Weekend Open Thread: Social Silence Edition

H. Clay Aalders
Weekend Open Thread
·25 Comments··1 view

Howdy Folks. Hope everyone had a better week than the soulless automaton that is Mark Zuckerberg. Between Congressional hearings and a massive outage that KO’d Facebook, Instagram, and What’sApp earlier this week, he has faced a bit a flack. Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving individual.

It seemed to flummox them for a while.  This was the longest outage I am aware of.

I think Cmeat is a lineman. Or at least that is what I have managed to decipher from Cmeateeze. I’d love to hear what he has to say about that one.

I was aware of the outage. But I wasn’t aware of exactly how big it was until later in the day. I typically only check Facebook a couple of times a day, so it was back by the next time I looked.

I think I know what happened though.

Or more likely…

There was a workaround…

Twitter trolling Facebook was pretty funny. (see top picture). And the memes showed up there first.

This weekend is Blade Show West.

Blade Show West

I am curious to hear how it turns out. Atlanta in June was a dose of Normality. Los Angeles County is on the psycho side of WuFlu restrictions. And lots of handle materials are illegal in California. I am not sure what they were thinking.

Office Space Missing GIFfrom Office Space GIFs


There is also the Piney Woods ABS Hammer in. God Bless Texas.

ABS Piney Woods Hammer In

Looks like the Fedbois are back…

“Good evening fellow parents”.

Speaking of Open Threads Past, Jason K gets his first “token” towards winning the next Vero Engineering knife. That means He and Steve need only to be drawn once more to win. Who will join them next week? Mark R.  I finally mailed your Vero today. I have not been in the office much lately, and when I was it has been trying to get the November issue together. This will be the 3rd issue in a row where I have had a bylined article in addition to the Knife News column.

Usual contest rules apply. 5 comments or replies count as your entries. If you are new to the blog, your first comments will be held in moderation until I can whitelist you. Then you are good to go.

Halloween memes are good to go as well.

No. Bad retailers. Christmas season doesn’t start until after Halloween. RESIST!

He looks annoyed.

I have no idea why I included that. Other than it made me laugh.

Pure Evil.

That is about all I have for tonight. Have a good one folks. I have to hit the rack. Early lacrosse practice in the morning.

Be Well.

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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.

25 Responses

  2. “Leather sheath vs. Plastic sheath”, that is the question? First, a few thoughts of mine: Leather is made from the skin of animals. Plastics are man-made. Leather biodegrades – Plastics do not. A leather sheath usually is pliable with a dose of rigidity . Plastic sheaths of Kydex, Zytel et al, are hard and inflexible. Leather smells good! (*When maintained). Plastics off-gas . . . okay, too technical. A leather sheath can be used as a “water” holder. Plastic sheaths not so much. Leather is comfortable to wear. Plastic has no “give” . . . What got me started on this thought process? Fallkniven Scout R2 and its Zytel sheath with two locking mechanisms. I am done.

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    1. rocks bio- degrade. plastics even faster. even polycarbomates succumb to uv. i have a lexan “daniel hougon” fairing that would withstand hammer peen blows when new. nearly fifty years of sunshine has it going back to nature with zero dignity. i keep drilling tiny holes to stop the cracks from spreading.
      another drop point russlock just ended; at 78dolla it was not the bargain i managed earlier.

      Reply

      1. Rocks erode from “Mother Nature” acts of weathering, e.g wind, water in many forms, freeze-thaw cycles and yeah: Heat from the “Sun” (I figure the life-giving “Sun” affects just about everything on Earth). I do not know if “UVA or UVB or UV?” degrades rocks. I Googled “Daniel Hougon” because I do not know who he is. “Google” suggested “Houghton” and it seemed to fit your “lexan fairing” reference. I did know that “lexan” is a tough polycarbonate. We had it on our submarine for see-through protective shields. As it was used in a submarine, it was not subjected to “Sun”-shine”. (Note: Lexan as well as Teflon-tape was not used in the reactor compartment. Neutrons had weird effects on plastics . . . embrittled them and caused failures.) (2nd Note: Ionizing radiation will cause damage to living things. Talk to the Russians.). Back to leather vs. plastic: A person does not have to be into “S&M” (. . . MARKR: Not “Shatt & Morgan”) to appreciate leather apparel. Oh, stopping “cracks” from propagating by drilling a “hole” is a fix worth noting.

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  3. oh, and in regards to that pole climbers conundrum (memish no. 4), he’ll be alright- it all appears to be coax. i’ve had apartments that were draped in past cable/ dish coax, but nothing like that cf.

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  4. won an auction sunday for a drop point russlock case, red brown bone.
    i like native lock well enough, so… one more is not too much.

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    2. I’m pretty sure I was “watching” that auction, been keeping an eye out for the few interesting clip point russlocks out there.. Sunday is knife day on Ebay, dunno why, but seems like the most interesting knife auctions tend to end on Sundays (according to my bank transactions).

