Category: Review

Today, we’re taking a close look at the Kimber Ultra Carry II Two-Tone 1911, chambered in 9mm. I’ve always felt that, the 1911 was made for the .45 ACP, so you’ll have to excuse my bias on this – buy I’m learning, so be patient with me. More often than not, I can be “caught” packing a handgun in 9mm these days, so like I said, I’m learning. I think! I get this question all the time, and there really isn’t any pat answer I can give to folks, but we’ll try once again! “What is your favorite gun?” And, …

I’ve never been let down by any products from Cold Steel. I waited a good long time to get their Code 4 folder in my hands. It is a very popular folder, and they are quite often out of stock. But I found that it was worth the wait. Lynn Thompson, who owns Cold Steel, started the trend with his version of the ancient Japanese Tanto style of blade – his first knife was a fixed blade version – and I couldn’t tell you how many companies attempted to copy it – all to no avail. You see, there is …

Once again, Kershaw Knives is on a roll, with yet another innovation in a folder. There appears to be no end to new knife designs these days. Some are mere gimmicks. However some have some real down to earth applications. I’m a sucker for folding knives – there are so many different designs these days, its hard to pick one for the next purchase a person is going to make. Today I’m reviewing the “Flythrough” by Kershaw, and it’s a bit different, in that, you can see how it operates, without taking it apart. Speaking of taking knives apart, I …

Many readers probably aren’t aware that, the US Navy SEALs packed the Smith & Wesson Model 59 in Vietnam back in the 1960s. This wasn’t the only handgun they used, but it was their preferred handgun to use a suppressor on.  And it held 15+1 rounds of 9mm ammo. The S&W Model 39 came along long before the Model 59. However, the Model 39 only held 8+1 rounds of ammo — still, it was a great handgun, I carried one for several years doing PI work. It was fairly “compact” all things considered, and it was light-weight, due to the …

Anyone who knows even a little bit about real battle rifles, knows that the Swiss military has issued the SIG Sauer STGW90 for years, and that it is still being used. The original STGW90 was the envy of gun owners – who, of course, couldn’t own them. First of all, they couldn’t be imported into the USA. Secondly, they were select-fire – a big “no-no” in our once free country. The Swiss also developed a semi-auto only version, known as the PE 90 or SIG 550/551. Still, American gun owners lusted for one of these rifles. Only a few hundred SIG …

I believe that CRKT (Columbia River Knife & Tool) set the trend going, in collaborating with custom knife makers. Many of the designs that they are producing, are the result of collaborations. And, without those wonderful collaborations, the knife buying public wouldn’t have access to some fantastic knife designs, at  reasonable prices. We all can’t afford to purchase every custom knife we see – they are expensive, and oftentimes, there is a waiting lists. In some cases those waiting lists are several years long, with some makers. After all, they can only produce so many knives per year. So, we …

I’m not quite sure where the name for this compact folding shovel came from – but its called the “Fivejoy” for some reason – I’m sure there’s something behind the name. There are a lot of compact folding shovels out there on the market, and many are absolute pieces of junk – not worth having in an emergency, even if they were free. I’ve tested a lot of folding shovels over the years – and I mean a lot. There are some poorly made copies of the tri-fold military shovel, and they look good, but are junk. There are some …

All stainless steel handguns, are quite the marvel – well, at least they used to be. I still remember the very first stainless steel handgun I ever saw, it was the Smith & Wesson Model 60, a little 5-shot snubby revolver – it sold like crazy. However, when it came to semi-auto pistols, there were some serious issues with a stainless steel frame and slide – if the two parts were made from the same formulation of stainless steel, it would “gall” – after a few shots if the gun wasn’t heavily lubed, the two same stainless steels would mesh …

Wicked! That one word, aptly describes the CRKT Du Hoc fixed blade knife. It it is made by Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT).  Most knives are designed to be used as everyday working tools, and they can double as a weapon for self-defense. However, make no mistake about it, the Du Hoc, designed by Austin McGlaun, in Columbus, Georgia – is purely a combat blade – in my humble opinion. It was designed specifically as a combat fixed blade knife. It is modeled after the Karambit, a curved blade that was meant for combat or self-defense. If you have …