Extrema Ratio RAO C! Available in the best stores and on www.extremaratio.com
Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Extrema Ratio RAO C! Available in the best stores and on www.extremaratio.com
Wednesday, 11 October 2023
The Limiting Factor of Small Fixed Bladed Knives and the Possible Way Around Such Issues.
The Limiting Factor of Small Fixed Bladed Knives and the Possible Way Around Such Issues.
Question: What is the limiting factor with small fixed bladed knives?
Answer: It is the length of the handle. Because if the handle is too small to grip securely then the knife will be of little practical use in reality.
The 3 knives shown directly below are all at the limit for my 8.5 size hand to grip completely*.
By "completely", I mean exactly that, completely. Not partially, not with 2 fingers or 3 fingers, I mean with my complete paw.
Now lets examine the images directly below: The first two knives looking from top to bottom, I can just grip.
Note the end of the handle is only just within my palm.
Again with this above image, the handle only just sits within my palm
Whereas this knife, (By Pohl Force)
it is impossible to grip with any significant part of my hand due to the small size of the grip. This knife is marketed as a "finger knife" and whilst in a moment of stupidity I purchased it (I'm selling it) and from a physical shop, so i had ample chance to really feel the product in my hands (yes i know this was STUPID!). The blade shape and the length of the blade is great, however the handle is way too short to allow one to fully exploit such a good blade design. (Sorry Mr Pohl Force, this was a BS design).
Ok maybe I'm too tough here, as it was marketed as a "finger knife" However, I would say "finger knives" are somewhat of a gimmick. The only exception I would make here is that the blade thickness of such knives is usually far thicker than an equivalently sized folding knife and hence there is some support for a "strength" advantage over a similar sized folding knife. BUT (yes everything before a BUT is BS) unlike the "Finger knife", the folding knife will have a decent sized handle to grip!
Here it is easy to see the differences in handle lengths. The funny thing is that the Pohl Force knife will have the greatest "levering effect" upon the small handle, this can be disadvantageous to the the user under certain circumstances.
In the above image you can easily see these differences I'm talking about.
Here is another example of the smallest I would go to. The ER Satre has a slightly longer grip than my 
Small Knives with a Good Grip
Now the following knives all have decent comfortable grips. Probably, the Kizlyar Supreme (middle knife AUS8) and the WTG mini Nomad EDC (In ATS-34 Limited Edition) are the most comfortable and also lighter than the WTG Mt Laguna (Wingman 115 Design) because it is using rather thick (it's still ok but maybe overkill) K110 6.25mm steel, ie 1/4" sheet and the other 2 knives are using 3mm (Kizlyar Supreme URBAN) and 4mm (WTG Nomad EDC). None the less they all have good handles and this is the limiting factor for decreasing size of a fixed blade knife for practical usage in MHO.
The above knives are not really hunting knives although like all things one could if they had to. The Mt laguna is too thick for this purpose and whilst the blade shape is not too bad to skin with, the handle is too wide IMHO, it's more of a lightweight but very sturdy camp/hiking knife for well walked to semi-wild tracks/camping. The Kizlyar Supreme Urban, good for fishing (it has a good point) -but not for filleting of course), hunting (narrower handle and tapering for a good comfortable grip during working with carcasses; the WTG EDC Nomad, excellent handle; excels at carving/woodworking and generalist duties; could also be used for hunting although I would have made the major arc of the belly closer to the tip for this purpose (Ok it's not meant to be a hunting knife).
Fox knives excellent FX-143MB (Niolox steel)
So how can you carry a small knife with a decent sized handle and also a decent sized blade. Firstly, for small knives, I would recommend one ONLY purchase them after trying them to see if they really fit your hand properly. Then check the carry system on how useful is it really because if the handle is really small then how will it be trying to extract it from the scabbard? I'm not talking some sort of tactical split second extraction, I'm talking about a normal extraction for camping, hunting/hiking, fishing etc.
