The great Nick Shabazz joins me for an all out recommendationathon.

VPD:

Me: SAK Rambler Custom, 40DD, MaxMadCo Bolt

Nick: Slysz Bowie

Recs:

$50

Nick: Kershaw Dividend and cellphone’s flash

Me: Skeletool KB and Eagletac D25AAA

$200

Nick: PM2/Delica/Sage 5 and Eagletac D25A or oLight S2R

Me: Dragonfly II in ZDP-189 and Surefire Titan Plus with Prometheus Clip

$600 (“The Sebenza Barrier”)

Nick: Slysz Bowie, D25A, and Leatherman Wave

Me: Dauntless Mk. 4 and HDS Rotary with clip

$1000

Nick: Shirogov Neon/Olamic Swish/Grimsmo Rask and HDS Rotary

Me: Steelcraft Mini Bodega and Torch Lab BOSS 35

$2000

Nick: Grimsmo Rask, HDS Rotary, Leatherman Charge TTi, and Citizen Perpetual Diver

Me: Rockstead Hizen and BOSS 35

Custom

Nick: Stan Wilson Flipperless Flipper and McGizmo Haiku

Me: Michael Walker Zipper Blade and Photon Fanatic Indian Princess

We’d both get a Roger W Smith watch and a Roland Iten belt buckle and mechanical shoe string tips.

Podcast: Download

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Grayson, Ben, and Mike all have helped out the site and podcast in one way or another for years.  They also have a burning interest in chatting about gear and have done so for years.  Now, they are running their own podcast, GGL After Hours.  It will air regularly or as regularly as they can make it and I can edit it.  Think of it as Skinemax of Gear.  Actually, don’t.  There is no Shannon Tweed content.  Clancy Brown content, but no Shannon Tweed.  Also, these opinions are theirs not mine.  Email them with comments, questions, and complaints.

Here are the excellent show notes from the AH crew:

Grayson Parker – @g.r.parker (Instagram), @g_r_parker (Twitter), http://bladereviews.com/author/gparker/

Mike Rixman – @mrixman (Instagram), @MikeRixman (Twitter)

Benjamin Schwartz – @ben_L_schwartz (Instagram), @schwartz_ben (Twitter), http://bladereviews.com/author/benjaminschwartz/, knifenews.com

• Tactile Turn Slider
• James Brand Folsom
• Kershaw Dividend
• James Brand County
• Spyderco MiniSouthard
• Muyshondt Aeon MK. III
• Citizen Ecodrive Stiletto
• Olight S1
• Kizer Alter Ego
• Zero Tolerance 0900
• Kizer Guru
• Veleno Designs Quantum DD
• Seiko SRP779 on a ToxicNato Strap
• AroundSquare Titan Begleri
• Hanksbyhank Subdued Clover, Nock Co. DotDash Pocket Notebook, Vox/Bond HALO Carabiner, Bellroy Note Sleeve
• Zero Tolerance 0450
• Zero Tolerance 0808
• CRKT Compat Batum
• Giantmouse GM2
• Viper Fortis
• Viper Odino
• James Brand Warranty
• Ka-Bar Jarosz 7505
• CRKT Minimalist Bowie
• Ver Steeg Blades Imp
• K’roo Sheepsfoot Slipjoint
• GEC Ancient Barlow
• GEC 71 Bullnose
• GEC Beer Scout
• Canal Street Cutlery Boy’s Knife
• Case Sodbuster Jr
• Christy Knife
• Spyderco Roadie
• Ben’s Instafame Spyderco Euroedge
• Clancy Brown
• Ron Pearlman
• Joker reads Trump tweets
• Mark Hamill
• Spyderco Warranty clarification
• Spyderco Paramilitary 2
• Chris Reeve Knives Service
• Nick Shabazz
• Jesse Jarosz Warranty
• Ti Pocket Pro
• Ti Arto
• Tactile Turn Movers & Shakers
• 7075 Aluminum alloy
• Aluminum Muyshondt Aeon and Maus
• Spyderco Sharpmaker
• Lansky Sharpening system
• Opinel No. 8
• Honing steel

Mailbag questions: ggl.afterhours@gmail.com to win a future giveaway

Podcast: Download

Virtual Pocket Dump:

Me:

Dragonfly II in ZDP-189, Surefire Titan Plus, and MaxMadco Bolt Action Pen

Ben:

Case Mini Trapper, Leatherman PS4 Squirt, Fenix E05

Blade HQ

Robot v. Samurai

Podcast: Download

I have wanted to have TM Hunt on the podcast for a long time.  Not only is he a nice guy and a hell of a knife maker, but his M18 is probably one of the most intriguing knives I have ever laid eyes on.  The massive blade, unusual shape, and classic handle have piqued my fancy for many years.  But this is a fixed blade for woodsman masters and so, before I venture into the world of the M18, I thought I’d have the man himself on to breakdown the blade in almost microscopic detail.  If you ever wanted a piece by piece tour of a knife and the chance to hear its designer tell you why everything is the way it is, this is a podcast for you.

