blade

A quick look at the SOG SEAL Strike fixed blade knife

SOG Specialty Knives & Tool, LLC has been in the business of crafting fine blades and tools for both military and civilian markets since it’s inception in 1986. In 1992, when the SEAL’s held trials for a new knife, the SEAL 2000 from SOG won the contract and remained in production from 1995-2007. The 2nd knife in the SEAL line was slightly smaller than the original and was dubbed the SEAL Pup. Now in it’s most recent iteration of the iconic knife comes the SEAL Strike from SOG. Born from years of real world deployments and the constant tweaking of a proven design, the SOG SEAL Strike will easily carry the torch of its predecessors.

The cryogenically treated AUS-8 Stainless Steel blade is the heart and soul of this pig sticker. Providing maximum corrosion resistance along with a rockwell hardness of 56-58, it’s sure to withstand the harshest physical and environmental abuse. The versatile, partially serrated drop tip blade will become a great companion in any tactical environment, camping, hiking or even SCUBA diving. With an overall dimension of 9.6″ and a 4.9″ blade, this 5.6 ounce knife achieves near perfect balance. To top it off, the stealthy tacti-cool look of this blade is mainly due to the rugged Black TiNi finish offset only by the razor sharp silver edge.

The glass reinforced nylon (GRN) handle is somewhat slender but retains a solid graspable shape. The SOG SEAL Strike features a full tang construction that extends through the handle, terminating in a notched strike face on the butt. The diamond textured GRN handle is further reinforced with a stainless steel inlay adding a nice visual touch to this already handsome knife.

Glass reinforced nylon handle and full tang

A standard hard nylon sheath is included or you can opt for the Deluxe model. The hard molded Deluxe nylon sheath for the SOG SEAL Strike has a few tricks up it’s sleeve. For starters, it features a built-in cord cutter, single stage sharpener and ferrochromium fire starter rod. A steel belt clip and built-in slots within the nylon offer 2 types of belt mounting. Several slots in the scabbard offer additional mounting flexibility for a vest, plate carrier or SCUBA BCD. If necessary, the belt loop can be removed entirely by loosening the 4 allen bolts that attach it to the scabbard.

SOG SEAL Strike Specs and video courtesy of SOGknives.com

OVERALL LENGTH 9.6″
WEIGHT 5.60 OZ
BLADE LENGTH 4.9″
BLADE THICKNESS 0.16″
PRODUCT TYPE FIXED BLADE
FINISH BLACK TINI
EDGE TYPE PARTIALLY SERRATED
BLADE STEEL TYPE AUS-8
HARDNESS RC. 56-58
BLADE SHAPE CLIP POINT
HANDLE MATERIAL GLASS REINFORCED NYLON AND STAINLESS STEEL
HANDLE COLOR BLACK
SHEATH MATERIAL HARD MOLDED NYLON
MSRP $127

What is your absolute minimum edc?

Kyle Defoor recently made a Facebook post about his absolute minimum EDC. In that post, he mentioned the old school mantra of ‘always have a watch and a knife‘ that was coined by the Frogmen/UDT teams of WW2. During WW2, the UDT guys would do beach reconnaissance with only their dive knife and wristwatch. At the UDT/SEAL Museum down at Ft Pierce, Florida, they have several displays of the original frogmen and the equipment they used. One of those displays highlights the two most important pieces of gear that had on them during every mission. A watch and a knife.

Although the watch and knife worn by these elite teams may have changed from time to time, the principle of carrying them always remained. Going along with that mantra, I thought I would chime in with my absolute minimum EDC based on the above statement.

A Watch

I have a few key features I look for in an everyday watch. Out of the several watches I own, if I had to choose one to roll with, it would be the Resco Manus. In hindsight, it’s fitting for this article since Max Manus was considered a resistance fighter in WWII. With regards to the Resco Manus, there are a few key features that stand out from others. First off, all my Resco watches to include the Manus have the best lume in the industry. Well, in my personal opinion they do. I need to be able to easily read my watch in the middle of the night in the darkest of the dark. My second requirement is a date window. Anytime I’m filling out something that requires the date, I’m looking at my watch. Same goes if someone asks me what the date is. It’s just a feature that I use multiple times a day. My third requirement is a rotating bezel for timing. Most of the time, I’m using it to time my runs if I’m running a pre-set distance or course. I also use it to time my circuit workouts or when in the kitchen cooking. The Resco Manus meets and exceeds all three requirements. The Manus is also a great middle of the road sized watch. It doesn’t stand out as a big tactical watch, yet remains classy enough to wear on a night out. As far as ruggedness is concerned, well, it’s a Resco.

