Concealed Carry: The 3 Speed Holster

I've not written a weapons post in a long while, but I've been excited about a recent purchase so I just had to share about it.

Like many firearms enthusiasts and those who carry concealed or openly, I'm always on the lookout for a new holster. A good holster, one that's just perfect for you, isn't always easy to find, and most gun enthusiasts will have a bunch of them, some they use and some they were disappointed with and are shoved back in a closet somewhere. To those who don't carry, being picky about a holster might seem silly, but it's actually quite important to have a good holster for safety purposes and for comfort and fit.
So, I'm always looking.

And recently I read about the 3 Speed Holster.

I was a little skeptical at first, but after ordering one and now wearing it some, I have to say I love it!

It straps around your waist and connects with a long velcro strap that you can cut shorter if you want. The actual holster is fitted to whatever you carry, in my case a Beretta 92FS, not a small or particularly light handgun. The "belt" is for inside-the-waistband carry but I don't see why it couldn't be carried outside the waistband as long as you're wearing a long shirt or something similar.

What made this holster stand out for me is that it can be worn by a big guy such as myself, and comfortable holsters for those of us who are plus sized can be especially difficult to find. That being said, the 3 Speed Holster isn't just for big guys, it's for all sizes, and when ordering you specify your dimensions.

Also, I love the fact you can wear this holster with practically anything, including sweatpants, which are notoriously difficult to find holsters or gun belts for.

So far my 3 Speed Holster is comfortable and molds slightly to the body. Also, it can be shifted up and down quite easily, so I suppose you could pull it higher up near your chest if you wanted.

Mine came with a slot for a spare magazine, but if my memory serves, you can specify not having the slot for extra magazines when ordering.

I love this thing. I don't know yet if it'll be my regular, go-to holster for pants and jeans, but I'll definitely be utilizing it for sweatpants and shorts and the like.

No, that's not my Beretta. This is a stock photo from the 3 Speed Holster company, but it's a good example of what they have to offer.

Craft Holsters: Beretta 92FS holster

A while back the good folks over at Craft Holsters contacted me and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. They would custom make for me a leather, open top pancake holster for the firearm of my choosing -- for free -- and all I had to do was review their product. Sounded like a good deal to me then and it still seems like a good deal now that I've had the holster for a week or so.

As for the firearm involved, I decided a holster for my Beretta 92FS would be best. I carry my Beretta fairly regularly, so another holster for it would serve me well.

First off, I have to say this is a quality holster. It's made of thick, solid leather and has double stitching all the way around. It has been shaped to a Beretta 92FS perfectly, allowing my own handgun to slide in and out of it with ease.

Being this is a pancake holster, it holds snug against the body, allowing one to pull a shirt over and hide the holster and firearm with ease. Also, while shaped for a firearm, the leather here is smooth enough that the shape of the gun will not easily appear through one's clothing. As a nice bonus feature, the inside of this holster rises a little higher than the outside, placing a strip of thick leather between your firearm and yourself, so you don't have to worry about a handgun pressing into your flesh or any undershirt you might be wearing.

All in all this is a solid holster, a quality holster, and I'd suggest anyone interested should hitch their way on over to the Craft Holsters site and put in an order. The prices for these holsters are not cheap, but they're also not exorbitant; you get what you pay for, and here you actually get a little more than what you pay for.

Now in fairness, is this the perfect holster? No, of course not. There's no such thing as a perfect holster. There might be a perfect holster for you for a particular gun, but that's a rare find and one every gun owner should cherish when it  happens. To put it another way, the particular holster I received is a great holster, but it's not necessarily perfect for me, or at least it's not perfect for every situation in which I carry.

For example, there's not a lot of movement with this holster once it's on your belt. Personally I like to be able to slide my holster around a little because my situations change; sometimes I'm standing, sometimes sitting in a vehicle, other times sitting at a table, etc. This particular holster doesn't slide around easily if at all. In fact, this holster is quite wide, so one might find a difficult time placing it between loops on a pair of pants. This doesn't mean this is a bad holster, just that it's good for some things and not so good for others. If you're someone who doesn't want your holster to have any movement in it, then this holster could be perfect for you. And let me add that I'm talking about one particular holster from Craft Holsters, the holster they sent for my Beretta 92FS, and they offer lots of different styles of holsters for different firearms, so another holster or one for a different gun might not be as immobile as was my own.

The big questions are: Would I buy one of these holsters? And would I wear it? The answer to the first question is "yes," and in fact I'm planning to buy at least a couple more of these holsters. The answer to the second question is a bit more complicated, but it's basically, "yes, I would wear it, but only during certain situations, ones which would have to be determined at the time of holstering up." If that made sense. It basically means that whenever I'm planning to leave the house and carry a sidearm, at the moment of putting on a holster I would have to decide what type of handgun and which holster I'll be taking with me. Sometimes this Craft Holsters holster would be appropriate and even preferable, but not always.

Okay, I've rattled on enough. This really is a top quality holster, and made in Italy to boot. Go check out the Craft Holsters web site for yourself. I'm sure you'll find something there you'll like.

