Weekend Open Thread: 6 more weeks of Memes Edition

H. Clay Aalders
Weekend Open Thread
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What is happening People of the Knife? How was your week?

 

Ungrateful wretches.

Apparently he didn’t see his shadow. So 6 weeks till Spring.

Only a couple of more…

People get angry…

Speaking of Groundhog Day…

 

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A post shared by H. Clay Aalders (@knifetruth)

A little throwback.  He was eating my garden. And I wanted to test my Arno Bernard.

Checking out the KNIFE Magazine Events Calendar:

Tactical Knife Invitational Vegas

The dates on the calendar plug-in display the original year entry for some reason, it is this weekend.

TACTICAL KNIFE INVITATIONAL

Also this weekend…

Spring California Custom Knife Show

CCKS-spring

Nothing next weekend, and then Blade Show Texas…

Blade Show Texas

A few memes that are somewhat current event related…

Still plays a wicked electric banjo though.

I will tune in, because it is the last chance to watch football until fall. But I really couldn’t care less who wins.

 

 

Ok, I am out of current events. I am also pretty sure that wasn’t a groundhog.

Accurate.

It isn’t.

Not much of a segue, but it is time for tonight’s musical selection. I have mentioned my random fondness for surf rock, and shared The Shadows “Apache” a while back. I ended up down a rabbit hole on YouTube the other day, and found a new group that I am kinda digging – The Surfragettes…

Random, I know. But I like the retro vibe.

Knife Drawing time!

Another bad transition I know, but I am going with it.

Zach S. wins the CRKT SDN (bottom), the Tailbone already haven been given away last week.

I owe some folks some knives…between the start of lacrosse and Press Week, I have been remiss. I will ship the last 3 out this week.

For next week we have a CRKT Kavo, a Ken Steigerwalt backlock design. Usual rules apply…Up to 5 comments or replies are your entries, and if you are a new commenter, you get double credit. If it is your first time commenting, yours will be held in moderation until I can approve them. After that, you are all set. Good luck everyone.

Plus, the instructions are in Swedish.

Wait. Wut?

Embrace the power of “and”

…and tell you a story about the time he spent as a Merchant Marine.

The perfect representation of parenthood.

Speaking of which…

Follow me for more childcare tips.

And more Dad Jokes…

Happy is as Happy does.

You chose poorly.

We don’t deserve dogs. Or Jack Black.

Caption the above ^^^^

Safety first.

I hate when that happens

…or when you need this.

 

The crossover we don’t deserve.

Kids these days don’t understand.

Ooo yea.

It was.

Hopefully.

Fear the Karanos.

How’d they get a coconut in England?

 

That actually segues with this…

 

We have come to that point each week where I feel compelled to lay down the marker and stand with liberal democracy against islamofascist terrorism. In other words, I support Israel in its fight against Hamas.

I can’t say that anyone “learned” that the UN refugee agency is completely in bed with Hamas. It is something that is well known, but the extent became clear. UNWRA emplyees actively participated in the October 7th attacks. (read more here)

 

I know that this throws a wet blanket on a humor post. I am looking forward to when Israel declares victory, and I can retire this part of the post. But as I said last week, I will not abandon it.

It is a messed up world for sure.

But tacos will always be there for us.

Figure I would play y’all out with another Surfrajettes video. This time a cover of the surf rock classic “Walk don’t Run”.  Sometimes comparing a cover to the original is a good way to gauge the skill of a band. These women stack up well, especially the drummer.

Have a good one everybody.

 

I’ll be here.

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H. Clay Aalders

H. Clay Aalders is a lifelong edged tool user. He spent the past 20 years as a woodworker and fishing guide in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Tennessee. While guiding in Idaho, Clay worked part-time writing for a local newspaper, and upon moving to Tennessee began writing for the blog The Truth About Knives - spending his last 5 years there as Managing Editor. His background is in fixed-blade hunting and bushcraft knives, but has jumped into the world of vintage slipjoint collecting with both feet since coming to work at Knife Magazine. Clay’s primary role is as Digital Editor, curating and creating new content for our website and blog, as well as maintaining the Knife Magazine social media accounts (FB/IG: @theknifemag, Twitter: @knifemagazine). He is also a contributor and Associate Editor of the print magazine.

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38 Responses

        1. Thanks. I think the worst is over, but its pretty bad. Having lived through plenty of British summers and Hong Kong Typhoons, the rain really isn’t that bad, but as it is rare we are ill prepared. Months of beating sun sucks the best out of waterproofing and flashings. Everything just wants to give up to the infiltrating damp. But the sun will return and we will collectively forget to fix what needs fixing. Life goes on.

