Cold Steel Fixed Blade Recon Tanto

Cold Steel Recon Tanto Fixed Blade Knife

Cold Steel Recon Tanto Fixed Blade Knife

Cold Steel 13RTK Recon Tanto Knife

There are basically two crowds when it comes to tanto knives, they either love them or they hate them. However, how will you know which camp you fall into if you’ve never tried one?

This is considered to be one of the best fixed blade knives Cold Steel makes. I’ve seen many reviews from military to law enforcement personnel that swear by this knife, and many of them use it as their EDC (Every Day Carry). I’m adding a video from the Cold Steel website that shows this knife being put through it’s paces.

There seems to be some confusion as to what steel these are manufactured with.  The ones I see for sale all say Carbon V Steel, however the Cold Steel website says AUS8 Steel.  I’ll do some research and try to get to the bottom of this question soon so check back for an update.

UPDATE!! A lot of Cold Steel knives were made from Carbon V steel, in fact some of these are becoming collector’s items. Apparently the company that manufactured and supplied Cold Steel with Carbon V steel went out of business. So they have found replacement steels for those knives. The Recon Tanto is now made in AUS8 steel.

Here are the stats on this knife.
Blade: 7″
Handle: 4 3/4″
Overall: 11 3/4″
Thick: 3/16″
Weight: 9oz.
Comes with a black epoxy powder coat finish.

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R.A.T. RC-4 Fixed Blade Knives

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RAT RC-4, Orange G-10 Handle, OD Green Blade, ComboEdge The picture at this link shows the green knife not the orange one.

RAT RC-4, Linen Micarta Handle, Plain

RAT RC-4, OD Green Micarta Handle, Desert Tan Blade, Combo

RAT or Randall’s Adventure and Training manufactures several excellent survival knives. This company has only been around since 1997 but they are making a huge impact in the knife world. Using superior materials and keeping a close eye on function has made these knives a favorite to many outdoorsmen.

I personally like the RC-4 with the orange handle and the dark green blade. You may think my taste in colors a bit strange but if you drop this knife in a heavily wooded area you’ll be able to find it immediately. They also make a tan version and a black and gray version, excellent knives but could be difficult to find if you dropped it. With the price of good knives these days I wouldn’t want to take the chance of losing it.

Many of RAT’s knives come with plain or serrated blades so be careful when you purchase yours that you get the right one. There are codes that define the color and the blade type when you order them.

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Ka-Bar USMC Fighting/Utility Knife

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This is one of the true classic military survival knives. The Original USMC Fighting / Utility Knife is still a favorite of the U.S. Marine Corps. Any of the Ka-Bar knives would make an excellent addition to your emergency survival gear.  Ka bar military knives come in a couple of different colors and blade styles.  This post will focus on the traditional Ka Bar USMC Knife and it’s variations.

First up is the original. The Ka Bar USMC Fighting / Utility Knife. This Knife still remains the first choice for many Marines who choose to carry it as their personal option knife during service.  It has it’s signature leather handle which is made by compressing leather washers together on the tang and then they are shaped and colored.  A classic knife that is still just as useful as it was when it was accepted by the Marines in 1945.

Next is the Ka-Bar Full Size Black Straight Edge Knife. Basically the same knife except that it is made with a Kraton G handle.  A fancy word that means man-made rubber non-slip grip.  A very popular choice due to the black color.

Following the Black Ka Bar USMC Knife is the Ka Bar D2 Extreme Fighting / Utility Knife.This knife is made with D2 steel which is one of the toughest steels made for knife making.  That means that this knife will keep an edge longer.  That being said, it’s harder to sharpen as well.  I’ve heard reports of people cutting their leather sheaths with this knife the first time they took it out.  The Kydex sheath is a much better option with this knife.

Last but certainly not least is the Next Generation Ka bar.This knife is made with a 440A Stainless Steel blade which makes it an excellent choice for wet conditions.  It too is made with a Kraton G non-slip handle.

These blades are made in the U.S.A.  The leather sheaths are made in Mexico, the plastic and the glass filled nylon sheaths are made in Taiwan, and the only sheath that is made in the U.S.A. is the Eagle sheath with Hawk insert.

