Bradley Alias II

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:00:10 +0000

I bet that a number of you who read this can relate, if not, maybe it is me who has the problem. It seems that no matter how many new knives I buy, I always seem to go back to carrying one or two old reliable knives in the end. It's not like the new knives aren't any good, I just like my old ones better. For me the go-to knives are a Bradley Cutlery Alias II, and a Spyderco Delica (which has been upgraded to a Delica 4 FFG with a bright blue FRN handle, but it is still a Delica.)

To keep things simple today, I will just focus on the Alias II and why I like it so much. My first experience with the model was the larger version the original Alias. It was titanium and exotic and fast and lightweight. It opened as smooth as butter. In fact the only knife I have used that opened easier was my Pro-Tech Defiance; if you have never held one of these, find one and give it a test drive, you can open the blade just by flicking your wrist. Back to the Alias I really was impressed by the knife, it was just a little big for my liking.

A little history on the model, I read somewhere that Brad (of Bradley Cutlery) was frustrated with the availability of another popular tactical folder (the Sebenza) so he decided that he could produce something quite similar (at a fraction of the price.) The Alias models are built for Bradley by Benchmade, and their quality is great. The only issue I might note is occasionally the grind at the tip of the blade is a tiny bit off so the tip is uneven (I have only seen this on a few knives and it is nothing that will hurt the performance of the knife, it is just a cosmetic issue that can be easily ignored when you look at how great the rest of the knife is.

The Alias II has a 2.95" blade made from CPM S30V steel with a stonewash finish. There is a swedge that runs almost the full back edge (from the tip to the thumb stud. From the stud back there is a small amount of jimping on the spine, nothing too aggressive, but it does help the grip in certain grip positions. My ideal blade size is about three inches, so this blade is almost perfect. The thumb stud took a bit to get used to, it has an unusual shape, but now it is not an issue. The best part is the handle, made from 6AL 4V titanium and given a blasted finish. I like the finish because at the same time it feels smooth (maybe soft is a better word) but it is quite easy to grip even when wet. It was almost as if it had a pocket worn feeling out of the box. The blade locks in place with a frame lock (integral lock) and there is NO blade play whatsoever. Zero.

The pocket clip is simple, and carries pretty deep in the pocket (when carried in tip-down position) and higher if you choose to carry tip-up. There are holes in the handle so you can easily switch carry position and the hardware on the knife uses torx fasteners so you don't have to worry about awful proprietary fasteners or phillips head screws that strip out too easily. There are also holes to attach a lanyard if you like. The spacers in the handle are blue anodized aluminum, as is the thumb stud.

SHOT Show

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:01:49 +0000

SHOT Show 2011 is less than three weeks away. For those not familiar with this show, it is the largest trade show focused on guns, knives, tactical, camping and outdoor gear out there. This show is where many manufacturers choose to announce and show off the newest and best products.

Sadly, the show is not open to the public, so unless you are involved in the industry you will not be able to attend. Thankfully there is quite a bit of media that covers the event. People like Nutnfancy and others cover it on youtube, and there are also a number of blogs that help the average consumer keep updated. If you want to get a little better idea of the show and its importance, this link will get you to their site. Otherwise stay tuned, because our favorite manufacturers always have some fun stuff to announce at the show.

Beginner Knives

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:46:28 +0000

Often times people ask us what knife would be good for their friends/relatives that are not knife people. There are many great options, the important things to consider are that the knife be easy to use, and not intimidating. Four styles that are at the top of this list are the slip joint, the multi blade folder, the lockback, and the assisted opener.

Why everyone should carry a pocket knife

Perhaps the simplest style of knife to operate is the traditional slip joint, because the blade is held in place with friction instead of a locking mechanism, closing the blade is much simplified. One of our favorite slip joints is the UK Penknife by Spyderco it is available with a variety of handle materials and blade steels for every budget.

The multi blade folder is a classic style, for years they have been passed down from fathers to sons and cherished by all. Typical knives of this style are trappers, whittlers, and the canoe just to name a few. Another popular knife of this style is the traditional Swiss Army Knife. Some great options for multi blade folders are the products by Case or possibly Kissing Crane Knives.

The lockback style has been around for ages, and is a simple yet effective way to keep the blade in place. Many people prefer the lockback to a liner lock or frame lock knife because you do not need to put your fingers in the way of the blade to close the knife. Lockbacks come in all shapes in sizes, but we think a good beginner design is the Spyderco Delica the handle comes in the affordable fiberglass reinforced nylon which is available in a variety of colors which make it less intimidating.

