Wish-Lust: Dwyer Custom Goods knives

I had a good opportunity come my way in regards to some news to share with you all. 
I just got a bundle of pictures and data from a press release from the knifemaking powerhouse of  Dwyer Custom Goods.

Dwyer Custom Goods will be represented at SHOT Show 2016 next week, so it's a perfect time to get to know a very fancy maker.


In particular DCG would like to invite members of the media and discerning custom knife aficionados to come and visit with the "better half" of the Dwyer Custom Goods custom team: Sheila Anders-Stronegger (or as you might better understand: Dwyer Household-6 Actual). 

Mrs. Dwyer began her knife apprenticeship with Duane Dwyer, Mick Strider and other notables in the custom knife making community in 2009 after a career as a model and on television. In 2013 she began building her blades on her own and is now releasing a number of her own designs.

Sheila's knives are all built by hand, from the profiling to the grind. All are smaller than other Dwyer Custom and Strider Knives, and while suitable for a male to carry and fight with, they have an undeniably feminine influence. Her focus is predominantly on the small and concealable.

“I build knives to be beautiful,” says Sheila, whose favourite steels to work with are Damascus and SM-100, “but nasty and dangerous too…a concealable, hard use, capable tool.” I couldn't agree more. As you may have gathered, I much prefer a small quick blade over a big blade, unless I then progress to short swords.

Mrs. Dwyer is passionate about building knives, particularly with regard learning from the artisans around her.

“I started by doing grunt jobs at the shop,” she says. “I’ve done blasting and polishing, the surface grinder and every other machine in the place. That’s how you get there, you start at the ground level and evolve. I love looking at true craftsmanship. I love to learn from other knife makers; how to improve a lock or a way to perfect a finish technique. It brings me joy to learn.”

As you can see, although the learning continues – as it should with any artisan – Mrs. Dwyer’s knives are meticulously crafted and worthy of bearing the DCG name.

Dwyer Custom Goods will be collocated with the Strider Knife booth at the show, though the Dwyers and their staff will frequently be roaming the floor visiting other knife makers and catching up with friends and acquaintances in the industry.

For more  information, or to make an appointment to speak with Mrs. Dwyer, e-mail Dwyer Custom Goods at DDCustomGoods@live.com as her blades are certainly both elegant and deadly looking. Artisinal metalwork just took a step up.

I've gutted to miss yet another US SHOT Show, but have a bunch of friends who are on their way, so look forwards to a detailed brief.

Events: 700,000 page views!

I had a bit of a milestone event, in that I've clocked over 700,000 page views, according to Blogger's analytics, with my daily stats having picked back up again, whilst I haven't been able to post as much for a variety of reasons in the last few months.

So here's where we are, I've done 563 posts, with 10 drafts in progress, 343 published comments (some are spam, I've been lax in deleting those) , I cross post on my Facebook Page, my Twitter, on Pintrest as well as Google+, and even Instagram, so follow my all over the place.

I also opened Tactical Coyote, my web-store.

Writing more and more (upwards of four times a month) for Breach Bang & Clear has been a great lift for me, there are some really good folks over there, I respect them a lot, they tolerate me and my lack of uniformed history, and I don't make fun of the cowboy hats and hoo-ah cold-dead-hands talk.

I think 2016 is going to be a really good year, lets see what we can see, and how prepared we can get for whatever is coming our way.

Review: ZU Bladeworx - Floro Fighting Systems Knife

As first seen on Breach Bang & Clear....

One of my good friends let me know, ll beaming smiles and swagger, that he had landed a beauty of a knife, in the ZU Bladeworx Floro Fighting Systems Knife, and was kind enough to lend it, and its accompanying trainer, for me to put together a review. Now, I'm a firm believer in having the right tool for the job, and also in having a fine, rugged and dependable blade to hand when the need arises. As it turns out, I had already been eyeing off one of the other ZU Bladeworx knives, so this was an excellent opportunity.

