Gotcha. I was thinking "rapid test", like for influenza. I've heard those called snap tests. Lol

I've broken a bunch of metal in developing/verifying my HT process.

As far as forging goes, it's not something that I have anything against. It's a very good skill to have. It allows you to do more with less and still do things that can't be easily done any other way.

I started on this path(stock removal) because of my workspace, and the fact that I'll have to grind knives if they're forged or not, so I might as well start grinding.

--CTrapper the pics are awesome and where are there so many otters that they can be trapped????

Those otter came from East Central Tx. There are way more otter all over East Texas than 99% of people realize. I originally got this job because of the damage they’re doing to fisheries. I think they start to thin out west of Dallas.


Knives, snakes and east Texas spring
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Strange fact: fur bearing animals in TX have almost no protection from recreational harvest. You just can't sell the fur.

Fur-bearing Animal Seasons & Bag LimitsRecreational Harvest
September 1- August 31
Fur-bearing animals taken as a result of recreational harvest may not be sold
No bag or possession limit

The list of fur bearers is strange as well. It includes nutria but not bobcats and coyotes.

--DesignatedM what kind of birds for dinner?

--wingsnthings--nine quail and a fork buck--pretty damned cool.

--BigDam awesome pic and I don't think you qualify for the aging thing yet.  I do.  Pisses me the fff off.

--STJ you got some still pics from that dropbox?  I don't want to consult my media guru....and suffer her
ridicule.

--DFarm--so cool...make a gladius.  The world needs more gladi(i)?

--STJ what gag order?

--STJ--this life is a snap test for whoever is next...

--DFarm--in a fantasy knife making future==because I want knives that aren't made--
stock removal and commercial heat treat seem like the only way.  STJ makes art.  Would not
be fun to break fine art.

--CTrapper--awesome--otters, I had no freaking idea--I like the knife, see below.

--BigDam--fur bearers, again had no idea--unlimited take, but no selling.  Weird.

Getting outside again:  with help from one of us...
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For ctrapper et al:  a high function knife: Attached File

 



I can't talk about it.

--STJ--suffering succotash!!!  Ok will just go roam around your youtube.  There is a very
famous knife on that link.

The vids above are not on my YT due to the gag order.  I love you guys so I posted a hidden link here.  They should open and play in any basic media player.

I'd like to get to a point where I can make bigger things at some point but I'm limited now by the size of both my forge and my HT oven.

This was the biggest blade I've made so far, right at 13" overall.
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It could be argued that you get a better, more consistent product from stock removal because you have less variables.  Known alloy with a known heat treat schedule to get known results.  

Forging is as much art as it is science and allows for a lot of things that stock removal doesn't. It was also used to make great tools before we had modern techniques (and electricity), which is (and could be more so in the future) handy.

Nice blade.

And 100% correct on stock removal vs forging.

As an analogy...would you rather be able to remove material from a woman's various attributes...or be able to move material from some of her attributes to others?

https://kailashblades.com/

I know what is possible by some in here because I watched the knife be made in this thread.  In playing around wondering about a bowie to abuse the above sight came up as I looked at kukris and they will also make a bowie.

I found it amusing in today's world something from across the world showed up so quickly compared to some stuff in this country that is lost in shipping or having other issues.

I guess I somewhat compare this to the folks who make 1911s out in the middle of no where, but importing those has issues I guess.

A bowie knife with a kydex sheath, not so much.

To those who can make sure things themselves, I applaud you.  My work has silly amounts of overtime and uncle sam loves my taxes right now.  

So ordering something simplish in from across the world amused me.

Thanks!

I actually chuckled out loud at this. Lol

Although, in some cases stock removal would yield acceptable results too.

I hunt pretty much all the legal birds, doves, ducks, geese and turkeys.  The only one I can say with some confidence that I will actually find and kill is doves.  And they're some of the best eating in the sky.

