mckrob
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2007
- Messages
- 2,020
My wife and I just arrived back from a vacation in Eastern Canada. I've had a very decent job offer in St. John's, Newfoundland so I wanted to take the wife there to show her Newfoundland and Labrador before making the final decision. Back in the late 90's I spent about four years working in Labrador and really enjoyed the place; it's a true wilderness. We left from Bracebridge Ontario and took three days to drive to Goosebay, Labrador. The drive follows the north shore of the St Lawrence River in Quebec, then takes a northward turn at Baie Comeau. The 1100km Trans Labrador highway is mostly gravel and notorious for going through tires (at least two spares and a jerry can of gas are recommended). We camped along the way just off the highway
We spent a couple of days in Goosebay then took the ferry down to Newfoundland.
.
Lake Melville, Labrador from the ferry Sir Robert Bond
After a couple of days in St. John's we decided to take the job! (starting in March 2009).
St John's Harbour from Signal Hill
Another ferry brought us from Port-aux-Basque to North Sydney on the island of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. We spent a few days visiting family before heading home to Ontario.
Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, Nova Scotia
On the way we stopped in Pictou to visit Grohmann Knives . For those who don't know, Grohmann is famous for the original #1 Canadian Belt Knife, and the #3 Boat Knife (carried for years by the Canadian Armed Forces).
Grohmann Factory, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada
The staff there were very helpful and courteous. They took us on a guided tour of the factory, but unfortunately photos were not permitted. The knife blanks are punched out one at a time with a manual die/press punch. The rest of the procedure is done by hand, from grinding to buffing; no modern CNC machining here.
And finally, my score from the Grohmann factory.
clock-wise from top left:
#201-3 3" rosewood paring knife, rosewood Ulu, another 3" paring knife, #104F flat grind rosewood Mini-Skinner in stainless, #3 Boat Knife in
carbon steel with a flat grind and black micarta, #1 Candian Belt Knife in stainless with a flat grind and black micarta, #209F 8" forged Chef Knife.
So 8500km later we arrived back in Ontario tired from the drive. Tomorrow back to Peru!
We spent a couple of days in Goosebay then took the ferry down to Newfoundland.
Lake Melville, Labrador from the ferry Sir Robert Bond
After a couple of days in St. John's we decided to take the job! (starting in March 2009).
St John's Harbour from Signal Hill
Another ferry brought us from Port-aux-Basque to North Sydney on the island of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. We spent a few days visiting family before heading home to Ontario.
Peggy's Cove Lighthouse, Nova Scotia
On the way we stopped in Pictou to visit Grohmann Knives . For those who don't know, Grohmann is famous for the original #1 Canadian Belt Knife, and the #3 Boat Knife (carried for years by the Canadian Armed Forces).
Grohmann Factory, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada
The staff there were very helpful and courteous. They took us on a guided tour of the factory, but unfortunately photos were not permitted. The knife blanks are punched out one at a time with a manual die/press punch. The rest of the procedure is done by hand, from grinding to buffing; no modern CNC machining here.
And finally, my score from the Grohmann factory.
clock-wise from top left:
#201-3 3" rosewood paring knife, rosewood Ulu, another 3" paring knife, #104F flat grind rosewood Mini-Skinner in stainless, #3 Boat Knife in
carbon steel with a flat grind and black micarta, #1 Candian Belt Knife in stainless with a flat grind and black micarta, #209F 8" forged Chef Knife.
So 8500km later we arrived back in Ontario tired from the drive. Tomorrow back to Peru!
