Randy | May 30, 2010
This article is dedicated to Eric Noeldechen whose Facebook photo album documenting his recent Wood Badge training, and the resulting correspondence, inspired me to resurrect it. And no, this is not a portrait of Eric. Back in the early 1980’s I embarked on what would be six glorious years as a Leader of Boy Scouts. […]
Randy | April 26, 2010
The generally held definition of a “survival knife” is a knife that is carried for the express purpose of facilitating the longevity of its owner in a situation wherein the shit has hit the fan. Internet forums on the subject abound with recommendations and equipment reviews, and I have my own opinions on the subject. […]
Randy | April 18, 2010
I recently contributed to a thread on BladeForums.com on the subject of corkscrews on modern knives and that started me thinking. This post is the result. I personally subscribe to the practice of never being without such an implement whenever there is a risk of wine being encountered which, one lives in hope, is perpetually. […]
Randy | April 15, 2010
Mrs. LFM and I enjoy combining our love of each other, dogs, and the outdoors as often as possible. This is a brief pictorial record of our Easter Sunday 2010 expedition to a place called “The Bluff” on Nova Scotia topographical maps. The Bluff is located north of New Germany, Lunenburg County, near the borderline […]
Randy | March 29, 2010
In a previous LFM article titled Kitchen Knife Technique I exposed you all to the teachings of Chad Ward, author of An Edge in the Kitchen. Today’s post introduces some exquisite knife work using what many of us would regard as an unlikely tool – the Nepalese khukuri.
Randy | March 27, 2010
“Earth Hour 2010” occurs today, 27 March 2010, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM local time. That means wherever you are. First taking place in 2007, Earth Hour is organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for the stated purpose of raising world awareness of climate change by encouraging people and businesses to switch off […]
Randy | February 12, 2010
The daily dose of sunlight is obviously longer now than it was a month ago, but this fact notwithstanding, I’ve noticed in my travels that a lot of you are singing the blues of “seasonal affective disorder”, apparently to explain why you’re still the same pissy bitch you are at every other time of the […]
Randy | April 18, 2009
As unrepentant carnivores, Mrs. Large Fierce Mammal and I have small tolerance for those among the Great Unwashed who see nothing wrong with eating meat while at the same time idiotically attempting to expunge their “sin” by repeatedly reminding everyone in earshot of how bad or guilty they feel about it. We have the utmost […]
Randy | April 5, 2009
Each of the axes in the following shots started life as a small hand axe pretty much identical to the one held by the kid above. A commonly encountered hand tool, they were often forged by local blacksmiths by hammering a flat plate of steel around a mandrel that created the eye for the handle, […]
Randy | March 24, 2009
A kitchen knife wielded by a master is magical to behold. One seeking to succeed in an endeavour should aspire to start nowhere but at the beginning, and only through the development of sound technique can speed and style be built. In my recent travels I encountered some training videos on the subject of kitchen […]