Survival Gear is the most unused product until a natural disaster happens, then it’s the most desired products, but usually too late to help those that really need the help.
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One of the key pillars to being prepared is having a good water plan. Water is key to life and clean water is key to good health. I have a lot of experience with water filters and have been experimenting with different water filtration methods for years both at my house and in the field. …
The post Hydroviv Water Filter Review for 2023: Survival Gear Hands-On appeared first on Survival Cache.
An Affordable Alternative to the Glock? Palmetto State Armory’s PSA Dagger is getting a lot of attention because it is…
This article %PSA Dagger Review – GLOCK 19 Comparison% appeared first on %SHTF Blog – Modern Survival%.
Russia is accusing Ukraine of plotting a “provocation” in the form of radioactive contamination. The Defense Ministry in Moscow has warned that Norway is also one of the co-conspirators of the plan.
Russia says that the false flag will accuse of them of contaminating Ukraine with radiation from the Chernobyl exclusion zone. according to a report by RT. The West along with Norway’s help will allegedly attempt to pull off this scheme. Norway was also named for helping the United States destroy the Nord Stream pipelines.
Author Of Bombshell Nord Stream Report Says It Was “Not Hard To Find”
A statement from the ministry on Tuesday asserted that Kyiv will accuse the Russian military of breaching safety protocols when it controlled the Chernobyl nuclear power plant last year. It will be claimed that Russian troops spread radioactive materials across Ukraine and looted the containment and control facilities, the ministry added.
The Chernobyl site, infamous for the 1986 disaster, was under Russian control between February 24 and April 28. In September, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on nuclear safety in Ukraine, detailing its visits to the exclusion zone amid the armed conflict. -RT
The World Health Organization recently asked ruling classes to prepare for “nuclear contamination” and reports have surfaced that Ukraine is storing Western weapons at nuclear power plants in order to blame Russia for a nuclear emergency if their weapons get destroyed.
Ukraine Is Storing Western-Supplied Weapons At Nuclear Power Plants
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, these accusations against Moscow will form a part of the propaganda campaign by NATO and Ukraine to sway global public opinion in its favor next week, when the Russian military operation is set to enter its second year. The claims will be based on falsified or misleading evidence, the statement said. It added that Norwegian nuclear safety experts were involved in assessing the supposed radiation contamination of Kyiv Region.
Keep your eyes and ears open and continue to use your discernment. Never put anything past any ruling class and make sure you are as prepared as you can be for whatever the masters have planned to keep the slaves in line.
The kids are not okay, and it is time for us to face the truth. As long as I have been writing, surveys have shown that the mental health of our young people has been steadily getting worse. But now we are learning that things really took an enormous turn for the worse during the pandemic. As you will see below, one expert is warning that the number of kids that are dealing with mental health issues “has increased exponentially since the pandemic”. The facts that I am about to share with you are likely to make you very angry. Our system does not work, and millions upon millions of young people are having their lives ruined as a result. The following are 13 numbers that show how dramatically we have failed America’s children…
#1 One recent survey found that 40 percent of U.S. parents “worry their children struggle with anxiety or depression”.
#2 During the pandemic, suicide became the second leading cause of death for U.S. children between the ages of 10 and 14.
#3 Suicide is also the second leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 15 and 24.
#4 According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, 46 percent of U.S. kids between the ages of 13 and 17 have experienced cyberbullying.
#5 40 percent of U.S. high school students “felt so sad or hopeless” in 2021 that “they were unable to do their regular activities”.
#6 According to the CDC, “more than 95% of children and adolescents in the U.S. spend much of their daily lives in school”.
#7 At 23 schools in Baltimore, not one single student is proficient in math.
#8 At 30 schools in Illinois, not one single student can read at grade level.
#9 At 53 schools in Illinois, not one single student can do math at grade level.
#10 According to the CDC, nearly 20 percent of all adolescent female students experienced sexual violence in 2021.
#11 According to the CDC, nearly 60 percent of all adolescent female students “experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in 2021.
#12 According to the CDC, nearly 25 percent of all adolescent female students “made a suicide plan” in 2021.
#13 The proportion of adolescent female students that actually attempted suicide in 2021 was 60 percent higher than a decade ago.
There is nothing “normal” about these numbers.
The mental health of our young people has been declining for years, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics is telling us that the number of kids and adolescents dealing with mental health issues “has increased exponentially since the pandemic”…
“I would say over the last 10 years, since I’ve been practicing as a general pediatrician, I have seen a shift both in the amount of patients and of all ages dealing with anxiety and depression. And their parents being concerned about this is a key issue,” said Dr. Katherine Williamson, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Even before the pandemic, we were seeing skyrocketing numbers of kids and adolescents dealing with mental health issues, and that has increased exponentially since the pandemic.”
We told our leaders that the incredibly sick and twisted mandates and restrictions that they were forcing upon our young people were going to have very serious mental health consequences.
And that is precisely what has happened.
But of course we must also acknowledge that the mental health of our young people was steadily deteriorating long before the pandemic ever came along.
It has become clear that no matter how much money we pour into our schools, it isn’t going to make things any better.
In fact, to me it is quite apparent that our absolutely pathetic system of public education is a big part of the problem.
If you want your teens to hate life, just put them into a public high school.
Having said that, I want to stress that having strong nuclear families is even more important to the mental health of our young people.
Unfortunately, the traditional family unit is under attack like never before, and in many cases it is being replaced by “new arrangements”…
Alysia and Tyler Rogers were already parents to two children, now ages 7 and 8, when they embarked on a romantic relationship with married friends Sean and Taya Hartless.
The two couples, originally from the US, moved in together as a polyamorous foursome in 2020 and the following year, Alysia and Taya delivered babies seven months apart.
Neither woman knows who biologically fathered the kids, with Alysia maintaining they will help the children discover that down the road if they ever want to.
I don’t even know what to say about all of that.
Unfortunately, a smaller percentage of U.S. children are being raised in a traditional home with a traditional father and a traditional mother than ever before.
And that has very serious implications for our future.
As we all get older, we are going to need the next generation to take care of us. According to the Washington Post, it is being projected that the number of elderly people in the United States will grow very rapidly in the years ahead…
That represents 55.7 million people, an increase of 15.2 million (38 percent) of people 65 and above since 2010, compared with just 2 percent growth in the under-65 population. It also reflects a consistent increase in the nation’s older population since 1900, when there were 3.1 million Americans 65 and older (4 percent of the population).
The report projects a climb to roughly 80.8 million residents 65 and older by 2040, more than double the number in 2000. It also predicts a doubling of the number of even older residents by 2040, with the count of those 85 and older expected to grow from 6.7 million in 2020 to 14.4 million by 2040. In 2020, there were nearly 105,000 residents 100 or older.
When we are all old and gray, we will be depending on the next generation to be the leaders of tomorrow.
