MacGyver

OOOOOHHHHH! +1 I'll get the ice pack ready.

See if it will run with a .22LR upper. If it's reliable with rimfire, I'm probably going to be out $300.

Nice shorty. You going to suppress it?

That's an interesting perspective, Lester. You know, I think that sometimes we all just buy into the assumption that globalization is just going to happen, when in fact there may be some other models that emerge. Certainly some globalization is going to happen. Fast planes and the internet make that inevitable. But, I think in the next 20 years we are going to see our use patterns evolve drastically. We simply aren't going to be able to afford to continue our consumption at currentl levels. In fact, I think we may actually see some contraction in our communities as opposed to global expansion. As we reach the end of cheap oil, and other emerging markets consume more, I think we'll see more New Urbanist type communities where people spend time in their communities as opposed to the suburban model that most of America has today. Here's a really interesting article from Wired a couple of months ago. It highlights an emerging trend of bringing manufacturing back to the US. As it turns out, shipping costs are really high, product lead times are really long, and quality is mediocre unless you're someone like Apple or Toshiba and can command attention. A lot of small and midsized companies are bringing their manufacturing back home. Made in America: Small Businesses Buck the Offshoring Trend | Magazine This is one of those interesting things like happened in the publishing industry a couple of years ago where a long existing model (printed media) was almost killed off entirely by something that hadn't even fully evolved yet (digital publishing/online media). We may see something similar at the global level. One of the interesting things to me is just how dependent the Chinese economy is on American buying junk. When we quit buying, their factories go out of business. Of course, these are all just thoughts to stimulate discussion. Nonetheless, I'm going to be paying attention as we move forward.

Mac, PM me your address and I'll forward it to you next.

I pocket carry a J-frame everyday. I've at times in the past, and still from time-to-time pocket carry a LCP, a NAA mini revolver, a P238 and a MicroEagle. My reason for carrying my J-frame is that for me, the same criteria exist for pocket carry as they do if I'm carrying on my belt. That is: 1. I need to be able to get a full firing grip on my weapon in my pocket in the holster. 2. I must not have to readjust my firing grip upon drawing the weapon from my pocket. This is why I seldom carry the LCP anymore. 3. I need to feel comfortable with the whole system - pants, holster, weapon to feel comfortable carrying a round chambered. Because I'm not comfortable carrying in Condition Three. 4. I need to be able to present the weapon and put two shots into the thoracic triange within two seconds. 5. I need to be able to at least the weapon with my other hand. As you learn in defensive pistol classes, this is tricky, even on your belt. That said, I'm willing to accept some compromise here, but having the gun out of the fight because I can't access it with my other hand isn't an option. When I mentioned grappling earlier, I recognize that may have a different connotation within the martial arts world. Historical annecdotes show that a large number of self defense shoots have taken place at contact distance. That is, within an arms length. If my attacker has a gun on me and I decide to draw, I'm likely going to be striking/grabbing that weapon to get the muzzle off of me. If someone(s) jump me and are beating me to death, I'm likely going to have at least one arm engaged in my defense or counterattacking. Everyone has to be comfortable with their own condition of carry. I'm just not sure I see the difference between carrying in my pocket in a good holster and carrying on my belt. The muzzle is pointed in the same direction.

Do you carry in a holster? What happens if you're grappling with an attacker? I understand the hesitation many people have with carrying one in the chamber, but for me having it in my pocket isn't really that much different than having it on my belt, or inside my waistband. A good holster that fully covers the trigger guard is very important, but I can think of a whole lot of self defense scenarios where I won't have use of my other arm to rack the slide.

You know what, send it my way. I love my 0300, but it might be nice to try something a little smaller.

Awesome idea, Steve! I have no doubt that anyone who tries this blade will be duly impressed. It's tough to find a better $100 knife.

You have to use "bottom line thinking" to an extent. A business that doesn't make money goes out of business. That's the difference between a business and our government. The problem with "bottom line thinking" as it's practiced in so many companies today is that it only looks at one side of the equation. It focuses solely on "cutting costs" while so many accountants and managers don't understand that you can also "add value". Being able to cut costs is an essential skill. We need it to be efficient. But, cutting costs alone will not make you a leader.

You're correct, Nate. We do manufacture a lot here in the US, with a lot less manpower than it required historically. Any solution to the problem has to account for the fact that when you've got a CEO of a public company trying to make money for their shareholders - essentially walking a tightrope over a pool of angry sharks, capital is going to flow to where it's cheapest, whether that's Bangalore or Greenville, SC. You've got to respect CEOs who realize the difference between short term tricks to make quarterly numbers and those who deliver value over the long term.

You know, back when I was on the Enron Task Force, we fired all their oil traders. Really, all of their traders. The thing is, they didn't just go away. They got jobs other places doing the same thing. Only, they took what they learned at Enron and learned from their mistakes.

