In the Never-Ending Search for Training Supplies One Often Overlooked but Not Overshadowed Resource is Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical

Story by Waysun Johnny Tsai, Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai and Chris Caban

As a martial arts instructor, you will sometimes find yourself on a never-ending quest to find training gear for your class. We all look for gear that is high quality, durable and of course affordable—like Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical. Training with gear like rattan sticks can be a pain in the ass, as they get beaten on and chewed up pretty quickly, when used hard.

Then, there are training knives, a quick Google search will turn up tons of options. Most of us have probably owned a dozen different brands of training knives but they are usually a one size fits all. Meaning that they don’t always match the knife that we actually carry.

About four years ago while visiting my friends at the Atlanta Blade Show, I noticed a table full of training blades, next to my buddy’s booth. I walked over to the booth and started looking at the training knives and swords, and a gentleman named Chris Caban introduced himself and his brand—Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical.

Chris, who is a friendly guy, explained to me that he makes custom training knives. During our conversation, he also mentioned that he was a recent contestant on the debut season of Forged in Fire: Kinfe or Death. Consequently, this was actually a show that I had been binge watching, right before I made my drive to Atlanta.

I showed him my C.U.M.A KAGE, that I was carrying around, and he was like, “sure, I can make that.” And he did. Along with training versions of several other C.U.M.A. knives that I designed.

Staying in Touch

Chris and I have stayed in touch since then and he has since produced nearly 100 custom knives and training Kali sticks for me—which are used regularly in my weekly class. In fact, I would say that Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical has pretty much become the exclusive training blade brand of C.U.M.A. Combatives. And that speaks volumes, since I have access to a lot of other companies and makers.

Chris’s prices, quality, turn-around time and customer service have really won me over. Like it or not, he is never getting rid of me as a customer, or a friend. Hog Mountain has literally become my secret weapon, when it comes to making my training weapons

Chris is a good guy and an interesting person. He is a trained martial artist in both Kali and Brazilian Jiujitsu. A custom training knife manufacturer. A partner in an overseas knife company and just a savvy businessman, that is always on the hustle. He also hosts an open, full contact Kali gathering called Krampus. But I will let him tell you guys about that, as he agreed to take a minute and answer a couple of questions for our readers.

So, without further delay, please allow me to introduce Chris Cabin of Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical.

Chris Caban

K&GS: Thanks for joining us today. Please introduce yourself and your company to our readers.

CC: I’m Chris Caban of Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical. I make training blades for Filipino martial arts and defensive tactics. I’m also a part of the Willumsen Copenhagen company, a Danish knife manufacturer. 

K&GS:  Tell us a bit about your martial arts background.

CC: I was on the wrestling team from 4th grade to freshman year of college. I poked around with Boxing, karate and Muay Thai, until I met Benjamin Salas and he introduced me to the massive worlds of FMA, Silat and BJJ, in 1998. I’ve trained with some of the best out there and hope to continue my journey until I’m an old geezer.

Making Trainers

K&GS:  How did you get into making training knives?

CC: I had Guro Victor Gendrano in for a workshop, and during one of our conversations he expressed how he wanted to see the FMA continue to expand into new technologies. We soon devised a plan with my old man, to start cutting blades in my dad’s garage.

K&GS: I see that you gravitated to making FMA training weapons. What do you make them out of?

CC: The blades are made from a high-density PET and the sticks are made from an Acetyl. I wrap the handles for comfort.

K&GS: How many models would you say you currently produce?

CC: I focus on a few blades in my social media posts but have well over 100 drawings in my CAD files that I can cut anytime.

Forged in Fire: Knife or Death

K&GS: How did you get involved with Forged in Fire KOD?

CC:  My Atlanta Kali Group has a pretty good name, and I got an email from Production. First, they were asking about sparring with different types of blades, but by the time I got down there I was told it was a cutting competition. They were very tight lipped about the whole thing.

K&GS: You were on the first season, right? What took you out? The fish or the chicken?

CC: I was on the 1st episode of Season 1. I got knocked out by that blasted Chicken. 

K&GS: Did you find yourself using your FMA skills on KOD?

CC: I did totally. It was a pretty exhausting event. Especially with a 10-inch blade. I got my stride on the ice block where I could feel the angles digging in the block. It was pretty bad ass.

Martial Arts and Krampus

K&GS: You also do BJJ right? Tell us about that?

CC: I do. I got started in 1999 but didn’t focus on it until about 2001. Benjamin got us connected with Carlson Gracie soon after, and we flew his flag here till 2005. I got my Purple Belt via Carlson, from Rey Diogo while I was teaching in Guatemala City. I went on to earn a Brown Belt, with 4 stripes. Now I do limited no-gi work.

K&GS: I know you hold an annual FMA stick fighting contest, Krampus. Tell us about that.

CC: Ahh Krampus, the home for bad kids who don’t visit their families on Xmas but go to the gym and fight. For the past 11 years, I have been hosting this non-contest sparring event. I’ve gotten several major sponsors for giveaways, and we normally have about 20-25 fighters. This year we teamed up with some California fighters, who are now living in Georgia, and starting Krampus in July. Moving forward it should be a bi-annual event.

K&GS: Is Krampus an open-to-the-public event?

CC: It is open to FMA fighters from all over. We try to keep the mood light and keep the energy level at about an 8, so no one gets mangled. There are some serious battles but we’re not looking to really hurt each other. You will get bruises. Lots and lot of bruises. *Laughs*

Looking to the Future

K&GS: Anything new or exciting in the pipeline?

CC: I have been trying to recreate the blade art the old time Pandy would put on their blades. Blades I have from WWII & Vietnam eras all have cool art and I want to expand on that. Traditional sheathing is also on the board. 

K&GS: How can people get a hold of you, to make training versions of their favorite knives?

CC: I only use one portal, the Facebook page. Anything else is not me. Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical on Facebook. I receive messages that way and can make EDC and Christian Filipino blades to about any spec. However, I do not make Moro blades like the Barong or Kampilan. I have one Kris design that I make, but no other Moro blades.

K&GS: Thanks for taking time out to share with us today.

