Insights Training Center recently introduced their Blade-Tech PH Lite. I managed to get my hands on one of these 2 7/8″, 2.6oz knives and it really is nice. It’s incredibly sharp and has put up with the day to day abuse of the range for a couple months now with no noticeable wear. It’s small and light enough that I can carry it around in my useless girl pockets and still has a long enough blade to do everything I need it to.
The reason I bring this up is due to the importance of having a good blade around. I started carrying knives around in my years of outfitting, which makes a lot of sense, but the usefulness rolls over into other worlds as well. I don’t really recommend trying to open a box, pry large staples or cut a seat-belt with a gun but a good knife will get the job done.
What it comes down to is that there’s no excuse for having a gun and not having a good knife. Not only is it a backup weapon system in a jam but is a tool with many day to day uses.
I carry a CRKT M16-10KZ knife. It isn’t an assisted opening but it can be opened quickly and easily with one hand. It weighs 2.3oz the blade length occupies that sweet spot of being long enough to be useful but not so large as to be too cumbersome or offend the delicate sensibilities of curious bystanders.
The blade itself it very sharp and holds an edge well. I don’t personally like serrations but CRKT doesn’t make a tanto style blade for this knife without them so I learned to deal with it. The locking system is extremely secure so I don’t have to worry about the blade closing on my fingers.
It is my very favorite pocket knife; I call her Vera. I gave one to my 15 year old cousin for Christmas.
I love the FireFly reference!
Even better, the CRKT has an Autolock! (But it’s no Callahan…)
Nor is it full bore.
Then you’d probably like this picture a friend took of me while at the range this past summer.
http://jesse.mrozowski.org/photos/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=18340&g2_serialNumber=2
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What’s with the “I’m a dork” hat?
Especially in what looks like summertime conditions…..
It’s a Jayne hat, clearly someone needs to watch FireFly… Because who doesn’t love a good Sci-fi western?
A character in the show gets a hat that looks like the one in the photo.
“useless girl pockets”
That made me laugh. I make fun of my wife’s useless jeans pockets all the time.
It’s pretty much useless as a weapon (better than nothing, I suppose) but I’ve carried a Swiss Army Explorer knife for years. It’s socially acceptable and has enough tools that it gets used for some function or another on a very regular basis.
I’ve carried a knife since I was in elementary school.
Hehe, me too………
And unlike kids now it was never used in a fight, fights were settled with fists, not weapons.
I always have a butterfly knife on me, unfortunately I do not sharpen it till it’s Way past dull! I’ve even dug worms up with it, gets all kinds of abuse, sadly.
Going hunting or fishing I grab a buck folder, that is very sharp (you could literally shave hair with it, that’s how I check the sharpness) and only get’s used for cutting chores.
Hunting I also carry a very nice survival knife, which is also razor sharp, and a cheapo 14″ survival knife which had the ‘saw back’ on it, I filed and set all the teeth and it actually IS a saw now! It also gets used as a machete when the need arises.