          Reply

    3. Now for the song that I can not get out of my brain: “It never rains in southern California” but man, it pours . . . ” (1972, Albert Hammond . . . A Brit). Atmospheric river, oh my! Not one, BUT TWO!! . . . man, it pours. Head for the desert, StuartB.
      On my side of the continent, Spring has sprung! Crocuses are two inches tall, shrubs are budding and hundreds of pooping robins zoom in the sky and perch in the trees. My old blue (aka Ole’ Blue) Jackson 6 cu. ft. wheelbarrow which I lean against a tree stump was more “white” than blue . . . what in the hell do those birds eat that results in so much excrement? Morning temps here in Washington County are around 30 deg. F; and, by mid-afternoon in the 50’s. That’s the weather . . .
      Finally located a “leg-vise” for my work shed at a “barn sale”. Owner of 190-acre farm put the land up for auction. I wish I had a couple of million dollars! I’d buy this land in a heart beat. Washington County is becoming a boomtown for developers building multi-million square foot warehouses. Ugly ass monoliths. I do not live near these areas. I am fortunate that my home faces due East. From my front porch, I watch the Sun rise over the “Palmyra” dairy farm and South Mountain. Sweet serenity.
      Speaking of grinding wheel stones, I got a nice 36″ diameter “wheel” at the sale. I now have several stone wheels enhancing my front yard. Might paint a sign: “Grindstone” and stake it by the serpentine rock wall.
      Well, it is 0900 hours and I am going outside to “walk the property”. Lots of forthcoming projects around the house. Expand the “wildlife area” on the south side; Preparing the north side boundary line for shrub planting; Got “dead branches” to remove from river birch and Norway maple . . .

      Reply

  3. It took me a while to get the “Karanos” meme . . . I think. At first look, I saw the word “Kranos”, who was one of the mythical Titans, or were they mythical??? I have a Spartan Blades “Kranos” acquired at the 2017 “Blade Show” in Atlanta. It was thrown into the Antietam Creek by the thief who stole it from my home on June 8, 2017. My good fortune was diving into the creek on June 22nd and recovering it! Spartan Blades cleaned off the myriad types of gunk on it after two weeks in the Antietam. Great folks at “Spartan”!!

    Other thought provoking memes: “Retraction, Please!” for the misguided tank; or, “FIRE!!”.

    Steel-toed crocs . . . that makes sense!

    Reply

  5. Sounds like a fantastic weekend Hocky!

    Looking forward to pics, winning something on the draw doesn’t surprise me – You are certainly a knife magnet! 🙂

    I would love to have a “Nuckels” knife! His work is beautiful.

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    1. Did you get your letter? When is your birthday? (Note: This personal information will not be shared with anyone, ever.)

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      1. Not yet, but the mail has never been fast once it crosses the border Hocky.

        My birthday is the 20th of…………… 🙂

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  6. Congrats Zack on the new knife, always nice to receive a knife in the mail!

    Totally agree Hocky, Ken makes some incredible knives.

    Groundhog Day and thanks for the laughs Clay, so thankful Spring is around the corner, time to begin starting the Harley and welcoming my new next door neighbors to the neighborhood. Th young guy collects fantasy knives and swords so we ill get along fine, I gave him an issue of Knife Magazine with Gil Hibben featured inside. That kind of dazzled him somewhat!

    “Fast and Furious” with Burt Reynolds, exactly! I watch Gunsmoke every day and currently Burt is the blacksmith and Matt’s sidekick, Festus should be along shortly! We record the daily episodes, so nice to watch in the evening instead of the news or some of the lame shows. They tour tourists around the big island on the Seasmoke, it James Arness’ catamaran. Was pretty cool to see the name and hear who owned it.

    The Lego firewalk, Parenting 101 for sure! 🙂

    Porcupine for the win, you can’t make that one up, yikes!!!

    Have a great week everyone

    Reply

    1. Psst, Del….did you let your neighbor know about WOT? Never know when Clay might score a give away fantasy blade!

      Reply

      1. I need to do that Mark. He was totally shocked to see what Gil Hibben was making. He will totally lose his mind if he researches Paul Ehlers background. I talked to Paul when I wrote about Gil, it was awesome to talk to the guy behind those designs.

        Reply

  8. This winter has been so lame, I’d rather it just be over. If I can’t I can’t ice fish, I’d rather it be time to shoot turkeys in the face, and catch walleye on the river.

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      1. The halibut we catch Mark are around 25 to 40 pounds, some are much larger up to 200 pounds or more but we can only keep them over a certain length. At least where we fish.

        The ones we catch are called “Chickens” by the local fishermen. A few years ago I was on a boat where a friend caught one over a hundred pounds, it was released.

        The cooler on the plane coming back had about 50 pounds of fish including the salmon.

        This year I am taking the pick-up and driving the 12 hours, my daughter and son-in-law don’t eat much fish so they will have some waiting in the freezer for me. The Spring Salmon they catch are around 20 to 30 pounds, these can get a lot larger.

