Category: Uncategorized
Enter The Savanah Slim
The Seme aka “The Lion Sword”, is the go-to EDC knife of The Maasai People (Plains of Kenya/Tanzania/South Sudan) . They use it for Everything from:
*Clearing brush
*Butchering Cattle
*Peeling Fruit
*Self-Defense
*Etc.
We first handled a Seme when we got one as a gift from someone we trained, before they went to do Mission Work. We were immediately impressed. Made from Scrap Metal, and Melted Down Soup Cans, held together with Goatskin, and Sinew. In spite of this, it was a great blade:
*Well Enough Balanced for throwing
*Light Enough to use all day
*Small Enough to carry on your belt or in your backpack
*Big Enough for Good Leverage, and Chopping/Hacking
*Fast Enough… should you need it to be.
A testament to the ingenuity and tenacity of people making the best tool they could, with what they had. It is the accumulation of 100’s of years of R n’ D.
Things that were Great:
*Well Balanced due to Tapered Shape
*Manageable Length (~18.5”)
*Symmetrical Handle
Overview of Upgrades:
*Differential Hardened 1095 Spring/Tool Steel
*Thickness increased to 3/16” / 5mm
*Bowie Style Belly
*Added Breaking Wedge
*Added Lanyard / Lashing Holes
*Added Leather Wrapped Handle
*Differentially Hardened 1095 Spring/Tool Steel, and the blade thickness increased by ~50%. This makes it a tougher, and more durable tool. It will better stand up to the field use and abuse. This includes “Batoning” style use, a common technique for wood processing.
It holds and edge well, and is easy to sharpen in the field 1095 is the same steel “Cold Steel” uses in their Mizutori Katana and Wakazashi.
*Bowie Style Belly glides through material better than the original. It is also much better suited for Skinning and Game Processing| From a fighting standpoint it facilitates to the use of the “Back-Cut”.
*Added a Breaking Wedge on the back side of the business end. Used for breaking bones when you are processing Game, or Breaking Rocks etc. This lets to you save the edge. The Symmetrical Point makes the blade well used for sticking when thrown.
*Lanyard / Lashing Holes let you make an impromptu spear for hunting and fishing. You can also use it as a lanyard, allowing for a looser grip, letting the tool work when hacking and chopping. Also if you are working at heights, or near open water.
*Leather Wrapped Handles are comfortable. A tip of the hat to one of the most (In)Famous and Proven designs in the world, the USMC Ka-Bar, first issued Dec 9, 1942.
Smooth enough not to wreck you hands during extended periods of use. It fills the hand, and has the right amount of give for a good grip.
First, a tribute to the region (Kenya and Tanzania) and the people (Maasia) the general design comes from.
Second, it pays homage the (Jim) Bowie Belly, on a Longer, Slimmer, Faster, Profile. “Slim Jim”.
Finally, a Tip of The Hat to one of the most Respected Knife Makers in the Game, Tracker Dan, and his “Jungle Slim”.
What 5 Things Make A Great Throwing Knife?
*J7OMA Shown Above; Purpose Built To Be the Best Small Through Knife Available*
Let me start this out by saying, if you put in a lot of time and effort to develop the skillset, you can learn to throw anything point and make it stick. If you have the right tools for the job, it is much easier.
Weight
A good throwing Knife needs to be heavy enough that when thrown you can let the tool do the work. It’s easier to throw larger knives like Bowies, machetes, etc. than smaller objects. The problem with most throwing knives is they are far to light.
You can stick lighter throwing knives; you can stick anything, but it is much more work, and takes much more skill. It takes a certain amount of force to make an object to stick into the target.
Force is equal to Mass x Acceleration or F=m*a So the lighter an object is, the faster it needs to move to have enough energy or force to pierce the target and stick. For most, “whipping it” is where things fall of the rails
Blade Shape
The point of the knife needs to be fine enough to create enough pressure that so it will pierce the target. The finer the point, the less force you need to pierce the target.
Pressure is Force over Area or Pa= F/A
The trick is, it also needs to be strong enough that it will stand up to repeated use and abuse. Trust me when I say throwing your knives is very hard on them.
Balance
The blade shape and Balance go hand in hand. There must be enough material on the blade, to make it “Blade Heavy”. This makes it much easier to throw by the handle in the “No Spin” Style. This the reason you see a Leaf Shaped, over sized blade on throwing knives.
When the knife is weighted right, the blade slides out of your hand, glides through the air, and into the target.
Handle Shape
For a knife to be easy to throw “No Spin”, it needs to have a smooth, undersized, tapered handle. The trick to having a knife stick with authority is your release.
When throwing “No Spin”, you want a smooth handle. If there is any texture on the handle, a pommel, or feature on the handle, it creates interference points. This makes it more difficult to throw. You can stick it, but it requires and a change in technique.
Material
A throwing knife is made of a steal that is Hard Enough that it holds an Edge, and Soft Enough that it doesn’t break. Most of the “Super Steals” are aren’t well suited. The 1095 High Carbon Tool Steal is an excellent choice, providing your Blade/Tip geometry is not too fine.
