How To Clean Up A Old Knife.

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Every now and again, you might find something knocking around in your attic or garage. Most of the time its junk. But sometimes you get something that has potential to be great.

My dad found a old scout knife and as it was rusted and dull he had no use for it and gave it to me.

The blade is sheffield steel with a brass guard around the top with leather coating the handle and it was covered in rust and paint.

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In this post I will teach you how to(roughly) bring a knife back up to scratch.

It's actually much easier than you might think.

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Your going to need...

Rough sand paper(I was using part of a old power sander belt)

The knife(Duh!)

At least one whet stone(i'd say for the best effects, get a 300 and 600 grit, then maybe a 1000 grit if you want it razor sharp?)

Some kind of good knife sharpener(I used my Gerber ceramic pocket sharpener)

Right, on with the instruction!

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Firstly here is the knife.

As you can see its pretty grim. There's paint on the handle and the blade and end are rusty and dull. The blade was a lot more rusty but I had a go at it before I started photographing it.

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1. Sand Paper.

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This section is the one that will cause the most obvious difference. Your going to want to be somewhere you don't mind getting covered in rust so outside is great.

Rub all of the blade and any other metal sections till they shiny like sunlight(Can take a very long time especially if the blade has grooves in it).

The handle on this knife was leather and I decided I didn't care if it got a bit scuffed as long as there wasn't any paint on it anymore so I sanded that a bit as well.

Here's the knife after. And just for comparison here's the before again.

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2. Whet Stone.

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So this part your going to need a whet stone. I only had one old one to use but I've suggested the grit that you would need to make your restoration better.

Soak you whet stone in water for about 10 minutes, then using the full length of the stone and moving the blade so all of it makes contact throughout the strokes, drag the knife backwards and forwards at the angle you want you edge to be(that was as technical as I could make it I'm sorry).

Do this for about 15 minutes or so swapping the sides util you can feel more of an edge on it then move up to the next grit and repeat.

I don't know if you can really see but there is a more visible edge then before it was sharpened here's a close up.

Thats still fairly crap but oh well.

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3. Knife Sharpen.

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This is the final part which you don't have to do if you are very good at using a whetstones, but I thought it would be good for a final finish.

Just run your knife through as carefully as you can about 15-25 times until you think its as sharp as you want it then you're done.

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Give the blade a wipe down to clean off any crap thats left over.

I hope this helps anyone out who's got a old knife that needs some TLC. 

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Follow me on Twitter: @strollingmen

And Instagram: @strollingmenblog

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- Don't Waste Old Tools -

- Louis -

How To Be A Gent. #2 - Culture.

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To be a gentleman, intelligence is a MUST. But there is no better kind of intelligence than having knowledge of culture.

Culture could mean anything, the history of your country, a genre of music I.E Opera. Culture comes in many forms, and any one of them is a good start.

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Being a cultured man, traditionally gives the impression of class. If you can go up to a woman in an art gallery while she is looking at this painting:

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And tell her that this is 'The Kiss' by Gustav Klimt from 1908 and 1909 in Austria, and how it is composed of oil paint with layers of gold leaf which gives it a 'strikingly modern, yet evocative appearance.'. She will probably be fairly impressed and if you are indeed a cultured gentleman you can continue to impress her and end up getting married and having lots of children(that escalated quickly). Of course this example of this painting only really works if you are at the Osterreichishe Galerie Belvedere museum in Vienna, but you get my point.

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There are many things within the world that you could start with on your journey to become a cultured gentleman but the sooner you start the more you will appreciate the wonderful cultures we have in our world.

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Follow My Twitter: @strollingmen

And Instagram: @strollingmenblog

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- Stay Classy Gents - 

- Louis -

6 Reasons You Should Hike.

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To be a true man, you must appreciate the world that we live in, explore it, enjoy it.

A man should walk or hike to grow in himself and to see parts of the world unavailable via modern day transport.

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Here are 6 reasons why you should hike.

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1. Getting Away From It All.

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When you are out in country walking, you escape the modern rat race of the city and every day life. There is no noise, no traffic, just the pure open unpolluted world.

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2. Real Men Hike.

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Lumber Jacks, Survival Experts, Mountain Climbers, of these men use the country and woodland for their hobbies, jobs, and interests. The kind of men with beards and hairy chests. Follow in their footsteps and become a man.

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3. To Enjoy Surviving.

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Our world is a giant play ground for us to explore. You can do anything outside. Make a fire, build a shelter, catch some food. The great outdoors is a greatly under appreciated resource that we have outside our back doors.

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4. Come On, It's Healthy!

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Obviously this is fairly obvious. Hiking is healthy! it is a form of exercise and you get a great view while you walk. Why would you not want to enjoy this while effectively working out.

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5. It's a great activity with someone or alone.

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It doesn't matter if your on your own, or if your with someone, hiking remains a great pastime. With someone, your doing a physical activity and talking, laughing, enjoying the world together. Alone gives you space, time to think.

