What I Watched: March 2019

I was on spring break this month and finally finished studying for another career related exam, so I had a lot of free time to start some new TV shows.

In my what I watched update for February, I mentioned I had started the first episode of The Punisher season 2 and wasn't excited for the rest of the season. It was a slow start but wow did the remainder of the season greatly improve. I still liked the first season more, yet this was a great conclusion to the series. I blew through it in a few days since I was so hooked. I also finished Captain Underpants season 2 which is pretty bad. I grew up on Captain Underpants as a kid and was intrigued when they made the show last year. I hated the first season, and this one was just as bad. I mostly used it as background noise when I was working on blog posts. The episodes are short which is mostly why I watched it. Plus, I'm just one of those people that has to continue shows if I start them, even if they absolutely suck. I also finally got around to finishing season 2 of Iron Fist. This show got a lot of hate when it came out for good reason, yet it wasn't as bad as you'd expect. I liked this season more than the first since it had some awesome new characters. If you've read some of my reading update posts, then you'll know I love true crime. I watched a lot of different crime shows this month, like Dirty Money season 1, The People V. OJ Simpson season 1, Evil Genius season 1 and Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes season 1. Dirty Money was the only one that dragged at times since each episode focused on a different scandal, like Volkswagen's emission scandal, Trump's bankruptcies/bad businesses, and my favorite being one about this pharmaceutical company Valeant that raised their prices to ridiculous levels. The People V. OJ Simpson was cool to watch since I knew some of the details around the case but not much about how the trial went down. They managed to get a lot of big name actors too like John Travolta, David Schwimmer, and Sarah Paulson. The show about Ted Bundy was very interesting too and used actual conversations that journalists had with him. He was such a messed up dude. I recommend mostly everything I watched this month besides Captain Underpants.

While most of the TV shows I watched were awesome, there were few movies I watched that were as impressive. The most surprising and a new favorite for me is Game Night. I was just browsing my library when it caught my eye, and I'm so happy I checked it out. It revolves around this group of friends that love to play various games together when one night it gets taken way too far. There were lots of twist that I didn't see coming. I highly recommend it! I also recently saw Kingsman: The Golden Circle though I found it to be a huge letdown. I loved the first one, but this second one had bad special effects and was kind of boring. I continued on with the Fast and Furious movies by watching 2 Fast 2 Furious and The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift. I'm not the biggest fan of them, but I think I liked Tokyo Drift the most so far. The other movies I saw that I didn't really enjoy were Coraline, 42, Thor Ragnarok, Christopher Robin, and Kevin Hart Black History. They had bits and pieces I enjoyed yet were kind of long and boring as a whole.

I've basically finished the movies on my Netflix watch list, so I'll probably just focus on TV shows in April. I just started the first season of You and am excited to see the direction it goes. I finished the book this month too, and I'm interested to see how closely the show sticks to it. I'd also like to finish season 2 of Luke Cage and start The Umbrella Academy. That's about it for this post. Thanks for looking!

Boker Nano Thoughts

I've always wanted to try the Boker Nano since it's one of their few small options. The design is neat looking but not the best in terms of a small EDC knife. I've had the chance to try this one out for a bit and probably wouldn't pick one up for myself once I send it back.

The Nano is a collaboration between Boker and Curtiss Knives. It's a nice, simple looking design that works well for EDC tasks. I've had quality issues with Bokers in the past, though I luckily haven't had any issues with this one. I love the green scale! They've come in all sorts of varieties over the years, but it seems like the green and a black version are the only ones you can buy now.

With the Nano, you're getting a 1.875" 440C blade. I like the sub 2" blade, but I'm not the biggest fan of 440C. For a budget knife, that's the type of steel you'd expect though. It's been a decent enough cutter for my EDC tasks. I prefer the thumb hole over a thumb stud, yet it's a little hard for me to open the knife. That's mostly due to the knife being stiff as the thumb hole is well-placed and not awkward to access. Frankie from Birdshot IV says she uses hers as a cilantro chopper and I can see why. There's a lot of belly to the blade which makes it good for those rolling cuts. I wish the blade wasn't so wide since the handle is on the slimmer side.

The handle scale is Boker's Zytel which is essentially just plastic. The cutouts on the scale add some good grip and look cool too. The framelock is solid with no blade play in any direction. I don't have any problems with the handle.

The ergos are surprisingly comfortable without any hotspots. It's more of a three-finger knife for me. There's a slight curve on the spine of the blade with some jimping that fits my thumb quite nicely.

For a small knife, the Nano doesn't carry the best. When closed, this knife is a lot wider than I'd like it to be which is an issue when I carry it in the waistband. Wider knives always dig into me more than slimmer knives. That larger width combined with the bad clip and heavier weight (2.9 ounces) doesn't make it feel like you're carrying a small knife. I don't like clips that are more showy than functional. Apparently it's the same clip that Curtiss Knives uses on the custom ones. The clip works as it should but I'm not personally a fan of the design.