To expand on DC’s post above; he joined me for the very last ride on my old SxS before I upgraded. We saw elk, mulies and pronghorn. We did some long range practice, engaging communist rocks at 350 to 950 yards and we shot a few tail hairs off of a running coyote.
It figures that the last ride would be my most troublesome. I slowed down in a melting drift to pick up a trekking pole someone dropped and that’s when my 4x4 switch blew a fuse causing us to get stuck. And of course that’s right after I unloaded all of my tools to get ready for sale, including the folding shovel. DC made some “stick shovels” and 20 minutes later of digging and we were out.
We had a nice chat with a Federal LEO on our way back to the truck to call it a day. Slightly sunburned but blessed to enjoy the great outdoors.

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Until next time...

LOL...trekking poles.
...and no one uses them correctly around here.

As appealing as ID sounds, I believe I'll die here, at my homestead in PA - or, thereabouts.

Seeing how I'm determined to defend my home 'til the end, I've been working to make it an unappealing target.

I think details about defense are best kept to myself, but I do have a question for you guys.

I remember LA and Katrina news-reports, all-too-well, and have two ideas derived from those memories. One, I believe I have figured out. The second is where I need your help (for authenticity's sake).

First, I intend to make my house (visible from the road from the end of fall through winter/early spring) appear to be burned out. To simulate that, I'll put up my ladder and use rattle-can paint to make it look like there's a lot of smoke damage, coming from the 2nd floor window frames and moving up the siding and across the sofit/fascia. I'll also use packing-tape to put "cracks' in the windows (although, I'm not entirely sure how to simulate broken panes or put in "holes", but I'll figure it out).

Maybe the silver-colored sharpie pens could be used for this too . . .

I also have the old rubber roofing material which was removed when I had my new roof put in, which I'll weigh down on top with cinder blocks to have sections hanging from the roof across the front of the house - and I've got plenty of "refuse" I can put across the yard to add to the visual effect of the chaos of a house-fire.

Now, here's my question on my second thought:

Remembering Katrina and the codes which the authorities spray-painted onto doors/sides of structures to indicate bodies inside or an unsafe environment . . . Does anyone know what exactly those codes indicate and which would be best suited?

Was (is) color a factor too?

I'd like to fool anybody/everybody, so authenticity is important.

Oh! And critiques of these ideas are indeed welcome.

Thanks!

You will be making your place a target for scavengers.  

Everything you are planning to do is an open invitation saying the place is unoccupied and ready to loot.  

I agree with this.

If I'm short on supplies and walking around, I'm far more likely to go check out a place that looks empty than one that looks like someone is home.

I would play on the fema sight and some others.  I would find pictures of symbols and do an image search on em.  No clue on color but I know full well during emergencies anything that stands out may be grabbed and used cause it is what they have.

I have some major issues with this and not sure how you would deal with them.

Water, propane, or natural gas need shut off to house by those searching buildings probably.  So if you already marked your house and they have not been there they are gonna wonder what is up.  Some of those shutoffs may be close to the house and your camoflauge won't hold up at some points.

I think marking the house early is going to cause issues with the good people.  If you are there and they don't mark the house as empty and later on you have marked it as empty and someone notices you or heat or power being used at the house, once again a problem possibly with the good people.

They usually go house to house and block by block and no way yours would be done early or late.

In the past one discussion was about a single wide placed on top of a fullsize basement with a poured concrete ceiling.  Like super bunker type.  Such that the single wide could be torched and burned to nothing.  And you would be in your bunker with escape hatch somewhere.  This way no looters look at the house but any sheds or barns or vehicles will be looked at.

This gets you past people coming through shutting everything off and marking houses as empty as well, let em shut it all off and mark it empty and leave it as such.  Your supplies should be whatever else you have.

If you set up the bunker well you should be able to heat it without any signs of heat from the flu and water and propane of something other than city would mean no one would notice you using city supply that may be shut off up the block anyway.  No worries about light escaping either.  And no worries about thermal being used by good or bad folks.

I think having the knowledge is good and like I said a search on the fema sight or similar emergency type sites should show some standardized stuff.

Not saying you can't do what you want to do but I really would not want the cops or national guard thinking I occupied an empty house they had already shut down earlier.  And it is your house to camoflauge as you see fit and I agree with some of it but would probably not mark it as empty and continue to occupy it.

