darley Defense Day held by Darley Defense near Ft. Polk last week and they promised us a couple of reviews. The first review is the Rifleman’s Tool, designed by none other than Walter “Blackie†Collins and coming to the fighting public via Tactical International. So, without further ado, here is their review.
We’re working on a full-blown, in-depth review right now but thought we’d give you the low-down quick and dirty now: this knife is COOL, and it really is more than just a knife—it’s a tool that may be the coolest thing that’s come along (at least in the category of lethal or hard-working cutlery) since the first multi-tool. Now, it’s not a Swiss Army Knife with a vast array of nifty gadgets, so don’t expect that. This piece of kit chooses a few things to do, specifically (as the name implies) for the rifleman, and it does it well.
The Rifleman’s Tool auto-deploys a strong 4†tanto style blade (non-auto versions coming), with the inestimable Mr. Collins’ signature on the side. Inside the body of the knife are several extremely useful implements for a rifle-shooter (particularly if the shooter is also an emergency responder). There’s a front sight adjustment tool, an aluminum shell extractor designed to avoid damage to the locking lugs on the M4 (you’ve seen it happen when someone grabs a multi-tool or a pair of pliers to do it), and a fire-starter that can also be used on the take-down pins to disassemble the weapon. All of these latter tools are accessed by unscrewing the threaded carbide glass-breaking pieces at the end of the knife.
(Sorry about the pictures: our minion was distracted and wasn’t doing such great work with the camera.)
The only thing some people might not like is going to be the price—we’ve seen it as high as nearly $400, averaging about $350 depending upon the retailer. Now, that’s actually not a bad price for a tool of this quality and potential usefulness, but you’re going to have to wrap yourself around the fact that you get what you pay for. This may also be the time you need to use the “yeah but look how many pairs of shoes you have!†argument with Household-6 in order to justify the expense. Note: Going Loud Tactical Outfitters carries the Rifleman’s Tool and is apparently running a special for a little while; enter SoldierSystems as a coupon code at checkout for 15% off the Rifleman’s Tool ($250.00 retail at Going Loud)…we’re not sure how long it’s supposed to last.
The Rifleman’s Tool is also available at Tactical International ($450.00) and DPMS Inc. ($378.00). Rumor has it that Darley Defense may also be offering the tool, but as of this date we couldn’t confirm that.
If you’d like to read a little more about it, Police Magazine did a review here. Otherwise, check back here because there is definitely more to follow!
If you have any ideas for us to review or discuss, drop us a line at Breach-Bang-Clear or FaceBook.com/MadDuo; unless you’re going to complain about our opinions, writing style or philosophy (or you’re a sissy) in which case don’t bother. We’ve got upcoming articles on a half a dozen really cool new pieces of kit and a picture of when we were coined by GW of Tactical Tailor, so it would behoove you to PAY ATTENTION.
MAD DUO OUT!
TAD Gear – Lookin’ Good
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010The crew at Triple Aught Designs have been busy remodeling their San Francisco show room. It turns out that wasn’t the only thing they were making over. Their new web site features a whole new look and is visually stunning. Make sure you stop by and check it out.
Benchmade Hook Knife
Thursday, August 26th, 2010Based on a need for a safety hook that would facilitate the remote removal of hazardous items like a S-Vest, or to remotely open a suspicious item such as an IED within a backpack, Zero Point turned to Benchmade. They created the specialized hook knife below. As you can see, it is unlike any other hook knife on the market. Its long length allows it to be inserted into narrow openings and the ridges along to back assist with grip and indexing. Since its inception Zero Point has included this tool in most of their kits.
While the knife was initially intended as an EOD tool, it has recently been released for general sales and adopted by LE, medical professionals, and sports medicine due to its unique size and design. If you are looking for a hook knife that does more than just cut cord and webbing, then this is the one for you.
If you are looking for the best EOD kits out there, then check out Zero Point.
www.zeropointusa.com
