Q3 2019 Carry
All of 2019 has been a whirlwind for me. Between two growing boys, starting my own law firm with a friend of mine, and my wife being diagnosed and treated for cancer this year has been one stressful blur. One solace I had in the chaos was this site and reader feedback. Another was the great gear I got to carry everyday. Here is a summary of stuff I have been running and a little bit about each item.
Massdrop x Ferrum Forge Gent, Surefire Titan Plus, Schon DSGN Pocket 6
After a lot of cycling (I owned, in order, the black G10, carbon fiber, rosewood, and finally the blue G10) I finally settled here with the Gent. It is a truly spectacular design, a great format for variation, and an insanely pocketable blade. I’d love to see a bit nicer clip, but even totally 100% stock it is one of the best knives on the market. The pen, the Schon DSGN Classic, is a great writer and capable of taking a beating. A review is coming before the end of the year, a sort of middle road between the full, long form review and the Quick Hits reviews.
Casio Oceanus OCW-T200, Lamy 2000, Muyshondt Aeon Mk. 3, and Gareth Bull Small Shamwari
We all have our “top of the line” carry and right now this is mine. I bought the watch from Nick and I saved some bucks to get a customized Lamy 2000 from the Nibsmith. Both items are better than I imagined they would be. The Oceanus keeps impeccable time and looks quite nice. It also happens to be able to take a beating, which is nice. A few other watches I own seem to be nothing more than scratchplates that may tell time. And while scratches on a watch aren’t great, I absolutely love the look of a well-worn and well used knife. The Shamwari, which is soon to be released in a production run from WE Knives, is absolutely awesome in its battered form. The blade, mind you, is still absolutely pristine with a glorious handrubbed finish, but the titanium frame is clearly well loved. And then there is the Aeon. Its still awesome and still on its second battery ever.
Chris Reeve Mnandi (Old Nail Nick) and Muyshondt Aeon Mk. 3
Not much to say here—the Mnandi is one of a handful of ideal knife forms. I love this knife and I can’t imagine owning knives and not owning one of these. The slip case is excellent and the clip, even this old one, is superb too. And then there is the Aeon. Its good too.
I don’t really use subcompact flashlights, but when I do (says the Dos Equis guy), its this one. With QTC and a warm as a fire in a heart emitter, this super small light functions great around the house and around town. I wouldn’t take it on a hike or even worse, a night hike, but otherwise it is very, very good. The Brouwer is such a hard knife to figure out. I love it, but objectively it is not great. I can’t figure out that difference and I working on an article trying to explain this.
JetBeam RRT-01 v2 and Spyderco Techno 2
The Techno was a long-time favorite, but the follow up, for some reason, didn’t work for me, despite the thinner blade stock. Of these small, collab Spydercos the Brouwer is just a better blade, better in the hand, and with a nicer blade shape. The RRT-01 is, however, a revelation—one of the best production torch released in 2019. And, as a side note, wet ocean tumbled rocks make for a great background for gear.
Spyderco S90V Shaman and Prometheus Lights Delta
If you can carry bigger gear, the Shaman is incredible. With its excellent, contoured scales, a nice blade shape, and, in this iteration, amazing steel, the Shaman is one of the best new evergreen Spydercos in a long time. I am not a huge fan of the iterative approach Spyderco has taken to its line up, but the Shaman is an excellent platform for variants. The Delta, well, I am posting a review next week. Its amazing. Super, incredible amazing.
Strider PT CC, A. Strelsov Kamakadze, and Muyshondt Aeon Mk. 3
After long last, I got a PT CC back in the fold and I am glad I did. Its a supremely good blade in the hand. This particular unit has superior fit and finish—snug and tight. The pen and its fantastic finishing, has been a staple of my pocket since I got the review sample. This, along with the Schon DSGN above, is going to be part of the upcoming pen round up. Quick preview: this is an excellent carry option.
Amazon Purchase Links:
If you want to support the blog and are interested in the gear mentioned here, follow the links below and purchase items—the proceeds help buy new review samples to keep the blog running and 100% independent: