In our latest episode of "I Carry" above, we're taking a closer look at the details of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, and we're packaging it with a high-quality leather holster from Falco Holsters, along with a new EDC knife from Work Sharp.
"In today's kit, as you might notice, we've opted for a kind of a barbecue rig," American Rifleman Executive Editor Jay Grazio said. "This is, you know, kind of a fancier setup, but it's still practical."
Springfield Armory was one of several companies, early on, that jumped on the opportunity to produce a high-quality High Power. Its initial SA-35 was a traditionally styled variant that had a number of notable upgrades, including the removal of the widely disliked magazine-disconnect safety, as well as an improved sight setup and a redesigned rowel hammer. This initial model was offered with a matte-blue finish, and Springfield has now added the high-polish model to the line, too.
"One of the nice things for those of you who have an old-school bent, there's no red-dot sight. There's no accessory rail. This is just a straight up Browning Hi-Power clone for you to carry," Grazio said. "One of the nice things is it's the same price. It's your choice. You want a matte blue or the highly polished? Same price. Very affordable, very reasonable, modern take on the Browning Hi-Power."
To carry the Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, we opted for a traditional, outside-the-waistband, leather holster. One of the latest options on the market is the C631 Gorham from European holster maker Falco Holsters.
"This is really nice brown saddle leather, it's Italian leather," Grazio said. "It's simple, pancake-style, rides flat. Pulls the gun in tight. Still concealable, even though it's an outside-the-waistband. Means it's a little bit more comfortable. It's not jammed inside, and you can still throw a cover garment over it and cover it. But why would you want to? You've got a beautiful leather holster."
Rounding out our EDC kit, we're taking a look at a somewhat modern knife in the Work Sharp Madrone, a clip-point folder with a number of notable features.
"It is one of the nicest knives I've come across in a while. It's an aluminum handle. It's an M390 steel blade. That steel is chosen for its ability to take a sharp edge as well as it's very wear-resistant," Grazio said. "One of the things that I really like, which is it's a push-button release to close the blade instead of a liner lock or a frame lock. I've been on a crusade to kind of change over from the liner lock and the frame lock, because I'm not a fan of trying to close a knife with my fingers in the way."
For more information on the Springfield Armory SA-35 Polished, visit the Springfield Armory website here. For more details on the Falco Holsters C631 Gorham holster, visit the Falco Holsters website here. And for details on the Work Sharp Madrone knife, visit the Work Sharp website here.
