Kniper Multitool - with Tobacco Pipe!

          $145 Knife and Multitool

While reading about survival tools in the October issue of Popular Science, I came across a knife with some other tools built in. This knife is called the Kniper Multitool. This knife is listed for $145 and balanced to be thrown. It was at this point that I thought it was not the knife for me. Then I read that it also has a tobacco pipe too.

Kniper Multitool picture - www.urchinsky.com

Per the website www.urchinsky.com, "The Kniper is an ultra-sophisticated weaponized lifesaver that'll easily replace every piece of survival gear in your bag" - Supercompressor.

This made me wonder, is this something that there is really a market for? One of the things I learned a long time ago, was that you do not throw your knife, and if you do, it had better be a cheap one. This is why throwing knives are usually sold in sets and not made to look all that nice. This knife is an avocado green color and made to look large and intimidating.

To be honest, it looks a lot like one I saw at the Dollar Tree store the other day. Kitchen knives in assorted colors and one was green like this one. However, I could buy a whole case of 36 of these knives for $36.

Royal Norfolk Cutlery Stainless-Steel Colorful Paring Knives with Sheaths
SKU 164532 - Dollar Tree

Do we really need a survival knive with a tobacco pipe in it? The screwdriver, fork and wrench can be believed, but a tobacco pipe. Is that so essential for survival. If this had been in the April Fool's edition of the magazine, I would have accepted it. I'll use a better knife to make a fork, spoon and spear tip.

My last thought on this knife is, who would buy this? I have spent a lot of money over the years for knives, but most of them have one purpose, to cut things. Some also have a couple of tools, or folding accessories like a Swiss Army Knife. Others have a whistle and some have a screwdriver. But none of them are meant to be thrown or used as a pipe. My guess is that the type of person that buys this knife, will not be using tobacco in it, it will be something else.

Use Road Flares Against Gophers

 Use Road Flares to Get Rid of Gophers

Do you ever get mounds of dirt in your yard from those little critters known as gophers? You know the rodents that make all of those ugly mounds of brown dirt pop up overnight. It always amazes me that a small rodent can make such a mess in such a short time. This year, I tried something different than my usual road flare solution.

In previous years, I used road flares to keep the gophers away. Each hole got one road flare. My yard once looked like a mini war zone, with red flames and smoke coming out of holes in the ground. Well this year the solution was supposed to be "Gopher Bombs". These were sold in packs of 8 at a local big box store. They were meant to be used specifically for ridding your yard of gophers. I thought this may work better than road flares, as their use is to be a bright light for road emergencies.

After placing one in each hole, and taking a few pictures to note the occassion, I hoped this would work. Well it did not. More holes came a few days later. In a couple of the holes, there was evidence that the gophers moved the "Gopher Bombs" out of their holes. I also noticed that they did not burn all the way down like a road flare.

So short story, use road flares. Road flares work as gopher repellant. Road flares burn all the way down and do not leave half a stick un-burned. Bought in bulk they may even be cheaper. I will be sticking with road flares in my future.

Used Briggs and Stratton Engines

Well Used Briggs and Stratton Engined Generator

Have you ever been offered some cast of item with a Briggs and Stratton gas engine? Perhaps someone left an old lawnmower by the curb. Ormaybe a relative had a weed wacker or generator they no longer wanted.

About ten years ago, I was given an already well used Briggs and Stratton engine generator. It was an old 6000 watt Craftsman from Sears. It was in rough shape and did not run. The previous owner gave it to me for that reason.

Looking it over, it had a clogged fuel filter and possible a dirty carburator. Seeing that it had sat outside,and was covered in rust and dog hair, I figured maintenance was not adhered to. The fuel tank was filled about a quarter of capacity.

Unlike many peole who store their gas engines dry, I usually keep them totally filled to the brim. About a cup of Stabil and a topped off tank later, I changed the fuel filter. The carb was primed and I gavethe pull start some pulls.

The choke was leaking a bit of fuel and the carb was trying to let fuel flow. After a few pulls, there were some chugs.Flipping the choke off, the engine started. All this thing needed was good fuel and a new filter. Stabil has saved many a gas engine for me. Craftsman used to warranty everything they sold. But this did not apply to generators. Luckily Briggs and Stratton engines have been made forever. They are usually fairly easy to work on.

Fuel filter, eventually new fuel hoses, and cleaning some corrosion is about all this engine has needed. Corrosion forms in the pull start mechanism. Small ball bearing use centrifugal force to act as a clutch to engage the pull rope to the crank. Compression and a spark plug then do their work to fire off the engine. Thisengine probably has many years left in it now, with just minimal maintenance.

For all two stroke gas engines, make sure you use some sort of fuel treatment to keep water sepration and shellac from forming inside the carb. This is why I prefer to keep all fuel components "wet" instead of running them dry. Ran dry, shellac can form from the ethanol gasoline sold today. Next, checking and adding oil as needed is about all you should need to do for maintenance.

Of course, keeping the engine out of the weather helps a lot. I made a nice wood cover for this generator. A custom pigtail cable lets me run about 2/3 of my house off of this generator when needed. The custom pigtail was made from a section of large industrial grade generator cable and connectors from a big box home improvement store. This lets me connect the generator to a connector on the outside of my house. Briggs and Stratton engines have been used in many items, not just generators, and many of them use the same parts.

My John Deere lawnmower, even though being a smaller egnine, is still a Briggs and Stratton. They both use the same air filter, fuel filter and spark plugs. They even have the same carburator. This makes maintenance easier as you are not buying spare parts for multiple models. Thiscan be a great thing if you are needing or wanting to keep things simple.

If you find an old Briggs and Stratton engine in a lawnmower or generator. Give it a second look, it may be an easy fix. It may even use parts you have for another item. They are relaible and easy to repair in most cases.

Wood Orca

Wood Orca

Through my travels and adventures, I meet lots of people. One is a woman named Marlene. She carved a wooden orca decoration some years ago. This is a free standing native style rendition of the Orca's found in Puget Sound, Washington. It was modeled after some of the local tribes totem pole carvings. And no, it is not for sale, I already asked that question.

Even though it is not for sale, the picture shows how some people that may not be famous or have galleries make some pretty cool art work for their own enjoyment. This is one of those pieces.