Books read in 2016: No. 15 -- The Swordsman's Quick Guide, Book 5: How to Teach a Basic Class

by Guy Windsor

Started: May 18
Finished: May 20

Notes: Yes, it's another book by modern swordsman Guy Windsor. This one pulled me in because I've considered starting a small sword fighting group near where I live because it gets old having to drive an hour or more to training sessions. I'll admit I'm not qualified to teach such a class ... for one thing I'm not that good a swordsman ... but it might be interesting and fun to get together with some other amateurs. Maybe this book will offer some ideas.

Mini review: Yes, I definitely gained a few ideas from this about teaching a swording class. The information is somewhat general in that it could be used for just about any martial art, but Windsor keeps most of the focus upon the longsword, rapier or dagger. He talks about creating a syllabus, dealing with different types of students (from beginners to trouble makers, etc.), and he goes over basics of safety and his own approach to teaching. Glad I read this one.

Books read in 2016: No. 14 -- Swordfighting for Writers, Game Designers and Martial Artists

by Guy Windsor

Started: May 3
Finished: May 18

Notes: Yep, it's another book from swordsman Guy Windsor, but this one should be especially interesting as part of the focus is for writers. I'm looking forward to it.

Mini review: This might be my favorite of Windsor's books, though the title is a little misleading, in my opinion. There are chapters on writers and game designers, but they are a relatively small part of the book. The first half of this book mostly talks about the ethics and philosophy behind swordplay, and this I found quite interesting. The last fourth of the book features some of Windsor's ideas behind training regimens, and this I found quite boring, probably because much of it was material I had read from some of his other writings. Still, like I said, this is probably my favorite of his books, at least of those I've read so far.

Books read in 2016: No. 11 -- The Swordsman's Quick Guide, Book 1: The Seven Principles of Mastery

by Guy Windsor

Started: April 26
Finished: April 27

Notes: I've read a couple of other books by this modern swordsman and appreciated them, especially as he focuses upon the Italian school (for lack of better words). So, it was a natural to check out this e-book about the principles for mastering the sword.

Mini review: This little book was a bit more general instead of focusing upon swordsmanship alone, but the practices here could definitely help with sword fighting. In truth, this was more of a brief self-help guide to being successful at life, and again, much of this is appropriate for swording.

Books read in 2015: No. 28 - The Medieval Longsword (Mastering the Art of Arms, Volume Two)

by Guy Windsor

Started: Oct. 20
Finished: Oct. 27

Notes: This book is apparently a more up-to-date training manual for the longsword than the one I read earlier this year from the author, with more historical research having been done. If you're wondering why this is a "volume 2," it's because the first volume focuses upon the dagger, a subject which I'm not ready to tackle at the moment.

Mini review: As with the Windsor book I had read earlier, the focus here is upon the Italian tradition, mainly from the 14th-15th Century fencing master Fiore. I've come to the conclusion that I might prefer to study the German longsword tradition, mainly because I'm thinking the Fiore tradition focuses more upon wrestling and holds than I would prefer. That being said, Fiore should definitely be studied by longsword fencers as he offers some unique moves, especially blows that might catch the unfamiliar off guard. My next studies will probably be in the German tradition, and from there I will decide which general school I will stick with.

Cold Steel Hand and a Half training sword

Having recently gotten back into longswording, I decided I needed a practice sword. Not yet sure I wanted to fully commit to this sport, I decided to go cheap in price. What I got for $30 was this hand and a half training sword from Cold Steel.

It's 44 inches long with a 34 inch "blade," in the area of the shorter longswords. The entire thing is made of black polypropylene, basically a hard plastic. It weighs about 2 pounds, which is about right for the lighter longswords. The balance point comes about 4 inches along the blade from the cross guard, which is more or less about right for a longsword.

I've enjoyed using this practice sword for drills. I wish the 10-inch handle was a couple of inches longer, but I've not had any problems with it or the sword, and besides, I've got pretty big hands. To add, I do like the shape of the handle quite a lot.

I've seen a number of negative reviews online concerning this practice weapon, and while I've understood from where the reviewers were coming, I also felt they were being rather harsh. You get what you pay for, after all, and a traditional, steel practice longsword can cost anywhere from $250 to $600 or more (I've got one coming in the mail, by the way).

The complaints usually point to the fact this sword is made of plastic, and that it is hard and has little give in the blade, meaning it is not necessarily the safest choice for sparring. Again, I understand, but personally I don't think of this as a sparring practice weapon, but one specifically for drills and the like, maybe slow practice fighting. Sure, I don't want to be hit by this sword because it would hurt, but I'd never use this sword for actual sparring, and I'd likely not face off against an opponent using one.

But that doesn't mean this is a bad practice sword, just that it shouldn't be used for sparring. For guard positions, movement, drills, etc., I found this Cold Steel training sword a fine tool.

The only reason I'm ordering a steel practice sword with a safety tip is for sparring, fencing. That doesn't mean I'll no longer use my Cold Steel sword. It simply means I'll use the Cold Steel sword for drills and the like at home, but in actual classroom situations or fencing, I'll use my other, steel practice sword.

