Gun and knife things

I was having a hard time keeping the new Benchmade 3550 sharp (my expectations of sharp are high), so I switched back to the ol' standby, the Cold Steel Recon 1.




The AUS8 steel in this knife may not qualify as a super steel, but it's just stupid how sharp it gets. When I say I can get it shaving sharp, I mean that I could lather my face up and get a clean shave with it. I just can't do that with a Microtech.

A couple of years ago my brother-in-law was on the hunt for the perfect beater knife. His requirements were for high quality, decent price, and for a knife that could take not only a savage beating, but years of harsh neglect. I steered him towards the Recon 1 at a local gunshow, and the knife exceeded his expectations and mine, to the point (feel my pun!) where I bought one myself.

It has been, by far, the best EDC pocket knife I've ever owned.

As an aspiring knife collector, I have all kinds of knives that I can carry for EDC, and the quality of this knife is very high for what you pay. My Benchmade Rukus has a better fit and finish, and has a heavier super steel blade, but the Recon 1 is 85% of that knife for almost a fifth of the price. I am more likely to use the $75 Recon 1 in a manner that it was not intended than a $250 Benchmade, regardless if it can stand up or not.

To give you an example, the blade of the Recon 1 came with some sort of black coating, but one day at work the foreign made can opener in the break room shit the bed, and I didn't hesitate for a minute to use my knife to open that can of Ravioli. The can scratched off some of the coating on the blade, so I just removed the rest of it so that it didn't look so trashy. I don't use it as a pry bar, but I'll put it to harsh use when I need to.

Would you pull out your $300 Tactical Tommy Night Ninja auto, complete with glass breaker and tourniquet hidden in the skateboard taped handle, and jam it matte side down into a can of pork n' beans? What, don't want to risk tearing up the finish? Yeah, me neither. It's just not a problem though with the Recon 1.

As for the baby Glock, I highly recommend the Infidel holster from Comp-Tac. I simply must have one for every gun that I own, as it's very convenient to be able to don or doff my blaster with the least amount of effort. It stays put and doesn't come off with a draw, and at like $70 it's affordable. You should get one.

I've been sticking with the convenient carry arrangement for the last couple of these posts, as the small-and-light gun/knife combo really works. For my next post, I'm gonna have to change gears.