Pat’s Product Reviews: Mil-Tac Knives & Tools M3 Tactical Folders

Many folks aren’t aware of Mil-Tac Knives & Tools, but they’ve been around for about six years now. Mil-Tac is owned and operated by Craig Sword, and I’ve known Sword since before he started Mil-Tac, when he was with another knife company. I’m happy to report, that I had a hand in helping Craig get Mil-Tac up and running. That’s not to say, I helped him physically start his company. Instead, Craig and I spent many, many hours on the phone discussing the idea of him starting-up a new knife company, and which direction it should go. I appreciate Sword’s faith in me with my ideas and input. He thought I’d have some sage advice after writing about guns and knives for a lot of years.

As a bit of a disclaimer, SurvivalBlog readers should know that I designed the CE-1, CE-2 and “Code Zero” 1911 grips for Mil-Tac. The CE-1 and CE-2 fixed blade fighting knives were actually a collaboration between myself, custom knife maker Ray Ennis and Craig Sword. I have no financial interest in Mil-Tac, nor do I receive any royalties from the products I brought to Mil-Tac. I was just helping a friend get a new business venture off the ground.

I’ve watched Craig Sword slowly add new products to the Mil-Tac line-up over the years, and it hasn’t been an easy task. As with any new business venture, there is a lot of money involved in starting this type of business, not to mention the machinery and raw materials. Craig has really done an outstanding job growing his company, and quite honestly, I’m surprised he has grown Mil-Tac as fast as he has, and has expanded is product line-up to what it is today. Great job, Craig! He has worked hard to get to where he’s at today, and he’s very proud of his customer service. He attends to this himself, as well as running the day-to-day operations of Mil-Tac, plus designing knives himself, attending trade shows, and actually making many of his products. He has his hands full all the time.

I recently received two new tactical folders from Mil-Tac for test and evaluation. These are called the M3 models, and they are tactical in every sense of the world – they aren’t designed for whittling wood or anything like that – they are designed for tough, self-defense work, period! The M3 comes in several different versions, to include Tanto style blades, as well as drop-point blades. They also come with standard G-10 handle scales or the new 3-D handle scales. The M3s are being produced for Mil-Tac by Fox Knives over in Italy, and they did a spectacular jo.

What we have with the M3 is a 3.9″ Tanto blade (the blade style I requested) made out of N690Co stainless steel. I don’t have the run down on this particular steel material, but I’ve had several other Mil-Tac folders made out of this same stainless steel, and it’s some tough stuff, yet fairly easy to re-sharpen. The blade is also coated with a black Teflon-type coating for additional protection against rust, and for a non-reflective finish. There is a dual thumb stud on the blade for quick deployment, and thumb serrations on the top of the blade, should you desire to choke-up on the blade. The handle material, as already mentioned is super-tough black G-10 laminate. I elected for the 3-D handle style. It is thicker and hand filling, to be sure. I really like a knife handle I can get a grip on and really hold onto. There are vertical as well as horizontal serrations on the handle scales.

There is a pocket/clothing clip, which allows you to move it around the handle for right or left hand use, as well as blade up or blade down carry. Nice! The design is a semi-open type handle, which allows most dirt and dust to fall out, instead of building-up inside the handle. There is a lanyard hole in the butt of the handle, and it’s actually big enough to allow the use of 550 parachute cord as a lanyard. A manual lock allows you to lock the blade open, once deployed, making this a virtual fixed blade knife. The standard method of locking the blade open is with the liner-lock, which is very strong and stout – and the manual locking lever is there for added safety.

Craig Sword sent me two samples of the M3, one with a plain edge, and the other with a partially serrated edge. A lot of people don’t like serrated blades, but I think they really come in handy if you ever have to cut wet rope, poly rope, open boxes or tear through tough material like heavy clothing. Both samples arrived shaving-sharp, too. The clothing/pocket clip is large and it’s not going to easily bend out of shape, like so many do on lesser knives, when they don’t heat-treat the clips. Many companies don’t bother to heat-treat their clips at all, and when you catch ’em on something, they bend out-of-shape and you can’t get ’em bent back to their original shape, either.

The butt of the handle is flat, and can be used as a blunt striking weapon, when lethal force isn’t needed. The pivot screw on the blade is larger than is seen on many knives – making it stronger, as well as allowing a much smoother opening and closing of the blade. The top of the handle is slightly curved upwards, and has friction grooves, allowing for a secure thumb placement when using the fencing style of grip in knife fighting.  The bottom of the handle has a nice finger groove and it also has some friction grooves for a secure purchase on the knife. A large, single spacer keeps the handle together and it has some “bumps” on it, again, allowing for a better purchase on the handle.

