Photos A Walk in Nature

[Highlander]

A cold walk in the Scottish countryside.

 

[RayseM]

Nice share Highlander - beautiful knife and countryside.

J Just Tom. - as to the bow saw - long ago 40 years or so - I cleared my property for my building lot with metal framed bow saws of varying dimensions and teeth configuration and an axe. In those days I was not comfortable with a chain saw and as I was working alone AND I was younger and stronger then I decided to do all the work by hand. The bow saws were up to the task but had their limits.

A decade or so later I discovered SILKY saws. They have completely and happily replaced the bow saws. People on the Bushcraft forum argue about the relative merits of these 2 types but I can't recommend a SILKY with any more enthusiasm. They are just AWESOME. I have 4 right now. One small folder - the OUTBACK, one BIG folder - the KATANABOY, and 2 fixed blades the 330 mm ZUBAT and the 360 mm SUGOI. I have worked all of these hard. They keep cutting and cutting, nearly effortlessly in conifer logs up to 6" or 7" and hard wood in the 5" or less size. It is still work but most of ALL my tree work is done using the SILKIES. People complain that the blades are too brittle from the hardening process and are inclined to snap but I have NEVER in hundreds of hours snapped any of the fixed blades. I did snap off the first 1-1/2" of the small OUTBACK folder - at that size they do tend to pinch. The OUTBACK is still an excellent cutter, just a bit shorter. The longer blades - cutting on the pull stroke - simply need a steady motion that is 2nd nature to me now. And I think they are more flexible than their little cousins because I have caught them up in some heavy work without damage.

My go to chain saw now is a MILWAUKEE M18. I use that around the house quite a bit because it is so easy to snap in a battery and have full power. On the trail work I ONLY bring that out when I have to contend with big diameters or multiple 7" + downed trees. Even then I carry in my Silky. The Milwaukee without a battery is quite light. I clip a carrying strap to it and carry it comfortably with the strap over my shoulder and the saw at my side. In these cases though I do need to ALSO carry in a back pack for the heavy batteries, rope, wedges, oil etc. SO not as uncomplicated as carrying a SILKY. The batteries are M18 REDLITHIUM High Output 12ah and 8ah. They are pricey and heavy (though they do weigh less when you drain them on the job so the hike back is less burdensome), I have many other Milwaukee tools that use M18 batteries so this was a no brainer. My last bout with the 6 trees, I wrote about above, did not use up the power of one 12ah high output battery. I'm very happy to have made the switch from the Husqvarna gas saw to the Milwaukee. There has been no compromise and lots of upside to the switch.

YIKES sorry for the long reply Tom. Oversharing, sorry. Bottom line - I ditched the bow saws long ago and don't look back.

 

[Just Tom.]

YIKES sorry for the long reply Tom. Oversharing, sorry.

I mean, I DID ask the question…

No need to apologize, I found all of that very interesting, and I generally enjoy hearing people talk about stuff they are knowledgeable and passionate about

 

[CelloDan]

A cold walk in the Scottish countryside.

Cool knife, what material are the scales made of?

The view is beautiful and your K9 companions sure look to be enjoying themselves

YIKES sorry for the long reply Tom. Oversharing, sorry.

Ray !
See what you did? Now you have me looking at the Silky Gomboy 240 to bring aboard Serena ️

I put it in the wish list at the big river site pending just a bit more research.

There were a couple of times last summer that we made fires on the beach and something like it would have been VERY handy indeed.

For this summer we may go to a big lake in Quebec with lots of islands so we are looking forward to lots more fires on the beach

 

[sunknife]

I'll throw in a recommendation on the Silky handsaws too. I finally did snap the blade on my GOMBOY but not after years of use cutting black locust, elm, buckthorn, osage, hickory and others with it, and it stayed sharp the entire life of it. Which reminds me that I need to pick up another before spring.

 

[RayseM]

Just know CelloDan , and others, these are wicked sharp and they cut on the pull stroke. Long easy stokes - let the saw do the work. Might not feel natural to folks accustomed to push stroke saws so practice will make you happy. These things cut beautifully. Once you get the hang of it you will find them indispensable.

For what it's worth I prefer to order directly from Silky. You know what you are getting and they know what they are sending you. Well worth a few extra $$s to my peace of mind.

For additional info - Here is a post on another web site that discusses the SHARPEN ABILITY of SOME SILKY SAWS

 

[DirtDawg]

No walking for us yesterday. Our peninsula was an island during high tide - so for a while. First time that's happened - at least since I've been here, starting in 1978.

