The pleasure of fine things

[analog_peninsula]

I would love to own/use such a fine instrument, but, fountain pens tend to smear when used by left handers.

Emulate DaVinci and write backwards. Problem solved.

 

[Alistair]

Im a lefty myself, easy enough to get used to with a bit of practice!

I would love to own/use such a fine instrument, but, fountain pens tend to smear when used by left hand

 

[steve white]

How, the ink doesn't dry immediately and then not only smears but gets all over my hand. Are you talking about a completely different hold, where the hand is higher with the pen reaching all the way downward?

 

[Alistair]

How, the ink doesn't dry immediately and then not only smears but gets all over my hand. Are you talking about a completely different hold, where the hand is higher with the pen reaching all the way downward?

Overwriter works, I'm an underwriter.

Like this:

You can also just pick a quick dry ink with a fine nib, also works!

 

[cwpayton]

These aren't my things, but I get to enjoy some of my wife's inheritance that gives me great pleasure.

My wife's grandfather was a remarkable, self-made man and a son of an immigrant. His father came over as a blue collar plasterer and he became incredibly skilled in his trade. His plaster crown mouldings and embellishments can be found in Sleepy Hollow Country Club, New York, and in Batista's Palace in Havana, Cuba. My wife's grandfather was able to attend an excellent university and became the president of a national investment firm in NYC. Truly a story of the American dream and a migrant's greatest hopes being realized for his son.

The sterling cigar ashtray was to pay homage to my wife's grandfather, the head of the "headless horseman" (chair person of Sleep Hollow Country Club). This is the very same club where his father was a laborer.

View attachment 725406

All the barware was acquired by my wife's grandfather in the 1940s-1960s. Cartier bottle openers and other barware, etc. The safari bar I brought back from Zim several years ago.
View attachment 725407

This last one is one of my favorites, a sterling Ashtray from NYC's "21" Club. He was also a member of the "Stork club" at the same period in history where Robert Ruark frequented both. Most of the pheasant feathers were from my young son's hunts over the past many years.

View attachment 725408

A few years back I went up to Wisconsin to fish for pike. My wife and I drove the back country roads later and happened on an old deer hunting club lodge, it was like stepping back into the 1930,s .the bar , decor ,pictures ,everything .a great happenstance experience.

 

[cwpayton]

How, the ink doesn't dry immediately and then not only smears but gets all over my hand. Are you talking about a completely different hold, where the hand is higher with the pen reaching all the way downward?

Oh heck just use the auto pen ,you know.

 

[Rare Breed]

A few years back I went up to Wisconsin to fish for pike. My wife and I drove the back country roads later and happened on an old deer hunting club lodge, it was like stepping back into the 1930,s .the bar , decor ,pictures ,everything .a great happenstance experience.

would love to have seen that!!!

 

[CBH Australia]

No offence to the OP but I think we all enjoy the finer things and that may vary with upbringing, location and our peers.

Not everyone can achieve a higher education, rank or any other measure of success.

Some things are fashionable or seen a having some status and some people are not materialistic.

We all make choices and maybe we could have taken a different path but most all of the members here have similar interests but not all can pursue the same goals or maintain a lifestyle following expensive pursuits or enjoying the finer things.

I drink instant coffee and appreciate a nice coffee when I travel. I eat quality food but I have simple tastes so cheese and salami suits my tastes and I think seafood is overrated. I’m happy for my wife to enjoy seafood as she appreciates it. We don’t eat much takeaway so we look for great meals if we eat out.

As a reformed smoker I won’t touch a cigar or a pipe. They smell better than cigarettes but it’s one habit found hard to break.

I enjoy the beer I like, or Rum and Whiskey within reason. Beer, Wine and Spirits are like optics. There are diminishing returns as you pay for premium quality. I try what I like but it’s not to impress or engage with people of standing. I do it for my own experience and enjoyment.

I have a nice home and new but standard model vehicles and have bought and sold antiques and collectibles to make a dollar and have a few nice items I want to keep.

