Recently I've decided it's time to start clearing out a lot of the gear junk I've accumulated, a lot of it through online shopping - by the same means I bought a lot of it, ebay! I also started selling my knife collection, items going back 15 years. Some really good knives, some marginal, some crap, along with some of my martial arts DVDs.
So far, I've done OK. I've burned myself with shipping a couple of times (be careful there!) and I've sold a few items for less than I had hoped. The DVDs aren't selling well, maybe I need to look for a different way to sell those.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised but the folding knives get WAY more interest than the fixed blades. People are folder crazy. I can understand that, I used to feel the same way. Plus a few junk knives went for some ridiculous prices.
Selling as an auction generally does surprisingly well, people will pay more for the item at auction than the same item listed with a Buy It Now price!!! A friend of mine told my he filters out all buy it now items and several others confirmed they do the same. Weird. So a tip would be to list both an auction price and a buy it now price, I had noticed some people do that with very little spread in between, I guess it's just to make both lists (I often filter out auctions).
Been a positive experience so far but I still have a lot of items in the mail, hopefully there are no problems. I'm going on holidays so I have stopped listing items (I put about 50 up for sale, sold half so far), I have 10-20 more to list when i get back. Maybe more, I need to start digging through the mess I call "storage."
Updates to follow.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Ebay buying
I've been buying items on ebay for a few years now. I've found some really good deals and I've also wasted money on some incredible junk. It's easy to overspend and get caught up in auction fever or in buying a ton of cheap (price and quality stuff) that adds up to a lot of overall money with little to show for it.
Living in a very remote area, I have gotten catalog and now Internet shopping fever a few times. Additionally, shipping prices due to my location can be horrendous. It's best to research what you are looking for carefully and WAIT and think about what you want. Don't just start clicking on things, wait a day or two to see if you really want that item - avoid impulse buying.
I recommend ebay for really cheap electronics buying, usually computer stuff like ethernet cables or some such. I also have found a few really good ebay stores for knife and gear sales. Sometimes the shipping is good, sometimes it isn't good, but they have a good selection of items that I like and they WILL ship to me. It can be very frustrating, living in a remote part of Canada, to come across items I like and be unable to buy them. Even sites that claim they will ship here and provide me with price quotes will often cancel their orders.
For most of the junk crap, you go to whoever is cheaper. It you're spending some real money on some quality blades, you want authentic items and you don't want to be jerked around.
Some stores I recommend:
Merry Outdoors - very good shipping prices to Canada, a decent selection of knives for good prices, several items purchased no problems.
The Sharpest Store On The Web - a very well known and large store, mostly use it for knife sales. Excellent selection. Prices are OK for Canada, you'll have to contact for a quote, better to get a few items or the shipping may not be worth it. I've never had problem with them but they didn't respond to my last price quote request....
Wholesale Knives and Swords - located in Canada, a real plus, you can avoid the occasional customs charge. Has a good knife selection and has some of the more unusual weapon items that collectors enjoy. I've made a few purchases, no problems.
Rnkcity Outdoors - larger store, lots of great knives, good shipping, no problems. They also sell Maxpedition items for good shipping+purchase prices. I've bought a lot from this store, no problems.
EzeeDeaL - they do sell knives but I often go there for non-knife items, usually for Maxpedition items. I've bought a lot from this store, no problems.
Living in a very remote area, I have gotten catalog and now Internet shopping fever a few times. Additionally, shipping prices due to my location can be horrendous. It's best to research what you are looking for carefully and WAIT and think about what you want. Don't just start clicking on things, wait a day or two to see if you really want that item - avoid impulse buying.
I recommend ebay for really cheap electronics buying, usually computer stuff like ethernet cables or some such. I also have found a few really good ebay stores for knife and gear sales. Sometimes the shipping is good, sometimes it isn't good, but they have a good selection of items that I like and they WILL ship to me. It can be very frustrating, living in a remote part of Canada, to come across items I like and be unable to buy them. Even sites that claim they will ship here and provide me with price quotes will often cancel their orders.
For most of the junk crap, you go to whoever is cheaper. It you're spending some real money on some quality blades, you want authentic items and you don't want to be jerked around.
Some stores I recommend:
Merry Outdoors - very good shipping prices to Canada, a decent selection of knives for good prices, several items purchased no problems.
The Sharpest Store On The Web - a very well known and large store, mostly use it for knife sales. Excellent selection. Prices are OK for Canada, you'll have to contact for a quote, better to get a few items or the shipping may not be worth it. I've never had problem with them but they didn't respond to my last price quote request....
Wholesale Knives and Swords - located in Canada, a real plus, you can avoid the occasional customs charge. Has a good knife selection and has some of the more unusual weapon items that collectors enjoy. I've made a few purchases, no problems.
