During the midst of the 1st decade of the 21st Century, a certain Bladewolf did a lot of publishing, testing, and evaluation of tactical cutlery, and martial blade craft on major knife forums. Time for that experience to be applied here...   

The Survivalist vs. the Emergency Prepared (Prepper)

By Keith Wing

If you are roughly my age, and in the mid 80’s had a firearm or firearms, and some Wilderness Trade Craft, you were probably considered to be, or considered yourself, a ‘Survivalist’. By definition, someone who focused on the particulars of preparation for an extreme emergency situation. 

Then going into the late 80’s, something interesting happened. ‘Survivalist’ began to be synonymous with ‘Gun Nut’, ‘Cultist’ and ‘Militia Member’, and finally, in some extreme cases ‘Terrorist’. This being due to the fact that Terrorist Cells pretty closely mimic a Survival Cell in its methodologies, and utilized similar training evolutions, the difference primarily being one group trains primarily defensively, while the other is obviously offensive (literally and figuratively).

By this time, a lot of us decided that discretion being the better part of valor; we were better served by referring to ourselves as the Emergency Prepared.

Now, in part due to a rash of survival related reality shows, ‘Survivalist’ has emerged once again as a more socially acceptable moniker, with the added benefit of the elimination of some romanticized notions of the past.

When the popularized survival movement started during the cold war era, it was easy for some, disenfranchised with the ‘System’ and ‘Big Brother’, to look at survivalism in a darkly romanticized way, which was evidenced by many movies where the protagonists prevailed with knowledge, strength, and superior firepower, in a society no longer constrained by governmental rule. While many did fall for this emotionally enabling apocalyptic vision, I have to say, that while I enjoyed some of these movies as escapist fiction, I didn’t buy in.

First of all, the majority that did were already the of ‘Lone Wolf’ Variety. All my adult life, I have had others safety to put before my own interest, and besides, during a great infrastructure collapse, I am acutely aware of the multitudinous nonromantic aspects as well. To begin, there is medication and prescriptions I depend on, and while to a degree, this can be compensated for holistically, that is certainly not all prevailing. I also greatly enjoy such things most take for granted. I would be shattered without Chinese Takeout.

In the end, I’m also a realist. The truth is always stranger, and darker, than fiction.

Mega-folders – Tactic-cool or Tactic-fool?

By Bladewolf

Actually, it could go either way depending on your expectations and a little research.

In the picture, our friend Deb displays two handfuls of Mega Folder, the conundrum?

They are conversation pieces only. With that expectation, they are just fine, but with any other expectation, they are downright dangerous. The mega-size Navaja came damn near to cutting off the end of my trigger finger, when, while snapping the last couple of inches of blade open, a rivet popped, turning the lock into a spring, which rebounded the blade back onto my fingers. Luckily, it caught me right across the nail, which the blade bisected. You could see bone at the finger tip, but only about a 3/16 incision, with comparatively little tissue damage. I was extremely lucky, being particularly fond of that finger. I should have known better, but at the time, I was inexperience enough to not see the potential failure point.

The other knife, the example of the giant multi-blade slip joint, were made mostly as advertising draws for regular size pocket knives. This example is way too big to effectively use blades that size without a lock mechanism.

Two Mega's nestled between Large Tactical Folders.

Does that leave us with just Tactic-fool? Absolutely not... While exploring various locations in the Western Hemisphere, from Tropical Isle, to Rain Forest, to Snow covered environs, I have discovered that it is extremely useful to have a fix blade sized knife, where it was not always politically correct to openly carry a sheath knife. The knife at the bottom of this picture is a good example. A folding Fury Bowie I purchased it in Puerto Rico, for only a few bucks, when poking about the Rain Forest. I was on break from attending seminar sessions at my son’s military academy, and noticed that many of the Native Puerto Ricans carried sheath knives, but no touristas that I could discern. In fact, such carry would be viewed as a downright challenge, in some of the hill country, where I ended up more successfully pulling out a badge, than a knife. For about $30.00 I had an acceptable knife that would not be a heart breaker if lost, stolen, or confiscated, as well as a cheap but serviceable multi-tool 

Top Cold Steel Rajah II and Large Espada.

There were also two movies where the watching thereof begged the question; what to do when a situation calls for a big blade, but in a place where the carrying of an open blade would be as much a problem as not having one at all? This is a situation where the Mega-folder comes into its own. A knife the size of a short bladed machete can be carried in a deep pocket or waist pack. Cold Steel has a particular penchant for these monsters, with good opening ergonomics and a great lock system. The Rajah II, and the Large Espada, are but two examples from our collection.

Whether dealing with an ancient sentient vine, or a severe beat down in Central Park NYC with a pipe (guess the movies?) there is definitely a place for Tactic-cool Mega-folders!