You can find TM Hunt at the following places:

His website

His Facebook page

USA Made Blades

Smokey Mountain Knife Works

VPD:

Todd: Wedding Ring, Hubertus Auto, ZT 630, and a Leatherman Skeletool

TM Hunt Brassback

Spetznaz Machete

01 Tool Steel

Ver Steeg Imp

Podcast: Download

Jon Stokes came back and while we pretended to talk gear for a while, things quickly got off track when Jon discussed his recent bare-handed boar hunt.  Suffice to say: listener discretion advised and trigger warnings…blah, blah, blah…

VPD:

Jon’s Carry: Bond Deringer .410, Leatherman Skeletool CX, Filson Field Boots

Tony’s Carry: Vanishing Point, Mnandi, Aeon Mk. III

Our first real knives: Victorinox Super Tinker (me) and Victorinox Huntsman (Jon)

Sendra Boots

Hanks Belts

SHWAT

Jon Post Boar Hunt:

Podcast: Download

It was a grab bag of topics here with lots of different things that came up in a fascinating conversation with custom tactical collector and raconteur Justin Laffer.

VPD:

Justin: Scott Cook Lochsa

Me: Mnandi and Aeon Mk. III

Robert Hayes Flipper in a Blade Forum post (we referenced the USN post, but it is behind a pay wall)

Johann Winckelmann

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Philosophy Bites podcast on Art and Evolution

Nick Rossi

Billy Cho Knives

Shayne Carter

Scott Hanson (not Stan Hansen)

David Santiago

Sam Johnson (couldn’t find a link for this one, Justin is so ahead of the curve)

Atlas Obscura

Podcast: Download

This is probably one of the episodes I feel best summarizes the podcast.  Michael Walker was one heck of a get.  Not only is probably the most famous knifemaker alive, he is also one of the coolest people.  He is basically a monk–working one 3-4 knives a year and riding his mountain bike and that’s it.  What a cool episode, if I do say so myself.

VPD:

Michael: Klotzli Sailor Walker

Me: really?  Do you care what I carried?

Walker Liner Lock

Zipper Blade

Podcast: Download

Jim Cooper, also known as Sharp by Coop, the most famous and prolific cutlery photographer in the world, joins us for a great discussion about blades, the uber high end, how to take great pictures, and where the market is heading (and it ain’t custom tacticals folks…).

Honjo Masamune

VPD:

Coop: GEC Congress and a Tim Wright custom

Me: AG Russell Lightnin’ Bug and the MBI HF-R

The King Tut Dagger by Buster Warenski

Coop’s Top Five Living Custom Makers:

Loerchner

Walker

Lake

Steinau

Kramer

The guy (Lloyd Hale) that was an in-house maker for a single collector.

Coop’s set up:

Canon DSLR, Mono Strobes, NO FUCKING TRIPODS

Van Barnett’s 2013 AKI knives

Best Engravers:

Barry Lee Hands

Jon Robyn

Tercolli

Ray Cover

Sharp by Coop on Blade Forums

Sharp by Coop on IG

Super Insane Loveless Subhilt

Podcast: Download

Derrick Bohn from Knives Ship Free joined the podcast for an overview of 2016 and a preview of 2017.  It was an excellent conversation with a great explanation as to why Amazon is bad for the gear world.  Oh and he announced a new Indian River Jack, possibly with M4.  Yes, please.

VPD:

Derrick: GEC 61, Benchmade 943, Prometheus Beta QR, Fisher Space Pen

Tony: Small Shamwari and Muyshondt Aeon Mk. III

Other Topics:

Bamba Forge

Todd Begg Knives

Zoe Crist Knives

Jesse Hemphill Knives

Spyderco problem on Amazon (and why I hate Amazon)

Podcast: Download

Nikki Reese aka Yeti Rage on Instagram comes by to talk to us about fixed blades, teaching young girls how to be self-sufficient, and a bunch of random topics.

VPD: Small Shamwari, Mk. III Muyshondt Aeon

Nikki: Delica 4 in ZDP-189, KaBar Becker 24 with TKC scales

Stuff we have been looking at:

Enzo Necker 70

Ochs Peregrine

Grimsmo Norseman

Removing a Large Person from a Fire

Ethan Becker

Podcast: Download