You guys make some valid points I'd not really considered.

That's one reason I asked!

Thanks!

--dfarm that is an awesome looking cleaver.  Wow.

--STJ I just want all those attributes in the right place already.  That moving around stuff.  Sounds...really complicated.

--biere that kalaishblades site has had my interest for quite some time.  I own several kuks--the one in pic is a "McCready"--
modernized and now copied by several of the Nepalese consortiums--excellent but not exactly what I want.  We should all
design our own kuk.

--DFarm I have never met a woman who enjoyed stock removal.

--Designated I've never shot a bird in my life, excepting sling shots when I was a kid.  But I am tempted now, as
the sky here swarms with every possible kind of waterfowl.

--Good to see you LungBuster.  Owyhees next.

--STJ what is correct method trekking poles?

--Former11b--the site/home/security issue should be many many pages/books/etc.  Good questions.  Like pretty much
any security issue your choices will be determined by the threat.  Extreme Mad Max: a self-sustaining feudal empire/fortress.
Impossible to hide.  Analogies: if some infrastructure/legal/resources present--you will need to look occupied/defended.

Assuming near "worst case":

Missing from most equipment lists: signage.  Vast amounts of paint/spray paint/plywood.  Signaling: razor wire, etc.
How to employ signaling/signage to keep threats at a distance .re surveillance/fire/opportunistic scavenging/crime.

Example:  ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL:  Loudspeakers.  If you cannot communicate at THE DISTANCE YOU CHOOSE--
you are fucked.  Think roadblock/perimeter management.  Hiding will not be possible, short of extreme terrain features/etc.

--Currently I see your point but in some extreme scenarios making a property look "pre-looted" might be useful.  Many
many variables.  But preparing for that level Mad Maxing is almost impossible for anyone/etc.

--DFarm--understood.  Even poor people in shitty places fill their yards full of obstacles.

--biere all reasonable points and pretty close to extreme Mad Max scenarios.  I would do better than most
in extreme scenarios.  And will do everything possible to avoid same.  At the point at which Nat Guard
surveys of occupied/unoccupied are a regular occurrence--life as we know it is pretty much over.

--Former11b--this is a good topic to pick at over the years.  But I would argue strongly that every possible
effort should be made to choose a location/neighbors/state/geography where the need for suck extreme
measures is/will be minimized.

And EXPENSIVE!



Most folks don't adjust the straps and use them to take the weight so you are not gripping tightly.
Most of the weight applied should be on the straps and your hand should not be a tight grip.

Have bowie from kalaish blades in hand with kydex sheath.  It is a big knife but not a monster.  Actually an interesting size to work with since it is made to where you can choke up on it pretty decently.  Just been playing with it but gonna let it be an everything knife for a bit, I am tired of clip on knives being so visible on everyone and I realize not everyone looks but a lot of folks notice stuff.

On the house markings and abandoning, I am not an expert and not part of the local town/county emergency stuff.  Forget if they call it cert or what but should not be hard to track down some info on yours and do some reading.

I mostly want to try to minimize issues with government if they are not specifically upset with me, cause an issue with government will make em specifically upset with me probably.

The house camoflauge has been mentioned in net books in the past and basically if rural and set back from the street it has a lot of potential.  If in burbs where you got city power/water/naturl gas that will need to be shut off you are looking at having door to door folks even if they stay outside.  And someone outside marking houses empty who notices a house might not be empty, well let the games begin.

I will make note I am likely to retire to a stepvan that is down by the river.  And as needed stepvan can move to other rivers.  A perfect piece of property just is tough to find.  So do make the most of yours.  Being somewhat mobile is all I have come up with, however stepvan has a liftgate cause I want my bed of ammo cans to come with.

Waterfowl hunting is incredibly fun.  There is (at least around here) a relatively high initial cost to participate, with waders and decoys and calls and everything else.  It's also by far the most dangerous form of hunting.  More hunters are killed waterfowl hunting than any other form of hunting.  Don't go alone, and be incredibly careful anytime you're in the water.  Also cultivate a knowledge of different ducks, since there are normally different limits for each species.

