Knife: Spyderco Bug
I spent the evening at Mr. O's retirement party at the new(ish, but we still call it that) grammar school. In one of those classic moments where something you always have but rarely make use of is needed and you don't have it, my friend Des asked if I had a knife to cut off a balloon that was tied around a small child's wrist. Now, I'm not hampered by the type of under-developed morality that confuses law with morality (or with religion), but I do try to be a stickler for knife laws, partly because I generally agree with them, partly because I feel that knowing and observing them is simply a part of responsible knife ownership and of being a good ambassador in a world that has developed some unfortunate prejudices and misconceptions. So, unfortunately, I had to tell her that for once I couldn't help her with that, because state law prohibits any kind of blade on a K-12 campus (don't quote me on that, but it's what the law boils down to) and I try to follow that even after hours. However, after a frustrating few seconds of frustration and irony, I realized, wait, I actually can help because I forgot to take my tiny Bug, which I guess I don't even really consider to be a knife, off my keys. And that's how the Bug saved the day. Cutting that tough ribbon off a kid's wrist sure would have been easier and safer if I'd had one of my usual blades available, such as the sheepsfoot on my UK Rescue or the hawkbill on my Ladybug, and it also would have been much easier if I'd been left to handle the job myself rather than having someone getting in the way trying to help and removing all the slack, but I was glad that I still managed to help, even if it was only because of fortunate forgetfulness.
And then Michelle pulled out her Tasman. Oy.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Mobile mustache trimming
Tonight I went to the theatre for Jim's 99th birthday. Lots of people there, lots of nice food for him, music playing. It was nice. Except for one thing that was ruining everything: I could feel an out of place hair from my mustache poking me in the nose every time I moved my face. So I slipped away to the green room where I knew I could find a mirror, located the offending hair, and let the Spyderco Military deal with it. Yes, clearly an appropriate tool to trim a single hair. Facial hair is ridiculously tough though, so I'm glad I had something very sharp. Scissors still would have been better.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Hospitality Night 2011
Involved: Me, Dylan.
Lights: HDS Clicky 100Chc, SureFire M3LT, NiteCore D10, assorted unknown lights and glow sticks.
The town was hit by a freak windstorm (reported as hitting 50mph) that did considerable damage, requiring the replacement of 10 power poles. This is very rare; we have wind pretty regularly, but usually it takes the combination of wind and rain to do extensive damage, so any kind of outage without rain is very rare. This one did it though. Power was out when I woke up, came back midday, and went out again around 4. Fortunately it went out just before I was going to shave off my beard, not during, so I didn't have to go out with half a beard or try to take off 2" of fur with a regular razor.
Went to Hospitality Night (every year on the first Thursday in December the downtown shops stay open late and serve festive treats) around 5.30 and found the whole town dark except for the highway traffic lights. It was beautiful actually. I parked near the Bluebird Inn, went to Painted Lily but found it closed, then continued toward the east end on foot, almost entirely alone and by the light of my flashlights. Again, it was beautiful.
Found some signs of life in the east village. The bakery was open and lit up, giving out cookies and stuff.
Mozzi's saloon was lit by candles and glow sticks and had a good crowd. Ran into Dylan near there, so I went back in Mozzi's with him while he had a beer. Chatted pleasantly with Garret (a local rancher and schoolmate through high school) a little while he played pool by torchlight. I must say that warmed the nostalgic corners of my heart. I remember a full decade ago he had a little keychain squeeze light on his keys, and I think it was LED; that would make him probably the first LED flashlight owner I knew and the first EDC carrier of a pocket light. Now, there he was with what looked like a pretty standard multi-5mm light hung from the hanging lampshade over the pool table.
After his beer, Dylan and I walked west, played with flashlights a bit near the rodeo grounds, then took my car to the Plough for an appetizer of spicy soup that they'd intended for the hospitality visitors. They were lit up by candle I think, pretty dimly, so I stuck one of my lights (I think the D10) on a table for some area light. Had to light up the kitchen area to get some soup too.
After helping the Plough get rid of some of the soup, Dylan and I walked around the west end, visited the pet accessory store that for some reason had a generator, wandered down past the lit up and densely packed Main Street Grill, got some M&Ms at the Shell, and then headed back. Around that time, at about 8, power returned to downtown, lighting up whatever decorations had been left on from earlier. After a night of walking through the darkened village, it was a bit disappointing.
With Hospitality Night mostly called off and the novelty of having the village blanketed in darkness now gone, we both headed home. Not the kind of evening I'd been looking forward to, but certainly a memorable one.
Power remained out at home for about another half day. I missed my computer, but other than that it was a nice change. I kept things well lit with my usual Clickies, ZebraLights, and the occasional LED Mag.
Lights: HDS Clicky 100Chc, SureFire M3LT, NiteCore D10, assorted unknown lights and glow sticks.
The town was hit by a freak windstorm (reported as hitting 50mph) that did considerable damage, requiring the replacement of 10 power poles. This is very rare; we have wind pretty regularly, but usually it takes the combination of wind and rain to do extensive damage, so any kind of outage without rain is very rare. This one did it though. Power was out when I woke up, came back midday, and went out again around 4. Fortunately it went out just before I was going to shave off my beard, not during, so I didn't have to go out with half a beard or try to take off 2" of fur with a regular razor.
Went to Hospitality Night (every year on the first Thursday in December the downtown shops stay open late and serve festive treats) around 5.30 and found the whole town dark except for the highway traffic lights. It was beautiful actually. I parked near the Bluebird Inn, went to Painted Lily but found it closed, then continued toward the east end on foot, almost entirely alone and by the light of my flashlights. Again, it was beautiful.
Found some signs of life in the east village. The bakery was open and lit up, giving out cookies and stuff.
Mozzi's saloon was lit by candles and glow sticks and had a good crowd. Ran into Dylan near there, so I went back in Mozzi's with him while he had a beer. Chatted pleasantly with Garret (a local rancher and schoolmate through high school) a little while he played pool by torchlight. I must say that warmed the nostalgic corners of my heart. I remember a full decade ago he had a little keychain squeeze light on his keys, and I think it was LED; that would make him probably the first LED flashlight owner I knew and the first EDC carrier of a pocket light. Now, there he was with what looked like a pretty standard multi-5mm light hung from the hanging lampshade over the pool table.
The most interesting light I saw tonight.
After his beer, Dylan and I walked west, played with flashlights a bit near the rodeo grounds, then took my car to the Plough for an appetizer of spicy soup that they'd intended for the hospitality visitors. They were lit up by candle I think, pretty dimly, so I stuck one of my lights (I think the D10) on a table for some area light. Had to light up the kitchen area to get some soup too.
After helping the Plough get rid of some of the soup, Dylan and I walked around the west end, visited the pet accessory store that for some reason had a generator, wandered down past the lit up and densely packed Main Street Grill, got some M&Ms at the Shell, and then headed back. Around that time, at about 8, power returned to downtown, lighting up whatever decorations had been left on from earlier. After a night of walking through the darkened village, it was a bit disappointing.
The chamber of commerce's Christmas tree.
The town's biggest flashlight, returned to life.
With Hospitality Night mostly called off and the novelty of having the village blanketed in darkness now gone, we both headed home. Not the kind of evening I'd been looking forward to, but certainly a memorable one.
Power remained out at home for about another half day. I missed my computer, but other than that it was a nice change. I kept things well lit with my usual Clickies, ZebraLights, and the occasional LED Mag.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
More set work at the Plough
Lights: ZebraLight H30; HDS Clicky.
Knives: Spyderco Manix2 SE, Persistence.
Other: Widgy pry bar
I was once again called in to help with set preparation at the Plough, this time in preparation for their Gershwin tribute show.
My main job was to cover a wall with a thick, diamond-patterned, felty, velvety cloth. I had to get it stretched properly over the uneven surfaces of the wall, securely staple it down, and then once I had it hanging properly I had to trim off the excess at the bottom. Knowing that I would probably be asked to do a job like this with a pair of dull scissors, I made sure I brought along an array of more appropriate cutting tools. For this I chose the Manix2, which cut through the thick cloth easily and cleanly with its smooth serrations. Very glad I chose it, because I don't think any knife I have could have done a better job, but also because I've really gotten so little use of M2 over the years.
Later, I needed to create a sturdy shim to get a high, metal-framed chair to sit evenly on the uneven stage surface. I found some scraps of fiber board, scored one side with the tip of the Persistence, and then was able to cleanly snap them along the scoring. A stack of two board pieces, secured together and attached to the chair leg with gaffer's tape, made the chair much more comfortable and safer.
I also opened a small paint can with my little pry bar. I think this might actually be the first time I've mentioned it on here? Normally it just gets used to pop the top off my car's washer fluid reservoir.
My lights didn't get much use, but I had my ZL H30 clipped to my jacket in case I needed some hands free light, and I used one of my Clickies—probably the 100Chc—to search the carpet for lost staples and other little bits of debris.
Knives: Spyderco Manix2 SE, Persistence.
Other: Widgy pry bar
I was once again called in to help with set preparation at the Plough, this time in preparation for their Gershwin tribute show.
My main job was to cover a wall with a thick, diamond-patterned, felty, velvety cloth. I had to get it stretched properly over the uneven surfaces of the wall, securely staple it down, and then once I had it hanging properly I had to trim off the excess at the bottom. Knowing that I would probably be asked to do a job like this with a pair of dull scissors, I made sure I brought along an array of more appropriate cutting tools. For this I chose the Manix2, which cut through the thick cloth easily and cleanly with its smooth serrations. Very glad I chose it, because I don't think any knife I have could have done a better job, but also because I've really gotten so little use of M2 over the years.
Later, I needed to create a sturdy shim to get a high, metal-framed chair to sit evenly on the uneven stage surface. I found some scraps of fiber board, scored one side with the tip of the Persistence, and then was able to cleanly snap them along the scoring. A stack of two board pieces, secured together and attached to the chair leg with gaffer's tape, made the chair much more comfortable and safer.
I also opened a small paint can with my little pry bar. I think this might actually be the first time I've mentioned it on here? Normally it just gets used to pop the top off my car's washer fluid reservoir.
My lights didn't get much use, but I had my ZL H30 clipped to my jacket in case I needed some hands free light, and I used one of my Clickies—probably the 100Chc—to search the carpet for lost staples and other little bits of debris.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Ladybug Frustration (Frustration with myself, really)
Today's lesson: Never give up, as long as you have reason not to.
I wasted about two hours doing a complete resharpening on the Ladybug Salt. I can never get an edge on it, it won't even cut paper. So I put it on the sharpmaker a little and studied the effects with a loupe and I determined that it might not be sharpening because I'd been hitting the shoulders, which is a problem I've never run into before. If that really was the case, I guess it shows just how much time I've put into trying to make it work in the 22 months I've had it. I put it on the stones at 30º, reset the bevel with a total of probably around 200 strokes using all sides of the coarse rods. I got it looking pretty good, the bevel looked fresh and shiny and even, like it really should, based on what I've seen in sharpening tutorials. But I still couldn't get what felt like a good edge on it and had to just move on to the other steps without feeling like I'd truly gotten where I wanted to be. I continued at 30º and gave it 20 strokes on every side of the fine rods, for another 120 strokes total, all the way up to the UF for I think 20 on an edge and 20 on a flat. Then I went to 40º and did it all over again, 20 strokes on all six sides of the coarse and fine, then another 40ish on the UF. I tested along the way at each step, inspected with the loupe, tried to get rid of any burrs by running it through soft plastic, but at no time was I ever able to get it to cut, though it did actually feel sharp. In the end, after two hours of labor and hundreds of careful strokes, I ended up with the prettiest and shiniest bevel I've ever created, and an edge that still can't even slice paper cleanly.
At that point I gave up and just polished the edge with some chromox since looking shiny is apparently all this blade is good for right now. I really love this knife, I love the bright yellow, the tiny size and weight, the secure grip. It's been my true EDC knife more than any other since I retired my Mini-Grip, riding in my pocket every day no matter what else I'm carrying, but at this point I'm thinking I really have no choice but to just retire it, unless I can figure out what's wrong with it or get someone else to. I bought it to be a polite and inoffensive little knife to always keep with me, but it's never cut very well so it's never really been able to serve that purpose properly. Instead, I've used it as a food knife, to neatly slice open bananas more than anything else, but it's not even sharp enough to open a granola bar so it's very limited. I like having a clean and easily washed knife to open bananas in a neat way without having to gunk up my nails, so I guess I might still take it along just for that sometimes, but I mostly eat them at home anyway. If it won't cut, there's just no justification for continuing to let it occupy space in my pocket, especially now that I also have the hawkbill version.
I'm saddened and will miss it. I carry lots of bigger, nicer, more interesting, more expensive knives, but this one, more than most, has a real attachment for me because of how much carry time it's gotten (perhaps undeservedly). I think it's safe to say I'm done with H1 plain edges too. I can now get my Tasman very sharp if I really want to, but it takes a lot more effort and attention than most other steels/blade types I use and has given me a lot of frustration. Maybe the LB just needs a particular technique like the Tasman did? But it shouldn't since it's a regular blade and doesn't have special requirements due to blade shape. Maybe I'll put it aside and give it another try sometime when my wrist has had a break from today's marathon session, but I don't have high hopes for figuring it out if today's attempt at a complete redo didn't work. In the meantime, I'll probably try carrying my Grasshopper as a small and polite knife, but it's bigger, heavier, less sturdy, not a one hander, and not nearly so cute. Doesn't matter though, it'll only be just in case I need a small plain edge for some reason. The LB Hawkbill Salt can probably fill in adequately on its own in most cases.
Update (12/11): The Ladybug's back! After I got over my frustration, I realized and accepted (with some outside help) that despite all my efforts to establish a new edge, I still was not actually touching the edge somehow. Obviously, since it still wasn't cutting at all after hours of sharpening. They say that H1 isn't very abrasion resistant and is easy to sharpen but... in my experience, the actual edge of H1 stands up to a damned lot of abrasion without losing nearly as much material as you'd expect. So, this time I'd had enough of messing around with it. I set aside my preferred Sharpmaker, got out my Lansky kit, set it for the most obtuse edge it's capable of, and gave the LB a quick session on the diamond stones. The result is not a great edge by any means, but... it cuts! It actually *cuts* rather than wedges things apart again. For now, that's good enough, and I'm happy to have it back.