But thanks to our failures, the next generation is going to be incredibly messed up.
Our society is being “fundamentally transformed” right in front of our eyes, and that is really bad news for all of us.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post 13 Numbers That Show How Dramatically We Have Failed America’s Children appeared first on End Of The American Dream.
The mainstream media spends an enormous amount of time lecturing us about fake environmental issues, but now that one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in U.S. history has occurred they are being strangely quiet about it. What we are witnessing in East Palestine, Ohio is so horrifying that it is truly difficult to put it into words. One hazardous materials specialist is claiming that authorities “basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open”. Unfortunately, that is not an exaggeration at all. When they decided to conduct a “controlled burn” of vinyl chloride from some of the wrecked rail cars, they knew that it would “send phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air”…
About 50 cars, including 10 carrying hazardous materials, derailed in a fiery crash in East Palestine at about 9pm on Friday, February 3.
Houses were evacuated after vinyl chloride was slowly released from five of those cars. Authorities then ignited the gases for a ‘controlled release’ of the highly flammable, toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, creating a dark plume of smoke.
Officials warned the controlled burn would send phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air. Phosgene is a highly toxic, colorless gas with a strong odor that can cause vomiting and breathing trouble and was used as a weapon in World War I.
Read that last sentence again.
Phosgene was literally used as a chemical weapon during World War I, and now countless people living in Ohio and Pennsylvania will be breathing it in for the foreseeable future.
In essence, we have unleashed a weapon of mass destruction on our own people.
14 miles from my house, in East Palestine Ohio.
Norfolk Southern assures us that the vinyl chloride spilling from the tanks of their derailed train and burning and turning into hydrogen chloride as it rises into the atmosphere and mixes with water vapor and turns into …… pic.twitter.com/Rc8wbpXU8R
— (@blckndgldfn) February 8, 2023
It turns out that vinyl chloride has also been proven to cause “increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers”…
Vinyl chloride is associated with increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute.
The effect was studied in PVC pipe makers, who breathed in vinyl chloride and developed rare liver cancers, said Ruth Lunn, who studies carcinogens at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
So how many people are ultimately going to get cancer and die because of this disaster?
On top of everything else, we are now being told that “ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene” were also being transported in some of the rail cars that derailed…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to Norfolk Southern stating that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene were also in the rail cars that were derailed, breached and/or on fire.
Caggiano says ethylhexyl acrylate is especially worrisome. He says it’s a carcinogen and contact with it can cause burning and irritation in the skin and eyes. Breathing it in can irritate the nose and throat and cause coughing and shortness of breath.
Nobody should be anywhere near this wreck.
But authorities are telling residents of East Palestine that it is perfectly safe to return to their homes and that there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about.
A massive cover up of epic proportions is in progress, and only a few brave leaders such as Marjorie Taylor Greene are speaking out about this…
East Palestine, Ohio is undergoing an ecological disaster bc authorities blew up the train derailment cars carrying hazardous chemicals and press are being arrested for trying to tell the story.
Oh but UFO’s!
What is going on?
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) February 12, 2023
Perhaps they think that because most of the people that live in East Palestine are poor they can get away with treating them like dirt.
And that may have worked in the past.
But now we live in the age of social media, and a lot of Americans want to make sure that this catastrophe will never be forgotten.
Because the truth is that these chemicals are going to be affecting the health of local residents for decades.
One hazardous materials specialist raised a lot of eyebrows when he said that authorities “basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open”…
Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist and former fire department chief, said he was ‘surprised’ residents were allowed to return home so quickly before all of their homes were tested.
‘I would’ve far rather they did all the testing [first],’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of what ifs, and we’re going to be looking at this thing 5, 10, 15, 20 years down the line and wondering, ‘Gee, cancer clusters could pop up, you know, well water could go bad.’
He added: ‘We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open.’
NEW TOXINS IDENTIFIED—“We basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” said Sil Caggiano, a hazardous materials specialist. Rail company Norfolk Southern is paying just $25k to the town, or ~$5 per resident.
HT @therecount
pic.twitter.com/7jVQaIFA1U— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) February 13, 2023
So many people are going to die because of this.
And it is being reported that large numbers of chickens and fish have already died after being exposed to the chemicals…
CBS Pittsburgh reported that hundreds of fish have turned up dead in Leslie Run, approximately five miles away from the site of the derailment. While the EPA has acknowledged that fish are dying, it stressed that well water remains safe to drink.
Amanda Breshears, who lives 10 miles away from East Palestine, said upon going to feed her hens and rooster days after the derailment, she found them all lifeless.
“My video camera footage shows my chickens were perfectly fine before they started this burn, and as soon as they started the burn, my chickens slowed down and they died,” she told WKBN. “If it can do this to chickens in one night, imagine what it’s going to do to us in 20 years.”
#8 There are reports of dead fish in rivers and creeks 5 miles away from the train derailment.https://t.co/5Jgs1L52W4 pic.twitter.com/G43pdY41RB
— kanekoa.substack.com (@KanekoaTheGreat) February 13, 2023
What a nightmare.
And this nightmare is not going to end any time soon.
Shockingly, a movie about this exact type of disaster in this exact area of Ohio was released late last year…
Wow. Here’s a movie just made about a train derailing with toxins in Ohio – filmed in Ohio where it just happened, & many of the extras were locals from East Palestine Ohio who, in the film,evacuated. Then months later they had to do so in real life! Bonkers! please share pic.twitter.com/dNj1BS0wRK
— Erin Elizabeth Health Nut News (@unhealthytruth) February 12, 2023
Pretty crazy, eh?
Sometimes it feels like we are actually living in a movie.
As I keep telling people, we are now living in a time when we will be facing one major disaster after another.
Global events are starting to spin out of control, and there is so much chaos all around us.
Unfortunately, what we have been through so far is just the tip of the iceberg.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post Why Is The Mainstream Media Being So Quiet About One Of The Greatest Environmental Catastrophes In U.S. History? appeared first on The Economic Collapse.
Things are starting to get really strange. First, a “Chinese spy balloon” was shot down off the coast of South Carolina after it had traveled across much of the continental United States. Then, another “unidentified object” was shot down over Alaska. Subsequently, at the request of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a third “unidentified object” was shot down over Canada. And now we have just learned that a fourth “unidentified object” has been shot down over Lake Huron. In addition, a congressman from Montana is reporting that there is an “unidentified object” flying over his state. On top of everything else, China is telling us that an “unidentified object” has been flying near the Chinese port city of Qingdao. All of a sudden, these sightings have become the biggest news story in the entire country, and I think that it is likely that there will be even more sightings in the days ahead.
But let’s put all of this into perspective.
The only reason why most people are freaking out about this story is because the mainstream media is freaking out about this story.
If the mainstream media was ignoring this story, they would also be ignoring this story.