CC: Anytime. K&G

Join the Conversation, comment on this story below. >>

Contact

Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical
Facebook: @HogMtTnT

The post Hog Mountain Tool and Tactical the Industry’s Best Kept Secret for Trainers appeared first on Knife & Gear Society.

STRAACK, RYP Design and William Harsey Collaborate to Honor Billy Waugh with the new Limited Edition Waugh Signature Model, DEMO Flipper Knife

Story and Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai

From the STRAACK RYP Design DEMO flipper press release, “’Why the hell would anyone want my name on their knife?’ were Billy’s exact words, when Robert Young Pelton wanted to originally put his name on a Parang- esque jungle knife. 

When it came to the DEMO, RYP disobeyed orders and recruited legendary Special Forces knife designer, William Harsey to make Billy proud. They collaborated on a design only a warrior of Billy Waugh’s level could sign off on.”

The RYP Design DEMO Flipper

Man, I for one am glad that RYP disobeyed orders, the DEMO is one sweet knife.

Produced in collaboration with STRAACK, the DEMO is a really nice knife. The DEMO is a mix between a well-built classic drop point knife and some sneaky, less than lethal self-defense tool.

What I mean is, the DEMO has an Awl/Spike that folds out of the backside of the handle. The awl is useful for less than lethal kuboton pokes and applications. An Awl is generally found on a multi-tool. A traditional Awl is used for poking holes in wood or leather. But this one can be used for poking holes in people that piss you off.

Like many of RYP’s knives, the RYP Design DEMO flipper is made by LionSteel Knives in Italy. The stonewashed M390 stainless steel Drop Point blade has a length of 3.78 inches. Whereas the knife overall length, when open, is 9.13 inches.

The handle is 3D milled titanium, with a pattern that offers a very solid grip. The knife feels hefty in the hand, weighing in at 6.8 ounces, and that is a good thing. It’s nice to have a good hand full of metal with an Awl/spike protruding out the bottom of it. Just in case you want issue out some pain in a self-defense situation—but not actually stab someone.

Another great feature is the Tungsten carbide glass breaker. Every time I see a glass breaker on a knife, I look around for a window to test it on. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe breaking windows with a glass breaker is just plain fun.

The DEMO flips open with extremely smooth action, due to the custom IKBS pivot system.

Everyday Use

The knife carries tip up, either right- or left-hand carry, with its reversable clip. I had a chance to spend a week in the Endless Mountains, PA, and carried the DEMO the entire time. While I didn’t do my normal hard use testing, I did use it for some daily light chores.

I cut up some fresh apples, right off my wife’s uncle’s apple trees and whittled a couple of sticks. I can say that the DEMO is extremely well built and shaving sharp right out of the box. Which is expected since it is manufactured by LionSteel, who is known for its award-winning designs.

RYP and RYP Design

I met Robert Young Pelton about 10-12 years ago while building a reputation as a YouTuber/Knife reviewer. I would walk around large trade shows like SHOT Show and Blade Show with a little camera to film videos. Camera in hand I would create out of focus and poorly edited videos with knife designers and makers.

When I first introduced myself to RYP, he was beyond cool and easy to talk to. Over the years we have become industry friends and have toasted a drink or two at the Blade Show Pit.

Robert “RYP” Young Pelton, is one of those guys that has been around the world on some pretty incredible adventures. A warzone journalist hanging with BLACKWATER, a published book/magazine author and producer of television show “The World’s Most Dangerous Places.”

Pelton is that guy most of us want to grow up to be—but more hardcore. When RYP turned his attention to knife making, people paid attention. He banged out some very cool and popular knives like his H.E.S.T., and latter his extra-large bush chopper, the H.E.F.T. Chop 12.

One constant with RYP designs is that they are all very stylish. Nothing RYP designs is run of the mill or boring. There is something slickly unique to each and every one of them.

I can honestly say that I have yet to see a RYP design or DPX Gear knife that I didn’t want to write about or own. The DEMO is no different.

Dream Team

It’s obvious that RYP holds a high level of respect for Billy Waugh and his achievements and wanted to honor him with this design.

According to details from STRAACK.com, “Robert Young Pelton (founder/designer of RYP Design) first met Billy when he was writing his book Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in The War on Terror. Driving his cop Harley Davidson across the country during the winter, Billy graciously took out time from his wedding day to meet at the local Waffle House.

“The two men – one an author, and one an operator, both veterans of numerous hot spots, often at the same time – hit it off immediately. They have been fast friends ever since.”

I am not entirely sure what percentage RYP plaid in the design, but he teamed up with legendary knife designer William Harsey on this one. Maybe they spitballed ideas back and forth between them, I don’t know. Whatever the process was, it worked out really well. For those who are not familiar with him, William Harsey is a big deal the knife industry. I mean HUGE.

William W. Harsey is the creator of the Applegate Fairbairn Combat Folder and the equally famous “Yarborough” design. The Yarborough design is issued to each Special Forces graduate.

Having these three gentlemen work on this design together is big treat indeed.

Limited Signature Edition

Billy’s signature is laser etched on the pocket clip. In addition, William Harsey’s signature is laser etched on the blade. There will only be 250 copies of the Billy Waugh signature edition. An unsigned version of the DEMO will go into production runs later this year.

I wouldn’t really consider myself a knife collector, but if I were, the limited-edition DEMO would be a center piece in my collection. Since I received it I haven’t stopped carrying it, and that speaks volumes.

I highly recommend this knife to anyone that is serious about owning knives.

Kudos to STRAACK for teaming up with RYP, William Harsey and of course Billy Waugh to produce this knife.

Get yours today at www.STRAACK.com. K&G

Join the Conversation, comment on this story below. >>

Specs

Blade Material: M390 Stainless Steel
Blade Length: 3.78 inches
Overall Length: 9.13 inches
Closed Length: 5.35 inches
Blade Thickness: 0.16 inches
Weight: 6.8 ounces
Handle Material: 3D Titanium
Locking Mechanism: Frame Lock
Pocket Clip: Tip-Up, Right/Left Carry
Designer: Billy Waugh, Robert Young Pelton, William Harsey
Made in: Italy
MSRP: $495.00

Contact

DPx Gear
(619) 780-2600 – Text Only
www.DPxGear.com

STRAACK
www.STRAACK.com

Availability

STRAACK
KnifeCenter
Knifeworks

Digging Deeper

Billy Waugh – From STRAACK.com

Billy Waugh (current age 91) has a military and intelligence career that can only qualify as legendary.  Prevented from enlisting for WW2 because of his age, Billy signed up for the newly created Special Forces – choosing the most dangerous tasks our nation demanded.

