Spyderco Junior by Dialex The folks at Spyderco are rolling out plenty of new blades this year, but this one impressed me so much, I couldn't wait until next week for the Best Knives of SHOT gallery to share it. This is the Spyderco Junior by Dialex. Looking at it the first time, I couldn't imagine how it would be comfortable to use, but like many good knives, I understood the moment I picked it up. The deep choil or guard created by the large cutout in the handle , creating a block, effectively eliminating any possibility of the fingers sliding forward onto the edge, just as any guard should. However, this folder does that without adding the extra bulk of a traditional guard. Romanian Technical Manager Alexandru Diaconescu developed the concept when his son asked for his first pocketknife. Wanting his son to be safe, Diaconescu designed the handle for small hands, but the G10 grip felt very comfortable in my big mitts, providing superb control over the razor sharp leaf-shaped blade. Blade length: 3.2"; overall length: 7.25"; weight: 2.9 oz.; blade thickness: .125"; blade steel: VG-10. MSRP: $219 --DM
Tanglefree Full-Body Wigeon Decoy Waterfowlers looking to add some diversity to their field spread have a new full-body wigeon decoy from Tanglefree decoys. The 16-inch decoys come in a four-pack with two drakes and two hens, two upright and two feeders. --DM
Sitka Fanatic Vest Sitka introduced the Fanatic jacket last year and now they've slimmed it down to a vest specifically made for whitetail bowhunters. Features include a grunt tube pocket, rangefinder pocket, removable hood and super quiet tricot material. It also includes a diagonal zipper that won't interfere when you are at full draw. MSRP: $189_ --AR_
Muela Knives This gorgeous assortment of blades comes from Muela, a Spanish company that makes hunting knives utilizing tough moly-vanadium stainless steel and handles of red stag antler, exotic stabilized hardwoods and pakawood. This little sampling shows they do classically styled hunting knives just as well as more tactical-looking blades. If you dig knives and don't know about Muela, consider yourself notified. Commence drooling. (It's OK, they're actually pretty affordable for custom knives, with most models ranging from $100 to $300)._ --CL_
Zombieland Live Hunt Host Tyler Freel slits the jugular of a zombie walking the show floor. His weapons of choice are the Gerber Gator Machete Pro and the Gator Machete. These two items are from Gerber's Apocalypse Kit. The kit is so popular that it's currently sold out. --AR
Buck Waterfowl Knife Waterfowl and upland hunters looking for a functional bird knife have a new option from Buck in the 490 Ergohunter Waterfowler. Featuring a 2 ½ inch hollow-ground Wharncliffe blade of 420HC steel and an ergonomic (ergo the name…) Alcryn rubber handle, the Ergohunter is, according to Buck, designed to excel at bird-dressing chores with much efficiency and little waste. --CL
A S&W Model 500 That's…Beautiful? I've thought the Smith & Wesson Model 500 revolver was staggeringly powerful, intimidating, heavy, but never pretty, until I saw this display model sporting some truly gorgeous scrollwork around a classic wooden grip. I just had to share. --DM
Survival Kit If you find yourself lost or stranded, you can start a fire then signal your friendly local search and rescue team with the B.A.S.E (Basic Adventure Survival Essentials) kit from Ultimate Survival Technologies. The kit contains one firestarter, two tinder cubes, a signal mirror and a safety whistle in a waterproof clear plastic container.
Badlands Birder's Vest It's called a vest, but it's really more of a backpack. The vest has a spacey game bag and a waist belt fit with shell loops. It also has really thin shoulder straps that have no buckles high on the shoulder or chest. This allows for a uninhibited shoulder mount. It's also compatible with a Camelback-type water pack. _ --AR_
**The New DPMS TAC2 AR-Style Carbine
**
With a Magpul AS stock and Moe Grip, this new AR from DPMS chambered in .223/5.56 already has a great start, but the best feature on this carbine is, oddly enough, in the forend. The TAC2 debuts the DPMS M111 modular handguard system, which allows a shooter to move the side and bottom rails to several positions along the length of the handguard. One can clamp on as many attachments as one could on a quad-rail handguard, but without the need for rubber ladders to save your hands from being torn up on unused portions of rail. The rail segments can also be removed. Additionally, the front sight is positioned close to the muzzle allowing for an impressively long sight radius on a 16-inch barrel. This carbine would be equally suited for a multigun competition, or as your first line of defense in the zombie apocalypse (see below). --DM
Steyr HS.50 M1 This is Steyr's most powerful sniper rifle chambered in .50 cal. It has a five-round magazine, adjustable cheek piece and buttplate, fixable bipod and a picatinny rail. Odds are that you'll never own a gun like this, but they are fun to look at. --AR
Nikon EDG Fieldscope 85 VR This is Nikon's first image stabilizing spotting scope. The company claims that it reduces vibration by 88 percent utilizing a battery-powered system. It's designed specifically for digiscoping (taking photos through a spotting scope). At 96.3 ounces and 17.7 inches, it's unlikely you'll be hauling this up the mountain but it is perfect for viewing wildlife from close to the truck. **Specs **
Finish: Black
Magnification: 20x-60X
Objective Diameter: 85mm --AR
Recycled Pet? Huh? No, it's not a product that allows good 'ol Spot to keep on giving long after he's gone. PET is actually a mildly disconcerting acronym for what is basically recycled pop bottles, according to Gary Popiels of RecTec manufacturing. --CL
Nikon M-308 4-16X42 This is one of Nikon's new AR scopes. This scope is based off the Monarch line and is a match for the .308 Win. It comes with either a BDC 800 reticle or the Nikoplex reticle. **Specs **
Finish: Matte
Eye relief: 4-3.7
Tube Diameter: 1 inch
Weight: 19 ounces
Adjustment Value: 1 click equals 1/4 at 100 yards. --AR
The New Leatherman OHT Until now, if you used a multi-tool, you had to choose between one-hand-opening pliers or one-hand-opening blades. Leatherman's new OHT (One Hand Tool) fuses both together. The pliers snap out directly from the front of the tool where they lock in place and split the spring loaded handles until you slide the pliers (which include wire-cutters with replaceable blades) back in. Believe me, it looks and feels…well…badass. Additionally, the handles have visual imprints of the tools inside for quick identification. Since this tool was designed primarily for the military or law enforcement, it includes a strap/seatbelt cutter, which can certainly double as a small gut hook, and an oxygen bottle wrench. Other onboard tools include a smooth-blade knife; a serrated knife; saw; Philips screwdriver; small, medium and large flathead screwdrivers; can opener; bottle opener; and a #8-32 cleaning rod attachment. The OHT will begin shipping worldwide in August of 2012 in either black or Coyote Tan with a nylon MOLLE sheath. MSRP: $82. _ -DM_
Les Stroud Survivor Man Les Stroud signing autographs and posing with fans at the Camillus Cutlery booth. Stroud was there to promote his forthcoming line of survival knives and tools.
RecTec Jackets Popiels says RecTec's proprietary recycled material can be made into virtually any fabric type, from cotton to corduroy and is water, oil and soil repellent, as well as anti-odor, mosquito, tick and bedbug properties. --CL
Merkel K2 Weimar Rifle Ever wonder what a $15,995 rifle looks like? Well it looks exactly like Merkel's K2 Weimar in .30-06 Springfield. This single shot with an octagon barrel has eloquent engravings of two huge bighorns, though I doubt you'd ever want to take this beauty up on the mountains.
