The Hobbit Hole VIII - Still round the corner we may meet...

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[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Still round the corner we may meet...

• First thread: New Zealander builds Hobbit hole
• Second thread: The New Hobbit Hole
• Third thread: The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads! (Congratulations, we filled it up!)
• Fourth Thread: The Hobbit Hole IV - The Road Goes Ever On...
• Fifth Thread: The Hobbit Hole V - Where Many Paths and Errands Meet...
• Sixth Thread: The Hobbit Hole VI - And Whither Then? I Cannot Say...
• Seventh Thread: The Hobbit Hole VII - But not yet weary are our feet...

New verse:

Upon the hearth the fire is red, Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet, Still round the corner we may meet A sudden tree or standing stone That none have seen but we alone. Tree and flower and leaf and grass, Let them pass! Let them pass! Hill and water under sky, Pass them by! Pass them by!

Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate, And though we pass them by today, Tomorrow we may come this way And take the hidden paths that run Towards the Moon or to the Sun. Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe, Let them go! Let them go! Sand and stone and pool and dell, Fare you well! Fare you well!

Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are all alight. Then world behind and home ahead, We’ll wander back to home and bed. Mist and twilight, cloud and shade, Away shall fade! Away shall fade! Fire and lamp, and meat and bread, And then to bed! And then to bed!

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Web page for our moot reports and troop support information!

[300winmag]

Okay ... so can you coat the blade now, or alloy it, for rust resistance?

Both coatings (teflon, epoxy, titanium nitride) and alloys can resist rust to a great extent. Often stainless steel will develop minor rust within the metallic structure, yet remain serviceable.

Smith & Wesson performed a test once, placing a regular steel and stainless steel frame forging on the roof of the plant for a couple of years of exposure. The steel frame was just a lump of red "stuff" at the end, while the stainless steel one had a light coating of rust that could be buffed off, and was otherwise quite serviceable. Stainless steel weapons will rust in salt water, but you have enough time to clean them up and desalt them before they fall apart on you.

[msdrby]

I liked the rain too, but beardog hated it. She was terrified. I had the bright idea of moving her dogbed downstairs to be close to the people today, and it seems to have worked.

PW got home from work today around 3. He and elf-boy cut some wood and made a fire. I'm stripped to my skivvies it is so hot in here, LOL, as elf-boy would say, Gollum girl. I have escaped the heat and opened a window to let in some fresh, cool air.

[msdrby]

PW, ROFL, supopsed to be PE. dang typos.

[Fedora]

The only throwing darts I have are heavy all metal deals from my 'lost in the move' dartboard.

Like these, sort of?--these are the kind I have:

Not that the dartboard stopped the things from going through it.

LOL! Yeah, they'll go right through the board :) I bought a special practice board which is extra-thick and has metal reinforcment on the back; seems to work pretty good.

[Fedora]

And it's a size 10, though I'm thinkin' it's big for that size...but it's still nice to see that number on it. ;-)

Yay, Rosie! :)

BTW that lemon pepper chicken sounds good! I make a TV dinner version of that sometimes, I bet a real one tastes even better!

[Darksheare]

No, just the normal throwing darts for the dartboard.
*sigh*
But I already know what kind of damage the competition darts will do to someone.
I already had to pull one off/out of a friend's backside because the idiot decided to walk in front of the dartboard while I was throwing.
I had enough of a warning to merely check my throw enough that it went low instead of straight into his back.

[Fedora]

Thanks--very interesting info! I need to read up on some of what you're talking about there so I can ask better questions. One question that springs to mind at the moment: when you're talking about European swords and their being used for thrusting and pounding, would there be a distinction between the methods used to forge swords for Knights and those used earlier by the Vikings who sometimes used slicing methods? The descriptions I've read of the Viking forging method and the culture that went with it remind me somewhat of the Japanese, though I don't know how close the technologies were.

[Fedora]

I already had to pull one off/out of a friend's backside because the idiot decided to walk in front of the dartboard while I was throwing.

OUCH! :)

[Darksheare]

He was barely cognizant of it for a few seconds.
At least until I yanked the thing off of him.
They're the steel head aluminum shaft competition darts, so they pack a good hit when thrown.
He said that at first all he felt was a thud.
I'm sure he was putting a brave face on it.

[300winmag]

LOL! Yeah, they'll go right through the board :)

Here's what you want if you're looking for a serious throwing weapon. No wimpy little dart, it's the Cold Steel Torpedo. Two pounds of steel, 15 inches long, and pointy on both ends. They claim it can shatter a cinderblock, even if it hits on the side.

They say it's good for silent pest control, and can kill critters up to the size of a coyote 20 yards away. All I know is I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one.

[Darksheare]

LOL!
Hmm..
Will it work on CARS?
Especially cars that are misbehaving?

[300winmag]

The descriptions I've read of the Viking forging method and the culture that went with it remind me somewhat of the Japanese, though I don't know how close the technologies were.

I don't know how much knowledge of Norse swordmaking has survived. We have a lot of information from the Japanese, so it's more of a question of whether the key technologies migrated, or were indpendently invented. It's easy enough to make a razor sharp edge with good steel, not so easy to keep it from shattering with the first bad blow.

Once firearms made all sorts of armor obsolete, swords became slash-and-stab weapons, rather than stab-and-bludgeon. The rapier and the saber are good examples of weapons that appeared after the demise of armor, and before guns were so common that a blade was more an insignia of rank, or a cavalry weapon.

[Fedora]

Yowch! He's lucky he didn't get hit in a more vital area with that. I bet he felt it sitting down for a while afterwords :)

[Scott from the Left Coast]

'nother day, 'nother impulse buy

BBQ at my place.

[Darksheare]

Yeah, he was lucky.
I normally tossed them hard enough to pin the dartboard to the wall.
They'd buzz/humm as they flew and thunked/thudded into the dartboard.
So I imagine he felt it instantly, and every time he sat down/moved.
Of course, no brain, no pain.
He was very lucky I could check the throw as much as I did.
And very lucky it was merely his seat and his pride that were wounded.

[Fedora]

Two pounds?--nice :) How long is it?

BTW here's a nice knife-throwing resource if either of you are interested in this subject:

The Great Throwzini

[Darksheare]

15 inches, with 2 pounds of smash behind it.
Sweet.

Used to 'reverse palm' grip the darts as I threw them.
In other words, threw them flights first with the point in my palm.
Weirdly, the darts seemed more accurate that way.
Shoulda been the opposite.

"Firestone Sport Axe"

*Graaaah-hah-hah--haah!* I like!

[Fedora]

I don't know how much knowledge of Norse swordmaking has survived. We have a lot of information from the Japanese, so it's more of a question of whether the key technologies migrated, or were indpendently invented.

Yes, that's what I'm wondering. I should check into what's been published on Viking forging methods--I believe there is some information recorded in the Icelandic and German sagas. Fascinating area of inquiry.

This is a nice site on sword history:

The Secret History of the Sword

[Fedora]

Nice impulse buy! You going to use it right away? :)

[Fedora]

15"--wow.

I've tried the reverse palm grip, too--seems to work pretty well.