Here's an interesting series of articles by Steve Denning at Forbes of all places: The premise of the articles is that we've lost a lot of our manufacturing base by focusing on cost accounting, which as implemented in most companies constantly tries to drive down costs. As we've transferred manufacturing skills overseas, a lot of knowledge transfer has taken place as well. And, since the engineers aren't working daily with production anymore, they quit innovating. Thus, once a skill is lost, it's really hard to get back. This guy basically says that management has failed by only looking at "cutting costs" and neglecting "adding value". He makes a convincing point. Since loss of "US jobs" is a major concern, I'd love to have a discussion on ways to approach this problem. Basically the thinking that got us here, won't get us out of here. Here are the articles: Why Amazon Can't Make A Kindle In the USA - Forbes Does It Really Matter That Amazon Can't Manufacture A Kindle In the USA? - Forbes Amazon & Kindle Part 3: It's Not Just Manufacturing! - Forbes Amazon & Kindle Part 4: Some Good News (Finally)! - Forbes I would ask that anyone who wants to comment in the thread read the articles before commenting. Basically, this is to try to avoid the jingoistic commentary that seem to be voiced whenever this issue is discussed. That's not helping get us out of this problem we find ourselves in.

Yeah, if you value anything south of there, sheathes are important.

There's not one, yet. A lot of folks are worried about the power struggle that happens next. WSJ this morning reported some steps the rebels are taking to help ensure the transition is peaceful.

I think I only met him one time, despite being in that shop multiple times a week for many years. Of course as a 14 year-old kid, boy scout, etc... I was fascinated by the concept of a neck knife. I think that is what made me remember him, out of all the really cool people who visited that shop over the years. Also by just watching someone turn a piece of metal into a functional blade, I think he's probably responsible for my custom knife fascination to this day. Thinking back on it, what really stands out to me now is how one person can make such a difference in a kid's life without doing much more than just providing the opportunity to learn. In reality, I was really just there with my dad who was hanging out with some other Vietnam vets who were all probably watching out for each other a little bit. Nonetheless, his friend really gave me a place to explore and learn for myself. If I think back to it now, the thing I remember most clearly is that he was completely willing to let me either completely screw something up or figure it out for myself before offering to show me the "right" way to do a task. That guy taught me everything I know about blacksmithing and working metal by hand, yet I know that he would say that what he did was completely insignificant, and he was just passing on some knowledge.

Let's hope someone will still take him. There was some question yesterday as to whether or not he was still in Tripoli, but his list of possible exile points has certainly shrunk in the last 4 months. I guess the Saudis would probably still take him. Idi Amin's old place is open, I suppose.

Mac, I need to see if I can get some pics of an old Blackie Collins necker from probably 25 years ago. I grew up hanging out in a brass foundry that one of my dad's friends owned and ran. He was good friends with Blackie, and they bartered a lot of work over the years. My dad's friend did some brass work for him, and Blackie made him a couple of one-of-a-kind knives. Oddly enough, one of them was a neck knife almost identical to your Myerco find above. I may have to pick one up just for nostalgia's sake.

I love it when you can tell who designed a knife just by looking at it. That thing screams Blackie Collins.

Welcome to TGO, Scott.

I'm with you here. Skills and physical goods are what would determine survivors. Cigarettes and toilet paper will be worth more than all your gold or silver. Not to mention the immediate worth of food as a calorie source. The gold people have always made me laugh a bit. Everybody rightfully bad mouthes fiat currencies, but gold is really kind of a 4,000 year old fiat currency. It's only worth what someone(s) decides it's worth. In a TEOTWAWKI scenario, I don't know that a soft, albeit corrosion resistant heavy metal is going to really be worth much. It's certainly unlikely to help me stay alive. "Currency" will be decided by the strongest survivors who stick around. I wouldn't bet on gold. The T-Bill situation is interesting. It's essentially the global pool of money weighing in and saying that they don't see a recovery happening anytime soon. Why it's so tough for the Fed's to see (or why they're being deceived and thus deceiving the public while the economy is being pillaged) is the interesting question.

If you do head up to REI, it's probably worth calling to see which Benchmade models they have in stock. It seems to vary literally from week to week. I've got no idea how their inventory system works.

We SOOOO need a good stocking knife dealer here in Middle Tennessee.

Regal Entertainment Group is a Knoxville based company. While I expect their insurance dictates their position on weapons, their counsel has been suprisingly conciliatory on a couple of other issues people have complained about over the years. It might be worth a few people writing letters not to protest their "non-legal signage", but to question their rationale behind the issue.

Try to actually put your hands on one of Benchmade's lightweight offerings before you buy if you can, Dave. I know REI up here in Nashville stocks a couple. While I really like the shape of the knife, I think Benchmade has gone to far in "lightening up" some of their offerings. I've handled several of them and my first impression was that the blade felt kind of flimsy. They've got a couple of designs I'd really like to own, buy I've talked myself out of them upon handling them. They're probably just fine for light everyday tasks, but I can't guarantee my knives that usage or that duty cycle. That said, I really like Benchmade's new Triage 915. It's the first offering from them in a while that I've really been excited about.