The CRKT Minimalist Bowie neck knife stakes its claim as a practical EDC tool. An aggressive bowie shape, easy-sharpening blade, and non-abrasive plastics distinguish the knife. Adding it to my everyday kit was an easy call: I found it comfortable to carry and conceal and suitable for a wide range of purposes.

Here’s what my test revealed.

Minimalist Bowie Neck Knife Specification and Use

CRKT designs the Minimalist Bowie to be a wearable neck knife: hanging from a cord worn around the neck, concealed beneath clothing. That’s why the knife is compact, lightweight, and low-profile.

The discreet knife is 5.13 inches long and weighs 2.1 ounces. Its 2.13-inch full-tang blade is a shade under 3 mm thick. I barely noticed the knife while I was wearing it — most of the time, I forgot it was there until I needed it.

CRKT adds to the Minimalist Bowie’s easy-carry effect with a parachute cord lanyard (with spring-stop adjustment) and skin-friendly plastics on the sheath and handle. Even against bare skin, it felt comfortable to wear.

The blade is cut from 8Cr13MoV Chinese steel, which is considered a middle-of-the-road option. Out of the box, the narrow blade cuts free-hanging paper cleanly. Even though it has a fine edge, I found it resilient enough to handle heavy-duty tasks like batoning wood and opening bottles.

Test Results

I could go on and on about the CRKT Minimalist Bowie’s ease of carrying. I tend to get fed up with EDC knives: eventually, they all seem too heavy or like they get in my way too easily, and the hassle outweighs the benefit. Instead, the CRKT Minimalist Bowie was as easy to carry as the average necklace.

It also performed solidly as an EDC knife. The 2.13-inch blade was short enough to be resilient under prying and heavier tasks but long enough to be useful for occasional food prep. The fine edge made quick work of opening packages, popping tags and zip ties, etc. Cutting more abrasive materials like wood and rope dulled the steel eventually, but it sharpened easily with both a countertop-style sharpener and a stone.

The handle’s slight texture and deep grooves delivered non-slip confidence, and the knife drew quickly, which all seemed like assets in tactical or self-defense scenarios.

As a final note, I tested the flashy “Cthulhu” finish style. Its plastic reminded me of blue Airheads, and the loud sci-fi graphic on its blade made me laugh as soon as I unsheathed it. I eventually found its aesthetics endearing, but its practical application made sense from the get-go — the knife glows in the dark for easy lights-out location.

Conclusions

At $40 MSRP ($28 street price), it’s hard to come up with a better all-around neck knife than the CRKT Minimalist Bowie. The compact knife shines in light-to-medium-duty EDC applications and handles occasional heavier work. Its lightweight build and non-abrasive materials make it easy to carry; its small silhouette and low profile make it easy to conceal.

f

The Benchmade Bugout is an icon among hikers. It’s a very light but extremely capable knife. And while it aims at outdoor use, it makes a perfect choice for everyday carry. I tested it for a year for this Benchmade Bugout review.

Benchmade launched the first Bugout in 2017. Since then, the brand expanded the Bugout family to include the original 535 Bugout, plus several variants that offer users choices in handle material, blade type, and blade materials. And for 2021, Benchmade launched a new Bugout Mini, with a smaller blade and handle for even lighter performance.

The Benchmade Bugout CF-Elite that I’ve been using for a year shows very little wear; photos by Sean McCoy

I’ve personally used the Benchmade 535BK-2 Bugout fine-edge knife for about a year. And among my dozens of knives (yes, I have a large collection), this $150 blade is among my most-used.  I reach for it most mornings as I load my pockets up for the workday.

In short: The Benchmade Bugout uses a time-tested drop-point blade shape and good knife steel for a very practical knife that holds an edge for a long time and weighs almost nothing.

Benchmade Bugout Review: A Top Ultralight Pocket Knife

Over the last year, I’ve used the Benchmade Bugout 535BK-2 with a CF-Elite handle for myriad tasks. It goes with me to work, where I use it to open boxes and letters every day. As an everyday carry knife, it disappears into the pocket thanks to a deep-carry clip and slim design.

In use, it flicks open with an easy push of the thumb and flick of the wrist. The CF-Elite handle (which uses carbon-fiber in place of plastic — a $30 upgrade over the original) gives a nice, stiff scale to grip when you need to do harder work.

The Bugout uses Benchmade’s renowned Axis lock to secure the blade open for use. It works perfectly, as promised, every time.

So yes, I really like the bugout. At just 1.8 ounces, it will do darned near any job you’d ask of a pocket knife.

But it does have limits. As a folding knife, I wouldn’t use it to baton wood outside of an emergency. It’s not designed for particularly heavy use or abuse, although I suspect it would hold up better than most lightweight pocket knives.

Beyond that, I don’t see limits to the Bugout, which is why it’s among Benchmade’s most popular knives.

Benchmade Bugout: Many Varieties Available

The CF-Elite version I’ve been testing has a CPM-S30V steel blade. While no-longer a class-leading steel, it’s still exceptionally good knife steel and holds an edge for a very long time. It can also be sharpened through hand tools by the end-user, nearly impossible with more modern “super steels.”

In literally hundreds of uses, I’ve only sharpened the Bugout once. It took some time and care, but I got it sharp pretty quickly. And of course, if you don’t love sharpening knives, Benchmade offers free re-sharpening for the life of its knives.

And yes, you can get the Bugout with S90V super steel as an upgrade. But that will bring the bugout up to the premium $300 price range. And it’ll be nearly impossible to re-sharpen without returning it to the factory due to the steel’s hardness.

Other options for the Bugout include full carbon-fiber scales, grivory handle scales, and a smaller size. You can also now purchase the Bugout with a half-serrated blade. And of course, you can customize the Bugout with many different color combinations and engraving.

So if you’re looking for a knife that will go with you every day and not weigh you down, the Bugout is a strong contender. And it transitions seamlessly to the backpack or field bag for camping, hiking, or anywhere you want a great light knife outdoors.

Altimeter watches are easy enough to define. Simply put, they are wristwatches with a built-in altitude meter or altimeter. While not 100 percent on point, altimeter watches are accurate enough, making them indispensable tools for hiking, mountaineering, skiing, skydiving, and other outdoor activities.

Besides an altitude meter, altimeter watches often include several other functions that outdoor enthusiasts will find useful and even life-saving, such as a thermometer, a barometer, a moon phase indicator, and a compass, among others. A watch with a built-in altimeter, barometer, and compass is often called an ABC watch, with the acronym obviously referring to the initials of the three functions.

Considering the number of options on the market, shopping for the best altimeter watches for men can be daunting and time-consuming. That’s what this guide is for. In this guide, we’ll introduce you to the ones that are truly worth your time and money, including a few budget-friendly options for those unwilling to spend over $100 on an altimeter watch. Starting with the affordable options, here are the best altimeter watches that you can get today.

Pyle PSWWM82

Casio SGW-300HB-3AV

Lad Weather LAD004-BK-JA

Suunto Core

Casio Pathfinder PAG240-1CR

Casio Rangeman GW-9400-1CR

Casio Pro Trek PRW-2500T-7CR

Suunto Traverse

Suunto Ambit3 Peak

Suunto Vector

Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR

Garmin Fenix 3

Garmin Fenix 5X

Garmin Tactix Bravo

Tissot T-Touch Expert Titanium