Long Awaited Updates!

Hi everyone! As I'm sure you all could tell, I've been on a break from posting on here and YouTube for the past couple of months. I really wanted to make this the year where I posted consistently every month, but I ended up putting this knife stuff on the back burner. The summer is usually when I slightly lose interest in EDC since I don't have any pocket space to carry anything. That's exactly what happened again this year. I feel out of touch with what's been going on in the EDC world, so if I missed anything cool, definitely let me know! Now that fall is here though, I'll be back to wearing a jacket which will give me the chance to starting carrying all of my gear again.

I've got about eight posts in progress from the summer, like my top 5 EDC knives and flashlights, old reviews, and comparisons between different knives. On top of those, I'd like to get back to posting my what I've been reading and watching updates every month. I've also still got a huge backlog of gear that I need to finish reviewing. Once I've gotten all of my own gear reviewed, I'm probably going to have a substantial sale to thin out the herd. I'm graduating at the end of this year and would like to put aside more money for post-grad life.

Fall weather also means I'll be getting back into hiking. I've recently finished acquiring gear to start going backpacking and am hoping to go on my first overnight trip within the next month. I'll be posting about both of those throughout the rest of the year.

I'm not sure at what capacity I'll make my return to YouTube. Honestly, there's nothing drawing me back to it right now. Who knows if/when that will change. I've said it in the past, but blogging is definitely what I prefer doing. It's much easier for me to do and is something I look back on for my own reference.

So yeah, that's about it for now. I had an awesome summer and can't wait to graduate! Expect to see some more posts on here and potentially some YouTube videos in the future. I'm thinking I'll be posting once a week at the minimum to make sure I have a constant flow of posts. I might also try to get back into Instagram, maybe posting shortened gear reviews and more of my outdoor adventures. Thanks for sticking with me! I'm excited to be back!

Rike Hummingbird Thoughts

The Rike Hummingbird is one of the tiniest knives I've tried. What intrigued me the most about it was the fact that it's a flipper, since it's very hard to find flippers in this size range. While I think the action is a bit lacking, it's a neat knife overall. It's not one that I'd recommend for EDC usage, but it fills the role of a show piece or pocket jewelry quite nicely. It's nowhere near as useful as other smaller knives I've tried.

The size alone make this more of a novelty knife than anything. It's a beautiful design by Rike with a variety of color options as well. They've done different golds, pinks, purples, greens, blues, etc. Mine's green and purple with some blue accents on the framelock and clip. The damascus blade and cool colors make it look very classy. The gold pivot is a great touch too, and it even has Rike's logo on it. The quality on mine is fine, though I have heard people have had issues with theirs. 

I didn't realize how tiny this knife was until I actually got it in person. The 1.5" blade is definitely on the lower extreme of what I'd consider usable. I thought it'd be comparable to the Spyderco Ladybug (with a 1.69" blade), but boy does that missing 0.19" make a difference. The Damasteel looks beautiful and was sharp enough for the light tasks I put it through. With a knife this tiny, I only can see it being used for cutting open letters/packages. I would not even try to cut cardboard with this thing. 

The hole in the blade is purely for cosmetic reasons, because the main way to open the knife is the flipper tab. Like the knife, the flipper tab is very tiny, almost too tiny to get a solid grip on. It certainly could have benefited from being a bit bigger. With the knife being so small and having titanium handles, it's already hard enough to get a good enough grasp on the knife. It's a struggle for me to consistently hit the flipper tab just right to get it to flip well. The Hummingbird does run on ceramic ball bearings but that doesn't translate to good, smooth action. It takes a decent number of crummy half flips before I can get a solid one. This is the type of action I'd expect on a sub $30 knife, not one that you're paying $75+ for. The tab is maybe just a little too sharp for me as well which means it's not one of those knives you could sit and play with all day. 

The titanium handles are what you'd expect for a knife this pricey. Besides the colors, the only thing that stood out to me was the cutouts. They're mainly for aesthetics in my opinion but do give your fingers something to grip into. There's no jimping anywhere on the knife besides the flipper tab. I kind of expected this since it's a classier, sleeker knife, but it definitely could've benefited from some added texture. Again, with the tinier size and slicker handles, there's not much to grip onto, causing a lot of issues with getting it to flip well. The framelock was relatively solid and was easy to disengage too.

The handle comes in a 2.25" long so the ergos are another area that suffers. I can only manage to fit a two and a half finger grip on here comfortably which kind of surprised me. Even then, I didn't feel like I ever had solid grasp on the knife. There were no hotspots luckily. It just didn't feel as comfortable as I'd like. For those of you with larger hands, it's probably a one or two finger knife.