The J7OMA is based on the Accumulation of knowledge and experience gathered from more than 20 years of throwing Pointed things. It has all the features that make a great throwing knife. Here are the Specs:
Length: ~8-1/16” / ~20.5cm
Thickness: ~3/16” / ~4mm
Weight: ~3.5oz / ~100g
Material: 1095 Tool Steel
Blade Shape: Modernized Tanto-DropPoint Hybrid
Balance: Blade Heavy
Handle: Tapered-Skeletonized-Neutral
The J7OMA is the best throwing knife we have used to date. It will work if you do.
The unique thing about the J7OMA is it is a Great field knife, and a Great Throwing Knife.
Stay Tuned,
Ace
Clean Your Own House First
Right now things are different… Different than almost anyone alive has ever experienced.
Our favorite things to do have changed:
*Going to the Gym has Changed
*Going to our Favorite Place to Eat Changed
*Going to see our Friends and Family Changed
(**Depending on Location**)
I have had many folks ask me variations of, “So what do we do now?” My answer is simple:
“Clean Your Own House First”
I know what you are thinking, “What an A–hole” and “At least he did say, “Let Them Eat Cake”.
Allow me to explain:
When the world feels like it is crashing down all around us, it is easy to get sucked into “BlackPilled Nihilisic Doomer” type of Mentality. There are no shortage of people that will be pushing a “The End is Near” type of philosophy, and there are Plenty of Conspiracy theories. So what do we do?“Clean Your Own House First”
We start by improving the things that we can control, and focusing on the things that are going well.
For example:
*You can still exercise without going to the gym
*You can learn to cook better food at home, and try new recipes from the interweb
*You can stay in touch via Phone, text, or tons of various messaging platforms
*Lets be honest, sometimes it is nice to not have to drive 21hrs round trip to do family Christmas
*Lets be honest, sometimes it is nice to not have to drive 21hrs round trip to do family Christmas
“Clean Your Own House First”
This starts with making sure your house is as clean and as tidy as it can be; and your bed made (
seriously). If your house is in order, your stress levels are lower; having to stay inside won’t feel like such a terrible thing.This also means establishing a new routine. Humans are pattern seeking creatures, a certain level of predictability gives us comfort. Build a “Schedule” or “Action for yourself” with a few items you will hit everyday no matter what; as an example:
First thing upon waking do 15-45min of exercise.
It doesn’t matter if it is: Kettlebells, Resistance Bands, AGRO Rope, Taking the Pooch for a Walk, Jumping Jacks, Stairs, Step-ups, Push-ups, Pull-ups, Burpees, DRAGO v1, etc. Do Something. This has the effect improving your health, your mood, as well as shaking off the brain fog in the morning.Next is we need to find some type of passion project. This is something you do for you because you love it, you would pay to do it if you need to.
It can be anything: working on a cookbook, scrapbooking, writing a novel or short stories, building model trains, poetry, whipmaking, basket weaving, etc. no ones passion project is any better than anyone else’s. Pick something that excites you, and will leave you with a sense of accomplishment. Spend one hour per day on something you love.Spend one hour on self-development.
This can be Learning a new language, working on an online course, a business plan, research project, etc. pick something that will make you better and more employable when the rebound happens. Spend 15-45min in the early evening doing some type of physical activity; any of the previously listed will be fine, you may also want to do some YouTube yoga, etc. This allow you to blow off some steam from the day, and will help you sleep better. In addition to improving mental and physical health. The last thing you will do, is spend time Cleaning Your Own House: Beds made, pillows fluffed, laundry done, dishes washed, floors vacuumed, mirrors spotless, and toilets cleaned. This is important not only so you don’t die of the Plague, but also because we end the day with restoring order to our lives.Now is the time to be your Best Self… for you, and as an example for others.
“Clean Your Own House First”
A Bit Of The Origin Story
The Monks & Mavericks Ep 10 : The Sharp & The Dirty End of The Stick; Covid Questions w/Sean Taylor
http://https://youtu.be/Ud3fWqZkSa8
Sean Taylor is a Currently a Registered Nurse Working in British Columbia, Canada, a former PysOps Operative, and a Member of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC)
https://www.peoplespartyofcanada.ca/
This Episode delves into the conspiracy theory Rabbit Hole, Coping with Confirmation Bias, and The Basics of What “Psychological Operations” Are.
Who do you want to hear from next? Or do you have something you want to get into?
Leave a Comment Below, and or reach out to us directly
Find Sean Taylor at: https://twitter.com/seantaylorppc/
Also Mentioned: Grizzly Patriot
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFOzeW9pRibydp0mWq7EtEQ
Enter The Lore of The Afghan Lor / Lohar
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The Lor sometimes Romanized as Lohar is a very unique design we stumbled across a little while back.
The word Lor (Lohar) can sometime mean a Tinkerer or Blacksmith. In this case we will be discussing The Lor as a tool.
The Lor is a a traditional Farming tool carried by the Tribesman near the Khyber Pass (Afghan-Pakistan Border). It looks very like The Japanese Kama or Tomahawk sized Scythe or Sickle. Though Similar designs have existed in India.