And, to welcome it back with a story: The other night, I was out to dinner at a seafood place having fish and chips. Because it was a take-out oriented place, the vinegar came in those annoying plastic packets that are so difficult to open cleanly, making cutting them open vastly preferable to trying to tear through without spurting delicious acid all over the place. Since it is so acidic and potentially corrosive, I'd rather not put a normal knife through it if I can avoid it (yeah I know, S30V or VG10 would have been fine, but I'd still prefer not to), and also it was in a crowded restaurant environment, so it was a perfect job for H1, and for a cute and friendly little yellow knife that recently remembered how to cut.
I wasted about two hours doing a complete resharpening on the Ladybug Salt. I can never get an edge on it, it won't even cut paper. So I put it on the sharpmaker a little and studied the effects with a loupe and I determined that it might not be sharpening because I'd been hitting the shoulders, which is a problem I've never run into before. If that really was the case, I guess it shows just how much time I've put into trying to make it work in the 22 months I've had it. I put it on the stones at 30º, reset the bevel with a total of probably around 200 strokes using all sides of the coarse rods. I got it looking pretty good, the bevel looked fresh and shiny and even, like it really should, based on what I've seen in sharpening tutorials. But I still couldn't get what felt like a good edge on it and had to just move on to the other steps without feeling like I'd truly gotten where I wanted to be. I continued at 30º and gave it 20 strokes on every side of the fine rods, for another 120 strokes total, all the way up to the UF for I think 20 on an edge and 20 on a flat. Then I went to 40º and did it all over again, 20 strokes on all six sides of the coarse and fine, then another 40ish on the UF. I tested along the way at each step, inspected with the loupe, tried to get rid of any burrs by running it through soft plastic, but at no time was I ever able to get it to cut, though it did actually feel sharp. In the end, after two hours of labor and hundreds of careful strokes, I ended up with the prettiest and shiniest bevel I've ever created, and an edge that still can't even slice paper cleanly.
At that point I gave up and just polished the edge with some chromox since looking shiny is apparently all this blade is good for right now. I really love this knife, I love the bright yellow, the tiny size and weight, the secure grip. It's been my true EDC knife more than any other since I retired my Mini-Grip, riding in my pocket every day no matter what else I'm carrying, but at this point I'm thinking I really have no choice but to just retire it, unless I can figure out what's wrong with it or get someone else to. I bought it to be a polite and inoffensive little knife to always keep with me, but it's never cut very well so it's never really been able to serve that purpose properly. Instead, I've used it as a food knife, to neatly slice open bananas more than anything else, but it's not even sharp enough to open a granola bar so it's very limited. I like having a clean and easily washed knife to open bananas in a neat way without having to gunk up my nails, so I guess I might still take it along just for that sometimes, but I mostly eat them at home anyway. If it won't cut, there's just no justification for continuing to let it occupy space in my pocket, especially now that I also have the hawkbill version.
I'm saddened and will miss it. I carry lots of bigger, nicer, more interesting, more expensive knives, but this one, more than most, has a real attachment for me because of how much carry time it's gotten (perhaps undeservedly). I think it's safe to say I'm done with H1 plain edges too. I can now get my Tasman very sharp if I really want to, but it takes a lot more effort and attention than most other steels/blade types I use and has given me a lot of frustration. Maybe the LB just needs a particular technique like the Tasman did? But it shouldn't since it's a regular blade and doesn't have special requirements due to blade shape. Maybe I'll put it aside and give it another try sometime when my wrist has had a break from today's marathon session, but I don't have high hopes for figuring it out if today's attempt at a complete redo didn't work. In the meantime, I'll probably try carrying my Grasshopper as a small and polite knife, but it's bigger, heavier, less sturdy, not a one hander, and not nearly so cute. Doesn't matter though, it'll only be just in case I need a small plain edge for some reason. The LB Hawkbill Salt can probably fill in adequately on its own in most cases.
Update (12/11): The Ladybug's back! After I got over my frustration, I realized and accepted (with some outside help) that despite all my efforts to establish a new edge, I still was not actually touching the edge somehow. Obviously, since it still wasn't cutting at all after hours of sharpening. They say that H1 isn't very abrasion resistant and is easy to sharpen but... in my experience, the actual edge of H1 stands up to a damned lot of abrasion without losing nearly as much material as you'd expect. So, this time I'd had enough of messing around with it. I set aside my preferred Sharpmaker, got out my Lansky kit, set it for the most obtuse edge it's capable of, and gave the LB a quick session on the diamond stones. The result is not a great edge by any means, but... it cuts! It actually *cuts* rather than wedges things apart again. For now, that's good enough, and I'm happy to have it back.
And, to welcome it back with a story: The other night, I was out to dinner at a seafood place having fish and chips. Because it was a take-out oriented place, the vinegar came in those annoying plastic packets that are so difficult to open cleanly, making cutting them open vastly preferable to trying to tear through without spurting delicious acid all over the place. Since it is so acidic and potentially corrosive, I'd rather not put a normal knife through it if I can avoid it (yeah I know, S30V or VG10 would have been fine, but I'd still prefer not to), and also it was in a crowded restaurant environment, so it was a perfect job for H1, and for a cute and friendly little yellow knife that recently remembered how to cut.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
For Deer Life
Light: HDS Clicky 170Cn
On my way to town to watch a football game, I came to a stop sign at the right branch of a fork. I was turning left onto the main road, but a short distance down the left fork, to my right, was a deer strolling very slowly and casually across the road. Further down that road and around a corner I saw headlights approaching. The left fork is the continuation of the main road and has no stop sign, so traffic moves through the intersection from that fork at a quicker pace, especially since it's the run-up to a moderately steep uphill, so I was afraid that the approaching car might be coming too fast to react in time to the deer standing in their lane and just around the bend in the road. Rather than proceeding, I remained at the stop sign, pulled out my Clicky, set it to burst, and when the approaching car was just starting around the bend and coming into a direct line of sight with me, I put the light against my passenger window and gave them three flashes. They kept coming and I'm not sure how clear my signal was to them, but they must have seen it very clearly so I'd imagine they probably did ease off a bit and hopefully start looking for a reason for unusual blasts of light in their direction. Whatever the case, the deer made it to the side of the road by the time the car got there. It probably would have without my help, but maybe it would have been a little closer if I hadn't (probably) slowed the car down, which might have made it less of a non-issue.
