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

I can see I've got a lot of catching up to do on the single malts...:eek:

(Maybe I'll have a shot of Drambuie...:D)
 
black mamba said:
LOL -- my wife drinks that! (mixed about 10-1 with something else!)

Man, that Lagavulin is good! ;)
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When I met "The Boss", she said she didn't like Scotch. Of course she had never tasted a good one. I introduced her to Lagavulin and she was instantly hooked. We both prefer Laphoaig Cask Strength to any others but most of the Islay single malts are fantastic.
 
I'm glad to see this thread has been sticked.

I've mostly been drinking cheap brandy, but I'd like to try a proper Scotch one of these days.
 
I had an interesting traditional day yesterday and wanted to share a few observations. My Dad, well in his 70's came down to visit with his lady friend. My dad still has a FFL and will order in firearms for his customers. On of the wholesalers found a lot of NIB:eek: Colt government model from the 50's thru the early 60's. He brought one down for me to clean and oil as it was so gummed up , I was not able to pull the slide back or release the magazine at first. This particular one was manufactured in 1952. What a pleasure to work on a NIB(new in box) Colt quality firearm from that time period. :thumbup:

Later in the day, while grilling brats and bi-colored sweet corn I showed him a dogleg jack I was working on. This jack has a slender modified Wharncliffe secondary blade. He picked that knife up, and without any prompting, opened the secondary blade, looked at it, and proclaimed,"what a neat blade, looks great for wood carving". As he has never been a wood carver or studied traditional knives etc. his comment came as a surprise to me.

Anyways, I just wanted to share a bit of what turned out to be a traditional day for me.
 
Older Colt's and Dogleg Jacks sounds like an excellent traditionalists day to me, Ken. :thumbup:
 
i was in east texas the 1st time i tried the mason jar lightin. fellow handed me a peach with the bottle & i asked what the peach was up to. he said you will need to bite the peach after hitting the jar or you'll lose the muscus membrane in your mouth; stuff was uncut.i was glad for the peach. knew an ole timey boot legger , said his stuff was so good the texas h.w. patrol bought from him. said they stored the barrels in pits in ground but had to line the pits with wood or the bare earth would suck the alcohol from the barrels.dennis
 
Made it through the 3rd set of layoffs on my corporate job today. Odd in that we had our best year yet last year and are beating that this year as well as taking market share. Got called into an office you don't want to be in and was told I was staying, but am loosing most of my staff, I knew that was coming, but now there are only three of us. Anyway, I am glad plan B is working out in the shops. We have actually been making a profit the last 4 months. Not bad for having started the dog joints last Sept.

Not much of a drinker, but got home and popped a beer. :D (Harps Lager) Got the chick magnet (14 y.o. Buick ;)) out of the shop today . All is well. I think I'll go look at that beautiful knife Steve posted again and check out the Sheffield thread a little more closely. Looks like Mick posted some new ones out of his collection today, but I did not have time to take a goo look. I imagine I will be wiping drool off of my chin before it is over.
 
Bastid said:
Made it through the 3rd set of layoffs on my corporate job today. Odd in that we had our best year yet last year and are beating that this year as well as taking market share. Got called into an office you don't want to be in and was told I was staying, but am loosing most of my staff, I knew that was coming, but now there are only three of us. Anyway, I am glad plan B is working out in the shops. We have actually been making a profit the last 4 months. Not bad for having started the dog joints last Sept..
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So far, so good I guess, Gus. Over the last few years it seems the new corporate mantra has become "Do more, with less people, in less time". I don't think anyone feels much job security anymore. Always good to have a plan B - glad yours is working out! ;)
 
I haven't been fishing since early June due to family and work commitments on weekends. This weekend I didn't have to work so I decided to go to the lake. I woke up at 2am, 3am, 4am then 5am anxious to get out before dawn. I was like a junkie waiting for his fix. I was on the water by 6:30am.

Fished for 2 hours and barely a nibble. :( I have a couple of chores to do before it gets really hot today so I came back and had a couple of consolation egg and potato breakfast tacos that the wife made.

I should have gone to the river instead.
 
