Instead of repairing my Luminox yet again, I purchased a Citizen Promaster Eco Drive dive watch. This relatively inexpensive watch has served me well for almost four years now, and shows no signs of stopping. It’s not the nicest or most expensive watch, but it works for my needs.
I wore it for a while with the Waterbourne Safety Strap I used on my Luminox, but the strap finally gave out. I replaced it will an no-name safety strap that has worked very well so far. If I could make one change to this watch, I would have gotten it in black instead of blue, so I could wear a wider range of strap colors with it.
Other Carry: Pepper Spray
I have carried pepper spray in one form or another for several years now. I began carrying pepper spray in 2019 when I quite using smokeless tobacco. This freed up a pocket, so I started carrying a large can of Fox Mean Green pepper spray. At some point, desiring a smaller option, I switched to a ASP Metro Defender. I carried this for about a year on my keychain. I found I didn’t like the big lump in my pocket…and the cap kept coming off, dropping the OC canister inside.
About a year ago I switched back to a big can of Fox One Point Four. This stuff is powerful stuff. I would like to get away from such a big can. I have some POM pepper spray that I will look at carrying, as well.
Pepper Spray: 2020 vs 2025
I began 2020 with a big can of pepper spray, and I’m going into 2026 with an identically-sized can. No big capability upgrade or downgrade here.
Belt-Carried Item: Handgun
I am still carrying the same handgun, my Nighthawk Custom 1911. I absolutely love this gun and have have written a number of articles covering it including a first look, a 5,000-round review, and my recent “If I Could Only Have One” article. Very little about the gun has changed…though some things have. Around the 12,500-round mark, I sent the gun back for a tune-up. With my relatively heavy shooting schedule this seemed prudent. The one cosmetic change I asked for was a replacement of the short, curved trigger with a flat one. It has made no difference to my shooting, but I like the looks and it doesn’t hurt anything. After six years I also finally replaced the grips with thin LOK Bogies.