A huge benefit of tiny knives is how well they carry. This knife weighs a crazy light 0.6 ounces and absolutely disappeared when I carried it in the waistband. I like the inclusion of the clip, since that's not something you frequently see on these tinier knives. I'd love it if Spyderco did a clipped knife in the Ladybug size range. Something like that would never leave my side.

These go for about $135 on Blade HQ which is absolutely ridiculous for what you're getting. However, Massdrop has had some exclusive deals for $75 to $80 in the past few months. That's of course better than the $100+ price tag, though I still think it's high for a knife you'll rarely be able to seriously use. If the action was better, I wouldn't feel as bad paying the $75. That's not the case though. Unless you like tiny knives, save your money and get something else instead. 

It did come in a nice tin with a neck sheath and chain in the event you wanted to wear it as a necklace. The inclusion of those makes it even more apparent to me that this is a jewelry piece opposed to an EDC knife. Since it's so slim and light, it probably would carry well as a neck knife.

Here's a comparison shot of the Hummingbird next to some of my other favorite tiny options: the Spyderco Ladybug and Victorinox Classic. It's about the same length closed as the Classic and slightly smaller than the Ladybug. Both the Classic and Ladybug offer much better ergos and more functionality for a similarly compact package.

All in all, this is not a knife that I'd recommend as a serious EDC option. I've seen much better tiny knives that are less expensive, more functional, and have better ergos/action. Unless the design really speaks to you, I say skip it. It has been neat to see more companies doing smaller knives for a change. I like the idea behind this one yet don't think the execution is 100% there. If you want a tiny flipper, maybe check out the Bestech Reticulan or CRKT Eros small instead. I don't recommend the Hummingbird at all. Thanks for looking!

EDC Pen Collection Update 2019!

Over the past few weeks I've been doing updates on my EDC gear collection, like my knives, flashlights, and mulitools. Here's the final update on the current state of my EDC pen collection. Pens and flashlights are probably the things I use the most consistently in my EDC. I've added a few new pens since my last update and probably won't have any additions for a while. I feel like I've got all the pens I need in every size from keychain to compact to full size. 

The middle of this photo is the core of my collection with the newer additions at the two ends. As always, going from left to right, I've got the Valiant Concepts keychain pen, two Pokka pens, Fisher Bullet space pen, Zebra G-301 (gel pen), Parker Jotter, Zebra F-301 (regular ballpoint pen), Pilot Metropolitan, Fisher Cap-o-matic, and a tactical pen. All of these are regular ballpoint pens except the Pilot Metropolitan, which is my one and only fountain pen. If you want to get into fountain pens, the Metropolitan is definitely the one I recommend. It's such a different writing experience, feeling a lot more smooth overall than regular ballpoints. I've never felt inclined to add any more fountain pens to my collection since I love the Metropolitan so much. It's the perfect fountain pen in my eyes. 

I'm happy that I have a few more compact pens to rotate with the Fisher Bullet space pen. I've always found that to be the perfect size for EDC and have hoped that other companies would eventually make other compact options. The Pokka pens are essentially plastic versions of the Bullet that come in 3 packs for about $9. It's one of those pens you could loan out to someone and not worry as much if it walks off, unlike losing a $20 Bullet. The Valiant Concepts keychain pen is probably one of my favorites, because there are even fewer tiny pens out there. Despite how small it is, it's still incredibly comfortable to write with and has found a permanent place on my keys.

The Zebra 301s and Parker Jotter are two less expensive options that have a nicer writing experience than cheap plastic pens. I prefer the Zebras for everyday writing more, but the Jotter is a popular option as well. The Zebras go for less than $5 a pen, while the Jotter is about $10. The Cap-o-matic just stays in my hiking bag in case I ever need to write in the rain. The tactical pen is neat but too bulky as an EDC option. I could see myself throwing it in a bag for a potential self-defense option. I hope you all have enjoyed seeing the updates on my gear collection! I'm very happy with what I've got and think I've got a good variety of stuff for every occasion. It'll be fun to look back at these posts in a few years and see if my collection has drastically changed or not. Thanks for looking!

Kizer Feist Thoughts

I recently had the chance to check out my first Kizer, the Feist, on loan. I liked certain aspects of it but am not a fan of front flippers. I like to be able to open my knives quickly and easily, and front flippers don't allow for either of those in my opinion. Though this is not the knife for me, I am looking forward to trying out more of Kizer's knives. The quality and design of the Feist were very impressive.