Price wise, Cutlery Shoppe has the green one for about $40 and Blade HQ has the black one for about $56. I have no idea why Blade HQ has them priced so high. I wouldn't want to pay almost $60 for this knife. You can get much better knives for that price point. Even at $40, I'd rather spend my money on something else.

The Boker Nano isn't the worst small knife I've ever tried yet it's not one of the better ones either. My biggest complaint would have to be how it carries. I love seeing more small knives out there but they need to actually carry like small knives. If you're looking for a smaller knife, check out the Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite or Spyderco Dragonfly instead. I don't personally recommend it. Thanks for watching!

Went Shooting For The First Time!

I was on spring break a couple of weeks ago and had the chance to go to a shooting range for the first time! If anyone's in the northern Virginia or Maryland areas, definitely check out The Machine Gun Nest! The staff was very friendly/helpful, and the range is nicely maintained. I had never shot a gun before so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I ended up having a really fun time!

I knew I wanted to shoot some sort of 9mm handgun since that's what I'm planning on buying within the next year or so. I handled a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, H&K VP9, and Glock 43. I ended up going with the Shield because it felt the best in my hand. The other two felt more blocky and uncomfortable in my hands. It shot pretty well/accurately with only one jam in the 50 rounds that I shot. There wasn't as much recoil as I expected either which pleasantly surprised me.

I could definitely see myself picking up the Shield as my first gun! I had a positive experience with it and have heard nothing but good things about it. It seems like a great option for me plus it's very affordable. I think that's basically it for this quick post. I just wanted to do a brief reflection on my first time going to the range. I didn't get any videos/photos but I may try to get some the next time I go. Thanks for looking!

Revamping My EDC Gear Storage!

Last year I added a lot of gear to my collection and sort of outgrew my Pelican 1120 case. As you can see in the photo below, I resorted to keeping a lot of my most used gear loose on my bookshelf. I hate doing that because of how cluttered it looks. 

The next two photos are my storage before I made any changes. The Pelican case stored the bulk of my original collection and maintenance stuff. I use it as a dump box instead of the typical pick and pluck foam organized way. It obviously fits way more gear that way, plus I don't mind if my gear rubs up against each other. It is a little annoying to have to dig through the case since I stack everything on top of each other. It's not that big of a deal though, because I usually arrange it so my most used gear is on the top. 

I found this tin in my room and used it temporarily for newer gear. It worked out well and may still get used for some aspect of my storage (maybe for stuff that'll be sold soon).

At the moment, the Harbor Freight Apache cases are taking the knife world by storm. I love the design of Pelican cases and was interested in trying out something of a similar style. I got the Apache 1800 case recently and think it's a good deal for the price (about $15, less if you use the 20% coupons HF always sends). It's slightly bigger than the Pelican 1120.

Here's the after shots with my new organization in place. At first, I was planning on using the Apache for my flashlights/random items and the Pelican for my knives/multitools. After some more thought though, I didn't like the idea of potentially going into two different cases to pick out the gear for my EDC. Plus I still prefer my Pelican case for storage. The Apache case is nice but there's just something about it I don't like as much. This led me to use the Pelican for my favorite stuff and Apache as my overflow for things that don't get carried as much.

The Pelican looks about the same as it typically would. I like knowing that the things I reach for the most are in one place. There's probably at least 20 things in here which is more than you'd think it could handle.

The extra space in the Apache is of course good for storing more gear. I'll probably do a more in-depth post about the case itself at some point. It serves the role as another dump box perfectly, so I've got no major complaints right now.

I'll be doing a collection update at some point too once I've slimmed down my collection a bit more. I've got way too much stuff that I don't carry, so expect another sale or trade video at some point. I'm happy with how the reorganization turned out and think my storage should be good for a while now. Hopefully I'll always be able to contain the entirety of my collection in these two cases. Thanks for looking!

Bestech Reticulan Thoughts

I first saw the Bestech Reticulan in a Birdshot IV video. While I loved the size and fact that it was a flipper, the design wasn't the most appealing to me initially. I've had the chance to try it out on loan, and my perspective has completely flipped. The design is so different than the more practical/simple EDC knives I go for which adds some nice variety to my collection. I've been blown away with it as a whole and plan to pick one up for myself as soon as I sell some more gear. It may seem pricey, but in my opinion, it's 100% worth it.

