Spyderco Byrd Harrier 2 Lightweight Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson

I recently purchased a Spyderco Byrd Harrier 2 Lightweight Folding Knife. It has a 3.36-inch full flat grind blade with a plain edge in 8Cr13MoV steel, a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle, a back-lock locking mechanism, a reversible pocket clip, a lanyard hole, and the distinctive Spyderco opening hole (as modified for Byrd) to allow ambidextrous, one-handed opening.

I bought this knife because I had somehow received the impression that it is made in Taiwan. That is, unfortunately, not the case. All Spyderco Byrd knives are made in mainland China. I usually don’t review products made in mainland China, but since I had already invested $35.70 in this knife, I decided to go ahead and review it.

Blade Steels Can Show the Country of Origin

Online retailers often try to hide the origin of products that are made in mainland China. They may bury that information somewhere deep in the specifications, place it in fine print, or not share it at all. I find this lack of transparency frustrating as I consider potential products to review.Continue reading“Spyderco Byrd Harrier 2 Lightweight Folding Knife, by Thomas Christianson”

Recipe of the Week: Linda’s Sweet Relish

The following recipe for Linda’s Sweet Relish is from SurvivalBlog reader Linda R.  She notes that her version of the recipe is adapted from Linda J. Amendt‘s book:  Blue Ribbon Canning, published by Taunton Press, 2015

Linda notes:  “This sweet relish, made with sugar, onion, salt, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and cider vinegar, is perfect for hamburgers and hot dogs and potato salad, and anything else.”

This recipe makes enough to fill  8 half-pint jars.

Ingredients
  • 3 to 4 pounds stems of purslane or collards, finely chopped (6 to 8 cups)
  • 2 cups finely chopped onions, (2 to 3 medium onions)
  • 3 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt
  • 2 to 3 quarts ice cold water
  • 2 to 3 (or more) cups granulated sugar, depending on just how sweet you like your relish
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, layer the purslane or collard stems, onions, and salt. Add enough of the cold water to completely cover the vegetables. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
  2. Drain the vegetables in a large fine-mesh sieve or colander lined with a single layer of cheesecloth. Rinse well and drain again, pressing out the excess liquid.
  3. In a 6- to 8-quart stainless steel pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard seeds, and celery seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the drained vegetables to the syrup and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. The mixture may look watery but that’s okay. Ladle the relish into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp paper towel. Apply hot lids and screw bands.
  5. If you’re simply stashing the relish in the fridge for immediate use, then refrigerate the jars of relish for up to a few weeks.
CANNING and STORAGE

If you are properly canning the pickle relish, process 8-ounce jars in a water bath canner according to manufacturer’s instructions for 10 minutes and process pint jars for 15 minutes. Remove from the water bath canner and let cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals and remove the screw bands. Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year.

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Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at skewed inflation data. (See the Inflation/Deflation Watch section.)

Precious Metals:

AG Thorson, at Gold-Eagle.com: Gold Forecast: Leading Economic Indicators Support Impending Recession.

o  o  o

Video from Jeffrey Christian: Silver deficits don’t exist and other silver myths.

Economy & Finance:

From Yahoo Finance: U.S. yield curve hits deepest inversion since 1981: What is it telling us?

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Linked over at the Whatfinger.com site: Credit Crunch: The Money Supply Has Shrunk For Eight Months In a Row.

o  o  o

Moody’s downgrades several US banks amid ‘ongoing strain’ in the banking sector.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“I’ve been selling my soul
Working all day
Overtime hours
For bullsh*t pay
So I can sit out here and waste my life away
Drag back home and drown my troubles away

It’s a damn shame
What the world’s gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it is
Living in the new world
With an old soul
These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just want to have total control
Wanna know what you think
Wanna know what you do
And they don’t think you know, but I know that you do
Cause your dollar ain’t sh*t, and it’s taxed to no end
‘Cause of rich men north of Richmond

I wish politicians would look out for miners
And not just minors on an island somewhere
Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothing to eat
And the obese milking welfare
Well God, if you’re 5 foot 3 and you’re 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds
Young men are putting themselves six feet in the ground
‘Cause all this damn country does is keep on kicking them down.” – Oliver Anthony, Excerpt from the lyrics of Rich Men North Of Richmond

JWR’s Update: Oliver Anthony opened a concert yesterday with a reading from Psalm 37.