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Benchmade Fixed

151 Benchmade Griptilian Fixed Blade Knife

151 Benchmade Griptilian Fixed Blade Knife

The Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. set-up shop in Clackamas, Oregon in 1990 (originally founded in California in 1988).  Their slogan is “Make it cool, make it solid, make it happen and definitely make it Benchmade.”

After some initial growing pains it looks like the got it right.  Benchmade makes some of the best knives available today. They make affordable knives for any budget and if money is no object they make some beautiful Damascus Steel knives.

Their customer service seems to be excellent, they really seem to care about the little people.   However, call their 800 number for service, I’ve read reports that they are extremely slow returning emails.

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Buck 119-9207 Fixed Blade Knife

The Buck 119-9207 Special is an excellent knife at a very good price. This knife has been reported on certain websites as being the knife Les Stroud “Survivorman” uses and as far as I can tell from watching the series that is true.

It’s not surprising that this knife is reported to be Buck’s best selling fixed blade knife. It is well balanced and is one of the best knives Buck makes. As survival equipment goes, this is an excellent choice as a camping survival tool. I love how this knife looks and the way it feels in your hand.

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Folding Knives

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Fixed Blade Knives

There are many excellent fixed blade knives on the market today and there are some better left on the dealer’s shelf.  We will be trying our best to cover the top fixed blade knives available.

Some knives such as the SOG Seal Pup are very light, and some are quite heavy like the Gerber LMF II knives.  However, both have their respective places in any survival situation and to be honest you should be carrying more than one knife anyway.

Remember, this is not survivorman (although his knife is listed here) and you probably won’t be doing much hunting in a 72 hour survival situation, but the knives we will be covering would serve you well in any predicament you may find yourself.

I would like to make one final observation on here about any knife you purchase when it comes to the blade.  Combo blades are very nice (a combo blade has both serrations and a plain part to the blade), BUT and this is a big but, you must carry special sharpeners to sharpen the serrated portion of the blade.  Probably not a big deal in a 72 hour survival situation but it is something to keep in mind when purchasing your knife.

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Walther P99 AS

Now this is a great looking gun.  I’ve always wanted a Walther P99.  I am not usually one for guns without a hammer, but I really like this one.

The AS is for anti-stress.  It is the first pistol equipped with a firing pin lock and combines the advantages of the Dual Action system with the Single Action Anti-Stress trigger.  The Anti-Stress trigger makes the P99 one of the safest handguns in the world by preventing reflex firing in stressful situations.  When the slide is racked completely to the rear upon loading, the trigger remains forward in Single Action mode as well as Dual Action mode.  So the trigger pull is .551″ for the first shot and prevents accidental firing.  Each shot after that is a .314″ trigger pull to facilitate rapid firing.

And it gives new meaning to the term “dead sexy”!


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Taurus PT-92

The Taurus PT-92 looks very similar to a Beretta to me.  For good reason, I have found out.  Taurus acquired the Beretta factory in Sao Paulo, Brazil and went straight to work on improving Beretta’s design.  The result was the PT-92.

It is a 9mm with a 17+1 round capacity.  It has a drop hammer forged ordnance grade alloy frame that won’t crack or allow the slide to come off.  It also has a 3-position ambidextrous safety that allows for a SA cocked and locked mode, as well as acting as a DA decocking lever.

You can get this weapon with fixed sights (the PT-92 pictured above) or with adjustable sights (the PT-99).

You can still pick up a PT-92 here.



Have a gun in your sights? Try GunBroker.com
You can always check Gunbroker.com via the above banner. With as fast as guns are selling these days, Gunbroker.com might be the best way to get what you are after.

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Smith & Wesson SW40VE .40

This handgun is the Sigma series Smith & Wesson .40 caliber.  The Sigma series is ergonomically designed.  The 18 degree handgrip allows you to raise the weapon so that you are aiming straight every time.  They say that aiming a S&W Sigma series handgun is as easy as pointing your finger.

The Sigma series is available in either 9mm or .40 caliber.  The one pictured above is the .40 caliber.  The ammo capacity of the .40 caliber is 14+1.  There are different schools of thought on what ammo to carry in this, but it seems like the general consensus is that the 180 gr may not be all its cracked up to be for muzzle energy and that you can get just as good if not better with 155 gr.  One of the recommended rounds to carry in this gun is the Remington 155 gr. JHP.

Now all you need is the sign that says, “This house guarded by Smith & Wesson”.

You can pick up a SW40VE .40 here.

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