A Knife

Picking one knife for my bare minimum EDC was a tough choice. I’ve carried both folders and concealed fixed blades. Both have their pros and cons. Again out of my collection of both types of knives, If I had to pick one, it would be my Emerson CQC-7. The CQC-7 makes a great blade to run with. It clips to the waistband of my running shorts and I can effortlessly engage the wave if I need to deploy the knife quickly. The design and profile of the CQC-7 tanto blade make it a great overall blade for both EDC work and personal defense. Ergonomics are great too allowing you to use the knife for prolonged periods of time without hand fatigue.

A Flashlight

Other than my watch, probably the most used piece of EDC gear is my handheld flashlight. For a minimal low-vis option that is easily carried every day, I roll with the Streamlight Protac 1L-1AA. The 1L-1AA is a dual fuel light that runs off either a single CR123 or AA battery. You get a few more lumens out of the light if you use the CR123, but when traveling you can almost always find standard AA batteries both domestic and international.

Dia-Sharp credit card sharpening stone

When it comes to maintaining your gear in the field, everyone, for the most part, focuses on weapons maintenance. Knives will typically take a back burner to maintenance. Having the ability to keep your blades sharp is a must, especially when out in the field and away from home.

I’ve used many different methods, from diamond rods, Arkansas stones, and the cheap pull through sharpeners. I prefer a stone of some sort since it is easier for me to keep the angle consistent when I’m honing the blade. I also wanted something that was small and portable, yet tough enough to withstand abuse in the field.

What I found and have been using is the Dia-Sharp diamond stone by DMT. It is a credit card-sized stone that is incredibly tough. This, too, has found a permanent spot in my belt pouch that I have on me during day hikes or camping adventures.

Description: 3″ Dia-Sharp credit card sized diamond sharpening stone

Size: 3.25″ x 2″ x .05″

Grit Options:

Coarse diamond (45 micron / 325 mesh) to quickly restore a neglected edge. BLUE case.
Fine diamond (25 micron / 600 mesh) for a razor sharp edge. RED Case.
Extra-Fine (9 micron / 1200 mesh) to polish and refine a razor edge after sharpening with a coarser diamond. GREEN Case.

MSRP: $14.26 from the DMT online store.

Made in the USA

Sharpening with a diamond stone is fast and easy. No messy oils needed – sharpen dry or with water. Durable construction will provide years of consistent performance and reliable service. DMT’s monocrystalline diamond surface sharpens knives faster than conventional stones. I personally went with the Fine coarse grit option as this is the ideal day-to-day honing option. The Dia-Sharp credit card-sized sharpening stone is my preferred stone for use with my chisel ground Emerson knives as well – it puts a wicked edge on them in no time.

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Knife: First Impression

Zero Tolerance 0450CF Knife: A solid choice for James Bond

While visiting Shot Show, I was fortunate enough to stop by the ZT booth and handle several of these new knives. The one that stood out to me was the sophisticated Zero Tolerance 0450CF, with its striking carbon fiber front handle. For its weight, carbon fiber is stronger than steel and is downright sexy. I’ve spent half of my life in some sort of wheeled racing machine and have grown an affinity for this dark matter. To keep weight at a minimum, the back half of the handle is made from Titanium, another lightweight space-age material. The published weight is 2.72oz however, I recorded 2.4oz on several different scales.

The blade is a compact version of a Dmitry Sinkevich design and cut from S35VN steel, a very tough, wear resistant material that’s easy to resharpen. Both the blade and the Titanium handle are further coated with a black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) continuing it’s stealthy look.

Although the 0450CF doesn’t use the same SpeedSafe assisted opener that I’ve come to love on my daily carry Zero Tolerance 0350, it does employ a buttery smooth KVT ball-bearing opening system. Due to the lightweight nature of the Zero Tolerance 0450CF‘s blade, there is no need for a spring assisted opener. The blade locks securely into place with the slightest effort on the built-in flipper lever.

