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

My condolences Dwight, and thank you for the wonderfully written memory of your friend.

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Thanks Gev. I smiled at this, as I also enjoy watching Rune Malte Bertram-Nilsson’s serene bushcraft videos before going to sleep.;)

I also like being lulled to sleep by the clickety-clack train sound of modern hobo videos on the headphones.:)

This one by a wandering ex-military vet, 'Hobo Shoestring', features a rather unique technique for sharpening his Buck 110, around 6:35 in. :eek::




Yes Charlie! Absolutely! Great to see you back on deck, my friend.:thumbsup::)

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Small world, Chin ! Saving the rail video for tonight...Thank you sir :D:cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Small world, Chin ! Saving the rail video for tonight...Thank you sir :D:cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Thank you, my friend.:)

That video doesn’t really show the amazing scenery that some of the other riding-the-rails pieces do, but I just thought it might be interesting, given his technique for honing his pocketknife. Humans are endlessly inventive.

Another one showing the kit loadout of a modern hobo (including cutting tools):


And this one has a bit more Alaskan scenery:


These trainhopping videos can be quite compelling - I love seeing the immense variety and beauty of the American countryside, as they roll on through.:thumbsup:

Also if anyone is wondering what that book was, with the instructions on making a wood whistle, here it is:

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It’s a fantastic book to while away some time with, or to do cool whittling projects with kids. Highly recommended.

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My condolences Dwight, and thank you for the wonderfully written memory of your friend.

EJ4L9dS.jpg




Thanks Gev. I smiled at this, as I also enjoy watching Rune Malte Bertram-Nilsson’s serene bushcraft videos before going to sleep.;)

I also like being lulled to sleep by the clickety-clack train sound of modern hobo videos on the headphones.:)

This one by a wandering ex-military vet, 'Hobo Shoestring', features a rather unique technique for sharpening his Buck 110, around 6:35 in. :eek::




Yes Charlie! Absolutely! Great to see you back on deck, my friend.:thumbsup::)

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I'd whistle for those mussels!! Thanks for the old directions on whittling same!!
 
The wooden whistle anecdote reminds me of being a small boy in Alabama and making china berry guns. You would cut off one end of a straight large branch of a china berry bush. Then you would cut off another end so you had a straight stick about six inches long. A half inch from one end you would scribe through the thick bark to the heart wood and use this handle to pull the heart wood back. You would put a china berry in the barrel and shoot it out by compressing the plunger. Instant pop gun. I was only seven or eight at the time but we all carried pocket knives.
 
I'd whistle for those mussels!! Thanks for the old directions on whittling same!!

No worries, Charlie.:) I just noticed that book also has instructions on how to whittle a carrot flute! I’m going to have to learn that one for a party trick!:D:cool:

The wooden whistle anecdote reminds me of being a small boy in Alabama and making china berry guns. You would cut off one end of a straight large branch of a china berry bush. Then you would cut off another end so you had a straight stick about six inches long. A half inch from one end you would scribe through the thick bark to the heart wood and use this handle to pull the heart wood back. You would put a china berry in the barrel and shoot it out by compressing the plunger. Instant pop gun. I was only seven or eight at the time but we all carried pocket knives.

Wow, your post brought back a bunch of memories WHT.:)

We used to make similar popguns out of two pieces of bamboo and a whittled stick which formed the ‘plunger’ and was seated into the bamboo handle. There was a particular berry which fit in the bore, if you’d chosen the right size bamboo.

Most kids would ‘muzzle load’ their rounds shallowly, but if you ‘breech loaded’ a berry, the pressure would give off a nice loud bang as they exited!

We all carried pocket knives as well - usually worn old Sheffield hand-me-downs. Then, if you were lucky you would get a SAK for a ‘significant’ birthday when you were older - usually between about 8 and 10 years of age.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.:thumbsup:

Chin, that is a lovely Ettrick!

Thanks Jeff, yes she’s a beauty, that one.:cool:

I was lucky to be able to hand pick that lovely example in Sheffield. I’m a big fan of the whimsical Ettrick. Not much seems to be known about the roots of the pattern. I’d like to have a bit of a look around the Ettrick Valley in Scotland, when I can make it back to that part of the world.:thumbsup:

Maybe another pattern which will one day see a GEC revival...:cool:
 
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His name was Mr Buchanan. I was probably about six when I met him. He an Mrs Buchanan would come visit a couple or three times a year. After dinner my dad and Mr Buchanan would sit outside and talk while the ladies cleaned up. Mr Buck would dispatch me to the woods to scout out the best hickory limb for what had become a tradition between us. It needed to be just right cause he was a craftsman and just any old limb wouldn’t do. When presented with the specimen he’d study it closely and if it passed muster I’d get a nod of approval and a wink. The knife was very small in his big hands and I loved to watch as he set about his task. Adding to the intrigue was the fact that he was missing the thumb and forefinger of his left hand which caused an unnatural movement that made it look like any moment another digit might be severed as he manipulated the blade around the stick. With the deftness of a surgeon he carved and twisted until the bark slid off in one piece followed by whittling here and notching there. He then slid the bark back on and tested it, slid the bark back off and “tuned” it with one final slice of the blade and it was done. With my new hickory whistle in hand I headed down to the spring. Hovering over the crystal pool I imagined myself the “crawdad whisperer” as I softly blew a monotone tune that slowly and hypnotically brought the crustaceans to the surface….