If you get into it, it can be incredibly addictive, as wingshooting is such an immediate and kinetic feedback system.

Duck hunting is awesome. You can go out with a friend or two, get all of your crap set up then it's drinking coffee and shooting the shit until someone sees ducks, call them in and hopefully get some shots. Also, there's something about knocking a widgeon down when it's blasting by a few feet off of the water.

If you can find someone to show you the ropes, I recommend it.  I only really got to hunt one season before my friend that introduced me to it (had the boat, knowledge and decoys) moved to a different state. I'd love to get back into it though.

Patch of dirt, acquired. Planning continues.

very nice day you had regardless of the bumps along the journey...

hill people chest rig? I use the same to carry my G40, some snacks, etc... carrying your chopper there gives you ready access - still carry mine scout style though

It is, as a side note, interesting to see the almost frenzied interest in offload/ATV around here - many seem to be acting like this might be the last summer...

Outdoors...

Got back out with Lungbuster, SW Idaho.  Got dusted by LB/s 100 mile an hour dune buggy.  LB splashed dust off a rock at lasered 951 yards
with the Garand, not an accident: Garand is steel bedded, VAR barrel, expansion gas plug, 168 Hornady match on top of 55 grains wc852 should be getting just under 2800 fps.  Saw a snake.  Found a piece of worked agate.  Shot some pebbles with pistols. Another day in Paradise.

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I know I'm late to the party. Just downloaded this from Amazon. @DCBourone Thank you for writing it!

Ooooo...that's a nice berm that range has

Ooooo...danger-noodle...do not boop.

Yes. It’s not perfect but good enough for now. I got the one with molle to change things around depending on the season. I don’t like stuff on my hips when carrying a pack with a waist belt. I put the bino pack on it during hunting season and it will carry everything I need. It also works well as a makeshift rear bag to put under my stock when shooting off a pack.
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I’ve put a 3 magazine shingle on it to run a rifle class. It performed mediocrily (is that a word) for the task.


@heron163

Thanks to DC I finally got to shoot the Garand, I’ve always wanted to hear the “ping”.
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To counter DC’s WW2 rifle I brought my Vietnam carbine, the XM177 I bought outside of Ft. Benning in the spring of ‘90 when I got back from OP Just Cause. I was very happy with the 40 year old 20rd Colt magazine that fed perfectly after being ignored in the back of my gun safe for decades.

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There’s an old homestead down in the bottom of the canyon I’d love to run a metal detector around if we can figure out how to get down to it. ipotato pic:
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It was a fun trip with some new country. I was happy to not have any malfunctions in my old carbine and my Boomer 1911 with magazines that have been loaded for years.

I hope to be still exploring when I’m an old man, there still so much to discover but so little time. Tempus Fugit.

Almost forgot the UFO clouds. DC will have to chime in on their scientific name... Attached File

Getting down is the easy part. Gravity does the work. Just have to not get too banged up on the way. Lol

That's a really cool place!  I'm looking forward to the pics of your adventure to the homestead.

They're lenticular clouds. Usually formed when warm moist air is forced up into the troposphere by terrain, but in this case I guess by uneven heating of the earth's surface causing updrafts.

Going back a week or so to comments:

--STJ trekking poles/straps, understood.

--biere please post pics kalaish bowie--pretty sure will order a design from them someday.  The kuk in
above pic is a ...McCurdy--modified kuk, almost perfect but I want a straigher blade and straight spine
so can use spine as hammer.

--biere I had extensive plans to live out of horse trailer as a 'retired' person--total mobility etc.--Better Half
finds the idea...amusing.  She has a lawn.  I don't understand lawns.

--Designated/M that is pretty much perfect list of obstacles to the kinetic joys of wingshooting.  Pretty sure
I will shoot at least one duck in next ten years....but no hurry.  Also seems like tons of work just to eat
the duck.  Feathers.  Plucking.