The M3 samples both opened smoothly – like butter, and locked firmly in place. There wasn’t any need to use the manual locking levers, but I used ’em just the same as they were easy to apply with the thumb while holding the knives in a fencing grip. I used the knives for some everyday chores around the house – even though their intended purpose is that of a fighting folder. Cutting open boxes from FedEx or UPS were easy, as well as cutting up some meat for meals. I “stabbed” both knives into a large pot roast, and they easily penetrated all the way to the handle and then some – I like the penetration power of the Tanto style blade.

I really like the 3-D handle scales – they fill my hand. If you don’t like a thicker-feeling folder, then go with the standard handle scales, which are thinner, but still made out of G-10 laminate. The overall appearance of the M3 samples, with their black blades and black G-10 handle scales are very business-like, and you know you have tactical folders in your hand, and not an ordinary pocket knife.

I can usually find something to “fault” or change on many knives and guns – it’s my nature to look to improve or change something to my own personal taste. However, there is nothing I’d change on the M3 samples I received. My only problem will be deciding which sample I want to keep – I can’t afford to purchase both of them.

As always, I try to save the best for last, and that’s price. On any of the M3 models, standard or 3-D handle scales, full retail price is $169 and I believe you are getting a great tactical folder for the money. You could spend more, but you won’t get more with many other folders. Truthfully, these knives should be retailing for about a hundred dollars more – so lay claim to one before Craig Sword realizes he’s selling these knives for less than he should.

Also, when you visit the Mil-Tac web site, check out the CE-1 and CE-2 fixed blade fighting knives that I helped design. And, for some of the best 1911 custom grips on the planet, check out my “Code Zero” grips – everyone who has tested ’em loves ’em, and I’ve had several well-known gun writers tell me that they are the best feeling 1911 grips they’ve ever used. They allow a very secure grip on your 1911, but they aren’t rough on the hands. Craig Sword also has several other styles of 1911 grips he is producing as well, and be sure to check them out as well.

Craig Sword is one of the good guys, and he deserves your business. He goes out of his way to make sure his customers are 100% satisfied with their purchases. Sword is also prior service with the US Army, and he does a lot to support our troops out of his own pocket. If you’re in the market for a new tactical folding knife, fixed blade knife or custom grips for your 1911 handgun, then be sure to check out Mil-tac.com and give them your business if you can. Please mention that your saw this article in SurvivalBlog. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: COMSEC, Bitcoin, and Ironkey Thumb Drives

James,
I took notice of the malware warning in your blog regarding  Bitcoin and some of the suggestions to thwart it. I’d like to throw my 2 cents in and suggest your readers check out  ironkey.com Ironkey makes a thumb drive that is like no other device on the market. I just bought one and I love it. I will describe what it does and why your readers may want to consider getting one as part of their COMSEC arsenal. I purchased the 16 GB model and the cost including delivery was $228. Yes, that is expensive, but wait until I describe what it can do.

A little history on this device is in order. It was designed by U.S. Naval Intelligence and the largest purchasers of this product is the U.S. Government. I know what you’re thinking, if the Government knows about it, I don’t want one. The hardware and software for this device is devoid of a back door and the mathematical algorithms that trigger the cryptochip are totally random, not even Ironkey can unlock them once they are initiated. They warn you that if you forget your password you’re on your own.

1.    When you insert the 2.0 USB device for the first time you’ll be taken through a process to get it going. I takes about 20 minutes and that includes setting up your Ironkey account. You’ll be given the option to “back-up” your data on Ironkey’s servers. I chose not to exercise that option for obvious reasons. The web site has great tutorials for first time users (highly recommended)

2.    The set up process has you create a password for the device.

3.    Now the fun begins. The next time you plug it in, a menu pops up and you have to enter your password. If you enter the password wrong more than 10 times, the memory of the device will be permanently bleached (erased) and it cannot be recovered. Worried about key loggers? Key loggers are a real threat to your privacy. Hackers can actually log what keys you are using and identify all your passwords as you type. You can type in your password if you wish but I don’t recommend it for that reason. There is a little icon on the start up menu and when you click on it a visual QWERTY board pops up on the computer screen. You simply “click” your password with your mouse instead. Even this method can be hacked if the hackers are really sophisticated so Ironkey answers that problem as well. Within the QWERTY board there is a command that allows the QWERTY board to be “shuffled” Basically all the letters and numbers get scrambled and will not be located where they would normally be so you can click your password in and if anyone was actually trying to decipher it they would not be able to.

4.    The entire device is water proof. It is made of steel and you can drive over it with your car or throw it against a wall and it won’t damage it. The entire system is encased in a hard resin epoxy so that if you tried to break it open it would destroy the cryptochip beyond any hope of recovery. You can kind of get the picture of where this is going, this company takes privacy seriously.

