Prosthetic Conscience

Razor

I’m very fond of a good shave. The other night I saw a commercial that claimed “men hate to shave,” and was bewildered. Possibly even offended.

Anyway, in the search for the perfect shave, my next item would be a classic double-edged safety razor, such as the Merkur Hefty Classic.

[ Posted: 16:38] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]

Moleskine

I’m enchanted by the mystique of Moleskines, but I know from experience that notebooks don’t work very well for me. Most of what I write down isn’t useful enough for long enough to keep in something semi-permanent like a journal, and I don’t like to rip pages out of real notebooks. I also like to be able to reorder pages. I’ve been fairly successful using a Hipster PDA, but it gets fairly beat up in my pocketses. What I really need is a small Moleskine memo pocket which I can use to hold my hPDA. And my goodness, such a thing exists!

[ Posted: 16:30] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]

Cast Iron skillet

Actually, I might buy this for myself. But it’s going here anyway: cast iron cookware. I was very impressed with Patty and Bobby’s small omlette pan when I went up to visit.

[ Posted: 18:33] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 1 ]

Multitool

Another thing I want but won’t buy for myself: a multitool, but here’s the catch — I want one with a corkscrew! That seems to be a hard thing to find.

The ones I have found are the Leatherman juice CS4, and the Leatherman juice xe6, both of which include corkscrews with assist, like a sommelier’s knife.

[ Posted: 18:30] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]

Wish List: 15th Century Longsword

Okay, this is the big “I want it but won’t buy it for myself” item in the wishlist. The 15th Century Longsword by Windlass Steelcrafts (aka Museum Replicas Limited) is a low-end functional sword, suitable, when unsharpened (as I would prefer it) for martial arts and reenactment purposes. It is appropriate in size and weight for use in the longsword tradition of Fiore Dei Liberi and Fillipo Vadi, which I am studying.

It may seem a bit pricey, but where it comes to functional swords, this is the low end. A comparable sword from the high end of the production market (e.g., this one or this one or this one here or one of these) would be around $400, and custom swords can be much higher. Going any lower raises issues with safety, as cheaper swords are typically made for display purposes only, and cannot handle vigorous dry-handling, much less contact with blades or cutting-targets.

Update: I should also mention that I have read favourable reviews of the Windlass Shrewsbury sword. While this sword is a little smaller than would be ideal for me, it is widely considered a very good deal. It is light enough that I could use it for studying single-handed sword, as well as longsword.

[ Posted: 18:15] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]

Uninteruptible Power Supply

A power outage last night, coupled with the fact that we frequently blow fuses (circuit breakers, actually), remind me that I need an Uninterruptible Power Supply for bertrand. Any of the makes or models supported by Network UPS Tools should be sufficient. It needs to be sufficient to hold bertrand up for the two or three minutes it takes to get to the circuit breaker and flip it back on, or to shut down completely in the case of a real, honest-to-goodness power outage.

[ Posted: 09:01] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]

Yankee Screwdriver

I’m really interested in appropriate technology; that is, the right level of technology for the task. For example, for making trips under about five miles, especially with a limited amount of cargo, and in good weather, a bicycle is clearly better than an automobile. With a canopy, a cargo trailer, and flywheel assist with regenerative braking, it would be even better. Likewise, a reel-mower is much more sensible for a small lawn than a power mower is. You see where I’m going with this; I love the idea of using human power for things, but with appropriate mechanical technology to get the most possible efficiency out of it, and more power than conventional hand tools. For a lot of things, motor power, whether it be electrical or combustion, is just an excess, and anything excessive is waste.

So, what does this have to do with a Yankee screwdriver? A Yankee screwdriver (Google cache if the site is down) is another name for a spiral-ratchet screwdriver. That’s a screwdriver with interchangable bits, like an electric screwdriver, except that it’s human-powered. Instead of twisting it, you push it, which is easier on your wrist and carries more power. This is a great idea. However, apparently, actual Yankee screwdrivers are now sold only in Britain! So failing that, I’d like a nice ratchet screwdriver, which is not quite as good as a Yankee screwdriver, but better than a fixed screwdriver, since you don’t have to keep changing your grip on it. I found a nice one on clearance at the Hardwarehouse for $4.00, with magnetized bits (very useful); the only not-so-good thing about it was that it had a very chintzy plastic carrying case. I imagine you could find a decent one for about $10, or a good one for under $20.

Update: Apparently the Garret Wade company is importing Stanley U.K. Yankee screwdrivers. The small size is just under $50; possibly someone makes one for less? On the other hand, maybe a garage sale or antique store would be a better bet?

[ Posted: 18:57] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]

Sharpening stones

In order to do a proper job of honing my ever-increasing stash of edged tools, I’d like a diamond stone and a Arkansas stone. Right now, I’ve got a tungsten V-sharpener, which is fine for the cheap kitchen knives, and for coarse tools like shovels, but I’m just not willing to use those on my good chef’s knife or any of my pocket knives, never mind a sharp sword, should I acquire one for cutting practise (dream on…). I’ve also got a triangle system with ceramic rods; somehow I can’t get a decently sharp edge with this, and I’m not sure whether it’s my technique, or if the rods are too fine grit, or what. Maybe I should just get new rods for this… I’d like to learn the skill of properly using a set of flat stones, strops, and such. I probably also need a steel, especially for my kitchen knives, as I suspect they get a rolled edge well before they actually get dull.

[ Posted: 09:06] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]

Wishlist section, Cajun cooker

I’m starting a wishlist section here, not because I expect anyone to read this blog and buy me stuff, but so that I don’t forget things that I think of that family members might like to buy me. In general I don’t want new possessions, since they add to clutter and I don’t need them. I’ll only buy things that I really do need. However, there are still things that I want, and which are useful, which I therefore wouldn’t turn down or get rid of if someone wanted to get them for me.

Thus, entry one, a Cajun cooker, also often sold as a turkey fryer. These consist of a big stainless steel pot (10 gallons or more?), and a big propane burner that the pot sits on. We saw one at our local Ace Hardware for under $30, so no one should spend more than that on one for us ;) This will be handy for us in the summer, for when we want to cook, e.g., a large pot of beans, perhaps for Food Not Bombs, without heating up the house.

[ Posted: 10:46] | [ Category: ] | Permalink | Comments: 0 ]