Schenk Knives at BLADE Show

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Randall

Schenk KnivesOne of the first booths I happened upon at BLADE Show 2015 was being shared by Fox Knives with a fledgling company, Schenk Knives.  Zane Schenk, CEO, designer, maker, and all around nice guy showed me their Made in Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA products.  He said he likes to think they manufacture custom knives, affordable to the general public.

Schenk uses three main steels in their full-tang fixed blade creations:  51200 bearing steel, Bohler-Uddenholm ELMAX, and lightning strike damascus, which is a blend of 1095 and 15N20.  Schenk knife models can be had in any of the three, partnered with a stonewashed, Cerakote, or combination Cerakote-satin finish, as in the knife above.  The lightning strike damascus has a clear Cerakote to Continue reading →

Posted in Knives | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Pohl Force Mike Three and Four Outdoor Folders

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Randall

Pohl Force Mike 3 and 4Dietmar Pohl has been designing knives for over a decade and a half.  He is a recognized expert in tactical knives for military and law enforcement uses and has written acclaimed books on the subject.  The knife company he founded, Pohl Force, featured two new folders at BLADE Show 2015.  These were the Mike Three and Four Outdoors.

Pohl Force’s EOD (Euro Ops Division) partnered with Italy’s Lionsteel to produce these robust knives.  The Mike Three and Four are modified versions of Pohl Force’s popular Mike One and Two.  The production of the Three and Four dialed back some of the more expensive manufacturing components and processes to bring the pricepoints down, but still maintain the quality and durability of the new Mikes.

The Mike Three and Four forgo the titanium/G10 handle in favor of hard-coated, 3D machined aluminum over a steel insert framelock.  The result gets us the same tight Continue reading →

Posted in Knives, Off Duty, Street, SWAT | Tagged , | 2 Comments

BLADE Show 2015

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Randall
image

Through this portal passed steel junkies from all over the world.

I arrived home from BLADE Show 2015 last night.  My trip was on a nomad’s budget, so I drove up, spent one night, then drove right back.  I was able to attend the show floor on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.  It was rushed.  There were 300 booths and nearly 700 tables of good things to see.  Because of my abbreviated stay, I missed much, but I met some cool folks and saw some of the newest knives.  In the next few weeks, I will be posting articles on what I learned, so keep TBF dialed in.

Friday, I collected my Media Pass at Will Call and marched right into the show.  After several hours, I was bushed and ready for dinner, my annual trip to the Big Chow Grill for stir-fry.  On Saturday, the line to get in at 0900 hrs. snaked through the Cobb Galleria Center for a hundred yards.  I waited patiently until it died down twenty minutes later.  Once inside, I realized my pants pocket was devoid of its usual Continue reading →

Posted in Knives, Off Duty | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

New Hogue Automatic Retention Holster

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Randall

imageHogue, Inc. is introducing a new feature on their line of holsters.  It is called the Automatic Retention System.  The retention is released by the thumb during the drawing of the handgun.  When reinserted, the gun is passively locked in at the trigger guard.

This type of holster provides a positive hold on the firearm, but avoids a competitor’s perceived problem by having the release at the thumb and not a finger.  Not that I have a problem with the trigger finger release on the issued holster I have carried in plainclothes for eight years.  My patrol holster has a thumb release.

Read Hogue’s ARS press release here: Continue reading →

Posted in Firearms, Off Duty | 2 Comments

Murders Spike in Baltimore–Cause and Effect?

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Randall

imageThe number of murders in Baltimore during the month of May skyrocketed following the indictments of six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray.  Baltimore had 42 homicides in May 2015.  Of cities with comparable populations, Baltimore’s homicides top those of Boston, Denver, Las Vegas, Louisville, and Nashville–combined!  It is also eight more than in New York City, which has more than ten times the number of residents.

Since the indictments, arrests in Baltimore have dropped by 56% from the number of arrests in Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Politics | 1 Comment

Two Hialeah K9 Dogs Die in Vehicle

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Randall
Hialeah K9 Dogs

Hialeah Police K9’s Jimmy and Hector

This one really hurts.  A Hialeah Police K9 handler ended his shift Wednesday morning (after an OT search for a missing person), went into his Davie house, and left his two K9 partners in the vehicle.  By evening, both dogs had expired.  The officer was a seven-year handler and 13-year cop.  He was given both a Belgian Malinois and a bloodhound because he was a proficient handler.  How could this happen?