5.    Here is where this thing gets really interesting. In the control panel there is an application called “identity manager” It works in a couple of different ways, and here is the first example. You click on it, then click on “add” and type in the web address where you want to go and the passwords that go along with it such as your bank accounts. Once you’ve done that you simply open the “identity manager” and click on that account. The system will launch the web browser, fill in your passwords and log you in all by itself so that key loggers have no chance in tracking your key strokes. The second way is to go to your web sites yourself and enter your own passwords. After you’re done, you’ll notice a brief pause and wonder what is going on. The system will pop up a screen and ask you if you want the “identity manager” to remember this and do you want to add it to the “identity manager”  If you say yes then you have essentially done what I described in step #1 above.

6.    So you’re saying to yourself: “So what, I’m still on the net and therefore I’m still vulnerable” Well that’s where you’d be wrong. You see, the Ironkey has it’s own built in Mozilla Firefox web browser and this particular version has an integrated feature called “Secure Sessions” that can be toggled on and off mine is always set to the “ON” position. You can also import other applications into it such as Internet Explorer and Outlook just to name a few. During “Secure Sessions” you are invisible on the net. You don’t exist at all. The signals “tunnel” through existing traffic without anyone knowing you’re there and it gets even more intense than that. Let’s say I’m writing you an e-mail like I’m doing right now and I’m operating in “Secure Session Mode” I can actually choose what part of the world I want to appear from. That’s right! If I want my e-mail to originate from an IP address in Africa then I can do that. I can bounce it around the globe to multiple countries or continents if I choose. If I don’t choose to do so, it’ll randomly do it on it’s own anyway. For true anonymity you do need to have an e-mail account that was not set up from your computer. Yahoo, GMail and others log the original computer that the e-mail account was first set up on. The public library or some other random computer that can’t be associated with you comes to mind when doing this. [JWR Adds: I concur on the need to use tunneling. Even for those that don’t opt to use Ironkey, I recommend the web-based Strong VPN tunneling service for both e-mail and web browsing.]

7.    Anything you do on the Ironkey will not leave a trace on the computer it is plugged into. Period. We don’t ever want to end up on some “undesirables list” so should your computer ever fall into the wrong hands there will never be a trace of your activity on the net or any application that is on the computer while using the Ironkey. The files extracted will show up on your “Recent Files” menu but when you click on them to open the application you get a message telling you that you need to plug a computer in. That’s operating under the assumption that you get sloppy and forget to clear the “Recent Files” on a daily basis. So why do you get a message telling you you need to plug a computer in to view these files? The answer is simple, the Ironkey is it’s own mini computer inside a thumb drive that borrows needed files from your drive to operate but never leaves a trace that it did so. I turned a friend of mine (college degree in computer guru science) loose on my computer to test Ironkey’s claims. He can’t find any history on the drive of any activity I’ve had while my Ironkey was busy doing what it does.

I think the Ironkey is a must have piece of COMSEC hardware.

Thanks for the work that you do, I hope you and your readers find this helpful. – M.Y.

Letter Re: Gluten Free Food Storage

Letter Re: Gluten Free Food Storage

Hi JWR,  
I just got done packing away a bunch of pasta this afternoon, and looked at the latest SurvivalBlog posts and read the Gluten Free Food Storage article by Cassandra.  Funny thing is, I was long-term packing gluten free rice pasta in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers.  I couldn’t find what I wanted anywhere else, so I did it myself.  Maybe what I just learned this past hour will help someone else wanting to pack away some pasta.  Here’s what I used: Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Rice Pasta (Fusilli, Penne, and Spaghetti)  We used to eat Tinkyada brand, but we found that the Trader Joe’ s (TJ’s) brand is tasty and cooks in less time, thus it uses less fuel or electricity.  It generally retails in-store for $1.99/lb package, and I bought 12 cases (of 12) of it.    

I use:

  • 5 gallon food grade storage pails and snap on lids    
  • 2,000 CC oxygen absorbers    
  • 5-6 gallon Mylar zip-bags (no heat seal required)  

Using a Mylar zip bag to line the bucket, I found that I could squeeze the following into every 5-gallon bucket (with an O2 absorber thrown in half way through):

  • TJ’s Fusilli – 12 lbs/bucket (loose packed)  
  •  TJ’s Penne – 16 lbs/bucket (loose packed)  
  •  TJ’s Spaghetti – 22 lbs/bucket (left in the 1-lb original bags to reduce breakage)

Of course, the more you fit in the bucket, the lower the overall cost per pound.  Using buckets at $4.59, lids at $2, bags at $3.20, and O2 absorbers at $1, I packed away 140 lbs of gluten-free organic brown rice pasta for a total of $278.60 (pasta) and $97.11(storage) for a total of $375.71.  That’s $2.68/lb.  That’s pretty reasonable for long-term storage of an “alternative” organic food!  