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6. You Can Do What You Like.

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You can lay down when you arrive at your destination and have a drink next to a fire. You can fish and get a bite to eat. You could make a bow, or a knife handle. Make a shelter for yourself. Anything you want you can do when your hiking.

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Our world is not like it used to be. We need to go out and enjoy the wild before it goes. Hiking brings you close to our roots and our planet. Hike once a month and camp out. You'll appreciate our world a little more.

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#HikingBasedStuff? I don't know I needed some pictures.

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Follow my Twitter: @strollingmen

And my Instagram: @strollingmenblog

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- Hiking Is Healthy -

- Louis -

How To Survive #2 - Basic Snare.

In a survival situation water is obviously the number one priority, food is a very close second. Without food we cannot think properly and our energy levels drop until just sitting up can feel exhausting. 

Of course you can forage and find berries, nuts, fruits and roots. But this takes up lots of time and often isn't very successful. The best way to take in the calories you need is from meat.

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There are three main ways to get meat, fishing, hunting, and trapping.

Fishing in most large bodies of water can provide you with

(surprise, surprise) fish. Fish, are full of calories and do not require a large amount of calories to get them.

Hunting is the best way to get larger animals, boar and deer are the most common. In order to hunt you need a good understanding of where the prey is, and a plan as to how you will corner and kill it.

Trapping is a waiting game and can be useless if traps are not properly made. But, if enough are set up, it can provide an almost limitless food supply.

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A Basic Snare.

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This snare is probably best used for rabbits and other small game. Also keep in mind it can be illegal to set up snares on someone else land without their permission so by all means give it a go but be careful.

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To start with you going to need some kind of string or thin rope(it need to be fairly unnoticeable) with colors that fit into it surroundings i.e green, brown.

Next, you will need two support sticks to prop up the snare, and a stake to keep it tied down.

Finally to make life a bit easier, your going to need a knife. You can do this without but it might make the snare a bit more 'hardy'.

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Step 1.

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Tie the rope in a small hoop. Make sure that is can easily be tightened and loosened.

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Step 2.

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Get your stake and sharpen the end of it. (This isn't necessary, it just make pushing it into the ground much easier if the soil is hard)

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Step 3.

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Sharpen both of the support sticks. Again this isn't necessary if you aren't easily able to.

If your support sticks don't have branches, and you do have a knife it might be worth your time to make some small notches in the tops of the sticks so that the noose won't fall off, making the snare useless.

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Step 4.

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Attach the noose with a double knot to the top of the stake.

Then stick the stake deep into the ground.

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Step 5.

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Place both of the support sticks into the ground close to the stake and open the noose as wide as it can go. Then place the top of the noose loosely on the tops of the support sticks.

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And there you have it. A quick easy snare to catch rabbits and other small game. Just make sure you remember where you placed the snares so you can collect your food and/or reset the traps.

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Follow my Twitter: @strollingmen

And Instagram: @strollingmenblog

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- Happy Trapping -

- Louis -

Bare Necessities - Top 5 Survival Tools.

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Every man should have at least the basic kit to survive in the wild. 

Very little is needed to survive if you have the knowledge and good basic equipment.

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I'm going to give my top 5 basic tools and equipment items to have with you to be able to survive in the great outdoors.

This is my rough guide, you may have other/different ideas that you would incorporate instead.

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1. Lock and Fixed Knives(Obviously!).

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Obviously this was going to be number one. Having a knife, preferably two, instantly makes life a hell of a lot easier. Whether it is for skinning, killing, making new tools, or making a shelter, a knife is an absolute MUST for survival not to mention having a knife with you is helpful for all the little problems the day might hold.

Having a locking knife means that its much easier to carry around because it will fold up taking up less room and, when you are using it, will be much sturdier than a standard folding knife. 

A fixed blade knife tends to be much sturdier than a lock knife meaning you can be more rough with it.

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For me I would aim to carry one of each.

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2. Paracord.

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Paracord is another necessity for survival. It is one of the strongest ropes and is very cheap, you can get a 100m roll of paracord for about £3.

Aside from its toughness, paracord ties up much easier than thick rough ropes which comes in handy if your trying to make a quick shelter. Aside from tying structures you can pull out the inner fibres of the cord to make a strong noose for a snare to catch animals. 

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I would carry no less than 100m in my pack.

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3. Tarp. 

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Of course a tent is preferable for shelter, but a tarp takes up much less room and is much lighter. It is water proof, and can keep the rain off you easily(don't forget the paracord to tie it up). 

If you put it up behind and above you, the rain will be kept off and if you are between a fire and the tarp it will act as a reflector.

In an extreme survival situation you can use it to collect condensation for drinking.

To pack it in your gear, either roll it up, maybe put something inside it to save space, or to waterproof your kit, open it up. Place all of your kit inside it. Then bring all the corners together and tie them up, then place it into your bag. 
It's crude and not 100% water tight, but its a start.

