LeadWaster

I've seen the blue one. It may have been at the blade show at the Kershaw booth. They weren't selling anything at the show, but AG Russell was. By the time I got to their booth, all they had left was the grey/silver one and the smaller titanium version (more $$$). I think the blue one looks fine. Would have been a tough choice between the two, but I didnt have that choice. The Kershaw catalog and CRKT catalogs are worth having. Both are very nice. For those that don't know, the Blade Show is in Atlanta each June. It's the biggest knife show in the US, by a long shot. It will take all day to go thru it, and you'll still miss things. Me and my boys have been 3 or 4 times. Custom makers from all over the world, as well as the big companies... Gerber, Case, Lone Wolf (now owned by Benchmade), Benchmade, William Henry, Microtech,... you get the idea. It's not a bad drive from east or Middle TN. You won't regret going.

Yeah, I don't put either the OD-1 or the Ripple in the tactical knife catagory. Meat and potatoes is a good description. A friend of mine calls them "gentlemans knives". I had an Emerson CQC-7 with a tanto blade and never really cared for it, mainly due to the blade shape. It's a fine knife, but not a shape that is very usable for me. As my friend put it "you can't peel an apple with it". That was it exactly. Of course, you could peel an apple with it, but it got me thinking. What I like is a thinner blade. Not a thick heavy blade like most tactical knives. Now, I'm carrying a flat ground Benchmade right now, and it's about as thick as I want..... but a great knife.

Oh, I should add.... beside the CRKT Ripple, I've really impressed with the Kershaw OD-1. Really fast action, Sandvik steel, made in USA, and priced around $40 (give or take). I ordered one for my son from Amazon for $33 with free super saver shipping and no tax.

I bought the CRKT Ripple at the Blade Show back in June from AG Russell. I think I paid $75 or so. Great knife. It's extremely thin and while I've seen scale designs I like better, these make it very grip-able. I like it a lot. The ball bearing pivot is amazingly slick and with a moderate flip on the opener, it's open as fast as any assisted opening or automatic knife.....and legal in most places (I know they aren't in Michigan).

drv2fst makes a lot of sense. I would think (and I'm not an attorney) that "imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury" would be justification. I think the opportunity to retreat to safety would be the first course of action, unless you are in your home and your state recognizes "castle doctrine".

When I bought my TCP at a Knoxville gun show about 3 months ago, the best price I found on a KelTec was $239. I found my TCP for $269. I think I saw them last weekend for $259. Considering you get an extra magazine with the TCP and a belt pouch, I think it makes them comparable in price. But, the bottom line is to pick them up, look at the fit/finish, see which feels best in your hand, and make your decision based on that. I don't think you can go wrong with TCP, LCP, or KelTec. (Don't you think if KelTec called it a "KCP" it would have made it easier to discuss... or incredibly confusing?!)

I reloaded for 12 ga shotgun back in the 80's. The main reason was cost savings. At the time, shot was $12 for 25 pounds. The cost of components allowed me to load for $2 a box. Those days are gone! I was shooting trap and going thru 5000+ rounds per season. Now, my 15 year old has gotten interested in shooting and we are loading .38sp, 9mm, .380 acp on a Dillon SD. It's really enjoyable, and I can load lighter rounds (for smaller and lighter weight guns) that are more pleasant to shoot. My dad always reloaded both metallic and shotgun. I guess it runs in the family.

JC57 mentions the Bersa Thunder. I came close to buying one. It's a very nice gun and a great value (saw it in Cookeville for $259), but after comparing it for size with the Taurus 709 9mm, they are almost identical in size. The 709 may be a little thinner. The 709 is more expensive, but with the same 7+1 capacity, the more powerful/cheaper/easier to find 9mm ammo, I've decided to save my pennies a bit longer and get a 709. Still would like a Bersa Thunder some day!

I'll place my vote for the Taurus TCP. 200+ rounds and only one that didn't quite feed all the way. That was the first time I took it out, and hadn't taken it apart and cleaned it before shooting it. After cleaning, no more issues. Just for good measure, I polished the ramp the other day. I like it because it just fits my hand better than the LCP or KelTec. The grip is just a little longer (front to back). Also, I think the trigger is just a bit lighter. However, I'd be happy with the LCP or KelTec, as long as they function as well as the TCP. Oh yes, the TCP has a little more room in the trigger guard.