I know brown rice and its flours can go rancid quickly, but I’ve had five year old TJs pasta that was just “on the shelf” and it’s perfectly fine.  I guess processing and drying it into pasta gets rid of or otherwise breaks down the oils that go rancid.  I’m not sure, but maybe someone else can shed light on that.   Blessings, – Darrin F.

Economics and Investing:

Reader J.H.B. suggested: Its Weight in Gold: The Real Prices of Things by Charles Vollum

Trading Of Over The Counter [FOREX] Gold And Silver To Be Illegal Beginning July 15

Record Corn Harvests Can’t Meet World Demand. (Thanks to Steven M. for the link.)

Kevin S. recommended this: Unlocking the Mayor Badge of Meaninglessness

“The Toon” sent us this: Are We Running Out of Silver?

Items from The Economatrix:

Greek Crisis Could Send World Markets Into Turmoil

Greece Nears Point of No Return

In a Currency Tug-of-War, the U.S. Dollar Loses

MERS Does Not Have The Right to Foreclose on a Mortgage

Jim Sinclair: You’re Out of Your Mind if You Sell Gold Assets Right Now

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader V.T. sent this: African Village Uses Tech to Fight Off Rape Cult. Hmmm… Weapons, communications, intelligence, and community-based self defense. Sound familiar? And they did it all this on a shoestring budget.

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Bobbi M. forwarded: How Superbugs Will Affect Our Health Care Costs

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The deadline for the Ready Made Resources Preparedness Video Contest is July 26th. Instructional (nonfiction) videos on any topic related to family preparedness are sought. The prizes are a brand new Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) complete Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight with a combined retail value of more than $1,400. Please keep your privacy in mind when you create your videos. (Don’t mention any surnames or towns). You may post up to three videos to YouTube for consideration in the judging. Videos up to 10 minute long that are your original work that are already posted to YouTube are also eligible for the judging. To enter, e-mail the URL for video(s) to: grisrob@gmail.com. Do not send the videos themselves or links to videos stored at other web sites. Only nonfiction videos that you post to YouTube are eligible. The creator of the best video will win a brand new a brand new complete Rock Rivers Arms (RRA) Elite Comp M4 (AR-15 series compatible ) Barreled Upper Receiver and a Trijicon Reflex sight. The deadline or posting videos is July 26th. The video judged best will be announced on Monday August 1st, 2011.

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Steven M. kindly sent links to three different web sites with some clever architectural solutions: Eight Rooms, Well, Nine, but That’s Their Secret, Bay Windows Conceal Garage, and Cowing Secret Playroom Entrance,

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Jonathan C. suggested a piece by my old associate Ken Timmerman: North Korea Tests ‘Super-EMP’ Nuke.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"…the primary mission of every government appendage seems to be nothing other than the expansion of its size and the stretch of its meddling." – Kevin Brekke

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Gluten Free Food Storage, by Cassandra R.

Everyone knows that storing wheat is a good idea.  However, those with various forms of gluten intolerance, and also others who benefit from gluten free diets currently, simply cannot go back to consuming gluten post-SHTF.  The effect could be devastating in the resulting society. 

If you have unlimited monetary resources, then prepping for storage of gluten free foods is not a problem, anyone can go to the store and purchase plenty of those expensive mixes they sell at the store.  But what if you don’t?  Or, worse yet, what if you run out of those expensive mixes in a long-term crunch?  Will you know how to make your food from scratch?  Will you be prepared?

While supplementing your storage with the gluten free mixes found at many stores is do able, we need a more practical system.  I will go over grains in a moment, but here are a few items you will need to store that are critical for any kind of bread making:

Xantham gum – as long as this item is kept dry, it has a shelf life of several years.  Be sure to get the finer powder, the courser xantham gum doesn’t seem to work as well.  Also, while I’m in the preliminary stages of learning gluten free ways, it seems that xantham gum is more suited to bread items like loaves and pizza dough.

Guar gum – this item is best suited to things like pastry creams, and less acidic items.  Guar gum begins to break down at higher temperatures, and also loses some of it’s thickening ability when added to recipes with high acidity.  Many recipes suggest combining both gums for a better result.  Manufacturers recommend that it keeps for 1-to-2 years.

Dehydrated Eggs – Widely found and I suggest you purchase the nitrogen-packed varieties.  Manufacturers claim a shelf life of 27+ years unopened.  Eggs, they claim, are good for 8-10 months after being opened.

Dehydrated Egg Whites – see above.

