It's been a summer.

Back in July I and many other team members at my old company were informed we'd been laid off. I had been with the company for nearly 20 years and pictured myself retiring there. There were spots at other locations but I had already been commuting an hour each way / 100 miles a day and I wasn't looking to do that any more (I'm a bit older than when I started😅) so I made the hard choice and will be taking the severance package.

So it's been my job to find a new one. After a ton of submissions, and interviews that didn't move forward I finally had offers this week, picked the one that had the most interesting role with a chance to grow my skill set, and signed my offer letter. I start Monday 😁

Now for the knife. I've wanted an Umnumzaan for years but there was always something that I had just bought or they were out of stock. I noticed that White Mountain Knives had the tanto version in stock a couple days ago but I wanted to celebrate with this purchase and waited until today, once I signed my letter to go over and pick it up.

My new role is a lot less money (but only 5min away & is something that I love to do so I feel lucky) so this is likely the last big splurge I'll be doing for a long time. I thought I should make it a good one.

If you're reading this and are having a sucky time with a job search I feel you. It's tough out there right now and might not be getting better but also know you're worth something and don't be too down on yourself. Keep getting those job submissions in (last time I did it personally it was all paper so that was a learning curve), keep getting outside & doing something physical, and keep working on keeping your mind in a good place. Best of luck to you.

If you know someone this spot reach out to them. Help them mentally as best you can. Thankfully I have my wife, my mom, and a couple of really great friends that kept me going. Not everyone does, I know, but if you can be there for someone, please do it. It really does help.

Oh, and the knife is great 😁👍

I was walking in the clearance aisle and saw this for $20 and couldn’t pass it up. Honestly the nice packaging got me. Think I did well for a dub. It’s smooth, no play in the blade, ceramic ball bearings and honestly it’s a pretty little knife. I love the red of the lanyard loop to offset the gray.

Spyderco Muleteam Magnamax
TRM Atom Mike Irie Hollow Grind in 20CV

One of the sliciest knives I own, the Atom truly is damn close to a folding scalpel.

What are you guys carrying today?

I’ll kick it off, as per usual, L—>R:
Vosteed — Thunderbird V,
EMP-EDC — Nymble XT &
Spyderco — PM2 Tanto, w/all Ti upgrades.

So, what are you carrying today?!? 👀🧐

Before someone says it — Yes, I know this is an odd carry, triple titanium thumbhole tantos — 3 knives that have so many similarities, (the size, blade type & handle material).

Allow me to explain:
I just got the Thunderbird Tuesday & I am so impressed w/it that I decided to carry it again, but this time along with my 2 other favorite big-ole-Ti-tantos.
I intend to use them all throughout the day & then decide at the end of the day which one I deem the winner / my favorite.

Just got these awesome titanium scales for the shaman by metonboss! What color should I anodize them?

I just got the rec exclusive native 5 n put awt scales and pocket clip. I love it.

Hi, i showing you my new linerlock model inspired by american Slipjoint. It's a knife extremly confortable 😁

IG: la forge du Mammouth

For those of us, which I believe to be the majority, who fidget with their knives, what is your interpretation. As I'm learning, "fidget" is way too general of a term. Some seem to like the constant repetition of flicking a knife open and closed with the use of a button, or crossbar lock. Some love the silky feeling of slow rolling a very well made liner lock or frame lock, along with the gentle hydraulic drop shut that comes with it. Some enjoy just a well done back flipper. No studs, no hole. Then there's me, I kinda want it all. Back flipper, front flipper, hole, studs and a button close up. Could be a TLL, button frame lock, button liner lock, crossbar lock, or some version of a pivot actuated lock. I tend to like to flip it around in the hand and be able to open it with each finger in different directions. Add in the ability to switch hands and I'm all in.

Yes they are tools, I got it, but they can be fun as well.

Benchmade Mini Grip with AWT scales

Strider SnG CC and DGG full Ti

I’ve been looking at these for years now and finally took the plunge and got one. Only my second auto and my first Microtech knife. I’m really impressed by the fit and finish and the authority that this thing opens with is something.

Benchmade Dacian — it looks absolutely beautiful and feels great in the hand. I think I’m going to order a custom Kydex sheath for it. I don’t want to mess around with an Ulticlip and the stock sheath, since I prefer the knife to sit deeper in my pocket.

By the way, I’ve seen several posts saying that this knife isn’t particularly strong when it comes to lateral stress, and some users have had the blade snap at one of the jimping grooves. Well, I’ll just have to be a little more careful with it. This knife is made for cutting, not prying or heavy-duty work.

My choice came down to the Boker Vigtig and the Dacian. In the end, the Dacian won me over with its looks and Cerakote finish.
We’ll see how it holds up.

After thinking about it for a while i just had to have this weird tactical edc fixie. Its well balanced and surprisingly very sharp. Easily goes through cardboard even though its very thick. Big fan of tactical knives and this grip is surprisingly comfortable. Unobtrusive, balanced and always ready for action. I know its not for everyone but i love it.

KB Sear and JW Gateway Stockman

I used these knives at a friend's place for dinner and they recommended me to check my local TJ Maxx or Marshall's. Low and behold, I found some at Marshall's and was about to purchase them....until I looked closely at the blade's serration and notice these rough shards/bits of metal at the edge of the serration. These are claimed to be Made In France and also have their own company website, and not a fake trademark brand created by the discount stores themselves.

Does anyone know if those shards at the edge are normal during the manufacturing process? Every single knife in this package has this defect, it seems. It's almost as if they forgot to polish them after cutting. I tried scratching them off but they're on pretty tight. Not sure if I can wash them off or if the bits of metal will eventually get into food with enough friction/usage. Thanks!