This is my first time checking out a design by Elijah Isham, who seems to be working with a lot of different knife manufacturers at the moment. Like I mentioned earlier, I wasn't the biggest fan of the aesthetics of this knife from the get go. It seemed very out there in terms of design and way too flashy for me. It has grown on me though and now I absolutely love it. All of the knives in my collection are more geared towards functionality which means they have relatively bland designs. This is a nice change of pace with all the neat curves. I also love that Bestech has these in so many different colors (this is the bronze and there's also blue, green and titanium) and a damascus blade as well. It's a beautiful design that is still very functional for EDC. You can definitely have the best of both worlds in terms of functionality and a good looking design with this knife. The quality is very impressive too which is what you'd expect for a more premium, $100+ knife. I'll admit, I hated the Bestech Thorn I tried last year and thought all Bestechs were similarly done. This knife has turned me into a huge fan of them now.

Getting onto the blade, you get a 2" blade with a 1.75" cutting edge in S35VN. That's on the smaller size, yet still capable enough for EDC tasks. The 2" size range has become my personal favorite because of its balance between a compact knife that is still usable. It's been very sharp and is a great slicer. I love the blade shape and the inclusion of the choil. I dig the look of the hole though it's purely for cosmetic reasons. 

The action is probably the most impressive aspect of the Reticulan. It flips better than pretty much every flipper I've ever tried with bad flips few and far between (thanks to it running on ceramic ball bearings). Even with just a little pressure on the flipper tab, the blade fires out with authority so quickly and smoothly. The tab is in a good place, and my only slight complaint is that it's a little too sharp on my weak fingers. It's extremely easy to flip this knife despite how small it is. I'd say the blade and action are practically perfect.

Handle wise, it's perfect as well. The curve look cool and help a lot with the ergos. I'm not normally a fan of titanium framelocks, due to weight mostly, but I've grown to like them on these smaller knives for whatever reason. I'm really happy that there's no lanyard hole either. I never use them, and they always ugly up a knife in my opinion. The framelock is solid with no blade play in any direction.

All of the curves make for some great ergos. With it being a tinier knife (2.875" handle), I was expecting it to be a three-finger knife for me. However, with the choil, I can fit a full four-finger grip. It's an extremely solid and comfortable grip without a single hotspot. There's a slight swoop in the blade as well that's a natural resting place for your thumb. The ergos are some of the best I've felt on a knife in this size range. 

The clip also has some interesting curvature that goes with the rest of the handle. It's drilled for right-hand tip-up carry only. It's carried well in the waistband so I've got no complaints. The light weight (1.25 ounces) combined with the thinness and slimness make it a great carry option. It does come with a kydex neck sheath as well if you like to carry your knives that way. 

Again, the price of $111 seems very high upon first glance, but I do believe it to be well worth that as long as you're going to use it. Even as a classier piece for the collection, it's still probably a great deal. As seen above and below, the packaging is extremely nice, and it even comes with a nice fleece lined pouch, cleaning cloth, and kydex neck sheath. Those are things that aren't standard at this price point and is a huge detail that stands out. The quality/fit and finish are phenomenal which make it such an easy knife to recommend. 

Wow what an awesome knife! I did not expect to like it as much as I have, but it's blown me away. It's such a well-done knife in all regards, especially in this size range. If you have an appreciation for smaller knives, I highly recommend it. Otherwise if you've got larger hands, just get a 3"+ flipper instead. I'm looking forward to seeing what other smaller options Bestech has in the works. We're only three months into the new year here, and I already expect this to be the top contender for my favorite knife I tried in 2019. I'm hoping to add one of my own to my collection very soon. Thanks for looking!

Recommended EDC Gear of 2018

I completely missed out on doing my recommended gear of 2018 video/blog post before 2019 hit, but it's better late than never! I probably tried more gear in 2018 than any other year, so it was a little hard to slim down my favorites. Of all the new stuff I tried in 2018, these are the things I'd recommend without a doubt.

As far as knives go, the top two knives I tried were the CRKT Eros and Benchmade Proper. One other honorable mention is the Kershaw Dividend. The Eros is easily my favorite knife I tried in 2018. There's very few tiny flippers on the market that actually flip well. CRKT's IBKS bearing system makes the Eros flip like a dream. The action is so quick/smooth and fires well all of the time. I'm bummed CRKT discontinued it, but it does to show that you can still do good flippers in a smaller form factor. The Proper was a very generous gift from someone that watches my videos and something I never expected to try. I've only tried classic slipjoints but never really liked their style. The Proper is a more modern take on the slipjoint that has some of the best ergos I've ever felt. The edges of the handles are so perfectly rounded which makes the knife just melt into your hand. I love the red scales and size too. It's a great knife all around! The Dividend was one of the best spring assisted knives that I tried. It was a clean looking design that functioned well for EDC. 

