Juan Evail

EDC Knife Review: The Ontario 8846 RAT Folder

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The Ontario Knife Company is located in the Southern Tier area of New York state and produces one of the largest lines of cutlery with a wide variety of types, sizes, and price-ranges. They are not only a worldwide supplier, but they are also a major contributor to the U.S. military and other government agencies.

Ontario has a reputation for crafting quality knives from high-grade materials and the RAT 8846 is no exception. Besides being a good sturdy all-around folder, it has an exceptional blade style with a choice of finishes. It is simply the best EDC knife under $30 in its price range that we have seen in a while.

The Ontario 8846 RAT folder knife has an open structure which makes cleaning easy. Its length closed is 4.5” and the nylon made ergonomic handle has gimping on the spine which helps in its great control. The knife features an AUS-8 blade with a full flat grind and is 0.120″ thick. The blade is 3.5” and comes in a nice black finishes. There is a thumb nut at the base for easy single-handed deploying.

The blade also has a toughness of 55-56 HCR. There is an easy to use liner-lock type locking mechanism that can also be used one-handed. The RAT folder also has a 4-position pocket clip and lanyard hole for dual carry options. Liner Lock locking mechanism. The overall weight is about 5 ounces making it light, but not so light that it feels like there is no substance.

The Ontario 8846 RAT folder fits the hand well. It feels substantial and the black satin finish blade especially looks sleek and stylish. The price and performance make it an ideal everyday carry knife. It is set up well to open easily with one hand after just a little practice and the locking mechanism is also quick and easy to use. We especially appreciated the four-way clip which provided several options for convenient carry.

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Choosing the Best Knife Sharpener That Works for You

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Today I would like to talk about how to choose the best knife sharpener for you to use on your knives. Some knife sharpeners out there can be used on both your kitchen knives and your sporting and outdoor knife or other variety knives. But I prefer to have different sharpeners for different kinds of knives. I wouldn’t use a run of the mill draw sharpener with steel wheels on my Benchmade best tactical folding knife, would you? I didn’t think so! Keeping your knives sharp in my opinion is a knife owner #1 responsibility. The old saying goes: “A sharp knife means you never let it get dull!” If you keep your knives sharp, then they will always be in tip-top condition to perform the chores that they are intended for with ease and reliability.

There is a whole universe of knife sharpening tools and knife sharpening systems out there including electric knife sharpeners like the Chef’s Choice Electric Knife Sharpener line for the home, to bench stones/whetstones made in a wide array of sizes and abrasive types. It can be mind-boggling just trying to pick a knife sharpening system if you don’t have any or limited experience sharpening your knives. No matter what type of knife sharpening equipment you choose one thing is for sure that’s all good quality knife sharpening equipment and knife sharpening systems have been designed to revitalize the edge of your knives back to its original factory sharpness.

As I stated before most folks don’t have much experience if any at all with knife sharpening. Many also don’t know what they should look for in a knife sharpener or knife sharpening system. So having a way to sharpen your knives at home is a good thing and will save you money in the long run. It will also save you from having to pay someone else to sharpen your knives for you! Picking the best knife sharpening equipment for you can be hard if you don’t know how to compare the pros and cons of each system or method to find the right one for you.

The major distinction among knife sharpeners is whether they are electric or manual methods of knife sharpening. Electric knife sharpeners come in many sizes and make. For the general consumer who has lots of knives to sharpen electric knife sharpeners can be the ticket that you are looking for. An electric kitchen knife sharpener can have many advantages to them. They are time savers if you don’t have hours to sharpen knives and the blade angles are preset to 30 and 40-degree slots which make your angles a breeze to obtain. As I said, earlier electric kitchen knife sharpener can come in many sizes from mini countertop varieties that are about the size of a shoebox or less to bigger models with more slots for more angle variety.

Some of the larger electric knife sharpeners are meant for commercial sharpening applications such as a professional knife sharpening service. These are a bit more expensive than a consumer level model, but if you have the room and you are really, really into knives and knife sharpening, then you might want to consider a larger electric knife sharpener. When it comes to electric knife sharpeners, it all comes down to time, space, and money. So to restate the advantages of this type of sharpening system they are fast, and that means saving time. They wouldn’t take up much space in your home. The angles are preset for you so there is no guesswork. If used correctly they will last for years, and many of the better ones like the Chef’s Choice Electric Knife Sharpener will have a manufacturer’s warranty.

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AR Wheeler Trigger Guard Install Tool Review

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Wheeler Trigger Guard Tool

Editor’s note: Please welcome Evail Juan to Planandprepared.com. He will be a regular here, providing reviews on firearms, firearm accessories and tools, as well as other prepper related gear.

I recently received a Magpul Enhanced Trigger Guard as a gift (Thanks Sis). But upon reading how to change it out from the Mil Spec guard, I was shocked to learn the suggested method was to get an armorers block, roll pin punch, and a mallet to hammer the pins out. That being said, there is a disclaimer that should read “If you break the tab off, your lower will be JUNK!”

In this day and age why wouldn’t there be an easier way to change this out without the chance of destroying the lower receiver? Enter the Wheeler Trigger Guard Installation Tool. This tool is basically a specialized C-Clamp with 2 rods included. The long rod is for the removal, while the short rod is for the install. I actually read the directions carefully, which were precise and to the point.

The removal and install took about 30 minutes to complete. The only reason that took a little longer than expected was because I aligning the pin and install tool to start the pin into the hole. Seems like a third hand would be nice here for this process. But with a little tongue waggling, a few choice words, and a bit of patience I was able to get it to fit.

Once I was able to get it aligned into the hole, then it was just a simple matter of making sure the pin was flush with the receiver. Then voila, the change was complete!

All in all I would give the Wheeler Trigger Guard Install Tool a 4.75 stars. And the only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is due to the fact that holding all the components and trying to get it aligned was not an easy task.

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