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — August 13, 2023

Today is the birthday of screenwriter, director, and producer, Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980.) His many films spanned five decades.

This is also the birthday of sharpshooter, entertainer, and folk heroine Annie Oakley (1860–1926.)

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Today’s feature article is a guest piece by Brandon Smith, the editor of Alt-Market.us. It is reposted with permission. JWR highly recommends Brandon Smith’s writings.

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We are in need of entries for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 108 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Never Forget: Leftists Showed Their True Authoritarian Colors During Covid, by Brandon Smith

When I think back to the first days of the covid pandemic lockdowns, I suspect the majority of people, even many conservatives and liberty movement types, had a healthy concern about the effects of the virus and the potential for structural upheaval if it turned out to be as deadly as the World Health Organization initially claimed. If covid had an Infection Fatality Rate of 3% or more as global health officials warned, then the damage would be substantial enough to change our world for many years to come.

Anyone who was not at least partially concerned about a biological disaster (or biological warfare) was probably an idiot. Anyone who was smart was prepared. However, after a few months of the spread of the virus and after the first flurry of scientific data, several facts became evident:

1) The lockdowns did nothing to stop the spread, they were simply destroying our economy.

2) The masks were useless and did nothing to prevent transmission of the virus.

3) The Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) of covid was a tiny 0.23%, and that’s not accounting for all the co-morbidity deaths that were falsely labeled as covid deaths.

4) The vaccines did not prevent transmission for millions of people. They did not prevent infection in many cases and numerous vaccinated people have died from the virus. Not only that, but unvaccinated people with natural immunity were better protected than those that took the vaccine and boosters.

5) Studies show that the vaccines cause dangerous side effects at a much greater rate than the CDC admitted.Continue reading“Never Forget: Leftists Showed Their True Authoritarian Colors During Covid, by Brandon Smith”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

The Flatulence Generated By My Cows
Doesn’t Worry Me Near As Much As The B.S. Generated By D.C. Politicians

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provide that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

In your patience possess ye your souls.

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”  – Luke 21:17-36 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — August 12, 2023

On August 12, 1908, Henry Ford’s company built the first Model T car.

On August 12, 1867, US President Andrew Johnson defies Congress suspending Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 108 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

 

 

Bugging Out With a Cat, by Feline Tamer

Picture this:

“Honey, this is it! The collapse I’ve been talking about all these years! The power’s been off a day and a half! There’s no running water! There’s no cell phone service! We’ve got to bug out now!”

My wife is frantically chasing our male tuxedo cat, with the brilliant original name of “Tuxie.” She grabs her prized pet and tries to drop him into a crate, an animal carrier. Tuxie hisses, swipes at wifey’s arm, jumps down and scurries away into a bedroom. “Owww, he scratched me!” she wails.

I grab a couple more bottled waters and stuff them into both of our bugout bags to take to the car. “There’s no time for the cat!” I insist. “We’ve got to go!”

“Not without Tuxie, we aren’t!” Wifey shouts, glaring at me as if I suggested cutting off her right arm.

“If we can’t catch him, we can’t take him!” I reply tersely, trying to control my emotions.

“Then we’re not leaving!” Wifey storms off ,down the hall.

That scenario is one I have feared for years. In real life, my wife and I have two cats: One is a gray tabby we shall call “Hunter,” who is very friendly, easy to pick up and drop into a portable kennel or animal carrier. The other, however, is a rescued tuxedo cat who used to be feral. My wife saw him at a pet store and fell in love with our Tuxie. But he’s a weird cat who is easily spooked by any little noise, or even runs off if you get up from the sofa to get a drink.Continue reading“Bugging Out With a Cat, by Feline Tamer”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those –or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

I cut and split another cord of wood. With the help of our youngest daughter, it is now all stacked.  I also did some trench-digging, to get ready to lay black PVC pipe for an extension line to our main orchard.

On Thursday, I had another on-site consulting day, with one of my semi-local clients. They’ve had the ranch for just two years. It is gratifying to see such rapid progress on a ranch retreat. That family is getting everything “dialed in”, nicely! They have one of the most capable and redundant off-grid power systems that I’ve ever seen. And it is good knowing that there is now a family that is providing all of their own needs, but that will also be in a position to help many others, charitably.

Now, Lily’s report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.

Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.” – Isaiah 33:15-24 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — August 11, 2023

On August 11, 1857, N. H. Wolfe and Company, the oldest flour and grain company in New York City, failed. This failure shook investor confidence and began a slow selloff in the market which continued into late August. Several other failures followed, and this cascaded into what was later called the Panic of 1857.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  5. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.
  6. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  4. Montana Survival Seed is providing a $225 gift code for any items on its website, including organic non-GMO seeds, fossils, 1812-1964 US silver, jewelry, botany books, and Montana beeswax.
  5. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of firearms purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A $300 gift certificate from Good2Goco.com, good for any of their products: Home freeze dryers, pressure canners, Country Living grain mills, Emergency Essentials foods, and much more.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 108 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Countering Rampant Food Price Inflation, by SaraSue

When one of my daughters, who has a good job, starts complaining about how insane food and supply prices are, I pay attention.  She has started shopping at Walmart searching for the lowest possible prices.  Her recent cart rung up at $450 and she didn’t buy hardly any food – mostly toilet paper, paper towels, dog and cat food, a few household items, and enough food for a few good meals for her family.  She exclaimed, “This won’t even last us a week!”  I keep telling her to shop Costco for certain items – you get way more product for the price – twice as much product.  Yes, you pay more due to quantity, but the per quantity price is much lower.  Well, that’s how I do it, but I understand that Costco can feel overwhelming cost wise.

How to buy food and supplies

For instance, if you buy dog food from Chewy (I used to) to be delivered, you might pay as much as $50-$70 for a large bag.  The price is the same online at Costco.  However, if you go into a Costco store and purchase, that same bag of dog food is $35 because you aren’t paying shipping costs.  “Free Shipping!” is not free.  At Walmart, you’ll pay for a lesser quality of dog food, half the size bag, for the same $35 price.  I don’t like going to Costco and pushing around one of those really huge trolley carts.  It’s very cumbersome, but when I go I can fit 4 bags of dog food, a case of paper towels, a case of toilet paper, and the other things I need and pay about $350.  Those things will last several months, not just a week.  Continue reading“Countering Rampant Food Price Inflation, by SaraSue”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the recent drop in sales of cardboard boxes. (See the Economy & Finance section.)

Precious Metals:

Gold Price To Monetary Base – A Ratio to Keep An Eye On.

o  o  o

Matthew Piepenberg, at Gold-Eagle.com: Keeping Your Head Amidst Debt-Blind Madness.

Economy & Finance:

Big Drop in Cardboard Box Sales Scream Recession.

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At Zero Hedge: Usage Of Fed’s Emergency Bailout Facility Hits New High; Money-Market Inflows Continue. JWR’s Comment: The U.S. banking crisis is far from the media-pronounced “recent crisis”. It is ongoing.

o  o  o

UPS and Union Reach Contract Agreement, Averting Nationwide Strike; Full Time Drivers To Make $49/Hour.

o  o  o

Mastercard Tells Banks to Block Marijuana Purchases.

o  o  o

At the Whatfinger.com news aggregation site: New Earnings: Bud Light Controversy Costs Anheuser-Busch Nearly $400 Million in Lost US Sales.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”