Benchmade Griptilian Custom Knife - First Look

I recently found myself in the market for an almost every-day carry knife.  Most days I still carry the small folding knife that I bought myself with store credit that I earned working as a counselor-in-training at a Boy Scout camp a long, long time ago.  It's a great knife - sentimental, well-loved, and still in great shape.  The knife that I'll someday hand down to my son.

I somehow talked myself into having a second option available for those days when I might want to carry something a little more substantial.  I did my research, laid hands on lots of options, and in the end chose a Benchmade Griptilian.  One of the things I really liked about the Griptilian is that it is a part of Benchmade's custom knife program, meaning that you can get it customized from the factory more-or-less the way you want it, for a small premium over the MSRP of the standard Griptilian.

Suunto M-3 Global Compass Review

Suunto M-3 Global Compass

In the world of navigation, there are many choices.  These days people often opt for a purpose built GPS or sometimes even a smartphone. While I own these devices, I tend to leave them at home and instead bring along a simple map and compass.  Of course, there are also people who go naked, without any navigation aid, and instead rely on a well marked trail or other known landmarks to get themselves home. That's not for me either - I'm a compass guy.  Among compasses, there are several types - baseplate models and mirror models being the most popular / useful.

The M-3 Global is Suunto's top of the line baseplate compass, and the one I reach for most often.  I recently purchased a new one after my previous one got lost, forgot its own map and compass, and failed to make it home.  What follows is my thorough review.