Weekend Open Thread: Focusing on the important things. (CJRB Giveaway)

H. Clay Aalders
CJRB Feldspar
·14 Comments··4 views

Greetings and salutations. I did a fairly good job of maintaining an even keel this week. A couple of crazy hot evening lacrosse practices, a couple of mornings at work, some walks with the kids and the dogs, and doing our best to keep on keeping on. We found out the kids are definitely going to be in school in a couple of weeks. The announcement was made today. They have had mixed emotions, as they have liked sleeping in until 8 and getting iPad breaks. School has friends, but it also has drama. It is good for them, but I understand their apprehension.

I hope y’all had a good week. Hopefully you are staying well.

We are still waiting on the Artisan knives (I know, it is just another thing that feels like groundhog day). I am going to get out in front of the shipment, and give away a CJRB Feldspar which was one of a pair given to us at SHOT Show. I forgot to grab some photos of the blue one we are giving away, but here is a picture of the one I have been testing.

Actually, that is the before shot. I decided to take advantage of the natural G10 scales, and try my hand at a DIY dye job. That is the subject of another post, but here is the end result:

I am beyond thrilled at how it turned out. The knife is pretty great too. The dual caged bearings give it a lightning quick action. I have been really impressed, and this is Artisan’s budget line.

Stuart B. has to sit this one out, since I drew his name for the copy of Military Knives, and I have to admit that I suck and haven’t sent Mark R his copy of the Goins Encyclopedia.

Military Knives: A Reference Book by Trzaska, Silvey, Windrum, et al.

Goins’ Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings (Second Edition) by John and Charlotte Goins

Stuart used to be a regular over at TTAK, it is nice to see him find us here.

In other news, I am sure you have heard by now that they cancelled Blade Show. I am not surprised, and frankly I am a little relieved. As much as it is one of the highlights of my year, I was not anxious to visit Atlanta between the WuFlu and the civil unrest. I will remain safe and happy in Knoxville.

Blade Show 2020 has cancelled

If you haven’t already registered to win the Steve Johnson knife, go ahead and do so. Everyone gets a free entry, and print and digital subscribers get a bonus entry automatically for each one.

Win this Steve Johnson Knife!

That is all I have for tonight. So Open Thread away. Up to 5 comments and replies count as entries.

Be well everyone.

Update…

As promised in the comments, here is a picture of my garden:

Feel free to email me a picture of yours, and I will add it to the thread.

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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.

14 Responses

  1. Lightening streaks the sky and Thunder echoes through the hills of Washington County. Made me think of “thunderbolt”. ? Zeus threw thunderbolts. . . I wonder if somebody has named a knife “Thunderbolt”? Spartan Knives likes those Greek god names, Hmmm. . . (I devolved for a moment). The garden pictures are awesome! I am still waiting for the tomatoes to get a little blush on them. I will send a “garden photo” to Clay tomorrow or thereabouts. My garden knife is homemade of saw-blade-steel, full-tang with walnut handles. Good carbon steel that holds an edge. Useful for just about everything that a garden requires. Lately, cutting twine to tie up the cukes, pole beans and tomatoes!! I will send a photo or two to Clay of the garden. (I will put my knife in the garden for a “Where’s Waldo” moment!) I am up to the year 2011 for my vintage “Blade” reading. It is so enjoyable to read Joe Silazski, Ed Fowler, Wayne Goddard and other knifemakers talk about forging and grinding in ways that I can understand.

    Hocky

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  3. Photo added of my garden. Send me a shot of yours and I will add it to the thread.

    Mark, I do fairly well with zuchini. I usually shed it and freeze it and use it for zuchini bread all year round.

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  4. I may be the only person on the planet who can’t grow zucchini!! I have NEVER had any success. None. Zero. Zip. I have spotty success with bell peppers. I have solid, reliable jalapenos. I plant a different hot pepper every year-just for fun. They always produce. It’s just a lot less frustrating to buy bell peppers! And we’re up to 73 pounds

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  5. I canned my first run of salsa on friday. I usually make between 50-60 pints a season, mostly with my own tomatoes, bells, and jalapenos, though later in the season I have to supplement a bit on one of them as yields begin to become irregular.

    I will post a picture later. In the mean time, if you want to email a picture of your garden I will throw it up too.

