Berserker's Bushcraft

BCUSA PA Fall 2011 Meet

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Photos and video from the second BCUSA meet in PA, this past October!

PMZ

Annealing files and getting out!

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:14:00 +0000

In awhile I will post photos of the knives I made using the files I annealed in this video.
PMZ

The Axe is Back Project: Trek's submission part Two:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Yes, this is actually part two, not three, as the intro states. Sorry bout that...

PMZ

The Axe is Back Project: Trek's submission part one:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:08:00 +0000

:)

PMZ

Seax for a friend WIP...

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:55:00 +0000

Thanks for watching!
PMZ

Ramblings about escapism vs. history in writing and literature...

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:24:00 +0000

Recently I have been conversing with a friend about escapism in literature and in the various things we do these days to entertain ourselves in the absence of chivalry and derring-do.

I suppose that's why high fantasy appeals to me so much, because of its correlation to and at the same time differences from, our world and its history.

"From Stone to Stone run the lines of if, between the worlds that might be."

“There are no beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”

Seems Robert Jordan picked up on the agelessness of the ages, even incorporating different worlds into his books' setting.

Tolkien picked up on it, before him, but even Tolkien didn't invent this phenomenon. It has been everpresent throughout the ages of our world in its current history and will continue into the future.

JRR touched on this in the Fellowship, at the "secret meeting" in Rivendell, when Gandalf says "And in any case it is not our fate or duty to think only of our age, or of the next, but of all the rest of the ages, time untold. It would be easier, but more selfish, to simply cast this Thing into the deeps of the Sea."

Jordan/Sanderson mentioned something similar, in the second latest book. The main character/antihero, something of a Messianic figure, is at a turning point, all alone. He is about ready to kill himself. At this juncture, he asks himself “Why? Why do I have to be a sacrifice for mankind, over and over and over again, reborn without end? Why would the Creator do this to me? A small voice whispers in his head: “Maybe...maybe because we all deserve a second chance.”

It is this desire we have as men to leave a legacy and do great things that we have to find an outlet for, I think. In the past, only nobles and the soldier elite were able to partake in such adventures, and in rougher times they were able to do great (read, violent and sometimes oppressive) deeds and get away with it on a regular basis. Through their transgressions as well as their good deeds, our current world was born, with its good and its evil and everything in between.

Now (in this "civilised" age) most of us are reduced to sports, roleplaying, reenacting, backpacking, big game hunting and playing with sharp things. Bushcrafting, camp crafting and basement crafting is one way to escape the status quo. I suppose even modern military officers and leaders have a lot of rules and regulations they are obliged to follow whether they want to or not. Maybe they always have... Burning and pillaging are strictly verboten no matter who you are. Pyramids of enemy skulls are a thing of the past and the only way in which we can indulge in our innately human desires for greatness and to change the world, is not only in knowing the past, (very important), but also in the art of escapism, yes, in writing and literature, and also in gaming.

PMZ

Copyright of Paul Ziegenfuss, 2011. All rights reserved.

Maglight 6D Mods....

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Sat, 07 May 2011 15:55:00 +0000

It is very rare that I review a piece of gear that I have purchased pre-made, as I try to keep the focus of this blog on things that I have made myself (basement or campcraft or bushcraft), esp. out of natural materials.

But here's the latest project I have tackled.

I have always been enamoured of things that I know will outlast me. I don't know what it is, perhaps some hidden flaw in my brain that tells me "this knife/gun/flashlight/etc could be an heirloom, or an artifact in 2000 years, because it is so well-made." Perhaps it is related to my interest in ancient history, and my desire to leave a legacy for succeeding generations, whether I have children of my own, or not.

In any case, I love well-made gear. And to be honest, while most gear will not survive a Zombie Apocalypse, Nuke Attack or even an "Andromeda Strain" like episode (everything has plastic parts), there are a few manufacturers of gear that make a point of producing bombproof products that are very independent of plastics.

Mag Instruments is one such company.

Based in Ontario, California, the company that produces Maglites, does so in an exceedingly unpopular fashion. I say unpopular, because about 99 percent of the items they manufacture are designed, produced, and distributed in America! That's right, only a few parts (mostly bulbs and LED modules) in their lights are imported from Chicom countries. This, coupled with their insistence on protecting American manufacturers from patent violations (at home AND abroad), ensures that managers of third world sweatshops the world over dislike them greatly).

Suffice it to say that I love the idea of a light that I can use as a billy club.

And what better model to utilize for this purpose, than the overbuilt and extraordinarily long 6-D model?

Now for the tricky part. Maglights are a very very good value for the money. They are well built and will survive being run over by large semi trucks.

However, the incandescent models do have one fatal design flaw: the Krypton bulb. The original bulbs are not very shock resistant at all. If you wail on some lowlife, or use the light as a hammer, or drop it into a sinkhole (bad experience while caving...don't ask), you are generally left holding a very heavy and expensive piece of milled barstock. What was once a dual use item, is now just a long baton (until, of course, you change the bulb).

