Ade,<br>I changed my sak two years ago, and before I had a quite simple one. I changed because I noticed it was useful to own pliers an a metal file. So I went quite straight to the handyman (the champ is to bulk for me..) I thought about a multitool, but I have a love for Sak and perhaps my SAK is virtually equivalent to a multitool, the pliers may be weaker..<br>I don't hide you that on this site I discovered the Leatherman wave and I think it's awesome, but buying it, it will only make my tools redundant, so I remain happy as I am ;)<br><br>Sorry for my english: I'm italian and now I can't go to a dictonary to control: I don't know what do you mean about the chisel grind: you mean the tanto blade?<br><br>I think a sheat blade may be too evident in the urban life: a folder knife and a multitool (or a sak ) perhaps are the best solution.<br><br>ps<br>I don't know your knives, tomorrow I'll surf to recognize them: this night it's too late! Today I had an exam and now I need to rest!<br><br>good nite to all!<br><br>Mac

Mac,<br><br>A chisel grind is where the blade edge (regardless of blade shape) is ground like a carpenter's chisel, on one side only. Anybody know the Italian word for chisel? Other posts on this thread have taught me that the KISS is also available with a more conventional grind, so my objections to the knife are moot (if they weren't already:)<br><br>Please don't apologize for your English, it's FAR better than my Italian.<br><br>One thing I forgot to mention: Use what works for you. You'll get great ideas here, but ultimately, it's your choice.<br><br>Take care,<br><br>Andy

Mac,<br><br>Well, I don't own a Solitaire, but I've seen them - nice and compact. As long as it suits you to carry it, it seems to me that it's a whole lot better than striking a match for illumination in a dark place... and it is probably less risky than many to use in an environment with a flammable or explosive vapor build up. Maglite does not rate it as "waterproof", and it in fact has a vent in it (I presume to vent Hydrogen gas), so I'd be careful in any situation involving potentially explosive vapors (and that goes for me and my Photon IIs as well, hmmm...)<br><br>However... Check here to see what several folks have to say about the Solitaire for daily pocket carry. It does not seem to be a very highly regarded MagLite, and many folks seem to prefer the similar sized AAA powered ARC or ARC LE, which is a very bright single LED light similar in size to a Solitaire (actually a bit smaller). Another highly regarded single LED light that is about the same size as the Solitaire is the Infinity task light - not as bright as the ARC, but a lot more run time on a single AA battery.<br><br>But I really like the Photon II for pocket carry. So do my wife and our 4 kids - everyone has at least one on them at all times. We collectively own all the visible colors except blue and green, and each color has its advocates in my household. The only one that all of us agree on is the white one - quite remarkable for its size. I slip a white one around my neck on a proper lanyard when I am going out of urban areas - it's handy there.<br><br>As for hiking, packing, and camping, up until now we've each always carried a Mini-Mag 2 AA - cheap, sturdy, and good enough for many tasks. But my wife and I are about to get rid of ours in favor of 4 LED Tek lights (use 3 AA). After using incandescant "spotlight" type flashlights all these years, it's a bit wierd using the very white and broad beam from an LED flashlight, but I'm about "converted". They are awesome for real tasks. They will not reach out like a laser beam - but that's not been important to me very often. I have 3 D Maglites for that sort of task, but they are far too heavy for my tastes when packing, so they stay with a vehicle.<br><br>If you can borrow a decent LED light to use, I think you will like it. There are a number of LED light reviews - starting here, with Doug's reviews. I'd also sugggest checking The LED Museum - it used to be called the LED Punishment Zone (Doug - change the link, please, sir - it's not going to keep re-directing forever).<br><br>As I wrote originally, though - since you have the Solitaire... why not use it? I think that some one has made an LED conversion for it - that would require some circuitry to boost the voltage - but I do not have any info on that.<br><br>Hope that helps and I apologize if I've sent you to the dictionary several times. I have no trouble with your english - hope mine is not too difficult for you <grin>.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>Tom

Tom (and all),<br><br>Thanks for the tip on the bad link. Fixed. Unfortunately, I don't get to stop by here as often as I'd like or to read all the threads completely, so it's always best to email me directly about any bad links.<br><br>Thanks,<br>