Anyway, I like the Cold Steel training hand and a half for what it is. It's cheap, meaning it's good for beginners, but beginners who stick with fencing should be prepared to spend more money later on. They're eventually going to have to buy safety equipment, after all, and a sharp sword for cutting exercises, and that stuff's not cheap.

This might appear to be the flat of the blade, but it's actually seen from the side, which shows the width.

Books read in 2015: No. 17 -- The Swordsman's Companion

by Guy Windsor

Started: April 15
Finished: April 26

Notes: I am by no means an experienced swordsman, though I did have some little longsword and rapier training while in college back in the Stone Age. Back then we did not have HEMA or ARMA, though the SCA and Renaissance festivals were around. Recently while cleaning my collection of swords, I took out a bastard sword and went through a few of my drills for the first time in ever. I decided I was not only out of practice, but that I was also out of shape, and I thought it time I corrected both situations. To that end I purchased a waster, a practice sword, mainly because it is too dangerous to practice with the real thing and because it would be rather foolish and expensive of me if I should damage one of my swords. I also watched tons of YouTube videos on swording to kind of catch me up, and I purchased this book as a refresher and perhaps to learn a few new things. The author here appears to approach longswording from the Italian tradition, and my limited training was from the German point of view, but I don't think that will matter much (especially as it's been so long since I've had any training). Unfortunately, I cannot take part in sparring or drills with another person because of my health, mostly because of my heart implant, which could easily be damaged or even destroyed if it were struck (to the point of potentially being deadly to myself, at least according to my cardiologist). So, solo drills it will have to be. Now I'll get to reading and training, maybe even lose a few pounds.

Mini review: This is a good, solid book for beginners with the longsword. For those who can't attend classes or want to know some of what they'll be getting themselves into by joining a class on the subject, this book should be for you. Only the basics are covered here, but the author has other books which get into advanced longswording. Between the Italian and German schools of swording, I did not see major differences, though there were some; the biggest difference, obviously, was in the terms used, and a few of the guard positions. If you decide to read this book, I suggest getting the one that has the cover I've shown above as an earlier version is apparently out of date as knowledge of the old masters' works have grown over the years. Now if I can only keep up with my practice drills.

Ruger 10/22 rifle with Mannlicher stock

Recently I decided to treat myself, so I purchased this Ruger 10/22 rifle in what today is called a Mannlicher stock, which I'm guessing is named after German weapons designer Ferdinand Mannlicher from the 19th Century. I used to have a 10/22 very similar to this one, but the stock was then known as an "International," and I've kicked myself for getting rid of that rifle because it was always a favorite. My original didn't have the checkered pattern of this one, and I admit I didn't like that pattern at first though it has grown on me.

10/22s are a great rifle to have for a lot of reasons. They are solid firearms, which is especially pleasing for a .22, which often enough have kind of a cheap feel to them, at least in my opinion. The price is great, usually about $300 give or take, depending upon lots of variables, the type of barrel, the stock, other bells and whistles, etc.

Another great thing about a 10/22 is that it is one of the most customizable firearms on the market. If there is something you don't like about the rifle, you can always change it. Or if you simply want to jazz up your 10/22 with a fancy stock or some bright colors or what-have-you, there's probably an option available out there somewhere.

Also, though it barely needs to be said, the .22 ammo is easy to find and usually costs less than other types.

I've put about 200 rounds through my new Mannlicher so far, and I've been pretty happy with it for the most part. I usually don't shoot further than about 50 yards, though I probably could except the longer areas of open land on my property leave questionable what is beyond; I'm mostly surrounded by woods, so I'd likely be safe to shoot out to 100 yards, but there is a road that runs fairly close to my place and I'd rather not risk it. So, at 50 yards and less, my groupings are pretty tight, which is especially nice considering my eyesight ain't what it used to be. This particular Ruger shoots a little high and to the left, but I'm sure I can make some minor adjustments to the sites to compensate.

All that being said, there are a number of things I've not cared for with this firearm.

First, quite a few of the parts are made of polymer instead of metal. My original 10/22 had all metal parts, having been purchased about 15 years ago. I realize manufacturers are turning to more and more polymers to keep costs down and to lessen the weight of firearms, but I personally think this is mistake. As evidence I'll bring up the auto industry. Years ago cars were made of almost all metal parts and those parts lasted seemingly forever. The last few decades, more and more parts have been made of some kind of plastic, and in my opinion that has simply lead to more and more cars breaking down all the damn time. But maybe that's what the auto industry wanted so you'd have to spend more money.

The magazine release is that small black lever hanging
down in front of the trigger assembly at bottom.

Another thing I don't care for is the magazine release on the 10/22. This is somewhat of a contentious situation for 10/22 fans because Ruger has changed the release lever a couple of times over the years, some people liking older style releases, others liking the newer ones. I hate to say it, but I've never been a fan of any of the magazine release switches on the 10/22. In fact, it's probably been my least favorite aspect of this firearm. At least there are some after-market modifications that can be made with purchase of some specialized releases levers, but even those haven't done much to please me. If I had any suggestion to make to Ruger concerning the 10/22, it would be to come up with a completely new and simplified release mechanism.