The Floro Fighting Systems is a system of edged weapon combat and defence that is reported to be not only simple to learn, but one of the most effective systems of self defence available today. I've not had the pleasure to attend any of their training, but the friend of mine who lent me the blade suggests they are fully legitimate.

Billed as efficient, direct and immediate, FFS is one of the very few styles that is still based on the blade, and is used by civilians and members of the military, and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Reported to have over 30 years of experience, Floro has instructed internationally: US Special Forces, Korean Special Forces, various SWAT teams, and the New Zealand Police and nationally members of the Australian Federal Police and Military have individually sought private instruction. So, it seems the FFSK comes from a pretty grounded fighting system, so you'd expect their blade to back that up.

The blade itself is a karambit style knife, blended with a far straighter blade shape than those of the 5.11 Tactical Tarani CUB or the HHA-LFK01 far more like the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife.
The FFSK is 235mm (9.25") long, 100mm (4.5") of which is double edged, hollow ground blade. The blade comes to a very severe point. A deep fuller ground into the middle of the blade lends rigidity as well as dropping the weight.  Be very aware of the legal ramifications of your knife ownership and carry ramifications.

The 10mm (0.4") thick blade is cut from a single billet of A2 steel which has been double tempered and cryo treated to a RC58 hardness. The blade itself has been ground down to be 6.5mm (0.25") thick and a couple of holes have been drilled in the handle both to reduce weight and to add lashing cords should they be desired. It weighs in at around 200g (7oz) which is (33% lighter than the other ZU knives, the Punisher and 14% lighter than the Ghost), so it's a lean, mean fighting machine, Cerakoted in sniper gray.

The large ring at the butt end of the knife, in keeping with traditional karambit design generally being for the index finger to fit through. This can be used not only to retain the knife, but also as an impact weapon, to add force to a punch or as a hammering attack.

I was told that the Floro fighting system has a lot of punching style strikes, which seems to fit nicely with the traditional butt-ring acting as a knuckle duster, and the forwards sweep of the blade presents the edges for slashing or stabbing strikes nicely.

The blade comes with a kydex sheath which includes a clipping belt loop, and offers a snug fit for the bade, and is adjustable for left or right hand draws, it is set up to wear horizontally.

This is the official knife of the Ray Floro Fighting Systems syllabus and ships frighteningly sharp, sharpened in-house by "Dirty Harry", with the blade being designed and built in Australia. Even though I am unfamiliar with this kind of knife style the blade is very nicely balanced in the hand, and certainly feels like something you don't want to mess with. I can't say I like the cant of the blade, personally, but I can certainly see the intent behind it.

One other thing that I was both surprised and concerned about was that the accompanying trainer is really quite sharp. The Benchmade SOCB CQB trainer was weighted exactly the way the live-edge blade was made, but was fully blunted for some pretty serious full-speed stabbing and slashing action. The ZU trainer only weighs 60g, made of anodised aluminium but is every bit as pointy as the live-edge blade. I wouldn't want to do any training with this any faster than I would with the live blade.  I'll leave that to Grand Masters and Jedi alike.

That all said, this is a fine knife and it certainly appears to be very purposefully designed, bearing the ZU Bladeworx "sterile" appearance and no-frills rugged design. If you're likely to be using a Filipino inspired style of knife combat, you might well be interested in this blade.

Review: SpiffyLab - Tactical Marker

I back a lot of Kickstarter projects, and sometimes they're just on a whim. I have plenty of tactical pens, I like the metal body construction, and the durability that comes with that, not to mention the ability to increase the tool-bearing nature of an every day item like the common pen, so when the chance to get a tactical pen that is built around a Sharpie permanent marker, I jumped at it.

The Tactical Marker upgrades the Sharpie refill from a simple writing implement into a rugged multi-function writing tool, making it a value-added item for camping, work or using as part of your EDC.

