Category: Review

CRKT Maven Folder, by Pat Cascio

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

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

“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 …


Springfield Armory Saint Edge AR 5.56mm Pistol, by Pat Cascio

Several weeks ago, we introduced our readers to the Springfield Armory Saint AR 5.56mm rifle. Today we’re taking a close look at the newest sibling, the Saint “Edge” AR pistol, and it is quite a firearm.  Note: This is not to be confused with Springfield’s standard Saint AR pistol, which I will be reviewing in a couple of weeks. According to the Springfield Armory web site, the Edge AR pistol combines the most popular features of their premium Saint Edge AR rifle, with compact shootability in an AR pistol platform. This compact AR pistol, is everything Springfield claims it to …


Springfield Armory XDm 10mm, by Pat Cascio

The 10mm round is just one of those calibers that refuses to go away, and this latest handgun addition– the Springfield Armory XDm– which is chambered in 10mm, might just be the best handgun to come along in this hot-stepping caliber. Some History of 10mm Caliber Handguns Let me give you some of the history on 10mm caliber handguns. Many years ago, a company called Dornus & Dixon announced they were coming out with a handgun in the new 10mm caliber. There were many problems along the way, first of which was financing. The second issue was that, while they …


Kershaw Concierge, by Pat Cascio

Kershaw knives never ceases to amaze me with the seemingly unlimited folding knife designs they come out with. Today we’re checking out the new Concierge folder, and it’s a slick one for every day carry. Folding Knives I’ve been carrying folding knives since I was about five or six years old. When I was growing up in Chicago, just about every kid carried a folder of some kind. We didn’t get into knife fights, either. It was just a tool as far as we were concerned. We also played a game called mumbly peg. I’m not sure what the point …


Blackhawk Terrain Mid-Training Shoes, by Pat Cascio

A good shoe is important to survival, be it in the city or out in the boonies. Without a good shoe, you may fail in your survival efforts. We’re looking at the Blackhawk Products Terrain Mid-Training shoe. Discount Big Box Store Shoes I know. I know. We all have to watch how we spend our hard-earned money these days, and I’m no exception to this. I certainly understand the discount shoe stores and big box stores, who sell cheap shoes, and I mean this not only in price but that they’re cheaply made. Oh sure, they initially look really well …


Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

Once again, another new and very exciting 1911 from Springfield Armory is under review today. This one is a winner and a bargain as well. Range Officer 1911 From Several Years Ago Several years ago, Springfield Armory came out with the Range Officer 1911. It was meant to be all set up so the user could enter various shooting competitions, and it worked quite well in that regard. However, it wasn’t 100% suitable for street carry, if you ask me; it needed to be refined, updated, or “something” needed to be done. The All-New SA Range Officer Elite Operator 1911 …


Gerber Gator Machete, by Pat Cascio

It’s often forgotten, but a machete can come in handy in many wilderness situations. Under review today is the Gerber Gator Machete. Machetes I own several machetes of different sizes and from different companies. Some came without a package, so I have no idea who made them, other than to guess that they were made in China, as is this Gerber Gator Machete. All of my machetes are rusted. They are all manufactured out of carbon steel, and all were fairly inexpensive. However, they all work. Gerber I’ve been a fan of Gerber products for a lot of years, and …


Gerber Prodigy, by Pat Cascio

I’m always on the lookout for knife bargains and knives to test for our readers. This time around Amazon led me to the Gerber Prodigy, a fixed blade survival knife, and we’ll give you a run down on it in this article. Writers Who Test Firearms and Knives Many readers believe that writers, especially those of us who test firearms and knives, make a lot of money doing this for a living. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of us hold or have held other jobs while pursuing the testing/writing of products. As for me, I worked as …


S.T.O.M.P. II Medical Pack, by Pat Cascio

It may not look like it when you walk into my home office. It looks messy, but I know where everything is. I like to be organized, and with the Blackhawk Products new S.T.O.M.P. II Medical Pack, it makes it easy to find all the medical supplies one might need in an emergency. We’re taking a close look at the SEAL team Medic-inspired medical backpack today. Ambulance Boxes Back In the Day Back in the day, and we’re talking way back in the day when I worked on an ambulance, we had all of our medical gear stored inside of …


CZ P10-C, by Pat Cascio

One of the most in-demand 9mm pistols these days is the CZ P10-C. We have taken a close look at it and are pleased to give our test results here. Everything I Hoped It Would Be and Then Some It’s not often but this sometimes happens that when a pistol is so popular and in-demand they actually sell for more than retail. With this being the case, you know this one is a winner. The CZ-P10-C is under review, and it is everything I hoped it would be and then some. CZ CZ is world famous for their firearms, and …


Ruger EC9s, by Pat Cascio

For as long as I can remember, I’ve carried a second (or backup) handgun to my main handgun, and these days we have quite a selection of small, compact handguns to pick from. We’re looking at the new Ruger EC9s 9mm handgun today. It is one super, little, concealed carry piece. Ruger- Affordable Handguns I’ve stated this before, but I will say it again; for the most part, Ruger www.ruger.com is producing guns that are for us blue collar workers. Now that’s not to say that they aren’t producing some outstanding upper-end firearms, because they are. However, many of the …


Kershaw Kitchen Knives, by Pat Cascio

Survival means different things to different people. Many only think of survival in terms of surviving out in the wilderness. That isn’t the only type of survival. Today, we are looking at a set of kitchen knives from Kershaw Knives and how they will help you survive your daily kitchen chores. Ernest Emerson- The Real Deal One of the most famous tactical knife designers in the world is Ernest Emerson. When many hear his name, they immediately think of his line of custom or factory-made tactical knives. They do so with good reason; this is what made Emerson famous. However, …


Cold Steel Bush Ranger, by Pat Cascio

In a most fitting tribute to Jim Bowie, Cold Steel recently came out with the Bush Ranger. This is a folder that sure does remind one of the Bowie fixed-blade knife, with its deep clip-point blade. Cold Steel Always In Demand Anyone who has been around the cutlery field for any length of time surely knows the name “Cold Steel” and their outstanding line of knives. To be sure, the Cold Steel line-up is always in demand, and quite often they will be out-of-stock on many of their knives. It is difficult for them to keep up with supply and …