Billy is the recipient of eight Purple Hearts and has a lifetime of service to America. Billy Waugh continued his Special Forces career all the way to the opening months of the war in Afghanistan. His 20 years of service to the CIA post retirement made Billy officially the oldest serving CIA contractor in history. 

Billy’s book “Hunting the Jackal” covers his time tracking Carlos the Jackal and Bin Laden, and “Isaac Camacho An American Hero” is his homage to a fellow Green Beret.

The post The Limited RYP Design DEMO Flipper Pays Homage to Billy Waugh appeared first on Knife & Gear Society.

Designer Zeke Menacho Discusses His Time on FIF: Knife or Death and the Details Behind His Nomad Design, Produced by Work Tuff Gear

Story and Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai

Every once in a while, I get to take a break from being the coolest guy in the room. While that might not be very often, this is one of those times (kidding of course).

I’m not going to lie; I am not the world’s biggest Forged in Fire fan. Yes, I have seen a couple of episodes, but I have missed more episodes than I have actually watched. I think of that show as a cooking competition, but for knives.

But when Forged in Fire: Knife or Death premiered, it was something different. A group of 40 competitors come on the show—some are martial artists, some military and some I think just faked their way past producers—and demonstrate their abilities with an edged weapon. Whatever their background was, the hosts Bill Goldberg and Tu Lam kept a fun commentary going as the competitors did their best against the clock, to chop and destroy everything in sight.

One guy that caught my attention was this dude in black vest, backwards baseball cap, arm sleeves and a pair of goggles. You could tell that he meant business by his demeanor, and by the end of his run he had the best time—winning his episode. That dude’s name was Zeke Menacho and he dominated the obstacle course that most couldn’t get past.

We recently invited Zeke for a chat, to allow our readers the opportunity to get to know him better and hear more about his knife design with Work Tuff Gear, the Nomad.

So, without further ado, we would like to introduce you all to the winner of Forged in Fire: Knife or Death, season 2, episode 2: Big Zeke Menacho.

Brief Introduction

Knife & Gear Society: Hi Zeke, thank you for joining us today. Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Zeke Menacho: My Name is Zeke Menacho. I am a knife designer, and community builder, for Victor Lin of Work Tuff Gear. My current designs with Work Tuff Gear include the Nomad Camp Knife, Nomad Field Knife and Nomad EDC. I also have some upcoming knives and projects in the works, with the upcoming Seax/Cleaver hybrid, the Proper Chopper and the Work Tuff Gear Adventure Team Group.

Prior to that I worked with Peter Kohler of Dark Timber Custom Knives, helping him become one of the best known custom knifemakers in the world, and collaborating with him on the Hooligans and Timber Hawk— as well as building out the Dark Timber Brotherhood Group, which I still help out with today.

Forged in Fire: Knife or Death

K&GS: Tell us about winning Forged in Fire: Knife or Death. Which episode did you win?

ZM: I have always been into Blade Sports, but it is a Southern States competition. Being a west coast guy, I haven’t ever been able to compete like I want, due to being a working man—it’s always the day jobs that pay the bills.

When I finally did get a chance to compete it was on the nationally televised Forged in Fire: Knife or Death, episode 2, season 2, Blade Runners—which I won.

I then competed again in the Grand Finale Tournament.

K&GS: You are a chef by trade, what got you into Forged in Fire: Knife or Death?

ZM: I was an executive chef at the age of 19. I am a Le Cordon Bleu silver star graduate and have run food services in both production kitchens, restaurants and for the City of Inglewood, California.

Fire, Food and Knives have always been a real passion. I had heard about a television show, on the History Channel, where you could showcase your skills as a knife wielder; something kind of unheard of in this day and age.

It reminded me of the old Jousting or gladiator matches that I would read about as a kid. So, I trained for it like a fighter would, utilizing my background in Krav Maga and edged self-defense applications. Knife or Death was an exciting concept, so it was a no brainer to try out.

When I did, the producer called me back at first to tell me I was an alternate. I told her I was nobody’s second pick and that they needed a badass dressed in black for the show, then hung up. They called me back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail and I was on a flight to tape the show 3 weeks later.

It’s never worth it to be arrogant, but always worth it to know the value of what you bring to the table, regardless if others see it at the time.

K&GS: What went through your head when you learned that you won the episode?

ZM: Well, a few things really. In the moment I thought “Winning feels a whole lot better than losing.” Right after that I thought, “Man, I hope my dad sees this and my wife is proud of me.”

Peter Kohler built me a killer knife, it performed flawlessly and still gets used to make BBQ and covet while watching reruns of The Walking Dead.

The ultimate thought throughout though, is I hope my godson Isaac gets to check this out and realize you can be great at something if you work really hard, apply yourself and never listen to those who would bring you down.

K&GS: Would you do anymore TV competitions or reality TV if you got the call?

ZM: In a hot second. I love nothing more than proving people wrong who think I cannot do something—anything really. It might just be a character flaw.

Hell, I once competed in a national poetry contest just to fulfill the poet side of being a warrior-poet. I came in second place by the way. It’s a recurring theme.

Work Tuff Gear

K&GS: How did you hook up with Work Tuff Gear?

ZM: I had met Victor Lin at Blade Show West in Portland. Multiple Forged in Fire champion James Helm had pulled me over and said, “You’ve got to see what this guy is doing.”

So, we went over to the Work Tuff booth and here is this small, unassuming, genuinely smart looking man greeting people kindly and putting knives in their hands. It was a good connection immediately.

His knives spoke volumes. They have a great fit and finish. They are built to work hard, using tool steels that were absolutely appropriate to being great users, with the most amazing sculpted G10 handles.

Vic and I spoke for a bit and then he handed me his business card, which I still keep in my wallet. I told him I had some ideas about a couple of knives, and he was game. Since then, it has really turned into a wonderful relationship, both personally and professionally. Calling Vic a friend is a huge honor.

K&GS: What were your thoughts going into your Nomad design?