I can definitely see why people like Kizer so much. They put out a very high quality and well-designed product. This is a Justin Lundquist design, who also designed the Baby Barlow I talked about a few weeks ago. It's such a classy looking knife with a simple design that'd work well for EDC. If you don't like the reverse tanto blade or the holes in the handle, they've got a regular drop point version for the same price ($168) as well. I like that there's no lanyard hole too. It's a small detail but makes the handle look a lot cleaner. I'd love to see more companies get rid of lanyard holes, at least on these mid-sized or larger knives. I've got no complaints about the quality or design.

Moving onto the blade, this is the perfect length for a mid-sized knife, coming in at 2.8" long. When I first got the knife out of the package, it seemed so much more compact than you'd expect that blade length to suggest. The steel, CPM-S35VN, is great and performed well for my typical EDC tasks. The reverse tanto blade looks awesome too!

The front flipper is the biggest issue about the knife for me. Maybe I just need to get used to them, but as of now, I think they require too much effort to open well. It was awkward for me to open the knife and took more concentration than I'd like to make sure I was hitting the flipper tab right. I wasn't able to open it cleanly 100% of the time which would deter me from carrying it as an EDC knife. To me, it's not natural to reach around the end of the knife to flip it open. It's not one of those flippers you could sit and play with all day, because it's not quick and snappy to open. It would've been a better knife overall if it was a regular ol' flipper.

I've never fully bought into the titanium framelock hype, but knives like this make me start to see the appeal. I love the slimness of the handle and how perfectly rounded the edges are. The holes are more for aesthetic reasons and add some pizzazz to an otherwise bland handle. The framelock itself is solid, and there wasn't a bit of play. The knife feels much more compact than the almost 3" blade would suggest.

The ergos were some of the best I've felt in a while. I could fit a full four-finger grip comfortably. Like I mentioned earlier, the edges of the handles are perfectly rounded which make the knife melt into your hand. If only it wasn't a front flipper, then I'd probably be tempted to pick one up. There's some jimping on the spine of the blade which mostly helps deploying the blade with the front flipper.

The Feist carries extremely well thanks to how slim and thin it is. I've always stayed away from titanium handles since they tend to make knives heavier compared to the FRN I'm used to. Still, this knife is pretty light at 2.62 ounces. The clip is simple and carries pretty deeply. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed carrying it.

These go for $168 on Blade HQ which seems like a great deal for what you're getting. Most titanium framelocks seem to start at that price and some go for well over $200. For the quality and materials you're getting, it seems well worth it. They also come in nice packaging with this pouch and a cleaning cloth. That's not standard in most $150 plus knives and helps Kizer's quality and attention to detail stand out even more.

I loved the design and compactness, yet the knife was ultimately ruined by the front flipper. To me, front flippers are more of a hassle than any other opening mechanism I've tried. Kizer has definitely caught my attention though, so I'm looking forward to trying more of their knives in the future. This particular one was provided by Valtac Tactical to the passaround group I'm in, so check them out if you need a new place to buy more knives. It was a fun experience overall and is worth the look if you're into front flippers. Otherwise, maybe check out some of Kizer's other knives instead. Thanks for looking!

Microtech UTX-70 Spartan Thoughts

After loving the Kershaw Launch 4 so much, I've been on the hunt for other small autos. I've never tried an OTF before and have always heard that Microtech does some of the best ones. The UTX-70 has been been on my list to try for a while, but they're usually out of stock. After snagging one in April, I'll end up sticking with my Launch 4. The UTX-70 just doesn't have the same charm or appeal to me.

Design wise, this is your standard Microtech. It's a clean looking knife, though I do find the black scales to be boring. They've done all sorts of different varieties of colors and blade shapes over the years. It's much easier to find the UTX-85s in various colors for whatever reason. I'm not sure why Microtech makes these so hard to buy. This particular version is the Spartan which has a double edged tanto blade. The quality is impressive and is on par with how much you're paying. It's nice to support a USA made company as well. 

Getting onto the blade, like I mentioned this one is double edged. I've never tried a double edged knife and don't care for it all that much. I don't find it necessary and am always afraid I'll somehow cut myself on the extra edge. The steel is CTS-204P which I've never tried before. I don't care about having the highest end steel and have been more than happy with the performance. It's a nice size for EDC too, coming in at 2.41" long. That doesn't make it CA legal like the Launch 4, though they do have a CA legal version if that's a necessity for you. Most states have stricter laws regarding autos anyways so definitely be wary of that.