As well as the casing for the Sharpie Refill pen, the Tactical Marker includes 3 tool tips machined from  7075 alloy different to the more lightweight but durable 6061 alloy the barrel is made from. The cap and tip tools are made from super tough 7075 alloy (7075 is even used in the M16 series of rifles), which is useful, given the intended uses.

The smaller "Tapper" is fine great for little tasks such as dislodging items, or tack-driving and other small tasks. The "Hammer" is especially handy when you want to leave the house without dragging your tool box along. Neither are especially weighty, and won't effectively drive nails into timber, but for breaking small things, and dislodging items, defrosting a freezer or the like. If you need a proper hammer, get a proper hammer.

The “Spike" end works for punching leather, plastic and sheet metal or using as an awl, breaking hard ground, breaking and gripping ice, boating, prying, rope work and the like. Even being a hard-wearing alloy, the 7075 is still just aluminium however, and the end will bur and bend under hard use.  Again, if you intend to do hard punching work, get a hardened steel tool.

Without the cap, it measures about 145mm (5.75") in the standard configuration and about 165mm (6.5") with cap in the standard configuration. The "Spike" adds and is about 2.30" making the tool a fairly sizable 215mm (8.5") long. The “Hammer” end puts it at around 195mm (7.75") long. The TM weighs in at about  60g, for the "Tapper" 70g, for the "Spike" and 80g for the "Hammer". 80g isn't much for a hammer, but it's not bad for a tactical pen.
 
The Tactical Marker pen cap attaches with a screw cap requires two hands, but holds very tightly, with o-rings at both cap and tool ends, to ensure the ends stay snug, without putting undue strain on he threads. One problem I had with the tool is that the tool-ends and pen-cap ends are not interchangeable, and their threads are not compatible. It would have been nice if the cap and tool could have been combined into a smaller tool.

The Tactical Marker is also available in 'non-sparking’ Aluminum-Bronze, for use in high risk work environments, which is a nice thought, as well as a carbon-fiber barrel option, for extra fancy flair. I mostly got this tool to help with rope-work and rough and ready hole-punching in sacks and hags and the like when camping, but it's a well thought out tool for what it is. Good for hobby-use and workshop tasks when a light touch is needed. 

Review: Go! Outfitters - Apex Camping Shelter

Here's an addition to my camping hammock collection that I really wanted to get out to you ASAP, as it was a pre-release and is being launched via Kickstarter imminently. You may recall the Go! Outfitters camping hammock that I backed and covered not too long ago, as an addition to my hammock suite, which was a fully enclosed two part hammock, with an asymmetrical cut, to allow a flatter, more comfortable sling.

The enclosing flyscreen made it an ideal hot-weather outdoors hammock, and its built in ridgeline made it fairly easy to sling a waterproof tarp, or a poncho over to add some protection from the weather if needed, but Jason and the folks behind Go! Outfitters
already had something in mind, and that has come to fruition with the Apex Camping Shelter.

Less involved than the Seirra Madre Research Nube, the Apex is essentially a stand alone, purpose built shelter tarp, designed to be used in conjunction with the Go! Hammock, but equally suitable for any hammock, or even on its own.
The Apex is made from 70D polyester with PU (polyurethane)  waterproofing, in a elongated hexagon shape, much like an animal hide, and measures 335cm (11') along the ridgeline, and 290cm (9.5') wide. This makes it both long enough to enclose the G0! Hammock, but also wide enough to drape down around it, with a sizable leeway given at the top to stand up in, giving you ease of entry and exit to the hammock.

The ridgeline seam is factory sealed with tape for additional protection not only from the weather, but also taking the strain of keeping the Apex taut as well as reducing sag or bowing.


The Apex comes with a set of 6 stakes, and 8 guy-lines for both attaching to the tree you are hammocking from, but also to stake down the sides of the tarp. It comes with 6x 240cm (8') guy-lines and 2x 455cm (15') guy-lines, which really adds versatility to your set-up. The supplied lines are from a pretty common kind of nylon cord, not my favorite, but water-resistant and light.