Two pens made the list last year: the Pokka pen and the Valiant Concepts stainless steel keychain pen. I saw Pokka pens all over Instagram and was intrigued by how affordable they were (3 pack for about $9). It's essentially a plastic ballpoint version of the Fisher Bullet space pen. I still prefer the Fisher pens for EDC, mostly because I prefer metal pens over plastic ones. However, it's nice to see more compact EDC pens on the market. I had originally borrowed the Valiant Concepts keychain pen from a friend of mine and immediately had to buy one for myself. I love how tiny and cute it is. Despite its size, it is very comfortable to write with and surprisingly comfortable. I've thrown it on my keys so I can always have a pen on me. They're pricey ($35) but will definitely last forever. The refills are specialized Fisher refills which is neat too.

Lastly, a Hydroflask and the Lumintop Tool AA flashlight round out my recommended gear list. I held off on getting a Hydroflask because of the hype, but they're worth every penny. It truly does keep my water cold all day long. It's so nice not to have hot or room temperature water anymore. The Lumintop Tool AA is an awesome light! I believe the max output is above 500 lumens which is more than enough light for my EDC usage. I love the purple and green tailcap combo! I need to give this light a lot more carry this year. That's about it for my recommended EDC gear of 2018! Sorry it was so late. What were some of your favorite things you tried in 2018 or even so far this year? Thanks for looking!

Tiny EDC Flipper Options

One of my recent obsessions is tiny flippers. I consider tiny knives to be anything with a less than 2" blade. They often don't have as substantial handles as some of the other small knives out there, like the Spyderco Dragonfly or Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite. I think the 2" size range is perfect for EDC because it's a great balance between a compact package with a still usable blade. In the past few years, there have been very few tiny flippers on the market, but it seems like companies are finally starting to catch on to the concept. Bestech in particular is doing very cool stuff in this size range. I though it'd be fun to highlight a few of the tiny flippers I've tried so far!

Going from left to right, four great tiny flippers are the Bestech Reticulan, Rike Hummingbird, CRKT Eros Small, and CRKT Jettison Compact. The first two are more premium options with titanium handles/nicer blade steels, while the last two are relatively easy to find budget flippers. This ordering also shows them from most to least expensive. The Reticulan is the priciest at $111, while the Jettison Compact is the cheapest at $25. Initially, $111 seems like quite a stretch for such a small knife, but I can attest that the Reticulan is worth every penny. People seem to equate size with price, meaning that a small knife should cost less than any comparable mid-sized to larger knife. I don't necessarily agree with this thinking, as it's more so materials/design/brand names that drive prices in my opinion. If you're going to actually carry/use these sorts of knives, they'll be 100% worth the cost in my mind. Tiny flippers definitely aren't for everyone, especially for all you guys with bigger hands. I want to give a quick rundown on each knife, though I also will have more in-depth posts on them eventually. 

Let's start with the CRKTs which jump started my obsession with tiny flippers a few years with the introduction of the Jettison Compact (review linked here). That one is probably the weakest flipper of the bunch in terms of action, since it does take quite a bit of wrist action to get it to flip well. Its action is probably hurt by the fact it's not on any sort of ball bearing system like the other three. It's the cheapest of the bunch coming in around $25 on Amazon. I love the whancliffe blade, and the ergos are extremely comfortable in the hand. The Eros has been sadly discontinued, but I believe you can still find them on some retailers for less than $50. I got it over the summer last year from a friend, and it easily was my favorite knife I tried in 2018. The action blew me away, greatly improving on the Jettison's due to the use of the IKBS bearing system. It fires so quickly/smoothly and feels great in the hand as well. If I could only recommend one of these, I'd go with the Eros for its superior action. If you dig the look of it, I'd say it's worth trying to track down.

The Reticulan and Hummingbird are newer to me and have sucked me back into the world of titanium framelocks. I hate larger titanium framelocks due to how heavy they are, yet on these smaller knives, the weight seems more reasonable. Both are beautiful designs that come in lots of different color options! The Reticulan is the superior flipper because it of course has way more to grab onto. I don't think I've had a single bad flip with it so far. I was surprised that I can fit a full four-finger grip on it comfortably thanks to the inclusion of the choil. The Hummingbird seems to be more of a novelty option with its 1.5" blade. It's harder for me to flip with its already small handle (I can fit a two and a half to three finger grip) and tiny flipper tab. It's the cutest looking of the bunch but maybe not the most functional knife in the world. The $135 price tag they go for on Blade HQ is definitely a huge stretch so getting it for $80 on Massdrop was a lot more reasonable.

I still believe the knife market needs a lot more tiny flippers going forward. I can probably count on both hands the number of tiny options out there. This group of knives prove that the concept can be done well while still being functional as EDC knives. Some other ones I'd eventually like to check out are the CRKT Snicker, WESN Microblade, and ZT 0022. If I had to pick one of these four as the best, it'd be a hard decision between the CRKT Eros and Bestech Reticulan. The Eros is more affordable, but I like the design/color options of the Reticulan slightly more. I think the Reticulan would have a slight edge over the Eros, yet you can't go wrong with either. If you like small knives, you definitely need to check some of these out. Thanks for looking!