Beretta Nano, by Pat Cascio

The trend continues with subcompact 9mm handguns, and today we are reviewing the Beretta Nano. Market for Itty-Bitty Handguns For quite a few years, the handgun market was awash in itty-bitty .380 ACP handguns, and for good reason. A lot of people were getting their concealed handgun permit, and most didn’t want to strap on a big gun each day. I can certainly understand that. For many, many years I carried either a full-sized 1911 in .45 ACP or a Commander-sized 1911 again in .45 ACP. However, as I age, and I seem to be aging much faster these days, …




Zero Tolerance 0055, by Pat Cascio

Zero Tolerance knives is a division of Kershaw Knives, and they produce some of the most hard-core fixed and folding blades to be found. Today we’re looking at the ZT Model 0055. Kershaw Plant in Oregon I still remember the very first time I toured the Kershaw plant, here in Oregon, many years ago. If I recall correctly, they had a mere 18 people on the floor assembling knives. All of that has changed over the years. They have a huge operation these days. They moved into another building and have already expanded their operation further. The operation is very …




Blackhawk Clothing, by Pat Cascio

If you are serious about surviving the End Of The World, or whatever SHFT scenario that may come you way, you might want to consider the Blackhawk Products clothing line. Bearing Burdens of the Homeless Please, bear with me for a few minutes, as I digress just a little bit. It will all make sense to you, I promise. Some years ago, when my family and I lived outside of Ontario, Oregon, we started a much needed street ministry to the homeless. At any given time, we could find 20-30 homeless people walking the streets, day and night. So, there …




Cold Steel’s Chef’s Knife, Commercial Series, by Pat Cascio

Surviving the kitchen with the Cold Steel Chef’s Knife is our topic today. People Talking About “Surviving” I don’t know how many times I’ve heard it repeated; people are talking about “surviving” whatever it is that is coming our way. More often than not, I hear people telling me they are going to bug out to the mountains or the wilderness and survive there without giving it any thought or preparations. I’m sorry, if you believe that you are living a lie or a fantasy, or you are misguided. I used to live in Chicago, and I couldn’t tell you …




Kahr S9, by Pat Cascio

Always looking to improve and upgrade their handguns, Kahr Arms  just released their latest compact 9mm, the S9, and that is under review today. Kahr’s Rep of “Rolls Royce” of Trigger Pulls Many years ago, I remember reading about Kahr 9mm handguns, and how all the gun writers raved about their DAO (Double Action Only) trigger pull. The writers claimed it was the Rolls Royce of DAO trigger pulls. Having been a writer for more than 25 years in the gun, knife, and survival fields, I took it with a grain of salt, knowing how some gun writers hype things …




Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

The Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911 is one of the best of the best 1911s available, at any price, and we’ll report our results from testing in this article. Bear With My Sad Story Bear with me, before I give my findings on the TRP Operator 1911 in this article. This is a sad but somewhat humorous story about the start to my testing this outstanding 1911. I received the TRP Operator 1911 from Springfield Armory during the past winter. Before testing this gun, I noticed that the Tritium front sight wasn’t glowing at all. I have had this happen …




Butler Creek ASAP Magazine Loader, by Pat Cascio

We’re going to take a close look at the new double stack handgun magazine loader from Butler Creek www.butlercreek.com. Getting Older and Feeling It I don’t believe that any of us like to admit we’re getting older. No matter what you age might be, it’s a fact of life. Believe me when I tell you this, I never thought I’d live as long as I have. Very shortly, I’ll be turning 66 years of age. I lived a pretty wild, exciting, and dangerous life when I was younger and never thought I’d live beyond 35. That’s the truth. Had I …




SOG’s Power Grab Multi-Tool, by Pat Cascio

SOG’s Power Grab Multi-Tool is under review today, and it is one of their newest and stoutest multi-tools they have produced to date. Tools and Inventions I’m always interested in some of the TV programs that show the top 100 tools or inventions that have made our lives easier. Some of the products featured are inventions that I’ve never heard of or used; some are strange, to say the least. I’m sure today’s generation probably thinks that the cell phone is the best invention ever! I would sure disagree with that. I wish the cell phone had never been invented. …




