Gear I'd Like To Try In 2019

With the new year in full swing now, I thought it'd be fun to talk about some of the gear I'm hoping to pick up over the course of 2019. After I have my long delayed gear sale, I should have some money burning a hole in my pocket for a few of these things at least.

Like I mentioned in one of my last posts, the Spyderco Para 3 LW is my most anticipated new release of 2019. I've already pre-ordered it on Blade HQ, now I'm just eagerly awaiting until it ships. I'm hoping it's comparable to the Ontario Rat 2 which is one of my favorite mid-sized knives.

Going along with the FRN theme, one of the only other knives I see myself buying this year is the Spyderco Chaparral LW. I saw this side-by-side with the Dragonfly and was surprised by how small it was. I've liked the large majority of Spyderco's FRN knives I've tried, so hopefully this one will be just as good.

I've had my eyes on a USB rechargeable Streamlight Microstream since last year. I like the original Microstream but wish it was a little brighter. I believe this USB version is 250 lumens max which is more than enough for my needs. It'd be neat to add a red flashlight to my collection too.

I'm running out of room in my Pelican 1120 and will eventually need some additional storage space. I've been hearing a lot of good things about these Apache cases from Harbor Freight and thus the 1800 has made it onto this list. It'd be nice to get something different from the Pelican, and the price for these (less than $15) is a steal. I'm thinking I'll keep my knives/multitools in the Pelican and flashlights/miscellaneous things in the Apache. I'll do an update post on my storage once I pick one up.

These are all the main things I'm interested in at the moment. I'm disappointed that I haven't seen too many new releases that have caught my eye. Kershaw and CRKT's new lineups were big letdowns for me. Normally they have a few standouts but all of their knives just look like the same 3+ inch black/gray folders. I'll probably just stick to older knives from a few years ago once I try everything on my current wishlist. Hopefully you'll see these things on here and in videos at some point this year. Thanks for looking!

Olight S2A Baton Thoughts

I really like what Olight does with all of their rechargeable lights and nice looking designs; however, one aspect of their lights always annoys me, the UI. Their press/hold and multiple clicks to access modes is something I've never been a fan of. I prefer UIs where I can just press individually for each mode. That's more "old-fashioned" in this day of high tech lights, and unfortunately is something new flashlights are starting to move away from. I had the chance to borrow this S2A Baton last year, and while I loved the design, the UI ruined it for me. Olight has brighter and more compact lights now, so those might be better options than this one. 

Like I mentioned earlier, the design of the Batons has always appealed to me. I love what Olight did with the colored rubber grip section. It of course gives you extra grip while making the light look cooler and easier to find. There were a few different color options, like blue, glow-in-the-dark, and black, which is something I always like to see. I wish they had done the magnetic tailcap, as that's surprisingly useful. I didn't get a straight-on photo of the clip, but I hated it. I hate the deep carry clip trend on knives and the same can be said for flashlights. I wouldn't carry this light in anything other than a bag anyways due to how long it is. It's a 2 AA light that comes in around 5" long. The extra output/runtimes from 2 AAs are nice, but you can generally find the same brightness in much smaller packages nowadays. Still, if it's a longer light you're after, this isn't a bad option. The quality is what you'd typically expect from any Olight.

I dig the blue accents around the button and head of the light. The button is slightly raised and has a rubberized texture to it which helps you find it easier. It clicks well, and besides my problems with the UI, it worked well. 

The output is very impressive with 550 max lumens in turbo for 4 hours on a lithium/rechargeable battery. The turbo mode can only be used for about 3 minutes until it ramps down. You can run alkalines in this light, yet that will get you lower runtimes and means you can only go up to 260 lumens max. For other modes, there's high (260 lumens for 4 hours and 5 minutes), medium (120 lumens for 10 hours), low (20 lumens for 80 hours), and moonlight (0.5 lumens for 50 days). There's also a strobe if you ever need it. The beam was a whitish tint and more flood than hotspot. This light is more than enough for any basic EDC tasks you need to do. I already mentioned the UI of press/hold and multiple clicks, so if you end up picking this light up or any Olight for that matter, just read the manual. It's not that hard to get used to, but I'm stubborn and don't like to change since most of my lights require pressing for modes individually. There's no momentary on sadly, though there is mode memory which makes getting through the modes less annoying.

These are a decent deal, going for around $50. For that much money, you can buy a more newer Olight with better performance in a smaller package. Again, the design is great, but I'll never enjoy an Olight if all of their clickys use this crappy UI. I'd rather have a twisty than use a light with this sort of UI. What can I say, I like what I like and have a hard time changing what I'm used to. I personally say skip it. Thanks for looking!

Ganzo Firebird F6802 Thoughts

In all the years I've been into knives, I've tried very few, if any, Ganzos. I had the chance to try this F6802 thanks to an awesome viewer of mine, Mike! Huge thanks to him for letting me borrow it! I'm not a fan of this knife for a number of reasons. I see why people like Ganzos, but honestly, this one is not anything special. This is going to be relatively quick as I'm going to do a likes/dislikes format opposed to my typical format.

