Category: Review

Cold Steel Crawford 1, by Pat Cascio

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I’ve followed the career of custom knife maker Pat Crawford for many years. And about 20 years ago – maybe longer, his son, Wes joined his dad making custom knives – and their custom knives are always in great demand. Today, we’ll look at the Crawford 1, designed by Wes Crawford, and produced by Cold Steel, in a very affordable version of one of Crawford’s custom folders. Its nice to see a son following in his father’s footsteps, you don’t see this very often these days, for some reason. Another thing that is getting to be a rarity are custom …


QLav Personal Bidet, by Pat Cascio

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I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the testing of this product, as it is something that is a bit out of the ordinary. I’m not sure how many readers are familiar with the bidet – I never saw one or heard of one, until I was in New York City back in 1978, staying at a hotel – my first time ever in a hotel. I was working an undercover gig, that took me from my then home town of Chicago, to Miami and finally to NYC. Up until then I had only stayed in motels when traveling. Upon …


CRKT Provoke Knife, by Pat Cascio

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Just when I think I’ve seen it all in folding knives, someone throws me a curve ball. This time around, it is CRKT with their “Provoke” model by custom knife maker Joe Caswell. And, to be sure, this isn’t quite what most folks picture as a folding knife, when it comes down to it. As a knife designer myself, I’ve designed quite a few fixed blade knives over the years, and most were made for me, by custom knife makers. I now have one folding knife design, and I’m trying to tweak the design specs, and that is no easy …


Zero Tolerance 0393 Folder, by Pat Cascio

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“Zero Tolerance” is a bold name for any company. This is a knife company is actually a division of famed Kershaw Knives. Today we’re looking at their ZT0393 model folder. I don’t care who you are, or what you make, when you name your company “Zero Tolerance” the consumers expect nothing less than perfection in your products – all your products. That’s a tough claim to live up to. However, when we’re talking about knives, it is a very bold step to imply that your products are made to perfection, and without flaw. Many years ago, I used to collect …


Siege Stoves, by Pat Cascio

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Have you ever been out camping, hunting, or hiking, and you had a desire for a nice fresh-brewed cup of coffee, but you didn’t want to make a campfire to brew it? How about a nice warm meal, and I don’t mean taking an MRE and putting it in the heater pouch to heat it up. Yeah, me too. And, most of the time, there isn’t a need for a campfire if you want to cook something or make some fresh coffee. Consider getting a Siege Stove. Those are what I’m reviewing today. I was never a Boy Scout, but …


S&W M&P 9mm Compact, by Pat Cascio

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Back in the day, I used to be a huge fan of S&W firearms. It was usually my preferred choice in a handgun. However, over the years, some of S&W politics turned me off, as well as a few times I encountered poor customer service. S&W is less political these days, and their  customer service is said to be better. Today, we’re checking out the M&P 9mm Compact semi-auto, and it’s a real dandy for concealed carry. I’m not really bashing S&W these days. Far from it – the old guard at S&W made some bad business decisions some years …


CRKT/Ruger AR Cleaning Tool, by Pat Cascio

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I do a lot of AR-15 shooting these days, either testing guns for articles, or just for my own shooting pleasure. One thing that I don’t especially enjoy, and never have, is AR cleaning. Because they use a gas tube rather than a gas piston, they require frequent cleaning. And they aren’t one of the easiest rifles to clean. Today, we’re looking at the AR cleaning tool, from CRKT and Ruger. Several years ago, Ruger commissioned CRKT to produce some cutlery for them – under the Ruger name, and it has been a great relationship. The first time I handled …


Glock 17 RTF 9mm Handgun, by Pat Cascio

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Many readers have asked me to review the Glock 17, even though I’ve already reviewed the Glock 19 – which is my favorite Glock model. Other than their size, there isn’t a lot of difference between the two models per se. However, since I received a lot of requests for my input on the Glock 17, we’re taking a close look at it today. It was 1987, and my family and I lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado – actually we lived slightly outside of The Springs, right next to the Peterson Air Force Base. Even though I was in partnership with my …


Cold Steel Cheap Shot 130 Crossbow, by Pat Cascio

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We often only think about firearms when we discuss hard-core survival. And of course, we need a good knife for various chores. But archery is often overlooked. Today, we’re taking a close look at Cold Steel‘s Cheap Shot 130 crossbow. I quickly found that it is a joy to use. When I was 11 or 12 years old, a friend and I used to hunt rabbits in a field – a big field – down the block from where my mother and step-father lived. I didn’t live with them, but would spend some weekends at their house. The field itself …


Savage Axis .30-06 and Trigger Kit, by Pat Cascio

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I’m a sucker for a great deal on firearms, and my local gun shop knows this. They are always putting guns in my hands. One really caught my attention: the Savage Arms Axis chambered in 30-06. That is one of my favorite big game cartridges. I don’t get out and do a lot of hunting these days, however when I do, its usually for deer, or black bear, and my all-time favorite caliber is .30-06. It’ll get the job done – every single time – with the right bullet placement, and the right bullet. I completely missed hunting this past …


Bell & Howell TacLight Lantern/Flashlight Combo, by Pat Cascio

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When the lights go out, we usually reach for a flashlight. However, there are much better forms of portable light. Today we check out the TacLight lantern and flashlight. They are winners. I’ve owned many LED lanterns over the years, some were really bad, and some were a bit more than okay, when it came to giving us light, when the lights went out. Living in the boonies, we lose electricity quite often from trees falling on power lines because of heavy snow, rain, and winds. It just comes with living out in the country, and we are usually the …


Springfield Armory SAINT AR Pistol, by Pat Cascio

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Editor ‘s Note: This review is of the standard Springfield Armory SAINT AR pistol. It is not to be confused with the Saint Edge, which Pat reviewed on January 21, 2019. Pat also reviewed the Saint rifle, in February, 2017. — Most of the time, I have at least 25 products awaiting testing and a follow-up article. So, my plate is always full. When the Springfield Armory Saint AR Pistol first came out, I had to take a pass on testing it – just too much of a backlog. When things settled down a bit, I requested a sample of this AR …


CRKT Maven Folder, by Pat Cascio

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The nice folks at Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) sent me their Maven folder for testing. That is a strange name for a folding knife, “Maven”. It means someone who is an expert in their field, or who has acquired expert knowledge. The Maven folder was designed by Richard Rogers. Richard Rogers is a working cattle rancher in Magdalena, New Mexico. His toughest critic is probably himself, and when he set out to design a no-frills folding knife, he kept this in mind – keep it simple, yet functional. Simple is always better if you ask me – less …


Ruger AR-556 MPR, by Pat Cascio

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Today I’m reviewing a Ruger AR-556. But this isn’t their everyday version. Rather, it is an enhanced one, that has some special features. The Trump Era Black Rifle Bonanza America is now blissfully awash in AR-15 family rifles. There’s more companies manufacturing ARs than ever before. And since the election of Donald Trump, prices are ARs have never been lower–at least from the viewpoint of inflation-adjusted Dollars. So now is the time to buy. Unfortunately, with the Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives, I fear that a lot of anti-gun legislation will be coming down the pike. And, …


Cold Steel Storm Cloud Folder, by Pat Cascio

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“One gorgeous folder” aptly describes the Cold Steel Storm Cloud. It is one tough, but lightweight folding knife. It is one that you might want to add to your collection. When new knives come to my attention, and I think it is something our readers will really like, I request a sample. This folder from Cold Steel Knives, the Storm Cloud, really caught my eye when I first saw it. Only “bad” thing with many Cold Steel products is, supply seems to outstrip supply – and folks have to wait. I put in a request for the Storm Cloud, as …