SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “HJL”. You need to see the emergency knife sharpener featured today. This is a must-have for any serious prepper.
Emergency Knife Sharpener
Reader T.W. sent me a sample knife sharpener called Speedy Sharp. When I first picked it up, I really couldn’t understand how it was supposed to work, so I did what any good prepper would do. I looked it up on the Internet. Wow! This tool is a “must have” for any prepper. It’s simply a piece of sharpened carbide mounted on a steel handle with a plastic grip and cover. It weighs less than a small pocket knife but it will sharpen any knife you have in a pinch, including those with serrated edges. You should note that you have to use a light touch though. The carbide takes a bite in the steel of your knife and a heavy hand can ruin a good blade.
It took just three light passes on Mrs Latimer’s serrated tomato knife that somebody had ruined the edge by cutting on a marble cutting board. I’m getting one of these for each person’s BOB and EDC and perhaps a few extras. Given the choice, I’d still rather use a water stone to put a fine edge on a knife, but when I can’t carry my Tormek with me…
The End of Gun Control
Hobby CNC automation has brought about the end of gun control. The politicians just haven’t figured that out yet. Owen Shroyer of Infowars interviews Cody Wilson (of Ghostgunner fame): The End of Gun Control?
Bundy Trial
If you haven’t heard yet, the incredibly biased Judge Navarro was forced to declare a mistrial in the Bundy case due to proof being offered that the Federal government had withheld critical information from the defense. While I can’t agree with Bundy’s tactics or actions over the past few years, there is no question that the Feds have overstepped on nearly every account. Some might question the import of the Federal government withholding the idea that the FBI was involved and had deployed sniper teams on overwatch of the Bundy ranch. Those who remember Ruby Ridge or Waco will understand why that was such a rallying cry for patriots and militia groups. Thanks to the many readers who suggested this article.
Survival Knife
I ran across this Kickstarter campaign from Matthias Bart in Switzerland. He has designed a survival knife to use in his classes and consulting work and it looks pretty interesting to me. I’m going to buy into this one because I like the appearance and design of the knife and the convex edge is appealing. I’ve not actually owned one before, but from an engineering design perspective, it seems that if you want a durable tough edge that will take abuse, that is the way to go. His project actually met its fund raising goals in only 50 minutes, but is still available until January 14th.
#LeavePublicSchools
The British government has confirmed that every primary and secondary school in England will be forced to hold relationship and sex education (RSE) classes starting in September 2019. The move will not only make sex education mandatory for young children, but will move the discussion from simple biology into “values” pushed by the far-left. Yes, your child will also be forced to learn about transgender, gay and lesbian values taught by some stranger at school. Thanks to reader D.B. for the link.
Civil War
Reader T.J. sent in an article that looks into what a modern civil war in the U.S. might look like. The last American Civil War divided the country into two de facto nations that were somewhat homogeneous but with different economic interests. A modern civil war will not be so clean. It would probably be similar to the Spanish Civil War with leftists controlling the Urban/City areas and conservatives controlling the rural areas. This is a formula for spontaneous violence also similar to the India-Pakistan situation in 1947. No one really wants a civil war, but it does seem to be on the mind of many on both sides. I’m not sure they understand what they are asking for.
Poor Man’s WMD
While US commandos are practicing drills to capture North Korean nukes, the country is moving forward with implementing the poor man’s version of WMD. Kim Jong-un is now testing warheads loaded with Anthrax for his ICBMs. The U.S. government says it was aware of the tests which were intended to determine if the bacteria could withstand the high temperatures of warhead re-entry. Of course, North Korea vehemently denies the tests took place but that it will take revenge on the U.S. for developing biological warheads. Thanks to W.W. for the links.
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Please send your news tips to HJL. (Either via e-mail of via ourContact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who watch news that is important to them. Due to their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” news. We often “get the scoop” on news that is most likely ignored (or reported late) by mainstream American news outlets. Thanks!
Re knife sharpener, a utilities lineman friend of mine uses one of these for his tools. It is great for putting a quick new edge on his knives.