These are the binders in any gluten free equation.  They perform the task generally done by gluten.  Some people who are gluten free do not use xantham gum and guar gum, it’s a matter of finding recipes that work for you and your personal preferences (and dietary needs!).  I have found that the gluten free community is often more educated about food, and even sometimes scratch cooking, than the rest of society.  This knowledge will be invaluable in both your storage techniques and long term survival.  I have read some on the topic of substituting ground flax for the gums – this could be an even more long term option with the right research.  Obviously, the gums are not an entirely sustainable option, so I will be doing more research on sustainable substitutes for long term and once educated I will share the information.

Starches are equally important for gluten free baked goods.  Consider storing potato, tapioca and corn starches in air tight containers in a cool area.  Also, if you are accustomed to using the store bought gluten free dough enhancers, vinegar is a much cheaper alternative – and useful in countless other ways.

The grains:

White and Brown rice – both gluten free, and both can be ground into flour.  You can consume these prepared whole obviously, or used in a bread recipe.  Please note once ground into flour, the shelf life is drastically reduced, and best used quickly.  The flour of these grains can go rancid within a few months.

Beans – beans are a great item to store easily, and can also be ground into flour for various recipes.  An added bonus, bean flours keep relatively well at room temperature.

Oats – please be careful when purchasing oats.  Some gluten intolerant have issue with oats, and this is currently thought to be because oats and wheat are often processed in the same facility.  Know what facility your oats are coming from and what else the company processes.  Oat flour can also be widely used in recipes.

Corn – dehydrated corn kernels have a long shelf life, and can be ground into polenta, cornmeal, and used whole in a variety of ways.  I suggest buying organic corn personally, as much of the corn we see otherwise is a genetically modified version which is less nutritious,in my opinion.

Sorghum – this is an incredibly interesting and widely unknown cereal grain.  Sorghum grains can be boiled like rice, made into gruel or porridges, ground into flours, popped like popcorn (!!), it can even be used to make non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.  Sorghum is also a very efficient, drought tolerant and even water logging tolerant crop.  This grain can also keep for years when appropriately stored.

Millet – it is suggested that millet can be kept for 8 to 12 years.  Can be mashed with potatoes (has valuable protein), can be made into cakes, toasted and boiled like rice and eaten warm or made into a salad, ground into flour and used in pancakes, bread etc.

Buckwheat – can be stored for 15 years.  Buckwheat can be prepared in a pilaf style, however, the grains (kasha is another name you will come across) often stick together and form a mush, to stop this from happening, either coat your grains with egg before preparing (cook in a dry pan briefly), or toast in a non-stick (read: well seasoned cast iron) pan for a couple minutes before.  The mush, however, is great for cereal/porridge, consider adding peanut butter for protein or spices and dried fruit.  You can also add buckwheat to soups or stews as you would barley, make a salad from the cooked buckwheat, or grind it into flour for breads, pancakes waffles, etc.

My recommendations here are just the beginning. Look around the Internet and you’ll find there’s numerous other grains, find the ones you like that can store well (quinoa for instance, does not keep for very long), and learn how to cook them.

A note on milling flours: If you plan on also milling wheat barley, or any other gluten present grain, it is advisable to have a separate gluten free mill.  The risk of contamination is high, even when thoroughly cleaned, and depending upon a persons individual reaction to gluten, someone could become very sick.

The most important storage preparation of all, of course, is to know how to use what you’ve stored!  There may be no Internet and no local library, WTSHTF so take some time to experiment with recipes until you have a few solid standbys.  Keep these with your food storage.  Having a couple bread, pancake, porridge, waffle, maybe even a muffin recipe, that is tried and tested, will be invaluable.

JWR Adds: Also see the SurvivalBlog archives for some other gluten-free alternatives, such as Quinoa. Just type the word “gluten” in the blog’s Search box at the top of the right-hand bar.

Letter Re: Got Worms?

James:
One thing that I’ve uncovered in my research is that while composting worms are fine if you simply want compost.  However, the red wrigglers commonly used for composting are not effective as a worm for your garden [beds].  Their primary problem is that they prefer the top 2 or 3 inches of soil.  As a result your soil is not fully aerated.

After a lot of searching I found a supplier that provided a mix of three worms types, each with different characteristics so that garden soil is serviced top to bottom.  We mixed several yards of mulch into our soil to help prepare it but we’re the only yard in the neighborhood with worms on the sidewalks after a rain.

The first year we bought eggs from one vendor who no longer offers the product. The next year we bought from these folks. Regards, – Sherman W. Montana

Economics and Investing:

Six minute of must-watch video with Dylan Ratigan: Jim Rogers warns: Get prepared!

