I bought one of these cheap knives for three dollars at a garage sale.I bought for the fish hook and fishing line.
so guilty as charged I am.Most of the hollow handled knives on the market now and those sold a few years ago where purchased because they looked neat (or were seen in action packed movies), not because they served any real practical function. I am not saying there are no hollow handled knives of quality out there, because I have seen more than just a few. My biggest complain with the knife design is why? Why do we need a knife (which can be dropped unknowingly from a sheath or lost when it is placed down some place) designed to carry our survival gear in a hollow handle. Keep in mind, if you lose the knife your survival gear goes with it. And, the amount of gear in the handles of these knives could be easier carried in a shirt pocket or your wallet. The contents typically consists of,

• Compass, which is fitted into the butt of the knife (wonder how accurate that will remain after a few days of rough field usage?)
• A few wooden matches in a small plastic bag
• 3 or 4 fish hooks with line (maybe a couple of lead sinkers)
• A cheap metal wire saw
• Some have a small piece of flint, band-aids (very small), and maybe a needle or two, a perhaps other small items

The concept is basically good, but with the market flooded with cheap imitations, it is difficult at best for the average outdoors person to separate quality from trash. Additionally, I have always disliked items that are designed to be half of one thing and half of another (is it a survival kit, or a knife?). Why? Because most items designed to perform two functions usually end up not doing either aspect of the design extremely well.

The contents of the hollow knife is sparse at best when it comes to survival gear and a person would be hard pressed to survive using just the contained equipment alone. I suggest you prepare (not buy a commercial model) a kit that contains what you think is needed or go by a suggested list by a survival professional. A survival kit does not have to be large and a small one can easily fit into a small fanny pack. The U.S. Air Force suggests as a minimum your survival kit contain the following items (and no knife can store this much gear in the hollow handle),

http://www.overunity.com/watermotor/ 
Paper motor runs on water.triffid

Quote from: triffid on September 30, 2011, 02:43:14 AM
Lee,heres a link to that knife you want. http://www.simplesurvival.net/survivalknife.htm
[/q1uote]
In the picture, the one sticking out of the stump, furthest to the right looked like the one I used to own about 30 yrs ago.  It was a genuine 'made in Japan' knockoff and I paid $7.95 + S & H for it.  Unfortunately, I don't have it now.  I'll look for another.
9quote]
You also mentioned that certain groups of people act out their frustrations in the streets.I watched a program I think about Americans during the great depression in which they claimed the great majority of Americans suffered at home and did not riot in the streets on a huge scale.I wonder if that could hold true this next time around?triffid

This is a different country now.  And, importantly, in Calif. young Latino men and black youths were pissed that they didn't have a job any more, so they banded together for self-identity and began 'acting out frustrations on the streets',  Thus...
http://blog.frankelcostume.com/zoot-suit-riot/
        ...so it wasn't all good, to say the least.  The Depression brought out all the greed people had in them before it began.

On topic:
http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/30/news/economy/double_dip_recession/index.htm?hpt=hp_t2

This goes with the first paragraph above.

--Lee

Heres a link to a guy who used a lawn mower engine to power a bicycle.He got up to 50mph.No word on mpg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGHbaKnq1uk&feature=fvwp&NR=1

   
Another drill powered bike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC3rB9f7DaU&NR=1


drill powered bikes and more !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z8dFlVNrY8&feature=related
triffid

heres something to jolt your brain.A smooth ride on a bumpy road!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgbWu8zJubo&feature=fvwp&NR=1  triffid