Mobile – Versatile – Vital
The CRKT Batum is a big, dumb, partially-trained Black Lab that lives in your pocket. It’s huge and rough around the edges, but it loves you so, so much. You can’t even be mad at it when it misbehaves. You just shake your head and smile, wagging a finger and telling it to center its blade, stop dropping open, get off the couch, or whatever. It’s a knife that, in spite of its flaws, you can’t help but like. Here’s how it fared in the wild.
I’ll be honest – I’m a little burned out on folding knives. But as I gain experience in the world of bushcraft, I’ve discovered a new passion for fixed blades. Steel Will decided to feed this flame, sending a complimentary Druid 205 model for testing and review. Here’s how it held up after several weekends of hiking, camping, and unwarranted abuse.
Look – We’re all busy. As writers, readers, and reviewers, sometimes it’s nice to boil info down to its core. I’ve done just that with several pieces of my most carried gear: The Citizen BM8180, Lansky BladeMedic, Spyderco Dragonfly 2, Hitch & Timber wallet, and Olight S1R Baton. Heck, I even threw in a few handkerchiefs to add some color to the affair.
Am I “Ready to Make It?” It’s an almost quintessentially American question, plastered across the side of a Chinese knife box. Inside is the RUIKE P801, a $30 flipper framelock running on (gasp!) ball bearings and featuring steel that’s more AUSpicious and 8Credible than many other knives MoVing in the same arena. Have I found the new king of budget blades? Read on to 440-see. (Ha! Steel puns.)
I’ll be honest – I have a thing for sword-like knives. It’s probably a consequence of playing so many video games as a kid. And apparently, the folks at WE Knives are wise to my weakness. They recently sent over one of their 704 models for review, a gorgeous knife featuring great materials. Here’s what I came up with over the course of its stay.
We’ve seen it countless times – A high-end knife becomes a market hit, prompting the maker to release a budget-minded version cast from more affordable materials. Companies such as Spyderco and Kizer have made a mint with this practice, while generally maintaining an acceptable level of quality. So when Stedemon offered to send me a budget rendition of their popular SHY tantos, I eagerly assented.
Journeywind Junk 