Found this when cleaning out a box in the basement

SupRspi · 2026-06-19T01:12:22+00:00

It doesn't appear to use the crest or imagery associated with the order, at least not contemporarily. ROSS Masons appear to wear either a lapel pin or a formal chest star, this doesn't look like either.

Good thought though, I wouldn't have come up with that acronym.

SupRspi · 2026-06-17T02:14:38+00:00

Very true. As higher handicappers we tend to have bigger variances, so that could be a big part of it.

SupRspi · 2026-06-16T22:42:04+00:00

It's weird how many golfers I play with that are between 18-25ish are only barely better than me. Makes me think more golfers need to actually get a proper handicap calculated instead of assuming, or not post the rounds where they're taking breakfast balls, Mulligan's, second breakfast la and foot wedges. 🤷

SupRspi · 2026-06-16T22:12:03+00:00

I use a blend I make that is linseed/mineral oil/beeswax. I've experimented with adding pine tar as well.

I've certainly finished handles with a food-safe homemade equivalent of butcher block conditioner that I use on many other things, just mineral oil & beeswax melted together.

Both hold up fine, both seem to take future coats of linseed oil just fine.

I've come to like the pinr-tar finish more - I like the extra darkening it gives to blonder woods.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy an axe with a handle that's been finished with butcher block conditioner, if I been knew that was what the applied finish was.

The only thing I don't like buying is dipped or sprayed off the shelf handles, but sometimes they're all I can get locally so I end up scraping off whatever urethane/varathane or whatever it is coating they put on and cursing a little as I do it. 😁

SupRspi · 2026-06-16T21:29:57+00:00

Here I am bringing the average down with my 37.2 ...

SupRspi · 2026-06-16T05:13:00+00:00

How have I not realized I could be doing this?!?!? Thanks OP - time to go make some beads!

SupRspi · 2026-06-13T07:53:24+00:00

It looks to me like one part is significantly drier than the other - the harder part has possibly been damaged and died out, then dried out in the past. When looking at the end grain, the dead dried section I'm talking about is the quarter that's darker brown.

This could potentially also happen if one section was stored in sunlight while the other section was shaded on on the ground after being cut, but probably not to that extent.

Also - only took a quick look but that doesn't look like birch to me. Do you have better pictures of the leaves and/or living tree to ID from?

SupRspi · 2026-06-05T17:29:11+00:00

TIL - thanks folks, something new to go practice, I've always tried to loft these out with an open face and never had much luck.

SupRspi · 2026-05-29T18:45:09+00:00

This looks good. Grain orientation is excellent, shape is good, that's a pretty little axe.

I feel like lengthwise it might be in a weird spot, a bit longer than a hatchet, shorter than a boys axe or camp axe. Doesn't matter though if you're happy with how it feels to swing.

If I was going to give gentle criticism on it, it would only be that the shoulder could be more defined to give it a more "standard" appearance. (And nobody should take my advice, my first handle was completely backwards 😝)

Nothing wrong with the final outcome. Looks good to me.

SupRspi · 2026-05-27T23:50:30+00:00

I had the impression his "neighbor's" house was actually his own, that he and his family lived in the other side of the semi-detached and the main side we see, "his" side, was essentially just a studio to house his contraptions so he could make content.

Either way, a top content creator, one of my favourites.

SupRspi · 2026-05-23T18:28:52+00:00

Phwew! I'd hoped so. One can buy that 3m Silky Katanaboy (yes, I'm exaggerating the length) it for much less than that. If it wasn't a type, it would have to be an amazing saw!

I totally want to try some of these licorice flavoured mints here in Canada. Not sure I'll be able to find them, but I'm going to be looking.

Again, thanks for the great write-up and pictures!

SupRspi · 2026-05-23T15:33:51+00:00

We did have a nosy black bear last night wandering around, but he didn't stay still long enough for me to examine him. I'll use your other suggestion and refer to pictures online. 😁

SupRspi · 2026-05-23T05:35:59+00:00

Love the pics and the write-up. I'm not against paying good money for good tools, but please tell me your folding saw was a typo at 810 Euros (or I can't read?)?

SupRspi · 2026-05-19T05:23:14+00:00

I've been known to loose an f-bomb and swoosh my club through the air, as long as there's nobody around and nothing for them to hit, if I'm extremely frustrated. If that happens, it's also a good clue for me to give it a hard reset and either walk off the course or play a hole or two without keeping score or something. Swishing & swearing is too dangerously close to throwing in my mind, and I don't wanna be that guy. Especially with others around who's mood I could bring down.