Just I warned you, the 46 cash-strapped States are finding creative ways to raise revenue: Downloads and drugs taxed under new Rhode Island budget plan. (Thanks to John E. for the link.)

Fake Bars: “Federal investigators say tungsten filled gold bars and lead filled silver bars have started to circulate in the U.S.”  (Thanks to C.A. in Oregon for the link.)

A recent essay by Michael Pollaro: US government’s fiscal state worsens, DC politicians fiddle  

Items from The Economatrix:

“Greece on the Edge of a Precipice” as a “Lehman-like Avalanche” Could Be Set in Motion as Soon as Sunday

Greek Default Could Trigger Chain Reaction

Gold and Silver Still Great Investments in Inflation, Stagflation, and Deflation

Reader Mike S. sent this: New malware steals your Bitcoin. Mike warns: “There’s malware specifically targeting Windows Bitcoin users.  Mike warns: “Use encryption and strong passwords, and store your Bitcoin wallet in a non-standard place. Use Linux rather than Windows.” JWR Adds: Be sure to empty your Bitcoin wallet frequently and keep most of your wealth in barterable tangibles. Remember: Bitcoin is not a bank, it is just a transfer mechanism.

The Systemic Financial Pillaging of the Middle Class

Over at Stan Deyo’s site: Celente–Collapse:  It’s Coming!  Are you Ready? “Conditions are rapidly deteriorating and it is imperative to remain on high alert. Another violent financial episode is looming. It may be triggered by economics (e.g., debt defaults and debt crisis contagion in Europe, a crashing US dollar, or commodity price spikes); it could be terror (false flag or real), a man-made disaster (another Fukushima) or one made by Mother Nature … or any combination of the above.” 

This Is How The Dollar Dies

Odds ‘n Sods:

David N. recommended this: DIY Chlorine Generator for Water Purification

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For Washington state residents, John B. sent a link to this blog: Washington State Gun Lawyer.

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Pierre M. suggested this at The Genius Files: Guide: Protect Your Security Online and Mobile Phones. And, on a related note: Ten Effective Privacy Tricks To Secure Your Web Browsing

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Courtesy of Steven M.: 10 Most Secure Locations on the Planet.

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Chad S. sent a headline from Nanny State California: San Francisco Considers Ban on Goldfish as Pets to Prevent Their ‘Inhumane Suffering’

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Poll Gate: CNN Caught Red Handed Deceiving Public with Skewed GOP Poll. (Thanks to James C. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;

And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which [were] in the day [that] the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.

For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither [was there any] peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

But now I [will] not [be] unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts.

For the seed [shall be] prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these [things].” – Zechariah 8:6-12 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 35 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Alpine Aire freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $400 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo , and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, C.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and D.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 35 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Got Worms?, by Girl Raised in the South (GRITS)

I felt a sting of envy while admiring a neighbor’s tomato and pepper plants. They were lush and heavy with fruit, bursting out of their containers, while the straggly things in my garden struggled to produce an occasional ping pong ball for our salads. Our neighbor, Bud, mentioned that he had added castings from his aunt’s worm farm, and he figured that must be how come his plants were doing so well.

We have our share of earthworms in our home dirt, and knew they were beneficial, but had never seen the value of  concentrated worm poop demonstrated so clearly. That chance encounter sent me off to research how I could harness worm power to nourish my ailing garden.

Here in northeast Florida, our soil is mostly sand. It doesn’t seem to have a lot of natural fertility for growing good stuff, though impenetrable jungle growth will choke any neglected patch lickety-split. Besides that, I’ve been cursed with the brownest of thumbs. I have always pitied whatever plants had the misfortune to end up at my house. Contrast that with my dogs, who thrive and win championships in various venues. I’ve always felt more affinity for animals than vegetables.

A desire for increased self-sufficiency drove me to buy plants, seeds, potting soil, Black Kow, and give a raised garden a try. Here came the famous Florida bugs sans bees, last summer’s record-setting heat which stopped fruit-setting dead, my ignorance, bad advice, a record-setting freezing winter and anything else that could go wrong. I figured if I had to depend on my garden, I’d starve right quick. Meanwhile, the untended blackberry patch in the ditch and the wild elderberries hanging over the fence produce better crops than all my carefully cultivated veggies combined. God does have a sense of humor.

My fit of jealousy turned constructive. After researching the wonderful composting job worms do, I decided a worm farm was just what I needed. When I told my husband my plans, he did a lot of eye-rolling. I need to remember to break such news to him gently. Poor man. He’s put up with litters of pups and a houseful of Collies for most of our 43 years of wedded bliss. “You aren’t keeping worms in the house!” he ordered. “And forget about chickens!” I assured him I had no intention of keeping the wigglies in the house, and my herding dogs think sheep are fun to boss around, but birds are way too tasty. I planned to pamper my new charges in a climate-controlled outbuilding. Intense summer heat can be lethal to worms, or at least slow down their feeding and reproduction. If we had a basement, that might be a good spot, but basements are a rarity in Florida. With our soggy water table we’d end up with a disgusting indoor swimming pool.