Many people prefer the ease (and fun) of an assisted opening folder. These knifes use a spring to hold the blade closed, but when you open the blade to a certain point, the spring takes over and opens the blade the rest of the way. This allows the user to open the knife easily with one hand. One of our favorite assisted openers is the Chive by Kershaw. It weighs under two ounces, and can be kept on a keychain or clipped onto your pocket with the included clip.

No matter what knife you end up giving as a beginner, the most important thing is that you make sure they are comfortable with the operation of their new tool.

Security

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:29:27 +0000

More Site Improvements: Security 101

We always get a lot of customers concerned about their security on the web and we wanted to address this in a blog post. First off, we should note that we respect our customers privacy in every way. We never share their information with any other services and unlike other sites we do not keep any of your credit card information. This helps insure that your information is as safe as possible. As the web continues to progress security gets better and better and we continue to comply to the highest and best web standards. During the past year aloe we have improved our site security from 128 bit encryption to 256 bit encryption as well as added a new Hacker Guardian tracker to show all of our customers each day that their information is safe with us.

Below is a little bit of information about each of our security efforts.

PCI Compliance Verification by Hacker Guardian

The data security standards set by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) are mandatory requirements for anyone who accepts, processes, or stores credit card data. We use Hacker Guardian to assure our customers that we are compliant. The HackerGuardian PCI scanning tool scans our externally-facing IPs and generates reports telling us each day whether or not we are compliant. In addition it lets our customers know that we are on top of our security.

EV SSL Enhanced Security

Obtaining an Extended Validation SSL certificate requires a rigorous validation performed by Comodo, a registered Certificate Authority (CA). This is required to ensure that the company behind the site meets Extended Validation standard. These strict validation guidelines help keep the green address bar associated with only trusted organizations to maintain the highest level of security and trust with visitors.

We provide our customers and visitors with futureproof security and visual assurance by employing Comodo's popular business validated SSL certificate, Comodo SSL. The Comodo SSL is the professional solution for securing your web server and providing visual assurance to your website visitors. This SSL certificate is 2048-bit ready and includes the patented Corner-of-Trust logo. This included trustmark implements all of Comodo's patent-pending technologies to invite visitors to interact and validate identity. Comodo SSL certificates give visitors the gold padlock and freedom from security warnings while over secure HTTPS connection on your site. With the help of the Comodo trustmark, our visitors know that they are interacting with a secure and authentic domain even when they are not in HTTPS session.

Additional benefits of Comodo SSL:

Protects customers' sensitive information with 256 bit encryption
2048-bit ready keeps our certificate secure for years to come
Each customers information is insured up to $250,000.00

iPhone App has launched!!!

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:55:29 +0000

So for the last month and a half or so we have been working on our new iPhone App! It has taken a while to get all of the bugs out but we are excited to announce today that our first version of it is finally available for download! http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/not-your-mamas-knives/id393960208?mt=8

The app not only allows you to browse our large catalog of knives but also allows you to see images of each of them and detailed information, the same level that you recieve on our site. In addition under the "More" section of the app you can see the Blade Style Guide, the Steel Guide, our Knife Glossary, and more!

We actually think that it may be a better buying experience than our website. We will continue to work on it to improve it more and more in the coming months adding new features and allowing you to find the products you want even faster than you do now. But we thought you might be interested in seeing our first draft!

To all of our customers we thank you again for letting us do what we love the most! SELL KNIVES!!!

Microtech Sale

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:10:06 +0000

If there is one thing that we enjoy more than Microtech knives (we will get more into that later) it is being able to offer these amazing knives to you guys at a discount!. In addition to the discount, we are also taking some of the new stickers that Microtech recently had made, and giving these stickers out free with every Microtech knife ordered.

It seems like almost daily we get asked about which automatic knives we prefer and why. While there are quite a few companies making high quality side openers, when it comes to OTF (Out The Front) automatics, it is pretty much a one horse show. Benchmade and Piranha both manufacture nice OTF knives, and there are a couple other companies that also make them, but not in very large quantities. The OTF offerings from Microtech are just awesome. They are powerful, mean looking, fast, and the designs are very innovative. The lockup is very tight, and most importantly they stand behind their products.

Visit Microtech Website

Their site is currently going through some major upgrades, but soon you will be able to find out about all their current models, how to care for your knife, what different options are available and much more. Microtech has a limited lifetime warranty on all their knives (will not cover abuse/neglect or any knives that have been disassembled by the customer.)

