On Disasters...

I've put up a new link called "Listening To Katrina". It's the blog portion of a website belonging to a guy who lived in New Orleans up until Katrina hit. I'm not really sure if he has since moved back or not. I put the link up because it is one of the best Real World preparedness sites I have seen to date.

What do I mean by Real World?

Simply this, it covers his familys' "lessons learned" by what happened. It covers how to bug out, or how to hunker down, depending on your situation. What gear you really need vs. all the fantasy shite you see on other survival websites. The kinds of vehicles that will really get you out of dodge, what kind of Bug Out Bag to put together. He 'll explain how to organize the records that make up your life so that you can, in advance, be prepared to deal with your insurance company when it's time to get them to pay up so that you can get your life back together.

There is no discussion of what "Tacti-Kewl" knife to carry, or of what kinds of firepower you absolutely "must-have" to protect yourself against crazies, looters, or just good old fashioned Zombies!

It's a preparedness site for Real People, who happen to live in the Real World.

Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/blogs/klessons/

Just For A Comparison..

In my last post about the MoraKniv Scout, I alluded to The Drawpoint 1 video from James Keating. The knife he used in the video, and personally favored for his Drawpoint system was the Gryphon M10.

I thought I'd put up this picture so that if anbody is actually reading this Blog (and my Hit Counter apparently says that people are) they can see the similarities and differences.

The main similarities being that hey have the same overall length, the same blade length, they both have stainless steel blades, and they both have handles made of synthetic materials.

As for differences, the Gryphon has what is considered better blade steel (that's a matter of opinion), and the Gryphon has a superior sheath (no argument there).

The biggest difference of course being the price, as the Gryphon retails for about $110.00

Frosts Of Sweden (Mora)

Back to one of my favorite subjects.... Knives!

I picked up this little beauty about 4 months ago from the Tenessee Knife Mafia. Otherwise known as SmokeyMountainKnifeWorks.

The Frosts(Mora) knife Co. has been in business for well over a century and produces some of the best made knives, for the most reasonable prices that you could imagine.

This little number is no exception.

The MoraKniv Scout comes with a stainless steel blade, a synthetic handle and a two piece sheath made of both a rigid composite, and a flexible belt frog/attachment. The overall length is 8-5/16", with a blade length of 4-1/16". With a clip point and no ricasso, this blade can, and will, do just about any real world job you need it to. The spine is about 3/32" thick, and the blade comes razor sharp from the factory.

I've used this knife for just about every dirty chore you can think of. From opening boxes and letters to cutting rope and cord, digging up weeds, cutting vines, prying open lids, and scraping rust, this knife is like they used to say in the old Timex watch commercials.

It takes a licking, and keeps on ticking!

Despite being synthetic, a combination of ridges and a slight grainy composition provides a positive grip on the handle. The guard is also a pleasure as it allows you to use the knife without worrying about you fingers sliding up the blade.

From a self defense point of view, this knife is quite serviceable. Handle-heavy, it moves quickly in the hand, and the shape of the handle allows for any grip you want. Forward grip, edge down or up, Reverse grip, edge in or out. If you've ever seen James Keatings' Reverse Grip Knife Fighting video (also known as Drawpoint 1) this knife is perfect for what he shows you. The only drawback being that the sheath does not lend itself to a quick deployment.

But hey, that's what Kydex is for!

In an age where everyone is running around spending a fortune being a good little "gear q@**r", spending a fortune on any and all manner of overpriced , overspecialized equipment, the Frosts MoraKniv Scout is a refreshing change. Whether you're a homeowner, camper, fisherman, or somebody worried about a bad situation at zero-dark thirty in an empty parking lot, you would be hard-pressed to find a better all-round, general-purpose knife than this one.

And at a price of $11.99 plus shipping, it really doesnt get any better than that.