EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – There are very few things better in this world than going to the mailbox and finding a package of new gear waiting for you there.
Unless, there are three items in your mailbox.
After a hectic but rewarding day on Tuesday, of covering runoff elections and helping with our coverage of that huge fire at the recycling plant, I came home that night to find two packages and a personal letter waiting for me in the mail.
One of those packages was from Atlantic Knife, a major retailer of knives and outdoor gear based in Virginia.
A couple of Junkin Genius hanks Photo by Dave Burge/KTSM
There, waiting for me, like it was Christmas in late May, was a brand-new knife – a Rough Rider Canoe with black and red G-10 (hard plastic) handles.
My new friend HT over at HT’s EDC is a big proponent of the Canoe pattern and even created a Canoe Crew decal and logo that he sends out to like-minded enthusiasts.
Based on HT’s recommendation, I took the plunge.
My new Rough Rider Canoe is small but has a sturdy feel. It gets its name because the knife, when folded up, looks like a canoe. Go figure.
It is 3 ½ inches closed and is just wider than the palm of my hand.
It has two blades on opposite sides of the knife – a main spear point blade that is a little over 2 ½ inches and a smaller but still decent sized pen blade that is just a touch under 2 inches.
It’s small enough to carry in your fifth pocket in your jeans or in one of your secondary pockets of your cargo pants.
A couple of Junkin Genius hanks. Dave Burge/KTSM
While it may be small, it definitely feels like it will be more than capable of taking care of most basic EDC tasks – opening letters, bills, breaking down lightweight cardboard, cutting up fruit, etc.
First impressions: I really dig this little knife and I have immediately put it into my rotation as my new “primary” secondary knife.
I can also see why HT and so many others sing the praises of the Canoe pattern.
As for Atlantic Knife, I ordered this knife afterhours on the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend and it was here in El Paso by that Tuesday. The knife was $20 and change and there was no additional shipping fee.
Have to say: I was most impressed by Atlantic Knife and will be using them again in the near future.
A Rough Rider Canoe with a couple of Junkin Genius hanks, a HT’s Canoe Crew decal and a decal from O Father EDC. Photo by Dave Burge/KTSM
Speaking of HT, the letter I received was from my new knife brother. He sent me a channel sticker and a Canoe Crew sticker, knowing I was ordering one up and would soon be a full-fledged Canoe enthusiast.
He also sent a super nice hand-written note. In this day and age of text messages, it is an amazing gesture.
Huge fan of HT’s EDC now and the Canoe. He calls his channel a “hot mess.” But he is just being modest. He provides great, down-to-earth knife content.
Now to the final item in the mail – I got two decorative handkerchiefs, or hanks as they are known in the EDC world, from Junkin Genius. They sent me two hanks to carry around, try them out and review – one with a camping theme with a brushed flannel backing and one with a Southwestern theme with a micro suede backing.
The Southwestern hank is one of their older stylings and they no longer use the suede backing. I love it anyway because that Southwest imagery just speaks to me as a transplant who has chosen to live his life here in the Borderland.
I had met Tim with Junkin Genius through the online knife group, Saturday Knife Live or SKL, that I am active in. SKL is organized by YouTuber Big Red EDC and is on at 11 p.m. Mountain Time most Saturdays. He does his “live” earlier in the day on the first Saturday of each month.
Anyway, Tim and his wife Julie create these wonderful handcrafted hanks with an amazing variety of different designs and themes.
I have carried a pocket knife on and off for more than 50 years and as someone who wears glasses, having a hank as part of my daily carry seems like it will be quite useful.
I’m going to carry these around and write a more complete column next week on Junkin Genius and how hanks can be used in your EDC.
Included in their package was a sticker and patch from Tim’s online persona of O Father EDC. It is a very clever homage to his love for Olight flashlights.
His decal is one of the best ones around, in my humble opinion. Tim tells me that it was his wife who came up with the design and created it.
Here is a link to the Rough Rider Canoe in G-10 at Atlantic Knife.
You can also find the same knife at Smoky Mountain Knife Works by clicking here.
You can find more about Junkin Genius hanks on Instagram by clicking here.
If you are interested in HT EDC’s Canoe Crew Club, you can find him on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. A link to his YouTube channel is listed below with other personal favorites.
NOTE: Dave Burge is a web producer and digital reporter with KTSM.com. All gear mentioned in his column he paid for himself, unless otherwise noted.
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