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

[kamagong]

Was going to make another visit to Sheffield's Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet tomorrow, but just checked online and today is the last day it's open to the public until next April Now what can I drag my daughter along to see now?!

How about a trip to Edale in Derbyshire to check out the work of a true craftsman?

Robin Wood

Wood was commissioned to create authentic wooden dinnerware for the most recent Robin Hood movie. He also helped to build an authentic Viking longboat. Check out his blog, he makes a lot of cool stuff.

Amongst other things he has a keen sense of history and is a champion of traditional crafts. Here is something he recently wrote about preparations for a spoonfest -

It has always been a frustration though that when I run spooncarving courses I have to recommend Swedish tools when I live 15 miles from Sheffield.

I have a hunch that you two would get along famously.

- Christian

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Congratulations to your sister Christian! I am glad you had a good time. Sunday morning wasn't too bad, the last minute clean up was. After that was out of the way, it was time to start cooking. Crabcakes, venison steak (best I've ever had, NO gamey taste, made by friends of the family that are chefs). I made a pot of crab soup and didn't get any yesterday, I know what dinner is tonight though (rubs hands together feverishly)! Pierogies, kielbasa, blinis. Tons of food. My sister and brother in law dropped by my parents house to have breakfast, then stopped at his parents house, and finally moved on to the Eastern shore for their honeymoon. Oh yeah, we had leftover alchohol, enough to fill the back of my 8ft bed pickup. Beer, wine, liquor etc. It was wild.

I am at work on break and feel like someone hit me in the head with a baseball bat. I am exhausted. Yesterday afternoon, after I took my shower, I helped set up a tent outside. Came back in and fell into a chair, my legs were wobbly. Cold hard cider and a plate of food hit the spot! I was supposed to go down the ocean this weekend, but a car show has everything booked up. I'm going to take a vacation soon, maybe the weekend of the 26th. Hopefully after this furlough is over, because the whole reason to head down is to get to Chincoteague national seashore.

Man I am beat!

 

[leghog]

In the last three days, I've seen two different broad-winged hawks in my neighborhood. One I often see moving from a maple tree in my back yard. Never see it in the tree, just leaving the tree.

 

[Will Power]

That's excellent, hawks/owls/eagles are so often elusive.

That said, in town on the roof garden a Goshawk has been devouring pigeons lately.

A fairly big owl was roosting up in the eaves of my country place the other week (plenty of mice & voles about..) I get eagles and buzzards circling around the fields at this time of year and in the spring.

Somebody else I've noticed as winter remorselessly gathers in, a Red Squirrel (the European species is a lot different from your N.American variant) has taken up residence in an old nest-box. I don't mind and I admire his tenacity, a beautiful large specimen with a huge tail/ears and a thick winter-coat already. He shares his fare with the small birds and drives off the Magpies and Crows who come robbing. I rather hope he stays the winter as it's funny to see his face glaring out of the nest-box.

 

[Jack Black]

I saw a Barn Owl in Sheffield this afternoon, captive unfortunately.

How about a trip to Edale in Derbyshire to check out the work of a true craftsman?

Robin Wood

Wood was commissioned to create authentic wooden dinnerware for the most recent Robin Hood movie. He also helped to build an authentic Viking longboat. Check out his blog, he makes a lot of cool stuff.

Amongst other things he has a keen sense of history and is a champion of traditional crafts. Here is something he recently wrote about preparations for a spoonfest -



I have a hunch that you two would get along famously.

- Christian

Interesting Christian. I've spent a lot of time in Edale over the years, don't get over as often as I once did, but it's sounds like that might be an excuse for a visit

 

[leghog]

Turkey vultures (buzzards) are everywhere here. See many every day. Ugly animals. Necessary, but ugly.

The squirrel I'd have to use in a hmong squirrel stew.

 

[Jack Black]

Interesting Christian. I've spent a lot of time in Edale over the years, don't get over as often as I once did, but it's sounds like that might be an excuse for a visit

Actually, having looked at the prices he's charging - and the 'flat-rate' £8.50 internal UK postal fee - I'm not sure we'd have that much to talk about!

 

[kamagong]

Too true. But handmade goods always cost a pretty penny don't they?