Apparently, when the handler went into his house, he turned off the engine of his assigned Ford SUV.  With the vehicle not running, his heat alarm supposedly went inactive.  I do not understand a system designed like this because every one I have had in my K9 cruisers still functioned with the engine off.  It is a back-up in case the engine stalls for a mechanical reason and the a/c goes out.

Most modern heat alarm systems trip at a pre-set high temperature, firing up the lightbar or an audible horn, dropping the rear windows, and activating a fan.  Some have pager options and door poppers, while others have a manual shut down routine that prompts Continue reading →

Posted in K9 | Tagged | 6 Comments

New Mil-Spec Monkey Boss Beaver Pack

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Randall

Mil-Spec Monkey had requests for a larger backpack following the popularity of his mid-sized MSM Adapt Pack.  The new Boss Beaver Pack combines a substantial main pack with an adjustable “beaver tail” pouch that can hold much larger, bulkier items.  The Monkey himself gives us a tour in the video.

There are times when I have had to lug my Kevlar pot along with other pieces of equipment in a backpack.  The Boss Beaver would have gotten that task done, then later converted back to a more reasonable EDC-style bag.  Much versatility was incorporated into this design, what with its ability to stow larger objets de guerre. Continue reading →

Posted in Off Duty, SWAT, Tactical Bags | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Memorial Day

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Randall

American-Flag-2048x1536-iPad-wallpaper_1It is Memorial Day.  My wife and I gave thanks at dinner tonight for all the servicemen and women who have given their lives for our freedom.  We hope we are honoring them with the way in which we live each day.  “Thank you” cannot not adequately convey our gratitude for the ultimate sacrifice.

Randall

Posted in Misc. | Leave a comment

Tourniquets for Police Patrol

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Randall
Tourniquets for Police Patrol

Author’s SOF-TT, SWAT-T, and C-A-T tourniquets.

There was an officer-involved shooting in the City of St. Petersburg last week.  In the exchange of gunfire, an officer was hit in the leg by a bullet from the suspect’s pistol.  Unfortunately, the officer’s Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T®) was in his cruiser.  He attempted to fashion a field-expedient tourniquet from a garden hose to help staunch the flow of blood.  I am glad to report that he survived.  The suspect did not.

This shooting caused SPPD to examine their issuance of the C-A-T tourniquet.  Some officers complained that the C-A-T is difficult to carry on a crowded gun belt.  SPPD Chief Tony Holloway, in turn, approved the purchase of the SWAT-Tourniquet, or SWAT-T, which is essentially a flat elastic band that folds into a very small package.  In St. Pete’s case, the SWAT-T’s will supplement the C-A-T’s that the officers are issued.

Currently, I have a C-A-T, a SWAT-T, and a third type, the SOF® Tactical Tourniquet.  The SOF@TT is a windlass style of tourniquet, which Continue reading →

Posted in Medical, Officer Down, Officer Safety, Street | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Omaha PD LODD

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Randall
image

Ofc. Kerrie Orozco

It was very, very sad to read that an Omaha, Neb. Police Department gang unit officer was shot to death today by a wanted fugitive.  Sadder still was that she was to start maternity leave tomorrow, as her daughter, born February 17, was due to come home from the N.I.C.U.  It is an unbelievably sorrowful situation.

Ofc. Kerrie Orozco, 29, had been with OPD for seven and a half years, three of which she was assigned to the gang unit.  The unit was serving an arrest warrant at about 1300 hrs. today when the armed suspect engaged the officers.  Both Ofc. Orozco and the suspect died from gunshot wounds.

Ofc. Orozco is survived by her husband, daughter, and two step-daughters.  OPD will announce funeral arrangements.  Prayers to Ofc. Orozco’s family and to OPD friends.

This tragic incident really captures modern day law enforcement’s sense of family and diversity as the personnel behind the badge have become more representative of all genders, races, and belief systems.  Is it any wonder we feel even more protective of each other as we try to survive our shifts?

by Randall

photo:  Omaha PD

Posted in Officer Down | Leave a comment

Miami Beach PD Cracks Down on Messaging

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Randall

imageFollowing a scandal involving 16 sworn officers over racist and sexist emails sent on city accounts, the Miami Beach Police Department has issued new policy requiring the recipients of any inappropriate emails, text messages, or social media postings to immediately report the communications to Internal Affairs.