ZM: My initial thought was to push the hell out of the envelope on what people would carry as a camp knife—an uncompromising hard use design.

I wanted to challenge potential customers and flex on the industry, where most knives are made to look a certain way, then perform after. I always thought that was a bullshit equation. A knife is a tool first and should be able to savagely do what its required to do, with a minimum amount of compromise.

The Nomad design philosophy is a modern, out of the box take on a Bowie knife. Stab like a dagger, chop like a cleaver and still be able to cut like a kitchen knife. It’s an evolutionary process and we have tried different finishes, different steels, different handle materials and are still evolving the design.

It has to be an organic process, defined by the end users’ experiences with the knives. If it’s not, it’s simply lazy knife making.

Blade Show

K&GS: Will you be joining the Knife and Gear crew for drinks at Blade Show this June?

ZM: Oh, hell yes man! A Basil Hayden Rye Old Fashioned! Cheers and thank you for taking the time. See You at Blade!

Knife & Gear Society would like to thank Zeke Menacho for his candor and taking the time to speak with us. We appreciate the opportunity to learn more about him on a personal level and the chance to learn more about his great knife designs. K&G

Join the Conversation, comment on this story below. >>

Specs

Blade Material: SK85 Steel with 56-58 HRC
Blade Length: 10 inches
Overall Length: 15.7 inches
Blade Thickness: 0.25 inch with distal taper
Weight: 28.8 ounces
Handle Material: G-10
Grind: Saber grind with convex cutting edge
Sheath: Black Kydex
MSRP: $229

Contact

Work Tuff Gear
www.WorkTuffGear.com
Instagram: @Work_Tuff_Gear/
Facebook: @WorkTufGear

Availability

Work Tuff Gear

The post Have Knife Will Travel appeared first on Knife & Gear Society.

Jimmy Olmes, of Reactor Watches, Discusses the Toughest Sports Watches on Earth

Story by Waysun Johnny Tsai, Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai and Manufacturer

As far back as I can remember, I have had an affection for watches. I was that skateboard kid in high school that wore half a dozen Swatch watches, at the same time. 

As I grew into my career as a self-defense and Combatives Instructor, I began breaking every watch that I wore in class. I have probably owned every known brand of “tactical” watch available on the market. None of them held up during training. Pins kept popping off the bands and watches would take a hit, causing crystals to crack or the watch to stop working altogether. 

I learned that many watch brands were just marketing hype, with cool names – I have broken some very well-known brands. I have even broken a G-Shock, and those are supposed to be indestructible.

Reactor Watches

About eight years ago I was introduced to Reactor watches. I saw the Gryphon and liked how it looked. From a distance, it appeared to be a pretty tough watch and caught my interest. I gave Reactor a call and to my surprise I was able to reach the owner of the company, Jimmy Olmes. Jimmy was an ex professional surfer and a pretty cool guy to talk to. He agreed to send me a Gryphon to test out in class, to see how it would hold up. 

Eight years later, I still have my Gryphon. It has been through hell and back with me. The Bezel is a little worn down, but it’s still ticking and keeping accurate time, like it was new. Even though I now own 5 Reactor watches, my first watch, the Gryphon is still my favorite – I guess I like the battle scars that it has. I stand behind this brand so much that I recently bought everyone in my family a Reactor to wear.

My editor Joshua Swanagon is also a fan of Reactor watches, and since knives and watches go together like peanut butter and jelly, we decided that maybe it was time to give the readers of Knife & Gear Society a proper introduction to Reactor.

Without further delay, let us introduce you to the CEO and founder of Reactor Watches, Mr. Jimmy Olmes.

In His Words

Knife & Gear Society: Hi Jimmy, thanks for taking time out of your busy day. Tell our readers a little about yourself and your background. 

Jimmy Olmes: Quick background, I was born and raised in PA until age 13, when I moved to California with my family. My family moved back to the mid-west, when I was 17, and I stayed in Southern California – which was the best decision I ever made. 

I started my career in the Ski industry, eventually moving from there to designing aerobic wear and casual sportswear for women. Later, I joined a company called Freestyle, that was making nylon Velcro wallets. One thing lead to another and we developed a running product called a wrist wallet, that incorporated a watch to time your runs. This progressed to developing colorful surf watches, leading to the infamous SHARK watch, which defined the company for many years in the future. 

“After defining our mission, we started developing product and shipped our first watch in early 2004.”

At one point, the Shark watch was one of the top selling watches in the US, and we owned upwards of 85% of the action sports watch industry. I became a partner in the company in the early 80’s and we sold the company in 2000 to a VC group. At that time, my partners retired and I stayed on as the President and CEO of Freestyle, reporting to the head company, out of NY. 

In the middle of 2003, I started developing the business plan for Reactor. After defining our mission, we started developing product and shipped our first watch in early 2004.

K&GS: How did Reactor come about?

JO: It was an evolution from Freestyle. We launched Reactor in the action sports arena but found our production design was a bit too “traditional” for surf, and our retails were much higher than our previous Freestyle line. 

From action sports we evolved to dive, then fishing and then to mid-tier and better jewelry distribution. We have a very strong following in saltwater fishing and water sports, as well as tactical and outdoor.

K&GS: What would you say sets Reactor apart from other watch brands?

JO: Our mission from day one, was to build the best performance sport watch on the market. We developed a set of criteria that every Reactor watch had to adhere to, or it could not be a Reactor. These criteria are called the DNA of the Reactor brand  – no other watch company on the market puts all of these features and benefits in every watch they build.

K&GS: One of my favorites that I own is the limited-edition Polaris. What are you rocking as your favorite right now?

JO: My day to day watch is also the limited-edition Polaris. It was designed as a true professional dive watch but is only 45mm in case size, and very wearable. 

The Polaris not only incorporates our ND (Never Dark) dial technology, in the dial, but also uses ND in the timing bezel. Reactor is one of only two brands that has figured out how to protect the fragile Tritium tubes, outside the protection of the case. 

Compare to another brand that offers similar quality – with beginning price points around $3,000.00 – and their watch featuring Tritium in the bezel is upwards of $5,000.00. As a point of reference, our Swiss quartz Polaris is only $900.00 and our mechanical automatic limited-edition version, that we both enjoy, is $1,500.00.