Rnkcity Outdoors - larger store, lots of great knives, good shipping, no problems. They also sell Maxpedition items for good shipping+purchase prices. I've bought a lot from this store, no problems.
EzeeDeaL - they do sell knives but I often go there for non-knife items, usually for Maxpedition items. I've bought a lot from this store, no problems.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Survival Knife - Cheap and Light
So what makes a good survival knife? There's a 1,000 different ways to answer that question, most of the answers are wrong or situation specific.
If we start looking for an actual survival knife* we can try and narrow things down a little. A good way to start is to look at the following:
1. Price - you don't want anything that will break the bank. If you have $500 to spend on a custom knife, that's great for you, but most of us don't. Spending beyond your means is also a great way to get a knife you are too scared to use! It's also better to have more than one knife, ideally you'd like to have several stashed in convenient locations, so it's best to look for something affordable.
2. Quality - you want something durable, reliable, and good enough to do the job. The good enough is key, you don't want to run too far afoul of #1.
3. Weight - if it's too heavy, you probably won't carry it or have it when you need it.
4. Carry options - something that you can wear around your neck, on your belt, etc. Something that is a little discrete can be useful, if you're carrying around a 12 inch bowie knife, you might draw more attention than the knife is worth.
Some inexpensive, high quality knives were looking at are the Mora of Sweden knives They are puukko style shaped knives, but they sell updated versions with plastic handles, hand guards, etc. I like the carbon steel blades, easy to field sharpen, very practical, but if you're around a lot of water they also sell stainless steel and other varieties. The scandi grinds are fantastic for sharpening once you get comfortable with them.
You can find them on Amazon for $10-20 each. They are very useful for skinning, batoning wood, etc. Cheap enough to buy a bunch and light enough to carry it on some cord around your neck. The plastic sheaths are....different. Not a huge fan at this point but they are functional. Some aftermarket custom sheaths are available but they cost far more than the knives! There are also other steel options if you don't like the carbon knives or are concerned about moisture. Some people quite like the triflex steel version, the handle on that version doesn't feel that comfortable for my hands.
The Mora 1 is the classic knife. I prefer the Mora 511, I've bought some for the $10-12 range, and the guard adds a measure of safety. Yes, I hear real men don't need that, the guards are for children, but I like my fingers attached thank you very much. When your hands are cold or you are wearing gloves, it's easy to make a mistake. Much safer for skinning as well.
These knives are commonly referred to as bushcraft knives - they are light, very strong for their size, easy to carry, and great for batoning.
This is the kind of knife recommended by Cody Lundin in his book 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
Another company I quite like is Cold Steel. They sell some bushcraft-like knives, like the Finn Bear. I have yet to try one of these out, they are a stainless steel (4116 Krupp Stainless) and is a puuko-style blade. *edit, I still haven't bought one of these and won't bother now based on reviews I've read/seen. Stick with the mora.
Normally a cheap stainless steel blade isn't something I would use for batoning but they do have a video of it being used to go through a 2x4 - maybe someone can tell me their experience with it?
Cold steel also has an interesting take on the hollow handle survival knife, the Bushman series - very cheap, carbon steel with a hollow handle. You could actually mount them on a pole effectively to make a good spear though i'm not really sure why you would want to in most situations. Very strong knives, good quality. A little on the large side depending on where/when you are carrying it around, very lightweight though.
It's more like a detachable spear than a knife! And probably better used for that too.
Some positives as mentioned are price, strength, and a serviceable sheath for the price. I prefer kydex and I did buy one on ebay but it cost more than the knife. At that price point, it may be best to get a different knife altogether. The hollow handle is all one piece of steel with the blade so it isn't weak like most hollow handle knives. Using a bicycle hand grip or wine corks, among other options, survival items can be stored in the handle. The spear option is cool as well.
When using to baton with, the all-steel handle is not very comfortable, a lot of vibration. Overall this knife is more of a gimmick than a practical knife but with some customization, it's a useful and sturdy tool.
*too many people confuse this with a tactical or fighting knife. More on that in a later post.
If we start looking for an actual survival knife* we can try and narrow things down a little. A good way to start is to look at the following:
1. Price - you don't want anything that will break the bank. If you have $500 to spend on a custom knife, that's great for you, but most of us don't. Spending beyond your means is also a great way to get a knife you are too scared to use! It's also better to have more than one knife, ideally you'd like to have several stashed in convenient locations, so it's best to look for something affordable.
2. Quality - you want something durable, reliable, and good enough to do the job. The good enough is key, you don't want to run too far afoul of #1.
3. Weight - if it's too heavy, you probably won't carry it or have it when you need it.
4. Carry options - something that you can wear around your neck, on your belt, etc. Something that is a little discrete can be useful, if you're carrying around a 12 inch bowie knife, you might draw more attention than the knife is worth.