On my way to town to watch a football game, I came to a stop sign at the right branch of a fork. I was turning left onto the main road, but a short distance down the left fork, to my right, was a deer strolling very slowly and casually across the road. Further down that road and around a corner I saw headlights approaching. The left fork is the continuation of the main road and has no stop sign, so traffic moves through the intersection from that fork at a quicker pace, especially since it's the run-up to a moderately steep uphill, so I was afraid that the approaching car might be coming too fast to react in time to the deer standing in their lane and just around the bend in the road. Rather than proceeding, I remained at the stop sign, pulled out my Clicky, set it to burst, and when the approaching car was just starting around the bend and coming into a direct line of sight with me, I put the light against my passenger window and gave them three flashes. They kept coming and I'm not sure how clear my signal was to them, but they must have seen it very clearly so I'd imagine they probably did ease off a bit and hopefully start looking for a reason for unusual blasts of light in their direction. Whatever the case, the deer made it to the side of the road by the time the car got there. It probably would have without my help, but maybe it would have been a little closer if I hadn't (probably) slowed the car down, which might have made it less of a non-issue.
Friday, September 30, 2011
September usage commentary (with some thoughts and opinions)
Not a whole lot to report for September because I pretty much spent the month locked inside working on photos. That being the case, my primary usage of EDC-y stuff was in lighting my room with my flashlights since my wired lighting is so abysmally bad (funny/ironic).
A few notes for the month:
3rd - The Woman in Black came to the end of its run tonight, so I stopped by the cast after-party to document the event. They were opening gifts and one of the young fellows in attendance pulled out a small traditional pocket knife. Later, I pulled him aside and commented on it. He started to explain why he has it as if he felt it needed some kind of defense, but then I showed him my Military. Cool to see someone from a slightly younger generation carrying one; these days it seems like so many of them regard their phones as the only worthwhile tool with which to equip themselves.
8th - This is something new: a story about not carrying. This was the day of the first home football game at the high school. I love going to local sporting events and photographing football games, so I always go to the home games. The unfortunate part is that it's illegal to carry basically any bladed implement on high school grounds. So, before every game I have to go through a funny routine that feels rather unnatural to me. I load my pockets, but the checkoff routine changes to: Phone, keys, NO KNIVES!, wallet, light, hand cleaner. I go through the pockets of my bag removing all additional knives (usually my UKPK Rescue), SAKs, any multi-tools... it's sometimes kind of fun to go through and pull out yet another knife that I didn't even remember I had stuck in there. I even take the little Bug off my keys. The process leaves me feeling very underdressed. I'm not a very insecure person and I don't feel any separation anxiety over a brief period of forced ill-equippedness, and the truth is there's hardly any chance I'd even want to cut something while there, but I'm set in my ways and have decades of built up habits, so there is a definite feeling of relief when I return to my car and get my pockets back in proper order.
10th - I took part in a wedding. Since I don't have much to say about actual usage here, I'll take this opportunity to say I don't actually believe in the idea of dress knives. Obviously, I'm a strong advocate of carrying various helpful tools and gizmos at all times, that's essentially what this blog is all about. Obviously I'm comfortable with knives and regard them positively. However, if you're dressing for a formal event, the appropriate knife to carry is not the one with the shiny carbon fiber and chrome that somewhat matches your outfit, or the one with the endangered animal bone handle or the Damascus blade, and it's not whichever is your most expensive that you can't bring yourself to actually use so you wear it like jewelry. The appropriate knife to carry is whatever will go unseen and not drag down or damage the usually light cloth of formal clothing. Perhaps it differs depending on where you are, but, in general, if you're dressed in your best for a fancy event and you've got a visible knife sticking out of your pocket—or a screwdriver or a wrench or a roll of duct tape—it's not going to reflect well on you, even if you think it's the coolest and most interesting part of your outfit. That said, I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't carry a knife to an event, but I am saying that buying a knife with the idea that it will be for formal occasions is a little silly, and probably mostly just an excuse to buy an unusually expensive knife that you realize isn't practical. So, getting back to today, the wedding that I attended and took part in: what did I carry? The knife I chose was my Spyderco Khukuri. Yes, because I regard it as a special knife that I like having with me for special occasions; yes, because I think it has a certain strange elegance to it; yes, because it's expensive and it's difficult to disassociate price from class sometimes. But really, it's just a nice knife that's also very thin when folded, so it disappears in a back pocket and remains completely hidden under a suit jacket. It definitely wasn't purchased with any intention of making it a dedicated dress knife or matching it to an outfit. It's scaled in foliage green G10 after all. As for a flashlight, well... I just stuck my Clicky (170Cn) in my other back pocket. It's heavy, it's bulky, there's nothing about it that's really appropriate for formalwear carry, and choosing it seems to defy my support of going for a minimal, unobtrusive route. But, it's just what I carry every single day, it feels strange not to have one, and in the end it doesn't matter because, like the Khukuri, it remained hidden under my jacket and no one knew I had it on me. Which, as I said, is the only important characteristic of a "dress" tool.
11th - I saw Eisley again. Carried much the same stuff as last time, though didn't get into a conversation about it with the band this time. Don't want to take anything aggressive or intimidating into a club environment, so I took my friendly little green UKPK. I kept it out of sight, but really the only thing they were concerned about was my camera gear and where I'd be pointing it. Carried a Clicky of course, but upgraded from 140Cgt to 170Cn. The real hero amongst my EDC items ended up being a pen, my Parker Jotter. I got a few autographs last time, but this time I decided I wanted to try to get every single one of them. I didn't think about it until I was actually there though, so I was glad I had a decent pen along.
And that's all I can think of. Like I said, September was mostly an indoor month for me.
A few notes for the month:
3rd - The Woman in Black came to the end of its run tonight, so I stopped by the cast after-party to document the event. They were opening gifts and one of the young fellows in attendance pulled out a small traditional pocket knife. Later, I pulled him aside and commented on it. He started to explain why he has it as if he felt it needed some kind of defense, but then I showed him my Military. Cool to see someone from a slightly younger generation carrying one; these days it seems like so many of them regard their phones as the only worthwhile tool with which to equip themselves.
8th - This is something new: a story about not carrying. This was the day of the first home football game at the high school. I love going to local sporting events and photographing football games, so I always go to the home games. The unfortunate part is that it's illegal to carry basically any bladed implement on high school grounds. So, before every game I have to go through a funny routine that feels rather unnatural to me. I load my pockets, but the checkoff routine changes to: Phone, keys, NO KNIVES!, wallet, light, hand cleaner. I go through the pockets of my bag removing all additional knives (usually my UKPK Rescue), SAKs, any multi-tools... it's sometimes kind of fun to go through and pull out yet another knife that I didn't even remember I had stuck in there. I even take the little Bug off my keys. The process leaves me feeling very underdressed. I'm not a very insecure person and I don't feel any separation anxiety over a brief period of forced ill-equippedness, and the truth is there's hardly any chance I'd even want to cut something while there, but I'm set in my ways and have decades of built up habits, so there is a definite feeling of relief when I return to my car and get my pockets back in proper order.
