"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

I woke up to a gang of hoodlum magpies terrorising my garden! :eek: I looked out of the window as I was putting on the kettle, and there were six of them on my fence, cackling together cockily. I thought it might take a good pic, and went searching for my camera, which was actually in the living room. By the time I returned to the kitchen window, a couple of them had flown off the fence, but as I was switching on the camera, one of them flew directly at me, and I thought it was going to hit the window! It swerved off just a couple of feet away, would have made a great pic if I'd got it. One of them then decided to chase a squirrel round my sycamore tree, pursuing it round the trunk 5 times, then across the lawn, back again, and even up the tree and into the branches! Two of them are currently duelling with each on my neighbour's lawn. Crazy birds :rolleyes:
 
Fodderwing said:
Jack Black Jack Black speaking of folks in the past... was wondering about some of the cast of characters found during your epic Wizard's Quest. It's been about five years. Mr and Mrs Miserygut, Madame Gi-Gi, the odd couple... how do they fair these days?
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Thanks for asking about the characters I encountered on the Quest Dwight :) The Odd Couple are still 'standing' in Leeds market, odder than ever; She, jovial and friendly, sporting a Davy Crockett hat in the winter; He, even more miserable and sour-faced. They still spend the whole of January holidaying in Egypt, and there is much wonderment as to what the Egyptians must make of them. Mr and Mrs Miseryguts turned out to actually be brother and sister, and rather bizarrely, Sue developed a schoolgirl crush on me, which she pursued with the help of her friend on the stall opposite (who she actually did go to school with). It was a bit embarrassing, and slightly disturbing at times, but I managed to remain amicable, with the stall safely between us! Miseryguts, who I think seemed to think I was about to become part of his family, even warmed a little, though the price of his penknives never went down. Sadly, they no longer stand in the market, and while I don't miss the amorous attention, I do miss the penknives. The Two Teds, are still firm friends, and I'm going to Paul's wedding next month, he gave me three gnarly clasp knives just a few days ago. Ray, the other Ted, now has his own stall, adjacent to Paul, selling vintage beer paraphernalia and Rock 'n' Roll memorabilia. Maurizio, one of my Italian friends, is still a regular stall-holder, always complaining about having no money, while having more foreign holidays each year than most folks have in five lifetimes. Fireman Chris still runs a busy stall, and I have a chat with him each week, and occasionally get a couple of knives off of him. I rarely go to Knaresborough these days, so haven't seen the fearsome Madame Gi-Gi, but I noticed her shop was still open the last time I was passing. The dapper antique dealers, Frank and Ted, are still 'ducking and diving', with Frank now in partnership with young Chris in a small antiques shop. In Otley, Cardigan Woman is as batty as ever, sat in her chair, surrounded by vintage packaging marked 'NOT FOR SALE!!', picking over the unappetising lunches she buys from the cafe opposite her lair/shop, while smothered in multi-layered gravy-stained cardigans. Her dolly competitor down the road, recently had a baby, and has decided to temporarily retire from the antiques trade. As for Kiwi Ned, he remains the biggest, and possibly most boring, man I know, and I am currently enjoying a break from him! :rolleyes: Thanks again for asking Dwight ;) :thumbsup:
 
Suspension foot bridge at the Highlands Wildlife Management Area in Bath County, Virginia.
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Jack Black said:
I woke up to a gang of hoodlum magpies terrorising my garden! :eek: I looked out of the window as I was putting on the kettle, and there were six of them on my fence, cackling together cockily. I thought it might take a good pic, and went searching for my camera, which was actually in the living room. By the time I returned to the kitchen window, a couple of them had flown off the fence, but as I was switching on the camera, one of them flew directly at me, and I thought it was going to hit the window! It swerved off just a couple of feet away, would have made a great pic if I'd got it. One of them then decided to chase a squirrel round my sycamore tree, pursuing it round the trunk 5 times, then across the lawn, back again, and even up the tree and into the branches! Two of them are currently duelling with each on my neighbour's lawn. Crazy birds :rolleyes:
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Interesting post! :thumbsup::thumbsup: (Tippi Hedren might even call it frightening. ;)) It reminded me of an old Carpenters song:
Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
:D:D

- GT
 
5K Qs said:
Interesting post! :thumbsup::thumbsup: (Tippi Hedren might even call it frightening. ;)) It reminded me of an old Carpenters song:
Why do birds suddenly appear
Every time you are near?
Just like me, they long to be
Close to you
:D:D

- GT
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LOL! Yes, I did think of Tippi! :D :thumbsup:
 
Ramrodmb said:
I have thoroughly enjoyed using one for about 40 yrs now, and have taught both Granddaughters (3 and 6) to use the flint and steel. They are quite good at it! It's the only way we ever light the fire pit.
Do you make your own char-cloth?
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Fantastic Mark :) I was showing my mate's kids how to use it while babysitting the other week, and gifted Herder's son a Sheffield-forged fire-steel a while back. I still need to make some char-cloth, but intend to do so soon, along with some charred punk wood :) I have also been playing with some amadou, which I bought :) I do find it a lot more satisfying than using a ferro-rod or matches :thumbsup: I was in a York antiques shop yesterday, looking at three identical "medieval" fire-steels - I've rarely seen such blatant forgeries! :eek:
 