The bacon helped.


R.I.P. my friend.
Touching and tuneful tribute, Dwight! :cool::cool::thumbsup:

World Series MVP George Springer was assigned to a rehab stint in AA baseball in my home town this week. I happened to have a ticket today's game, his last before he rejoins the Astros on Tuesday (I think). Normally, I am early to the ballpark, but I was unavoidably delayed, and missed the top of the 1st. As I am walking into the ballpark, I hear the announcement that DH George Springer is coming to bat. I make it into the park in time to see him hit a single.
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If I'd been ten seconds later, I'd have missed it. It was his only hit in three at-bats (someone pinch-hit for him in the 9th.
I hadn't made it to my seat, which was on the left field side. You can see it in the second picture. It's the last seat on the right in the first row just behind the rolled-up tarp in the background. Here's a view from my seat:
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I can reach over and touch the ground. Someone hit a foul ball over my head, and I turned around to follow it. When I turned back to the field, the opponents' shortstop (No. 30, the closest player in the picture) was right in front of me. Inches from me. He smiled and we clasped hands before he ran back to his position.
Here's Springer batting again (I zoomed in a little):
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We lost 12-5, but I still had a good time (and the Astros beat the Yankees today!). Had a Nolan Ryan hot dog and some Budweiser (don't snicker, beer snobs--it tastes great at the ballpark in 90-degree weather!). ;)

There is a statue of a ballplayer in front of the ballpark, and 5K Qs 5K Qs asked a few weeks ago if it was a particular player.
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I didn't know, but said I'd check the plaque next time I went. So I did.
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It has the name of the artist, Seth Vandable, and the statue is titled: "FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME." So it's not modeled on a particular player. I believe it is the world's largest bronze statue of a baseball player. (It's a Texas thing.)
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Thanks for the follow-up on the statue outside Whataburger Field, Vince. :):cool: I always eagerly anticipate your reports on your trips to baseball and hockey games; they inevitably exhibit your enthusiasm and enjoyment for the event! :thumbsup::cool::thumbsup:

Thanks for asking...
They won the Open Class at all of their first three shows. :)
Congrats to your son and his bandmates (and to his proud family) for their success! Juggernaut! :cool::cool::thumbsup:

...
That video doesn’t really show the amazing scenery that some of the other riding-the-rails pieces do, but I just thought it might be interesting, given his technique for honing his pocketknife. Humans are endlessly inventive.
...
These trainhopping videos can be quite compelling - I love seeing the immense variety and beauty of the American countryside they roll on through.:thumbsup:

Also if anyone is wondering what that book was, with the instructions on making a wood whistle, here it is:
...
It’s a fantastic book to while away some time with, or to do cool whittling projects with kids. Highly recommended.
...
Chin, thanks for the hobo videos and the book recommendation! :thumbsup::thumbsup::cool:

- GT
 
Also if anyone is wondering what that book was, with the instructions on making a wood whistle, here it is:

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It’s a fantastic book to while away some time with, or to do cool whittling projects with kids. Highly recommended.

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I have a copy, and have gifted several to friends and their kids Chin :) It was the surprise best-seller a couple of years back at the big bookstore in town, they sold out :) Looking forward to watching those videos later :thumbsup:
 
I have a copy, and have gifted several to friends and their kids Chin :) It was the surprise best-seller a couple of years back at the big bookstore in town, they sold out :) Looking forward to watching those videos later :thumbsup:
Yes, I think your mention of it a couple of years ago was where I first saw it, Jack.:thumbsup:

It makes an excellent book to pair with a pocketknife for kids gifts, as you say - especially if their parents are non knife people. ;)

I think there’s another book in the same series on how to tie different kinds of knots.

I gave one of each to my oldest nephew and niece (age 11 and 9) along with a couple of knives and some brightly coloured paracord. They seem to enjoy them, and I have a standing offer of $5 each if they teach me a couple of useful new knots or whittling tricks every time we catch up for family occasions.

Good to hear the book did well in your part of the world.:thumbsup:

Chin, thanks for the hobo videos and the book recommendation! :thumbsup::thumbsup::cool:

- GT

Thanks GT!:)

Also, congratulations on your son’s success, JohnDF JohnDF , I’m glad to hear he’s doing well.:cool:

Is the Blue Devils B Corp like a military cadets band?
 
