This may prove to be the most entertaining 8:46 of your life, or the most terrifying if you consider the Chinese horde all armed to the teeth with these shovels. It slices, it dices, it juliennes. Truth be told, a couple of the features such as the “scissor” and nail puller are pretty cool, but music and effects make this one worth the price of admission. Make sure you stay long enough to see the entrenching tool museum.
This article first appeared on SSD June 9th, 2010.
Off The Grid Concepts made the sheath for this kick ass knife but they don’t know who made it. Be the first person to identify the knife and who made it along with a website or other evidence you are right and get a laser engraved Hypalon SSD patch in Coyote.
Put your entry in the comments section and use a real email address so we can contact you.
Long before he ever built an axe for America’s elite, Master Bladesmith Daniel Winkler developed a reputation for his traditional Native American designs. With the Stealth Axe from Winkler Knives II, Daniel has developed a close quarters alternative to the WK II Combat Axe. I really like the Stealth Axe having had a chance to briefly handle one at SHOT Show. It’s a good fit in the hand and well balanced with the heft of the head so close to the fist. It feels like you can get a good swing going with it.
The Stealth Axe features a 4 3/4″ head made from S-7 steel with an overall length of 9″. It only weighs 1.2 pounds vice the 1.5 pounds of the full-sized WK II Combat Axe. It has a full tang, integral handle and is available with maple, micarta or rubber handle scales. You definitely aren’t going to lose your grip with the rubber handle but Daniel related to me that many users of his knives and axes prefer the wood. He says it gives them a connection with home when they are deployed. They can reach down to their blade and feel the reassurance of a little piece of America. Since Winkler offers KG coating, you might want to consider it to give your Axe a worry free camo finish. Don’t forget, it also comes with a felt lines Kydex sheath.
Please welcome our latest advertising partner Winkler Knives II and visit their website. They offer a wide range of edged weapons and tools for the warrior.
We broke the story on the SureFire Push Dagger during our SHOT Show coverage.
Here, Steve Ryan, director of SureFire’s Edged Weapons Division discusses why they designed the Push Dagger with an asymmetric edge. It’s a 7075 aluminum handle paired with a ATS 34 blade to keep weight down. The push dagger design allows for thrusting as well as slashing. He also explains in a round about way that it’s their entry into the latest trend of last ditch fighting knives for our troops. Most are more traditional narrow-blade dagger designs or even spikes. SureFire went a different route.
Coming soon from www.SureFire.com/edgedweapons.
In another case study in unethical behavior and theft, people in China and possibly elsewhere are making cheap, substandard copies of Darrel Ralph Designs Gunhammer. They have been seen on eBay and in some shops in Afghanistan.
A knock-off of DDR's Gunhammer. Be aware they're out there.
DDR says, “We’ve been trying to get these people to stop [but] they don’t care about intellectual property theft and they won’t respond to any communication. We filled out their [eBay’s] ridiculous forms and submitted them, but it was just a waste of time.”
Though the knives look and feel cheap, unless you know what to look for you might be gulled into putting money into one of these thieves’ pockets. First of all, no DDR knife is going to be sold for $10. Second, they look and feel cheaply made (they are typically much lighter than the real thing) and third, there are some cosmetic differences (including the placement of the name and initials). They know some of them are being made in China (having traced the first fakes to one ordered by a customer in Singapore) and possibly also Pakistan.
A beautiful example of a real DDR gunhammer.
DDR went on, “Unfortunately, there is not a thing we can do about it except flip them the bird. The cost of stopping them is extreme [and even then it wouldn’t be a permanent resolution]…there is no protection at all.”
DDR’s genuine work is on his website and Facebook page. Oh, and if you’re interested, DDR now has a knife blog.
-DR
Named after Rome’s elite Praetorian guard, this new folder from Medford Knife and Tool boasts a beefy .270″ thick blade. It combines flame striped .187″ thick solid Titanium frame and .250″ pivots with a digicam G10 handle. The Praetorian also incorporates a backstrap breaker to bust windows or heads. It’s not often that I call a knife “sexy” but I’ll make an exception this time.
We just got word that Bawidamann Blades has 40 of their new Skulds in stock NOW! They had 25 a few weeks ago and poof, they were gone so if you want one, get on it. The Skuld features a full tang construction with a 3-7/8 inch blade and an overall length of 8-1/2 inches. Two steel choices are available, S35-VN or XHP and there are three color options available for the G10 handle. It also comes with a Kydex sheath.
I purchased one in a pre-release order around SHOT Show and it is an outstanding blade. It fits the hand very well and the G10 handle not only looks good but it’s comfortable as well. The notches on the thumbrest are great for indexing and in the photo above you can see unique filework on the spine.
Here’s what they have on hand:
10 CPM S35-VN with BLACK G-10 handles $290 + shipping
10 CTS-XHP with BLACK G-10 handles $310 + shipping
5 CPM S35-VN with GREEN G-10 handles $290 + shipping
5 CTS-XHP with GREEN G-10 handles $310 + shipping
5 CPM S35-VN with COYOTE G-10 handles $290 + shipping
5 CTS-XHP with COYOTE G-10 handles $310 + shipping
More info/purchase: www.bawidamann.com
I was watching National Geographic’s ‘Doomsday Preppers‘ the other day and realized that one of the folks they were profiling was one of the inventors of the Crovel. Tim Ralston, the inventor, is a great example of a TacHacker. He started prepping and by necessity he and some friends developed the Crovel. Once others saw what they had built, it was a natural transition into a small business.
Crovel is a is a portmanteau of shovel and crowbar, and it is just that. They’ve taken the concept of a folding shovel and engineered a few additional tools into the design. We’ve mentioned the earlier variant of the Crovel before, but they’ve introduced a new version called the Crovel Extreme which boasts 13 tools combined into one package.
One advantage the Extreme model has is that it is now anodized making it more durable. Additionally, they’ve increased the size of the Hammerhead and incorporated a wood chisel into the Claw portion of the Crovel. They’ve also introduced the Z Spike accessory for the Crovel Extreme as well as a Kydex Cover for both models of the Crovel.
Made in USA!
www.gearupcenter.com/exclusive-crovel-shovel