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  5. How many knives are “too many”? As I delved into my “knife area” in a corner of my basement, I realized that I have many, many knives. This “area” is where I keep my “collections”; that is, my knives that are sorted by categories which adhere to standard knife terminology, e.g. “blade pattern”, . So, I have slipjoints w/subcategories, e.g. Barlows, Vintage by Company: Schrade, Cattaraugus, Schatt & Morgan et al; Custom forged-fixed blades; and, a lot of “one-of-a-kind” knives by makers which I admire.

    The upcoming “Moran Show” got me looking through this array of knives. I was a bit overwhelmed, at first; but, the majority of the knives brought to mind “where and when” I had got them. In the spring of 2006, Bill Moran’s estate was auctioned at his home on Braddock Heights. (Bill passed in February 2006 at 80 years of age). Most of the forged knives offered that day sold for BIG $$$$. I was fortunate to have the winning bid on a “Hen & Rooster”, BERTRAM CUTLERY, 324C-DS, “Congress (4-blades)” with stag scales, Solingen, Germany. I was ecstatic! A couple of years later, “Barney” had befriended me and I showed him the “BERTRAM”. He told me that he had given this knife to “Bill”, back in time, when he and “Bill” traveled to knife shows together. Truly, an emotional moment for both of us.

    So, “how many” is “too many”? If each one prompts a happy memory, then each one is valuable. Musing on a Monday!

    Reply

    1. How many are too many? I think it’s like that old quote about martinis:
      One is enough. 2 are too many. 3 are never enough!
      I think if 1) you can afford to acquire them without adversely impacting the family budget, AND it brings you pleasure AND your wife isn’t threatening to divorce you,, AND your collection isn’t so large that it interferes with easily walking around your hone THEN your fine.
      A “nope” to any of the above is too many!
      Schatt & Morgan you say? I may need to step up my game to try and win that Vero sheepsfoot to talk trade!!
      It sounds like many of those knives trigger fond memories. I think that’s the best reason there is to collect something.

      Reply

      1. and I quote, ” . . . easily walking around your hone . . .”, a MARKRedian slip! I like it. My largest “hone” is a 2″ X 12″ rectangle and I have “size 14 feet”, so one step will get me “around the hone”! Aaargh, ‘Hocky Humor!’ Hmmm-mm, “Axon” for a “Schatt & Morgan”???? That’s a toughie for me. My slipjoints all have stories . . .

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  6. Hocky-Sounds like a solid 3! I hope the Moran show is all you hope it will be and more! I agree with Stuart-class move with gifting the Hand Spear. Stuart- are you posting from above the clouds or are you back already?

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    1. Mark R – back down in the soup. Its always a struggle driving back into town, the crazy LA traffic seems to strip away the good that a few days out does, but on balance its always a win to get out into the woods.

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      1. Now, if I could just get my trips sponsored by a brewing and knife company, like they all seem to have up in OR?

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  7. The Squid Games was weirdly great!
    I missed out on Blade shown down the road here in Long Beach (passport required), and headed for the hills for a chilly night camping near Big Bear. Its always fun to get out of town, and driving up up through the rain clouds was a strange and unique feeling for SoCal.
    Hocky – nice touch to gift the knife to a deserving cause and good luck at next weeks show

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  8. “Linoleum” is a word that I learned as a 8-year old from my Dad: Jack. He was a one-man flooring and ceramic tile craftsman. Operated as “Hockensmith Floor and Wall Covering” for 50+ years. Passed in 2002. I miss him. The “girl with the fish and the drunken cat” is hilarious! My wife explained this “Squid Game” series to me. Something about “red and green lights” and a clown and lots of Koreans dying from machine guns. MARKR seems to have nailed it in his comments. I will pass, too. My recent streaming entertainment is “See”. Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista characters lead the “sightless”. There are a lot of edged weapons to enjoy . . . none of which can compete with a “sighted” archer! Then, there is the nutso Queen who seduces her nephew. Clay: I received the “Hand Spear” on Friday. That was a couple of feet of bubble wrap! This impressive tactical knife weighs 10.2 oz. according to the tech specs. The 440C spine is 1/4 in. wide. Thank you for letting me handle it. I have “played it forward'” to a special friend of mine serving our country compliments of “Knife”. Five days until the “Moran Show” and I have selected the knives which I will present on my table. My great friend, “Barney” (aka Aubrey G. Barnes, MS-ABS) does not have a table this year, so I am displaying some of his knives on my table: The “Cloverleaf”, a Maryland Camp knife; and my “Meteor”, . . . which can only be appreciated in person; But, I will send Clay a photo. Enjoy the knife life everybody!

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  9. not much life in squidland. shame too as korean films are many of our faves… sympathy for mr. vengeance as part of the mother trilogy also the host, great dysfunctional family vs. river monster film.
    all in all your better off with the squipbillies and binging ash vs. evil dead.

    Reply

      2. I hadn’t heard of it either. I did some reading. Then watched about 30 seconds of a YouTube clip. Captain Kangaroo meets Running Man meets Hunger Games sorta thing. I’ll pass!

        Reply

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