We have been trained to believe that a story is important only when the mainstream media tells us that it is important.
If millions of Americans want to get excited about some balloons, that is fine.
I will get excited with them.
But the truth is that hordes of highly sophisticated unidentified aircraft have been flying over U.S. territory for years.
Let me give you some examples. Starting in December 2019, large groups of “unidentified drones” were repeatedly spotted flying over northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska…
A formation of unidentified drones, some in groups of 30, have been reported flying high above a corner of rural northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska, usually from 7 to 10 p.m. By some accounts, the drones have wingspans of 6 feet or more.
“They can sit there and hover. They can descend very fast. They can take off very fast,” Wyatt Harman, who chased the drones as they flew above his land in Washington County, Colorado, told the “TODAY” show.
He and his girlfriend, Chelsea Arnold, said they pursued the lights for about 15 miles, driving as fast as 70 mph.
These drones were very large and could fly at extremely high speeds.
Pretty soon, there were also sightings in Kansas. At the time, multiple witnesses reported seeing formations of up to 50 drones flying in very precise “grid formations”…
Meanwhile, neighbouring Nebraska and Kansas were also dealing with their own mysterious drone swarms. From December 2019 to January 2020, residents of the three states were perturbed by multiple sightings of numerous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with wingspans of up to 6ft flying between 6pm and 10pm in grid formations. On the same night that Iovinella was receiving calls, a Nebraska deputy reported seeing 30 to 50 drones in the sky. Witnesses were alarmed by the size and speed of the vehicles. “It got to the point that we were fixing to take up arms,” says Mike, 39, from Lindon, Colorado, who wishes to retain partial anonymity.
To me, a large fleet of highly sophisticated drones flying at very high speed is a lot more alarming than a few high altitude balloons.
Quite frequently, unidentified drones appear to be very interested in national security targets of a highly sensitive nature. In fact, from March 2018 to April 2021, there were “four reports of unidentified airborne vehicle intrusions at sensitive U.S. government nuclear laboratories”…
Freedom of Information Act requests by the Washington Examiner have returned four reports of unidentified airborne vehicle intrusions at sensitive U.S. government nuclear laboratories between March 2018 and April 2021. In each case, security officers failed to identify the operator of these apparent vehicles or their intent.
U.S. military bases and ships that belong to the U.S. Navy are also common targets. For example, last year footage of a very alarming incident in which a drone swarm flew very close to the USS Zumwalt in April 2019 was released to the public…
New footage from the U.S. Navy shows a drone swarm of unknown origin flying over the USS Zumwalt, a highly sensitive “stealth destroyer” in the waters off California in April 2019.
The video, obtained by The War Zone via the Freedom of Information Act, features a sailor describing a set of lights from six drones above the USS Zumwalt as he filmed the encounter
Of course that was not just an isolated incident.
According to an “interim report” that was released in June 2022, there were 144 incidents of unidentified aircraft flying near U.S. military targets over a period of 17 years…
Sightings of what appear to be aircraft flying without discernible means of propulsion have been reported near military bases and coastlines, raising the prospect that witnesses have spotted undiscovered or secret Chinese or Russian technology.
An interim report released by US intelligence officials last year counted 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. In all but one of the sightings investigated, there was too little information for investigators to even broadly characterise the nature of the incident.
But that wasn’t the end of the story.
Many more incidents were later added to that report, and ultimately the grand total reached a whopping 510 incidents…
The March 2021 date represents the end of a preliminary assessment period by ODNI that spanned 17 years, during which there were 144 UAP reports. Since that date, another 119 incidents that took place before March 2021 but weren’t included in the preliminary assessment were also reported — bringing the total number of reports to 510 as of late August 2022.
So I am glad that there is finally an uproar about the lack of security in the skies above our heads.
Because vast hordes of drones have been regularly violating U.S. air space for a long time.
And in case you are wondering, yes, drones can deliver weapons of mass destruction.
Unfortunately, our leaders continue to move us even closer to cataclysmic conflicts with both Russia and China, and the death and destruction that such conflicts could cause would be unimaginable.
So let us hope that our leaders will decide to reverse course and start pressing for peace while it is still possible to do so.
Because if we stay on the path that we are on, eventually someone will make a mistake that will not be able to be erased, and then millions upon millions of people will die.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post Actually, Hordes Of Highly Sophisticated Unidentified Aircraft Have Been Flying Over U.S. Territory appeared first on The Economic Collapse.
It appears that the tsunami of layoffs that started late last year is starting to accelerate. January was a horrible month for job losses, and major layoff announcements are coming fast and furious here in February. But of course the Biden administration would have us believe that everything is just fine. Last week, the government told us that the U.S. economy “added 517,000 jobs” in January. But as I discussed in a previous article, that wasn’t what actually happened. The raw, unadjusted number showed that the U.S. economy actually lost 2.5 million jobs last month. That is a terrible number, but after the bureaucrats in Washington were done with their “adjustments” it magically became a gain of 517,000 jobs. If you want to have faith that their “adjustments” are appropriate, good for you. But other sources also confirm that things have really taken a turn for the worse. For example, Challenger, Gray & Christmas just issued a report that concluded that last month “was the worst January for job cuts since the Great Recession in 2009”…
U.S. companies announced roughly 103,000 job cuts in January, the highest monthly total since September 2020, a Thursday analysis found.
Last month was the worst January for job cuts since the Great Recession in 2009, according to a report from employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Around 40 percent of last month’s job reductions came in the tech industry, where Google parent company Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce announced plans to lay off thousands of workers. Many of the companies said they grew too quickly in recent years and must cut costs to boost profitability.
So many large companies announced staff reductions last month, and that trend has definitely continued this month.
The following are 12 major layoffs that have already been announced in February…
#1 Disney has decided to tell approximately 7,000 employees to hit the bricks…
“We will be reducing our workforce by approximately 7,000 jobs,” CEO Bob Iger said during the company’s first quarter earnings call. “While this is necessary to address the challenges we’re facing today, I do not make this decision lightly. I have enormous respect and appreciation for the talent and dedication of our employees worldwide, and I’m mindful of the personal impact of these changes.”
#2 Yahoo has announced that it will be laying off “more than 20% of its workforce”…
Yahoo will lay off more than 20% of its workforce by the end of 2023, eliminating 1,000 positions this week alone, the company said in a statement Thursday.
#3 Ebay was doing quite well, but now they have decided that 4 percent of their workers are no longer needed…
Ebay on Tuesday announced plans to cut 500 jobs, or about 4% of its workforce, according to a filing with the SEC.
#4 Affirm is yet another tech company that has recently made a decision to conduct mass layoffs…
Affirm announced it’s cutting 19% of its workforce Wednesday. The news came as it reported second quarter earnings that fell below analyst estimates on both the top and bottom lines.