Bastid said:
Anyway, I am glad plan B is working out in the shops. We have actually been making a profit the last 4 months. Not bad for having started the dog joints last Sept.
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Gus,
I am glad things are working well for you and your partner with the dog business. Any venture can be risky but offset with hard work and determination. :thumbup:

texasflyfisher said:
Fished for 2 hours and barely a nibble. :( I have a couple of chores to do before it gets really hot today so I came back and had a couple of consolation egg and potato breakfast tacos that the wife made.
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Still sounds like the start of nice day! Outdoors, nice home cooked breakfast:D

Ken
 
ken erickson said:
Gus,
I am glad things are working well for you and your partner with the dog business. Any venture can be risky but offset with hard work and determination. :thumbup:



Still sounds like the start of nice day! Outdoors, nice home cooked breakfast:D

Ken
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Howdy Ken,

I don't me to sound like I was complaining. It was relaxing being out on the water early in the morning. I watched a bunch of vultures eating a dead carp. You know they makes sounds kind of like a dog? I heard 'em growl and woof at each other.

Of course I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that I didn't catch anything. Otherwise, if all I was in it just to be outside then I wouldn't even bother with the fishing pole.

Still, it was nice to get out for a change. :)
 
texas fly did you go to town lake or travis? maybe decker. the only one i have luck on this time of year is bastrop. dennis
 
DennisStrickland said:
texas fly did you go to town lake or travis? maybe decker. the only one i have luck on this time of year is bastrop. dennis
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I'm about 10 minutes from Lake Travis so that is where I went. I usually fish the San Gabriel river in the summer since it cools me off while wet wading plus the river banks are typically shaded by large trees so I can get out of the sun.
 
... Its been while but this realization has nurtured back in my mind for while. What I've learned when I've started carry slipjoint mostly or use mostly slipjoint these days.

Today we try to ease our life way too much. When everything is done ready, food or we have cars and such to shorten and make our travels easy. We have remote controls to control our TV's and such... but most importantly: We have robots doing many jobs these days that used to require professional person.

As part of my degree in corporate management I fully understand why corporations want to automate so much of their fuctions as its cost effective. However I've also learned that product made by a robot has no soul, personality... pride. When skillfull worker makes something, he embeds his pride, his skill and aprts of his personality into work.

Automated robots bring mass quality stuff that are soulless, faceless and prideless clones. Now I personally like to buy things made by a professional or skilled craftsman. You always know there's never two alike when man has put it together.

But all this has also made me realize people do not take pride fo their work and this leads that we lose our self respect. Now I took stairs when elevator was broken down and I was short out of breath as I finally managed to get into top floor where I live. However it made me also realize that I just made something I should take credit. I actually felt accomplishing something other than pressing a button.

It felt good. It hurt but it felt good. I can flick modern knife open one handed as fast as it would have been auto but that accomplishes really nothing compearing when I take my Queen Barlow and I have to use both hands and quite considerably force to take blade out (which is reason I grew nails first time after 20 so years) and I am rewarded handsome snap when I open or when I close my Barlow. I also get brief satisfaction that I accomplished something.

Maybe in modern world, things have made too easy for us, so we forget satisfaction we get from work and we forget to take pride. Sitting behind desk is not something you easily take pride. I've seen that as IT-assistant and person who fixes computers. However when you put more effort and do actually manual labor, you take pride almost automaticly. Heck I felt like king of hills just completing field toilet (i.e. you dug hole and wired wood for sitting over it). Heck that while sweat and effort it took. So I was proud of it and I felt like I accomplished something.

Installing Operating system into 30 computers simultaniously took more knowledge and know-how but still I could not feel same pride or satisfaction. I just pressed few keys and moved mice.

Sure, manual labor, like traditional knives require more effort but I also find far greater satisfaction. Don't give me wrong, I love some modern flippers and such but, I still love my traditional knives that give me satisfaction simply by using them. Maybe I am weird, maybe I am getting slightly insane perhaps I am onto something.

In Finland there's old proverb, that is very hard to translate but its rough translate is: "Its the work that will thank the laborer." Its also one my mother's favorite proverbs. I never knew what that ment, until I started making manua labor myself. What did I learned then. You should listen your mom... always.
 
I see Dennis Strickland posting a thread "Stag Sunday",very beautiful knives,he always shows.

Anyhow,my "Stag Sunday" started out with a real nice bite on my middle finger of my right hand,right on the meaty palm side of the finger,from my stag Lanny's Clip By Brent Cramer. lol

I tried to blame my wife,but she knows I know knives & know better,than to get cut,so she smiled a smile,well,youda had to been there.:D
Stuff happens.

So anyhow,I'm doing ribs,should I make roasted potatoes or apotatoe salad ?

Those breakfast tacos sound good,I gotta look into that Soft taco,or ??

I have some cold beers if anyone wants to come by.
Also,tomorrow morn.,JZambino & I are having a swap meet here,if your interested
-Vince
 
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