In order to clear out a few items that we are overstocked on, Use coupon code MICROSTICK10 to get 10% off any Microtech purchase, plus get a free Microtech sticker. Included in this sale are the recent run of Executive Scarabs and Bayonet Grind Ultratechs. We have already pre-sold a large number of the Scarabs, and do not expect the rest to last very long. Those who have followed our inventory in the past also know that last time we had the Bayonet Grind Ultratechs they went very fast as well. It is a cool design, and really something different from the usual single or double edged blade.

Facebook Giveaway and Executive Scarabs

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 03:24:59 +0000

We want to get more people involved on our Facebook page,ask questions, upload your favorite knife pictures, tell us about knives or other products that you want or wished we carried. To help this process along, we are going to be giving away a brand new Microtech t-shirt to a random fan starting at 400 fans. We will repeat the process at 425, 450, and 475 people. When we hit the magic 500, we will give some lucky winner the Facet. This knife has a MSRP of 300 dollars, and anyone should be tickled to receive it.

Click Here for Facebook Page

So sign up if you have not already, get your friends to sign up also, and lets get talking knives!

In other exciting knife news, Microtech has made a small run of Executive Scarabs. For those who aren't familiar with the model, picture a regular Scarab, then take away the traction inserts and leave the handles smooth. They are sleek looking, fire fast, and best of all, you have a cool rare factor (they do not make them often at all) and they are cheaper than the original. We have them on a pre-sale on the site right now for those who can't wait, and don't worry- cards do not get charged till the item ships like always.

We are also offering a coupon good for 10% off any of our Lone Wolf or Benchmade products. Use code BENLONE when checking out for this discount. This is to celebrate Benchmade recently purchasing the Lone Wolf knife company and adding their line into their already massive catalog.

Smith & Wesson Conversions

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:25:17 +0000

It seems like every year there are a few knives that really stand out at the cheaper end of the spectrum. Last year they were the California legal auto conversions from Schrade (please bring them back!) This year we have been impressed by a group of Dual Action Automatic conversion knives by Smith & Wesson. Smith & Wesson makes an exceptional line of firearms, and their knives are also fairly popular among Law Enforcement. But this group of autos is really cool for the price. You can have a dual action knife with a hidden trigger for under 25 dollars! Granted they may not be the same quality as a Lone Wolf or a Pro-Tech, but at that price, who really cares? They are fun to use, and a great gift idea for any knife enthusiast.

Benchmade are here!

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:46:23 +0000

As we announced last week, the knives from Benchmade are here and on the site, we can't wait for the selection to grow, but for now we have quite a variety, especially of the Automatics. Benchmade has quite a loyal following, for good reason. They pay attention to minor details, pick blade materials that they feel are best suited for the job (they do not have a one-size-fits-all attitude towards blade steel) and their designs are comfortable and incredibly useful. All this adds up for a great knife experience.

Benchmade

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:08:21 +0000

With the amount of interest that the great H&K knives have had, we are pleased to announce that we will again be carrying products from Benchmade. They are scheduled to be here by the weekend, so with any luck they should be on the website as soon as Monday. Those who are big fans of Benchmade products know what a big deal this is.... those who have never tried one out, they are great, a high quality knife manufacturer, and definitely worth a close look.

Jake's Picks

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:16:24 +0000

Quite often people ask us for our favorites, so I thought I would put out a quick list of my favorites. I realize this list may not be complete, and my favorites do change from time to time. Feedback is always welcome.

Favorite small folder- Gerber Ultralight LST (6050)

Favorite Medium Sized Folder- Spyderco Delica 4 FFG- Honorable mention goes to the Spyderco Kukuri, but they are no longer available.

Favorite OTF- Microtech UTX-85

Favorite Side Opening Automatic- Piranha Bodyguard, A close second in this Catergory goes out to the Pro-Tech Runt J4

Favorite Multi-Tool- Leatherman Charge TTi (Until I get my hands on a MUT, then we may have a new winner.)

Favorite Tactical Folder- Cold Steel Recon 1 Tanto

Kissing Crane Knives

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:28:06 +0000

We are pleased to announce that we are now carrying a large variety of products from Kissing Crane Knives. Since 1834, Kissing Crane has represented superior craftsmanship and quality. The new generation of Kissing Crane continues this legacy and tradition of quality. Kissing Crane produces a large variety of knives, from lockbacks and single blade folders like the Toothpick to a large variety of multi-blade folders like the congress or trapper, and many more classic designs. These knives are all available with a great array of handle material choices from Delrin to natural materials like Mother of Pearl, Stag, Bone, and Ram's Horn. Kissing crane knives represent a long legacy of great designs and great value. Give them a good look today.