Related to this, another problem here is that the release lever doesn't "pop out" or any such the actual magazines, simply making it possible for the magazines to be pulled out. This isn't much of a problem for extended magazines, but the originals that come with the gun are small and flush with the stock, making it no easy task to pull those babies free, at least for me. And with my big fingers, it's not a lot of fun to have to try and stick my fingers into the little notch in front of the magazine to try and pull it out. Extended magazines are practically a necessity for me. Now, in all fairness, when an original magazine is loaded down with ammo, it will drop out just fine on its own. But come on. Usually when you're changing magazines, it's because the one is empty. Right? Right.

Okay, I've bitched enough. Despite my grousing, this is an excellent gun, one any collector or enthusiast should have in their arsenal. I've even known shooters who have owned five or six of these Rugers, and I can understand why, especially if you're someone who likes to tinker with their guns. This is a great firearm for the experienced and the beginner alike. Shoots clean, great quality, and ignore my petty gripes, for this is a solid product.

.25 FIE Titan semi-automatic pistol

This is another firearm I inherited from my father. It is junk. Okay, okay, you get what you pay for, and in most cases these little semi-autos go for about a hundred bucks at many pawn shops. Sometimes you can even pick one up for forty for fifty bucks. So, you can't beat that price.

And what do you get for that price?

You get a little pocket pistol that has very little power and a barrel so short that, if you're like me, you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it.

Really, this is what I think of as a table gun, meaning it's only good for shooting at someone on the other side of a table from me. And when I say "someone," I do not mean to be morbid, for yes, I understand firearms can be used for other purposes than shooting people. But not this gun. There is no way you could use this weapon for hunting. Oh, a lucky shot might take out a squirrel, but so will a rock.

The .25 caliber is known as a weak round, so this little pistol doesn't have much "oomph" to it. In fact, if you peruse the Web for a bit, you can find horror stories of people being murdered after they had shot their assailant multiple times with such a small weapon or something similar.

It's even a bear to strip down. Hell, I had to break out some pliers just to pull out the recoil spring assembly, and returning the slide the proper position is a monster of a chore.

Also, I'm not a big fan of the magazine release's placement beneath the handle, down by my pinky finger.

So, as you can tell, I'm not a big fan of this firearm.

That being said, there are a few things I like about it. For instance, despite its smallness, this little thing actually does fit pretty well in my large hands, and the smooth wooden grips don't bother me nearly as much as such do on other firearms I've fired.

Then there's the "bang" factor. I have to admit, this .25 Titan was a lot louder than I expected, probably because of the short barrel. I didn't even wear ear protection the first few times I fired it, figuring it wouldn't be any louder than a .22, but I was quickly proven wrong. It is just about as loud as a .38.

But really, the only real positive I can think of concerning this firearm is the intimidation factor. If one absolutely had to pull a firearm in hopes of scaring off a potential threat, this little gun might do the job. But all the while you're likely to be praying that you don't get attacked, because to be honest, as close as I'd have to be to hit my target, I'd rather have a good tactical knife. Hell, I'd rather have a solid butcher knife.

The .25 Titan and a number of similar weapons were commonly made in the 1960s and early '70s, and they flooded the market, so it's not too hard to find an old, used one today.

Collectors might want one of these just to have it for their stash, and I suppose it can be fun to pop out into the woods and blaze away with the old .25, but I don't see much practical use for the weapon. Even the ammo isn't all that common nowadays.

Yet, I'll keep this one. It came from my dad, after all, and every once in a while I can go out to the woods behind my place and get off a few shots while thinking of him.

Taurus Model 85 revolver

It's been years since I did a weapons post, and considering I recently inherited a number of firearms from my late father, I thought it time to write a little about weapons again. For those not familiar with me, no, I have no military or law enforcement background; I'm merely a civilian who enjoys studying weapons of all sorts, and I'm a fiction writer who wants to make sure I know what I'm writing about when it comes to weaponry, and this comes through first-hand knowledge.

The subject of this post is a 5-shot revolver in .38 special from Brazilian firearms company Taurus.

Right off I'll admit I'm normally not a big fan of .38 weapons, though I love the .38 round. Does this seem strange to you? It makes perfect sense to me. See, my personal favorite round is the .357 magnum, and I dutifully enjoy firearms which launch .357 magnum rounds. One of the great things about .357 magnum weapons is that they can also fire off .38 special rounds because the two rounds are pretty much the same width, though the magnums are quite a bit longer. So, you can fire .38 rounds from a .357 magnum weapon, but you can't fire .357 rounds from a .38 weapon. Make sense? Basically, .357 rounds are too long to fit into a .38 weapon, but .38 rounds will fit into a .357 magnum.

All that being said, this is a pretty nifty .38 special revolver. For one thing, it's got a 3-inch barrel, which is rare in the Taurus Model 85 which normally sports only a 2-inch barrel. Some might say the extra inch doesn't matter a lot, and maybe it doesn't since this is basically a short-range firearm, but it matters to me for not only aesthetic reasons, but because I prefer the extra heft and weight of the longer barrel.

