BLACKHAWK® HELLSTORM® GLOVES

NORFOLK, VA (July 28, 2006) BlackHawk Products Group™, the world leader in tactical gear, take tactical gloves to the next level with the HellStorm S.O.L.A.G.™, Fury™, and the Fury Commando™. HellStorm gloves are now at the forefront of glove technology featuring the newest high performance materials combined with design functionality resulting in an evolutionary advancement that significantly enhances fit, function and durability.

The S.O.L.A.G with NOMEX® and the S.O.L.A.G. with KEVLAR® now have an ‘over-wrap’ design on the fingertips. This design eliminates the seam on the fingertips and enhances the tactile ability, important for operating equipment and firearms, and prevents the wearer’s fingernails from wearing through. All leather has been upgraded to a specially treated goatskin leather from the world famous Pittards™ Tannery in England. The palm leather has been treated with ARMOR TAN™ and WR100X™ treatments. The back of the hand leather is WR100X treated. WR100X instills the leather with a water resistance which keeps the glove soft after repeated exposure to water and/or perspiration. ARMOR TAN is a chemical process by which the leather fibers are encased in ceramic for a 25% greater abrasion resistance. Ergonomically molded 4mm EVA foam padding has been added to the back of the hand and fingers for increased protection. The fit of the glove has been greatly improved with to fit longer fingers and provide for a better thumb position which improves dexterity while reducing stress on the glove seams. All models now have a nylon web loop on the palm side of the glove to allow easy donning and attachment to carabineers. The back of the hand hook and loop closure have also been moved upwards to eliminate the gap found on previous models. The S.O.L.A.G. with NOMEX or KEVLAR are available in black, olive drab, coyote tan and now come in sizes small to XX large. MSRP is $69.95.

The synthetic S.O.L.A.G. and S.O.L.A.G. ½ Finger models also feature all the new fit improvements of the S.O.L.A.G with NOMEX or KEVLAR. In addition the palm material has been upgraded to a double layered, ergonomically cut Clarino™ synthetic leather that dries quickly and performs exceptionally well in wet conditions. Available in black and in sizes from small to XX large, the S.O.L.A.G. MRSP IS $44.95 and the ½ Finger is $39.95.

The Fury with NOMEX, Fury with KEVLAR and the Fury Commando with NOMEX and Fury Commando with KEVLAR also have undergone design improvements including the ‘over-wrap’ feature, Pittards Goatskin with ARMOR TAN and WR100X treatments, ergonomically placed 4mm molded EVA foam padding, improved finger and thumb fit and nylon web loop for easy of donning and attachment to carabineers. The Fury with KEVLAR or NOMEX is available in black, olive drab and coyote tan in sizes from small to XX large for an MRSP of $74.95. The Fury Commando in KEVLAR or NOMEX is available in black, olive drab and coyote tan in sizes from small to XX large for an MRSP of $67.95.


About BlackHawk:
BlackHawk Industries Inc. founded in 1993 by President and CEO Mike Noell, is recognized as the world leader in supplying tactical equipment to the military and law enforcement markets. Mike was trained as a US Navy SEAL and incorporated that experience and discipline in building a company dedicated to designing equipment for the preservation of life under the worst extremes.
BlackHawk Products Group was formed in 2003 to accelerate the pace of introducing new best-in-class products to the performance oriented tactical market through intensive internal R&D initiatives and selective acquisitions. Since 2003, BlackHawk™ has acquired Masters of Defense® Knife Company (MOD), Delta Design Group, Jungst Scientific, Dynamic Entry®, All Season’s Apparel, and Wildfire Warrior™. Acquisitions in R&D and manufacturing capabilities resulted in BlackHawk’s groundbreaking launch of the CQC™ holster line and SERPA Auto Lock™ technology, an all new HydraStorm® line and MOD’s new line of BlackHawk Blades™. BlackHawk created new divisions for new product groups such as Night-Ops™ for illumination tools, Warrior Wear™ for apparel, and BlackHawk Law Enforcement for duty gear. In 2006, BlackHawk entered the shooting sports and hunting markets employing the skills and the knowledge learned from over a decade of successfully supplying the law enforcement and military markets.

Battlefield Protection: Seeing is Believing

MOSUL, IRAQ – February 28, 2006 – 1st Lt. Anthony Aguilar, Infantry Platoon Leader assigned to B Company, Task Force2-1 Infantry, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, boarded his Stryker armored vehicle for another day of another patrol.

But this patrol was far from ordinary. “Our patrol was struck by a massive IED, launching shrapnel and debris at high velocities toward the vehicle,” Lt. Aguilar recounted. “I was thrown into the hull of the Stryker and later discovered that my eye-pro, the ‘Sawfly’ yellow tinted lenses, prevented a shard of shrapnel from contacting my face, saving my eyesight and preventing serious injury. The shrapnel punctured the lens, but did not penetrate. The shrapnel was large enough to dislodge the eyewear from my face and force me into the vehicle. I wore the glasses the rest of the patrol, confident they could still do the job.”