I've only ever tried push button autos before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from the OTF action. Getting the blade out is quick and easy, but the same cannot be said about trying to retract the blade. Either I'm just weak or mine still needs to be broken in, because I have to use two hands to slide the blade back in. The slide was designed well, with good texturing and a ramp-like shape that helps you get a good grip on it. It's a solid knife, and I've never worried that it's unsafe.

There's not much going on with the handle. It's a simple, rectangular shape (coming in at 3.22" long) with some contouring throughout. The edges of the handles could benefit from a bit more rounding in my opinion. I love the look of the Microtech logo too. Like I mentioned at the beginning, I wish these were easy to find in other colors. The black doesn't do it for me. These do have specialty hardware, so you can't take the knife apart unless you have the tool. That's probably for the best, because it'd be easy to screw up if you took it apart. I've heard Microtech has good customer service in case you do end up having problems.

The ergos are alright but not my favorite in the world. I can fit a full four-finger grip, though I can't find a natural place to rest my thumb. I'd want to rest it on the blade but I can't do that since this one is double edged. The rectangular handle does feel boxier than I'd like due to no rounded edges. Again, it just doesn't feel as good in the hand as my Launch 4.

I've got no complaints about the clip. It works exactly as it should. There's even a glassbreaker on the end of the knife. I'd probably never use it, but I guess it's nice that it's there. This is one of the few knives where I'd tolerate tip-down carry, since your thumb will be closer to slide when getting it out of the pocket.

These went for $221 which seems fair enough for what you're getting. I'm sure there's a lot of detail that goes into getting the action right. Plus, you are supporting an American made company. If you're interesting in picking one up, you have to be patient and jump on them as soon as they're up for sale. They usually go out of stock the same day which is kind of annoying.

This is a nice enough knife, but unfortunately doesn't compare to the Launch 4 that I love so much. Ultimately, I think I prefer push button autos over OTFs. It's still a well-done knife, though isn't perfect ergos wise and is much stiffer than I expected. If you're looking for an OTF, Microtech has the market locked down and puts out high quality knives. For EDC, it might not be the best option if your state has stricter knife laws. It's not as great as I was expecting considering they sell out like hot cakes. I say skip it and spend your money elsewhere. Thanks for looking!

Multitool Collection Update 2019!

My 2019 collection updates continue with my multitools. For the most part, this aspect of my gear collection has stayed pretty constant. I don't use multitools all that often, and there aren't too many innovative ones coming out. I rarely need plier-based multitools so Victorinoxs are the ones I typically reach for the most and what my collection primarily consists of.

Along with the typical Leatherman/Victorinox/Wenger multitools I have, I also threw in my one piece multitools (OPMTs) and a CRKT Eat'n Tool. Starting at the top row after the Eat'n Tool is my larger multitools, like the Victorinox Alox Pioneer, Wenger EvoGrip S11, Victorix Alox Bantam, mini pry bar, and Gerber Shard. The Shard is by far the best OPMT I've tried and is a great deal at only $5. The Pioneer and Wenger are my two favorite larger tools, and I love both of their colors. They're still compact enough to carry in my EDC pouch without weighing it down too much.

The second row is the smaller keychain sized tools I have: the Leatherman Squirt P4, Victorinox Classic, Victorinox Alox Classic, Victorinox Midnite Manager, Victorinox Alox Minichamp, and CRKT Snailor Compact. If you couldn't tell, I love the 58mm Victorinoxs. They're the perfect size for a keychain or to slip loose in the pocket. The only Leatherman I currently own is the Squirt P4 which has remained my favorite plier-based multitool over the years. I prefer it over the newer PS4, since the finish feels nicer to me and it doesn't have Leatherman's crappy scissors. One of the reasons I always stick with Victorinox is due to how great their scissors are. They cut better than any other multitool scissors I've tried, getting very precise cuts thanks to how thin they are. The Classic is my favorite 58mm tool and multitool in general, and I always have one on me either on my keys or in my EDC pouch. I still haven't carried the Midnite Manager or Minichamp much but like how they offer different toolsets than the bare bones Classic. The Snailor is a cute little keychain bottle opener that I've mostly kept around for its design. I don't drink so I never find myself needing a bottle opener.

And of course I left out one of my cooler Victorinoxs which I believe is called the Adventurer. It stays in my hiking bag the majortiy of the time. It's the largest multitool I own and has a locking blade unlike any of the other multitools I've got. The camouflage pattern looks awesome as well! 

That about wraps it up. I'm not as interested in multitools as I used to be when I first got into EDC. Victorinox makes the superior multitools in my opinion with a tool for everybody. I've never had any luck with Gerber's quality, and Leatherman focuses mainly on plier-based tools. There's a couple Victorinoxs I want to check out, but other than that, I don't see my collection changing much in the next year or so. Thanks for looking!