For likes, there aren't too many. It is a nice size for EDC, and the price (less than $10) is reasonable for what you're getting. The blade is a little over 3" overall so it's a good mid-sized folder. The steel is just some Chinese stainless which isn't terrible or great. The ergos are alright if it wasn't for the deep carry clip. The clip sticks out more than I'd like, so it ended up digging into my hand uncomfortably. The liner lock has solid lockup and is easy to access thanks to a cutout. There aren't any glaring quality issues either which kind of surprised me.

As far as dislikes, there's obviously a lot. I personally don't like the look of the design. The cheap feeling rubberized grip section looks tacky to me. Sure it adds some level of grip during use, but I don't think the knife would be slipping out of your hand without it. The rest of the handles are aluminum and do have some cutouts at the butt end of the knife. The handles are just eh overall in terms of aesthetics and feel. I usually love thumb holes but this one is badly done. It's way too sharp on the edges and is awkwardly placed. The knife is stiff which doesn't help; however, I really have to dig my thumb into the hole in order to get the blade out. I also hate deep carry clips with a passion.

Overall, I kinda hate this knife. There's nothing about it that stands out, and for a budget folder, you might as well get a Kershaw or splurge a bit more for an Ontario Rat 2. I'm all about reasonably priced knives, but this one doesn't do it for me. I wouldn't recommend it at all and probably won't try any more Ganzos in the future. Thanks for looking!

Bestech Thorn Thoughts

Bestech is a newcomer to the knife world that's gotten a lot of hype. The Thorn is the first one I've tried, and I have to say, I'm not impressed. If I was looking for a mid-sized budget knife, I'd just go for the Ontario Rat 2 instead. They do have a lot of other models, so I shouldn't discount them as a company quite yet. This one is not the one for me.

As far as likes go, there are just a handful. I love all the color options Bestech did with them. I dig this OD green! I do like the G10 scales and the texturing along the edges. It helps add some extra grip and looks cool at the same time. The liner lock is easy to access with the cutout and has solid lockup. The choil is a nice inclusion but not something I need on a bigger blade like this. It's a 3" 12C27 blade which is a steel I don't have much familiarity with. I'm not steel snob, and it's performed just fine for me. They go for $52 on Blade HQ which is fair for what you're getting.

For dislikes, the first thing that stood out to me is the hideous two-tone blade. I don't know why Bestech thought such a contrast would look good. Maybe if the blade was stonewashed it might go well together. However, the super shiny blade paired with pitch black looks absolutely awful in my opinion. It shouldn't bother me as much as it does, but if I don't like the look of a knife, why would I carry it? The action is surprisingly sub-par too. Half the time I flip it, I get weak half-deployments. It takes just the right amount of pressure to get it to flip cleanly. The ergos aren't comfortable for me either. The handle comes to more abrupt points near the end of the knife which I'm not a fan of. I like smooth curves and rounded edges on the handles, both of which this knife lack. Can we also talk about weird the clip is? I've never before seen a knife company put a chunk of G10 under the clip to elevate it. It sticks out way too far and digs into my hand during use. I'd rather have the clip be recessed in the handle instead of making the knife that much thicker.

When you pair the ugly design choices with bad ergos and flipping action, you're not getting an impressive EDC knife. I've hated this knife overall and wouldn't recommend it in the slightest. For $50ish, you can find a lot of better budget options. They do seem to have some nicer options in the $100+ price range if you're willing to fork over that much money. I've seen some interesting smaller ones from them which is nice to see. Thanks for looking!

Tuya SNS Thoughts

I had the chance to try out this sweet Tuya SNS for a few months. Huge thanks to Mike for letting me borrow it! I love everything about this knife, except for the blade shape. I typically do like recurves, yet this one looks weird to me due to a pointier recurve instead of a smooth one. It's a very tiny complaint in the grand scheme of things though. It's on the higher end of the price range for me, around $115, but that's probably justified for S35VN and titanium handles. I'm going to do a likes/dislikes format for this knife, so this may not be as in-depth as my previous thoughts posts.

As far as likes go, the two things that jump out to me most are the size and flipping action. This knife is absolutely the perfect size for my EDC needs. You're getting a 2.55" blade with a 3.1" handle. It's most likely on the smaller end for you dudes, but I can manage a full four-finger grip. I'd say it's probably more of a three-finger knife for those with larger hands. I'm normally not a fan of metal handles, yet I do like these. There's no hotspots anywhere, and the ergos are very comfortable. I love how slim the handle is width-wise. The light weight, thinness, and slim handle width make it that much better for an inconspicuous carry.

