Haber Vision Sunglasses &
The Smith & Wesson 24/7 Knife
30 June 2008
Whether you’re going out for a weekend camping trip or just out for an afternoon hike, there are a few things you should always have along. Hydration is an obvious inclusion. But what about eye protection and a good knife? Most of us wear sunglasses as a matter of habit without giving a lot of conscious thought to them. Many of you reading this carry a knife without consciously thinking about it. This week I happened to be in a position of writing a combined review about eyewear from Haber Vision and a knife from Smith & Wesson – the 24/7.
While most long time readers know that I prefer my sunglasses to provide some minimum level of ballistic protection as well, this is often completely not required when out for some recreational time in the field. For instance, a day at the beach doesn't require you to wear protective eyewear that will absorb a load of 8-shot and not break. Haber Vision makes just such sunglasses. They are stylish and offer good protection from that hideous beast all sunglasses are supposed to protect us from: the sun and its projected light.
The Corsica, shown right, is a frameless ultra light weight model. They provide good coverage without using a lot of material. The nose piece and the ends of the arms (temple tips?) have rubber inserts (Griptor is what Haber Vision calls it) to help keep them in place without having them squeeze your head. I found them pretty comfortable although they do fit your face pretty close. If you have long eyelashes you may find them rubbing the insides of the lenses. That aside the Corsica glasses provide good coverage for your eyes in a low weight package. Retail price is listed as $77.50 on their website but I'm sure a quick online search will help you find them at a lower price than that.
Named after a peninsula in Alaska, the Kenai model provides greater coverage but equal comfort. My first thought when I put them on was, "These would be great on the boat or on a motorcycle." The Kenais fit your face closely with full wrap around coverage and slightly more squeeze on both sides. Again, the rubber pads are in place to help maintain a higher level of friction to secure them on your face during vigorous activity. Haber Vision recommends this model of glasses for "all action sports including fishing, skiing, cycling, water sports and general use." I'd have to agree. The retail price is the same as the Corsica - $77.50 - but, again, I'm sure you can find them cheaper if you look.
That brings me to the second half of this week's recreational review. I was pleased to receive, as a gift not long ago, a Limited Edition Smith & Wesson SWAT 24/7 knife. Understand that this is a collector's edition knife and I had no intention of taking it out to abuse it like I normally would any other knife I test. Intead, I wanted to call your attention to it. The knife is packaged in a decoractive "patriotic" tin sporting the red, white and blue with a bald eagle's head and the necessary information about the knife.
Measuring 4/5" closed, the blade itself is just under 4". The grips are black aluminum with "Sure Grip" inserts that remind me of tread tape. The knife locks open via liner-lock and the grips are nicely shaped to fit your hand. There is a groove milled out to allow easier manipulation of the liner lock and the hilt swells just a bit to allow you someplace to push into cuts with your thumb. The thumbstud is screwed in and provides for a fairly easy open that ends with a robust CLICK as it locks into place.
While you might expect a "collector's edition" knife to be real pricey, I found them onlin for under $35. I think what called my attention to it most was the packaging, but given that it's a limited edition run, I'll probably just keep it in the safe for the next generation of Borellis. Do a Google Search for "smith wesson knives 24 7 limited edition" and you'll be able to find this one.
Happy trails!
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Don't forget to check out our Tactical Equipment Review of the StreamLIght Super Tac flashlight.
This week's Feature Article discussing "attitude is all".
For a listing of all reviews in chronological order, GO HERE.