Maybe you prefer a large folding locking knife In this case the Extrema Ratio RAOII - Expeditions version); this will give you the blade length, along with a sturdier blade (compared to a regular locking folding knife of similar (open) length).
You will get a bigger handle length and maybe (dependent upon the brand make and model) give you some lateral stability too (within reason) for a folding knife- BUT remember knives are for cutting NOT prying, regardless of what the marketing says.
The above image shows (from left to right) a large folding and locking knife closed (ER HF1T- no longer made), a medium sized fixed blade (RaidOps Black Tiger II) and knives you have already seen (if you have read this far), exception being the Extrema Ratio T4000S, which I include as another excellent small fixed blade).
The following 3 images are all what I consider very sturdy folding knives, (FKMD FX-446S ODS N690), Nieto Centauro XXL 440C), Extrema Ratio HF1T N690), all with different locking mechanisms.
So there you have it, try before you buy is my advice if you want to go small because the handle may not fit you hand properly and if it doesn't then maybe the knife, no matter how cool the blade design is or how much you simply like the blade, it will never give you the performance because of the wrong grip.
Note all of the knives you see here have been extensively reviewed on @BushCampingTools and also here on this blog over the years. Any questions just drop me a mail or write in the comments here!
Thanks for reading!
BCT
Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Dulotec BUDDY Fixed Blade Knife in Sandvik 14C28N
Dulotec BUDDY Fixed Blade Knife in Sandvik 14C28N
The blade length is approx 4" or 100 odd mm.
The BUDDY features a comfortable grip (2 colours available at the time of writing, either a forest green or black G10.
The scabbard is full grain leather and deep carry.
The buddy is perfect for day hiking and non wilderness camping along with hunting activities.
Basic wood working isn't an issue with this knife. The blade stayed super sharp after cutting dirty bark covered wood.
Dulotec are making their 4" Buddy fixed blade drop point in Bulgaria. It's made with Sweden's Sandvik 14C28N, a stainless steel alloy specifically developed for the knife industry by Sandvik some years ago. All of my knives featuring this steel, rock!
The Buddy is available in either 2 forms, a sabre grind or a full flat grind and with either a forest green scales or black and comes with a deep carry leather scabbard.
Without giving anything away, the manufacturer has done a marvellous job of heat treatment and the knife remained razor sharp after I cut:
Green hawthorn branches; then into dirty wood (which was just laying on the ground) preparing some makeshift "cutting boards" to prepare my lunch.
I could easily slice through green fig skin and cut up deer meat salami for lunch whilst out doing a bit of archery.
This small drop point will also satisfy the hunter on a budget plus as this knife is competitively priced against similar sized knives made with the same steel. The Buddy is also a very comfortable knife to hold.
I give this knife a 10/10.
See my video field test here:
BCT
Thursday, 5 October 2023
Dulotec GUARDIAN Flashlight
Dulotec GUARDIAN Flashlight
With literally bazillions of hand held "Tactical" flashlights out on the market. Which one do you choose out this plethora of makes and models?
About the manufacturer Dulotec:
Enter the price competitive Dulotec brand. Dulotec is a Bulgarian company which is specialising in the design and production of quality outdoor gear such as but not limited to:
Pistol LASER sights ; handheld powerful Flash lights (using quality Luminus LEDs); Portable Solar charging panels (15W and 28W) I've also reviewed and field tested the 15W Solar panels and they are great and definitely give Goal Zero a run for their money!); Headlamps; Folding knives and Fixed bladed hunting knives.
Model: "Guardian" Flashlight"
Specs at a glance: Approx: Run
Times
Turbo 1800 Lumens 2hr
High 720 2:41
Med 247 8:23
Low 25 49hr
At 1800 Lumens, it has a 700m range!
Magnetic charging or battery can be removed and charged separately. The flashlight is supplied with a 5200mAh 21700 battery (Lion).
