It's 3:30 am, I am posting by myself apparently, and was enjoying the banter in the gun thread when I saw In Flames posts about a butterfly knife, a sword and a battle axe. The creepiness factor of that notwithstanding I thought, hmm, we are a pretty damn diverse group in here (just go through the Science, Pofo and Religion subforums, I'm amazed and the breadth of knowledge here) and was curious as to what weird hobbies do we all have? I mean, doesn't everyone have maybe one or two sites/blogs/forums they visit that not too many know about? Or even just plain ol' hobbies you have that is off the beaten track a bit. Or feel free to list all hobbies, I thought it'd be fun to see what everyone else does Oh, and if this has been done before (I did search) go ahead and label me an idiot and let the thread flop. And also if you think this thread is stupid ... For me. One of my weirdest hobbies is reading about and buying Japanese kitchen knives. I first ventured into the internet looking for advice on a knife set (Wusthof vs. Henckels vs. Shun etc.) yet every single forum i went to, ignored this talk and just spoke of japanese steel. The maintenance was higher yet the steel and edge superior. Intrigued, yet puzzled because of the language, I bit, and now I'm hooked. In the Kitchen (Topic list) - Knifeforums.com - Intelligent Discussion for the Knife Enthusiast - Powered by FusionBB Fred's Cutlery Forum - Foodie Forums And a store with some beautiful knives - Products Japanese Knife,Japanese Kitchen Knife,Japanese Chef's Knives.Com I am not a chef but I love food and cooking etc., so you'll notice a theme. I love to grill, and am a devoted bbq/smoker, so I smoke meats low and slow with a Weber Smokey Mountain. http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/index.html BBQ Source Forums -> Weber I'm also a Weber whore so I try and collect classic Weber kettles off Craigslist. Also, am a big video game and techie person (N4G.com : All the latest game news and AnandTech: your source for hardware analysis and news are my favorites), so websites about Dolphins, knives, grilling/smokng, video games and computer tech keep me occupied at work in between me pretending to actually work. So, what is your hobby?
N4G is an awesome site by the way. I guess I don't have any weird hobbies as gaming and the NFL are my two biggest. Although I do enjoy reading history books about religion just for kicks and sort of categorizing them into time periods and what their about. I just write down all the pertinent information for later usage. So is that a weird hobby...I guess so.
I'm so boring lol. I just watch football, NFL and then record NCAA games to scout players. That's interesting (and scary) that you collect knives, J.
i play yahoo pool like a mofo....i go to college humor.com alot....funnyordie.com....i love will ferrell movies...even tho his characted is played out....i just find them funny still... i watch the show cash cab alot....and i absolutley love watching jeopardy and trying to answer the questions....its a daily ritual during the week after work
I read (I usually don't buy books anymore I'll either borrow them from the library or buy them second hand), brew beer, play guitar, play video games. I enjoy linux a lot (though that's not so much weird as it is geeky). I watch a lot of Tru TV (used to be Court TV). I can't think of anything weird that I have as a hobby?
jdang, You're not officially a knife freak until you own a carbon steel Sabatier. Just as high maintenance as any Japanese knife, but they get edges that are truly terrifyingly sharp.
i post on a dolphins website im also a political junkie who constantly reads and watches documentarys
...Anyways, hmmm hobbies. Music is of course a big one, guitar, bass, equipment, etc. I'm also really into Irish and Celtic art/culture as well. Then there's fantasy football and GLB. I also enjoy all things paranormal and it's study. oh yeah, and ThePhins.com...but that's really more than a hobby, it's more or less part of daily life.
Hmm.......Not sure if I should share them but... 1. I LOVE to cook and have a nasty habit of spending a lot of money on kitchen stuff. After moving out after living with my gf for 3.5 the entire kitchen went with me. The pots, pans, griddle, cheese graters, pyrex, knives (Henckel's for me), you name it I owned it. I did 95% of our cooking and routinely sneak off to kitchen specialty stores. I do as much from scratch as possible. 2. I really like guns 3. I also like knives and swords and stuff. Don't have the money for a collection and it's so dorky that I'll probably never go into it, but I look it up quite ofen. 4. I really like El Camino's 5. Games....I used to play video games and am just now getting time to get back into it. Board games (monopoly), etc. 6. Fantasy football
Lol...yeah I have one just like this on the blocks in the garage Someday I'll have enough money to fix it up a bit.
I don't know if I have any weird hobbies, my list seems to consist of the Dolphins, Gaming, Graphics/Film, and that's really it...