Tech Specs: (courtesy of ZT Knives)

- Made in the USA
- KVT ball-bearing opening system
- Flipper
- Reversible clip (left/right)
- Titanium frame lock, hardened steel lockbar insert
- Steel: S35VN, DLC coating
- Handle: Carbon fiber front, titanium back
- Blade length: 3.25 in. (8.3 cm)
- Closed length: 4.1 in. (10.4 cm)
- Overall length: 7.4 in. (18.8 cm)
- Weight: 2.7 oz. (76.5 g) I measured 2.4 oz on my sample
- MSRP: $225.00
- More info here

Another cool feature of the Zero Tolerance 0450CF are the two aluminum tube spacers anodized in a contrasting emerald green. I’ve always liked the ability to customize my Oakley’s when ordering a pair of shades. Maybe a full pallet of colors for the tube spacers is something ZT would consider offering for their customers at some point. One can dream…

This is a great knife tipping the scales at less than half the weight of my ZT 0350, yet retaining the same 3.25″ blade and a similar overall length. The slender shape of the Zero Tolerance 0450CF is a perfect choice for a gentleman, combining sophistication, stealth and technology. If James Bond were to carry a pocket knife, the ZT 0450CF would be a solid choice.

Gerber Flatiron: The good and bad with this chopper

Gerber is a great company that offers a lot of quality knives at an affordable price. The Gerber Flatiron confuses me a bit though. If you carry a cleaver as your only blade, you’re missing out on a lot of functionality compared to a blade with a point. If you carry one as a secondary blade, why not have a fixed blade? The Flatiron simply has a lot of issues that make it a questionable knife choice in my opinion. Now that I got that out of the way, not everything about the Gerber Flatiron is bad. In fact, they even did a few things right.

Check out this video review for details.

Product features:

Full length: 8.5″
Blade length: 3.8″
Blade steel: 7Cr17MoV
Cleaver style, satin finish blade
Thumbhole for one-handed opening
Machined aluminum handle scales
Frame lock
Pocket clip

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 – Improving the Brace

The advent of pistol braces has changed everything in the firearms world. What started with a chunky piece of polymer called the SB 15 has evolved and grown into adjustable designs like the SBA3, the Gear Head Works V2, and now the Shockwave Brace 2.0. The original Shockwave brace was the first brace that was adjustable for length of pull, although it did this through a screw and dimple system that was a bit rudimentary, but effective overall. The Shockwave Blade 2.0 keeps a lot of the features of the original blade but completely revamps its adjustable nature.

What’s New With The Shockwave Blade 2.0

Obviously, the biggest change worth noting is the change of adjustment means. Previously the aforementioned dimpled tube and screw system worked but was tedious to change on the fly and to get just right. The New Shockwave Blade 2.0 features a small lever positioned in the rear of the blade. You press the lever and you can adjust the brace to a wide variety of different lengths.

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 - Improving the Brace — The Little Lever

Other than that the design is very similar to the original Blade. It braces against your arm, not around your arm. This results in a cleaner, and a thinner overall design, which means less weight as well. The Blade 2.0 is a bit leaner and smaller than the original Blade and weighs only 5 ounces.

Like the original KAK brace the Shockwave Blade 2.0 sports a proprietary tube that is included with the kit. One thing that sets the Shockwave Blade 2.0 apart from the competition is the fact it’s less than 80 bucks for the brace and tube. This makes it the most affordable adjustable brace on the market.

In Use

It’s called the Blade for a reason. It’s small very thin. If you were to shoulder such a design on a powerful weapon you may have a wee bit of pain. Albeit when used as designed as a brace against the forearm or bicep the design is pain-free… even with something like a Mossberg Shockwave.

It has found a very nice place on my Kidon conversion system. The lighter weight arm brace seems to be better suited on lighter weight systems. As a brace, it does balance the weapon better when the weapon is lighter.

When paired with the Matador side folding adapter the Brace 2.0 and the Kidon become a very compact system for storage and transport. The thin design is very handy in this regard.

It is a strong brace and can take some serious punishment. It shrugged off the recoil of the 12 gauge without issue. My initial concern was that the adjustment system would bend or break under serious recoil. However, after dozens of rounds of buckshot the brace moves and adjusts with the same ease.

Final Thoughts and Parting Shots

The Shockwave Blade 2.0 is a hardy and robust brace that remains lightweight, durable and thin. It’s perfect for your SMG style pistols like the CZ Scorpion, MCX, and of course my Kidon system. That being said my teeny-tiny 80 lower build AR is an excellent host for the Shockwave as well. It’s robust enough for more powerful guns, but be aware that pain and recoil may go hand in hand if the design is accidentally shouldered. I love how affordable it is as well. Check ‘em out here.