#5 As the U.S. housing crash deepens, JPMorgan Chase has concluded that now is the time to “cut hundreds of mortgage employees”…
JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut hundreds of mortgage employees this week, adding to job losses across the industry as home-lending businesses continue to be hurt by elevated interest rates.
#6 GoDaddy just let their workers know that they plan to “reduce the size of our global team by about 8%”…
Today, we are announcing a plan to reduce the size of our global team by about 8%. This will come as difficult news for many valued and respected GoDaddy team members.
#7 Micron is one of the biggest private employers in Idaho, but now it intends to “reduce its global headcount by about 10% over the next year”…
Micron has begun laying off workers, a spokesperson for the company told the Idaho Statesman.
The news marks the beginning of the company’s plan to reduce its global headcount by about 10% over the next year. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra announced during a quarterly conference call with investors in December that the company is taking significant steps to reduce costs and operating expenses as demand for its principal products wanes.
#8 GitHub has become yet another victim of the downsizing trend in the tech industry…
Microsoft-owned GitHub is laying off 10% of its staff, the company confirmed to Fortune.
#9 Nomad Health just laid off approximately 20 percent of their entire corporate workforce…
Nomad Health, a healthcare staffing startup, laid off around 20% of its corporate workforce this week, according to four terminated employees, as the surge in travel nurses and other temporary healthcare workers ignited by the pandemic cools down.
#10 Zoom is giving the axe to approximately 1,300 workers…
Zoom on Tuesday said it will lay off about 1,300 employees, or approximately 15% of its staff, becoming the latest tech company to announce significant job cuts as a pandemic-fueled surge in demand for digital services wanes.
#11 Boeing was supposedly going to be hiring more workers, but instead the company just announced that thousands of positions in finance and human resources will be eliminated…
“We expect about 2,000 reductions this year primarily in Finance and HR through a combination of attrition and layoffs,” Boeing confirmed Monday.
#12 Do you remember when Dell computers were still popular? Unfortunately, the tide has turned and now Dell has been forced to get rid of 6,650 workers…
Dell Technologies Inc. is eliminating about 6,650 roles as it faces plummeting demand for personal computers, becoming the latest technology company to announce thousands of job cuts.
I could go on and on if you would like.
There are countless other firms that have also just announced significant layoffs.
We truly have not faced economic conditions like this since the Great Recession, and a recent Gallup survey seems to underscore this point…
Reflecting on their personal financial situations, 35% of Americans say they are better off now than they were a year ago, while 50% are worse off. Since Gallup first asked this question in 1976, it has been rare for half or more of Americans to say they are worse off. The only other times this occurred was during the Great Recession era in 2008 and 2009.
Unfortunately, we are still only in the very early chapters of this new crisis. As I have been warning for years, things will eventually get much worse.
Our leaders have been making incredibly bad decisions for decades, and now we are going to get to suffer the consequences of those bad decisions.
This generation was handed the keys to the greatest economic machine that the world has ever seen, but we wrecked it.
Now the chickens are coming home to roost, and most Americans are completely unprepared for what is coming next.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
The post After The Worst January Job Cuts ‘Since The Great Recession’, Here Are 12 Major Layoffs That Have Already Been Announced In February appeared first on The Economic Collapse.
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Since debuting on the Paramount Network in 2018, Yellowstone has become one of the most popular TV series. The “neo-Western” chronicles the trials and tribulations of the fictional Dutton family. The Duttons own the largest ranch in modern-day Montana. The incredible land incites conflict with an Indian reservation, land developers and even 21st century “progress.” Yellowstone initially drew mixed responses from critics. But it steadily gained an audience, with recent season drawing comparisons to The Sopranos, The Wire and even Game of Thrones. Yellowstone has steadily gained an audience. Recent seasons drew comparisons to such beloved TV series as The Sopranos, The Wire and even Game of Thrones. It’s massive success rates an examination of the guns of Yellowstone’s 1883.
Part of Yellowstone’s success has been its ability to cross genres. It’s an action-packed modern Western meets evening soap opera, built around a highly dysfunctional and at times estranged family group. Set in the modern day, with all of life’s modern problems, it is still at times an over-the-top romp that makes for good “escapism” TV.
Yet, even its most hardcore fans may question why the series lead, ranch owner John Dutton—a perfectly cast Kevin Costner—fights so hard to maintain his ranch. Throughout four seasons, the senior Dutton struggles to fend off land developers and others hell-bent on acquiring the land by any means, including at times (spoilers) offering a king’s ransom.
The answer lies in the Paramount+ original series, 1883, the first of at least two planned prequels that tell the story of Dutton’s ancestors and the sacrifices they made, and the prices paid, to find the perfect land to call their own. To say that the Dutton family has paid with blood is an understatement, to say the least.
Where the original Yellowstone takes place almost entirely in Montana–apart from those occasions when some unlucky individual takes a ride to the “train station” on the Wyoming border–1883 takes place almost entirely away from Big Sky Country. It actually begins outside Fort Worth, Texas 18 years after the American Civil War as Tennessee native James Dutton (Tim McGraw) arrives in town to meet his family and begin the journey to Oregon. His welcome to the frontier certainly sets the tone for what is about to come—with a gang of bandits confronting him just before he even rolls into town.
1883 is thus not about the founding of the ranch, but rather the journey to get to the land where the Duttons will eventually build it. Explaining more would spoil the secrets, but suffice it to say that by the end of the 10 episodes, the importance of the location comes into focus.
Whether series creator Taylor Sheridan had this particular backstory in mind when he began developing Yellowstone isn’t clear, but the prequel fills in the blanks perfectly. 1883 also centers on the motivation that drives James Dutton’s clan—the family patriarch, who was scarred from his time as a Confederate officer at the Battle of Antietam, followed by his captivity in a Union prison camp.
Elsa Dutton, the 18-year-old, headstrong daughter of James, played by actress Isabel May, serves as the narrator, describing even the darkest events as just another part of the adventure. The Duttons endure no shortage of hardship and loss, and misery certainly loves company as they’re joined in the journey with a wagon train of German and Eastern European immigrants also looking for a better life in Oregon. The cross-country trek is nothing like the classic “edutainment” video game series The Oregon Trail.
Today, a cross-country road trip involves the U.S. highway system, with plenty of rest stops and colorful attractions. By contrast, in the 1880s there was barely a trail, and a distance that could be covered in a couple hours today took a week or longer, not to mention that the route was often frequented by bandits. Then there were hostile Native Americans, wild animals including rattlesnakes and even the elements to contend with. Clearly, this was well before the time anyone would dare say “getting there is half the fun!”
With Yellowstone set in the modern day, characters can be expected to carry Glock handguns and AR-15s, but 1883 is all about those classic firearms that were commonplace on the frontier in the post–Civil War era. Sam Elliott, who plays Shea Brennan, a Pinkerton agent and former captain in the Union Army, and Marshal Jim Courtright (Billy Bob Thornton) are just two of several characters who seemed to favor the Single Action Army “Civilian” Model revolver.