Urban EDC Supply/Justin Lundquist Baby Barlow Thoughts

I had the chance to check out the Baby Barlow on loan which is a collaboration between Urban EDC Supply and Justin Lundquist. If you're interested in learning more about them, here's a link to the all titanium version on Urban EDC Supply. If you want to see the different varieties, here's that link as well. I've never been too interested in traditional knives due to how formulaic they are. That's where the Baby Barlow comes in, finally adding some more innovation to the kinda dull traditional market with the addition of a front flipper, liner lock, and clip. It was fun to check out, though I'm not sure it's something I'd want to carry everyday.

Quick side note: this is a prototype and is not exactly like the final production version. This one is beadblasted while the production version is sandblasted. Apparently this one is not up to the final quality standards either, but I was very impressed with the quality and fit/finish. They'll end up shipping in early November of this year and are available for preorder at a slight discount. The all titanium version is going for $199 currently, while the versions with the G10 inserts are going for $215.

This is a Justin Lundquist design, who's also done some knives for Kizer like the Feist. It's a very classy and clean design that would function well for EDC tasks. It's a smaller knife that would work out well as a backup option. These are made by Fox Knives in Italy which is pretty cool as well. Like I mentioned earlier, the quality/fit and finish were top notch. I was very impressed with the quality and design.

The blade steel is M390 with the cutting edge coming in at 2 inches. I find 2" to be the optimal blade length for me, since it keeps the knife compact while not sacrificing usability. M390 is a great steel and performed very well. The only complaint I have about the blade involves the front flipper.

The nail nick is entirely for show, as the front flipper tab is the primary way to open this knife. As you can see in the photo below, the blade is entirely recessed in the handle. The flipper tab isn't that apparent in the photo but it's right above the pivot. The fact that it doesn't stick out that far in the photo goes to show how small it really is. I'm not sure if they had to make it that small to fit the design or if they just wanted to make it as small as possible. Either way, it's too small in my opinion and makes the knife that much harder to open. There is some jimping on the tab for grip, but it's almost too coarse and is one of the few flipper tabs I've tried that has absolutely destroyed my finger. I ended up getting a huge blister on my index finger just from flipping it in my video. I don't think dulling the jimping would help at all because it'd make the knife even harder to flip.

As far as the front flipper aspect, I'm not a fan personally. It takes too much concentration to flip well, and it usually takes me 3 or 4 attempts before I get it flipped open cleanly. Sometimes I miss the flipper tab because of how small it is. Other times, it only opens partially due to not hitting the tab right. I'd rather have a normal flipper that's easier to open than the gimmicky front flipper. The Baby Barlow does run on caged ball bearings, so when you manage to flip it well, it opens very smoothly. Maybe I just needed to get used to the front flipping action. To me though, it didn't feel natural to reach around the end of the knife to flip it. That's probably the biggest issue I have with the knife overall. If it's not easy to flip, then I'm never going to want to use it in my EDC.

This version of the Baby Barlow has a titanium handle with an OD green G10 insert around the pivot. I like the insert, and the three grooves help add a little grip for your pointer finger. I'm normally not a fan of titanium handles but really like these ones due to how nicely rounded the edges are. Though there's no jimping anywhere along the handle or spine of the blade, I've never felt that the knife is too slick. Also, the liner lock is solid and had no play at all.

I was able to fit a full four-finger grip quite comfortably. Those of you with larger hands are probably looking at more of a three-finger grip on the 2.93" handle. The edges of the handles are perfectly rounded so the knife feels like it melts into your hand. I'd like to see rounded handle edges become the standard on all new knives. 

The clip is simple and works as it should. The light weight (2.4 ounces) and slimness made it a joy to carry. I had no major complaints about how it carried.

Looking at the price, the full price of $239 may seem high for what you're getting. The higher-end materials (titanium, M390, and G10) are what you typically see in knives over $200. I hear the argument that people wouldn't pay so much for such a small knife which I don't get at all. Just because a knife is small doesn't mean the price should be reduced. If anything, they require more precision/details and have smaller tolerances than larger knives would. As a classier show piece for your collection, the price doesn't seem that ridiculous compared to what some knives go for.

It was neat to check out the Baby Barlow, yet it's not the knife for me. It's nice to see some innovation in the traditional market. I hope other knife manufacturers catch on and start innovating more in the production folder market. I see this knife as more of a show piece instead of one you'd actually want to use every day. The clean design and compact size was ultimately ruined by the front flipper. Thanks for looking!