The Business end
The light source is a single LED from LUMINUS, an SFT40. This is a high current drive LED (8A) hence this Dulotec Guardian Flashlight can have such a huge light output. Luminus are well-known in the industry for producing extremely power LEDs
This is a super bright flashlight even as seen here during daylight hours!
The Pro's
Price point for such a sturdy construction.
Pocket clip can only be removed by unscrewing the tactical tail switch; this is a simple but great idea as it means the light can not be lost if the stupid pocket clip comes off like what is seen for many similar style flashlights.
The Dulotec Guardian is activated by a "tactical" tail switch to instantly one full power and the various levels of lighting can be selected via the touch sensitive LED illuminated front switch. The front mode switch is also illuminated and can thus easily be located in total darkness.
There is a lanyard hole (X2) and it comes with a wrist lanyard.
It has an anti roll design if left upon a flat surface, it will resist rolling off that surface (within reason of course).
A strobe/signal/personal protection mode.
A big Parabolic reflector
(Note: as with ALL high powered flashlights sporting smooth parabolic reflectors, these flashlights can easily burn you or worse still, start a fire accidentally as the IR is concentrated a short distance away from the front of the reflector. Please be aware of this. We could easily melt a plastic bag with just a few seconds of this light switched to 1800 lumens! Caution!)
Comes with a well-stitched Nylon pouch which can be belt mounted.
The SOS mode can be easily entered by first turning on the tactical end switch, then 2 quick presses of the mode button enters the strobe and another two quick presses of the mode button enters the SOS mode. So from this standpoint this Guardian flashlight can be useful for an emergency signal.
Can be rifle mounted with appropriate mounts due to the diameter of the main torch body.
Reverse polarity protection
Overheating protection
Luminus SFT40 LED in use. (6500K)
24 months warranty
Cons
The flashlight is only IP66 rated , ie for light rain and dust but not immersion. But so is the same for brands such as FENIX where many of their tactical handheld flashlights are also NOT IP68 rated!
It can not be stood on the tail end
The front port is not coated.
In Summary:
Good grip as in the body texture is just right. Heat dissipation is no different to ANY other similar model out there. You run it for extended periods at maximum brightness, it will get extremely hot. However, the overheating circuitry will dim the light to prevent overheating damge to the LED. One can not expect super high lumens without heating, that's physics!
It is rated to operate from 0-45C.
Having a 2 year warranty is a good thing in my view, especially for a flashlight. it means Dulotec are confident in their products, especially a product such as a flashlight which by nature could get used quite often.
I also like the fact that it is easy to see when this light is fully charged (the Green LED of the mode switch stops flashing). A Red signal indicate too low a power and the light should be immediately charged.
I also like that there are good amount of cooling fins incorporated into this flash light's head to help dissipate any excess heat. These fins serve a secondary role too and that is they help to provide extra grip. Plus there are NO acute edges on this flashlight model.
This Guardian flashlight also easily fits in the palm of a size 8 hand (not too big not too small hand size).
What is the Dulotec Guardian Flashlight suitable for?
Suitable for the vehicle; tactical applications (as long as there is no chance of submersion), personal carry/defense.
What's included:
Comes with a 5200 mAh battery (as stated above).
Magnetic USB charging cable (1.3A fast charging circuitry)
Nylon Pouch
Lanyard strap for the wrist
Operating instructions
At the time of writing these instructions are only available in Bulgarian language- If you are reading Russian you can probably work it out.
Run times are self explanatory for those who can not read Bulgarian.
What's not included:
Spare O-rings (2 are required).
Just a note: The fact that the battery can be charge without removal from the flashlight body means that unnecessary wear upon the O-rings is eliminated and hence should last a lot longer than equivalent O-rings which undergo friction every time a battery is removed for charging.
FENIX HL32R-T High performance Trail Running Headlamp Assessed here for Trekking and Trail Running Headlamp Review
FENIX HL32R-T Trekking and Trail Running Headlamp Review
The FENIX HL32R-T is a (near*) perfect headlamp for trekkers. Here's why:
The Fenix HL32R-T can take two different battery sources: a proprietary ARB-LP1900 Lithium ion battery or 3 AAA batteries either Alkaline or Ni-MH batteries.