Other notable “six-shooters” that make an appearance in the series include the iconic Single Action Army “Artillery” and Single Action Army “Cavalry” models, while Colt 1860 Army “Avenging Angel” and Colt 1860 Richards Conversion revolvers receive their moments of screen time. Most of the revolvers appear to be Uberti replicas, while a few Denix non-firing replicas are present in moments that don’t involve shootouts.
With the story set nearly entirely on the frontier, the show features no shortage of lever-action rifles. Such archetypal firearms as the Winchester Model 1866 “Yellow Boy,” Winchester Model 1873 carbine and Winchester Model 1873 Short Rifle all feature prominently in 1883. Meanwhile, the Winchester Model 1873 Long Rifle appears in a number of action sequences.
A number of characters, including the Duttons and several pioneers, carry double-barrel shotguns. A Colt Model 1878 and Rossi Overland each make appearances.
Despite the show’s armorers paying close attention to details, and mostly getting it right, a few out-of-place weapons make an appearance. These include a Winchester Model 1885 High Wall. The High Wall began production after the Duttons settled in Montana. However, it does wear a period-correct Hi-Lux Optics Malcom 6X, 30-inch-long telescopic sight, a replica of the Malcolm scopes first produced in the mid-1850s. A Winchester Model 1892 also stands in for the Winchester 1873.
During a sequence set at Fort Casper, Wyoming, a sentry carries a Remington Rolling Block rifle–a weapon adopted by the U.S. military and produced by the Springfield Armory. However, eagle-eyed viewers have noted that the weapon in 1883 has three barrel bands, while the U.S.-produced models would have had only two. This suggests the screen version is likely a Spanish or perhaps even Egyptian model. Additionally, another sentry carries an anachronistic Trapdoor Springfield Rifle Model 1888.
For the flashback sequence of the Battle of Antietam, a number of period-correct firearms make an appearance, including the Sharps carbine and Enfield Pattern 1853 rifled musket—weapons used by both Union and Confederate forces during the war—as well an Enfield Pattern 1861 Musketoon, the short-barrel version of the Pattern 1853 rifled musket. That would seem to be an odd choice for a Union infantryman, however, as most were issued to artillery and cavalry units.
A bigger issue with the scene–in addition to the appearance of the expected Springfield Model 1842 .69-caliber muskets and Springfield Model 1861 .58-caliber Minié-type rifled muskets carried by Union forces–some of the men carry the anachronistic Springfield Model 1863 instead. Few viewers may have caught the small differences between the two—the earlier model had a curved hammer and conventional priming, while the latter model featured a straight hammer and screw-retained barrel bands.
Given the show depicted the 1862 Battle of Antietam–the deadliest one-day battle in American military history–the inclusion of the particular rifle musket becomes inappropriate. A proper setting change to the Battle of Gettysburg or the Battle of the Wilderness, following the debut of the Model 1863, resolves the issue.
Paramount+ originally gave the green light to 1883 as a limited series prequel. Meanwhile, flashbacks in the main Yellowstone series offered a few important moments from the Dutton family’s history. The first run completed the family journey to Montana. But the show proved such a hit, in February the streaming service ordered additional episodes. Paramount+ stopped short of calling the order a renewal or a second season. But it appears the story continues for James and Margaret Dutton.
And that won’t be the end of it either, as a second prequel has also been ordered. Titled 1932, it will follow another generation of Duttons during the time of Western expansion, Prohibition and the Great Depression. It never seems to get easy for the family, as their land seems to have come at a considerable price.
As with other modern prestige TV series, 1883 comprises a big-budget affair. It brings a high-profile cast, including the aforementioned country singer Tim McGraw and his real-life wife Faith Hill as Dutton’s long-suffering yet loyal wife Margaret. Sam Elliot and LaMonica Garret star as Pinkerton agents charged with leading the expedition.
Notable guest stars further added to the storytelling and included Tom Hanks as Union Army General George Meade in a flashback following the Battle of Antietam. Hanks’s wife Rita Wilson played a kindly storekeeper in the frontier town of Doan’s Crossing on the Texas-Oklahoma state line. Indigenous (Oneida) Canadian actor Graham Greene appeared in the season finale as a Crow elder who directed James Dutton to Paradise Valley, the eventual location of the Dutton Yellowstone Ranch.
Billy Bob Thornton also starred as Fort Worth’s real-life Tarrant County Deputy Sheriff “Big Jim” Courtright, who had earned a reputation for keeping the peace in the notorious “hell’s half acre”—the town’s red-light district. Though Courtright was no longer marshal when the series takes place, this is an accepted historical liberty.
An almost expected cameo came when series creator Taylor Sheridan—who had previously played the recurring character Travis Wheatley in Yellowstone—appears as another historical figure, Charles Goodnight, “the father of the Texas Panhandle,” who earned a reputation for hunting cattle thieves.
Beyond the question of why the ranch is so important to the Dutton family is why the journey to Montana began in Fort Worth, Texas. The quick answer is that while series creator Taylor Sheridan grew up in Montana, he has an affinity for the Lone Star State. It also had the right feel.
In many of the Fort Worth scenes, filming actually took place in the neighborhood around West Exchange Avenue and North Houston Street. The production converted these streets to match the setting of the show. The area received a rustic makeover prior to filming. Most of the early episodes of 1883 took place at locations across Texas, not far from Weatherford, where the Yellowstone creator currently lives.
The city is home to the Bosque Ranch Headquarters, a real-life ranch and media production facility that served as one of the primary on-set filming locations for the original Yellowstone. A few other scenes for 1883 filmed at the famed 6666 Ranch. Later episodes filmed in Montana, including Livingston, Clyde Park and Paradise Valley.
For the cast and crew, the change of scenery came at a price. According to past interviews with series star Sam Elliot, temperatures in Texas exceeded 100 degrees during filming. In Montana, temperatures dipped down into the teens. The situations very likely mirrored the conditions faced by travelers in 1883.
This story originally ran in the Winter, 2022 issue of Guns of the Old West. Get your copy today at OutdoorGroupStore.com.
The post The Guns of Yellowstone’s Origin Story, 1883 appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.
First, I want to get one thing out of the way; there is no such thing as the “best survival knife.”
It doesn’t exist.
However, there’s quite possibly a “best survival knife for YOU.”
That difference may seem slight, but it’s of utmost importance.
Why? Because no two survivalists are alike.
We all have different goals and unique skills that make some survival knives better for you than others.
So this survival knife guide aims to provide you with the best information to make an informed decision on which survival knife to purchase.
Here’s exactly what we’ll cover in this guide:
Now that we have a general sense of what to look for in a good survival knife, let’s go through some detailed reviews of the top survival knives.
