This site has a huge archive of reviews. And while a lot of them are still quite useful, some haven’t maintained their relevance as trends, tastes, and tech change. Some of my opinions have drifted, others have changed entirely, and a few have remained quite steadfast. Here is some experiential insights from systematically reviewing gear for almost ten years.

Lesson 1: Gear is getting better.

While 2019 was something of a dud in terms of new gear, nothing was outright bad other than the knives that are made to be bad. Locks worked, blades were centered, steel was good, deployment was smooth. This was not true ten years ago. It was not even true of the better brands. Benchmade had (has) some perpetual blade play issues. Spyderco had some truly terrible molded clips. And everything else was an assist. Assists have died, replaced by knives that open because of precision detents.

Lesson 2: There is a strong “reasonableness” threshold.

While the average price of gear has gone up, you can get a damn good light for under $100 and a fantastic knife for under $200. Beyond that it is just for fun. And the threshold hasn’t really changed despite the price increases. Honestly you don’t need more than a Mini Grip. You might want more, you certainly don’t need it unless you wear a uniform.

Lesson 3: Better on you than ideal.

Time and again I have had to carry less than my favorite stuff because of the need to get review time in. Some of the stuff has been truly awful. But aside from the absolute dregs most of it is passable, or at least good enough to get stuff done when you bother to carry it. This, more than anything, is my #1 lesson from doing this site—carry your stuff (or if you prefer “use your shit”). It can’t help if it is sitting in a case at home.

Lesson 4: Fixed blades are fun.

No, they are probably not strictly necessary if you live anywhere near a population center or have an office job, but there is nothing more fun (if you like knives) than choppin’ stuff up. I have also found that fixed blades are better to practice sharpening, as there is more “meat on the bone” so to speak.

Lesson 5: Body tubes matter.

Emitters are great and all, but time and again, its the form factor that matters. Lights with great tubes, like the HDS Rotary or the BOSS 35 stay useful long after they have lost their lumens crown (when that will happen with the BOSS is still a surprise…its coming…I am just not sure when—helps you can punch it up to 3500 lumens). Tubes that done roll, tubes that help with grip, and tubes that leave the hot bits outside your grip are all awesome features that trump lumens.

Lesson 6: Runtime wins over output.

There is a theme here—lumens don’t matter much. And when it comes to a comparison between runtime and lumens, lumens are left in the dust. They REALLY don’t matter. Think of it like this—its winter, there is an ice storm coming, and you have a few lights stashed around the house. What do you reach for first? One that outputs 1600 lumens for 15 seconds or one that outputs 200 lumens for 5 hours? The answer is clear. You can navigate the interior of a house with .5 lumens. You can’t do much with a dead battery.

Lesson 7: Fountain pens are just better.

Yes, they can be expensive. Yes, refilling them is a messy process. But they write better. They save waste. They look beautiful. And they make your handwriting look amazing. The difference isn’t even close. And if you go with a cartridge filler, well, its not as eco friendly, but it is basically no more complex or messy than a regular pen with all of the fountain pen advantages.

Lesson 8: Pack design is exceedingly difficult.

I am still not 100% confident of any score I give a pack because packs are to EDC reviews what desktops are to tech reviews and receivers are to audio reviews. They are complex. They do lots of different things. And with the group of tinkerers that are EDC folks, just about every pack is used by its owner differently, even if two people own the same pack. I have so many additions and alterations to my Maxped PFII that it doesn’t really look like the original pack. Its my PFII. And only after that process of addition and subtraction do I feel comfortable in saying that I really get that pack. I have owned it for over a decade. And so, as you can see, the process is not a quick one.

Lesson 9: No one has still made a great water bottle.

The trilemma that faces water bottle designers is a tough one. You want the durability of Tritan, the drinkability of glass, and the insulation of stainless steel. No one has even come close to fixing this problem. One idea I have is to take a good stainless steel bottle and have it dipped in Rhinoliner, but that still doesn’t cure the drinkability issue. A bottle that solves all of these issues will sell like wildfire as everyone and their mother drinks water. That is not an opinion, of course.

Lesson 10: Great carry makes life better.

Its not just the chase. Or the utility. Or the fact that choosing your carry gives you something new to think about everyday. Its the folks. I heard someone say a new-to-me cliche recently and it was “Find your tribe.” That fits here. The tribe, of course, is you folks. And while I think the internet has done much damage in siloing us off from each other, I also think there is value in being part of a community even if it is only a virtual one. And gear is our proxy, our shared passion. And that’s the best part of great gear—great folks you meet talking, writing, and thinking about it.

Amazon Purchase Links:

If you want to support the blog and are interested in the gear mentioned here, follow the links below and purchase items—the proceeds help buy new review samples to keep the blog running and 100% independent:

Benchmade Mini Grip

Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon II