I've tried 4 subscription box services and so far I have not found a better value or quality than those from Barrel and Blade. Below is the latest box I reviewed. Check out all that came with it!
I was so impressed, I wanted to learn a bit more about their company. I recently had an opportunity to speak with Jeremy and I wanted to share our interview in the form of a "Questions and Answers".
How did you get your start? What was the inspiration behind doing a Subscription Box service? We started Barrel & Blade because we wanted a subscription box that focused on tactical gear, but also “tactical surviving”. It seemed like so many of the boxes on the market either focused solely on tactical gear, or just prepping supplies. We wanted a happy medium. After consulting with people who experienced the societal breakdown that occurred in places like Louisiana shortly after Hurricane Katrina- we knew the type of gear we wanted to provide! Our focus is getting people gear that can help them survive (and thrive) the first 72 hours of a crisis (and beyond).
Why the name, Barrel and Blade? The name Barrel & Blade is derived from the original three percent of the population in the thirteen original colonies who raised arms during the American revolution. They did this via barrel & blade, and founded this amazing country. This is gear for patriots by patriots.
Do you have any future plans for expanding the types of boxes or services offered? Like a level 3 or a knife of the month? Great question! We will be releasing a level 3, that will be a higher price point and will feature more gear and even higher quality! We already include a knife in each box, regardless of your subscription level!
What's your favorite box or at least one favorite item you were able to land in a box? Oh wow, that’s tough! It may be either the DDT plate carrier, or Greyman Molle Seatback. We have been told we were the first subscription box to feature a plate carrier, and we are thrilled by that! We have several items planned this year that we will be the first to feature, and we can't wait!
What type of activities do you and your team enjoy? Is there a military or outdoors background within your team? We all love shooting, and a few of the guys even practice 3-gun. We love camping, hiking, fishing, and even dirt bike riding. A few of the guys on our procurement team are veterans, they bring a wealth of information into the products we feature.
How do you choose what brands and products end up in a box? We look for brands that are trending and have an excellent reputation for quality. We buy USA made as much as we can. We brutally test products to make sure they can withstand our abuse before we put them in our box. If they can't, it doesn't matter what the discount is.
What's the average MSRP value of a box? We try and double your money. If the box costs you $50, we try and stuff it with $100 worth of MSRP. If it costs you $100, we try and stuff it with $200 worth. Sometimes we are a few dollars under or over that.
Any funny stories? Something that happened behind the scenes? Five like minded guys in a warehouse full of guns, ammo, and tactical gear? YES. Every day lol. Probably one of the funniest things was when one of the shipping guys decorated the inside of one of the owner's boxes in a very inappropriate mural before it got mailed to his home address.
Any chance we might see Superesse in an upcoming box? We are a huge fan of Superesse gear. We would LOVE to work some into a box ;)
How do you differentiate between your service and other similar tactical/survival box companies? We don't brand our own Chinese crap. We test our gear before we send it out. This takes longer but adds a step we have been told the other guys don’t actually do.
What would you like to tell a potential customer that's on the edge about subscribing? Be a sheep dog, not a sheep. Come join the pack! Our gear can help you protect your family/loved ones from all threats foreign and domestic. Try us out!
Final thoughts? Thank you for taking a moment to speak with us!
We'll be reviewing a new box soon. Follow us on Instagram for a livestream review or find us on YouTube. Be sure to check our Barrel and Blade and tell them we sent ya!