Along the perimeter, 20 tie-out loops have been sewn in, for maximum versatility in the way and stability of the layout, given the situation you set up in. Each tie-in loop is affixed with a large triangle of sewn in reinforcement, which was an excellent consideration. As well as the ridgeline and corner points, the edges featured an additional 3 loops per side, whilst the ground-facing long edge of the Apex has a single extra. The side loops are likely to play host to a rumored Door Kit (watch this space), and the long edge loop can be set up with additional poles to add an even roomier, canopy-like interior.

The whole Apex kit comes in its own stuff-sack, which I was sad to see wasn't sewn into the body of the tarp, which would have matched the elegant solution the Go! Hammock had, but I can see why it wasn't. Doing so would leave a sag at which ever edge it was sewn to. An engineering problem for the next version perhaps! All told, it weighs around 800g (28oz) with 225g (8oz) being guy-lines and stakes and
565g (20oz) for the tarp itself.

The Apex Camping Shelter will be coming in Forest Green and Slate Grey and really rounds out a camping hammock kit, without adding significant bulk or weight to the mix. It was super simple to set up and pack-down, and I think it will be coming with me whenever I go camping and even out on long hikes. Staying out of the weather can not only be comfortable, but in some settings, really conducive to your survival.

Check it out when it goes live on Kickstarter!

Wish-Lust - Green Magic Homes

It's been a while since I've covered housing and house design, but I've recently seen a couple of really interesting design platforms and I wanted to share with you all one of the standouts.

These are the modular pre-fabricated homes, that are sod-roofed that are offered by Green Magic Homes. 
This US run, Mexico based production company offers both design and production of homes built with prefabricated fiber re-enforced polymer modules.  Green Magic Homes are light weight, waterproof, mold resistant, impervious to rot and infestations, and offer infinite design possibilities. Flexible and durable, the structure will reportedly last hundreds of years with minimal maintenance.

These elegant arched structures are made of fiber reinforced polymer modular components which are durable, flexible and waterproof. With seemingly endless design possibilities, these structures can be assembled quickly and easily, with minimal cost to create a gracious living environment in harmony with nature. GreenMagicHomes offer 12 different pre-made designs to give an idea of what their whole-home builds can look like.

Green Magic Homes are quick and easy to assemble. Each component has perforated flaps that screw and seal together and are anchored to the foundation, which allows for fast installation and solid construction. No special skills or heavy equipment are required for assembly, just scaffolding.  All the seams are sealed to maintain waterproofing.

In general, they are designed to withstand the weight of 20cm (7.8") of soil and plants in the highest point of the structure, which is the most critical. Additionally, they are also designed to support 200kg or more per square meter  (1.4 psi) of live load, i.e., there may be people walking or sitting on them, as well as light structures such as kiosks or pergolas. 

The earth berms on the sides of the structures and on the roof are structured in such a way that they actually collaborate with the stability and strength of the finished structure, instead of being a dead load. The technology used in these earthworks is an evolution of various methods of earth construction and stabilization such as superadobe and geotextiles, designed for the living earth and vegetation covering of the GMH system. Composite ducts and channels for electrical wiring and water pipes as well as mechanical ventilation ducts, can be added to the shell at any point necessary.


Green Magic Homes are super insulated with a high stabilization index, are virtually earthquake proof, deflect tornadoes, offer maximum resistance against hurricanes and provides UV radiation protection. Having a layer of soil over the top of them not only gives you stability, and cover, but the arched shape leaves nothing for high winds to catch on, if you are in storm prone areas.


The system is designed and calculated structurally by GMH's engineers, reportedly using the latest spreadsheet software and simulation software, in compliance with national and international standards and the IBC, or international building code. Logically, these calculations are additionally supported by actual tests of materials and structures already completed.