Enter LEDs. Mag Instruments has been badmouthed as a company that refuses to leave the Dark Ages of Illuminatory Technology. This was true, up until a few years ago, when they came out with not only stock LED upgrades, but also lights that come with LEDs installed.

Fact: LEDs are far, far more shock resistant than Krypton bulbs.
Fact: LEDs extend the battery life of your flashlight by at least 50%, depending on how hot they run.

FACT: Mag LED lights are very much more expensive than buying an Incandescent Maglite and adding one of the cheaper aftermarket LED dropin kits.

To this end, I have embarked upon the mission of buying Nite Ize 1-watt dropins for each and every C and D-cell maglite in this household. The benefits far outweigh the detriments.

I also bought another D-cell light (a 6-D model) and made the following changes:

Added a Nite Ize 1 watt LED dropin. This significantly boosted the runtime (by at least 17 hours, probably more with the 6-cell lights), while producing at least the amount of light as the standard bulbs give off. The light from LEDs is also much whiter and cleaner, avoiding color distortion and generally allowing a better view of the world in the dark.

Added a whipping along the handle and two Turk's head knots. I ended up removing most of this, because it was too hard to grip and holster the light with it wrapped.

Pic:

Finally I've ended up with a combination that suits me (for now). I kept the upper Turk's head (near the switch) and, using the cord from the whipping I removed, made a belt hanger for the light. I will probably need to shorten it, as I made the belt loop too long. The idea for this I got from Stormdrane's blog. It is removable without dropping my trousers.

Pic:

I also plan on adding Eneloop rechargeables in spacers, and eventually buying a solar panel and converter for charging batteries.

In general, I would not need such a big light. I live in a fairly rural area, even now after there has been a significant amount of development.

However, just because one lives in a rural area does not mean there is no crime. Wherever more than one person gathers, bad things happen to good people. It is a simple fact of life. I try to follow the Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared.

I hope this idea catches on. I have read some of the popular flashlight forum posts on Maglites, and it seems that people either love them (and do "Roar of the Pelican" type mods that practically melt the light and give less than 20 minutes of runtime) or hate them (denoucing them as being clunky, (true), bulky (true), and not very bright (only half truth, and debatable as lumen ratings don't really mean a thing, except to people who are trying to justify spending hundreds of dollars on a custom flashlight).

Either way (and whether you, my readers, decide that Maglites are a good or bad choice), I hope you have come away from this article knowing the ups and downs of standard, Made-In-The-USA, Incandescent flashlights, and knowing a few of the things you can do to increase their viability.

Here are some good links to check out:

Maglite Upgrades Overview:

Runtime Graphs with Various Flashlights and Upgrades:

Nite Ize 1 Watt LED Dropin:

6-D maglite for less than 30 bones shipped (use the Super Saver Shipping option):

Cheers!:)

PMZ

Moar Leatherwork as of 4/25/11

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 03:28:00 +0000

Some more leatherworking I've been up to:

A palm sap or "sneaky sap" similar to those produced by major American billyclub manufacturers "Back in the day". These were often used to great effect by lone policemen on the beat. In low light, they are virtually undetectable and it is, I am sure, an incredible sight to witness when a small policeman bitch slaps a big drunken lout and knocks him out cold.

Nowadays coppers have to be very careful with what they carry on duty. Blackjacks and even small saps such as this one (only containing about 1-1.5oz of lead) are all off limits in the States. Police chiefs have heart attacks when they see their department badmouthed in the newspapers for "police brutality."

I thought it would make a nice pocket carry item, for myself anyway:

A crossdraw holster for my Kel Tec P11 (for open carry, need to wax it yet):

And another round ball bottle in progress. This one is sized for .45 caliber ball, and I just gave it some saddle soap:

:)
PMZ

Trek shows how to sharpen convexed edges on stones...

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:31:00 +0000

Thanks for watching!:)
PMZ

BCUSA PA Meetup...

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:27:00 +0000

PMZ

Hot off the workbench (as of 3/10/11)...

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:46:00 +0000

Latest from the desk of the Trekster, New Year's 2011 Edition.

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 23:19:00 +0000

:)
PMZ

Latest from PMZ K&T (as of 10/7/10):

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:53:00 +0000

Most of these projects are listed for sale at:
www.etsy.com/shop/Stagdag

Cheers!:)
PMZ

Hnefatafl...

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:14:00 +0000

Over the last few days I indulged my inner Norksie and created this Tafl board:

I kinda screwed up on the dice cups. I shoulda used a butt joint or cobbler's stitch but instead I did something...different. LMAO. I never followed directions very well:o

The leather is 8-10 oz vegtanned tooling belly. Both the board and the cups have been given a *very* small amount of neatsfoot oil to darken them a bit, as I am out of leather antiquer paste dye.