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4. Fire Lighter(Matches/Lighter or a Fire Steel).

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Fire is very important for survival. Not just for cooking but for warmth, light, animal deterrent, and if its a bit smoky it will keep bugs away.

Now obviously a fire steel is preferable due to its versatility and the fact that it is easier to use in the damp, unlike a lighter or match, but i've lost mine so I couldn't photograph it. Sorry!

A lighter is a bit better than a match because it will work in the wet. If a match gets wet, it's done. You can get waterproof ones but aim to get a fire steel as your first choice because it won't run out. As long as you have dry tinder you shouldn't struggle to light a fire. 

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I would carry a fire steel and then one of the other options. You could carry all of them if your very well prepared.

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5. A Chopper(Axe or Machete).

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Finally on the list is some kind of heavy duty chopper.

An axe is good for splitting wood but in a survival situation I don't think splitting logs is likely to be your prime priority.

A machete is probably the best tool for this category. Its lighter than an axe, cleaner too. If you're cutting down some saplings to build some kind of structure, it is much easier to be doing it with a machete than an axe. Which ever you prefer, it is a must in your pack.

They are fairly similar so it is your choice for which one you favour(both if your greedy).

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Follow my twitter: @strollingmen

And Instagram: @strollingmenblog
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- Happy Travels -

- Louis -

A Gentlemans Guide To Razors.

Through out the years, shaving has evolved. There are far more options as to how to go about trimming the fuzz, no longer does a gentleman go to the barber to have a life threatening cut throat razor shave to look like the sharpest man around. 

In this day and age, there are many different methods for men to shave and each have their pros and cons.

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This guide will go through the four most well known shave styles/razors(if there are more as I expect there are i'm not fully aware of them) and why some are better than others.

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Electric Razor.

The first electric razor was made in 1928 but have recently become a far more popular choice due to their flexibility.

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Pros.

- A electric razor is probably the fastest way to shave, you click it on and all the hair is gone.

- There is little/no mess. There is always a guard to catch most of the hair shaved off.

- Newer models often have hair trimmers on which can be useful.

- Virtually impossible to cut yourself with.

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Cons.

- The shave is the worst out of all razor type(not very close).

- It isn't very elegant.

- It can irritate your skin and sometimes cause ingrowing hairs.

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Cartridge Razor.

Cartridge razors are better than electric due to them being actual razor blades. But they still lack the skill and style of more traditional methods.

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Pros.

- Closer than a electric razor.

- Fairly difficult to cut yourself.

- Less likely to cause irritation than more traditional methods.

- The blades are set to the angle the company puts them to so very few skills are needed to shave.

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Cons.

- You have to buy replacement cartridges which is VERY expensive.

- Companies boast that the razor will cut hairs below the skin. THIS IS TERRIBLE. It will cause in growing hairs because the hairs will curl under the skin instead of coming out.

- The shave is not as close as traditional methods due to the angle or the blades and 'Guards' the companies put in so people can't cut themselves.

- Slower to use than an electric because you have to wet shave.

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Safety Razor.

These are the mid section of razors. Unchanged by modern companies but are still sophisticated enough they won't kill you like a Straight Razor will.

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Pros.

- They look great because they are classic and you have to have a bit of knowledge to use one.

- Much closer than the previous two razors mentioned. 

- Replacement razor Blades are very cheap.

- Will last forever and no new model will come out to replace it.

- Once you've learnt how to use it, Straight Razors are much easier to move on to.

- Along with Straight Razors, it is one of the classics. A true way for a gentleman to shave.

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Cons. 

- Because the razor isn't set to an angle you will have to learn how to get the angle right to shave.

- Due to the single blade and the angle being your choice, it is easier to get razor burn.

- Much less likely to get ingrowing hairs.

- Slower to use than both the last razors due to having to pay more attention.

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Cut Throat/Straight Razors.

This is the daddy or razors. The original. The king.

In my personal opinion a true man should use this or at a push a Safety Razor. 

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Pros.

- Beautiful tool. World recognised for shaving.

- Supreme shave. The closest you can get.

- Will last you a life time.

- Unbelievably sexy. To everyone.

- Learn a new skill by using this.

- Enjoy your shaves more by the time and skill this razor requires.

- Did I mention is looks amazing?

- The original razor. Become Sweeney Todd.

- Gives you a classic feel as you shave.

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Cons.

- This is a dangerous tool. There are no safety nets. 

- The longest way to shave due to difficulty/patience.

- A good one worth buying is expensive. But you don't have to get another after.

- You have to learn how to use it and take your time while you shave.

- If you rush and don't reapply you soap/cream, you will get a irritating shaving rash.

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I hope this guide helps you to decide which razor you want to use. Again everyone chooses razors for different reasons, I.E time, closeness. Try them all and see which you prefer.

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- Shave Well -

- Louis -