There are two Main Types of The Lor: a Fixed Blade version and the much more interesting Folding version. Every Tribesman must to make his own, decorating, and stylizing it to their own liking. With that said, the common material used to make The Lor are Carbon Steel, Brass, and a Bone Handle.
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.The Lor has a variety of speculated uses:
*Farming tool
*Assassin’s Weapon
*Status Symbol and Cultural Identifier of the Tribesman of Khyber Pass
*Pick-Axe to assist in climbing the steep unforgiving snow covered terrain of the region.
There is some truth in all of them.
The Tribesman of the Khyber Pass region used The Lor against the British. We haven’t been able to find much historical record of this.
Due to the Short Range of the The Lor, it wouldn’t have provided much benefit over a sword or spear. It’s Biggest advantage are conceal-ability, and Speed of Deployment for Ambush type of attacks (Once they have been worked in).
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It is one of the more interesting designs we have stumbled across in our travels. It has an Assassin’s Creed – Steam Punk sort Flavor to it.
If you want to own one of these unique pieces of history, we have a Limited number of them available:
*Please add a Free Shemagh on us*
Ranger Bands Ragnar Bands: What Are They and How Are They Used?
The Ragnar Bands are our take on “Ranger Bands”. Ranger Bands were originally made from Bicycle inner tubes cut to make rings.
Due to the stiffness of the rubber of the inner tube and the small size, the applications were somewhat limited, and they could be a bit difficult to use in some of the cases, but they worked “Good Enough”.
“Good Enough is the Enemy of The Best”
Upon special request from a RedTeam Member, we set out to design the best, most versatile and user friendly version of the Ranger Bands we could, and the Ragnar Bands were Born.
The Standard Specs of Ranger Bands are:
Length Folded: ~2” or 50mm
Width: ~1/2” or 12.5mm
Thickness: ~ .040” or 1mm
Material: Tire Inner Tube
*Please note there may be slight deviation from those specs*
The Specs for Ragnar Bands are:
Length Folded: ~4” or 10cm
Stretched Length: ~8” or 20cm @5lbs
Width: ~3/8” or 10mm
Thickness: ~ .060” or 1.5mm
Material: Resistance Band Grade Rubber
The Ragnar Bands were designed to look much like Regular Rubber Bands, but in Black, and they were sized to be able to be worn on the wrist, making them easily confused as cause bracelets.
The greater length makes them much easier to fit around larger objects, and they can be easily doubled up for securing smaller objects.
With the Ragnar Bands being 50% thicker, but only 20% narrower, there is 30% more cross-section than the commonly available Ranger Bands
The slightly thicker, higher grade rubber provides more Strength, Stretch, and Durability than the Original Design.
Ragnar Bands have a variety of uses:
*Tinder
*Hair Tie
*Strengthening the Extensors of the Hand
*Improving your Trigger Pull
*Mini Brujo Bands for Swollen Knuckles
*Taking the Rattle out of your kit
*Weapon Rention (Libre Style)
*HoodRatArts And Crafts: Launchers, Grips
*Keeping container lids closed
*Attachment of Gear to
*Etc. your Rig
Check Out the Video Demo Playlist:
Our Ragnar Bands aren’t an off the shelf Product. They were Purpose Built to our exacting specifications from the same High Grade materials as our Resistance Bands, and Brujo Bands.
Ragnar Bands are available exclusively through Delta 2 Alpha Design Inc, Get Yours Here
https://Delta2Alpha.com/shop/Ragnar-Bands-10-pack/
Learn How To Use a Kusari
Learning how to use flexible weapons and Flails (like the Kusari) can be difficult, and frustrating at first.
The Strength and the Weakness of the Kusari and other flexible weapons are that they will always follow through, and they are difficult to stop.
Below is a Seven Video Series we put together to get you started, and familiar with how a Kusari Moves, as well as how to move the Kusari around your body, your body around the Kusari, how to flow through your strikes, and the basics of chaining it all together.
This Just lays out the basics, and is be no means a complete list of what you can do with a Kusari.
**The Last video in the Playlist shows how to make a Trainer**
HoodRat Arts and Crafts How To Make a Manriki Kusari Fundo Trainer
HoodRat Arts and Crafts:
How to make a Trainer for your Manriki Kusari some time also know as a Kusari Fundo.
As anyone that has played with a pair of Nunchucks (after watching “Enter The Dragon” or TMNT) can attest to; You will hit yourself… a lot… and in the face. When I was learning, I definitely didn’t hit myself behind the ear, and I definitely didn’t see stars from it… Nope, Sure didn’t
My Brother Ruelas Tool (IG link Below) has started to experiment and popularize the idea of a Kusari with Metal weight as an EDC option. In the Video Below we show how to easily make a training version of the Kursari.
Check Out:
https://www.instagram.com/ruelastools/
and
https://www.instagram.com/delta2alphadesign/
http://https://youtu.be/EolXYjWdv5I
******Flexible Weapons can be a bit tricky in the beginning. Let us know if you want to see a few drills and techniques to help get you started.******