Spotify Is Awesome!

I recently subscribed to the music streaming service, Spotify. If you told me a year ago that I’d be a Spotify subscriber, I would’ve laughed in your face. For my whole life pretty much, I’ve always either downloaded music form iTunes or through either means. This got pretty pricey after a while. I’m becoming less and less of a fan of Apple, so I wanted to get away from their ecosystem. I started purchasing CDs when I realized I no longer wanted to support iTunes, but this didn’t really work out either. I’ve always heard people talking about Spotify, so I started researching it a little bit. I found they were doing a deal where you got 3 months for $0.99. I figured that I might as well give it a try for a buck. It’s definitely something I’ll be staying with when the deal runs out. I think the price jumps to $9.99 a month or if you’re a student like me, you can get it for $4.99 a month. If you listen to a ton of music, it pays for itself pretty quickly. I’ve got access to millions of songs. Sure I don’t own them, but honestly I don’t need to own my music anymore. I’m all about convenience as of lately, and Spotify is pretty dang convenient for me. I’ve been able to find out about a ton of new artists, which is cool too. If you see a deal similar to the one I found, I recommend you at least give it a try. You may end up really liking it. Thanks for looking! 

Updates On College Life/New Stuff Coming

I've officially survived my first week of college classes! They weren't exactly what I expected, but they shouldn't be too horrible. I'm enjoying school a lot so far. Once I join some clubs and what not, I think I'll have a ton of fun. There's been a lot of gaps where I've been extremely bored. I'm sure once my classes really get under way I'll be completely swamped and will wish I had that boredom back. I've really been missing making videos and writing these posts. Luckily, I've managed to get up a couple more blog posts recently, which I'm sure you all have already seen. I definitely will be putting up a lot more as I've found it's a nice way to escape and do something more productive than just constantly refresh the same social media apps.

In my extreme state of boredom, I've managed to spend a decent bit of money. I've been making some upgrades and purchasing some things that have been on my wishlist to try for a while now. Normally, I wouldn't want to spend a lot of money on gear I don't really need. However, it'll be nice to rotate/test some new stuff, so I can put up reviews and videos on them. While you may not see videos on all these new things immediately, you can expect to see some blog posts for sure! I've been in a phase recently where I really want to start reviewing more gear. Not only is it fun to try out new stuff, but I think it's also cool to put my opinions out there so you all can maybe have insight into stuff you're considering purchasing. I personally like to do a ton of research before I buy new gear. I hope that over my time in college this blog can develop into a resource where you can hear opinions on EDC gear. Take it all with a grain of salt of course. It's just good to hear perspectives from a number of people, so you can get a better idea of what to expect from a purchase.

Once I get back home for my first break, I'd like to try to sell or trade a lot of the gear I'm not using. It'll give me the opportunity to clear out my collection and try out new stuff at the same time. I'll talk more about what I'd like to get rid of once I get closer to being home. Other than that, I think that's about it for this post. I'm doing well and hope to remain pretty active on here. Stay tuned for some new gear and more posts! There should be some cool stuff coming in! Thanks for looking!

What I've Been Carrying Lately: Late August 2016

I recently took a few photos of stuff I've been carrying, so I figured I'd just do this quick post to highlight some of those things. I'd eventually like to do a more in-depth college EDC post, but this will do for now. This isn't everything I've been carrying. It's mostly the more interesting things or stuff that's changed.

First off, the most important thing I've been carrying, my backpack. I picked up this Osprey Nova to use primarily for school. I'm really liking it so far! It holds all the schoolwork and my EDC with plenty of room to spare. I haven't had any problems carrying it around all day. It's definitely going to last a long while.

Some other important things would have to be my phone and wallet. I recently picked up this Big Skinny wallet. I wanted something slimmer than my previous wallet, and this fits the bill quite nicely. I'll probably do another review type post on it sometime soon, but so far I'm really liking it.

Here are just a few of the more interesting things I keep in my backpack. I keep a little Moleskine Volant extra small to write down things I need to do or remember. I don't like the notebook that much, but I need to use it up before I get any new ones. I also keep a pair of headphones to block out all the obnoxious people around my dorm and campus. The pen is pretty self-explanatory. I got a lot of questions on my What I'm Bringing to College video about whether I was bringing pepper spray or something similar. I did end up buying some pepper spray, and it just sits inside my backpack. Once the winter hits, I'll probably keep it in my jacket pocket so it's easier to access. The pouch on the far right holds all my EDC gear. In the in-depth post about my college EDC, I'll show what exactly is in there. And last but not least for this post, I have an Anker portable battery in my bag. I haven't used it much yet, but when I really need it, it'll be nice to have. 

That's about it for this post. It's not my entire EDC, but it is some of the more interesting stuff. I've had a lot of free time so far, and I really wanted to get more and more posts up. I really enjoy sharing my thoughts on various topics related to EDC. I'm going to try my hardest to keep this blog up to date with good posts. Stay tuned for a more in-depth college EDC. I don't think I'll be able to do any videos soon, but that could easily change. Thanks for looking!

Water Bottle Wars

I've recently discovered how important it is to always have a water bottle with you. Staying hydrated is extremely important. Having a nice, reusable bottle is even more important. Not only is it good for the environment, but it's also a lot cheaper than having to buy bottled water all the time. I never really used to drink water throughout the day. I'd drink some with my meals, but that was about it. I do a lot of walking around school in the heat, so it's convenient and necessary to have water with me everywhere I go. I never would've considered a water bottle as part of my EDC a couple months ago. Now, I can't imagine how I could go anywhere without one.

And now for the purpose of this post. I'd like to do a serious of posts about which water bottles are the best ones. I'm on the hunt for the absolute, perfect bottle. Since this is a big part of my EDC, I thought it'd be interesting to do a series of comparisons, reviews, etc. to determine what water bottles are good and which ones are bad.  Hence the name, Water Bottle Wars. I won't be able to try every single one, but I'd like to try out as many as I can. I won't talk about basic, freebie bottles. I'll mostly just stick to ones that are brand names. At the moment, I've got 4 bottles with me at school. I'll rotate through these over the next few months to see what I like and don't like. So yeah. I hope you enjoy these type of posts. EDC is so much more than just having a knife, multitool, and flashlight on you everyday. I'd like to bring more attention to other things you can carry, so I figured water bottles would be a good place to start. Thanks for looking! Stay tuned for the Water Bottle Wars!

CRKT Jettison Thoughts

CRKT managed to pack a lot of value into a tiny blade for a great price. That’s how I’d sum up the Jettison. There’s really nothing like it on the market. I highly recommend you pick this knife up. You will not be disappointed.

Let’s talk about the flipper first. I believe the flipper is what sets this knife apart from anything else that’s currently out there on the production market. I’ve never seen a knife this small with a flipper. It’s a phenomenal flipper too. The action is extremely smooth. The flipper itself is pretty small, but I haven’t had any issues with using it.

The wharncliffe blade is an absolute beauty. The steel is 8Cr13Mov, which isn’t the fanciest by any means, but it does perform decently well. The steel is definitely the most lackluster part about the whole knife. The 2” blade is perfect for light EDC tasks or as a backup knife. I’ve got no complaints when it comes to the blade at all.

What CRKT was able to do with the handles is really what surprised me. They were able to put titanium scales on this knife. That’s absolutely nuts, considering the knife is only $30. Like wow, if you’re a titanium lover, then you just have to pick this up. I personally have always hated titanium or any metal handles for that matter. However, on this knife, I love the scales for sure. The stonewashed scales look great and keep the blade looking classy.

The ergonomics of this knife are also pretty awesome. The handle comes in at a little over 3". Despite this small size, there’s still plenty to grip. There’s no jimping anywhere on the knife. Honestly, I like that, because I’ve found jimping isn’t that necessary. There’s a nice divot in the blade, where I’ve found is a natural resting place for your thumb. I can fit a full four finger grip if I rest my thumb in that little divot. You folks with bigger hands might have more of an issue with the size. I didn’t use to be a fan of the lanyard hole, since it extends past the knife, but now I don’t really mind it. That tiny added length is a good place to put your pinky, so I guess it’s not completely worthless.

The frame lock is pretty solid. There’s a tiny bit of side-to-side play, but that’s something I can live with in a $30 blade. The lock is pretty easy to disengage even though there’s not much knife to grip onto.

Like I mentioned earlier, the Jettison is around $30. You can’t beat that price at all. For the materials you’re getting, it’s a real steal. It may sound like a lot for a tiny blade, but believe me, it’s totally worth it. The flipper and titanium alone make it worth that in my opinion.