--DFarm got a buddy here who hunts....everything.  It will probably happen, but as DM points out
the threshold/s to entry are high.  But somewhere there is a 90 dollar pawn shop Rem 870 wingmaster
that was dredged up from a pond in Texas.  Cleaned with a wire brush.  Still shoots fine.  Deserves at least one more duck.

--Designated/M--all possible divisions...yep.  FFFFFFF.

--cpn/ron--"patch of dirt"--outstanding.

--heron--it was a great day.  Pretty much all I want to do.

--Designated/M--see Im .re video--it's got to go--just practice--but a branded link to "outside."

--DCB posted some awesome pics of The Wastelands....

--STJ yep danger noodle, no boopin--

--Lungbuster has nice things!

--Lungbuster posts awesome pics of The Wastelands...yum.

--DFarm SW Idaho/Northern Nevada/Utah/SE Oregon have had my eye for over 40 years.  Now
I can get there.  Anytime.  Unreal.

--DM--lenticular--exactly.  With aliens inside.  Maybe....

--Words/Swords, better late than not at all--stick around--post a review if appropriate, they help.

When it comes to plucking ducks, I don't.

It sounds wasteful, but it's not worth the effort to pluck and cook the entire duck(IMO).  On a big duck(mallard), the meat is in the breasts and the legs. On smaller breeds the legs are more work than they're worth.

I normally pluck the breast and cut them off with the skin intact to maintain the fat, pull the heart and liver and on bigger birds I'll grab the legs.

Also, weird flavors can happen (I think based on diet). The first time I went duck hunting I plucked the whole ducks, we roasted the first one like it was a chicken, then my wife started cooking the carcass down to make stock. The water turned green and stunk the whole house up like fish.  The meat tasted fine though. We tossed the stock. Lol. My theory is that it picked up the "fishy" flavor because the ducks were migratory birds that fly along the coast(I shot them over salt water).  Ducks that fly from cornfield to cornfield probably wouldn't have this issue.

If you dip the ducks whole in 180 degree water with some dawn dish soap in it, then dip them in hot water that has canning wax melted on top of it, they'll peel clean as a whistle.

That's similar to how we do chickens but it would be a lot of work for the couple of ducks I usually bring home. Lol (I think my best day has been 4 birds. Lol)

Plain Jane Bowie  Kailash Blades

Worked too much overtime to be able to figure out how to do an actual picture here.  I should be able to host it I guess but well, I am tired.

Anyway, starts at $110 and with kydex sheath and delivery I think I am at $140 total.

Kind of feeling the 2 is 1 concept with it and want to order another 1 or 2.

I like kydex sheath cause I don't care about it getting wet or anything else.  I got lots of leather but kydex is different and amuses me.

Nothing against the kukri but I would probably look for the old historical ones that were not too expensive if they are still around, were mentioned in a big kukri thread here.

I have all kinds of knives and closest to a kukri I get is an old blackjack mamba.  But bowie knives, I have always liked bowie knives.

This is not about to replace all my other knives or anything but it is well made and silly strong.  Easy to get scary sharp once it arrives.  Basically I used a fine stone to make sure the edge was consistent and then got out the polishing compound.  Strop it or whatever you want to do.

I gain nothing if you buy from them.  There are other kukri companies out there and they probably offer other options.  This is just a big knife in a realistic sheath depending on how you do things.

Got two new hammer heads started and all of the forge welds seem to have taken. I managed some very abusive destructive testing beyond what broke the last attempt and they survived.

Here's a short video of one of the forge welds...the edit has them happening closely following each other...in reality there is about 5-8 minutes delay between the hammering events. I was working from center and then out in a radial pattern for the first weld, then just the outer rings for the second.

Few pictures from a recent trip back east up the gulf/Atlantic coast

Christmas lichen
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I spent a few nights at a WMA, free camping is the best camping. There’s a few miles of dikes bordering the tidal river. I was blown away by the amount of otter scat on the dikes and alligators in the swamp
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It's been some time...what did we talk about?

Don’t want this to slide into the archives, hope all are well.

Checking in here. Hope my fellow Librarians are well.