EDC

AK-47 Cigar Punch From Hollow Point Gear

Hollow Point Gear Cigar PunchWhen it comes to cigar accessories everybody needs a good reliable cutter. Now I know we all have our favorite one that stay with all of our usual cigar accoutrements, whether it’s a guillotine, scissors or a maybe a V notch. However how many times have you ended up somewhere with your travel kit, pulled out the cigar you’ve been looking forward to smoking all day and your lighter then had that “Where the hell is my cutter moment”? So what do you do then? Well you could break out your knife and hope you remembered to sharpen it recently so it’s sharp enough to cut the cap properly without damaging the whole thing (No comments Fran we all know you sharpen your knives religiously) or you could have the convenient AK47 cigar punch from HollowPointGear.com that slips right onto your keys with the attached grenade ring so you always have a solid back up plan.

I’ve had this little guy now for about two months or so now and have used it on at least 30 cigars and AK47 Cigar Puncheach time I’ve had no problems getting a solid, clean punch. It makes for a good draw on the cigar and most importantly doesn’t cause any damage to the wrapper. My only complaint with this thing is that there is no opening on the back of the shell to clear it so the cut caps do build up inside but this in only a minor issue. The bullet cigar punch is handcrafted with a real once-fired AK47 (7.62 x 39mm) bullet casing, and a real once-used (not sure what they did with the grenade after pulling the pin) grenade pin.

Do yourself a favor and pick up one of these AK47 cigar punches from Hollowpointgear.com. At a cost of $11.99 the first time you need it because you don’t have anything with you to cut that $12.00 stick this guy has already paid for itself. While your on the site be sure to check out their other items as well.

Cost: $11.99

Website: Hollowpointgear.com

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 pints

Knives by Panhandle_Iron

Fixed Blade Knife

A solid reliable fixed blade is a necessary part of your EDC. I’ve been looking for a good utilitarian everyday blade that was small enough to conceal carry easily but had enough balls to it to get the job done. After some investigation, about a month ago I was lucky enough to get one from Joe Gilliam AKA Panhandle_Iron on Instagram.

When I received the blade it came packaged with a horizontal carry olive drab Kydex sheath. The sheath measures 4 7/8″ long and 3″ wide counting the belt clip. The over all size of the knife is 7 1/4″ with the handle being 3 1/4″ and the blade 4″. A perfect size for everyday use and.

The blade is forged from 1095 steel, which is a basic form of carbon steel, and has a carbon content of .95% which serves to harden the steel, and reduce the amount of wear that a blade will experience over time. It holds a great edge which can be seen by Joe’s efforts in sharpening the blade before shipping it and is very easy to re-sharpen when needed. With the properties of this type of steel it can rust but as long as you make sure to not leave it wet after use and occasionally oil it up this is not an issue. After the initial photos taken at the beach and a month of use there has been no problems of rust what so ever.

 

The blade also has a noticeable hamon on it which makes for an overall esthetically pleasing look to the final product but shows the effort put into the blade. Hamon is a visual effect created on the blade by the hardening process, it is the outline of the hardened zone which contains the cutting edge. This means that the cutting edge is harder than the spine make for a better edge but a more durable spine. 

The handle is fitted with natural micarta scales and brass pins that fit very nuclei in the hand and is Fixed Blade Knifecomfortable to hold on to. Micarta industrial laminate sheets are a hard, dense material made by applying heat and pressure to layers of prepreg. These layers of laminations are usually cotton fabrics, synthetic yarn fabrics, glass fabrics, or unwoven fabrics. When heat and pressure are applied to the layers, a chemical reaction transforms the layers into an incredibly durable industrial laminated plastic.

 

After carrying this guy around everyday for over a month and beating the crap out of it I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s easy to carry, holds a great edge, can be used in almost every application and is just an overall fantastically made knife. Joe knows his way around a knife and can custom make a blade to your specifications for whatever you might need. If your looking for a great fixed blade that you’ll get years of use out of I strongly suggest you talk to Joe. Prices will vary depending on what you want,but are going to start around $100 which for a custom made blade is not a bad price at all. You can find him on Instagram under the name @Panhandle_Iron, just shoot him a direct message with what you’re looking for and he’ll make it happen.

 

Lion Stock Knives

IMG_2217Recently I was in need of a new every day carry knife but this time I didn’t want to just walk into a store and grab something off the shelf I wanted something that was unique and fit specific needs. I was looking for a good fixed blade with a full tang that I could carry easy and could take a beating. So I started doing some digging and after a few days of hunting online I was lucky enough to find Ethan who owns Lion Stock Knives. The work looked great and he was able to customize his knives, so I shot him an e-mail and in less than 30 minutes I had a response. We spoke through e-mail for the next hour going over what I wanted out of my knife and what size I wanted. After he felt he had a good grasp on what I was looking for he went to work putting together photos of things that were consistent with the ideas I had given him plus other options that I hadn’t considered yet. It only took us a day to narrow everything down to exactly what I wanted, I felt great about it so I paid him for the job and he got to work.

Over the next few weeks Ethan stayed in contact with me giving me updates of the progress and sending photos along the way. I was lucky enough to get some time to talk to him about his the process, and what goes into making one of his knives.

“My process begins with flat bar stock (52100 high carbon steel). I layout my design patterns and cut them out on my band saw. Then I profile them more precisely using my 2″X72″ belt grinder. Once they are profiled, I drill holes and countersink them. This is for balance, handle pins, and it also helps the epoxy to bond the handle scales to the steel. Once the holes are done, I grind my primary bevels, and add jimping. After that I’m ready to heat treat and temper my blades. Once the tempering process is complete, I clean up the blades and put on the handle scales. Whatever material the customer wants, (G10, Micarta, exotic woods, all in a variety of patterns and colors.). Then I shape the handles to what the customer wants; contoured or textured in various patterns. When the handles are complete I mold kydex sheathes for each specific blade. Then I sharpen them with a leather strop and ship them out. There is a lot more that goes into each blade and these are the things that make them truly custom and art-like. Every blade is different and unique in it’s own way, A one of a kind.”

IMG_2576IMG_2577IMG_2578IMG_2579After what was a short production time, but felt like an eternity due to my excitement, the blade came in. It was exactly what I wanted, to say the least. The handle scales were exactly what I wanted, the blade was the size and shape I requested, the jimping was simple but effective, and most importantly it felt rugged and durable. Since I’ve gotten mine a few other of us Distinguished Ruffians have picked up a blade from him and so far none of us have been disappointed.

I’ve had this knife for several months now and I abuse the hell out of this thing and it takes it. If you ever need a good EDC knife that is custom tailored to you and that you can use and don’t have to worry about ruining it’s great looks just get ahold of Ethan at Lion Stock Knives and place your order.

Brand: Lion Stock Knives

Contact Info: (610)-781-8683

Rating: 5 pints out of 5