10th - I took part in a wedding. Since I don't have much to say about actual usage here, I'll take this opportunity to say I don't actually believe in the idea of dress knives. Obviously, I'm a strong advocate of carrying various helpful tools and gizmos at all times, that's essentially what this blog is all about. Obviously I'm comfortable with knives and regard them positively. However, if you're dressing for a formal event, the appropriate knife to carry is not the one with the shiny carbon fiber and chrome that somewhat matches your outfit, or the one with the endangered animal bone handle or the Damascus blade, and it's not whichever is your most expensive that you can't bring yourself to actually use so you wear it like jewelry. The appropriate knife to carry is whatever will go unseen and not drag down or damage the usually light cloth of formal clothing. Perhaps it differs depending on where you are, but, in general, if you're dressed in your best for a fancy event and you've got a visible knife sticking out of your pocket—or a screwdriver or a wrench or a roll of duct tape—it's not going to reflect well on you, even if you think it's the coolest and most interesting part of your outfit. That said, I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't carry a knife to an event, but I am saying that buying a knife with the idea that it will be for formal occasions is a little silly, and probably mostly just an excuse to buy an unusually expensive knife that you realize isn't practical. So, getting back to today, the wedding that I attended and took part in: what did I carry? The knife I chose was my Spyderco Khukuri. Yes, because I regard it as a special knife that I like having with me for special occasions; yes, because I think it has a certain strange elegance to it; yes, because it's expensive and it's difficult to disassociate price from class sometimes. But really, it's just a nice knife that's also very thin when folded, so it disappears in a back pocket and remains completely hidden under a suit jacket. It definitely wasn't purchased with any intention of making it a dedicated dress knife or matching it to an outfit. It's scaled in foliage green G10 after all. As for a flashlight, well... I just stuck my Clicky (170Cn) in my other back pocket. It's heavy, it's bulky, there's nothing about it that's really appropriate for formalwear carry, and choosing it seems to defy my support of going for a minimal, unobtrusive route. But, it's just what I carry every single day, it feels strange not to have one, and in the end it doesn't matter because, like the Khukuri, it remained hidden under my jacket and no one knew I had it on me. Which, as I said, is the only important characteristic of a "dress" tool.
11th - I saw Eisley again. Carried much the same stuff as last time, though didn't get into a conversation about it with the band this time. Don't want to take anything aggressive or intimidating into a club environment, so I took my friendly little green UKPK. I kept it out of sight, but really the only thing they were concerned about was my camera gear and where I'd be pointing it. Carried a Clicky of course, but upgraded from 140Cgt to 170Cn. The real hero amongst my EDC items ended up being a pen, my Parker Jotter. I got a few autographs last time, but this time I decided I wanted to try to get every single one of them. I didn't think about it until I was actually there though, so I was glad I had a decent pen along.
And that's all I can think of. Like I said, September was mostly an indoor month for me.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Opening wine at cove
The day after Kristin's wedding, I joined the wedding party at the cove for a little beach party. Her dad showed up with wine, but he had no opener. He took a look at me and thought I might be able to help, and I fortunately did have my Victorinox Climber Deluxe with me. Very likely the first time I've actually gotten to use the wine puller on it.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Wedding dress preparation
Ian
Shortly before her wedding, Kristin needed some loose threads cut from the bodice of her dress. The bridesmaids tried scissors, but the threads were pretty tough. Ian came to the rescue and took care of them with his large Sebenza. Yeah this pretty much fully justified the purchase of the knife.
Shortly before her wedding, Kristin needed some loose threads cut from the bodice of her dress. The bridesmaids tried scissors, but the threads were pretty tough. Ian came to the rescue and took care of them with his large Sebenza. Yeah this pretty much fully justified the purchase of the knife.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The price of consideration
Lights: HDS 100Chc; SureFire M3LT.
At about 3.30am, I went out for a stroll on a night left quite dark beneath a blanket of clouds. I walked to a beach access toward the farther side of the neighborhood, looked down to the sand, and saw an odd sight: a couple bamboo mats and a crumpled up, brightly colored blanket, but no sign of anyone around. I went down the ramp for a closer look, still saw no one. I went over for a closer look and found there was also a fitted sheet, a bunch of cups, a pack of cigs, and a lighter. About 20 feet away, a washcloth lay on the sand. This was especially strange to me because a few nights ago on Moonstone Beach I found a couple of folding chairs sitting not far from an abandoned pair of baby shoes. I looked around again with the Chc, still saw no sign of anyone, and then broke out the M3 for a scan of the entire area, including the shoreline and the kelp bed not far out, because I was a little concerned I might find floating bodies in the surf or something. Still nothing. So I walked over to a rock to get back to what I'd come there for, to relax and listen to the ocean a little.
After a few minutes, I saw lights coming from an approaching car on the street above. As I crept farther down the beach, I saw the lights come closer and, as far as I could tell, stop in the parking lot. I got up close to the concrete cliff protection and quietly edged down and around an obtuse corner to get out of direct line of sight in case they came down and shined a light around. I waited a couple minutes, but saw no light and heard no sounds of anyone getting out of a car or coming back to the little encampment. I crept quietly back in the direction I'd come, and out towards some rocks closer to the water so I could get a better angle on the area but still have some cover. Still I heard and saw nothing, so I figured the car I'd seen must have just parked up there and might still be up there, maybe waiting for me if they were there because they or someone else saw my big light searching around.
I considered my options. I could keep walking down the beach to the other access, but that would mean covering about seven blocks over sand and rocks at, by now, 4am. Since I wasn't sure anyone was even there, I decided I needed to chance getting a better look at the parking area above and try to get out the way I'd come. I waited until a wave came in to give me some masking noise then quickly moved from behind my rock up to a spot close to the wall again but nearer the access ramp. I stood still there, looked and listened. I still couldn't see anything, but now... I could hear something... people laughing. I remained there for five or ten minutes, remaining still so I wouldn't be noticed, listening to sounds of laughter and soft conversation, considering my options. I wanted to just walk the remaining 30 feet to the ramp and head home, which would bring me within about 20 feet of them, but in the end I decided that there was just no way I could get past them without risking screwing up their night: if I went up casually with a light on, they'd be scared that someone had come to confront them; if I walked by quietly in the darkness, they'd be paranoid of the shadowy figure lurking around the beach where they're trying to sleep; and if they were doing something intimate when I passed, they'd be all the more freaked out. Rather than risk disturbing them, I turned and quietly made my way down the beach, hopping between large rocks as much as possible to avoid waking the people sleeping in the houses above, for the next 20 minutes. I was able to walk on clear sections of the beach without a light because my eyes had adapted during my time hiding on the beach and I'd been using mostly low light to begin with, but when I got into the rougher areas I used the Chc on its minimum level in hopes that it would not be observed by the campers. When I felt I was far enough away and had enough rock formations between us, I used my 3lm setting to make things a bit easier. I was grateful for the high CRI light, which made it much easier on the eyes to walk over countless light grey rocks and pebbles. It ended up being a pretty strenuous walk since I was trying to take the quietest path instead of the easiest, and I nearly sprained my ankle once, but I made pretty quick progress once I upped my light level to something more practical. I arrived home a little after 4.30 in the morning, sweaty, thirsty, and tired.