I’m also a customer of Speedy Sharp, they also make great fire strikers combined with fire rods too. Good advice on the ‘light touch’, I almost messed up a vintage Old Timer because I didn’t know that before.
RE: Poor Man’s WMD
Why in the world would NK spend time and precious resources in an attempt to weaponize anthrax when it is well known that they possess copious amounts of VX nerve agent? Assuming that they could even develop a method to protect the fragile anthrax organism from re-entry temperatures, it would prove to be less effective than a trebuchet heaving plague-ridden bodies across the DMZ. To me this sounds like an attempt to establish the narrative for a false flag operation. There is no better way to frighten the populace into supporting another endless war than using a word that incites more fear than the actual effectiveness of the weapon.
I think we are being played again. Remember Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction?
DD, chemical agents are point weapons, very lethal when used, but cant spread like a disease (light nerve agents can drift on the wind, but become diluted as they spread). Anthrax isn’t much better, but does survive longer. Nerve agents kill quickly, anthrax takes days. Both VX and Anthrax have enhanced fear inducing capabilities when compare to high explosive warheads.
Steve,both chemical and biologicals are area weapons(like cluster bombs or phosphorus). Both aren’t necessarily designed to kill immediately but to incapacitate to overwhelm the enemys support and logistic functions(medical and transport). They are also used for area denial,contaminated ground is too hard to pass over(decontamination is logistically difficult) and avenues of approach can be controlled(same thing as mine fields but done remotely. That is theory,but this is propoganda(surprised they didn’t have Russian hookers in the story)
1) I don’t know much about the Bundy case but I remember Ruby Ridge. The Feds tried Weaver and his friend Harris for 1st degree murder. They were found not guilty and the Clinton Justice Department ended up paying the accused about $3.4 million in a lawsuit. But if gifted attorney Gerry Spence had not taken their case, they could very well have ended up executed.
2) When Idaho charged the FBI sniper with manslaughter, the Feds tried to argue sovereign immunity but lost on appeal. The FBI sniper ended up not standing trial because a new local prosecutor was elected and dropped the case.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Ridge
3) But all the gains from that fight went out the window after the Sept 11, 2001 attack and after a government scientist mailed anthrax to some Democratic leaders in order to exploit the fear and panic.
Please also note that William Gore the FBI agent in charge of the scene and the man to give the shoot to kill order is the Sheriff in San Diego and has been actively working to cover up his involvement.
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/oct/29/ticker-remember-ruby-ridge-sheriff-gore/
I’ve the Speedy Sharp tool for years and keep several of them in various locations, backpacks, etc. I showed it to my machinist friend a few years back and he’d never seen one before and thought it was so good he went and bought several himself. We always wait for them to go on sale at 50% off at our local Canadian Tire store and we grab a couple more each time.
I’ve sharpened everything from pocket knives, machetes, axes, and even shovel blades. They are a must have even for the casual user of pocket knives.
I have three of these beauties.
They are a godsend when rehabilitating old blades and they will put an edge on anything.
They work especially well on scissors and kitchen shears.
PS In its recount of the Ruby Ridge incident, the SandpointReader notes:
“In October 1997, E. Michael Kahoe, the former chief of the violent crimes section at the FBI, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for destroying an “after-action” report that criticized the bureau’s role in Ruby Ridge. The 26-year veteran of the FBI had pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.
No bar complaints were made against prosecutor Ron Howen by Judge Lodge or the defense team for his actions in the preparation and trial, but Howen’s career as a federal prosecutor was effectively over.
“You don’t make enemies by defying the FBI or DOJ without consequences,” Howen wrote to the Reader. “Ultimately, it cost me a marriage and in part, the life of my son by suicide.”
http://sandpointreader.com/stand-off-ruby-ridge-25-years-later-2/
The Ruby Ridge killings occurred toward the end of the George H Bush administration but the FBI response/prosecutions were done by the Bill Clinton administration. Clinton’s FBI Director, Louis Freeh, was not censured for his management even though an internal Justice Department report recommended it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/06/us/freeh-was-spared-censure-for-handling-of-ruby-ridge.html
Freeh’s FBI was also strongly criticized by Judge James A. Parker for its deceit and vicious treatment of Wen Ho Lee. Meanwhile, Freeh attended church with FBI Counterintel agent Robert Hanssen, one of Russia’s most successful spies for 16 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Freeh#Robert_Hanssen
I should think that N.K. and Kim Cum Dumb could effect a major strike against the USA in one of two ways right now:
1. An EMP strike near the west coast; no need to worry about reentry heat as the detonation at 200+ miles up would for the most part negate the problem.