These detailed review videos will help you further understand what makes a good survival knife and get a sense of the best survival uses for each of these knives.
The ESEE Model 4 was designed as an all-around tactical, survival, and bushcraft knife.
The minimalist design features full-tang construction, tough micarta or polymer grip scales, and easy to service hex-key screws. This makes it extremely durable and reliable.
It’s built of high-carbon 1095 steel, a great choice for all kinds of blades.
Many people will be tempted to go for a larger blade, but the 4-inch blade is perfect for the majority of tasks.
It holds an edge well and sharpens easily, though you do have to take care to keep it clean and lightly lubricated to prevent staining or rust.
The supplied sheaths seem to have varied over the production run, with some of the older versions missing the MOLLE attachments. Other versions sported a molded Kydex sheath which holds the knife securely in place.
The most recent version has a simple poly sheath, but ESEE still sells the Kydex sheath separately and at a reasonable price.
PROS
CONS
If the ESEE 4 just isn’t enough blade for you, ESEE still has plenty of models with a bit more heft.
The ESEE 5 is a solid survival and utility knife, with a 5.25″ blade carved from a single 1/4″ thick full-tang slab of high-carbon 1095 steel that’s over 1.5″ wide.
This gives the ESEE 5 an amazing level of durability for the heaviest chopping and batoning tasks.
The micarta handle scales are screwed on with hex key bolts, allowing you to fully service (and clean) your knife. The scales also feature a bow drill divot, designed to give you a secure point from which to apply pressure downward on the drill shaft when starting a fire.
It’s an excellent detail and WAY more secure than trying to find a rock or shell with a natural divot.
The heavy steel blade also features an extra survival detail – the pommel is a hardened point for breaking glass!
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CONS
When it comes to survival knives, bigger isn’t always better. The ESEE Izula-II is a perfect example of an EDC survival knife. Easy to carry, it’s the blade you can always have with you.
With a 2.625″ cutting edge and an overall length of only 6.25″, it’s one of the more compact knives in its class. But that doesn’t mean ESEE skimps on the features or construction
The Izula-II is built on a full-tang piece of high carbon 1095 steel, a great choice for all kinds of blades. It takes an edge well and is easy to sharpen.
The micarta scales are removable, in case you need to clean or repair them – but it also means you can strip the knife down and do a paracord wrap handle if you want.
However, the handle design is one of the key features of the Izula-II, making it easy to hold and work with on even the most delicate tasks (food prep, skinning, etc.), so I wouldn’t suggest that option unless you really want extra paracord on hand.
PROS
CONS
If you’re looking for a high-quality stainless steel survival knife, the Morakniv Kansbol is a great option. It’s a versatile blade, built of the highest grade Swedish 12C27 stainless steel.
Right out of the box, the Kansbol is razor-sharp and exceptionally resistant to the rust and corrosion that plagues many knives. Stainless steel is also very hard, making it more difficult to ding or dull your blade.
The back of the blade is ground to a 90-degree edge, making a perfect surface to strike sparks and save wear and tear on the blade edge.
The tough polyamide injection molded handle and sheath are easy to grip and built to last.
They work well together, forming a click-lock closure that keeps the knife from accidentally falling out while on the move. In fact, there are two sheath options to choose from, depending on how you want to mount the knife.
PROS
Cons
If you’ve looked into other Morakniv stainless steel survival knives, you know some of the benefits of a high-quality stainless blade. The Garberg takes all those benefits a few steps further.
It’s built on a full-tang slab of 14C28N stainless steel, extending 9 inches from the tip of the blade to the exposed pommel. This gives it unmatched durability and simplicity, with fewer parts to break.
The stainless steel comes razor sharp out of the box and will hold that edge for a long time, without corrosion or dulling. Like all stainless steel blades, you may find it more difficult to sharpen at home.
Similar to other Morakniv blades, the spine of the blade is square-ground to provide a good edge for sparking fire starters, which prevents damage to the sharp edge.
The Garberg also comes with one of three choices in sheath design, from a classic leather flap sheath to polymer belt or MOLLE compatible versions.
PROS
CONS
Coming in somewhere between “knife” and “machete“, the Schrade SCH9 is over 12″ of full-tang steel with a (semi) kukri blade shape.
I say “semi” because there is little of the characteristic crook bend of a kukri, but the drop tip blade does have a large curve in the belly which puts the center of mass of the knife more towards the tip.
This makes it an efficient chopping knife for clearing brush, felling limbs and sharpening sticks, and splitting kindling. The blade is made of high-carbon 1095 steel, a great choice for all kinds of blades.
It takes an edge well and can be sharpened easily, though it does require regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent corrosion.
The textured elastomer handle is easy to grip and has great positive finger placements to keep the knife firmly in your control. It also makes it easier to use the exposed pommel as an improvised hammer to crack nuts, pound in stakes, or break glass.
The ballistic nylon sheath is workable but flops around a bit without the leg tie. However, I’d prefer a MOLLE compatible sheath and would consider an aftermarket upgrade.
PROS
CONS
The Schrade SCHR52M Frontier is a BIG knife, there’s no doubt about it.
The 7″ drop point blade is solidly built and up to all the heavy tasks you may find around camp. The high carbon 1095 steel holds a great edge and is a pleasure to sharpen.
At 13″ overall and nearly 18oz, it has the mass needed for chopping, splitting, and hacking at vegetation. The full-tang design even stands up to batoning and other high impact chores.
The micarta scales provide a great grip, while a large finger guard keeps your hand from slipping on to the blade. A lanyard hole means you can attach a paracord loop to clip off and keep from dropping the knife.
The polyester belt sheath is serviceable and holds the blade securely as well as the included Ferro rod firestarter and sharpening stone, but it’s not the most ergonomic or durable design. A MOLLE-compatible sheath would be a good addition and there are plenty available as replacements.
Finally, there have been some reports of QC issues from the company, but returns and warranty coverage have been good.
PROS
CONS
There may be no more storied fighting knife name than KA-BAR. They’ve accompanied US Marines for decades and earned a place in history.
The KA-BAR Becker BK2 Companion is a great design that takes some of the best features from both the legendary fighting blades and the most popular survival designs.
Built of high carbon/vanadium 1095 steel and featuring a full tang design, this is a solidly built and durable knife. At 10.5″ overall and over 5″ of sharpened edge, there’s a lot of blade to the Becker BK2, but it weighs in at just under 16oz.
The drop point blade design is perfect for fine detail tasks such as skinning and butchering game, with a smooth cutting edge that makes slicing easy.
The comfortable handle is made of Ultramid, a synthetic material that stands up to plenty of abuse, though they could stand a little more texture for grip.
A solid sheath made of glass-reinforced nylon keeps the blade sharp and secure, plus it attaches to nearly anything with a MOLLE compatible design.