K&GS: Any other limited-edition models coming out?

JO: The watch market loves LE (limited-edition) models and we try to always have at least one in our line.

K&GS: Anything New and exciting that you can share?

JO: We continue to solicit our dealer to find out what they think we are missing. Watch design in general is becoming more minimalistic – smaller and thinner – so we have introduced the new Quantum and Neutrino in full size cases, and the Manhattan and Trinity in mid-size cases, for women. Although very different in styling than our tactical and hard-core dive, they still share all the Reactor DNA.

K&GS: What are some of the toughest destruction tests you have put your watches through, where they survived?

JO: We have a very cool promotional video that shows us shooting our watches with a .22-caliber rifle and the bullet bounces off them. We also shot one of our watches, case back facing out, with a double barrel 12 gauge shot gun – the only damage was to a link in the bracelet. 

At one point, we caught a 400-pound bull shark, using one of our watches as the leader. Also, to show the strength of our case to band interface, we dropped a Reactor Gamma off an overhead bridge – 33 feet to cement – you can see the sparks flying but no damage to the watch. 

We also ran our Titan over, with a 22,000-pound, armored Bear Cat, with no damage to the watch.

While this is all fun stuff, it is important to note that as durable as our watches are, they are still highly sophisticated mechanical time pieces that need to be taken care of.

Knife & Gear Society would like to thank Jimmy Olmes for his candor and taking the time to speak with us. We appreciate the opportunity to learn more about him on a personal level and the chance to learn more about his well-crafted watches. K&G

Join the Conversation, comment on this story below. >>

Contact

Reactor Watches
www.ReactorWatch.com
(800) 291-6600

Availability

Reactor Watches

The post The Best of Times appeared first on Knife & Gear Society.

Denny Furey, of Furey’s Urban Combat Knives–Unlimited, Gets Candid About His Background, Knife Designs and Foray onto the Big Screen

Story by Waysun Johnny Tsai, Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai, Denny Furey and Cung Le

Over the past twelve years of writing, I have had the honor of meeting some really great folks in the knife industry. I’ve met some pretty funny, hardworking – and also some really intense – makers. One of the hardest working makers that I have met, over the past three to four years, is a gent by the name of Denny Furey.

I first noticed Denny, because he was actively promoting his knives on every single Facebook knife page that I can name, and was drawn to the acronym for his company name – Furey’s Urban Combat Knives-Unlimited (F.U.C.K.U.). 

“As time went on, Denny and I got to know each other better, while he helped me flesh out prototypes for a couple of my knife designs.”

I got to know Denny over a timespan of about a year, chatting online a bit, and agreed to meet up with him at his booth at BLADE Show 2018. I was really impressed with his work and was also lucky enough to meet his lovely wife.

As time went on, Denny and I got to know each other better, while he helped me flesh out prototypes for a couple of my knife designs. I have known for a while now that I would eventually write an article about his knives, with the potential for even interviewing him.

I am excited that the day has come to introduce you to my friend, and one of the hardest working makers in the business, Denny Furey.

A Solid Background

Knife & Gear Society: Hi Denny, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. If you don’t mind, please introduce yourself to our readers, and share your background with us.

Denny Furey: My name is Denny Furey and I am a full-time custom knife maker, located in Spring, Texas. 

I specialize in edged weapons, knives and tools, oriented for self-defense, fighting, military and first responders. I have been a life-long martial arts and combatives student, practitioner and instructor – and still serve as a guest instructor upon request, through Furey Combatives. This background is what started me on the road to becoming an avid knife collector, edged weapons student and instructor. 

After relocating from Oklahoma to Texas, a close friend, and professional knife maker, suggested I try my hand at making them as well – considering my background. I jumped in with both feet and found that I had an affinity for developing and producing quality knives, and thus was born Furey’s Urban Combat Knives-Unlimited.

K&GS: You are an Ex-Cop and Veteran, right? How does that play into your knife designs?

DF: I am a military veteran of Operations Desert Shield/Storm/Provide Comfort and the Global War on Terrorism – having served 10-years (both active duty and reserves) in the United States Air Force Security Police/Forces. 

I am also a former 20-year law enforcement veteran, having worked numerous aspects of the job – from patrolman to chief of police in the state of Oklahoma. I also served in the capacity of Senior SWAT Operator and Instructor, charged with developing curriculum, to include edged weapons defense and application for SWAT schools. 

“I also served in the capacity of Senior SWAT Operator and Instructor…”

During these times, I became more focused on utilizing and developing useful and efficient blade techniques and defenses. This background also aided me when I became a knifemaker/bladesmith to develop ergonomic, purpose driven designs that could be used in military and law enforcement applications – but would also appeal to martial artists, combatives participants, and the regular, everyday citizen.

A Career in Knife Making

K&GS: How long have you been making knives?

DF: I have been designing and making knives for a little over four years now, having begun in January of 2016. 

K&GS: That’s insane, that you have only been doing this for four years and are at the level that you are. A lot of your knives are very unique in design. What style of knife would you say you focus on the most?

DF: I try to make designs that are unique to me and my background, thus being recognizable by those in the field or in the knife/EDC community. 

I tend to favor ring style blades, whether they be karambits or ring knives, as I find their retention ability extremely pertinent and useful; especially when escalating force to a firearm or de-escalating to empty hand techniques.

K&GS: Given your company name, most of your knives are designed for combat or self-defense. Is that correct?

DF: Yes, for all intents and purposes, the blades I produce, and build, are utilized as self-defense carry or combat carry. I have a couple of military contracts that I complete yearly for down range military personnel, that are involved in active deployment operations.

K&GS: Tell us a little bit about this crazy Karambit you sent me?

DF: The model is one of my “Kenketsu” (Japanese for Blood Sacrifice). 

The non-traditional Wharncliffe blade is angled at 45-degrees and features a 3-inch hollow ground bottom edge and a 1.25-inch top sabre edge. It is made of 3/16-inch 440C (with Cryo Treatment), in a matte black H-series Cerakote finish, with some brushed accents. 

The handles are black canvas micarta, with toxic green spacers, liners and pins. I went with a non-traditional blade shape (as most karambits are recurved or hawkbill), as it allows for more ease in sharpening – for those not comfortable with sharpening that style of blade.