At about 3.30am, I went out for a stroll on a night left quite dark beneath a blanket of clouds. I walked to a beach access toward the farther side of the neighborhood, looked down to the sand, and saw an odd sight: a couple bamboo mats and a crumpled up, brightly colored blanket, but no sign of anyone around. I went down the ramp for a closer look, still saw no one. I went over for a closer look and found there was also a fitted sheet, a bunch of cups, a pack of cigs, and a lighter. About 20 feet away, a washcloth lay on the sand. This was especially strange to me because a few nights ago on Moonstone Beach I found a couple of folding chairs sitting not far from an abandoned pair of baby shoes. I looked around again with the Chc, still saw no sign of anyone, and then broke out the M3 for a scan of the entire area, including the shoreline and the kelp bed not far out, because I was a little concerned I might find floating bodies in the surf or something. Still nothing. So I walked over to a rock to get back to what I'd come there for, to relax and listen to the ocean a little.
After a few minutes, I saw lights coming from an approaching car on the street above. As I crept farther down the beach, I saw the lights come closer and, as far as I could tell, stop in the parking lot. I got up close to the concrete cliff protection and quietly edged down and around an obtuse corner to get out of direct line of sight in case they came down and shined a light around. I waited a couple minutes, but saw no light and heard no sounds of anyone getting out of a car or coming back to the little encampment. I crept quietly back in the direction I'd come, and out towards some rocks closer to the water so I could get a better angle on the area but still have some cover. Still I heard and saw nothing, so I figured the car I'd seen must have just parked up there and might still be up there, maybe waiting for me if they were there because they or someone else saw my big light searching around.
I considered my options. I could keep walking down the beach to the other access, but that would mean covering about seven blocks over sand and rocks at, by now, 4am. Since I wasn't sure anyone was even there, I decided I needed to chance getting a better look at the parking area above and try to get out the way I'd come. I waited until a wave came in to give me some masking noise then quickly moved from behind my rock up to a spot close to the wall again but nearer the access ramp. I stood still there, looked and listened. I still couldn't see anything, but now... I could hear something... people laughing. I remained there for five or ten minutes, remaining still so I wouldn't be noticed, listening to sounds of laughter and soft conversation, considering my options. I wanted to just walk the remaining 30 feet to the ramp and head home, which would bring me within about 20 feet of them, but in the end I decided that there was just no way I could get past them without risking screwing up their night: if I went up casually with a light on, they'd be scared that someone had come to confront them; if I walked by quietly in the darkness, they'd be paranoid of the shadowy figure lurking around the beach where they're trying to sleep; and if they were doing something intimate when I passed, they'd be all the more freaked out. Rather than risk disturbing them, I turned and quietly made my way down the beach, hopping between large rocks as much as possible to avoid waking the people sleeping in the houses above, for the next 20 minutes. I was able to walk on clear sections of the beach without a light because my eyes had adapted during my time hiding on the beach and I'd been using mostly low light to begin with, but when I got into the rougher areas I used the Chc on its minimum level in hopes that it would not be observed by the campers. When I felt I was far enough away and had enough rock formations between us, I used my 3lm setting to make things a bit easier. I was grateful for the high CRI light, which made it much easier on the eyes to walk over countless light grey rocks and pebbles. It ended up being a pretty strenuous walk since I was trying to take the quietest path instead of the easiest, and I nearly sprained my ankle once, but I made pretty quick progress once I upped my light level to something more practical. I arrived home a little after 4.30 in the morning, sweaty, thirsty, and tired.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
High CRI wildflowers
Participants: Me, Samy, Tia.
Lights: HDS Clicky 100Chc; SF L1.
I went for a walk on the point with Samy and Tia. There was a bit of adventure as we snuck up on a suspicious light we thought was coming from a group of nefarious hippies, but we never found any trace of them and later had to chalk it up to ghosts. Toward the end of the regular trail, in the middle of the dull browns and weathered greys of the windswept point, we suddenly came upon a small patch of vibrant flowers. We stopped to admire them and Tia was surprised by the sudden beauty amongst such colorless surroundings. Then she looked at it with her own light, the L1 I'd loaned her, which has a very good tint itself, and was less impressed. She remarked that maybe it was just my light that made them look so nice. Of course I was using the high CRI Clicky, and it was indeed doing its job very well at that moment.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Night biking
Lights: HDS Clickies (140Cgt, 100Chc).
I've had the TwoFish LockBlocks on my handlebars for months now but never used them for anything more than a quick test ride around the block. My bike hasn't been in the best condition lately, needing some new brake pads and adjustments, but for too long I allowed that to keep me off it. Finally, I got up the motivation to take it out for a night ride around the neighborhood, across the ranch, around another neighborhood, and back.
Total distance of probably 4-5 miles. To light my way, I strapped the Clickies on my handlebars with the GT (with 17670 body) at 100lm and pointed a little farther down the road and the HC at 25lm providing a nice pool of light directly in front of me. For a long and straight section that I wanted to cover at higher speed, I kicked the Chc up to high as well. Used just the HC at 25lm to cruise quietly through a little neighborhood with narrow streets so I'd be less likely to disturb anyone (I feel the warm beam is stealthier since it stands out less than a splash of dazzling cool white). With this combination, I had enough light to pretty much ride as fast as I cared to as long as I wasn't making big turns (little peripheral light). The lights were certainly very nicely cooled too, with the rush of cool, foggy air never allowing them above a standard room temperature.
The Clickies did well. I hate to say it, but I was glad to find a good use for the GT, since the beam is good for it, tint doesn't matter so much, and it combines good power with high efficiency and the ability to use the 17670. These days, it doesn't see a lot of use because it's not often that I don't have a better light for something, and usually a better Clicky. It's kind of sad that I need to look for jobs where "tint doesn't matter" for a Guaranteed Tint ($50 option) Clicky, but, pure and white as it is, that tint is just not one that I can unreservedly call "great" by today's standards. But it made a great bike light.
I've had the TwoFish LockBlocks on my handlebars for months now but never used them for anything more than a quick test ride around the block. My bike hasn't been in the best condition lately, needing some new brake pads and adjustments, but for too long I allowed that to keep me off it. Finally, I got up the motivation to take it out for a night ride around the neighborhood, across the ranch, around another neighborhood, and back.
Total distance of probably 4-5 miles. To light my way, I strapped the Clickies on my handlebars with the GT (with 17670 body) at 100lm and pointed a little farther down the road and the HC at 25lm providing a nice pool of light directly in front of me. For a long and straight section that I wanted to cover at higher speed, I kicked the Chc up to high as well. Used just the HC at 25lm to cruise quietly through a little neighborhood with narrow streets so I'd be less likely to disturb anyone (I feel the warm beam is stealthier since it stands out less than a splash of dazzling cool white). With this combination, I had enough light to pretty much ride as fast as I cared to as long as I wasn't making big turns (little peripheral light). The lights were certainly very nicely cooled too, with the rush of cool, foggy air never allowing them above a standard room temperature.
The Clickies did well. I hate to say it, but I was glad to find a good use for the GT, since the beam is good for it, tint doesn't matter so much, and it combines good power with high efficiency and the ability to use the 17670. These days, it doesn't see a lot of use because it's not often that I don't have a better light for something, and usually a better Clicky. It's kind of sad that I need to look for jobs where "tint doesn't matter" for a Guaranteed Tint ($50 option) Clicky, but, pure and white as it is, that tint is just not one that I can unreservedly call "great" by today's standards. But it made a great bike light.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Mini light-fi
Participants: Me, Samy.