Beretta APX 9mm Handgun, by Pat Cascio

The new Beretta APX 9mm handgun is a hot seller, and it’s the subject of our review in this article. No other handgun has fit my hand better than the grand old Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistol, and I’m not alone in this feeling, either. I’ve heard the same thing over and over again from folks who own a Hi-Power. Well, all of that changed the moment I picked-up the new Beretta APX 9mm handgun. I have never, and I mean never, had a handgun feel so good in my hand, no exceptions! I just had to get that out of …




CRKT TSR Knife, by Pat Cascio

The Columbia River Knife & Tool – TSR (Terzuola Survival & Rescue) fixed blade survival knife is one of the newest designs from the mind of legendary custom knife maker Bob Terzuola. I’ve covered Terzuola’s background before, but a quick glean of his background is in order. Custom Knife Maker Bob Terzuola Before becoming a legendary custom knife maker, Bob Terzuola was into carving jade jewelry in Central America at one point. Then he moved to New Mexico and started making custom knives. Back in 1984, I saw an ad for his knives and sent away for his brochure. It …




Cold Steel’s Frenzy II, by Pat Cascio

Cold Steel never ceases to amaze me, and this time around they sent me their new Frenzy II folding knife for testing. Long time friend and owner of Cold Steel, Lynn Thompson knows that our readers at SurvivalBlog keep asking me to review large folding knives.  Lynn is only too willing and ready to show us some of his newest and coolest blades. Knives Cold Steel Knife and Tool Company  is a knife and tool company dedicated to creating the world’s strongest and sharpest knives. They also create swords, tomahawks, machetes, cutlery, and tools for every day use. One of …




Valley Food Storage, by Pat Cascio

While there are many different types of “survival foods” on the market, ranging from military MREs to freeze-dried and dehydrated plus any number of types of off-the-shelf foods that last a long time, today we are looking at dehydrated foods from Valley Food Storage. Survival Foods Having been a Prepper since I was a little tyke, I’ve tasted all manner of “survival foods” over the years. Some were better than others and some much, much better that others. Then we have some that aren’t very tasty, but they will keep you alive. My family and I are always on the …




Springfield Armory’s Range Officer Elite Champion, by Pat Cascio

The all-new and improved Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite is under review today, and Springfield really went out of their way to update/upgrade this line of fine 1911A1 handguns. Springfield Armory 1911 Range Officer Review Plans I’ve been a huge fan of the Springfield Armory line of 1911 handguns since the mid 1980s for a number of reasons. Their very first 1911s were mostly mil-spec in nature, and they were priced extremely “right”; they still are. Springfield Armory offers great value for your money. I had recently received the Springfield Armory full-sized Range Officer (R.O.)1911A1 for testing and review and …




Cold Steel Heavy Duty Sword Cane, by Pat Cascio

The Cold Steel Heavy Duty Sword Cane may well be the strongest and without a doubt the sharpest real world sword cane ever built. In 25 years of testing and writing about knives, firearms, and all manner of survival gear, it was done on a professional basis, and I always tried to maintain an unbiased opinion. However, in the case of the Cold Steel Heavy Duty Sword Cane, it was tested for real world use—my own personal, medical use. My Slow Hip Replacement Recovery As this is being written, I’m in my eleventh week of recovery from hip replacement surgery. …




Maxxeon’s 2nd Gen WorkStar 620 Headlamp, by Pat Cascio

Today we’re taking a close look at the Maxxeon 2nd Gen WorkStar 620 Technician’s Rechargeable Headlamp. We have tested several other lighting products from Maxxeon for SurvivialBlog readers over the years. One still sits on my desk, and I use it all the time when I need extra illumination for a project or looking for a lost gun part. Maxxeon Varied Intensity Levels Not all headlamps are the same. With that said, the Maxxeon 620 is quite the light. It has several intensity levels, with the highest being 700 lumens, medium 400 lumens, and low is still a bright 150 …