Lt. Aguilar is one of the lucky ones. With all the media attention on body armor, very little has been said about eye protection. A soldier’s visual acuity is the most important tool in his arsenal of weapons. Yet, the rate of battlefield eye injuries has risen to 16% due to increased firepower and explosives in a largely urban setting. Add to that, environmental elements such as wind, sand and debris. Although the eye occupies less than half of a percent of the overall body surface, there is nothing to prevent the smallest bit of debris from penetrating the soft tissue. Add the high velocities of shrapnel and you have easy access to the brain and probable death. Over 90% of all battlefield eye injuries can be prevented. Why aren’t more of these injuries prevented?

Have you ever visited a plant or facility and are required to don a pair of safety glasses for the tour? Feel a little dizzy when it’s over? Notice the employees either quickly reaching for their glasses when management approaches or are wearing their own version of “eyewear protection”. I too, have to plead “mea culpa” since I find most shooting glasses hurt after a time or distort my vision (excuse #242 why I missed that shot) and I am more likely to wear my stylish sunglasses, which offer, mind you, NO PROTECTION! Most people, including soldiers, do not know the value of eye protection.

So, what are our soldiers looking for in eye protection? Protection. Comfort. Full-view Vision. Interchangeable Lenses. Prescription ready. And last, but certainly not least, a “coolness” factor.

Here’s where Lt. Aguilar made the right choice in eyewear protection. He chose the Sawfly Military Eyewear System from Revision Eyewear Ltd. because the Sawfly fit the bill in protection, comfort, full-view vision, interchangeable lenses and looks great. But on February 28, 2006 on a clear day in Mosul, did he care that the Sawfly was on the US Army Eyewear list for US Soldiers, or that the Sawfly has received the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification (Z87.1-2003) that stipulates that eyewear must resist a one gram steel pellet fired at a velocity of 150 ft/second? Did he care that in an independent test by the Munitions Experimental Test Centre in 2004 the Sawfly lens successfully resisted the one gram steel pellet fired at a velocity of 905 ft/second?

You bet he did.

For more information on Revision Eyewear Ltd. and their family of ballistic eyewear protection: the Sawfly Military Eyewear System, the Bullet Ant Tactical Goggle and the new Desert Locust Goggle, log on to http://www.revisioneyewear.com/ or drop me a comment.

The War Ain't Over Yet - Your Support Is Needed Now More Than Ever

AmericanSnipers.org is an organization of currently operational American SWAT snipers, as well as snipers from various military branches that have banded together to support their brothers on the front line fighting the war on terrorism. Working together without pay, their only incentive to make sure our troops have what they need to get the job done and get home safely.

Through AmericanSnipers.org you can support our snipers overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq and many of the world’s other hot spots, by sending products from basic hygiene items to specialized gear such as optics, holsters and rifle accessories. Log on to http://www.americansnipers.org/ and check out the list of needed items and make a donation. Our soldiers haven’t forgotten us, let’s not forget them.

A PR Company for the Outdoor Market is Born

Welcome to the Laura Burgess, LLC - Public Relations Blog. This blog will not be another how-to PR blog. I figure that there is enough information already available for anyone trying to figure out how to get the media's attention. This blog is dedicated to my customers - both clients and media. This blog will serve as a platform by which I can tell you about the products and services from these great companies. Perhaps, one of these blogs will provide you with a new angle to write from. But what are these products?

I represent some of the finest companies in the law enforcement, military, hunting, shooting sports and outdoor markets. How did a girl like me get mixed up in a predominately male industry? It started in 1991, after a failed attempt to get a children's clothing business off the ground. I needed a job and went to my local job agency. They had a company that needed me immediately. So, the very next day, I set out to find a company called SIGARMS in Exeter, New Hampshire. As I was walking in the parking lot, I met a gentlemen who worked there, and upon entering the building, asked what SIGARMS made.

"Guns," he said motioning towards the walls lined with posters of guns images.

"Oh, well, that's very nice," I thought. "I'll be looking elsewhere as soon as possible!"

Funny, how things have a way of working out. I stayed for thirteen years, working my way from a warehouse worker to Director of Public Relations and Corporate Communications. And, why did I stay? Because I found the people in the LE/hunting/shooting/fishing/outdoor industries to be honest, helpful, and caring.

But after many years of service, they let me go. Yes, I can proudly say I was set free with a group of distinguised employees, many who were in upper management, as these kinds of house cleanings are still rather popular with new management.

So, no more than a day had passed and I was receiving phone calls from a number of CEO's of the larger gun manufacturers. Jobs were offered and denied. Finally, one of them suggested I start my own company utilizing my PR skills and awesome media list I had acquired. Within 15 days of being let go, Laura Burgess, LLC was born. Since then, I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with some of the industry's giants as well as many of their start-up companies. I have worked with Smith & Wessson and Remington and many other mid-size to small companies.

My current client list says it all. I am honored to work with companies that are best in class - in design, production, service and community awareness. So, each blog will introduce you to a company and start with a product that you may not know the story behind. Stay tuned and you will see the stories and products behind BlackHawk Products Group, Hardigg Cases, Laser Shot, Inc., Nighthawk Custom, Revision Eyewear, Ltd., STEYR ARMS, INC., and U.S. Cavalry.