I asked around for a source of worms. Bud said his aunt simply collected her worms from the yard and kept the bin in the backyard shade. A fellow at a plant nursery has a worm farm, and he got his Canadian night crawlers from the bait section of Wal-Mart. Both of them seem to be successful, but my research suggested that they were lucky. Luck rarely works for me, so I wanted to try to do it right from the start. Big old night crawlers like to burrow deep into the earth and a plastic tote bin is a mite confining for them. The local worms might work out fine, but red wigglers (eisenia foetida) seem to be the gold standard for cultivated worms. They are top feeders and can adapt to a bin.

Apparently aquarium or reptile dealers feed earthworms to their critters, but I didn’t find one that had worms for me. Besides, if the worms were lunch for tropical fish, perhaps their health and well-being would not be a big concern.

Habitat
The first thing to consider before welcoming my new pets was providing a proper habitat for them. They have the same aversion to light as do vampires, so clear plastic bins don’t work. I bought a large opaque tote bin at Wally World for under six bucks. We drilled line of air holes along the top sides for ventilation. Some worm farmers recommend drain holes to get rid of excess fluids, but apparently they aren’t necessary if the moisture level is kept about right. They need bedding with a neutral pH. Although shredded newspaper is sometimes recommended, coconut coir or peat moss give a better start. Peat moss needs some crushed egg shells to neutralize the pH and provide calcium and grit to help the worms’ digestion. Birdlike, they have gizzards to grind their food.
Their digs need to be moist, about like a damp sponge.

What do they eat? Garbage. Vegetable cuttings, shredded paper or cardboard, banana peels, their own bedding. Nothing of animal origin except eggshells except in tiny bits or pre-composted, because of the nasty conditions rotting meat create. Other items requiring care include citrus peels because of the low pH and the toxicity of the oils, or anything spicy or peppery. They don’t like to be disturbed too often, and you shouldn’t handle them without gloves because the oil from your skin clogs their breathing apparatus. Seems they get their oxygen through their damp skins. Not too wet, not too dry, just right, and let the little hermaphrodites eat, reproduce, and make that wonderful compost for my garden.

Sources
Where to get the worms? Do an Internet search and you’ll find plenty of folks willing to sell you a pound of worms. If you’re lucky, you might find a local source. I decided to buy them from Big Tex Worms for a number of reasons. Liz offers all sorts of clearly stated instruction on YouTube as well as on her web site. She also will send a “starter kit” with the worms shipped in their familiar bedding. She has done studies that prove this is a more successful system than selling a container of worms by the pound, which arrive stressed and less likely to thrive. From the video tour of her home, she’s into self-sufficiency. And she seems to care about her little guys.

I made my order, and she shipped them out priority mail on a Monday. She refuses to mail them after the summer heat sets in, because a delivery of parboiled worms would spoil anyone’s appetite. Evidently they do all right in Texas heat as long as they are kept in the shade with plenty of moisture, though they may slow down their eating and reproducing until more comfortable temperatures arrive.

Although we’re experiencing mid-90 degree weather, my worms arrived cool to the touch in their cloth bag. I followed the directions, installed them in their new home, and kept the light on for a day so they would bury themselves in their bed and not try to squirm away. Then I fed them some nice strawberry cuttings, avocado that had turned brown, and chopped lettuce core. Later I gave them coffee grounds, carrot tops and an apple core. They are eating and don’t seem inclined to escape. After a couple of weeks I turned the bedding to aerate it, and found lots of wigglies moving around. So far so good.

I was prepared to expect other critters to grow in the bin besides the worms, and boy, are they! So far the only bugs I’ve seen are fellow composters, according to my information. Odor is minimal, and the food is turning into what looks like coffee grounds in a matter of days.

For Your Library
If you’d like more information on worm composting, check Liz’s web site referenced above, or a couple of books on the subject, The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Gardening and Composting with Worms and Worms Eat My Garbage: How to Set Up and Maintain a Worm Composting System.

I expect they’ll produce a nice crop of compost in a couple of months or so, and I hope I’ll need to invest in a second bin for the population explosion.
If it doesn’t work out, I can always eat worms. I found recipes in one of the books I read. Yum. Or I can go fishing.

I’ll be checking back after I get more hands-on experience. Stay tuned!