Although a policy had been in place punishing the senders who distribute such banned content, the new directive is aimed at receivers who do not comply and notify IA.  The scale of the original violations of policy and professional conduct apparently resulted in the zero tolerance stance.

Former Maj. Angel Vazquez and former Capt. Alex Carulo were responsible for sending over 200 inflammatory emails to 14 other officers from 2010 to 2012.  Vazquez retired and Carulo was fired during multiple investigations.  Any of the other officers who forwarded Continue reading →

Posted in Legal, Media, Misc., Politics | Tagged | 1 Comment

Off Duty First Aid Necessities

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Randall

imageI was out on a hiking trail in California earlier in the day.  Yes, I am on vacation.  It occurred to me that there was something noticeably different about my fellow hikers and me.  Could it have to do with the large backpack that was absent on all but myself?  I had about six more miles to ponder this.

As law enforcement officers, we are trained in first responder medicine, which nowadays means we also learn about tactical combat casualty care or TCCC. When I was preparing for this trip of day-long hikes, I included medical gear.  Not just for myself and my spouse, but in the event we ran across anyone else who might need assistance out where there are unpaved trails and no cell coverage.

My department ran our annual in-service training last month.  It included several hours of practical TCCC. We had to put on tourniquets, Israeli bandages, and chest seals during both classroom and practical scenarios, among other things.  The training was instructed by one of our officers, who is a U.S. Army medic.  I thought it was a great learning experience.

So as I loaded for the vacation, I packed much in the way of self-rescue gear.  This included a nylon pouch with CAT tourniquet, Quik Clot combat gauze, dressings, bandages, a two-person first aid kit with small essentials, a flashlight, firestarter, whistle, lensatic compass, multitool, a few knives, an emergency poncho, and about thirty yards of 550 Continue reading →

Posted in Knives, Medical, Off Duty, Tactical Bags | 4 Comments

Elzetta Explains Flashlight Candela Vs. Lumens

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Randall

Elzetta Tactical Lighting’s Dave Barnett explains light measurement by candela in this video.  He contrasts that with the measurement of lumens, which is another term you will see when buying a tactical flashlight.  A little knowledge is power.

Dave is a solid guy and I have spoken to him many times at SHOT Show.  Their products have thoughtful design features.  We drove nails into a 2X4 with one of their Bravo models the first year I was at SHOT.  The flashlight still threw a perfect beam afterward and we were not the only ones to have beaten that particular sample! Continue reading →

Posted in Flashlights, Technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dershowitz on Baltimore–Not What You’d Think

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Randall

Baltimore RioterThe following analysis of the Baltimore police arrests was made by liberal Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz on Newsmax TV shortly after Baltimore State Attorney Marylin Mosby made her announcement to charge the six officers with murder in Freddie Gray’s death.

“I understand why the Mayor and State Attorney want to prevent riots, but that’s not the job of the justice system. You cannot allow police officers or any other defendants to become scapegoats for crowds demanding a continuation of rioting.

“There’s no plausible, hypothetical, conceivable case for murder under the facts that we now know them. You might say that conceivably there’s a case for manslaughter. Nobody wanted this guy to die, nobody set out to kill him, and nobody intentionally murdered him.

Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Politics | 3 Comments

Adaptive Tactical’s NON-LITE Trainer Flashlight

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Randall

imageAdaptive Tactical has forty years of experience in firearms accessory design and polymer engineering.  They have lines of box and rotary magazines for Mossberg shotguns, Ruger 10/22 barrels and stocks, and M4-style furniture for Mossberg and Remington shotguns.  Another product from Adaptive Tactical is their NON-LITE training aid.

The NON-LITE is, shall we say, reminiscent of the Streamlight TRL weapon-mounted flashlight, but in solid polymer with no innards.  It protects your flashlight by acting as its stand-in during training evolutions so you don’t ding up the real deal.  Adaptive Tactical describes it this way: Continue reading →

Posted in Flashlights, SWAT | Tagged , | Leave a comment