Pass the Cool-Aid

Benchmade 940 Osborne

It was a tough decision. I could not decide between the green 940 or the red 960. As the photo shows, I went with the green 940. I have quite a few black handle blades and wanted something other than black. After all, this was not going to be another $30 pocket knife. I really like the lines and design elements of all the Osborne designed Benchmades. So far I have been happy with the decision.

Specs:

Blade Shape - Modified Reverse Tanto. (nice tactical look but good belly for utility)

Blade Length - 3.40 (very capable)

Closed Length - 4.47 (a bit larger than my ideal pocket knife length.)

Handle Material - Aluminum (thankfully not as slick as you would think)

Locking Mechanism - AXIS (smoooooooth)

Blade Material - S30V (first experience with this steel)

Even though the handle is made of aluminum, it has somewhat of a chalky feel. Like the Mini Griptilian, the deployment is fast and smooth. As an added bonus, I have learned that the AXIS mechanism allows you to fine tune the action by way of a locking nut. The black hardware accents the green handle very well. The more I use this knife, the more I like the blade style. Very functional. I have always liked the looks of a tanto but usually opt for a style with more of a belly for utility purposes. There is a purple spacer on the back spine for both aesthetics and added gimping. I was surprised at how light this knife was weighing in at 2.90 oz.

The only downside would be the sharpness of the blade. I do not believe it was even sharpened at the factory. The Mini Griptilian was razor sharp. I mean I could have shaved with this knife out of the box. Fortunately, Benchmade is going to resolve this issue. I will have to send it in but all is not lost. There is a Griptilian headed my way.

Mark

Chasing Butterflies

Benchmade 555 Mini Griptilian

Earlier this year I ran across a few Benchmade brand knife reviews online. I have never owned a Benchmade but knew about their reputation as a premium knife company. Due to the glowing reviews, I was inspired enough to visit Benchmade.com.

My wife did not have an EDC blade for her purse. I ran across a Mini Griptilian model 555 sporting a pink handle. I put 2 and 2 together and ended up finding a perfect birthday gift for my wonderful wife. My wife has everything. If she sees something she wants, she gets it; extremely hard for us to exchange gifts because I am the same way.

She loved it. I loved it. I wanted one. As a matter of fact, I was so impressed with the axis locking mechanism and the feel of this knife that I would have gladly carried this knife if she did not like it... even with the pink handle. Yes, it felt that good.

Specs:

Blade Shape - Modified Sheepsfoot (Looks good but also practical.)

Blade Length - 2.91 (Perfect size blade for EDC.)

Closed Length - 3.87 (Not too large but large enough.)

Handle Material - GTX (Very solid material. Very good grip.)

Locking Mechanism - AXIS (The smoothest knife action I have ever experienced.

Blade Material - 154CM (I am no steel expert but suffice it to say 154CM is not 420.)

This was a home run. She loves it. I want one so bad I can't stand it. Thank you Benchmade!

Mark

Thanks For The America!

So, Mark calls me this morning and says, "Do you still want to make a bet on the Georgia-Tennessee game?" I said sure. We decided that we would wager a CAO America cigar on the game. Based on the line that I looked at, Georgia was favored by 1 point. So Mark was willing to give the point and the friendly wager was made.

FYI, Mark lives in Georgia and is a Bulldogs fan. I live in Tennessee and am a Vols fan. Final score of the game: Tennessee 45, Georgia 19. Enough said :-)

I do like the America, but somehow I think I will enjoy this next one even more than usual. BTW, Mark, no pissing on the cigar before you send it or anything like that!

Dave

Anniversary Cigars!

Today is my wedding anniversary, and the above pic is what my wife gave to me. You see in the picture one of my very favorite cigars…the Oliva Serie G maduro. One that I have never tried before, the Camacho Triple Maduro, which is supposed to be the world’s only all maduro cigar. Yes, Mark I’ll let you know how it is :-)

Also, you see the red tin containing 10 CAO maduro mini cigars. I’ve already tried one of these. I’ll give it a 5 on a 1 to 10 scale. But then the big dog is the tubed cigar to the right. This is the Zino Platinum Double Grande. She said she wanted to get me one “expensive” cigar. She tried to get a Titan, but the place didn’t have one. This Zino is a $32.00 cigar. I can’t wait to smoke it, and I’ll write a review once I do.

Happy Anniversary to my wife, and thanks for the smokes.