Some downed tree work on the trails Friday that required a chain saw. I prefer to just carry in my Silky saws but sometimes I need the power. Takes a lot out of me carrying all the gear in. Almost easier just to keep sawing with a sharp Silky - almost - sometimes it just takes work no matter how you do it.

Here was one of 6 blocking the trails. Very likely more today.

BEFORE ~

View attachment 2457074

WITH A DETAIL close up ~

View attachment 2457079


AFTER ~

View attachment 2457076

What a gorgeous trail. I want it. Nice clearing job.

 

[DirtDawg]

Would a large bow saw be at all useful?

“The Ideal”. Your question inspired me to take it on my short walk this morning. I got home just before the high winds and flurries started.

Chisel ground, no half-stops. Both blades are a little stiff with a sort of anemic snap on opening, but close with an authoritative “CLACK!” I modified the pen blade for whittling.


Here you go:

Thanks!


Temps are still pretty mi

Oops. Computer malfunction. See next posting.

 

[DirtDawg]

Would a large bow saw be at all useful?

“The Ideal”. Your question inspired me to take it on my short walk this morning. I got home just before the high winds and flurries started.

Chisel ground, no half-stops. Both blades are a little stiff with a sort of anemic snap on opening, but close with an authoritative “CLACK!” I modified the pen blade for whittling.


Here you go:

Thanks!


Temps are still pretty mild for January:

I knew I recognized the tip of that main blade. Hey, that stick turned out quite nice. All of them are nicely done for that matter. My Sycamore stick, affectionately called Patch, is awaiting some warm weather so I can get outside with the Boiled Linseed Oil fumes. I'll post up something soon.

 

[Highlander]

Cool knife, what material are the scales made of?

The view is beautiful and your K9 companions sure look to be enjoying themselves

Thanks, it's vintage rag micarta.
Knife was made by Andy Fannin in Kentucky.

 

[RayseM]

Found this in the woods today walking off trail ~


19' Douglas fir box mast with hardware.

I'm guessing someone (s) got it into their pea brains to steal this. They got lost or tired carrying it through the thick woods and so abandoned it.
Yes, I brought it home. It is quite misshapen now after leaning in the trees for who knows how long, so no longer a serviceable mast. I will salvage the hardware and maybe set up the mast as a hand rail on some steep section of our property. Pretty bizarre find but fun too.

 

[holo07]

River is starting to freeze here in Ohio

View attachment 2458727

 

[lambertiana]

Nice share Highlander - beautiful knife and countryside.

J Just Tom. - as to the bow saw - long ago 40 years or so - I cleared my property for my building lot with metal framed bow saws of varying dimensions and teeth configuration and an axe. In those days I was not comfortable with a chain saw and as I was working alone AND I was younger and stronger then I decided to do all the work by hand. The bow saws were up to the task but had their limits.

A decade or so later I discovered SILKY saws. They have completely and happily replaced the bow saws. People on the Bushcraft forum argue about the relative merits of these 2 types but I can't recommend a SILKY with any more enthusiasm. They are just AWESOME. I have 4 right now. One small folder - the OUTBACK, one BIG folder - the KATANABOY, and 2 fixed blades the 330 mm ZUBAT and the 360 mm SUGOI. I have worked all of these hard. They keep cutting and cutting, nearly effortlessly in conifer logs up to 6" or 7" and hard wood in the 5" or less size. It is still work but most of ALL my tree work is done using the SILKIES. People complain that the blades are too brittle from the hardening process and are inclined to snap but I have NEVER in hundreds of hours snapped any of the fixed blades. I did snap off the first 1-1/2" of the small OUTBACK folder - at that size they do tend to pinch. The OUTBACK is still an excellent cutter, just a bit shorter. The longer blades - cutting on the pull stroke - simply need a steady motion that is 2nd nature to me now. And I think they are more flexible than their little cousins because I have caught them up in some heavy work without damage.

YIKES sorry for the long reply Tom. Oversharing, sorry. Bottom line - I ditched the bow saws long ago and don't look back.

Ray !
See what you did? Now you have me looking at the Silky Gomboy 240 to bring aboard Serena ️

I put it in the wish list at the big river site pending just a bit more research.

There were a couple of times last summer that we made fires on the beach and something like it would have been VERY handy indeed.