2. Put an existing bomb on board a tramp steamer and float it up San Francisco harbor …
Either way if the fat little idiot want a war all he has to do is stop barking and start biting.
Lt,they are building ballistic missile submarines for first strike capability(like was demonstrated off California a few years ago)or retaliatory ability. The real question is why we keep provoking tension on the peninsula? We had them beat before 2001 but president shrub opened his idiot hole and crushed the reunification that would of ended 50 years of futile war and put us on China’s border without a shot,unless he was more concerned with his families defense stocks and the military/indutrial complex profits.
China has stated a US/UN attack on NK would be retaliated against and would lead to full spectrum war. How do you stop a Billion man army with the dollar worthless,no electrical grid,NewYork/LA/Chicago etc smoking holes,logistical support destroyed? You don’t,you learn to kowtow and speak Chinese.
RE: What Might Civil War Be Like?
‘Twas That It Were So Simple …
From the article,
“Without a steady supply of the works of Meryl Streep and Matt Damon, millions of conservatives would instantly drop dead from boredom – that is, according to Meryl Streep.”
Considering the water pumps to most city’s water reservoirs are outside their boundaries why not flip off the switch until they produce one Meryl Streep movie a week … or not?
While there may be local electricity production in urban areas, the fuel comes from rural ones. Dropping the long haul power lines at a regional distribution center, then blockading the rail and roadways into the cities will probably do the trick. Without electricity, they wont be able to pump water into towers, run their iphones or ipads, watch TV or pump gas for their Subaru’s. And as for ready made military forces, the Army and Marines are based out in the country in most places. A few have become suburban due to city growth, Ft Lewis, Ft Carson, Camp Pendleton, but the forces are less likely to share the leftie views of the big city nearby.
Getting biologicals through the atmosphere during re-entry had been perfected by the Soviets, using actively-cooled (refrigerated) re-entry vehicles. I’m sure Russian and Chinese technologists working for Un know this. In the late 1980s, American intelligence agencies were puzzled by several missile tests that revealed RVs having far lower re-entry temperatures. It wasn’t until Vladimir Pasetchik defected to the UK and unmasked the massive Soviet BW program that we figured out why. The life forms require refrigeration to keep them alive and virulent for the ten second ride through the atmosphere. Once through, clusters of bomblets are dispensed into the air for efficient distribution of the agent.
Biologival science and engineering are not always your friend.
Beware that there are some knockoffs to the Speedy Sharp out there that aren’t nearly as effective.
As for the light touch recommendation, yes, learned this the hard way after watching a wire of high carbon steel come off the edge of my pocket knife.
JK, yes there are knockoffs of many reputable products but if you buy from trusted sources and get a bad batch you shouldn’t have a problem returning the item. However, I won’t be driving and wasting my time and gas to return a $5 item unless I already have plans to go to the major retailer for other items. Also, as a computer geek since the late 80’s long before Al Gore invented the internet, I have never bought from eBay, Amazon, or any other online store. Nobody gets to data mine me unless they pay me for my info. And my price is a mere fraction of what Zuckerberg has made billions from by harvesting his Facebook user info. Sorry for the extra rant about data mining.
Reno the Clinton era butcher, called in the tanks when the local population started discussing aid to the beleaguered Davidians. A John Brown raid would have occurred if that Waco standoff would have kept going.
Civil War:
Another Gaze Into The Future
December 22, 2017
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2017/12/22/another-gaze-into-the-future/
Western Rifle Shooters Association
Originally posted by Aesop, December 21, 2017
As with most WRSA posts, expect salty language unsuitable for younger folks.