PROS
CONS
Gerber has been around for over 100 years, starting out in Portland Oregon in 1910.
The Gerber LMF was designed in cooperation with former military weapons experts and field-tested by US troops. This means you can trust the 10″ knife to stand up to the most rugged use.
The design gives you both fine cutting straight blade for slicing and the tough serrated edge to cut the toughest items (like seatbelts and rope).
The over-molded handle provides plenty of grip, ensuring that you don’t lose hold on the knife even in the worst conditions. It’s large enough to hold even while wearing gloves, but not too bulky for bare-handed use.
The pommel features a pointed stainless steel cap to punch through automotive glass, but it’s also separated from the steel of the blade, allowing for insulation to prevent electric shock.
In a unique addition, the LMF II has lashing holes in the handle, designed to tie it securely to the point of a spear. Hopefully, you’ll never need it, but it does provide the option for a long-distance weapon in hunting or combat.
PROS
CONS
Fallkniven makes some of the best, most simplified survival knives out there.
They use extremely high-quality materials throughout and the craftsmanship is superb. In the case of the A1, this means a full 11″ of laminated vg10 steel, with a 6″ finely sharpened drop point blade.
The full-tang blade extends all the way to an exposed pommel, giving the option to use it as a striking surface.
The rubberized handle is very grippy, with a slight diamond pattern. The finger guard is solid and keeps a good amount of material between your fingers and the blade.
The Zytel sheath is simple and protects and secures the blade nicely. It’s a rigid sheath, which does make it slightly less comfortable on the hip or thigh, but it does well attached to a pack or strap. Unfortunately, it’s not MOLLE compatible.
However, as with any high-quality brand, there are plenty of attempted fakes. Laminated steel blades often show faint lines along the sharpened edge, similar to famous Damascus steel.
The fakes, made of lesser quality steel, often lack the fine striations but are otherwise identical in appearance. These inferior blades are prone to chipping and lose their edge quickly. So be sure to order from reputable dealers and inspect your blades immediately.
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CONS
Fallkniven blades have a reputation for super high-quality materials and craftsmanship and the FN78 F1 is no exception.
At just over 8″ overall, it’s a compact survival knife with no gimmicks. The 4″ drop point blade is clean and simple, making it easy to sharpen and maintain. It’s perfect for detailed work like skinning and cleaning game. It’s not large enough or heavy enough for chopping or batoning kindling.
Built of COS steel, with a full-tang design and an exposed pommel, it’s built to last. The 90deg ground back edge makes it easy to strike sparks from a ferrocerium firestarter. The elastomer handle is easy to grip in any condition and doesn’t get brittle or tear with age and use. <
Like other Fallkniven blades, there are plenty of impostors for this one. As always, only buy from trusted dealers and be sure to inspect your knife on arrival. Inconsistent blade grinds and poor quality sharpening are the most obvious indications of a fake. <
PROS
CONS
Ontario Knife Company makes some very high-quality blades, and the Black Bird SK-5 follows through on that reputation.
A well-built stainless steel knife with a full-tang design, the SK-5 sports a 5″ blade, and a 10″ overall length.
It’s a great mid-size knife for nearly all the usual camp tasks. It might be a little small for batoning, but it chops, slices, and takes care of medium kindling with ease.
The 154 CM stainless steel is highly resistant to corrosion and is built to last. It’s impressively hard and holds a fine edge as well. Of course, it can be hard to sharpen yourself.
The synthetic G10 handles are durable and easy to remove for cleaning, but the shape is rather blocky and not the most comfortable design. It IS possible to re-shape them yourself if you want to take the time to get it perfect.
The MOLLE compatible sheath is well built and attaches well, making it convenient to keep your knife anywhere you need it.
PROS
CONS
Before deep-diving into all the available options for survival knives (such as blade design, blade edge, blade length, blade grinds, grips, etc.), let’s highlight the top survival knife features to choose the perfect survival knife.
These are the key survival knife features you’ll want in any survival knife you choose.
If it is too big, you’ll give up the ability to do detailed carving work like carving detailed snare sets or precision cutting.
Too small, and you’ll be compromising important survival skills like chopping, splitting, and batoning.
You need a knife small enough for precision yet large enough to be rugged for tougher tasks.
So you’re looking roughly in the 9 to 11-inch overall knife length.
A fixed-blade survival knife is exactly what it sounds like. The blade of the knife is in a fixed position. It does not switch, flip, or fold down.
The fewer moving parts mean a more durable knife for the long haul.
A tough, quality, constructed fixed-blade knife can handle some serious abuse. For example, one of the most abusive survival knife techniques is batoning.
Batoning with a knife is a brutal test.
I tried batoning with a high-quality folding knife once, and it destroyed the springs and clips within 5 minutes.
Since you need your knife to last while performing the most rugged survival skills, shop in the “fixed blade survival knife” category.
But they are not advisable for serious survival.
A fixed-blade knife is what you want for survival. It’s a blade you can stake your life on.
Folder blades have a weakness that fixed blades do not. They have a pivot joint that makes them foldable, and when you abuse a folding knife, the joint will eventually break.
The blade’s tang is the metal section wrapped in the knife’s handle.
A true full tang knife profile fills the entire handle with exposed metal around the edges, while a partial tang knife is where the metal is smaller and inside the handle.
Full tang knives are designed to withstand much more abuse than partial tang knives. If you beat on a partial tang knife, it will eventually come loose and develop play in the handle.
If the handle breaks off, it’s very difficult and dangerous to use a partial tang knife – while a full tang knife can be wrapped with some 550 paracord and still work nearly as well.
There are also rat-tail tangs and hidden tangs, which are even less durable than partial tangs.
So ideally, you want full tang for survival. But some partial tangs are decent for survival purposes as well.
The bottom line is the more metal in the handle, the better- yes, these knives cost a little more, but it’s worth it.
Many survival knife designers want to stand out from the crowd and design funky-looking knife blades with insane shapes.
They might look badass or cool, but they won’t function as well for you in survival situations.
Spearpoint or drop points are best for self-defense penetration and allow you to perform fine point work.
Unless you’re looking for a blade for your next Halloween custom – stick with the simple yet effective blade shapes of either a spear point or a drop point, and you won’t regret it.
Single-edged blades have only one side of the blade sharpened and are used for cutting, slicing, etc. – while double-edged blades are sharp on both sides.
And in survival, the flat side is as important as the sharp side.
First, it helps with detailed control. You can slide your thumb safely onto the flat edge, but this control technique is impossible if the edge is sharp.
Second, a double edge blade works against you when batoning to split wood. You beat down on a sharp blade and lose your striking power.
Third, using fire steel with a flat edge is much easier. A flat 90-degree grind is perfect for getting sparks from a Ferro rod.
Look for a survival knife where you can use the butt of the handle as a makeshift light-duty hammer. So you want the butt of the handle to be flat and not round.
