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GEAR UP WITH THESE AMAZINGLY SLEEK AND STRONG TOOLS
Exotac xREEL
EXOTAC XREEL IS A POCKET-SIZED FISHING KIT
Whether you want to add a food-gathering system to a survival kit or a compact fishing setup to your hiking or backpacking gear, the xREEL from Exotac may be just what you need. The xREEL is a compact handline fishing kit about the size of a snuff can or hockey puck. It’ll easily fit into a jacket or cargo pocket or your daypack.
It has a tackle storage compartment with an O-ring seal that will hold fishhooks, sinkers, floats, or even some lures or jigs. A flexible TPE finger strap helps you keep hold of the reel during use.
The xREEL comes with 50 feet of 15-pound test monofilament line and a fishing kit with six hooks, six split shots, and two floats. The outside of the reel has multiple “parking holes” to clip your hook into when not in use. It’s available in four colors: blaze orange, black, gunmetal, and olive drab. The xREEL is made in the USA and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Exotac xREEL
Specs:
MSRP: $99.95
Exotac.com
CRKT Clever Girl
The kukri is a very old design, but it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere any time soon, and that’s because it works. That doesn’t mean it can’t be tweaked to keep up with the times, however.
As part of CRKT’s Forged by War program, knifemaker Austin McGlaun decided to take a swing at his version of the ancient tool based upon his field experience while stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and while deployed in Iraq.
Austin’s full-tang version is a bit more compact than some of the traditional models with its 7.75-inch blade and overall length of 13.25 inches. It’s made from tough SK5 carbon steel and finished with a black coating for corrosion resistance and fitted with a set of G10 handle scales. It comes with a glass reinforced nylon sheath with both a belt clip and a lanyard to allow for a variety of carry methods.
CRKT Clever Girl
Specs:
- Overall Length: 13.25 inches
- Blade Length: 7.75 inches
- Blade Steel: SK5 with powdercoat finish
- Blade Thickness: 0.19 inch
- Weight: 14.20 ounces
- Handle: G10
- Sheath: Glass reinforced nylon
- Sheath Weight: 5.60 ounces
- MSRP: $135
Strike K1 Knife
Many of you probably know Strike Industries for its firearms accessories, but the company also just released a pretty handy folding knife as well. The Strike K1 is designed as an everyday carry knife. It features a sheepsfoot blade of AUS-8 stainless steel with a hollow grind and an oval hole for ambidextrous one-hand opening.
Two areas of jimping on the spine allow for a variety of holds depending on the task at hand. The handle is of “SI Polymer Extreme,” which seems something like FRN, and is sturdy and light. It has a back lock and a tip-up low profile carry clip that’s reversible for right- or left-handed carry.
The handles are fairly long at 4.72 inches and allow for a comfortable four-fingered grip. At only a half inch thick and 2.9 ounces, it’s an easy knife to carry. A rather unique feature is the pommel mounted bladeless tape cutter.
This fin-like protrusion allows you to zip open most types of packing tape without having to open your knife. I tested it on my steady stream of Amazon boxes arriving at the house and it works as advertised. Best part is the very reasonable price tag at just over 40 bucks.
Strike K1 Knife
Specs:
- Overall Length: 8.22 inches
- Overall Thickness: 0.50 inch without clip
- Closed Length: 4.72 inches
- Blade Length: 3.51 inches
- Blade Thickness: 0.12 inch
- Blade Steel: AUS-8 stainless steel
- Blade Grind: Hollow ground
- Lock Type: Back lock
- Handle: SI Polymer Extreme
- Pocket Clip: Tip-up, ambidextrous
- Weight: 2.9 ounces
- MSRP: $41.95
5.11 CFA Peacemaker Tomahawk
The 5.11 Tactical CFA Peacemaker Tomahawk was designed by Justin Gingrich of American Tomahawk Company and Ranger Knives fame.
On the 5.11 website, this is listed as the CFA Peacemaker Tomahawk, but the CFA stands for Camp & Field Axe. Whether you call it an axe or a tomahawk, it’s a solid beast of a chopper. Made from a quarter-inch-thick slab of SCM435, which is a chrome–moly alloy steel with high strength and high hardness properties, the Peacemaker keeps its weight down to 1 pound, 12.2 ounces due to a skeletonized design.
It’s coated with a black electro finish and fitted with a set of kangaroo tan FRN scales. The 4-inch axe head sits opposite a pick head rear spike. It comes with a sturdy protective sheath and four position belt/MOLLE clip and retention strap. Whether you want a breaching tool for tactical work, for disaster response, or just as a sturdy woods tool, the Peacemaker is well worth a look.
5.11 CFA Peacemaker Tomahawk
Specs:
- Overall length: 14 inches
- Head length: 6.5 inches
- Steel: SCM435 with black electro-coat finish
- Edge Length: 4-inch blade for chopping, digging
- Thickness: 0.25 inch
- Handle: Fiberglass reinforced nylon scales, removable for possible paracord wrap (paracord not included)
- Sheath: Nylon
- Other: Spike for splitting wood, breaking hard materials
- MSRP: $140
VZ Grips Bottle Opener Knuckle
I’m a big fan of VZ Grips and have several of the company’s G10 knives and pistol grips. When I saw that it had a pair of bottle openers in G10, I had to grab one. They’re lightweight and good looking. They’re available in black, black gray, blue gray, dirty olive. I chose the blue black.
There are two versions. Both feature a bottle opener on one end and a hex bit driver located in the center. The driver will take a T15 that works on VZ’s pistol and revolver grips, which is a nice touch, although it’ll take other bits as well. Opposite the bottle opener is either a 1911 bushing tool, or a single knuckle. Like all VZ products, they’re made in the USA. The Knuckle version is $19.95 and the one with the bushing tool is, appropriately enough, $19.11.
Work Sharp Precision Adjust Elite
The Precision Adjust Elite kit is, according to Work Sharp, “an angle adjustable, seven abrasive grit, knife sharpening system that delivers precision and repeatability.” It has sharpening angles that can be adjusted from 15 to 30 degrees in 1-degree increments so you can really tune it to your blade geometry.
It has a variety of grits from extra course through fine, as well as ceramic rod for use on serrations, and a leather strop for touch up and finish work. It uses a clamp to hold the knife in place and all of it stores in a handy carry case.
Work Sharp Precision Adjust Elite
Specs:
- Coarse Tri-Brasive Rod: 220-, 320-, and 400-grit diamond
- Fine Tri-Brasive Rod: 600- and 800-grit diamond
- Ceramic plate, leather strop, ceramic rod for serrations
- Angle adjustable sharpening chassis
- Benchtop sharpening base
- Knife clamp
- Sharpening slide rod
- Carry case
- MSRP: $119.95