It comes in double action with single action an option when you pull back the hammer, features which are common in many modern revolvers and which please me from a sheer familiarity factor.

This revolver comes in a small frame, but it still has a good feel in my large hands, reminding me somewhat of the look and feel of the larger Smith and Wesson revolvers, specifically the 586 and 686, some of my favorites. There is a downside with this small frame, however. That downside is this revolver actually kicks quite a bit, or at least more than I would like it to with .38 rounds. I'm more used to firing .38s from heavier .357 magnum revolvers and rifles which leave little to no kicking with the .38s, but here I'm having to adjust to a rising barrel and a bit of jump in my hands; none of this is specifically the fault of the firearm, but just my lack of familiarity with .38 specials. The small frame also makes this a pretty good gun for concealed carry, though I have no plans to do so, at least not with this weapon.

Another thing with which I'm unfamiliar when it comes to this firearm is the fact it only holds five founds in the cylinder. I'm a six-shooter man. Always have been. Every revolver I've ever owned until this one has held six rounds. Yes, I'm fully aware there are revolvers of various calibers which hold seven or eight or nine or 10 or more rounds, but I've never been tempted by them. They're called a six-shooter for a reason, is my way of thinking, so I've always stuck with the six. Not that only having five rounds is some heavy burden, but it'll take some getting used to.

All in all, this is a small revolver I can carry around when outside in the woods around my place, and I can do some target practice with it from time to time, but I won't be using it for carry and it wouldn't be my first choice when it comes to home defense. It's a nice little gun with no major faults of its own, and it feels as if it is made with quality, so I have no complaints there.

Triple barrel shotgun

Yes, you read that correctly. Triple barrel. See the images below. I've never owned a Chiappa firearm, but they sure are making several I'd like to get my hands on, even if just for experimentation and fun.

True Grit poster

Somewhere online (I don't remember where) I ran across this made-up poster for the movie True Grit. Having just seen this movie a few days ago, I felt it appropriate.

Oh, and my opinion on the film: It's a damn fine film. In general, it's better than the 1969 version starring John Wayne, though I personally believe Wayne pulled off the "fill your hands" scene better than Bridges. Sorry, Jeff. I also liked that the Coen brothers stuck much more with the novel, which I also recently read. However, a few changes they made in the middle of the film kind of left me curious as to what they were thinking ... they didn't hurt anything in the story, but I didn't really see where their changes added anything either other than some mild confusion on my part. The portrayal of the bad guys in this movie I found quite realistic and fascinating. This was a solid character drama, and one of the better Westerns since Eastwood's Unforgiven sort of said everything there needed saying about the Western as a film genre (which isn't necessarily true, but Hollywood seems to think so since they can't hardly ever turn out a decent Western any more).

Books read in 2011: No. 6 - Firearms Curiosa

by Lewis Winant

Started: January 24
Finished: February 2

Notes: I've read my share of non-fiction books about firearms over the years, but this one slipped past me somehow. It first came to my attention a couple of years ago when famed author Neil Gamain mentioned online this was a book he had recently (as of then) been reading. His description of it told me I needed to check this book out. I've seen the hardback version, which is what I own, going for as much as a hundred bucks on eBay, but I got lucky a while back and found a copy in a used book store and it only cost me $15. My particular copy is from 1955. As to exactly what this book is about, I'll over some of the blurb from inside the jacket cover: "The many strange and freakish gun fabrications that are show in this book are a tribute to man's inventive energy as applied to the development of arms. From days just past and from days long gone, Lewis Winant has selected over 300 pieces as representative of the oddities that have been constructed to utilize the propelling force of gunpowder." From what I've seen of the cover and some of the inside images, several of these unusual and rare firearms are ones with which I am already casually familiar, but I also noticed several things which were new to me. If anyone is interested, Winant also wrote several other books on firearms, to my knowledge all of them having to do with historic arms.

Mini review: I did not enjoy this one as much as I had hoped. Frankly, the writing was pretty boring, and there really wasn't much information here. There were lots of photos, but the book's text was just basic descriptions of what where in the photos. I was hoping for more in-depth historical information about these unusual firearms, but that wasn't present here. Still, though I was already familiar with about half the odd firearms in this book, the other half was new to me and that was nice information to have.

Cheap Bowie knife

From time to time I post about weapons I have personally owned or have, at the least, used enough to have more than just some familiarity with them. One might ask, "Why does a writer post about weapons?"

Two reasons:

1.) I write fiction. A lot of fiction has weapons. I like to know what I'm writing about. Unfortunately, I've run across too many writers who don't know anything about weapons, and often enough it shows through in their work.

2.) I enjoy studying, reading about and using practically ... weapons, of all types and all cultures and historical eras. That simple.

Today, I'm writing about my favorite knife. It's a cheap stainless steel Bowie knife I think I paid something like $20 for. This is actually my second of such knives, the first one having been given to a friend some years ago.