Fall here

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:02:09 +0000

As spring winds down and fall is upon us, we are glad for all the we had this year for camping, off-roading, fishing and more this summer gave to us. But most importantly, we are glad for fall, with cooler weather, hunting, football, and great chances for buying knives. With hunting trips at hand, why wait to buy that skinner or gut hook you have been putting off? More importantly with Christmas mere months away, be prepared now. Manufacturers are putting great deals out there, snatch them up now, and forget about waiting for the last minute. You know you want to, now you have good reasons. Buy more knives.

Bradley Kimuras

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:13:47 +0000

We often get asked to explain the differences and similarities among the different models of the Kimura Balisongs by Bradley cutlery. Hopefully we can clear up a little confusion here. All of the Kimuras are manufactured for Bradley Cutlery by Kershaw knives here in the USA. The original model (Kimura I) had a different handle design and is no longer in production. The current models are all stainless steel, with skeletonized handles to help reduce weight. The latch is not spring loaded, and the only difference is the blade styles. They weigh in at 5.4 ounces, have a 3.75" Blade and are 4" closed. They are about an inch wide and 3/8" thick. They use torx fasteners to hold them together and feature bronze phosphor bushings to keep the movement smooth. The Kimura II features a Drop point style blade (the top of the blade curves down to the point, creating a stronger, but less needle-like point) The Kimura III features a Tanto Style blade (this blade has a chisel-like grind and is supposed to have great piercing ability while still retaining high tip strength) The Kimura IV features a clip-point blade (this blade appears to have a piece removed from the top near the tip, giving it a sharp, pointy tip, great for piercing, but you sacrifice a little tip strength with this style.) In addition to these styles, there are also occasionally special limited editions of the knives offered. The last edition was a polished version, and soon there will be a Vib coated version released (this is the multi-colored titanium coating Kershaw offers on a few of their knives.)

ESEE/RAT Cutlery

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:37:31 +0000

ESEE knives (formerly RAT Cutlery) makes some pretty great knives. Geared toward Military, Police, and outdoorsmen, these knives are all hand assembled, to ensure a perfect fit between blade and handle. The design is well thought out, and they even include a great fitting Kydex sheath (excluding knife only models for those who like to make their own sheaths.) There is a great variety of styles and options, ranging from the arrowhead to the large Junglas Machete. Everyone is sure to find something they can be comfortable using. While cruising around the ESEE website, we found this video showing just how amazing a properly heat treated blade made from 1095 can be.

While it's corrosion resistance is not spectacular, with proper care, that should not be an issue. The big point is, these knives are nearly indestructible. ESEE believes in their product so much that they have an unconditional lifetime warranty. If your knife breaks, bends, chips, whatever- they will replace it for you. This does not cover regular wear and tear, so if you wear one out, consider yourself lucky, and buy another. But if anything else happens, do not worry, they have got you covered.

Summer is here.

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:48:06 +0000

With the long, hot days we have been experiencing lately, it is hard to deny that summer is most assuredly here to stay. While there is nothing major to discuss at this moment in the knife world, the rumor mill is going crazy and the near future is bringing many new and improved products. Manufacturers like Kershaw, Pro-Tech, Bradley, CRKT, and more will be introducing knives that have all of us quite excited, so keep reading for official announcements in the next few weeks.

Happy Independence Day

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:29:45 +0000

It is this time of year we gather with family and friends to reflect upon the great blessing we have in our lives which is our freedom. Please do not ever forget what was required to achieve this, and also commit to yourself that you will do whatever is needed to retain this amazing gift that so many others would love to have in their lives. We are grateful for those who are willing to make personal sacrifices to ensure the safety and well being of their family, friends, and even complete strangers. Thanks to all of you. Big news coming tomorrow, watch for the announcement on facebook or twitter!

Pro-Tech TR-4

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:44:51 +0000

Recently the guys at Pro-Tech released a new model. The TR-4 is the newest model in the Tactical Response lineup. This is exciting news because this knife ushers in a new feature never before implemented in a Pro-Tech automatic. In addition to an integrated pommel, designed for use as a glass breaker, the TR-4 features a safety switch. We should be getting our irst shipment of these in about a week, so keep your eyes out!

