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Continue ShoppingRising from the deep for a limited time and going extinct fast.
Starting my own knife company has always been a dream of mine. That is why, when my wife and I committed to launching Bone Daddy Blade WerX, with the release of our flagship design, the Axxis, I knew I wanted to do a little something extra to commemorate the achievement of a long-standing dream. It had to be something special; something that I could make myself with my own blood, sweat, and tears; something to contribute to the success of our campaign as well as thank those individuals who are first in line to support our vision for our first Kickstarter. I should have thought it through a bit more before I set about making 1300 Para-Squid Danglers by hand...
And what, praytell is a para-squid dangler you ask? The shorthand; it is a hidden compartment keychain fob made of three separate strands of 550 paracord that looks like a spiral striped squid when finished. Sounds simple right?... WRONG!!!
I completely failed to grasp the enormity of the undertaking. Roughly 4in in length when completed, each para-squid dangler takes roughly 20 minutes to complete and consists of a tightly stacked column of hexagonally shaped knots that form a hollow tube down the center of them. This channel can be used to hold small items such as a small roll of bills, some matches, or perhaps a small pen. Okay, I could do that... I determined if I made 4 para-squid a day, 7 days a week, in less than a year I could hit my goal.
Things went well enough at first. I stuck to my goal and soon 50 became 100, 100 became 200, and then 400, and so on and so on. However, as my mountain of para-squid grew, so did this feeling that they simply weren't enough. Not to be puny, but somehow my creations just felt... hollow. What good are 1300 "HIDDEN COMPARTMENT" keychain fobs with nothing hidden inside them!? I knew I had to do better. But what to include??
I am sorry to say, I did not include a roll of bills, and a pen felt trite. Matches aren't bad, especially those storm-proof ones, but their single-use nature excluded them from the selection process. However, they got me thinking in the right direction.
Ferro rods are a survivor’s best friend; they are reliable, easy to use, can last a lifetime, and best of all they come in all shapes and sizes! When I began my search for a ferro rod supplier, FireSteel.com almost instantly made it to the top of my list. Their products are in a class of their own (IMHO) and they are regularly regarded as the industry best to which all ferro rod suppliers aspire. If I was going to include a ferro rod with each para-squid then it had to be the best.
Ilma over at FireSteel.com proved to be an invaluable guide during my search for the perfect ferro rod to fit my para-squids. Always a delight to work with and a keen listener, we soon zeroed in on the GobSpark Ranger™ for a couple of reasons...
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At 2 1/2in long with 1/4in diameter, they snugly fit inside the hollow channel of the para-squids as if made to go there.
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Unlike FireSteels other "plain" rods that FireSteel.com sells, the GobSpark Ranger™ has a unique injection-molded grip on one end that consists of two small loops. Not only does this small grip make the rod far easier to hold and use, but the two holes also serve as anchor/retention points so that the rod does not come loose or get lost during carry and storage.
BUT... it still just wasn't enough! As you've probably already guessed, by choosing to include ferro rods with the para-squids, a new problem emerged... What good is a ferro rod with nothing to strike it on?! I was once again sent back to the drawing board, as I endeavored to design the perfect striker to complete my creation.
As I considered my options, it occurred to me that while the rods lacked a striker, my squid also lacked heads. Luckily, a solution presented itself in our logo. A skull made out of the letters BDBW, our logo provided a unique opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Furthermore, in an unexpected gift from the universe, our logo also presented us with the unique ability to include one more feature to this set-up, the all-important bottle opener.
And, with my creation now complete, my para-squids are ready to set loose upon the world. They'll bring the paracord, the ferro rod, the striker and the bottle opener; you bring the beer!
Emissaries from another world bearing our colors and mark, here to herald the launch of Bone Daddy Blade WerX are these limited edition Para-squid Flamethrower/Bottle Openers. Hand made by the Bone Daddy himself, only 1300 of these little monsters are up for grabs (color varies.) Get'em while you can, because they are rising from the deep for a limited time only and are going extinct fast! Each Para-Squid is made of roughly 9ft of paracord, which equates to over 70ft of line when the innner strands are removed. And, concealed within is an industry best ¼ inch diameter FireSteel.com GobSpark Ranger™ ferro rod.
Need fire? The head of each Bone Daddy Para-Squid boasts a steely bite that is perfect for throwing hot gobs of 5500 °F mayhem! After the heat, use the BD Bottle Opener to crack open a cold one. Why make these monstrosities you ask? Because what could be cooler than a skull-headed squid that shoots fire from its mouth and cracks beer with its teeth. Nuff said…