Onto the flipping action which is phenomenal! It is easily one of the best flippers I've ever tried. The ceramic ball bearing system makes it that much smoother. With just a little bit of pressure, the blade flies out so quickly. I've never had it only flip halfway out like some bad flippers I've tried (Kershaw Skyline for instance). Every flip has been a clean and fast deployment. It's been a joy to use/carry and has performed exactly as it should. It goes to show you can still make awesome, high-quality flippers in a smaller size.

I've had no quality issues with it either. This was the first Tuyaknife I've tried, and I'd definitely be interested in trying more in the future. The framelock has solid lockup, S35VN is a great steel, and the blue anodization looks awesome. It also came in that awesome pouch which is much nicer packaging than a boring box.

Like I mentioned at the beginning, the only dislike I have is with the blade shape. Tuya should have smoothed out where the recurve starts, as it looks a little too pointy for me. I wouldn't typically go for the $100+ price tag, but it's justified for the quality/materials you're getting. The SNS goes for about $115 on Tuya's website right now (linked here).

All in all, this is an awesome, classy option for EDC! The blade shape is a small thing to get over for how great of a flipper this knife is. It's been an all-around good experience. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a smaller knife. You won't regret it. Thanks for looking!

Tried Out Other Self-Defense Options: Stun Gun/Collapsible Baton

Since I'm not yet 21, I have to stick to non-lethal options when it comes to self-defense in my EDC. For the longest time, I've only carried pepper spray as a regular part of my EDC. I had the opportunity to try out a stun gun and collapsible baton for a few months thanks to awesome viewer of mine. I like the stun gun but would never want to carry the baton on a day-to-day basis. I could see myself potentially keeping a baton in my car where weight isn't an issue.

I've been looking for a complement to the pepper spray and think a stun gun fits that role perfectly. It's compact and lightweight enough that I could easily keep it in a bag or jacket pocket. My first instinct in any self-defense situation would be to run, but if someone grabbed me, I'd try use my pepper spray or a stun gun to give myself a few seconds to get away. I didn't get to test it out on anyone, but I watched some videos online and getting one used on you doesn't look like fun. The sound alone is very distinctive. The only downside I see with the particular stun gun I tried is that a little string has to be plugged in for it to work. I'm pretty sure that's a safety feature on most of them though. Let's say somehow the string got yanked out when you're getting it out of your bag. You'd be screwed if you were counting on it as your first option. No self-defense option is completely fool-proof, but I do think the addition of a stun gun in my carry will be a nice peace of mind tool that I'll hopefully never have to use. They're relatively affordable on Amazon too, so that's always a plus.

As far as the collapsible baton goes, it's just way too big and heavy for my carry. The one I tried was cool because it's made of springy coils that give it a lot of flexibility. It would not be a pleasant experience to be beat with one. I'd never want to go hand-to-hand with an attacker which is another reason it's not a viable option for me. It was fun to try but not something that would work in my carry. I think that's about it. Stay tuned for a potential gun purchase this year! I turn 21 in the summer and hope to pick up a handgun in the later half of the year. Thanks for looking!

Steel Will Cutjack Mini Thoughts

A Steel Will had been on the top of my list to try in 2018 due to all the great things I've heard about them. I had the opportunity to try out the Cutjack Mini for a few months, so thanks to Mike for letting me borrow it from him! I really wanted to like it, but it's got a few major issues. If I was looking for a budget knife under $50, I'd still go for my Ontario Rat 2 every time.

As far as likes, the price (around $40) is reasonable for what you're getting: D2 and FRN handles. I haven't had any problems with the steel at all. It's a mid-sized 3" blade which will handle the majority of EDC tasks. It's always nice to see a variety of color options as well. There aren't any major quality issues luckily, and the liner lock is solid lockup-wise.

The dislikes outnumber the likes unfortunately. It's not the best looking design in my opinion. I normally love FRN handles, but these ones look and feel cheap. The clip functions fine but again doesn't fit my preferences when it comes to design. Steel Will should not have widened the butt end of the knife. It makes it look weird proportionally and the added thickness causes the ergos to suffer. Choils are nice to have, but the ergos need to be comfortable whether or not you choose to use it. If you don't use the choil, the handle feels way too cramped. The action is the biggest letdown of all. I normally have to flip it 3 or 4 times for one decent deployment. You have to either throw a lot of wrist action or use a lot of pressure on the flipper to get it to flip cleanly. I like flippers that flip out quickly with very little effort, like the Tuya SNS or CRKT Eros. If you're going to make a flipper, it needs to flip well at least 95% of the time or you might as well just use thumb studs. Another tiny cosmetic gripe is the black backspacer. It stands out considering there's no black anywhere else on the knife.

The Mini Intrigue looks more like my cup of tea design wise, so I probably should have tried that one first. Based on this knife though, I don't get the hype for Steel Wills. The design is ugly, and it flips terribly. I say skip it and get the Rat 2 or splurge more for something that will actually flip well. I'm happy I didn't end up buying this myself as I would have been extremely disappointed. Thanks for looking!