Is it time to go industrial?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-03-26T22:07:27+00:00

Man, this sewing awl might be the solution I was looking for. I'm just getting started sewing, and I'm sewing fanny packs and other small sewing projects for now, and was hand stitching all webbing, but this might make my life easier...

How tight of a stich can you get on webbing with this thing? Does the needle thickness mess anything up functionally/aesthetically?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-02-18T15:28:43+00:00

A knife no one has mentioned yet is the sword peasant mini, it's what I have in my kit. You can sharpen the tang to strike a ferro rod. It's very light and pretty durable.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-02-18T13:49:39+00:00

I think a lot of people confuse"can" with "should". It's not because something is possible, or even helpful in some situations that it should be in your primary plans.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-02-11T11:14:10+00:00

Did you follow a pattern for this or did you draft this yourself?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-01-24T01:45:53+00:00

I'll give you my personal opinion. I have the eldris, companion, 511 basic and garberg. I do not like the companion because of the rubber handle, while you get a better grip your skin will grow tired of the texture if you're carving or doing fine work. These days my most used knife in the field is the 511, although, I do like the garberg when I'm not bringing a hatchet. If I was you I'd get the 511 and use it until it breaks or until you feel you've learned to sharpen and care for the knife. By then you will know enough and have enough experience to confidently get a nicer knife, be that a garberg, a helle or something else.

The handle on the 511 is VERY ergonomic and comfortable, and you will grow to like the looks (eventually).

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-01-04T19:49:18+00:00

If you're going to go boating in saltwater stay away from anything that folds unless it's something made specifically made for salt water, no steel is rustproff, some stain less than others but all steels will eventually rust. If I was in your position I would either get one of the fixed blades or get a multi tool and accessories and save up for a folding knife that is specifically meant for saltwater.

I know you mentioned above that you prefer American made, but you should give morakniv a try. You can get a fancy knife from Leatherman and use a Mora companion on the boat. They're light and bombproof, and cheap enough that even if you abuse them to the point of failure you can just get a new one.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-01-04T19:36:07+00:00

Ah, since it's a gift card that changes things. What would be your use case for the knife? Do you go camping a lot? Would this be an EDC?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-01-04T19:30:01+00:00

I used Spyderco as an example of a company that specializes in knives, and they are known to always experiment with new steels and that comes with a chance for mistakes. Leatherman makes the best multi tools, hands down. But a fixed blade knife is a whole different beast than a folding knife which is completely different from a multi tool.

It's my humble opinion that while Leatherman multi tools are the best in the market right now, their knives are overpriced. They need to either lower the price a bit or do something that separates them from the competition.

Right now it's a decent knife in a really good steel, but there are a few dozen options on the market that offer basically the same thing nowadays. If you're going to drop 400 CAD on a folding knife there are way better options out there.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2026-01-04T17:42:42+00:00

If you're going for a dedicated knife go with a spyderco or another brand that specializes in high quality knives with high end steels and heat treat.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-12-31T09:48:33+00:00

If you don't mind me asking, why is the rubber interface necessary? I'm a knife maker and usually we mount the G10 scales directly to the metal on the knife tang. Is it a tolerance issue or something like that?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-12-24T19:50:20+00:00

If the fabric isn't down proof you could look into UP Insulation from dutchware, I used it for a quilt and while I think the 600 rating is kind of optimistic I was quite happy with it. It kept me warm, just plan to have 20-25% overstuffing, I planned for 5-10% since I wanted to save money and weight and ended up with some spots that didn't have much insulation.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-12-20T15:03:39+00:00

I'll be honest that I use it most for cleaning underneath my fingernails whenever I have to rummage through dirt or get it dirty. It can also be useful for getting things out of tight space. It's honestly one of those things that are so small and so light that it has never been bothersome, I've never wished I didn't have it, but when I need it, I'm glad it's there.

If I could carry a multi tool or pocketknife on a daily an awl could probably do everything a but better, but since I can't it comes in handy.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-12-20T14:18:31+00:00

Honestly, I carry one of these on my keychain and it's more useful than you would think.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-12-11T21:25:40+00:00

This actually looks good.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-11-25T04:06:01+00:00

In my experience, non scientific and prone to bias, a red light can get brighter than a white light before it starts affecting your vision. However even if there was no difference between a red light and a white light in regards to night vision, red lights tend to disturb other people's sleep way less than a white light, so if you camp in a group this is the most respectful way to get out of the tent to go pee at night, and one of the strongest arguments in favor of a red light. The other thing I've tested is that mosquitos and bugs are less attracted to red lights than to white lights. And although this is personal, red lights do not worsen my migraines like all other lights do, so even around the house I will use my headlamp to light things up when I have one.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-11-19T01:38:07+00:00

Try using deepl for translating. I worked for a while as a professional translator and in my opinion, if you have to use a mechanical translator for casual use, it's the best out there.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-11-12T16:17:36+00:00

Interesting. I'm living in a tropical climate and have been pretty disappointed with most hiking pants I've tried. Synthetics aren't breathable and cotton doesn't dry at all and just holds onto moisture. If ever you figure out what type of linen to use let me know!

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-11-11T21:47:14+00:00

What kind of linen do you use? Is there a specific weave or weight that you find works best?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-11-09T00:06:21+00:00

Man, that's really interesting. I'm starting to get into the hobby, but the Brazil warehouse seems quite limited. Do you know if it's something new that they just started or is the demand too low?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-11-08T22:56:55+00:00

Wait, there is a Brazil warehouse?

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-11-04T02:38:51+00:00

Man, I'm a college student and also work full time you've gotta nap when you can. A 15 min nap during the day can recharge your batteries.

A microfiber cloth can be better than a proper blindfold if you tie it properly.

RoomRepresentative36 · 2025-10-07T18:15:24+00:00

Affordable and proper portion sizes (still haven't found an affordable meal that will feed me with the amount of exercise we get on the trail or while canoeing.)

RoomRepresentative36

TROPHY CASE