The Loadout Room
Professional Gear Reviews
The Gerber Empower is one of Gerber’s newest American-made additions to the automatic knife market. It is rock solid, has S30V steel and doesn’t scream tactical. It weighs in at 4.6oz and has an overall length of 8.4” when opened (blade length is 3.25). Best part….. it’s priced at right around $100. Check it out.
Author – Tim M.
Knives are like boots and gloves to an operator, what works for me is junk for you. For me, a knife is a tool, I find a use for it practically every single day. It is used to cut rope, open a package, cut out a splinter. I don’t use it as a weapon, that is what guns are for. Some guys are knife fighters and they prefer to carry a fighting knife; I prefer to use a pistol over a knife. Therefore, my requirements for a knife are quality in craftsmanship, ability to hold an edge, ergonomics and the ability to employ it as quickly as possible.
Over my 20-year career as a SEAL, I have been issued dozens of knives (fixed blades and everyday carry knives). The last knife I was issued was a Protech TR-3 AUTO Knife with Fish Scale grip and safety. I was surprised that I was issued such a nice knife. Usually, we get issued middle of the road knives, not high-end knives. This time was different, this knife opened with force. When I pressed the button to open the knife It almost jumped out of my hand. In the past, we were issued switchblade knives but they ever opened like the Tr-3. When I got home I put my Emerson CQC-7 in the gun safe (Team Guy kids like knives) and I have carried the ProTech ever since.
The ProTech TR-3 is ProTech’s most popular knife with Military and Police. It has a 3.5-inch blade that is available in a variety of colors and blade finishes. Handles are machined from solid bars of T6 6061 aluminum. The blades are 154-CM Stainless Steel.
The TR-3 issued is different from the ones in the catalog; ours have safeties. When I first got the knife I thought, “why the hell do I need a safety on a knife. It’s like having a safety on a pistol… it’s stupid and only going to slow me down”. I was wrong; first, the knife safety is in the right place to transition from the pocket to off safe, opening the blade smoothly. Operating the safety is not awkward or slow you down in any way. But I knew better, I kept the TR-3 safety off so I could be fast. Remember when I said it opens with force, well it opened with force in my pocket. From that day forward I kept it on safe.
Since I have been retired, I have purchased 5 TR-3’s for friends and family as gifts. Each gift was given with a letter. That letter was different for each individual except for these three sentences: “Over my 20-year career as Navy SEAL I have been issued, bought and received dozens of knives. I believe that the TR3-X1M is the best all around knife I have ever carried. It is not to big, not to small, ergonomically superior, and extremely well-built.”
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GUEST AUTHOR:
Jack Thompson spent 20 years a Navy SEAL Operator. Combat tours include Bosnia, Africa, Afghanistan (x3) and Iraq (x2). He firmly believes “Its not what you’re doing, it’s who you’re doing it with.”
Someone asked me the other day what knife I brought with me to Ranger school. I completed Ranger school back in 2012 and with me, I had a Benchmade Griptilian. The criteria of a solid knife in school is pretty limited. First Is it light enough that you would be willing to carry it? This rules out any fixed blade or a folder with a heavy handle.
I picked the Benchmade Griptilian because it has a light plastic handle that will still provide some traction when wet or wearing gloves. Next, you need to be able to open a MRE. Besides slicing open your favorite brown bag meal, all you will be doing with your knife is cutting tie downs or stabbing trees as you walk by. Lastly, will it rust? In school you are going to be soaking your uniform in salty sweat and in Florida you will be chest high in swamps. The Benchmade Griptilian uses 154CM as its blade steel. I never experienced pitting or rust as long as I kept up with minimal cleaning. The last thing I appreciate is the hole for connecting a lanyard too. In school there is a reason you tie everything down; because stuff gets lost.
When you are the only guy with a sharp knife it seems everyone wants to borrow it, so attaching it to your belt along with a clip prevents it from walking away. I also recommend attaching a small sharpener to the lanyard to maintain your edge.
Author – William Hoyt is a former Army Ranger of 1/75. He is now pursuing his bachelors in psychology and coaching swimming.