Jack Black said:
Fantastic Mark :) I was showing my mate's kids how to use it while babysitting the other week, and gifted Herder's son a Sheffield-forged fire-steel a while back. I still need to make some char-cloth, but intend to do so soon, along with some charred punk wood :) I have also been playing with some amadou, which I bought :) I do find it a lot more satisfying than using a ferro-rod or matches :thumbsup: I was in a York antiques shop yesterday, looking at three identical "medieval" fire-steels - I've rarely seen such blatant forgeries! :eek:
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A shame about the blatant forgeries:thumbsdown:
I had to look up amadou. I have not tried the use of fungi as tinder but I have heard of it being used.
My Dad showed me the basics of forging at around age 8 when we made this striker out of a bar of keystock. We also made screwdrivers and nipple picks (blackpowder). I will have to search those out for a pic.
Here is my 'kit'. I used a piece of rawhide (softened) to fold a small envelop to hold everything together.
ZZaNV39.jpg

Ri2rguZ.jpg

Here is what we use to make char-cloth. A simple "tin" with a hole poked near enough the edge that the lip of the lid will cover the hole when pushed closed tightly. Fill with pieces of cloth, I like denim. Set tin in the coals of a fire. Start with lid mostly shut but the hole still open, let it heat until smoke stops coming out of the hole, then push the lid all the way closed and remove to cool.
The girls wrap a piece of char-cloth around the flint and move the striker towards the flint.
7KZ6ygy.jpg

29xFgw5.jpg
 
scrteened porch said:
I keep meaning to soak some rope in saltpeter for tinder. I have made char-cloth and what a mess it was.
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Good idea Jer :) I find ordinary garden twine makes a pretty good 'inner nest', I've been using that a while :thumbsup:

Ramrodmb said:
A shame about the blatant forgeries:thumbsdown:
I had to look up amadou. I have not tried the use of fungi as tinder but I have heard of it being used.
My Dad showed me the basics of forging at around age 8 when we made this striker out of a bar of keystock. We also made screwdrivers and nipple picks (blackpowder). I will have to search those out for a pic.
Here is my 'kit'. I used a piece of rawhide (softened) to fold a small envelop to hold everything together.
ZZaNV39.jpg

Ri2rguZ.jpg

Here is what we use to make char-cloth. A simple "tin" with a hole poked near enough the edge that the lip of the lid will cover the hole when pushed closed tightly. Fill with pieces of cloth, I like denim. Set tin in the coals of a fire. Start with lid mostly shut but the hole still open, let it heat until smoke stops coming out of the hole, then push the lid all the way closed and remove to cool.
The girls wrap a piece of char-cloth around the flint and move the striker towards the flint.
7KZ6ygy.jpg

29xFgw5.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah, the York antique shops are full of them unfortunately. I saw a common army clasp knife with an inaccurate description priced at £110. I commonly pay £2-£15 for the pattern. This one had a couple of bad dings out of the edge too. Elsewhere, there was an interesting, but clearly forged "Sheffield Bowie Knife", which was neither from Sheffield nor a Bowie! o_O Not just York either, a friend of mine saw an "Ivory Penknife made by Stan Shaw" priced at £80, turned it wasn't ivory, nor made by Stan :thumbsdown:

That's a great kit Mark, and what a treasure that striker must be to you :) I hate throwing anything away, but a few months ago, I finally threw out about 5 pairs of old jeans I had saved for patching. Typically, I now have a use for them! :rolleyes: I'm sure I'll find something else though :) I've only used amadou I've purchased so far, but will be looking around to see what fungi I can find in a month or two. You use it in much the same way as char, but it gives a hotter coal, and is more robust, feeling like a piece of suede :)

WhittlinAway said:
I was skimming the page and misread this as “gang of hoodlum bagpipes...”. Now that would have been quite a story! ;)
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LOL! :D It would have been a shock having one of them fly at the window Greg! :eek: :D :thumbsup:
 
For any of you who went to college right after high school...I envy you. I joined the military right out of school and then right into a career. I have been chipping away at college ever since. Now, here I am damn near 50 and trying to finally finish up my BS. So instead of spending time enjoying this beautiful Sunday by perusing my knife collection or maybe cleaning up a few knives or maybe even going for a hike or something leisurely...here I am trying to comprehend Applied Statistics :) My brain is looking at me like I'm freaking crazy and I have to agree.
 
waverave said:
For any of you who went to college right after high school...I envy you. I joined the military right out of school and then right into a career. I have been chipping away at college ever since. Now, here I am damn near 50 and trying to finally finish up my BS. So instead of spending time enjoying this beautiful Sunday by perusing my knife collection or maybe cleaning up a few knives or maybe even going for a hike or something leisurely...here I am trying to comprehend Applied Statistics :) My brain is looking at me like I'm freaking crazy and I have to agree.
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I dunno, I had ten years between high school and heading to college, and I feel like my experience was much better for it. I feel like I was a better student, and valued my educational opportunities a lot more than the kids that went straight from high school to college.

That said, good on ya'. Good luck finding your inflection points and p-values. May statistical significance be with you.
 
I totally agree with that and witness it first-hand with the younger students in my classes. Although it is much more difficult to make the time for school as a working adult with family, the experience is much more fulfilling.
 
waverave said:
For any of you who went to college right after high school...I envy you. I joined the military right out of school and then right into a career. I have been chipping away at college ever since. Now, here I am damn near 50 and trying to finally finish up my BS. So instead of spending time enjoying this beautiful Sunday by perusing my knife collection or maybe cleaning up a few knives or maybe even going for a hike or something leisurely...here I am trying to comprehend Applied Statistics :) My brain is looking at me like I'm freaking crazy and I have to agree.
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Bonne chance, mon Ami!
 
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