Anyway, I can't tell you what company makes this knife. There was no manufacturer name on the box nor on the knife itself nor on the leather sheath.

By all reasoning, this should be a crap knife. First, it's only stainless steel instead of high carbon steel (aka. battle-ready steel). The blade is made in Pakistan, which in my experience is not a great place for making sharp instruments. And it's rough all the way around, obviously almost home-made, though more likely slapped together in some sweatshop.

Still, I love this knife. It's a good, solid piece of metal. No, I wouldn't want to take on a grizzly bear with it, even if it is 15 inches long, but for around the camp site or just out in the woods, it serves its purposes. And what are its purposes? 1.) As a tool for whatever purposes I need it for, and 2.) to make me feel just a tad better about being in the woods without a firearm (and for any gun haters who think I'm a nut for wanting to pack along a firearm when I'm out in the woods ... all I can say is, you apparently haven't had the same experiences back in the woods that I've had).

So, yeah, it's just a cheap knife of not-so-great quality. But the price was right and it does what I need it to. And again, I'm not hunting boar with it (though, now that I think about it ... hmm, it might make a good spear head), and it's not as if I'm storming the beaches of Iwo Jima or something.

Another reason I like this knife is for its simplicity. No fancy clips. No artsy engravings. Just a big, long blade, a wooden handle and a brass cross-guard.

10 manufacturers of quality firearms in Italy

Some of the best and most beautiful firearms in the world, whether for civilians or law enforcement or military, are made in Italy. From shotguns for hunters, remakes of historical firearms for collectors, and more, Italy spouts numerous manufacturers of quality weapons.

Beretta

Gun enthusiasts, military veterans and law enforcement throughout the world all know about Beretta. This company is the most famous of all Italian firearms manufacturers, mainly because numerous military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies throughout the world have selected Beretta weapons, often sidearms, for use. And it's no wonder. Beretta makes some fantastic weapons, from its famous pistols to quality shotguns and sometimes even futuristic-looking firearms, including sub-machine guns. Beretta weapons are not cheap, at least not compared to lesser manufacturers, but the prices are still usually within reasonability, especially considering the quality. Having been owned by the Beretta family for more than 500 years now, this company has expanded and now has plants outside of Italy, including one in Accokeek, Maryland, in the U.S.

Chiappa Firearms

This company is one of the more versatile listed here, at least when it comes to the variety of firearms they manufacture and sell. They make plenty of modern versions of historic firearms, making this company popular with re-enactors and the the cowboy shooting crowd, but they also make several modern firearms, drawing some support from the self defense folks, enthusiasts, competitors and collectors. This company even makes and sells some black powder weapons. The company is stationed out of Brescia, Italy, but they also have a U.S. headquarters in Dayton, Ohio. I don't have any experience with Chiappa firearms, but I've known several people who have and they have nothing but good to say. Oh, and the prices aren't too steep, either.

Caesar Guerini

If money is no object or you're willing to take out a decent-sized loan, and you love the idea of owning a fine shotgun for hunting or trap shooting, you will want to consider Caesar Guerini. Operating out of the Gardoneval Trompia, as do several companies on this list, this manufacturer puts out over-and-under shotguns, semi-auto shotguns and several competition shotguns mainly for trap shooting. You were warned, however, because the prices of these firearms run into the thousands of dollars. The guns from this manufacturer are quite beautiful, though they tend to be not as artsy as those of some others on this list.

Zanardini Arms

Bolt action rifles. Double barrel rifles. Big game rifles. All these and more are made by the folks at ZanardiniArms in the Gardone Val Trompia in Italy, a region famous for fine firearms manufacturing. These guns are quite unique, featuring engravings that are beautiful piece of art. There are several other gun manufacturers on this list that make beautiful weapons, but personally, my favorite for artistic value is Zanardini Arms. Please click on the title to check out the weapons from this gun maker, because these guns are truly a sight to behold. Keep in mind, these guns are expensive, running into the thousands upon thousands of dollars, so they're not for everyone's budget. Still, the craftsmanship is solid and inspiring.

Uberti

This company, working out of the Gardone Val Trompia, focuses upon making replicas of historic American firearms, which makes Uberti popular among cowboy action shooters, civil war re-enactors, and collectors.Uberti's weapons mostly are from the American 19th Century period, and the company has a wide variety of lever-action rifles, single-action pistols and other firearms of that time. I've personally owned a couple of Ubertirevolvers, both 1875 Outlaws (modern remakes of Remington revolvers first made in 1875), and I have nothing but good to say about those two handguns; they were of quality make and performed like a dream, being better guns than I am a shot, to be honest. There's long been a rumor that film director Sergio Leone usedUberti firearms in the 1960s for his Dollars Trilogy movies, but I do not know if this is true or not. Also, I wanted to add that Uberti's pricing is quite reasonable, in my opinion, and they also make and sell black powder arms.

Luciano Bosis

Like several other gun makers on this list, this company works out of Brescia, Italy. I don't want to sound snooty about it, but if you have to ask about the prices of these weapons, you probably can't afford one. Yes, they're that expensive. I'm talking put-off-paying-for-your-kid's-college expensive. But that's to be expected from such fine, quality collectibles as the classic shotguns made by this company.