        Reply

        1. i remember reading an article about tachycardia that kept returning to a father and son that fished the columbia river gorge for sturgeon. whenever they would hook one of those prehistoric denizens the ensuing sleighride would trigger the dad’s heart rate. he continued against medical advice.
          big fish. we’ve got a fishmonger locally known as bill dugan’s the fish guy. he once procured mississippi river paddlefish (read about that one, long lived, possibly no longer reproducing, harvested for their roe) and half smoked it for me, saying the flesh was underappreciated. it required a few minutes on the grill, superb.

          Reply

    2. Hoping that winter was over here Zach, but snow happening today. The ice is pretty thin on the lakes after all the warm weather and rain we had. I can’t wait for summer and the opportunity to go halibut and salmon fishing on the Northwestern Coast of B.C.

      Trip got cut short last September. Can’t wait to go back.

      Reply

      1. if there’s better than just for the halibut i haven’t tried it. yum. of course zach mentione walleye so… close.

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        1. We buy some at Costco sometimes, very expensive but I agree how good it is. I haven’t tried Walleye yet, most fish is awesome but always need the homemade fries that accompany the deep fried fish!

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          1. Del, that’s same fancy fish and chips! How large are the halibut you catch? I understand they can be quite large. Do you get to keep all you catch?

      2. yeah, I didn’t make it out on the ice one time this season, and with the long-term forecast looking like it is, I don’t think I will, will blows me away as the guys that are still out risking it, we have had far too many fatalities, and rescues this year.

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        1. my guys were always first out, j.p. (jim pacquet, died near knoxville couple years ago) and kent would tie off to each others waists about twenty feet apart and belly crawl out to thicker ice. i’d watch from a nice warm barstool until later in the season. maniacs.

          Reply

  9. One more time: Ken lives in Orangeville, PA. That’s it, I am going out to the “Blacksmith’s Guild of Western Maryland” on Mousetown Road near Boonsboro, Maryland. Today is a “Groundhog Day” celebration at this excellent toolmaker’s facility established a few years ago by Wally Yader. “Wally” is a Charter Member of the “Bill Moran Museum & Foundation” and the main reason that the “Bill Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy” now exists in Middletown, MD.

    Reply

    1. That schools exist for those interested in metalwork, bladesmithing, blacksmiths. how awesome is that Hocky. Shop class and English class, and Gym class were the only ones that sparked my interest in school.

      How cool would be to get out of high school and spend a couple years learning to forge knives. I have only been in two shops with a forge, one was my friend Brian Lyttle and the other Neil Kamimura.

      Saw Brian often and Neil just for a story, but fascinating to watch those two do their work. You must have a blast hanging out with those blacksmith and bladesmiths.

      Reply

      1. Del: I had a fantastic time at the “Yader Forge” (aka “WMBG”) on Saturday. About eighty (80) blacksmiths and knifemakers were there. Glenn Horr of “Highland Forge”, Berkeley Springs, WV, spent several hours working his skills at the forge. Pure artistry. Several “Moran Foundation” people attended including my great friend Steve Nuckels. As usual, Steve had a couple of his “small fixed blades” in his pocket. He “knows” that I will ask, “Are they spoken for?”. Answer: Yes they are.

        I got lucky in the “Iron in the Hat” drawing. Bought eleven (11) tickets for ten bucks to drop into the dixie cups for items donated by artisans. Got picked for a hand-thrown earth-ware bowl by Lisa Zimmerman. Good size for eating my oatmeal. A big Swede named “Jan” forged an “anvil hold-down” which I won. Hard to describe this intriguing piece . . . suffice to say that it weighs over five pounds with a serpentine handle. I will send a photo to you and Clay. Thirdly, I got a “sketch book” donated by my friend, Erin Aylor. Laughable moment, Erin’s daughter, Maple who is eight or nine years old, had drawn on a page in the middle of book! I told Erin that I am going to frame the page and give it to her on her birthday.

        Good time all around with folks who produce amazingly useful things!

        Did you get your letter?

        Reply

        1. What a great day! Spent most of mine cleaning out the garage. It needed to be done. Did find an inexpensive folder I bought of a street vendor in Rome when I was 19! Doesn’t hold an edge, but I carried t through college and for years after. Lent it to a nephew working on something for scouts. Tore the daylights out of that blade trying to sharpen it! Lots of memories for 1,000 lira! (About 1.25 with the exchange rate.)

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  10. The “Kavos” by CRKT is designed by Ken STEIGERWALT. Or, maybe there is a Ken Seigerwalt who designs for CRKT.

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    1. Addendum: The knife shown is the “Kova”. $44 discounted. 8Cr13MoV blade. Note: Ken Steigerwalt is a world class custom knife maker. He does not have any control as to where CRKT manufactures knives. Ken lives in Orangeburg, Pennsylvania.

      Reply

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