Mobile – Versatile – Vital
What do you know of “The West?” Before moving from Wisconsin to New Mexico, the extent of my knowledge came from playing “The Oregon Trail.” Now, as my time in this area draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the region and its ethos. But that’s not what you’re here for, is it? Instead, let’s take a look at an interesting little pocket knife: Quiet Carry’s serendipitously named modern slipjoint, “The West.”
Get ready for the Tool jokes, ladies and gentlemen, because you’re in for a lot of ‘em. No, not the euphemism – The band. Designer Jason Stout is ready to rock the market with the Lateralus, a stylish blade with artistic aspirations. Let’s reach up, reach out, and ride the spiral with this new addition to the Boker catalog.
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.
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.
You know the expression, “Never meet your heroes?” It’s the idea that, no matter how great something or someone may be in person, they’ll never measure up to the image you’ve created in your mind. Well, I’ve decided to go against this axiom. The folks at Zero Tolerance recently offered to send over one of their 0450 models, which has been my most coveted knife for a long while. I mean, just look at it! How was I supposed to refuse?
With the Fourth of July approaching, it seems only fitting that I’ve been reviewing a slew of American-made knives. This time it’s the Boker Plus Patriot – A beautiful blade that, like our nation itself, has its share of both good and bad. And what better place to explore this dichotomy than the canyons and creeks of the American West?
Journeywind Junk 