K&GS: You have built a solid reputation for your fixed blades, but I’ve noticed that you have recently been introducing several custom folding knife designs. Tell us about those.

DF: I have been developing various folding knife designs for the past year and have begun building initial prototypes in the last four months. 

I have designed and begun to build a variety of lock backs, liner locks, and frame locks – both in straight blades and karambits. I am hoping to pitch some of my designs to some companies and see if they would be interested in doing a production run. This would allow for a less expensive model for the public, as all my current folders are hand-made – without the use of the of a CNC machine.

On Screen Action

K&GS: All right man, enough playing around. Tell us about the knives that you designed for Cung Le and his new movie?

DF: I was approached through LinkedIn by Cung Le – of MMA, movie and TV fame – a little over a year ago, as he was interested in some of the ring knives I had posted on there. He purchased one of my smaller ringed blades and was impressed by it. He then asked if I would be interested in making a live blade, stunt blade, and F/X blade to appear in a film he would be working on called “The Target.”

Working at his request I developed a ring blade – that will be unique to him and the movie – called the “Arashi” (Japanese for The Storm). The film is still in production at this time but casting call posters and initial publicity photos have already been taken of him holding the blade. 

Knife & Gear Society would like to thank Denny Furey for his candor and taking the time to speak with us. We appreciate the opportunity to learn more about him on a personal level and the chance to learn more about his well-crafted blades. K&G

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On the Web

Website: www.FureysUrbanCombatKnivesUnlimited.com
Instagram: @FureyUCKUnlimited
Facebook: @FureysUrbanCombatKnivesUnlimited

The post Founded in Experience appeared first on Knife & Gear Society.

T.A.S.K. Knives BREACHER CLEAVER: Half Axe, Half Cleaver…100% Brute

Story and Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai

Over the past two years my social media feeds have been filled with images of some tough looking new knives. One of the newer companies that caught my eye was T.A.S.K. Knives, by a designer named Brandon Kirby.

The thing that makes T.A.S.K. Knives stand out among the new, up and coming, companies is the muscle behind the knives. The person that makes them exclusively for T.A.S.K is none other than Ted Frizzell of Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works (MMHW).

“The blade is cut from .25-inch thick parkerized 5160 Spring Steel, which is a good steel for a cleaver or chopping tool”

Ted Frizzell has been making hard use axes and knives, at MMHW, for the past 35 plus years or so – maybe even longer. Ted is now leveraging that experience to make T.A.S.K. Knives the right way.

Recently, an interesting T.A.S.K. design that came across my Instagram feed is the Breacher Cleaver. When I first saw it, I found myself staring at this interesting blade and knew that I had to spend some time with it.

The following is the result of that time.

Initial Impressions

So, I get home and find what is clearly a knife package sitting on my kitchen counter.

I open it up and am immediately greeted by a couple of notes from Brandon Kirby (owner of T.A.S.K. Knives) – I’ve always found a hand-written letter from the maker to be a nice touch. I then pull out a good size chunk of steel – the Breacher Cleaver – and immediately felt a grin come across my face, as I anticipated how much fun this article was going to be to write.

The first thing I noticed was how well rounded off and comfortable the brown micarta handles were – which is extremely important for this 2-pound, 6.9-ounce tool. On initial inspection, I did not feel any noticeable areas that would cause hot spots on the scales. I then slid the blade out of the Kydex sheath, and man there is something simply wicked about this tool.

The blade is cut from .25-inch thick parkerized 5160 Spring Steel, which is a good steel for a cleaver or chopping tool – due to its outstanding toughness, flexibility and resistance to fatigue. The Breacher Cleaver features two working edges – to cover myriad tasks – including a 7-inch primary edge, followed around the front of the axe by a 3-inch front edge. 

“…a mix between a cleaver and an axe – and I found the overall length of 16.75-inches to be a good length for use as either.”

The balance point falls roughly even with the point on the beard – providing good forward heft for chopping, but nice balance when choking up at the neck. The beard length itself is roughly 2-inches, which I like since it covers about two and a half fingers when I choke up on it – it feels perfect for punching stuff or people.

It features a double lanyard hole, at the end of the handle – for affixing a retention lanyard – as well as an oversized hanging hole within the decorative rise, on the spine just before the front edge. Hanging holes seem to come standard on many large cleavers in today’s marketplace.

Overall the Breacher Cleaver is a hybrid of sorts – being a mix between a cleaver and an axe – and I found the overall length of 16.75-inches to be a good length for use as either.

Testing the Breacher Cleaver

The Breacher cleaver is a heavy tool. As I mentioned earlier, it’s important for the handle and scales to be ergonomic and not have any hot spots – otherwise playtime would be over in 5 minutes or less. 

The first test I wanted to do was just swing it into a tree stump several times and see how the forward weight felt. Because of the thickness of the steel and scales, I didn’t feel any shock in my hand or wrist.

I then turned my attention to a wooden pallet. The Breacher Cleaver has a good forward weight and bit deep into the wood – I really can’t envision anything made from wood that the Breacher Cleaver can’t destroy.

“I slipped the edge between the lock and just banged it until I could peel the lock back off of the door.”

Finally, I was able to find an old metal fire door that was no longer in use and gave the Breacher Cleaver a test, befitting its name, by prying the door open. I found the sharpened front edge of the Breacher Cleaver very useful for this. I slipped the edge between the lock and just banged it until I could peel the lock back off the door. After that, I was able to just pop the lock open easily.

MMKW did a stand-up job rounding off the scales and I experienced no hot spots or discomfort during my testing. The Breacher Cleaver did exactly what it was built to do, and I was able to breach and enter the metal fire door within minutes.

Demolition at Your Fingertips

Who wouldn’t like this thing? It’s half axe, half cleaver and 100% brute! As far as chopping and hacking goes, it is built perfectly for those tasks (no pun intended).

The handle is comfortable, which I found very important for the type of use the Breacher Cleaver was built for. The Kydex sheath is simple but does its intended job. I haven’t tried to clean the blue paint off yet, so I can’t speak on the parkerized finish, but it didn’t scratch up at all.

I was impressed by how easily I could get through that locked metal door – I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take, but it wasn’t hard at all.