The attackers are made from small discs of Norway Maple from our yard (fitting, I think:)), and the defenders are small bits of kwila wood (scrap from projects). The King also is of kwila, but he has an antler dunce cap/crown.

The whole thing rolls up, ties, one end is capped with one of the dice cups, the game pieces are dropped down inside, and the other end is then capped.

Voila! Portable Tafl board.

The pattern on the game board was put together by Eric Methven. Much thanks, Eric!

Now the tough part...to learn to play it!:D

PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT XI:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:40:00 +0000

Day 12! Hurrah! (Good thing I didn't do this all in a row, I'd have been all Ramen'd out:p)

Well here we go. Last day of this miniseries, but certainly not my last day of Ramen experimentation.

Today I decided to try something out of the ordinary.

Googled around a bit for ideas, and came up with this:

"Ramen Spaghetti"

It consists of:

1 pack of Ramen, any flavor, without flavor packet (set aside for future soups and broths).
Small amount of water (just enough to cook the noodles)
Spaghetti sauce to taste
3 leftover packets of Olive Garden Romano cheese (obviously doesn't have to be in packet form).

It's good! A fitting end to this beautiful culinary experiment.
Cheers!
PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT X:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:11:00 +0000

Day 11:

"Anti Semite Ramen"

Contains two whole slices of baked ham. I nearly gagged halfway through, too much, too much! But if you like ham, then by all means, try it.

Beef Ramen
2 slices of ham
4 slices of sharp cheddar and colby jack cheese
1/4 cup of leftover French Onion soup
2 or 3 dashes of Old Bay seasoning.

Thanks for viewing!
Tune in next time for another epsiode of "The 12 Days of Ramen!"

PMZ

Latest Projects as of 9/5/10

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:52:00 +0000

:)
PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT IX:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:20:00 +0000

Day 10:

Chicken Ramen stirfried with ~ 1.5 grilled chicken breasts, approx. 1 cup of precooked green beans (leftovers), 1/4-1/2 of a white onion, (minced), 2 dashes of Goya garlic powder, 3 dashes of curry powder, and 3 takeout pouches of duck sauce.

Tune in next time!
:)
PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT VIII:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Day 9:

Shrimp Ramen with approx. 2/3 - 3/4 Cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 5 or 6 halved grape tomatoes, and a touch of Penzey's Cracked Rosemary.

Tune in next time for another episode of "The 12 Days of Ramen!"

PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT VII:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:36:00 +0000

Day 8:

Roast Beef Ramen stirfried with:

Ham
Cucumbers
Grape tomatoes
Hungarian peppers
Pumpkin seeds
2 eggs
Penzey's "Sandwich Sprinkle"

It was good, and it made enough for two!:o

Tune in next time for another salivation-inducing, masticatory episode of "The 12 Days of Ramen!"

PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT VI:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:49:00 +0000

Day 7:

Sorry, I took a bit of a hiatus from this series. But not to fear, Berserker is here! And he who has begun this work of Ramen shall bring it to completion:)

Chicken Mushroom flavored Ramen with Baked Ham (lunchmeat slices), American Cheese, grape tomatoes, no-name onion flakes, and Penzey's Cracked Rosemary.

Tune in next time for another episode of "The 12 Days of Ramen!"

PMZ

My Etsy Shop!

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:39:00 +0000

Hey all, awhile back I created an Etsy storefront to sell the fruits of my bushcrafty hobbies. Etsy is a website similar to Ebay but with longer sell times, competitive rates and more customization available.

Here it is:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Stagdag

Thanks for looking! If you like what I have to offer, please consider "hearting" it, sharing it with your friends, and stopping by from time to time to see what's on the block.

Cheers:)
PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT V:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:02:00 +0000

Day 6:

Oriental flavored Ramen pan-fried with two eggs, two finely minced baby carrots, 4 small grape tomatoes (halved), 2 chunked cheese sticks and 2 or 3 dashes of red pepper flakes.

Thanks for viewing! Tune in next time for another titillating and redemptive episode of "The 12 Days of Ramen"!

PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT IV:

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:08:00 +0000

Day 5:

"Thai Peanut Butter Ramen". As far as I know this has not been done so far:p
It wasn't hard to figger out. All I did was cook the Ramen (plain, without adding the flavor packet) and then add a huge dollop of chunky peanut butter, and some curry and ginger powders.

It was actually pretty good! I was afraid it would be horrific, so I was pleasantly surprised.

Be sure to catch the next episode!
PMZ

12 Days of Ramen PT III

noreply@blogger.com (Berserker) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:22:00 +0000

Day 4:

Chicken Ramen stir-fried with 2 eggs, 2 cubed slices of Hungarian yella pepper, a sprinkling of sunflower seed meats, a dash of celery salt, and just a tad bit of Old Bay seasoning.

Cheese is unnecessary when adding eggs, as the eggs provide plenty of protein.

Tune in next time for another scintillating and bebothering episode of "The 12 Days of Ramen!"

PMZ