Tanfoglio

This company is probably best known for its competition handguns, but they also make pistol parts for a fewmilitaries. If you are into serious pistol competition, you probably want to take a look at the guns by this company, made in the Gardone val Trompia of Brescia, Italy. One nice thing about guns from this manufacturer are the prices. No, these aren't cheap weapons, but considering they're mainly competition pistols, the prices aren't too bad, usually in the range of $700 to $3,000 (U.S.)

Perugini & Visini Armi

If you are into collecting beautiful firearms that can be considered artwork, this might be the company for you.Perugini & Visini focuses almost entirely upon hunting firearms, double-barrel shotguns, over-and-under shotguns, double-barrel rifles and even a single-shot rifle. These guns are beautiful. They are so nice, I'd almost be scared to fire one. Especially considering the prices! If you plan on buying a weapon from this manufacturer, be prepared to get a second mortgage on your house, because these firearms, new, are going for $25,000 (U.S.) and higher. But considering each of this company's weapons are handmade and made to order, you can expect the quality to be high. This gunmaker works out of Nuvolera, Brescia, Italy.

Fratelli Poli

I wanted to point out in case you've not noticed by now, that while most of the links to these firearms manufacturers lead to pages in Italian, nearly all of them offer translation pages in English and sometimes other pages. Okay, now if you are into shotguns that look like pieces of art but are also quite functional and of fine quality, this is the manufacturer for you. Most of these are double barrels, though there is one single barrel, and all of them have fantastic engravings that must be seen to believe. Truly, these shotguns are artwork to make any artist proud. Like a few other companies listed here, this one works out of the ValleTrompia in northern Italy, a region known for firearms manufacturing.

Famars Abbiatico & Salvinelli

When you think of big bore rifles used for hunting big African game, this is one of the companies that comes to mind. This company makes several varieties of shotguns, but also some rifles for big game hunting. These are just pretty weapons, with fine engraving work all over the metal and polished woods that can make you teary-eyed just looking at them. Okay, I'll admit to some exaggeration, but these are darn fine weapons to behold. And the quality craftsmanship shows through, as well. The one drawback for many firearms enthusiasts is the pricing. Guns from this company tend to cost more than $10,000 (U.S.), so be prepared for some sticker shock. It's up to you whether or not the price is worth it. Can you guess where these fine firearms are made? If you guessed the Gardone val Trompia, you are correct.

Armi Piotti

Okay, I lied. If you've kept count so far, this would actually be firearm manufacturer No. 11. I just couldn't help myself. There are so many great companies in Italy that make solid, great-looking guns, I just had to add a bonus company. Working out of the Valle Trompia in northern Italy, this company produces some of the finest shotguns in the world for hunters and collectors, though considering the prices, probably mostly for collectors. How much do these guns cost? Usually five figures. I'm not kidding. You could spend as much money on a Piottishotgun as you would for an automobile. But this company's shotguns are beautiful, each being unique, and are quite impressive. These shotguns are all double barrels, some being side-by-side and others over-and-unders. One unique shotgun this company manufactures is its Mod. Serpentine Side Lever, which houses the lever for breaking the gun open on one side instead of on top, which is much more common.

Ty Johnston is the author of a number of fantasy and horror novels and other books, and he writes weekly articles for the role-playing gamer site Nerdarchy.

Revolver Rhino in .357 magnum

Just look at the image below. All I have to say is ... I want one ...

Made by Italian manufacturer Chiappa Firearms. The barrel aligns with the bottom of the cylinder, which should cut down on recoil. And it's in my favorite cartridge, .357 magnum. If interested, find out more here.

Or ...

If anyone really wants to get me something for Christmas, there's always one of these ...

10 Tips for Sword Care

Whether you're a rabid collector or just someone who wants a long blade to hang on your wall for showing off to your friends, you need to know how to take care of your sword(s). Here are a few suggestions.

Avoid prolonged sheathing: Yes, swords were kept in leather sheaths. But not forever. Sheaths, especially leather ones, have dyes and such that can promote rust in a sword. By all means, if you're hanging out at a Renaissance festival all day, please keep your sword in its sheath. But for storage or wall hanging, remove the blade from the sheath. Your sword will remain more attractive that way.

Don't bang your sword around: Despite what you see in a movie when some mighty warrior hack through a tree with a sword, that's a really stupid thing to do. It could bend the sword, or worse, crack or even break it. Swords are weapons. They weren't made to trim your rose bushes or to whack down that oak in your front yard. That's what axes are for. No period warrior in his right mind would ever have considered using a sword for such tasks except perhaps in the most dire of circumstances. And remember, swords might cost a lot nowadays, but they cost even more back in the day.

When storing, coat the sword with oil: You don't have to pour on the oil. Just a light layer will do. WD-40 works fine, as do any oils made for firearms. There's moisture in the air, and this can lead to rust on your sword. The oil helps prevent this from happening. Also, make sure the oil you use is non-organic; you definitely don't want corn oil.