Buck Knives have been around for generations, and to me, are the quintessential classic pocket knives that you would expect to find in any old man’s pocket to this day. The classic 110 was created in 1963 when Al Buck decided that outdoorsman needed a sturdy folding lockblade instead of carrying a longer fixed-blade. The 110 was born and has been a best seller ever since.
Out of the box I was quite surprised by the weight of the new 110 Auto Elite. The Nickel silver bolsters pack a ton of weight, but it’s this weight that makes the blade feel light as a feather during the opening. With an overall length of 8.5”, this is no dainty pocketknife. The blade is a good 3 ¾” allowing you plenty of space for cleaning a deer but still nimble enough to handle a rabbit. Now during this T&E, I was not cutting up any freshly harvested venison, but I did filet some Bluefin to see just how sharp this updated S30V steel is from the factory. I was incredibly impressed that it wasn’t butchering the flesh. It looked as good as my sushi knife which is no easy task for a pocketknife.
The new G10 scaled have a perfect texture to them, allowing for better retainability compared to the older versions. It also adds a modern look to what is typically a finely finished wood or bone scales. I can see the performance really shining with blood-soaked hands. I would be curious to see how the spring action performs over time under harsh backcountry environments. Will a mixture of blood, dirt and hair gum up the springs? Only time will tell I suppose.
If I have one critique with the 110 Auto Elite, it’s the fact that it doesn’t have a pocket clip, which would be a much-welcomed option. I know this will detract from the classic appearance and may be taboo to some, but you won’t find me putting this in my EDC collection just yet. The leather pouch is meant to have a belt woven through it for ideal carry. But outside of a camping/hiking environment, I don’t wear anything on my belt. I tried for a week to carry it in my pocket like the good ole’ days, but with the weight, the knife would fall down sideways inside my pocket. This caused me to look like Steven Tyler pitching a side pipe on stage. So I switched it out for fear of some mother catching me making eye contact. Overall I’m insanely happy with this knife and it will find its forever home in my camping kit that I hit the trail with. I’m glad to see Buck breathed some modern metallurgy and updates into this classic.
I first saw Zero Tolerance in 2007 at Grey Group Training in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I was immediately attracted to the look of their knives. But their price point turned me off. So when I got the chance to review the 0470 model, I jumped on it.
Designed by Dimitri Sinkevitch and coming in at just over 3 ounces for a 3.4-inch bladed knife, this knife naturally falls into an EDC role. The weight is unnoticeable. This is due to the lightweight, but strong, construction materials.
The handle features a carbon fiber inlay giving the knife a very sleek, high-class look. The action is silky smooth and easy to activate.
I was once turned off on more expensive pocket knives. A few weeks with the Zero Tolerance 0470 in my pocket changed that. I’ve already ordered another ZT. Plus, as I say in the video below… if you’re gonna possibly bet your life on a 3 1/2 inch blade, you might wanna make sure that blade is worth a little something.
Author – Seth Lewis served as a reconnaissance infantryman in the 82nd Airborne with two deployments to Iraq as well as 18 months in Afghanistan doing High Threat Protection for the Department of State. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and is currently working as a security contractor for DHS and a firearms instructor
My EDC used to be heavier than it is now, but I’ve learned to ‘cut the fat’ through training, practice, and education. My EDC is a pretty basic setup compared to most, but that is because I prefer simple which leads to being habitual with carrying it. Every morning I walk down the steps, into my office and take my EDC items from my EDC tray and it all goes into my pockets.
In my front left pocket in my Streamlight Protac 1AAA handheld flashlight. In my front right pocket, I keep my folding utility knife, which could be used for self-defense if it came down to it and my Chums minimalist wallet. In my back, left pocket is my SWAT-T Tourniquet. The subject of tourniquets can become somewhat of a debate depending on who you talk to. The SWAT-T works for me and has proven to be the best low-vis type tourniquet for me. I’ve trained with it and am comfortable with using it. I also wear a bad-ass watch from either Resco Instruments or NFW watch company which levels up your whole EDC.