Overall, I highly recommend this blade. It’s one of my favorites for sure. It gives my beloved Spyderco Ladybug a good run for the money. If you’re looking for a classy backup blade, then this is your best bet. If you like everything about this blade, but the size, then check out the full-sized version of the Jettison. It’s pretty much the same blade, but bigger. Either one will serve you extremely well as an EDC blade. Thanks for looking!

Heading Off To College!

As you're reading this post, I'll be headed off to my first year of college! I'm super stoked! That means that this blog and my YouTube channel will likely be very inactive at least for a month or so. I'm not sure how much free time I'll have to put into either yet. I really want to be posting, but I do need to be realistic. At the very least, I'm not expecting to be able to do many videos. That's mostly because I'm living in a dorm with a ton of kids, and I don't expect it to very quiet. I definitely think I can pull off blogging though. I've always said this, but blogging has always been really easy for me to do. I can easily type up a post no matter where I am. I'll be back on break around Thanksgiving and then again in December/January, so you can expect to see a lot of posts/videos then. I don't want to leave you all hanging at all. I've seen a lot of knife YouTubers just disappear after they get to college. I don't want to be like that, so I will try my absolute hardest to get posts up of some time. I've got two or three posts that'll be scheduled posts, so you all will at least have something to see. Those will probably be scheduled to go up once per week. Oh and also don't expect to see much on Instagram. I'm not bringing the device I do IG on, and I don't really want to use my phone for it. I may end up just using my phone, but honestly it'll be super nice to be away from Instagram for a bit. Anyways, that's about it for this update post. I just wanted to give you all an update about the changes that are coming soon. Don't worry. There is no way I'll be disappearing. Thanks for looking!

What EDC Gear I'm Bringing To College

This is all the gear I'm bringing with me to college. I'm not bringing a lot initially, because I don't carry a lot anyways, and I'm already bringing enough other crap as it is. If I need more, I can always go home and get it or have an excuse to buy new gear. I'm pretty set on bringing all these things, but I may leave out or add something last minute. As far as knives go, I'll be bringing the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 and Ladybug. If anything was going to be left at home, it'd probably be the Paramilitary 2. I don't know how much I'll use it, but I figured it'd live in my hiking bag if I needed it. This is definitely my most valuable item, so I need to decide if it's worth bringing. Flashlight wise, I'm bringing the FourSevens Preon P1 and the Nitecore Tube. One will probably live in my backpack, and the other will live on my keychain. I also may purchase a brighter flashlight, but I'm not sure yet. I'm bringing the Fisher Bullet Space Pen in case I need a compact pen. Last but not least, the mulit-tools I'm bringing are the Victorinox Classic, Leatherman Squirt P4, Wenger EvoGrip 11, and the Gerber Shard. They'll all be placed among different bags and what not. Plus, I figured it'd be good to have some variety. I tried to minimize the amount of gear I brought, and I think I did pretty well. I expect to use most if not all of these things on a regular basis. I'll try to do a school EDC once I get settled and everything. Thanks for looking!

Minor Complaints About The Paramilitary 2

So I’ve had the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 for a little over a week now. I think it’s a great knife, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a perfect knife. I kinda expected it to be perfect, since everyone seems to hype it up all the time. I’ve got a couple minor complaints about it so far.

One complaint regards the edges of the scales. I’ve found that they’re very sharp and dig into my hand uncomfortably. It could just be me and my weak hands, but it’s definitely something I’ve noticed. I am used to FRN, so maybe this is how all G10 knives are. Either way, that’s probably my biggest complaint. I may try to round them off with sand paper eventually.

Another complaint is about the clip. I honestly just don’t like Spyderco’s hourglass clip much. I think this knife would be so much better if they had used a wire clip. This hourglass clip always digs into my hand when I’m holding the knife. Again, this could just be an issue with my hands, but it’s something I’ve found very uncomfortable. I may take off the clip completely and see how I like carrying it like that.

I’ve also got a complaint about the blade play and centering. I’ve heard there’s a fine balance between tightening the pivot and stop pin screws to get perfect blade centering and no play. I unfortunately have not figured this balance yet, so my PM2 has a tiny bit of side-to-side play. That’s obviously not a huge issue, but I just figured this thing would be rock solid. I still need to mess around with adjusting the screws. Maybe I’ll be able to get it more to my liking soon.

Something else I’ve been noticing is that I have to be very conscious of where I put my finger when I’m disengaging the lock. If I put my finger too far in, the choil will bounce off my finger, and the knife will remain slightly open. I don’t know if this is very common, but I don’t think I should have to put a lot of thought into where I put my hand to close this knife. I’ve had a different knife that had the compression lock and never once had this issue.