This allows you to drive tent stakes into the ground or use your knife like a punch – where you drive the knife by hitting the bottom of it with a chunk of wood.
In the next section, I want to dive deep into all the specific details behind different survival knife designs, the steel differences, the coatings, grinds, tangs, etc., and the pros and cons of each.
Specifically, we will be covering the following topics in detail:
Deciding on the blade design shape is one of the most important factors when choosing your survival knife.
For example, in a survival situation, you’ll likely use every bit of the blade from the belly to the tip for all sorts of tasks.
So you need to have a basic understanding of all the blade shape options.
There are four main options when it comes to blade design (spear, tonto, clip, or drop point).
As we covered earlier, for survival, we recommend you go with a spear or drop for most survival knives.
Because these blade designs put the tip of the blade close to the centerline of the blade, which provides great control, it also lowers the weight at the blade’s tip, helping move the knife’s balance point closer to the hilt. This helps give the user greater tip control as well.
However, it’s always good to understand the applications for the other blade designs. You might already have your “go-to” survival knife, and you’re in the market for a specialty blade.
Here’s an excellent video overview of these main blade design options.
Fixed-blade knives are what you want for wilderness survival.
However, fixed-blade knives are more cumbersome to carry. You can’t carry a large fixed-blade knife around unnoticed.
So for everyday carry needs, you should look into a folding knife. They are ideal for everyday carry situations when you’re not trying to build survival shelters or start fires in the wild.
But for a proper survival knife, you need something extremely durable that will not break under intense use and abuse.
Yes, a good pocket knife should be in your pocket, but it should never be your primary survival knife for extreme situations.
The length of a knife’s blade determines how useful it is for certain tasks. Choppers are your larger machete-like blades, while precision bushcraft work is best with smaller carver blades.
You want a bit of both for survival, so the best survival blades tend to be in the medium-size range.
High carbon steel (i.e., 1095, 5160, 01 or A2) vs. stainless steels (i.e., 420HC, 440C, AUS-8 or AUS-10) – as you can tell, there are a lot of blade steel options.
In layman’s terms, high-carbon tool steels tend to be tougher than stainless steel, making them harder to break but more susceptible to corrosion.
They also are easier to sharpen than stainless, but they won’t keep an edge as well.
If you want to understand the difference in blade steels, you have to think like a knife maker. The following video deep dives into all the various steel options.
Worth watching if you want a great introduction to blade steel choices.
There are several blade grind options for any knife design. Each grind has pros and cons, depending on how you want your tactical knife to perform.
However, for survival knives, two specific blade grinds stand above the rest, the saber and flat grinds.
The saber grind has a short primary bevel from the cutting edge to the back of the blade. This creates a thicker edge that’s harder to sharpen to a very fine point but will hold its edge better when chopping and splitting.
The flat grind is a compromise between the saber grind and a hollow grind.
A hollow grind concaves inward from the blade edge to the cutting point, making the cutting edge extremely sharp and prone to chipping and damage under intense use.
So a flat grind has a bevel that goes from the cutting edge all the way to the back of the blade. This allows for a much finer edge than the saber grind but is not as fragile as the hollow grind.
If this sounds confusing, watch the videos below for an excellent introduction to the basic knife grinds.
We only recommend you invest in a full-tang survival knife. We discussed it previously so I won’t go over it again.
However, some future knife enthusiasts may want an introduction to partial tangs (rat tail tang, narrow tangs, hidden tangs).
The following video gives a nice introduction to this interesting knife topic.
The science of blade coatings is detailed and complex. However, it’s interesting chemistry.
This video provides a detailed overview of 6 different blade coatings put through an extensive series of tests. Make sure to watch to the end to find out which blade coating holds up the best.
The grip of a survival knife is critical to its performance. You need a tough grip that won’t break under intense forces. Yet it feels comfortable in your hands.
You also want a grip that won’t absorb moisture which can lead to handling rot.
A few of the most popular knife handle materials are Wood, Micarta, G-10, Zytel, Krayton, or Hypalon.
The following video goes into a nice introduction to some of these handle materials.
Finally, I wanted to share a bit of information on grip techniques. I think it’s as important (maybe more) to invest time learning how to use your new survival knife.
A survival knife is important but only useful in the right hands.
So watch the following video to get an introduction to how to use your survival knife once you decide on which one to buy.
Survival knives come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and designs.
You must decide for yourself which survival knife is best suited for your needs. The good news is you should invest in multiple survival knives. You should have a survival knife for your bug-out bag, one for your survival pack, one for your medical first aid kit, and one for your get-home bag.
I don’t know anyone serious about survival who owns just one knife. Over the years, we accumulated many survival knives, each serving a specific purpose.
For example, here’s a good video by a survival expert who shares his impressive collection of survival knives with us.
P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?
Find out now by taking my short Readiness Score Quiz – it’s absolutely free.
Once complete, you’ll know exactly where you stand on the “fragile” vs.” resilient” spectrum.
So click here to start the Quiz….And don’t worry; the questions are so easy a 3rd grader could answer them.
Click on the image to begin the Quiz and find out once and for all if you’re part of “The Fragile Masses” or “The Resilient Few.”
The post 12 Best Survival Knives For Taming The Wild appeared first on Skilled Survival.
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Smith & Wesson just announced an exciting new addition to its famed Performance Center line of guns. The new PC M&P9 M2.0 Competitor comprises a metal-framed pistol built right out of the box for competition.
The metal-framed 9mm pistol comes with a 5-inch barrel. It features an enhanced sear for lighter, crisper let-off. It also includes a flared magazine well for fast and efficient reloads.
But what jumps off the page is the stylish new look. It includes aggressive lightening cuts on both the top and sides of the slide, ultimately reducing the amount of weight in front of the chamber. That design helps improve the recoil balance point, according to S&W. We know it sure looks pretty wild, and awesome we think, as well.
The slide features a cut for optics, but also includes a fiber-optics front sight and blacked out, serrated rear sight. The Competitor comes with an oversized mag release that is reversible for both right- and left-handed users. The pistol with with a total of four magazines. The pistol delivers an overall capacity of 17+1 (or 10+1). Finally, the pistol comes with a Tungsten Gray Cerakote or black Armornite slide finish.
The Competitor retails for $999. For even more info, please visit smith-wesson.com.
Editor’s Take:
Ok, S&W comes out swinging with the Competitor. We’ve been fortunate to get our hands on many Performance Center firearms in the past. And they simply never disappoint. Function and fit certainly always impress. Better still, these guns perform. A steel-framed M&P, radically cut and tuned to PC performance? Yeah, that one sure ought to be a winner. Shooters talk a lot about out-of-the-box ready guns. It appears S&W delivered just that with this blaster.
The post TESTED: Shooting the Smith & Wesson PC M&P9 M2.0 Competitor appeared first on Ballistic Magazine.
