I Want One - A Not So Occasional Series Pt4

I haven't done a 'I Want One - A Not So Occasional Series' posts in a while, but you know how it is, one moment your working on your business plan, the next thing you know you've accidentally started surfing British Blades and your head has been turned . I like the rivet placement on the Cocobolo [left] but the Thermorun [right] is more practical.
Perhaps if I got the wooden handled one, and re handled it in G10 I could add a pair of hollow rivets.................Hmmm
The price? Don't ask.
Your pal
SBW

PS The knifes are a Fallkniven TK5 and TK6
PPS My review of the Fallkniven F1 is here

Swagmas Pt1

Got some great swag - Camo PJs and a Raidops Skull-Jr. With more to come!!
Hope you all got what you wanted or at least close enough that the only thing feeling burned is the Christmas pudding. Thanks for stopping by and reading my ramblings.

HAPPY CRIMBO

From SBW [ex]Mrs SBW, SBW Jnr and The Littlest Bushwacker

Once Again - Tis The Season To Be Silly

I received this one in my email yesterday, and having nothing more meaningful to write about, its ended up being today's post.

I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me. In these interesting times, we all could probably use more calm or inner peace in our lives. A doctor on breakfast television this morning said that the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started. So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Shhhardonay, a bodle of Baileys, a butle of vocka, a pockage of Prunglies, tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke an a box a chocolets. Yu haf no idr who fkin gud I fel. Peas sen dis orn to dem yu fee AR in ned ov inr pece
Ho Ho Ho

Your Pal
The Bushwacker

Testing His Metal

Finally made it the post office while it was open. So Alistair and the injured Pablo now have jam on the way to them. Sorry about the wait chaps; life, separation and work all got in the way.

On a not-so-happy note I also had cause to post a package to Sweden. Todd's recent post about chipping one of his creations reminded me, I've chipped my Fallkniven F1 !! [and that's got to be worth two exclamation marks] They aren't supposed to break. Ever.

The F1 (Fell-elk-knee-ven (Raven without Ra) "FellKneeven") has been my 'big knife' for over eighteen months now and for many jobs I'm a fan.

Here in the UK the F1 design has long held it's place as 'the Bushcraft knife'. An enthusiasm I'm not really sure I understand as the design brief was for a survival knife. While it's fantastic for the rough jobs, battening and splitting, at 4.5 mm (0.18") the blade lacks a little in the finesse department. For example you can butcher with it but its not ideal.

The cause for concern maybe that I chipped the tip while splitting leylandii (which i think of as pretty crappy wood) for a fire in Mrs SBW's backyard. Now its time to test Fallkniven's metal - in the customer service arena.

Next year I'll be trying the H1, Fallkniven's take on the traditional Nordic hunting knife. Will that become 'one knife to rule them all'? Or will the nagging concern that I may be, in some small way, 'under knifed' once again consume me?

Your pal
SBW

Old School Acuracy

How awesome is this old timer?
SBW

And Modest Too!

6.5x55 on the left and .243 on the right

For any of you who weren't in the Kentish Town region of north London on Saturday, and so haven't been told [boasted to] personally. I would like to draw you attention to the paperwork pictured above. Having not touched a rifle in just under three years i was delighted to print these two out.

On the left i was firing a moderated 6.5x55 and on the right an un-moderated .243, the 'Swedish' belonged to Ian Spicer the Yoda of rifle shooting and the .243 was a Tikka that belongs to the West London Shooting School.

In case you were wondering about the errant third hole on the target, i would like to refer you to rule 5.3.2.2 of the National Small-bore Rifle Association's competition rules.

When a card has on it fewer shot holes than the number specified in the competition, the shots deficient shall be deemed misses, unless the Range Officer and/or a witness certifies that the shot or shots have been placed in error on the card of another competitor. In which case the shooter who has fired on the wrong cards shall receive a hit or hits of the lowest value from the target with the extra shot or shots upon it,(subject to Rule 5.3.2.3) less two points penalty for each shot he placed on the wrong card. The shooter whose card has on it the extra shot or shots shall receive the full value of the remaining shots on his card.

At my party i told Johna (amongst others) about the afternoons fun and showed him the excellent hat the WLSS gave me. "Really! They had one that big in stock?"

Your Pal
Suburban 'sniper' Bushwacker

He's A Handsome Fella That SBW

It's me init with a .270
SBW

Best Prezzie

An other piece of swag from my birthday that I'm particularly taken with is this picture, drawn by Bushwacker Jnr.
We're pictured as we are; on our way to school with me asking why i have to carry his [school] bag and him replying "I don't want to"
he's also captured us as we'd like to be, Hunting Deer!

SBW

Wildlife At Birthday Party

Still feeling pretty rough after the celebrations, so I was pleased to be able to recycle this post out of one I started a while back.

I only own one hand axe, and frankly can’t see myself needing another one, but if I did get another I’d be sorely temped by the output of Gransfors Bruks.
In a world where ‘not my job’ is the cry and ‘arse covering’ the modus operandi, it’s great to hear that a company gives its people the authority to work on a piece until they are happy to put their name to it. Literally. Each axe bears the initials of the person who made it, one person. A person who actually gave a monkeys, worked on it to their satisfaction, before putting their name on it and sending it out of the factory gate.

Look on any bushcraft site and there'll be pictures of them, look on any bushcraft forum and there'll be people (OK it's mainly guys) waxing lyrical about how much they love them and the things they've made using nothing but. Other brands have spent fortunes trying to get this level of authority in their marketplace. For once 'simple things done well' have won the day. How could we make more of life like that?

So I was totally effing delighted when R&E bought me a Wildlife Hatchet for my birthday!

Here at the time of Un-Boxing are a few observations.
1. They come WAY SHARP, actually a fair bit sharper than some knives
2. They do have magic powers - there's 'just' something about them
3. The shaft-to-head fit aint perfect, but looks adequate to last the first five or ten years.
4. There's a more in depth review here
5. Mine was made by MM
6. Pablo has the next sizes up and down in his 'family' of tools
7. The Backyard Bushman has a great review here
8. The sheath is more of a guard - but making one with a belt loop will be fun

Now I will have to succumb to Kit Tarts Rule 2

"For every 'must have' piece of kit there is a 'must have accessory' to accompany it"
And buy myself a special stone to sharpen it..

The only 'pimping' I can see being necessary will be dyeing the shaft 'ah that's where it is orange'.

Thanks for reading
SBW

Birthday Post

My trip to the West London Shooting School was fantastic, a really great day out. But that story'll have to wait for another day.

In the meantime, through meeting a couple of his friends, I've been able to pierce the veil of James's characteristically english understatement; as the guys would have it James has a long reputation as a bunny slayer of some repute. So I was delighted when he gave me a copy of his latest DVD on hunting rabbits with air rifles for my birthday.

To many of you not living in old blighty, rabbits are hunted with .22 and shotguns. Here every country lad (and a few city ones too) starts out with an over-the-counter air rifle (legally limited to 12lb and good for a range of about 120 feet) and has to learn to get into range.

Here's a taster


If you'd like to learn how he gets so close, are wondering what the english equivalent of David E Petzal is like, or are just looking for a crimbo prezzie for the foodie who has everything, you can buy a copy here.

Must dash, birthdays don't celebrate themselves you know!
SBW