Three to Get Ready

You’ve seen this knife, watch, and light in earlier articles of mine. At the time I had of course used all of them in preparation for their initial reviews. But now I’ve really used them. And so I’m going to let you know how they’re all doing after what I’d like to call some good ole gun’riter abuse. No, not dropping it do to clumsiness. Really it’s just boils down to a lot of daily use at home, at the office … but it also includes one 10-day family vacation. Included in each paragraph below is a link back to the review where the item showed up. Ready?

As far as features go, the Spyderco Native 5 FRN is fairly basic. Manual open, lock back, straight edge. But the light weight, excellent handle, and perfect pocket clip made carrying it every day a joy. This Native retails for $135.99 so it’s certainly not a beater. But I beat on it anyway, opening paint cans (didn’t have a paint can opener or screwdriver handy), punching through tin cans (just because), and flicking it out to cut through envelopes, packaging, tags, whatever. Because I use it so much I sharpen it a lot. And when I do, I can always put a fantastic edge on it.

Bravo Company’s BCM Mk15 Tritium Watch stayed on my wrist for 10 straight days of vacation, including hours immersed in the Atlantic Ocean. I had the telltale tan line on my wrist, yes, but the watch handled everything I could throw at it, including the construction of a few sand sculptures where I would be digging through that broken-up-shell-kind-of-sand at the beach. Hasn’t lost a minute since I got it and the Tritium vials still shine brightly in low and no light conditions. The rubber band was comfortable but if it got too hot I’d loosen the strap a notch to get some relief. BCM Mk15 retails for $595 and comes with a black bracelet band, band installation tool, and a box as durable and tough as the watch itself. It looks big but it’s not heavy.

The light most often in my bag or in my pocket is the Brite-Strike EPLI (retail $80). I’ve changed the batteries once in about a year of regular use and the light remains bright and reliable. One click yields a bright beam, the next click yields a dimmer beam, and the next click yields a blinding strobe. Yep, I’ve got a flashlight on my mobile phone but seriously, it’s not a serious personal light like the EPLI. The rubber switch functions perfectly as does the pocket clip.

You bet I had a gun on my person during vacation. But that’s a whole ‘nother story for another day. And, as you know, the gun is just a part of the daily carry kit — which for me is at least a knife, watch, and light.

What are your three to get ready?

— Mark Kakkuri

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