Wrenching on musclecars...I used to do it almost everyday until my last project nearly broke my spirit...Now im getting into modding modern cars but there is a lot less wrenchwork involved.
My main two passions are football and martial arts so those two are fairly run of the mill other than my level of obsession. But I do have a few other minor hobbies some of which may be considered wierd: 1. Cooking: I hardly ever eat out and do all the cooking for my son and I. And when my buddies come over to watch the Dolphin game I usually prepare food pertaining to that weeks opponent, ie. deep fried ravioli for St. Louis or clam chowder for New England, etc. I've also been baking some artisan breads lately. 2. Indian Jones: I've always been a big fan of the movies and it's my regular halloween costume. The highlight of my collection is my jacket which was custom made for me by Wested in England who actually made the originals for the movies. I also have a grail diary including a grail tablet rubbing and my own Sankara stone among other things. 3. Flashlights: I have a small collection of flashlights that are scattered around every room and vehicle. They all have specific strengths and uses and I spent far too much money and time on them. I used to regularly read the candle power forums (a flashlight lovers message board) and I would hunt for exotic lights on Ebay and such. 4. Languages: This might go back to the Indiana Jones thing but I always wanted to learn more languages. I am and have been fluent in English and Spanish forever but for the last couple of years I've worked on expanding the list. I'm currently conversational in ASL (American Sign Language) and am working on Mandarin. I expect to be proficient in Mandarin by the end of 2009. I plan to learn French or Italian after that. 5. Guitar: I've taken a few classes in guitar to overcome what I believe is an incredibly low level of natural musical talent. Life issues have severely cut into my practice time of late though. Other than that I enjoy reading, movies and video games but I don't know that I do any of those enough to consider them hobbies.
I collect the flakes of my dead skin (following a great sunburn, or just dandruff, or flakes in the bed before the mites eat it, etc). I use a heating crucible with a wax mixture to turn this into little toy soldiers (approx 1 inch in size), I take the time to paint them and re-enact famous battles. Each famous scene takes several months (depending on the strength of the sun, etc). I usually have over 500 soldiers to do this properly. I have used my Dogs dead skin flakes on occasion if necessary. I am currently working on "Waterloo" and almost done with Napoleon (fingers crossed) and then I will be complete. j/k, I do love Golf and Skiing!!!!
I hear good things about older Sabatiers so they have a good rep even amongst the Japanese Steel snobs. I'll check it out but its hard to train the gf on knife keep so carbon steel may have to be kept away from the kitchen! Cool to hear others in here are also into cooking. I also sneak into kitchen stores at the mall when the GF's in a store. I'm into the ol All-Clad, Le Creuset, etc. I think it ties into one of my addictions. I'm a gadget/techie gizmo addict and I can't stop it. I upgrade my TVs every six months to a year. I start a new business and I can't stop thinking about gadgets for it. iPhone vs. blackberry, VOIP phone (seriously, who gets excited about a VOIP phone?) desks, chairs etc. I think IRL Tyler Durden would hate me.
jdang, The real problem with Sabatier is that there are about 20 companies that can use the name, so there can be a wide discrepancy in quality between Sabatiers, and quality can vary over time with a particular manufacturer. Then you also have other manufacturers in Thiers who make knives as well, and some of them are just as good as any carrying the Sabatier name. Because Sabatier blades have a longer narrower profile than German or Japanese knives I'd recommend getting something 12" long, and you have to be careful when you first start using it or you'll shed a lot of blood. On the pots and pans you really should look at getting some good quality copper saucepans and frypans. I can't tell you what a huge difference cooking on thick copper makes, it's something you have to experience to believe. The ultimate kitchen store is E Dehillerin in Paris, it's like an Aladdin's cave for a foodie and if you make it over you must stop by. Their on-line catalogue, which only has a tiny fraction of what they actually carry, is here: Cast iron cookware - professional kitchen knife : E.Dehillerin
Eventually I'll move to full copper pots and pans. Since I just graduated I haven't had the funds, nor the time to properly research which might fit my needs the best. Right now I've been very happy with my emerilware. It's all stainless steel with a copper insert in the bottom of the pans. I've found that it my pans provide an incredibly consistent heat source. I'll have to look into these Sabatier's....LOVE a good knife. My Henckel's are awesome but I'm open to others.
Daphins, K Sabatier are probably the best Sabatier manufacturer to deal with if you don't have a local supplier. Just remember that they are Frenchmen and the concept of Quality Control is considered to be a dirty foreign Anglo-Saxon disease.
Do you have a link for the better Sabatier knives? I do know the crap sold in stores isn't, but haven't come across the source. As for full copper. Oh yes definitely. Once my salaries get an upgrade, I dream of copper (is that bad?). I actually might be going to Paris next year (a lady offered my GF free roundtrip first class tickets to Paris, but she hasn't pursued it yet much to my chagrin) thanks for the link that is awesome. Crazy enough, I know Weber offers colored kettles in Europe, and want to pick up a copper one while there. Pots and pans or a copper kettle? I'm sure the copper cookware may be easier to transport. weber kettle - a set on Flickr
Go through the website I linked to. The catalogue is in French but you should be able to get enough for what you need. They have Sabatier knives under their own brandname, and I use one of them as my main chef's knife and it is incredibly good. Their prices are remarkably modest, although shipping costs do erode the value somewhat. E Dehillerin don't publish prices, what you do is email them and say that I want product such and such with product code number 123 and they then tell you how much it costs. This is how their store operates, which is a little confuising at first as what you do is pick up something and then ask the counterstaff how much it costs. K Sabatier's website is: Kitchen Sabatier Knives : French cutlery from Thiers I keep on looking at this set and drooling: Authentique - The Chef's Case : Chef' Sets : K Sabatier products
Thanks for the link. I wouldn't mind adding an actual French knife to my repertoire. I really want one of these as well: And of course a derivative hobby/interest of us for knife enthusiasts. Cutting boards! I plan on getting one from here when I rebuild a kitchen sometime next year. Thinking of just getting a free standing island with a cutting board top. Home
Dude i got a HUGE Catskill cutting board..something like 20"x28"x4" from TJ Maxx a few months ago for 40 bucks. It's made up entirely of endgrain....i love that thing. Found bee's wax, natural oils, and treated it.
If you don't want to spend a huge amount of money a CS paring knife would be the way to go. Usually with knives I'm an each to his own kind of guy but the Sabatier style paring knife is just so much better than any other I've used. Other derivitives - Honing Steels. I'm trying to track down a Williams Smithfield Pipe brand steel. I had an opportunity to pick one up for $100 a few years ago and passed it up. The last few I've found have been selling for over $800. I might have to settle for a pre-war F ***** steel. - Sharpening Paraphenalia. I hate to say it but I'm seriously considering getting a razor strop for my knives. The scary thing about that is that it could well lead me to getting a cut-throat. PS That knife on the cutting board isn't a Goldhamster by any chance? If so I'm officially very jealous.
Did I just hear Coheed and Cambria and progressive rock mentioned in the same sentence? King Crimson. Tool. Gentle Giant. Learn it, live it, love it.
I know, I search the bargain stores all the time but never find anything! Just crap cutting boards. Sharpening is an area I'm learning but haven't stepped into just yet. Thinking about getting a set of Shapton Glasstones (1k and a higher polishing one). Already have a borosilicate glass honing rod. And have a DVD about hand sharpening but haven't busted it out yet. I'm afraid my non steady handing skills will ruin my knives What kind of strop you looking at? Like a Hand American or another brand?
Dude that's me 100% right there. I can't shut my mind off. I think that's why I can't sleep. I sleep about 3-4 hours a day on the weekdays. I can sleep fine once I fall asleep, but it's a PITA to fall asleep.
Since the French and the Germans are the only people making cut-throats that are worth a damn I've just been nosing around what they have available. On the hand sharpening it is a skill best practised on some cheapies first. I have some scars on my knives from when I screwed up learning, which doesn't bother me because my knives are for cutting not for show. But if I did have Japanese knives which are for show as much as they are for cutting I'd be heartbroken. On the stones issue it's a little complicated because grit rating isn't standardised for stones. I use German stones, which are harder than Japanese stones, for grinding the edge and then use finer grade Japanese stones for finishing and polishing.
I read about physics, math at work or at home, because I'm awesome............ and I enjoy drawing stupid pictures using microsoft paint Oh I also collect guns and read about motorcycles and cars sometimes. Other then that, I'm way past normal...
Look up "Progressive Rock" in the dictionary and you will find King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant & Yes. Along with Wishbone Ash as a footnote and several others as honorable mentions. Those bands are progressive rock. Just compare this: (Coheed) [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCZMqx3PdFY[/ame] to this: (King Crimson) [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05XRNFL5Kwo[/ame] And you will see how one is pop music and the other is progressive rock.
I think that's where we're finding the difference is in the definition. Where'd you find that definition at?