Dave

Living The Life...

Let's see. I work 12 hours at the office. When I come home I have a never ending list of projects, home maintenance needs, a honey-do list a mile long and bills to pay.

Meet Spinner & Buzz. Our twin domestic short hair cats that we brought home a little over a year a go from the animal shelter. Doing their best to fill up the litter box and eating at will all day & night long, is what they do while I am at work.

The other day I came home wanting to relax in the "Southern Man Chair", pop open a cold Bud, and enjoy a few hours of SEC football.

Didn't happen. Apparently, this is their house and they have now taken over the easy chair. It's not the first time I have been sent to the couch and probably not the last.

Mark

R.I.P. Bodhi

My wife called down the stairs to me and asked if I had heard about Patrick Swayze. Everyone knew that it was coming for a long time, but I still hated to hear it. I didn't know him except through the movies I watched and interviews I heard, but he has been one of, if not my favorite, actor for years.

The first movie I saw with him was Red Dawn. If you haven't seen it, watch it. Damn good movie for its time during the Cold War. As usual his character was great. My absolute favorite movie of his is Point Break. I have seen it many, many times...I may watch it again tonight.

A great actor, and someone I think I would have really enjoyed sitting down and having a beer with. There was nothing really negative ever published about him that I can remember. He was one of the few people in Hollywood I would really like to have met.

The image above is in the public domain as far as I can tell...if I'm wrong, let us know and we'll remove it.

Dave

Man Cave on Location: Chattanooga

This past weekend, Dave and I met in Chattanooga, TN for a weekend of guns, cards, beer, cigars, and more guns. We started off the weekend at an outdoor public gun range on Friday sending several pounds of lead down range. Then we headed back to the hotel for some ice cold Bud, perfectly humidified cigars, and a friendly game of Texas Hold 'em. I am not much of a poker player but ended up sending Dave home with lighter pockets.

The weather was perfect. We were only able to stay one night but maybe next year we can talk the wives into two nights. I am already thinking about a destination for next year. I had a great time and look forward to doing it again.

Mark

The Tenth Anniversary Decision!

I came home from a hard day at the office. As I start to sit down, my wife (who took the day off) says "Honey, before you sit down, will you go get the rest of the stuff out of the trunk?" I had only seconds to respond. Do I tell her "NO" and "get me a beer on your way back in" or do I bite the bullet and clean out the trunk? I bit the bullet and I'm damn glad I did. When I opened the trunk, there was a long, white box that said "Ruger" on the side.

For the past several months, I had talked about getting a Ruger 10/22 rifle. We already have a few .22 rifles but all of them are old hand-me-downs given to us by our fathers who got them from their fathers. These are priceless and could never be replaced. Even though they are fun to shoot from time to time, I would prefer to have something I would not be afraid to really use. I had one picked out but never told my wife which model. Our 10th anniversary is this month and she goes out and buys the one pictured - the exact model I had in my head.

It is a 10/22 semi-auto Target model with Bull Barrel, Fajen Legacy fully-adjustable stock and upgraded trigger assembly. All that I need is a nice scope, half a dozen magazines and she will be good to go. (The gun, not my wife.)

My wife is the best and I would hate to think what would have happened had I opted for the beer. This is definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made. (Both the gun and the wife.)

Mark

UpLULA from Maglula

Several months ago, I ran across a very unique product. It is called the UpLULA universal pistol loader. It is made in Israel and has proven to be worth its weight in gold. You will be hard pressed to find a negative review of this thing online - and for good reason. I have had success with the following magazines:

Glock 26

Glock 19

Glock 17

S&W Model 669

S&W M&P9c

S&W M&P 9mm. Full size

Beretta 40 Cal.

Ruger .380 LCP

Ruger P94 9mm.

Colt 1911 Single stack .45

Radom 9mm.

Taurus 9mm. Compact

I have yet to run across a magazine this thing can't handle. Not only is it compatible with every magazine I have tried, it is easier to use than any of the factory speed loaders that shipped with the firearms. Superb quality, durable, and inexpensive. I have no complaints with this product and coming from me, that is saying something.

I give it a solid 10 rounds!

Mark

Thanks For The Beretta

I just want to say thanks to my bro-in-law for loaning me this .40 caliber Beretta. This gun rocks. I love shooting it. I'm going to get one just like it somewhere down the road.

Dave