Just to clarify; the original KISS is a folder that sort of requires the chisel grind by design, since only one side of the blade is guarded when it's closed.<br><br>http://www.crkt.com/kiss.html<br><br>I don't think that any of these could be made with a conventional grind, but I know that at least some blade shapes of the "Stiff KISS", which is not a folder and may be worn as a neck knife, have a conventional grind. I have a Stiff KISS, but haven’t used it much. I have a “Sampson’s KISS”, the larger version of the KISS folders- I think that’s the one “McGuyver” has:<br><br>http://www.crkt.com/smsnkiss.html<br><br> I find it a very handy (very flat, hence easy to carry) and a pretty capable knife for it's size.<br><br>FWIW, I was hard to convince with regard to neck knives, but have been sold on the concept now for years. The traditional Eastern Woodlands Native American neck knife is carried point down in a loose pouch-sheath that comes about halfway up the handle, and I was afraid I would trip and pull a Marc Antony. In practice, that doesn’t seem to be a problem, though you might want to give preference to a rounded pommel…<br><br>No other carry works nearly as well in the woods for me. It’s out of the way of pack straps and hipbelts, it's not constantly jabbing me, it’s easily kept outside of your outermost layer of clothing (which is constantly changing), works without a belt, with little or no clothing, it's not always in another pair of pants, and is not even much of a hassle to sleep with. It can be drawn- and with the traditional sheath, returned- with one hand. Most modern variants try for a handle-down carry, which seems like it would be a faster draw, but the friction mechanisms combined with having to use two hands to return it quickly become tiresome in practice, especially when sailing where you don't often have a hand to spare. It may be fine for defense, but I find a very slightly quicker draw not worth the much greater hassle of returning it to it's sheath. In fact, I find the friction and trick-catch sheaths annoying enough to make me more hesitant to use the knife at all- not good.<br><br>I have a traditional-styled brain-tanned deerskin sheath with quillwork and red tassels, but it’s a little flamboyant for most occasions. :-) I’ve made a few plainer leather neck sheaths to suit myself over the years, still on the same basic pattern.<br><br>I have 3 or 4 mag-lite Solitaires around- I keep one hanging next to each door- but McGuyver is right, I’ve lost all enthusiasm for incandescent flashlights since white LEDs became available. I have both the Photon II and Photon 3, as well as a Princeton version, and of all I much prefer the 3. It’s clearly more water resistant (no hole for a switch), and requires no tools to change the batteries. The auto-off and flashing modes are just a bonus. I'd still pay twice as much for one that flashed an SOS automatically, but...<br>

I haven't visited the "LED Museum" in a while so your post prompted me to check it out. Did you notice the OUT-TEC Flashlight Tuner Mini? It's an aftermarket add-on for Mini Maglite 2 AA Cell flashlights. <br><br>It replaces the end cap on the flashight and has two LEDs in the butt, one white and one red. The whole unit acts as a multi-position switch. You can switch the MagaLite's lamp on, or the white LED, the Red LED, both LEDs and off. I particularly like the idea of having an off switch as I don't care for turning the lens housing as a switch as one must do with the standard MagLite and many others.<br><br>The manufacturer is in Germany and does not seem to have a US distributor yet, nor is their a US retail price set yet. The LED Museum seems to have a favorable impression, but has not completed his review yet.<br><br>Hey, Barry, maybe this is somethimg you could carry?

>>I particularly like the idea of having an off switch as I don't care for turning the lens housing as a switch as one must do with the standard MagLite and many others.<<<br><br>I'll second that. You're lucky if you have one hand free to hold the flashlight- demanding two hands just to turn it on and off is not a good feature, however much cheaper it makes them to manufacture and easier to waterproof. I understand from those who have been in that position that this goes double if you're being shot at in the dark- the light is making you an easy target, and you can't handle a weapon and fumble with the two-handed turnoff both. This severely limits it's functionality for going to see what's going "bump in the night", which is a key function for a flashlight...<br>

Camillus makes a "Cuda" neck knife in D2 steel with kydex sheath exclusively for A.G.Russell. IMHO it's a dandy. $50.00 plus $5.95 S&H (total S&H for any size order). _________________________________________________ PROVERBS 21:19

Well, that has to be the niftiest gadegt I've seen yet for a Mini-Mag! I didn't notice it until you pointed it out - thanks! There is a fairly interesting animation on the company's homepage, as well as some additional information. Wonder what they might cost? My guess is significantly more than the Mag-Lite itself... hope I'm wrong.

I know it varies from state to state but I believe that neck knives may present some legal problems. In Wisconsin we don't have a law that specifies the length of a knife that is legal to carry. It forces prosecutors to examine whether the tool is a pocket knife or a concealed weapon under the totality of the circumstances. Unfortunately it puts police officers under the same constraint.<br><br>It is easy to envision a simple pat down frisk where the knife is found. I personally believe most officers would make a decision to arrest after that. I would rarely charge such a case, but the issue is out there. Whether a legal case should be won or lost is really irrelevant. Once you've become embroiled in the legal system in most ways you've already lost. Court is a pain in the butt, expensive, and an insult to the common man's ego.<br><br>I carry a pocket knife all the time, in and out of court. Most of mine have a pocket clip and are pretty modest in size. My buddy is a dentist who has a pretty big pocket carry knife. I keep telling him that if it gets found during routine police contact he is probably going to get handcuffed and maybe arrested, but he laughs me off. I think a neck knife is even more problematic.