a subtle gloat.

[john brenton]

Small gloat with a long narrative.

I had to run up to Augusta and I usually stop at an antique mall on the way. There are three sellers that have the kind of stuff we look for. There's usually something amidst all the Craftsman Handyman planes, old buck saws and caddywhompus brace drills. I came across a Winchester smoother but it was already too overpriced to fettle and flip.

But on my way out I took another look and among all the old kitchen wares I saw this little beauty. It looked like it came out of someone's nose, but I picked it up and this sucker is solid as a rock. I paid about 9 bucks and sure enough it is a guayacan/lignum vitae/iron wood/whatever mallet....which is EXACTLY what I wanted. I was even thinking about shelling out the $40 for the Sorby mallet. I took it home and oiled it, and it's sweeeeeeet. I couldn't wait and chopped a couple mortises and it is the absolute perfect weight.

So, there it is, my little gloat. Yet more proof to never say no to taking 10 minutes to browse an antique mall.

PS. This mallet and Stewie's second handle should get together...maybe we'd get a good dovetail mallet out of it. Inside joke. Nevermind.

[Jim Koepke]

$9 for an antique beer?

Now that potato masher next to it, that might be worth the money.

:D

Nice gloat, and I wince every time my wife doesn't let me stop at the antique shops on the way home from Portland.

jtk

[john brenton]

That's why I like travelling alone. I've been to every antique mall in every city I have business in.

It is quite the potato smasher...I wish I could just walk around with it. Maybe I'll take it on my next trip out of the country and walk the streets with it. With that mallet and the Spaten Optimater I'm unstoppable.


$9 for an antique beer?

Now that potato masher next to it, that might be worth the money.

:D

Nice gloat, and I wince every time my wife doesn't let me stop at the antique shops on the way home from Portland.

jtk

[James Owen]

Not only will that mallet get your chisels "hammered"....the contents of that mallet-shaped Optimator container (@ about 8.5% ot so) will get you hammered..... :D

[Matt Evans]

Seems to to be a good case for having soft chisel handles. . . that green mallet looks like it might shatter if used with maple handles. . .

[Mark Baldwin III]

I blame most of my mistakes on two things...Spaten Optimator and Guinness Extra Stout. Nice mallet, I'd like to find one like that in my own hunting. I shouldn't, however, be allowed to have beer when I have a differential inertial device in my hand.

[Jim Neeley]

Hmm... that leads one to think about the possibility of a liquid-filled wooden mallet... when you need more weight, add more whiskey.. When you need a lighter mallet... <<< Gosh, it's gotta go *somewhere*!! >>> :eek::eek:

[john brenton]

Oh trust me, I learned my lesson on drinking and ww'ing when I sliced the bejeezus out of my left index finger about a month ago. I was hammered and should have known better, but I was having a moment with my deceased father-in-laws old chisel during the nostalgia phase of inebriation. It hadn't been sharpened in 15 years, and I decided to slice some end grain on a piece of wood I was holding with my other hand...yeah...bad idea. He struck back from the grave. It's true what they say about your blood not clotting well when drunk...it just poured out like water all over the place.

That Optimator is something else. Spaten is by far my favorite, with their Oktoberfest being #1 on my brew hunt list. When I see the Optimator I get it, but it's like drinking a loaf of bread. I'm toasted after two of them.


I blame most of my mistakes on two things...Spaten Optimator and Guinness Extra Stout. Nice mallet, I'd like to find one like that in my own hunting. I shouldn't, however, be allowed to have beer when I have a differential inertial device in my hand.