A balaclava design became famous for appearing on SAS operator Christian Craighead, AKA "Obi Wan Nairobi" during a heroic counter-terror operation in Kenya. Some also know this balaclava for being persona-defining for Administrative Results on YouTube before he unmasked.
After Pictures of Craighead circled the internet like wildfire, it became the "it" item to have for many gear enthusiasts. Apparently, a certain company from Canada didn't understand that, because civilians cannot purchase one new anymore.
Civilians have long been upset with LEO/MIL Restricted product constraints, but how the heck can you justify restricting a piece of clothing?
Our Eighty-Four FR Balaclava is the result of our disdain with the state of military contract manufacturers giving the middle finger to us civilians. We've thrown down the gauntlet, sourced the same materials as the one that got famous, and made our own with improvements to boot.
one of our main complaints about the original, which you can even see on the famous pics of Mr. Craighead are the sometimes-floppy fit. The facepiece's elastic has been brought in to result in a much better fit over your nose and stays on your face without irritation.
The neck drape is constructed to tuck in to your shirt and stay in your shirt. It allows a large range of motion even when buckled into a helmet harness.
Unlike traditional balaclavas, the hood-and-facepiece design allows this one to be worn in a few different ways:
You can either go full ninja-mode with the eye slot, pull down the facepiece to still cover your head and ears, wear the facepiece with the top-hood scrunched down in back, or even go "gaiter" mode with it just covering your neck.
We've tested on heads large (24"+) and Small, and it fits and functions as it should on just about everyone, regardless of how hard you've been working out your brain at the library.
The body fabric is the most breathable Flame-Retardant material on the market we're aware of. It's the exact same stuff as the original, made in the USA. There's a difference between chemical treatments for FR and being inherently FR.
Chemical FR treatments on fabric are more affordable, but not always honest. Some of them might even melt and drip on your skin causing painful burns despite having a "Flame resistance". It wears away in the wash, can irritate your skin, and is a cheap way to slap "FR" on your product. We did things the hard way instead.
Inherently FR materials are far better at doing their job — They have a very high heat resistance, and most importantly, "self-extinguish" under high heat and even direct contact with flames. The material takes the damage and safely smoldering away to avoid harming anything that's underneath it, like your skin.
Our pictured test with a butane flame applied to the fabric for an unreasonably long time barely made a mark. Not Scientific at all, but a demonstration of how the fabric behaves under high (3,578 degrees Fahrenheit) heat directly applied.
Inherently FR fabric can get expensive But every penny spent is worth it here. The "Tencate Defender M" fabric is extremely comfortable in any weather condition, quick drying, low bulk, and it doesn't itch if you have sensitive skin or a big 'ol beard.
Stay safe when dealing with anything that gives off sparks, open flames, or radiates a large amount of heat. While the FR Fabric is the same as the original and could theoretically be a last line of defense, the balaclava itself is not certified through any traditional testing. User discretion is advised.
For more information, consult Tencate's official spec sheet.
| Build Quality |
Rated 4 out of 5
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| Style |
Rated 4 out of 5
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| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
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| Performance |
Rated 4 out of 5
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Much needed in this market!
| Build Quality |
Rated 5 out of 5
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|---|---|
| Style |
Rated 5 out of 5
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| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
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| Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
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Received the Balaclava as advertised in FDE. It is made with durable flame resistant TenCate material with excellent stitching. Was able to wear it around on an 80 degree California day comfortably for a few hours due to the material being extremely breathable. This item should last me a few years.
| Build Quality |
Rated 5 out of 5
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|---|---|
| Style |
Rated 5 out of 5
|
| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
| Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
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Better than all other balaclavas in fit.
| Build Quality |
Rated 5 out of 5
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|---|---|
| Style |
Rated 5 out of 5
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| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
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| Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
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Excellent product, fits great, breathable. Christian Graighead would be proud
| Build Quality |
Rated 5 out of 5
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|---|---|
| Style |
Rated 5 out of 5
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| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
| Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
|
Best fackin thing ever mate
| Build Quality |
Rated 5 out of 5
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|---|---|
| Style |
Rated 5 out of 5
|
| Sizing |
Rated 0 on a scale of minus 2 to 2, where minus 2 is Runs Small, 0 is True to Size and 2 is Runs Big
|
| Performance |
Rated 5 out of 5
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