Letter Re: Vacuum Tube Radios for Preppers

Jim:
A lot of us got the radio bug from a Hallicrafters S-38 series or a Zenith Trans-Oceanic. I have both and still enjoy them, but when I need to tease out an obscure signal my old National HRO usually beats about any other radio in the shack (new or old) hands down.

The S-38 is a good choice since outside of the band-switching arrangement it has the guts of an All-American Five radio. This makes it a lot more repairable, most of the components are “generic”, i.e. tubes, capacitors, IF transformers, et cetera.

The only downside to a [transformerless] AC-DC radio is that the tube life is not as long [as with most transformer] AC designs. It is almost always the high voltage heaters (the rectifier and audio output tube) that fail.

One very important thing to keep in mind about the S-38 (or any metal-cased AC-DC radio) is they can be deadly if not properly checked and maintained. Most AC-DC radios use the chassis as a ground return; that means one side of the power line is hard wired to the chassis. In the S-38 the chassis is isolated by rubber grommets, cardboard bottom and back and plastic knobs. Crumbling grommets, a shifted chassis, too long a screw, et cetera can put the case at line voltage — being at a minimum a nasty shock hazard. This is pretty easily remedied on most radios; Make sure the knobs are all non-conductive, the chassis is still floating in rubber grommets. (Replace them all). The backs and sometimes the bottoms are missing. Make new ones with perforated Masonite (pegboard). JWR Adds: For those who are collectors, some very nice replica back covers and bottoms are available from Retro-Tronics.
 

Add a 3-wire cord grounded to the case (not the chassis). Failing that, then add polarized plug so that the chassis is always at ground potential (the larger prong of the plug). On wood cased AC-DC radios tape over the screws that hold the chassis to to case. Never use an AC-DC radio that is missing any knobs. Make sure (or have someone who knows how) make sure the chassis is isolated from any metal you can touch.

Other recommendations:

  • Add a [soft start] in-rush suppressor in the power circuit. This lengthens warm-up time but makes the tubes last almost forever.  The resistance of the filaments is rather low when cold and the in-rush current is rather high for a moment, this is why the dial light on these radios is momentarily very bright when turned on stone cold. At this moment the filaments (espescially in the 35 and 50 volt tubes) are under maximum stress. Limiting the in-rush allows for more gradual warm up.
  • I’d add a fuse to both legs of the power line, the 1 amp glass pigtail fuses work nicely in most AC-DC sets. Encase them in vinyl or heat-shrink tubing.
  • Keep spare antenna materials, I lost several antennas during Hurricane Ike: I actually lost them all!
  • Consider using an isolation transformer when operating on AC. These are de rigueur for servicing tube radios.
  • Go to NostalgiaAir.org and print out a schematic of your radio and keep it with the radio (inside the case in an envelope if space and safety permit). It’ll help you or someone who knows how to fix your radio, down the road.
  • Keep a spare set of tubes. Make sure to test that they all actually work in the set. Most radios will operate sucessfuly with weak tubes except the converter tube. A weak one characterized by reception pooping out as you increase frequency. A really weak one will only operate on the bottom 1/2 of the broadcast band, forget about shortwave! The usual converter tubes (AC-DC) are 12SA7 and 12BE6.

As a side note, I own an example of the greatest AC-DC radio made: a Scott SLRM, it was made for the U.S. Navy during WWII. It is deadly by design. It is AC-DC but was primarily designed for use on the 120 Volt DC common to existing ships of the era. One side of the power line is tied to the case by design. This is okay for a ship with floating or polarized DC power, but deadly elsewhere. Mine has a permanent isolation transformer [, which with this design is a must for safety]. Regards, – “Tired Tubes”

JWR Replies: Thanks for those suggestions, particularly regarding grounding isolation transformers. By coincidence, I have been looking for a Scott SLRM for my family’s use here at the ranch. If anyone out there has a spare that is gathering dust, I’m willing to pay the going retail price, or work a trade from the JASBORR inventory, for some goodies of slightly greater value. I’m not looking for gem. I just need a decent SLRM that is working and complete to start with, for restoration. The only real “must” is that the volume potentiometer isn’t scratchy. The speaker can be blown, since I can replace that.) The tubes (other than the tuning eye) can be weak. Again, I can replace those.  The capacitors can be original.  I can re-cap it, and replace any resistors that are outside of their value specifications. I’ll have who is a wizard with an oscilloscope a friend re-align it.  It can even have a tobacco smoke-stained front, but the dial must be nice and legible.  I’d prefer one with a civilian ID plate, but a Navy ID plate is okay if there is no corrosion.  I’d prefer one that is already set up with an isolation transformer of the appropriate size, but that isn’t a must. Does this sound one that somebody out there has available? If so, please e-mail me. Thanks!