Yes, I think your mention of it a couple of years ago was where I first saw it, Jack.:thumbsup:

It makes an excellent book to pair with a pocketknife for kids gifts, as you say - especially if their parents are non knife people. ;)

I think there’s another book in the same series on how to tie different kinds of knots.

I gave one of each to my oldest nephew and niece (age 11 and 9) along with a couple of knives and some brightly coloured paracord. They seem to enjoy them, and I have a standing offer of $5 each if they teach me a couple of useful new knots or whittling tricks every time we catch up for family occasions.

Good to hear the book did well in your part of the world.:thumbsup:

A few years back, I was helping my mate put up a rope swing for his kids, he was up the tree, but then couldn't tie a knot to save his life :rolleyes: When it was his son's birthday, I bought him a book on knots and a couple of yards of rope, so that he could learn and teach his dad! :D The following Xmas, I met up with my mate, his missus, and 3 kids at the bookshop, having told them I'd buy them all a book. The kids picked their books, and then I went off with the kids to buy books for their parents. We got the whittling book for my mate, and for his next birthday, his son asked me if he could have a knife, so he and his dad could whittle together :) I have done the same with fire-starting, some years ago, my mate took his lad camping, and they had to drive for pizza because he couldn't get a fire lit! :D I gave the lad a fire-steel and tinder kit for his next birthday, and now they can both start a fire pretty well. He's getting a proper fire steel for Christmas! :D He's nine, and already teaching his dad :D ;) :thumbsup:

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Congrats to your son and his bandmates (and to his proud family) for their success! Juggernaut! :cool::cool::thumbsup:
Thank you, GT. :)

Also, congratulations on your son’s success, JohnDF JohnDF , I’m glad to hear he’s doing well.:cool:

Is the Blue Devils B Corp like a military cadets band?
Thank you, Chin. :)
DCI bands are just like regular marching bands but there are only percussion and brass instruments (no woodwinds) and they are on a higher, more professional level. Their field shows involve story telling through music, dance, and visuals.
 
A few years back, I was helping my mate put up a rope swing for his kids, he was up the tree, but then couldn't tie a knot to save his life :rolleyes: When it was his son's birthday, I bought him a book on knots and a couple of yards of rope, so that he could learn and teach his dad! :D The following Xmas, I met up with my mate, his missus, and 3 kids at the bookshop, having told them I'd buy them all a book. The kids picked their books, and then I went off with the kids to buy books for their parents. We got the whittling book for my mate, and for his next birthday, his son asked me if he could have a knife, so he and his dad could whittle together :) I have done the same with fire-starting, some years ago, my mate took his lad camping, and they had to drive for pizza because he couldn't get a fire lit! :D I gave the lad a fire-steel and tinder kit for his next birthday, and now they can both start a fire pretty well. He's getting a proper fire steel for Christmas! :D He's nine, and already teaching his dad :D ;) :thumbsup:

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Excellent! :cool: :thumbsup:
 
I have a copy, and have gifted several to friends and their kids Chin :) It was the surprise best-seller a couple of years back at the big bookstore in town, they sold out :) Looking forward to watching those videos later :thumbsup:

Good to hear the book did well in your part of the world.:thumbsup:
That's got to be a good sign.
 
I'm actually excited by my new-found diabetes 2. It's an absorbing project and a fight to the death.
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And look out, serum stickies; I'm still the guy on the left.
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Great pics and knives Jer! :D Sorry to hear about the diagnosis though mate, there's a lot of it on both sides of my family :( :thumbsup:

It used to be you joined the band to get out of gym class because you weren't athletic.

I thought the alternative was smoking behind the bike sheds?! :confused: ;) :D :thumbsup:
 
I gave one of each to my oldest nephew and niece (age 11 and 9) along with a couple of knives and some brightly coloured paracord. They seem to enjoy them, and I have a standing offer of $5 each if they teach me a couple of useful new knots or whittling tricks every time we catch up for family occasions.

We got the whittling book for my mate, and for his next birthday, his son asked me if he could have a knife, so he and his dad could whittle together :) I have done the same with fire-starting, some years ago, my mate took his lad camping, and they had to drive for pizza because he couldn't get a fire lit! :D I gave the lad a fire-steel and tinder kit for his next birthday, and now they can both start a fire pretty well. He's getting a proper fire steel for Christmas! :D He's nine, and already teaching his dad :D ;) :thumbsup:

Chin and Jack you’re giving me ideas. :D

My nephew is about that age and already has pocket knives and whittles a bit. He’s Hasn’t learned to tie many knots yet, so I think a book and cord and challenge/offer may be coming his way. :)
 
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