It’s still a great blade, but it’s not as good as I hoped. Everyone seems to absolutely love them, so maybe I set my expectations a little too high. It’s been super fun to try though. I’m not sure if it will stay in my collection long term. I guess it is good that these sorts of things are my complaints. They’re all pretty minor issues that don’t necessarily have to do with the overall design. I love the size, which isn’t something I expected. I can’t tell if I like the PM2 more than the Endura. I suppose only time will tell. Thanks for looking!

New Knife: Spyderco Paramilitary 2!

For those of you that follow my Instagram and YouTube, you've already seen this knife. If not, I recently picked up a Spyderco Paramilitary 2. It was surprising to many of you I'm sure. I've seen Paramilitarys all over my Insta feed recently, and I finally decided to see if the hype was worth it. Plus I saw this awesome color and knew if I were to get one, it had to be this version. Will I like it? Who knows. Will I sell it in a month like someone on YouTube commented? It's possible. For now though, I'd like to enjoy my time with it. 

I can see why so many people seem to love it. Initially, I'm very impressed. The ergos are great, the S110V is insanely sharp, and the compression lock is super fun to play with. There is a teensy tiny bit of blade play that I wasn't expecting it'd have, but other than, it's as close to perfect as everyone says. I'm excited to carry it and see what it can handle. Thanks for looking!

Do I Really Hate Big Knives???

So I recently posted a video about a new knife I got, the Spyderco Paramilitary 2. After looking at the comments on that video, I need to clear the air a bit. There are a few comments regarding surprise that I picked up a big knife, considering I generally say I hate them. I suppose I misspoke and was a bit too general when I said I hated big knives. I've had extensive time with maybe one or two larger knives. At the moment, I own one large knife, and that's the Spyderco Endura. I'm looking to sell the Endura for reasons including how big it is. However, after comparing it the Paramilitary, I've noticed there are other reasons why I don't like it. Maybe I'll get into those reasons later, but for now, just know it's not solely because of the size. I think big knives are extremely useful. Knowing that I've only tried a handful of big knives, it's hard to say I hate them completely. I'm a firm believer in the fact that one thing, whether that's a knife or anything really, is not representative of an entire group of things. With that being said, my dislike toward the Endura is not reflective of big knives as a whole. Half of the fun in this hobby is trying out new knives, even ones that you think you won't like. Will I refuse to buy bigger knives simply because I'm not a fan of the Endura? No, that'd be insanely close-minded. I'll continue to try out knives of all different sizes. That's what makes this hobby really fun. Anyways, that's about it on this topic. Just keep in mind, that it's only natural for people's opinions to change. I'll keep you all updated on how I like the Para 2. Thanks for looking!

Cold Steel Mini AK-47 Thoughts

I’m not particularly fond of the Cold Steel Mini AK-47. It’s a cool blade, but it’s not the best for EDC tasks. It’s a tactical blade that only serves that one purpose. I figured I’d be able to use it as an EDC blade. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I’ve since sold this knife. I did want to get up this short post after the fact, just so I could document why I wasn’t a fan of it.

My biggest gripe with the Mini AK-47 is how overly tactical it is. The G10 handles are way too aggressive to keep in my pocket. The clip, mixed with the rough G10, is way too tight. The blade to handle ratio is really off, but that's more of a personal preference thing. The ergonomics are sort of weird as well. My hand has to sit pretty far back on the knife, which is not something I find very comfortable. You lose a lot of control over the blade when you have to keep your hand that far back. I’m sure that is fine for self-defense purposes, but for straight up EDC tasks, the hand placement really sucks.

There are several things I do like about this blade. The thumb plate makes the blade super easy to open. The blade shape is cool looking and performs pretty well for EDC tasks. It's a pretty perfect size for EDC tasks. It's not too big and not too small. I don’t have any problems with the AUS-8A that Cold Steel always used to use. I think it’s a perfectly fine steel for my usage. If you do have a problem with this steel, Cold Steel has started releasing updated versions of their blades with nicer steels. That obviously comes at a bigger price though.

I honestly don’t have much to say about this blade, hence the short post. I just wanted to talk about a few of the things I liked and disliked about it. If you’re a Cold Steel fan, then I say check it out. Otherwise, if you’re just looking for a good EDC knife, go look elsewhere. Thanks for looking!