Limited Edition Kimuras

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:36:24 +0000

Folks, if you did not know, we have a small amount of limited edition Bradley Kimura balisongs. These have the same great construction as the originals, but with a high polish finish. Production on these was limited to 100 pieces total (that is for all types not each blade shape) And they are priced quite reasonably. Pick yours up before they are all gone.

Blade Show News

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:54:55 +0000

Just a few items worth mentioning from the blade show last week, Pro-Tech knives won the investor collector knife of the year with their Ultimate Don (this is an amazing knife and it is no surprise it won.) Spyderco won the most innovative American design with their Translucent handle Manix 2. The Manix 2 is a great design, there are still rumors going around whether this production knife is going to have a full flat ground blade or if they will stick with the saber ground. (I think it will be a winner either way with its super strong lock mechanism and FRN handles. Kershaw won the American mase knife of the year with their tilt design and a Ken Onion design won Imported knife of the year (the Columbia River Knife and Tool Eros.) A big congrats out to all these winners and all I did not mention. The work you put into your knives is what makes this such a great industry to be a part of.

Thanks Reaper87xx

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:58:04 +0000

Reaper87xx recently won a contest we put out, he was the first person to call in after we launched the new website. After posting this great video showing off the knife and thanking us, we got an idea. (thanks BTW reaper, we appreciate the good publicity) To help our freinds have more input on knife reviews, and to help promote our new (almost finished) customer rewards program, we are going to offer rewards points for customer submitted knife reviews. Here is how it works: Shoot a knife review video, try to make it a knife we have not featured yet, or highlight something you really like or dislike about a knife we have reviewed (we are going for new material and information here, we do not need videos covering stuff we have already discussed.) In the video, make sure to mention that you are doing the video for notyourmamasknives.com. Email the video to us (store@notyourmamasknives.com) and when we use the video, you will get 100 points added to your customer rewards account (the same as if you had spent 100 dollars on our site)

Blade Show 2010

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:28:36 +0000

We are eagerly anticipating the Blade Show this year as it should bring many new and exciting product announcements as manufacturers are ready to resume business as usual. Look for updates on Facebook as soon as we hear them, and expect large quantities of products- new and old- to be delivered in the coming weeks following the show.

Not Your Mama's Blog

Tue, 25 May 2010 23:28:20 +0000

By now hopefully you have all noticed some huge changes in out website from the previous version, and we are really proud of what we have accomplished so far, but rest assured it is only going to keep getting better. This blog will serve as an information hub, to let you know what is new, improved, or just news we think is exciting. So check back often for updates. We are also fairly active on Facebook, when knives come back in stock, or new products are released, we like to announce them on that site. For today, We wanted to talk a little about what makes the new site so much better than the other sites out there. Our favorite feature is the advanced search and compare items options. You can look for knives based on blade size, type, handle color, blade material, or a number of other options. When deciding on a knife, simply click on "add to compare" and you can compare up to ten items with all major specifications side by side. Instead of remembering specifics- say weight or blade length- and switching back and forth between pages, you can now do it with a click of the mouse. The wish list is also invaluable for knives you want, but can't justify purchasing quite yet. It will save all the knives you want to look at a later date, and you can add them to your cart when ready. There are many other things we are working on to make your experience the best possible, watch for updates often.

New Website

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:12:42 +0000

Over the past few years we have REALLY GROWN! And during this growth some of our customers have loved us and other have hated our guts. However, both parties have been quick to offer suggestions on how we could be better and we have been carefully taking notes. A few months ago we hired Jake who has taken over customer service and made it significantly better, and while he has been working on that we have been building our new site. We took all of your suggestions and have used as many of them as we possibly could. What you will find is a website designed specifically for knife lovers.

Here is what we are doing different:
1. Your card does not charge until the item ships.
2. You will now be able to compare products side by side with each other, comparing details for details. This feature will get better as we continue to rewrite every product description that we have. (This will take a few months)
3. Our newsletter subscribe/unsubscribe actually works.
4. You can now check out as a guest without us saving any of your information except the address. (We have to ship it to you somehow)
5. We have added a wishlist so as you move through our thousands of products you can create a list to come back to in the future.
6. We believe that our new advanced search is the BEST in the industry.
7. We now offer a gift certificate system
8. As part of the redesign we created a "mobile" version of our site so that those with smart phones or ipod touches can use their phones to search our site without being required to use the full version.
9. Much better internal tracking system so that you can track your UPS shipments right on our website.

We hope that you enjoy our new site and we look forward to your feedback in the coming years. Please note that we are listening and doing everything we can to keep our customers happy as we continue to grow in the future!

Sincerely,

Not Your Mamas Knives Staff

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