Posted: 3/4/2015 10:32:33 PM EDT
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One of my buddies is doing a photo shoot on Saturday in the Atlanta area and would like to have a Halligan tool as a prop for a few hours, either to borrow or possibly rent if it's not too expensive. For those who have read John Ringo's Black Tide Rising series, one of the key characters is a teenage daughter of the main protagonist, who wields a Halligan tool as a backup when clearing "zombies" (created by a weaponized virus that destroyed a lot of higher brain function). It's fairly well-known that the two daughters of the main character are based somewhat loosely on John Ringo's own daughters (as were the two in the Aldenata universe), this will be a photo shoot of the younger daughter portraying her character from the books... |
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I've got a 30" Pro Bar in my locker at work, but I may not get back over that way before your shoot. I'm out for three shifts taking care of my wife.
Try to find a single-piece-forged bar. Anything else is just a crappy, inferior knockoff, and isn't worthy of being photographed. It'd be like the difference betwixt an Airsoft AR and the real thing, except it's really obvious. |
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I've got at least 3 Blackhawk breaching kits here with that tool in them.
Hallagan |
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Those are not halligans, they're abominations that military and SWAT teams got sold because they're "tactical."
The original Hugh Halligan bars were single-piece, forged bars in the 30-32" range. After a few generations of Hugh's bars, Bob Farrell of Firehooks Unlimited adapted the Original Hugh to be even better. The forks were slimmer, with a better taper, and curved. The adz was likewise slimmed, shaped, and curved. This is still the same SPF Pro Bar in use across the world today. Other companies in the 80s and 90s made versions of it. Iowa American Firefighting Tools made a decent one, but it was cast instead of forged. There were early Ziamatic Corporation SPF bars with very similar profiles to the Original Hugh, and later ones more like the FHU Pro Bar. In later years, even DeWalt made a SPF halligan. Now, there are at least 4 major manufacturers making SPF bars of varying profiles. But along the way, a bunch of manufacturers like Zico, Paratech, and Blackhawk decided that profit was more valuable than quality, and they jumped in on the bandwagon. Problem is, their tools were drawn up by folks with no understanding of how the bars are used, or they would've never made them the way they do. Fat tool ends that can't get purchase; poor shapes that minimize leverage instead of maximize; cast tool heads; 3-piece bars with pinned or welded heads. Those inferior bars are barely cheaper than the real thing, but weigh pounds more and fail, either by making forcible entry harder or by breaking. I don't even call them halligans. They're fakes. |
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Quoted:
Those are not halligans, they're abominations that military and SWAT teams got sold because they're "tactical." True and Kawasaki is the only company that makes a jet ski although there have been many "abominations" that have been sold since. Like anything else, there will be variations to any idea that finds it's way into the public. Sometimes they're improvements, sometimes they're not. But to suggest that the best is necessarily going to be from the guy that come up with it first is a bit of a stretch. I make the larger portion of my living modifying other folk's ideas and/or products for either economic or performance advantages 
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As you can see I have several to choose from. My fire station is in Atlanta (Edgewood and Blvd) so if he is in the city, shoot me an IM
Halligans |
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Quoted:
True and Kawasaki is the only company that makes a jet ski although there have been many "abominations" that have been sold since. Like anything else, there will be variations to any idea that finds it's way into the public. Sometimes they're improvements, sometimes they're not. But to suggest that the best is necessarily going to be from the guy that come up with it first is a bit of a stretch. I make the larger portion of my living modifying other folk's ideas and/or products for either economic or performance advantages
Quoted:
Quoted:
Those are not halligans, they're abominations that military and SWAT teams got sold because they're "tactical." True and Kawasaki is the only company that makes a jet ski although there have been many "abominations" that have been sold since. Like anything else, there will be variations to any idea that finds it's way into the public. Sometimes they're improvements, sometimes they're not. But to suggest that the best is necessarily going to be from the guy that come up with it first is a bit of a stretch. I make the larger portion of my living modifying other folk's ideas and/or products for either economic or performance advantages
No, Hugh Halligan's original design is not the best. Bob Farrell improved upon it and made the halligan tool what it is today. Since then, others have produced some as good, but many have produced many more that are much, much worse. It'd be like if someone made an AR out of cast iron and sold it for the same as a forged aluminum lower, and tried to tell you that it'd hold up the same. The good bars are kind of like picking betwixt premium brands of AR manufacturers; personal preference with one or two distinguishing features to set them apart. The 3-piece bars are like the Hi Point of fire tools. Except they cost the same as other tools. |
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Quoted: As you can see I have several to choose from. My fire station is in Atlanta (Edgewood and Blvd) so if he is in the city, shoot me an IM Halligans Thanks, I think I've got one lined up, the studio where the photo shoot will be happening is in Alpharetta. |
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Quoted: Good looking young lady. But did she get her first driving lesson in an M1A1?  I would have expected Trixie to be in her back pack. Less blood splatter that way. In the books she is carried in a fanny pack or such, but that doesn't work well for pictures :-) |
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In the books she is carried in a fanny pack or such, but that doesn't work well for pictures :-) Quoted:
Quoted:
Good looking young lady. But did she get her first driving lesson in an M1A1?
I would have expected Trixie to be in her back pack. Less blood splatter that way. In the books she is carried in a fanny pack or such, but that doesn't work well for pictures :-) I remember it as trixie peaking over her shoulder. But thanks for posting the pictures. :D |
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Quoted:
As you can see I have several to choose from. My fire station is in Atlanta (Edgewood and Blvd) so if he is in the city, shoot me an IM Halligans Polished from work on the job, instead of cheesy painted tools. Very Nice and you fellas on the Squad 4 stay low in the long dark hallway. |