For this summer we may go to a big lake in Quebec with lots of islands so we are looking forward to lots more fires on the beach

Another recommendation for Silky saws here. They cut like nobodie's business. If you look at the professional arborist forums, you will see that Silky is probably the most popular saw.

 

[Johnnythefox]

Some more photos from my amble around the Botanical gardens.


The bridge in the first photos is where people used to jump in the water on Mayday,people got badly hurt so they put up barriers nowadays.

Th big tower is where the choirboys sing on May morning,you cant move anywhere around that area as it gets packed.

I was especially pleased when that Robin dropped down on the path next to me.

Plants from all over the world there is a lot to see even in winter.

Though I think the Goldfish where better called Coldfish on this day.

I think that tree looks like a rearing horse or something.

Morse code on the white tree bark.

 

[Johnnythefox]

A cold walk in the Scottish countryside.
View attachment 2457345

Did you spot any wild Haggis?

 

[holo07]

A day later and the river is half frozen

View attachment 2459837

 

[CelloDan]

CelloDan - did you lose your mast

Wow, bizarre forest find indeed !
I feel for the poor guy or gal that found out the mast missing on their cherished wooden sailboat.

Some more photos from my amble around the Botanical gardens.

Very interesting variety Johnny!
Old castle and old knife, morse code on tree bark ( is it some kind of worm ? ) a Robin heralding the arrival of spring ( not yet lol )
Now I know where the inspiration for J Just Tom. “Green Heron” punt boat came from

A day later and the river is half frozen

Tomorrow we shall play hockey on it

 

[Just Tom.]

Now I know where the inspiration for J Just Tom. “Green Heron” punt boat came from

Haha! I noticed that, too
I actually based my boat on one I made with my dad as a kid, with some modifications, but that one was grey. It must have been my English half that inspired me to choose exactly that shade of green for the current one…

I think I mentioned this before, but somewhere at my parent’s house is a picture of me punting on the Cam when I went to visit my cousin there in the 1980s. I don’t recall the color of those boats. If I ever find the picture again I will post it here, maybe.

 

[CelloDan]

I went cross country skiing yesterday for the first time this season.
I enjoyed it so much that I went again today

What surprised me greatly was how easy and enjoyable it felt this year compared to previous ones.
I always liked this activity however I had come to believe that strenuous cardio, very profuse sweating and the need for rather frequent breaks was the norm.

Not so this year !!!
This time it truly felt like gliding over the while barely breaking a sweat as the miles went by through the beautiful forest.

I realized that I all those previous years I had been carrying a 70 and up to 100 pound "backpack".
Last year after reaching my weight loss goals I did notice that it was easier to ski however I also did not have much strength or endurance.
In my weight loss journey I had also lost significant amount of lean muscle mass.

I have now, for the past several months focused on strength training at the gym several times a week along with cardio. I have been able to significantly increase the amount of volume in my weight training and also pay close attention to my nutrition to aid muscle growth ... which can be a lot more challenging when you hit your mid 50's

It felt so good to be rewarded for the all effort.

Yesterday

Today as the was falling giving the forest a whole new different and magical feel

 

[DirtDawg]

I went cross country skiing yesterday for the first time this season.
I enjoyed it so much that I went again today

What surprised me greatly was how easy and enjoyable it felt this year compared to previous ones.
I always liked this activity however I had come to believe that strenuous cardio, very profuse sweating and the need for rather frequent breaks was the norm.

Not so this year !!!
This time it truly felt like gliding over the while barely breaking a sweat as the miles went by through the beautiful forest.

I realized that I all those previous years I had been carrying a 70 and up to 100 pound "backpack".
Last year after reaching my weight loss goals I did notice that it was easier to ski however I also did not have much strength or endurance.
In my weight loss journey I had also lost significant amount of lean muscle mass.

I have now, for the past several months focused on strength training at the gym several times a week along with cardio. I have been able to significantly increase the amount of volume in my weight training and also pay close attention to my nutrition to aid muscle growth ... which can be a lot more challenging when you hit your mid 50's

It felt so good to be rewarded for the all effort.

Yesterday

Today as the was falling giving the forest a whole new different and magical feel

Handsome knife Dan. And some most beautiful ski trails too. I see you have respectful walkers on your trails. There's nothing more annoying than to blaze a ski track in deep snow, only to return on the same track, expecting smooth sailing, and find someone has tromped with snowshoes or boots right in your track. GRRR!