    Reply

  6. I can not keep the ZUCCHINI under control!!! These zukes go from a tender six inches to ten or more overnight. Virility in the Garden of Hocky. Tomatoes? I got a late start on them (1st week of June). Only got four plants and they are a jungle in their raised bed. Should be getting some to eat soon. Ain’t going to get 68 lbs., Mark. Got to get out and do some watering. Too damn hot to do anything later in the day. Couple of opinions on knife issues: Clay, your comparative article on the covers of “Knife” vs. “Blade” was interesting. You just might start a “knife fight”. Recently, I have been reading some back issues of “Blade” (circa 2008 through 2012) which my friend, Steve Nuckels, gave me. This look back in history gave me an opportunity to compare the “then” and the “now” of these publications. Ten years gone by revealed a sea of changes at both of these worthy magazines. Of course “Knife World” was a black and white newspaper-style with Houston Price as its leader. (Heck, I still enjoy the cartoons that were in it). The rise of the current “Knife” with Mark Zalesky has kept Houston’s focus of serving the knife community. “Knife” wins the cover page. “Blade” is way too busy on its cover. Content wise? “Blade” did and still does a good job at covering the custom knifemaker as well as the production knife industry. B. R. Hughes has always led the way in writing about the veteran bladesmith and the “up and coming” knifemakers. Too many to mention. I need to research Kyle Royer. Don’t need to research Billy Bob Sowell, Lin Rhea, Tim Potier, Aubrey “Barney” Barnes, Jim Crowell, Ken Warner, Bruce Voyles, Blackie Collins, Frank Centofante, Al Mar and the many others featured in “Knife” and “Blade”. Lastly, the June 2010 issue of “Blade” had a “cover article” titled “Knock It Off”. Briefly, it was about the pirating of knife designs and manufacturing of knife “knockoffs”. The Red Chinese have come a long way in ten years. Stay Sharp, Look Sharp, Act Sharp Hocky

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  8. I was reading about incident. I read several officers were injured. What is wrong with people? In Texas, one is allowed o use deadly force to prevent criminal mischief during the nighttime. I think that’s one reason we’re not having mobs trying to topple statues every evening. And I don’t understand how stealing designer shoes proves the group’s point? Oh, in Texas one can use deadly force to protect property also. I’m not advocating violence. Just observing.

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  9. put in 96hrs last week… don’t know what to do with myself today. wanted to clean the noisy ps4 fan, but for all my tools i don’t have a tampon proof torx8. aarrgghh.
    “they” tried pulling chris’ statue down last night in grant park. got a rope around him, but 90yr concrete stayed put. not enough heavin’, too many hoes. i was delighted to see them disperse when the capsicum nozzle was turned on thirty minutes in to the fracas. 18 popo injured, a hand ful hospitalized. so suddenly with nothing to do, they hit up the salvatore ferragamo store on the (not so) mag mile.

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    1. I’ve got 3 raised beds. I over sintered onions and red clover. A good tilling (after harvesting the onions). My wife raised them from seeds. We tried a seed company I’ve not heard of before. I think we’ll use them again! One bed is 8×3; one 6×3 and one 4×3. Had bush beans early in the square bed with 2 tomato plants in it. I’ve got 4 pepper plants down the side of the middle one with 3 tomatoes plants in it. And 5 in the largest bed. Wife has made tomato paste; several quarts of tomato sauce. 10 quarts of salsa;; and several jars of a spicy tomato jam. Tomorrow she’ll be making more tomato jam. This batch she plans on being a little sweeter. The plants have slowed down with the heat-there is another 10-15 pounds still on the vine. What we don’t eat will be tomato paste. And we’ve had a lot of salads!

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      1. The Openel Garden knife has really helped with the harvest. We have 4 varieties, and the stems on 2 of them are tough!

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  10. Clay, you sound in better spirits! I don’t think you suck at all! I have a brother-in-law who occasionally makes knives and dabbles at collecting some. He will love the book! Thank you-whenever it gets in the mail will be great! Speaking of great- by that photo it appears you’ve done a fantastic job dying! That blue pops! I look forward to your article.
    Hockey-we’re up to 68 pounds of tomatoes harvested from our small vegetable garden. What kinda numbers are you generating?
    Things have slowed down a little with temps at or over 100! Last weekend we had a heat index of 113!. I got up early to work outside before the heat! Stay safe out there!

    Reply

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