Lights:
Me - HDS Clicky 100Chc Moby Click.
Samy - HDS Clicky 120CThc?, NovaTac modified with high CRI Cree XPG.
Both - 170Cn.
We don't light-fi quite like we used to, it seems. Tonight, Samy and I went out for a walk in the woods, to enjoy the night and play with some lights. I also wanted to show him what my new M3LT could do, and we got to compare our 170s side by side in actual use. (Really amazing how similar they are in performance despite beam differences.) It was a nice walk, very peaceful and relaxing.
Along the way we encountered some very large spiders and webs, as well as a kind of pretty moth hiding under a bridge. Illuminated by high CRI Clicky:
Lights:
Me - HDS Clicky 100Chc Moby Click.
Samy - HDS Clicky 120CThc?, NovaTac modified with high CRI Cree XPG.
Both - 170Cn.
We don't light-fi quite like we used to, it seems. Tonight, Samy and I went out for a walk in the woods, to enjoy the night and play with some lights. I also wanted to show him what my new M3LT could do, and we got to compare our 170s side by side in actual use. (Really amazing how similar they are in performance despite beam differences.) It was a nice walk, very peaceful and relaxing.
Along the way we encountered some very large spiders and webs, as well as a kind of pretty moth hiding under a bridge. Illuminated by high CRI Clicky:
Monday, July 4, 2011
July 4th photoshoot
Lights: SureFire L1s (white gen6 and red square body & TIR)
To celebrate Independence Day, SureFire held a photo contest, looking for shots of their products with fireworks. Here's their exact wording:
So, I stuck the remote release on my camera and went down to Moonstone Beach to have a go at it. For the prize, an M3LT, why not? I spent the entire fireworks show running back and forth on the beach from my camera to my chosen spot amongst some driftwood with my back to the display, so I didn't really get to enjoy much of the show. Good thing I won. :)
To celebrate Independence Day, SureFire held a photo contest, looking for shots of their products with fireworks. Here's their exact wording:
Freebie Friday!!! In honor of America's upcoming anniversary, here's your assignment (Ends July 5th). Two chances to win: 1) Take a picture holding/wearing your SF product w/ fireworks in the background. Post it on our wall. Our favorite wins an M3LT! 2) No fireworks? Snap a photo using your SF doing something fun or creative, other than shooting--sorry, that's too easy. Winner gets a LX2! TWO PHOTOS PER PERSON MAX.
So, I stuck the remote release on my camera and went down to Moonstone Beach to have a go at it. For the prize, an M3LT, why not? I spent the entire fireworks show running back and forth on the beach from my camera to my chosen spot amongst some driftwood with my back to the display, so I didn't really get to enjoy much of the show. Good thing I won. :)
Friday, July 1, 2011
Writing by Nightlight
Contributed by Sam
Location: Suburb
Light: 120Chc
It was no less a dark night, with slithering withering sunlight slanting below the horizon. Martha and I traversed the urban jungle, broiling ideas with imagination and a light batter of criticism.. It was a good night..
We eventually found ourselves perched on a rooftop, eager with creativity. Martha needed to begin writing the finished ideas down, and so furnished a notepad and pen. Just as handily, I equipped my Chc, and powered on to my secondary level. A pleasing glow soothed the page, and the ink glistened as ideas minted themselves fluidly.
The perfect merger of art and gadgetry.
Location: Suburb
Light: 120Chc
It was no less a dark night, with slithering withering sunlight slanting below the horizon. Martha and I traversed the urban jungle, broiling ideas with imagination and a light batter of criticism.. It was a good night..
We eventually found ourselves perched on a rooftop, eager with creativity. Martha needed to begin writing the finished ideas down, and so furnished a notepad and pen. Just as handily, I equipped my Chc, and powered on to my secondary level. A pleasing glow soothed the page, and the ink glistened as ideas minted themselves fluidly.
The perfect merger of art and gadgetry.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Leatherman earring help
Ian demonstrated how to use a pair of Leathermans (Wave and Juice I think) to do some work on Katie's ear.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Bed switching
Lights: Princeton Tec Apex, Ra Clicky 140Cgt.
Long overdue, but I finally got rid of my more than 20 year old mattress. Dragged it out and realized how it's flattened to about half normal thickness in places, dragged out the boxspring and saw how torn up it is, and then got down to vacuuming the area along the wall that had been behind it, clearing away dead bugs, scrubbing the bottom of the walls, and so on. It was after sunset by the time I got to cleaning, so my underused but always appreciated Apex was a huge help. Also used the 140Cgt on 17670 body for quick lighting tasks and illuminating close to the ground to spot debris. This job would have been a lot tougher without good lights.
Sadly, shortly after this, I noticed that my Apex has developed a crack at its mounting hinge. PTs were kind of known for such cracks for a while, but mine was from the "improved" batch, so I was hoping I wouldn't have to worry about this kind of thing. Considering how little it's been used and how easy I've mostly been on it, it's very disappointing. I'll have to see if it can be superglued back together, because it's a great headlamp and I'd hate to have to retire it. As it is, the mount has been weakened enough that I'd be worried about hitting it against a branch and snapping it off.
Long overdue, but I finally got rid of my more than 20 year old mattress. Dragged it out and realized how it's flattened to about half normal thickness in places, dragged out the boxspring and saw how torn up it is, and then got down to vacuuming the area along the wall that had been behind it, clearing away dead bugs, scrubbing the bottom of the walls, and so on. It was after sunset by the time I got to cleaning, so my underused but always appreciated Apex was a huge help. Also used the 140Cgt on 17670 body for quick lighting tasks and illuminating close to the ground to spot debris. This job would have been a lot tougher without good lights.
Sadly, shortly after this, I noticed that my Apex has developed a crack at its mounting hinge. PTs were kind of known for such cracks for a while, but mine was from the "improved" batch, so I was hoping I wouldn't have to worry about this kind of thing. Considering how little it's been used and how easy I've mostly been on it, it's very disappointing. I'll have to see if it can be superglued back together, because it's a great headlamp and I'd hate to have to retire it. As it is, the mount has been weakened enough that I'd be worried about hitting it against a branch and snapping it off.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Fluffy feathered friend comes to visit
Light: HDS Clicky 100Chc
The other night, a little after midnight, I was washing my hands at the kitchen sink when I saw some movement at the window. I looked closer and found a young little bird on the other side of the glass peering in at me like it wanted to come in. At first I was worried that it'd be spooked if I hit it with too much light or moved too close, but I found that it responded only with interest to whatever I did. I ended up right on the other side of the glass from it, lighting it with my high CRI Clicky and trying to get a closeup. It was opening its mouth like it wanted me to give it a worm, which I didn't have, so I slowly opened the window a little and dropped some bread crumbs next to it, but it wasn't interested in those. It flew up against the window a few times like it was looking for an opening, then it headed off into the night. Looking back, I almost wish I'd tried to bring it inside so I could see if it was alright and try to feed it, since it seemed to want to come visit.