- Christian

 

[MrPocketsOfSteel]

I love posts like this. I love seeing the different areas also and it has actually led me to go some of the areas I first viewed on the net. Thanks for the post.

I always enjoy looking at photos from other countries and their landscapes, so I thought someone might enjoy some of these...

Today was a beautiful fall day, so I decided to grab my bicycle and see where it takes me.
First I went by the neighbouring lake. Like at other lakes around here, archaeologists found remains of stilt houses from the bronze age. I remember being fascinated with them when we went to a reconstructed village in primary school .

Certainly not going that way

That's better. It went uphill a lot, so it was time for a break and the sandwich I brought.

Now is the time when the Herbstzeitlosen blossom, these (poisonous) flowers cover whole fields.

And some other late bloomers.

I ate so much wild blackberries, I wouldn't have needed that sandwich

Gathered some handfuls of these as well, to make some jam for tomorrow morning (nothing better than fresh jam for breakfast).

Almost at home, just after a swim in the lake to cool off. Doesn't take too long this time of year

And of course some knife content, these were with me for the day.

I hope everyone else has a great weekend as well.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Turkey vultures (buzzards) are everywhere here. See many every day. Ugly animals. Necessary, but ugly.
.

They were circling the grill yesterday, hoping some of us would go inside for a bit I guess. One scared the mess out of me about ten years ago, by taking off right directly in front of me as I rounded the corner into our driveway. Toss in my overactive imagination, it was an early laundry night.

Actually, having looked at the prices he's charging - and the 'flat-rate' £8.50 internal UK postal fee - I'm not sure we'd have that much to talk about!

No reason not to just talk ...

 

[Jack Black]

Actually, having looked at the prices he's charging - and the 'flat-rate' £8.50 internal UK postal fee - I'm not sure we'd have that much to talk about!

Too true. But handmade goods always cost a pretty penny don't they?

- Christian

Indeed they do, but I've bought several handmade wooden spoons in the past, at a fraction of the cost of Mr Wood's. It might not be apparent, but I'd advise our other UK members to take a peek at the prices. In my opinion they are WAY over the top, and Mr Wood must sell to a VERY exclusive market. What really irks though is the postage, which in my opinion is just exploitative, the cost of posting a £20 wooden spoon is probably about £1, and if someone pays £60 for a wooden drinking cup, shouldn't they get the postage paid (probably about £3), rather than be overcharged for it? His work looks nice for sure, I like his field maple quaich with silver rim for example, but £450?!

 

[leghog]

Anybody want to hazard a guess?

 

[jackknife]

Is there such thing as black opals???

 

[puukkoman]

Obsidian?

 

[kamagong]

Fossilized rabbit poop?

 

[leghog]

Obsidian?

Yup, molten glass spewed from a basaltic volcano. Cooled and hardened in flight through air. AKA Pele's tears. From Kilauea. Picked them upon my second assignment in Hawaii when I took my family to see the active lava flows. Still have the four batches after all these years. One for my wife and me, and one for each of the kids. They're adults now so need to get them theirs.

 

[leghog]

Odd memories:

This morning a friend made me remember something from 1992. I saw a moped in the middle of nowhere in Cambodia. I mean nowhere. It was carrying a family of six, and on the very back was a pig in a basket. As that moped was bouncing across that dry rice paddy, that pig was squealing and squealing and squealing. Squealing steadily and loudly. Wasn't a happy pig. Then the basket and pig popped of the 'ped and hit the hard dry ground. The man of the family stopped, off loaded his family, and while they held the moped up, he wrestled that basket onto the moped and tied it back on. After that, as the moped with family aboard putted slowly away, the pig didn't make a sound other than some grunts. I figured the pig thought if it squealed again it would get kicked off the bike again. Odd what can be dragged from the recesses of one's mind.

 

[Jack Black]

I figured the pig thought if it squealed again it would get kicked off the bike again.

Jack

 

[leghog]

Anybody want to hazard a guess?

 

[pmew]

I'm just home from work, it's 0115 hours here in The UK and I'm looking at the aurora borealis from my doorstep. A stunning sight, quite stirring. If only I had a camera that could actually capture it. Good night everyone!

Paul