Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Hey, Good-lookin'


Check out this little honey. The Ka-Bar Dozier – in pink – is a sweet addition to their otherwise masculine and well-made line of folders.

The AUS 8A stainless steel blade is 3 inches long. It arrived sharp and has stayed so. The locking mechanism is solid and trustworthy. The handle is a lovely pink zytel, and is appointed with a handy pocket clip.

My wife bought one of these for our most recent camping trip and it lived up to Ka-Bar's standards — tough, well-balanced and dependable. And one more thing, gents — once the sun goes down, finding a misplaced pocketknife is a lot easier when it's bright pink. I don't know if I'd trust my life to it, but this beauty sure held up to slicing apples and sharpening s'mores sticks.

As you can see, the drop point blade sports a Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. Good for them — a folder with a conscience. Go Ka-Bar!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Ninja powers ... activate!


I can't imagine what you'd do with two giant switchblades strapped to your arms ... aside from the inevitable accidents. Dollars to donuts this kid cut himself to the bone while a friend videotaped. It's probably on youtube.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Friday, September 18, 2009

This may sting just a bit.


This, my friends, is an Amputation Knife, c. 1750.

At this point in medical history amputations were the recommended cure for gangrene, infected limb, fractured bone and charley horse.

The procedure would go something like this:
First, both the patient and surgeon socked away several slugs of the strongest grog in town. Next, the patient would be secured to a table – either by leather straps or a few muscular assistants. Then the surgeon – whose qualifications included ownership of a sharp saw and reputation for hasty work – would get down to business, doing his best to ignore the screaming and the stray dogs lapping blood off his floorboards.

This instrument of medical carnage is curved because surgeons of the era tended to make a circular cut through the skin and muscle before the bone was cut with a saw. By the 1800s, straight knives became de rigueur because they made it easier to leave a flap of skin that could be used to cover the exposed stump.

Personally, when I look at the thing I can't help thinking of Toucan Sam.