Search Results for: Knives Under $50 That I Love

Zero Tolerance Knives ZT0308, by Pat Cascio

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…up to many different tasks you might have for it. Zero Tolerance knives, is a division of KAI Corporation, and they also own Kershaw Knives, and the ZT live is produced in the same factory, right here in Oregon, as are many of the Kershaw Knives are being manufactured. Keep in mind, that all ZT knives are all made in the USA. I’ve toured the Kershaw/ZT plant several times, and observed their dedicated employees working on putting these knives together for their consumers. And, to be sure, these knives aren’t simply “assembled” they are fitted, to the tightest tolerances you can imagine. Thus, the name “Zero Tolerance” is truly apropos. CNC machines can only do so much, when it comes to making blades and other parts, and in the end, it is the human being, who does the final fitting of ZT knives, and it takes a close eye to…


Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Cold Steel’s Broken Skull

…had the Broken Skull folder in my left front pocket. Some people believe I overdo it with two handguns. I don’t, and neither do many others. A small back-up handgun is really a nice thing. It’s a habit I got into when I was working as a PI, back in Chicago, IL many years ago, and it carried over when I was working in law enforcement. I feel naked without my ankle gun. My Leatherman multi-tool is used almost daily for some kind of chores on my small homestead, too. A spare magazine for my main carry gun is a must. More often than not, if there is a failure of some sort with my main handgun, it is most likely magazine related. On to testing the Broken Skull I folder. I used it in my kitchen, and it is a good size for many kitchen chores, like slicing meat…


Gryphon Knives M-35 Combat/ Survival Bowie, by Pat Cascio

…extent, in mainland China (the oppressive PRC). You may have read that Seki City, Japan used to be the world leader in top-of-the-line knives. Today, not many knives are being made in Seki City. One reason is, that having knives made there is a very expensive proposition. Then again, you are getting some outstanding cutlery. Many Japanese warriors of the past had their Katanas made in Seki. They demanded the best! Cutlery Shoppe, in Meridian, Idaho is run by Jeff Loffer, and he’s a really good guy to do business with. I used to make a lot of trips to his then walk-in shop, and we’d visit a lot. He knows quality blades and tools. 15 years ago, I moved from the east side of Oregon to the west side. So I haven’t had a chance to visit with Loffer. He no longer has a walk-in store – too bad….


Pat’s Product Reviews: Okuden Knives – Ammo Daddy, Alpha Pattern

I’ve been writing about knives for more than 18 years. However, I’ve only been to one knife show in all those years. I attended the Blade Show-West, at the invitation of a large knife company here in Oregon. I’ve been to a lot of gun shows, where there were custom knife makers displaying their wares, but I never attended an actual knife show, until about a year and a half ago.   To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the knife show – there were less than 100 tables there, and my oldest daughter and myself, were done looking at knives in short order. However, there was one custom knife maker who’s wares caught my attention. I like fancy, artsy-type knives, just like many folks do. However, when it comes down to it, I’m more of a meat and potatoes type of guy – I like working knives!…


SOG Knives, Baton Q1 and Q2, by Pat Cascio

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…thing actually has a pressurize pen that works. Nice! There is also a bottle opener and flat head screw driver in the top of the pen, and it opens easily. Lastly, if you pull up on the top of the “pen” and fold it over, it reveals a very well made spring-loaded scissor that is super sharp. The scissors are made from 5CR15MOD stainless steel. The Baton Q2 The Q2 appears very similar to the Q1 when it is in a pocket; however, it has several totally different multi-tools on-board. There is no pen. Instead, where a pen would be, there is a 75-lumen LED flashlight that is turned-on by rotating the bezel. There is also a pocket clip for ease of carry. In the upper portion of the Q2 is a 2.5-inch, single sided knife blade that is super-sharp. To open the knife, you press on a release button…


Zero Tolerance 0055, by Pat Cascio

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…a particular job, when it comes to assembling and fitting knives. If there is something that isn’t quite right when a partially-assembled knife comes into the hands of the next person, they either send it back to the person who gave it to them or it is set aside to be examined later on. Either the defect is corrected or the knife does not get shipped out, period! Make no mistake, Kershaw/ZT Knives fits their knives. They aren’t simply thrown together with no thought about how nice the parts fit together! Kershaw’s Knife Sharpening Crew Then we have the crew whose only job is to sharpen each knife, and it is amazing to watch these folks at work. It takes about a minute to sharpen each knife on a grinding/buffing wheel. Each knife is checked to make sure it is hair-popping sharp. They use newsprint for this purpose. If a…


Kershaw Launch 7, by Pat Cascio

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…no worries about “butt” wiggle in the handle, as is found on some knives with very small back spacers. Handle scales are anodized a nice gray color. Again, it has a very subdued look. Pocket Clip The pocket clip is stout and is also reversible, and the knife is carried with the tip up. I don’t have a dog in this fight, but there are many knife users who insist on a folder being carried in the pants pocket either tip up or tip down. I don’t see any difference when drawing the knife from my pocket if one method is better or faster than the other. Made in America One thing that many knife users insist on is that their knives be made in America. The Launch 7 is made here, and there is an American Flag embossed on one side of the handle. I know some folks don’t…