Don't touch the blade!: This is a pet peeve of mine. The first thing that inevitably happens when you show someone a sword is they touch the blade. NO! Stop that! Fingers have oil on them, but not the good kind of oil that helps protect the sword. Oil from our hands can actually induce rusting, and can even leave fingerprint-shaped marks.

Wax your sword: That's right, I said "wax." This is especially important if you're going to be storing that sword for a long time. Many shops that sell swords and Renaissance fairs will have a special sword wax for sale, but some weapon smiths say a good car wax will work just as well.

Dry storage: Don't ever forget that swords rust. And even all that oil and wax you've added might not be enough. To this end, when storing your sword, make sure it is in a dry area without a lot of humidity.

Don't sharpen your sword: This is especially true for Japanese swords. It takes a lot of skill to sharpen a sword, and it's a task best left to experts. If you absolutely have to have a sword sharpened, contact a professional sword smith and see if they'll do it for you or if they know of someone who can do it for you. Taking a sharpening stone or a turning wheel to your blade might only scratch up and mar the weapon, but it could possibly ruin it altogether.

Already rusted?: If your sword already has rust on it, my preferred way of dealing with this is a little olive oil and a Scotch-brite pad. This shouldn't scratch the metal of your blade, unless maybe you scour and scour really hard. Other folks may tell you to use a copper wire brush or steel wool, but I've witnessed swords scratched up pretty well from such use.

What about the handle?: Many sword handles will be made of wood. Lemon oil will help protect the wood and keep it from cracking. If your sword's handle is wrapped in leather, you can clean the leather with a paste wax or maybe mink oil (but keep in mind the mink oil will make that leather handle really, really slippery ... so you might want to opt for the wax.

Be careful: You knew this one was coming, didn't you? In the modern world, too many people seem to think of swords as toys. Swords are not toys. They are deadly weapons. Even some cheap, theatrical sword bought for ten bucks has the potential to harm. Remember that at all times when you are handling a sword. You are handling a deadly weapon. Treat it as such. Swords can wound, maim and kill. So, just be careful. And enjoy your sword(s).

Marlin Model 1894 Cowboy

I owned this lever-action Marlin rifle with an octagonal barrel in .357 magnum.

I loved this rifle. It's probably my favorite of the rifles I've owned.

First off, I love the .357 magnum cartridge because it's great for just about everything ... target shooting, hunting (though nothing too big), self defense, cowboy action shooting, etc. I also loved that this rifle was in this caliber because it also meant I could shoot the less-kicking .38s from it, making it even smoother for target practice. But still, even though .357 magnums pack a kick in a handgun, in this rifle there wasn't much of a kick.

The feel of this weapon in my hands was also quite superb. There was a good, solid heft but it was light enough to carry all day. The only complaint I might have in this department is that for me the wooden stock was a bit too smooth, making it a bit slippery to hold in hot weather, but this could easily be remedied with shooting gloves or in other ways.

I was a decent shot with this firearm, too. I can't boast too much as I don't consider myself any kind of a sharpshooter or expert on guns, but within 50 yards I could definitely hit what I want with this weapon. Within a hundred yards, I was still pretty accurate. Beyond those distances, I did the best I could, but any failings there weren't the fault of the weapon.

Also, this was a finely made weapon. The craftsmanship was solid.

Beretta 92FS

This 9 mm semi-automatic handgun is, without a doubt, the finest firearm I have ever owned. This piece of machinery is a genius in craftsmanship, durability, usability and so much more. I can fully understand why the U.S. military branches have come to favor this weapon for its sidearms, and many law enforcement offices, too.

This gun is big in the hands, but that's because it holds 15 rounds in the clip; but, I have pretty big hands, so that's not a problem for me. Others with smaller hands might find this weapon unwieldy ... maybe. Also, this firearm fitted into my hand perfectly, and had good grips on the side that helped it keep from slipping in sweaty hands.

Accuracy with this thing is top notch. In fact, it's a better gun than I am shooter, so I'm sure I never could put this thing to its full potential. Still, I loved shooting with this sidearm. Always hit my targets, usually with bullseye accuracy, and I don't consider myself any kind of expert shot, just a civilian who enjoys target shooting.

The cost for one of these new is pretty high, usually anywhere from $750 to $900 depending upon whatevers going on with the current gun market, but it's well worth it. Whether you use a handgun for just fun or for self defense (or, heaven forbid, a military operation) you couldn't do better than this 9 mm; if you can't afford one of these guns, but want a good semi-auto, I suggest just saving your money until you can afford it. It's worth it, believe me.

Since this weapon is only a 9 mm, there are some shooters who will grumble about the weakness of the round, which is roughly equivalent in power to a .38. I can't argue much with them about the power issue, but Beretta does make similar handguns in the .40, so that should help a little. However, the lighter recoil of the 9 mm does help with accuracy, and since I mostly shoot for enjoyment, power usually isn't my main concern (not that I wouldn't use a gun in self defense, but it's not my main reason for owning guns).

To end, this weapon is a sheer joy to own and shoot. Save your money and buy one. I expect you'll love it.