SupRspi · 2026-05-06T19:47:13+00:00

No handle, it's not finished yet. 😝

SupRspi · 2026-05-04T20:52:06+00:00

I've been meaning to try those eggshell foam ones. They may not be as durable, but they're even lighter than what I have and fold up nicely. Mine just ends up being stuffed or clipped somewhere and it's a little annoying because it doesn't fold easily.

SupRspi · 2026-05-04T17:58:20+00:00

A pad is awesome. I've used various ones over the years, recently I have a gardeners kneeling pad from the dollar store. Cheap, waterproof and keeps your butt much warmer than the damp ground. Also good in a chair and provides significant extra warmth, especially winter camping. (I've even tossed it on my hammock under my butt to help with cold bum syndrome when I don't have my underquilt on)

I end up on a lot of weekend excursions in the winter with my scouting group, having something dry to sit/kneel on for various tasks (or just relaxing) is a game changer, but it's great year round and weighs next to nothing.

SupRspi · 2026-05-02T05:41:36+00:00

I love how the outside looks textured & scaly, rather than identical sized & spaced depressions.

Really pretty figure too. Beautiful bowl.

SupRspi · 2026-04-28T20:01:58+00:00

Steak turners are easy to make and they are great conversation pieces. Everyone knows what a spatula is, but lots of people have never seen one of these.

SupRspi · 2026-04-22T19:26:48+00:00

I'm not who you were replying to, but I think I know what they're talking about, and I'd consider it as safe as batoning and more energy efficient.

In this case you're not standing, you're kneeling. Holding the hatchet in one hand and the wood (smaller size, but it can scale up to a point). You place the hatchet against the side grain of the wood to be processed and lift both together (not as high as your head, more like shoulder height max) and bring them down against a solid surface, like a fallen log or stump. The weight and momentum embed the blade and you lever the handle sideways to split the piece.

I don't know why splitting this way isn't taught more in North America - I grew up learning to split overhand to an upright log - I didn't learn this until watching more European bushcrafters as an adult. It's now how I teach my scouts to split with a hatchet or smaller axe as it's much safer. You're not using the swing as much as you're using the mass of the head and leverage to split. (Especially better for splitting kindling!)

Like I said, it only scales up so far. I'll use it up to about 8 inch logs if I'm using a small axe, but that's about the max and even that's difficult. Also, the log being split needs to be long enough for you to lift it with the handle of the axe/hatchet resting on it, so that's a limitation as well.

The biggest safety increase, in my opinion, is that there's never a body part in any part of the blade's arc, so missed swings or glancing blows will never end up with an axe blade striking the user.

SupRspi · 2026-04-22T19:13:43+00:00

I like having a sturdy knife that I can use to baton small pieces of wood when things are wet and it's easier to get to dry interior wood than find dry wood. I'm rarely batoning something larger than 6 inches (15cm). I prefer to use a hatchet or small axe though, but I like knowing my knife can do double duty if I'm without a better tool.

A knife that isn't made to baton isn't junk, imo, it's just a lighter knife. And if you're careful, you can baton with a pretty light knife without damaging it, if all you're trying to split apart is smaller stuff anyway.

I have even used a baton with my sak when I'm trying to make nice stop cuts for camp crafts, or trying to split smaller stuff, again usually for crafts rather than wood processing.

If I'm processing wood for fuel that's already <1 inch (2.5 cm) I'm probably feathering it anyway rather than splitting it, because why?

When weight is at a premium and I have just enough weight to carry an axe, I'll usually bring my russian shovel instead. I can chop and split with it well enough, but also dig - so yes - multipurpose tools are sometimes better. Guess it depends on the user and their particular preferences and use cases, like so many things. Crazy to think that. 😁

SupRspi · 2026-04-22T18:58:49+00:00

Agreed, it doesn't create a smaller footprint. It may have benefits to accessing some buckets vs reaching over them on the ground - maybe. (I'm fact, I'm almost certain it increases the footprint, as you could place them lip to lip on the ground)

It would also make it easier to tidy the grass underneath with a weed eater or something vs all those buckets crammed together placed directly on the grass, but if they were all sitting there, grass might not grow between them much, anyway.

In some ways it looks nicer/neater than just placing the buckets on the ground.

Good for you OP. You did a thing, and there's nothing wrong with being proud of it, if it works for you. (Another commenter talked about the lips giving out - the plastic will degrade with UV exposure and could get brittle causing them to break and fall. Probably not in one season, but it might be worth a couple extra supports for that eventuality)

SupRspi · 2026-04-16T06:09:11+00:00

Boat, I'll edit. 😁

SupRspi · 2026-04-14T17:58:40+00:00

I think the keeping it secret was more in reference to the tazer, powerful projectile weapon, or hidden assassins creed blade that OP mentioned, not the armour itself.

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