Some inexpensive, high quality knives were looking at are the Mora of Sweden knives They are puukko style shaped knives, but they sell updated versions with plastic handles, hand guards, etc. I like the carbon steel blades, easy to field sharpen, very practical, but if you're around a lot of water they also sell stainless steel and other varieties. The scandi grinds are fantastic for sharpening once you get comfortable with them.
You can find them on Amazon for $10-20 each. They are very useful for skinning, batoning wood, etc. Cheap enough to buy a bunch and light enough to carry it on some cord around your neck. The plastic sheaths are....different. Not a huge fan at this point but they are functional. Some aftermarket custom sheaths are available but they cost far more than the knives! There are also other steel options if you don't like the carbon knives or are concerned about moisture. Some people quite like the triflex steel version, the handle on that version doesn't feel that comfortable for my hands.
The Mora 1 is the classic knife. I prefer the Mora 511, I've bought some for the $10-12 range, and the guard adds a measure of safety. Yes, I hear real men don't need that, the guards are for children, but I like my fingers attached thank you very much. When your hands are cold or you are wearing gloves, it's easy to make a mistake. Much safer for skinning as well.
These knives are commonly referred to as bushcraft knives - they are light, very strong for their size, easy to carry, and great for batoning.
This is the kind of knife recommended by Cody Lundin in his book 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
Another company I quite like is Cold Steel. They sell some bushcraft-like knives, like the Finn Bear. I have yet to try one of these out, they are a stainless steel (4116 Krupp Stainless) and is a puuko-style blade. *edit, I still haven't bought one of these and won't bother now based on reviews I've read/seen. Stick with the mora.
Normally a cheap stainless steel blade isn't something I would use for batoning but they do have a video of it being used to go through a 2x4 - maybe someone can tell me their experience with it?
Cold steel also has an interesting take on the hollow handle survival knife, the Bushman series - very cheap, carbon steel with a hollow handle. You could actually mount them on a pole effectively to make a good spear though i'm not really sure why you would want to in most situations. Very strong knives, good quality. A little on the large side depending on where/when you are carrying it around, very lightweight though.
It's more like a detachable spear than a knife! And probably better used for that too.
Some positives as mentioned are price, strength, and a serviceable sheath for the price. I prefer kydex and I did buy one on ebay but it cost more than the knife. At that price point, it may be best to get a different knife altogether. The hollow handle is all one piece of steel with the blade so it isn't weak like most hollow handle knives. Using a bicycle hand grip or wine corks, among other options, survival items can be stored in the handle. The spear option is cool as well.
When using to baton with, the all-steel handle is not very comfortable, a lot of vibration. Overall this knife is more of a gimmick than a practical knife but with some customization, it's a useful and sturdy tool.
*too many people confuse this with a tactical or fighting knife. More on that in a later post.
American Apocalypse - Fiction Book Review
Fiction book review: American Apocalypse
American Apocalypse: The Beginning (Beginnings)
, by Nova.
Available on Amazon, some sort of self published/small publisher book.
Very impressive for that style of book, the editing was fairly well done, the book was standard quality, easy to read.
Now, for the actual book:
The book is well paced, grabs your attention in a hurry. The setting is major urban centre U.S.A., reflecting the current state of economic decline taken to a further extent. For anyone that enjoys action novels, especially those with a survivalist bent, it's a recommended read. And, for anyone that just likes a good book - don't let the previous sentence hold you back, it's a good story that might make you think a little.
What a really enjoyed about the book was that the protagonist is joe average, an IT guy learning to function under terrible circumstances - job loss, homelessness, and a country's slow slide into poverty.
This is the first in a series of books, some of which are available on Amazon for the Kindle (love that Kindle!) as well. The author also maintains a website where he publishes chapters of the books and interacts with fans:
http://theamericanapocalypse.blogspot.com/
American Apocalypse: The Beginning (Beginnings), by Nova.Available on Amazon, some sort of self published/small publisher book.
Very impressive for that style of book, the editing was fairly well done, the book was standard quality, easy to read.
Now, for the actual book:
The book is well paced, grabs your attention in a hurry. The setting is major urban centre U.S.A., reflecting the current state of economic decline taken to a further extent. For anyone that enjoys action novels, especially those with a survivalist bent, it's a recommended read. And, for anyone that just likes a good book - don't let the previous sentence hold you back, it's a good story that might make you think a little.
What a really enjoyed about the book was that the protagonist is joe average, an IT guy learning to function under terrible circumstances - job loss, homelessness, and a country's slow slide into poverty.
This is the first in a series of books, some of which are available on Amazon for the Kindle (love that Kindle!) as well. The author also maintains a website where he publishes chapters of the books and interacts with fans:
http://theamericanapocalypse.blogspot.com/
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