Other than the ducted channels for wiring, A/C and piping, any additional fixing or fastening internally brings a challenge that regular plaster, timber or even stone houses don't face. Putting a screw or nail into the walls punctures the shell and creates a breach in the waterproofing of the structure. Fastening elements, fixed to the walls with special adhesives, such as two part epoxy and in some cases adhesive polyurethane sealants like those used for sealing the modules can be used for this purpose instead.


In the case of very heavy elements that have a strong leverage effect that may exceed the capacity of an adhesive (such as in the case of a projecting arm for a 50" TV), it will be necessary to fix this item before covering the walls with earth, in order to put through-bolts that then can be sealed from the outside according to instructions.

Small diameter ventilation ducts with or without extraction fans can be installed in most areas as long as they are specified in the initial design so that they can be incorporated into the production of the modules, they really do offer a holistic approach to  home building. 

You can also use the areas where there are unused electrical ducts for securing screws, since these pipelines form a double layer that prevents the formation of any possible leaks.

 The typical foundation system, applicable in most of cases, is a simple reinforced concrete beam 30 x 30cm in section, that goes under all the modules and which also serves to anchor them. However, GMH recommend that a soil study is important (as for any construction), to determine the soil’s load bearing capacity and other characteristics which may affect the foundations.


Whilst more of a Tatooine House than a Vault-Tec bunker this design and modular functionality really appeals to me, and if I were to ever be in a position to build and deign my own home, I would strongly consider something like the Green Magic Homes, for the buried in features, and Hobbit-like aesthetic, if nothing else.

Review: ZU Bladeworx - Mekanik

I got in touch with the fine and fierce minds at ZU Bladeworx, who are based in Rouse Hill, NSW, after seeing some of their handywork on one of the groups I frequent on FaceBook, and was delighted after making introductions and inquiries after one of their fine blades to be sent this particular piece, right before Giftmas.

These pretty-much local bladesmiths have a very straightforward approach when it comes to making stabby steel: make it simple, make it elegant and this they have done in this piece, the Mekanik.

Being 100% made in Australia, and  machined from a solid billet of 15mm thick A2 steel (very similar to another tool-steel, cryodur 2363 is the steel from Germany). The handle is 9mm thick (0.35")  and the blade is 6.5mm thick (0.25") and weighs a meaty 110g (3.9oz) for its mere 174mm (6 7/8") length. 

Given its A2 construction, its no surprise that it has a skeletonised handle, and an additional pair of holes drilled to keep the weight down, as well as fullers ground into the sides of the blade as well as along the spine.
 Double tempered then cryonically treatment to a Rc58-59 hardness, it has been black oxide finished and shipped "sterile" (no blade markings)  to keep a spartan presentation. 

The Kydex sheath is done in house  and fits like a glove. plenty of attachment grommets and with the addition of the paracord lanyard, it can be easily drawn even though the scabbard comes up along deeply up the handle.

Jimping along the back and front and butt of the handle gives a really solid grip, in even some mango and/or fish slime covered tasks. The front finger groove allows you to take a very firm and stable grip. The edges are all smoothly finished, keeping you from giving yourself a grazing when making sudden, vigorous use of the knife.

One of the things I really liked about the design was the gradient between blade and handle, working down from a nicely wide grip, to a serious, no-nonsense 65mm long blade. 


Sharpened by "Dirty Harry", the blade is a compound grind with deep fullers. The main edge of the blade is machine hollowground with flat grind tip. the A2 steel holds a good edge and will be one of my first attempts at old-fashioned stropping for a razor finish.

When gripped neatly in the hand, the butt fits just outside the heel of my palm, and I have had not a worry with my hand sliding forwards whilst cutting, slicing or stabbing with it. 

ZU reports that the Mekanik is in use with several deployed Aussie soldiers (infantry and SF) via private purchase, so if you're deployed out somewhere unpleasant, keep an eye out for it on a steely-eyed digger with or without a beard. I'm really impressed with it and fancy it a keeper, either for plate-carrier or battle-belt wear. The broad flat scabbard makes it a bit too awkward for boot-wear, but don't let that stop you.