I think Harbor Freight has them for $59 right now. I've heard that demineralized water is really good for cleaning... much better than distilled. Not sure why.

Went to the gun show in Knoxville yesterday and there were two folks set up sharpening knives. Also one couple near the entry door that had a nice display of knies for sale, and some decent prices. I still want the Lone Wolf Diablo d/a!!!

Lone Wolf knives are impressive. I'd love to have a Diablo or Blackfoot d/a. I hope Benchmade continues to make most of the same models from the LW line. If you buy Benchmade, watch out as some are made overseas. I think if it comes in a red box, it's made overseas. Blue and black box Benchmades are US made. I bought a Benchmade mini Barrage at a recent knife show. Retail is $125. 154CM steel, assisted opening, very well made. You should be able to find someone selling them for under $100.

I've not owned a ceramic blade, but have heard they are somewhat brittle. Kershaw is a very good knife, but I think you'll see a big difference in edge holding ability with a different steel than they commonly use. Look for something with 154CM or ATS34. I bought a new Benchmade at the knife show in Knoxville a couple of months ago. It has a 154CM blade and is holding up great. Other good steels available as well.

I found info on-line where a fellow tested all kinds of cleaners, commercial and home made, in his ultrasonic cleaner. The best cleaner was 50/50, white vinegar and water. He followed that with a neutralizing bath of water with a bit of baking soda. The cases look great. While Grafs price is good on the 2.5 l cleaner, Harbor Freight has a similar machine for about $70. I think it would be good to clean gun parts as well. not sure what kind of cleaning solution to use for that though.

Sneak a piece or two in there and tell me how it works! HA! I'll bet a lot of how it performs is dependent on the solution you use in it.

Does anyone have any experience with heated ultrasonic cleaners for use with brass? Graf and Sons has a 2.5l heated ultrasonic cleaner on sale, and I think they claim it will handle 500 pieces of 9mm brass at a time. Will it get brass as nice and shiny as walnut hull media in a Dillon vibratory cleaner? I can see other applications for the ultrasonic cleaner besides just cases. Thanks.

Thanks Monkeylizard. That makes sense. We bought some furniture from NC (over the phone) a few years ago, and the store had no presence in TN. No sales tax charged by the seller. A couple of years later, the TN dept of Revenue sent us a bill, along with an opportunity to pay the taxes with no penelty, if done within 30 days. It was $300 or so. We paid it and that was it. I suspect on smaller items, it's not worth their effort to collect. I guess the FFL is just the transfer agent. I didn't stop to think the payment for the gun and shipping charges is the responsibility of the buyer, not the FFL. Thanks.

I've not used an FFL for transfers in over 20 years. I can't remember, do you save the sales tax if it comes from out of state or does the FFL charge tax on it too?

Got mine in Nov. and it took 1 day short of 3 weeks. You can wait in line at the DMV that long!!!!

After looking at the LCP and KelTec, I finally found a Taurus TCP. The thing that struck me first about the TCP was a larger trigger guard and slightly deeper (front to back) grip. It just fit my hand better. I also like the fit and finish better. I bought it and after 100+ rounds, it's a keeper. Even my 15 year old likes to shoot it. Haven't had any problems with the trigger guard hitting my finger either. I ordered dies from Dillon and will be reloading for it as well.

I should add, I got my permit last month. They are running pretty fast on processing these.

Took me 1 day short of 3 weeks to get my permit once I submitted all of my paperwork and fingerprints. If you need a certified copy of your birth certificate, go to your county health department. I think it was $5 and took me about 10 minutes here in Blount County.

I too am guilty of taking a nice knife and sticking in the safe. However, at the recent Spirit of Steel show in Knoxville, I picked up a great folder from Mike Sanders (of Louisiana). He's been making knives for 40 years. I believe it ashamed that such a useful tool has become "art". The older I get, the less i want to own something I don't use. After visiting with Mr. Sanders quite a bit at the show, I decided it would be improper to take this great knife that he spent so much time making (and so much thought into making it useful) and stick it in the safe. It's in my pocket almost every day now. I'm slowly headed in the right direction. Now I need to get my Randalls out!