Proprietary Lion battery pack
If it's not possible while away from civilisation to charge the lithium ion cell then very commonly available AAA alkaline cells can be used or even Ni-MH AAA cells can be substituted, these latter 2 battery types will of course not provide the low temperature performance as the LP1900 battery (supplied).
The LOCK OUT Function
The next specification is a definite must for trekkers and that is the capacity to lock out the headlamp. This is a must so that when a headlamp is carried in a rucksack or other travel luggage it can not be accidentally switched on, only to find the headlamp when you need it most has a flat battery! The lock out function is easy to initiate and even instructions are indicated on the lamp body itself for those with a short memory :)!
Light weight magnesium Alloy Construction
For trekking a lightweight headlamp is a must. 40 years ago whilst trekking in the Nepal Himalaya region I took a Petzl Zoom. This was a great light for the time and those chunky 4.5V alkaline cells could be easily obtained in Nepal (believe it or not) but these light's although very durable and weather resistant were also very heavy.
The Fenix HL32R-T is made from a lightweight but strong Magnesium alloy case and some (not stated) engineering plastic (maybe polycarbonate?).
4 Blue LEDs on indicate a charge state from 100%-80% 3 Blue 80%-60% 2 Blue 60%-40% One Blue 40%-20% One Blue LED flashing 20%-1%
The 2 lights are independently controlled via 2 separate switches and the entire body is resistant to: heavy rain, dust and high pressure water ingress; in other words absolutely terrible sh%t faced weather conditions which once can def encounter whilst high altitude trekking.
Ergonomics
The Fenix HL 32R-T headlamp can also be tilted to provide a ergonomic stance whilst running or walking or indeed any activity where this light is worn.
The elasticized band can be adjusted either conventionally via the friction buckle or by adjusting very rapidly via the "twist lock" wheel, with one hand operation.
The headband is wide and comfortable with 2 ways to adjust it and sports some highly reflective text along it's length. This can be of big benefit to see other party members whilst travelling at night.
Charging
The USB port is a C port and this means longer life than Type A mini USB ports which are prone to failure due to their asymmetric shape.
A trekking headlamp or running headlamp
Must be weather resistant and that is resistant to THE worst weather conditions possible, so that it doesn't let you down when you need it.
The Fenix HL32R-T is weather proofed via a O-ring seal on the battery compartment lid. It is rated by Fenix as IP66 (resists ingress from high pressure water and dust).
(There is no spare O-ring supplied with this unit unlike many of their products- this is probably due to the fact that the wear against the O-ring will be minimal if not constantly changing out batteries-especially if only using the supplied Lithium ion battery pack.
O-ring seal
Finally the business end and that's the LEDs in use.
The main LED is made by LUMINUS and anyone who purports to know about LEDs will know that Luminus were the first to bring out the PHAT LED concept and hence the most guts busting LEDs you could get- yes it wasn't CREE! I was experimenting with the Luminus SST90 LEDs years ago when they were working with National Semi cinductor who were making test drivers foir these high power LEDs. Now whilst this headlamp doesn't incorporate a SST90, it does use a Luminus SST20 cold white
and a Redslight neutral white light. Lifespan 50K hours.
Light output
Trust me it's more than adequate! But if you want to see specifications then I won't rehash them here, I will simply show you the page from their user instructions which come with the Fenix HL32R-T
The Fenix HL32R-T is available in Funky Red (my words), Blue and (Boring but stealthy) Black!
No Fenix did not pay me to write this article. Please help me out to keep the blog going by reading and at least making some comments, even if you hate the reviews and think they suck. i have kept this long term blog totally advertisement free for the ease of reading the articles (I hate the ads which normally pop up all over blogs when i'm reading them).