Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Guns: CrossBreed MiniTuck review

Holsters are funny creatures. A shape that works great for toting a full-size M1911 may not work very well for a smaller gun, even if it's scaled down in size. With this in mind, I picked up a CrossBreed MiniTuck for my Kahr CM9:  


The MiniTuck is a hybrid leather/Kydex IWB holster, which is my favorite concealed carry design. It's a minimalist, clean setup - no crazy ride height/cant adjustments, no fancy multi-tiered tension screws. Most importantly, the MiniTuck is designed for short barrel guns - the concave lower cut panel provides less protection than a long panel would, but also interferes with your body less.

Unlike my other go-to rig, the Comp-Tac Minotaur, CrossBreed doesn't bother with covering the MiniTuck's hardware with a separate panel. This makes the holster lighter and thinner, allowing it to slip into even a fairly close-fit pair of jeans. I opted for horsehide on my holster, and I haven't noticed any degradation in performance vs. a two-ply design, even after wearing the holster through several scorching months in Florida.


My MiniTuck has two main drawbacks. First, the holster does not allow you to get a full firing grip on the pistol, unless you have Tweety Bird-sized fingers:


Second, the Kydex shell is a bit of a weird fit for the gun. In order to reliably draw the Kahr, I have to put my thumb up on the slide, basically plucking the whole gun out of the shell instead of taking a firing grip and ripping the gun out like i normally do.


Even with these two issues, though, I still recommend the CrossBreed MinTuck. It's been a solid, comfortable, and concealable choice for IWB carry.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Sports: UFC 157 Liveblog

WHAT: UFC 157 Liveblog
WHEN: 10:00 pm EST

Friday, February 15, 2013

Been in the trenches at work...

Normal posting to resume soon. In the interim, why not enjoy this cover of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Taking Care of Business" by The Wheresville Project?

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Food: Counter Culture Coffee farmhouse organic coffee review

Coffee exists on a continuum. On one end, there's the really bad stuff; think cheap motels, backwater gas stations, and hospital waiting rooms. On the other, there's organic, direct trade certified, fresh ground, pour-over brewed Counter Culture Coffee.



As a Christmas gift, my friend ZiggyZeitgeist got me a subscription to farmhouse, one of CCC's most popular coffee blends. Counter Culture touts farmhouse as "akin to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box from a favorite farm." I don't know whether that comparison is valid or not, but the coffee sure looks and smells good:


 

 
 
 
I've brewed farmhouse via pour-over, French press, and good old fashioned drip percolation. Regardless of the method, it's a bit thinner and lighter than a typical coffee. You get big hits of acid and fruitiness, with a watery bittersweet walnut finish. Definitely worth a try if you like very fresh, lightly roasted Latin American coffee.