Later I took the Clicky out into the backyard to look for any sign of it, but found nothing. Hope it was just being social before heading back to a cozy nest.
Sorry for bad photo, it's a screen capture from a video taken through a window covered in ocean spray grime. Anyone know what it is?
The other night, a little after midnight, I was washing my hands at the kitchen sink when I saw some movement at the window. I looked closer and found a young little bird on the other side of the glass peering in at me like it wanted to come in. At first I was worried that it'd be spooked if I hit it with too much light or moved too close, but I found that it responded only with interest to whatever I did. I ended up right on the other side of the glass from it, lighting it with my high CRI Clicky and trying to get a closeup. It was opening its mouth like it wanted me to give it a worm, which I didn't have, so I slowly opened the window a little and dropped some bread crumbs next to it, but it wasn't interested in those. It flew up against the window a few times like it was looking for an opening, then it headed off into the night. Looking back, I almost wish I'd tried to bring it inside so I could see if it was alright and try to feed it, since it seemed to want to come visit.
Later I took the Clicky out into the backyard to look for any sign of it, but found nothing. Hope it was just being social before heading back to a cozy nest.
Sorry for bad photo, it's a screen capture from a video taken through a window covered in ocean spray grime. Anyone know what it is?
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Output relativity
I was on my way home, heading toward Cambria along 46, when I noticed the beautiful view out over a sea of clouds, illuminated by a bright moon. I stopped at a vista to take some photos. While maneuvering my camera and changing settings, I was mostly using fairly low amounts of light to maintain adaptation, but I did a little light painting too. At one point, I became interested in the output of the high CRI Clicky, because I was noticing that it was just a little bit dimmer than I expected and wanted at the distance I was trying to use it. This is a common problem for me actually, and a strange one. I have this Clicky set to 25lm at its primary level because its max is only 100 and four times the output is required to achieve a perceived doubling. The problem is that, for some strange reason, 25lm always looks just a little dim to me, whether on this Clicky or another, with or without diffuser, inside or out, with adapted eyes or hardly at all. What I'm describing here is, I believe, impossible; it's not how eyes and perceptions work, but it's what I've consistently found for some time now. Anyway, I was looking at the output, noting how it was just ever so slightly, nigglingly dimmer than I wanted, so I started adjusting it back and forth between 25lm and 35lm, to once again confirm for myself that there was some kind of barrier between good and not so good at these outputs. I ended up deciding to just go ahead and set the level to 35lm instead, giving up on my attempt at technically correct spacing. After making the change, I switched levels on the light to compare, to see how the new setting worked with the others, and I got a bit of a surprise. I hadn't been on the primary level. I just thought I was because my eyes were so much more adapted than normal that I assumed the moderately bright level I was seeing had to be my 25lm primary. I had actually been going back and forth between 3.1lm, where I have the secondary set, and 4.4lm. I'd completely believed I was comparing 25 and 35.
Another thing I found interesting was that 4.4lm was, until quite recently, my standard setting on that secondary level. I chose it years ago because it looked right to me, then changed it down one recently for reasons not based on its appearance to my eyes. What this mixup demonstrated to me, beyond just the obvious relativity of output perception, was that my eyes consistently find ~4lm preferable to ~3lm, just the same way that they prefer 35lm to 25lm, and that if I let my eyes choose the settings instead of my head, I am likely to end up with results that are surprisingly consistent over time and in varying circumstances. I do not understand this. I don't understand why my eyes would have preferred levels that are so specific and fixed, but they seem to. Incidentally, when I got my first HDS light, five years ago, I noticed that 0.33lm just struck me as an unusually "nice" level. Perhaps it's another one of these lumen "sweet spots" that I react positively to. I haven't used 0.33 very much because I generally prefer to trade it for something much lower instead, but whenever I return to it I'm still struck by that same reaction, that it's just a really good level. Very strange.
Another thing I found interesting was that 4.4lm was, until quite recently, my standard setting on that secondary level. I chose it years ago because it looked right to me, then changed it down one recently for reasons not based on its appearance to my eyes. What this mixup demonstrated to me, beyond just the obvious relativity of output perception, was that my eyes consistently find ~4lm preferable to ~3lm, just the same way that they prefer 35lm to 25lm, and that if I let my eyes choose the settings instead of my head, I am likely to end up with results that are surprisingly consistent over time and in varying circumstances. I do not understand this. I don't understand why my eyes would have preferred levels that are so specific and fixed, but they seem to. Incidentally, when I got my first HDS light, five years ago, I noticed that 0.33lm just struck me as an unusually "nice" level. Perhaps it's another one of these lumen "sweet spots" that I react positively to. I haven't used 0.33 very much because I generally prefer to trade it for something much lower instead, but whenever I return to it I'm still struck by that same reaction, that it's just a really good level. Very strange.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Light positioning
I'm going to add in a post I made a few days ago on CPF about light positioning, just because I already have it typed out so I might as well include it and add another item to the technique tag. It's from the Tips for effective flashlight use? thread and is in reply to someone else mentioning the advantages of holding a light low in rain or fog.
"I'm surprised I didn't see this one mentioned earlier. This is a good tip, and one that applies not just in rain and fog but in any atmosphere with a little moisture in it, to some degree. A few years ago I did some experiments in a large field on the coast, comparing what I can see through the slightly misty air with a light held in different positions. What I found was that with a light held up around my eyes, in a standard "tacticalish" position, I could see eyes reflecting and a vague form around them, but I couldn't make out detail due to the backscatter. With the light held at arm's length, I was suddenly able to identify the creature as a deer. This has become a standard part of checking my surroundings when out in a wildernessy area: I hold the light by my eyes, scan for the eyes watching me, then hold the light out to try to determine what's observing me. Perhaps the effect is less dramatic in places with totally dry air... but I don't have any of that near where I live.
Light positioning is an important part of using a light effectively, and many of the tips in this thread reflect that. You want it horizontal and close to the surface when you're trying to cast large shadows, close to your eyes when looking for reflections, and far from the eyes when trying to minimize reflection."
"I'm surprised I didn't see this one mentioned earlier. This is a good tip, and one that applies not just in rain and fog but in any atmosphere with a little moisture in it, to some degree. A few years ago I did some experiments in a large field on the coast, comparing what I can see through the slightly misty air with a light held in different positions. What I found was that with a light held up around my eyes, in a standard "tacticalish" position, I could see eyes reflecting and a vague form around them, but I couldn't make out detail due to the backscatter. With the light held at arm's length, I was suddenly able to identify the creature as a deer. This has become a standard part of checking my surroundings when out in a wildernessy area: I hold the light by my eyes, scan for the eyes watching me, then hold the light out to try to determine what's observing me. Perhaps the effect is less dramatic in places with totally dry air... but I don't have any of that near where I live.
Light positioning is an important part of using a light effectively, and many of the tips in this thread reflect that. You want it horizontal and close to the surface when you're trying to cast large shadows, close to your eyes when looking for reflections, and far from the eyes when trying to minimize reflection."
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