I highly recommend this tool to anyone that want’s the ability to destroy stuff at their fingertips.

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Specs

Blade Material: Parkerized 5160 Spring Steel
Primary Edge: 7 inches
Front Edge: 3 inches
Overall Length: 16.75 inches
Blade Thickness: .25 inch
Weight: 2 pounds, 6.9 ounces
Handle Material: Micarta
Sheath: Kydex
MSRP: $165.00

Contact

T.A.S.K. Knives
Facebook
Email

Availability

Email Brandon
T.A.S.K. Facebook
LANTAC Knives

Cutting Deeper

Getting to Know Brandon Kirby and T.A.S.K. Knives: 

Knife & Gear Society: Hi Brandon, please introduce yourself to our readers.
Brandon: My name is Brandon Kirby and I’m a knife designer from Tennessee. I want to bring handmade tools to market, with a lifetime warranty, without breaking the bank. Good honest made in the USA blades. 

K&G: How long have you been in the business and how did you hook up with Ted Frizzell of Mineral Mountain?
BK: I started T.A.S.K. around two years ago. I wanted a reputable manufacturer to make my designs, so I contacted Mr. Ted Frizzell of Mineral Mountain Hatchet Works to make my blade to my exact specifications. His work is second to none, in my opinion, and I love his work. Ted has been a pleasure to work with.

K&G: What does T.A.S.K. Stand for?
BK: T.A.S.K. stands for TACTICAL ASSAULT SURVIVAL KNIVES.

K&G: In your own words, please describe your Breacher Cleaver?
BK: The BREACHER CLEAVER is a cleaver and axe morphed into one. From the campsite to breaching doors, I wanted a robust tool made to work. Being made from 5160 spring steel and a .25-inch-thick stock, this tool will smash chop and hammer almost anything a man will encounter.

K&G: What’s the craziest thing that you have destroyed with your Breacher Cleaver?
BK: I’ve chopped trees and busted blocks, and even chopped a windshield out of my buddy’s car. I should have filmed that one. *Laughs*

K&G: Any new projects in the works that you would like to share with our readers?
BK: I have a whole line up of T.A.S.K. knives. The newest item I’m excited to have is the NERAKA short sword. 

K&G: Will you be exhibiting at BLADE SHOW in June?
BK: Will love to be at blade show but my schedule might not let me attend. No promises on a that.

The post Coming Through! appeared first on Knife & Gear Society.

The TOPS Knives Hammer Hawk is a Tool Suitable for Any Worksite

Story and Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai and TOPS Knives

Over the past 20 years, the good folks at TOPS Knives have developed a reputation of combining robust designs, time tested materials and a perfect heat treat – adding up to their near impossible to break fixed blade knives and edged tools. 

From time to time TOPS has been known to sprinkle in the occasion folder, but overall, it’s their fixed blades that have earned them a reputation that hardcore users would trust their lives with.

“With an overall length of 14.5 inches I found it to be a good size to keep in my pack.”

Outside of their fixed blades, TOPS has also offered close to a dozen tomahawk and axe designs. Tomahawks like the IDT Crash Axe could easily tear open a stranded vehicle, while their Grandpa’s Axe could be thrown in a backpack for a nice weekend long camping trip. And, in 2017, TOPS debuted their new Hammer Hawk with its companion Backup knife.

When I first spotted the Hammer Hawk at Blade show, I notice the arrow tooled into the cheek on both side of the blade. I thought that was a cool detail – different for TOPS – and it really caught my eye, forcing me to gravitate towards it on the table. Once picking up the Hawk, I knew that it was something that I need to spend a little time with.

Initial Thoughts

The first thing that impressed me about the Hammer Hawk, is that is an actual tool. I don’t just mean a camp tool either, I mean an all-around tool that you could keep in a toolbox. 

With an overall length of 14.5 inches I found it to be a good size to keep in my pack. The 4.5-inch blade length is an ample amount of edge to handle any cutting or chopping workload. Made of 1075 high carbon steel, and at just over two pounds (36.3 ounces), the Hammer Hawk is also heavy enough to handle actual hammering of whatever you may feel needs hammering.

The TOPS Acid Rain finish on the Hammer Hawk works nicely with the rounded green canvas micarta handle scales. I also like that TOPS Knives’ President, Leo Espinoza, decided to put his version of a hammer head on this hawk instead of a battle spike – It really does add to the overall value and usefulness of this tool. 

 An Exceptionally Well-Crafted Leather Sheath

One thing that stood out was the high-quality brown leather sheath. In my opinion, it is possibly the nicest leather sheath that TOPS Knives has made to date. Made from thick brown boot leather, the sheath is in two parts; the belt frog and the edge cover.

There is also a built in Kydex sheath for the Backup knife, which locks the knife in with solid retention. The Hammer Hawk itself is built to last for generations and I don’t see any reason it’s sheath would ever have to be replaced.

The Backup Blade

I could be wrong, but I think the Backup blade was released prior to the Hammer Hawk as a standalone neck knife and is still available on its own.

The 1095 blade is 5-inches tip to tip, with an edge that comes in at 2.38-inches. The blade is light, at just 1.6 ounces, so as a backup blade it really is a good size and weight. TOPS’ choice to use their signature 1095 steel on this knife is a good move, you can literally field sharpen it on the back of a ceramic coffee mug in a pinch.

I have short fingers and a wide palm and found both the forward grip and reverse ice pick grip to be comfortable – even with the Backup blade’s smaller size.

I feel the Backup blade is a perfect pairing for the Hammer Hawk – being the right size and edge geometry to handle the finer work that the tomahawk can’t.

For giggles, I decided to slice up an old leather belt with the Backup. The short 2.38-inch blade made quick work of the belt and impressively held its edge.

Testing the Hammer Hawk

With the heft that this tomahawk has, I knew it would split wood with ease.

I decided to head over to a local construction site and test the Hammer Hawk in a couple of different ways I thought fitting for the tool. I grabbed a couple of 2-inch boards and, just as expected, the Hammer hawk bit impressively deep with every swing.

I then decided to double stack the split 2-inch boards and hammer some 4- and 6-inch nails through them. I have to say, even though the hammer head is small – In comparison to a standard hammer – It did the job. The weight and grip of the Hammer Hawk allowed me to sink each nail with good aim and balance. 

One disclosure that I felt the need to mention is, if you do decide to use it as a hammer, pay attention to the edge as you swing it up towards your shoulder on the backswing. I can see carelessness turning into a very bad scenario fast.

Finally, I decided to have some fun and use the hammer head to smash an ammo can – I have to say there is something satisfying about smashing stuff. While steel ammo cans are made to last and withstand some harsh environments, this old can was no match for the Hammer Hawk.

Hardcore Tool

I really like the Hammer Hawk. The length and weight felt perfect in my hand – even though some may feel that it is a bit on the heavy side. However, I have found that the extra heft makes it an extra destructive tool. The overall design is nothing to miss either and the arrow detail on the cheek – on each side – makes it a head turner.

“I feel the Backup blade is a perfect pairing for the Hammer Hawk – being the right size and edge geometry to handle the finer work that the tomahawk can’t.”

The leather sheath, in my opinion, is perfect. I am not sure TOPS could have made a better sheath and kept this kit affordable – I really like the built in Kydex for the Backup blade. Speaking of the Backup blade, it is an optional add on, at a discount from its regular price. I don’t think you can go wrong adding it to your cart.

Overall, I highly recommend the TOPS Knives Hammer Hawk, it is a hardcore tool that is a welcome addition to any pack or vehicle.

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Specs

HAMMER HAWK
Blade Material: 1075 RC 56-58
Blade Length: 4.5 inches
Overall Length: 14.50 inches
Blade Thickness: .380 inch
Blade Finish: Acid Rain
Handle Material: Green Canvas Micarta
Weight: 36.3 ounces
Weight with Sheath: 42.3 ounces
Sheath Material: Brown Leather
MSRP: $350.00

BACK-UP KNIFE
Blade Material: 1095 RC 56-58
Blade Length: 2.38 inches
Overall Length: 5.00 inches
Blade Finish: Acid Rain
Handle Material: Skeleton
Weight: 1.6 ounces
Sheath Material: Kydex
MSRP: $75.00

Contact

TOPS Knives
(208) 542-0113
TOPSKnives.com

Availability

TOPS Knives
Blade HQ
Knife Center

The post A Tool for Life appeared first on Knife & Gear Society.

The Benchmade Knives 173BK Mini SOCP Dagger Is a Force to be Reckoned With

Story and Photos by Waysun Johnny Tsai

Greg Thompson’s SOCP Dagger family has built a reputation of being a self-defense tool that adapts perfectly into a variety of combative platforms.

Members of law enforcement, military and civilians alike carry the original SOCP Dagger as a primary and backup defensive weapon. What makes the SOCP a useful tool is its simplicity in design and concept.

A Closer Look

While the SOCP Dagger is a good-looking knife, it was designed to be lightweight, fast and easy to use in a fight. A no-nonsense ringed fighter, that serves a single purpose.

The design was originally released by Spartan Blades, then taken over by Benchmade Knives – who released it with a paired training version. As a Combatives instructor, I really like the availability of a trainer for any knife that is designed for fighting – it only makes sense. 

“Members of law enforcement, military and civilians alike carry the original SOCP Dagger as a primary and backup defensive weapon.”

Benchmade even went the extra step and created a matching sheath for the training version. Both the sheath for the knife and the sheath for the trainer allow several options for the knife to be carried; neck, belt, pocket or appendix.

The New Addition

Recently, Benchmade introduced a new Mini version of the SOCP Dagger – the 173 Mini SOCP – which was specifically updated to enhance and improve the means for this platform to be carried. Particularly, the addition of a leather pad that attaches to the sheath for IWB (inside the waist band) carry will improve comfort, while the redesigned clip adds better retention.

While the original SOCP has an overall length of 7.25-inches, the Mini SOCP comes in an inch shorter at just 6.25-inches – of 440C Stainless-Steel – making IWB carry a little more comfortable.

For this article Benchmade Knives sent me a sample of the SOCP Mini, but also a full-sized training knife. My guess is, this was meant to allow me to try out both sizes and see which version I like better.

Spending Time with the Trainer

Since the SOCP was designed as a single purpose blade, I didn’t see many reasons for cutting tests – the SOCP would serve as my back up tool. I don’t believe in using my self-defense knives for cutting objects that would dull the edge.

Instead, I decided to focus on the carry and draw of the knife to identify the fastest deployment for the blade – at least for myself. I found that the fastest draw for me was from my pocket.

“While the original SOCP has an overall length of 7.25-inches, the Mini SOCP comes in an inch shorter at just 6.25-inches…”

I learned that the SOCP could deploy and flow right into techniques, straight from the sheath. As my training partners learned, the trainer itself serves well as a pressure point and impact weapon for Kuboton type strikes; so, this was a double win for me. Striking with the purposely aggressive Jimping on the ring guard can also effectively stun or stop a would-be attacker. 

Hover over the photos below for captions, click on an image to open a full size slideshow.

Another thing that I like about the training version, is that with it not being an actual knife, this allows one to carry it through security checkpoints and onto airplanes without issue. I like this because I have personally never had an issue carrying training tools on planes.

Final Thoughts

Even though I have handled an SOCP before, this was the first chance I have had to actually train with one and have found that I like it. I really like the speed of deployment of this blade, as well as its comfortable design.

However, I do like the full-sized SOCP better than the SOCP Mini. I have short fingers and a wide palm, so with the Mini I felt the blade was just a little too close to my own skin for my comfort levels. I didn’t have that worry with the full size – that extra inch helped. I guess size does matter. If you have large hands or will be wearing gloves, I do recommend the full-sized version.

Overall, I would highly recommend adding the SOCP to daily carry as a backup tool. Outside of being a single purpose blade, I don’t see any negatives to this weapon.

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Specs

Blade Material: 440C Stainless Steel
Blade Length: 3.22 inches
Overall Length: 7.25 inches
Blade Thickness: 0.175 inch
Weight: 2.20 ounces
Handle Material: Skeletonized
MSRP: $125.00

Contact

Benchmade
(833) 557-2526
www.Benchmade.com

Availability

Benchmade
Blade HQ
Smoky Mountain Knife Works

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