I choose an Akubra hat over a cheap felt hat. I own RM Williams clothes but I’m mostly in work clothes. A suit is only for formal occasions so I rarely need one.

My family have never gone without and my goal is to leave some legacy or leg up that will see them better off than me. The next generation don’t seem to want for high quality bespoke items or classic vehicles. Not speaking for all of them but I feel they are going with modern offerings.

I would probably prefer a Rigby over a Rolex. I hope to travel some more and see places like Rigby in time because that’s an experience that I can take away for myself.

I haven’t done these things of the back of an education or inheritance I have made do with my lot in life and renovated in my spare time to improve our home or investment properties.

Sure, I would like to be a multi millionaire but even now a million dollars doesn’t buy what it did 20 years ago. I would like to have a more luxurious car to travel to the city when we visit the kids but we can travel more with our common variety daily drives.

I’m just trying to get over the hurdle where investments show returns and I can enjoy the finer things and have choices in retirement.

At the ripe old age of 53 I’m thinking less is more and things that mean something to me will be sold for pennies on the pound when I’m gone so I am thinning out excess where I can.

 

[Altitude sickness]

A few years back I went up to Wisconsin to fish for pike. My wife and I drove the back country roads later and happened on an old deer hunting club lodge, it was like stepping back into the 1930,s .the bar , decor ,pictures ,everything .a great happenstance experience.

Northern Wisconsin and Michigan have a glut of cheap 1920s, 30s and 40s deer camps.

Here is this years Grouse camp in northern Michigan

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

No offence to the OP but I think we all enjoy the finer things and that may vary with upbringing, location and our peers.

Not everyone can achieve a higher education, rank or any other measure of success.

Some things are fashionable or seen a having some status and some people are not materialistic.

We all make choices and maybe we could have taken a different path but most all of the members here have similar interests but not all can pursue the same goals or maintain a lifestyle following expensive pursuits or enjoying the finer things.

I drink instant coffee and appreciate a nice coffee when I travel. I eat quality food but I have simple tastes so cheese and salami suits my tastes and I think seafood is overrated. I’m happy for my wife to enjoy seafood as she appreciates it. We don’t eat much takeaway so we look for great meals if we eat out.

As a reformed smoker I won’t touch a cigar or a pipe. They smell better than cigarettes but it’s one habit found hard to break.

I enjoy the beer I like, or Rum and Whiskey within reason. Beer, Wine and Spirits are like optics. There are diminishing returns as you pay for premium quality. I try what I like but it’s not to impress or engage with people of standing. I do it for my own experience and enjoyment.

I have a nice home and new but standard model vehicles and have bought and sold antiques and collectibles to make a dollar and have a few nice items I want to keep.

I choose an Akubra hat over a cheap felt hat. I own RM Williams clothes but I’m mostly in work clothes. A suit is only for formal occasions so I rarely need one.

My family have never gone without and my goal is to leave some legacy or leg up that will see them better off than me. The next generation don’t seem to want for high quality bespoke items or classic vehicles. Not speaking for all of them but I feel they are going with modern offerings.

I would probably prefer a Rigby over a Rolex. I hope to travel some more and see places like Rigby in time because that’s an experience that I can take away for myself.

I haven’t done these things of the back of an education or inheritance I have made do with my lot in life and renovated in my spare time to improve our home or investment properties.

Sure, I would like to be a multi millionaire but even now a million dollars doesn’t buy what it did 20 years ago. I would like to have a more luxurious car to travel to the city when we visit the kids but we can travel more with our common variety daily drives.

I’m just trying to get over the hurdle where investments show returns and I can enjoy the finer things and have choices in retirement.

At the ripe old age of 53 I’m thinking less is more and things that mean something to me will be sold for pennies on the pound when I’m gone so I am thinning out excess where I can.

I’ve been following this thread, but not having much to relate to it, I’d figured to not comment. But I do relate to CBH. I grew up without much extra. Not 3rd world country poor, but not many options… Certainly there are others that had/have less options and choices or just different circumstances.

Had the luxury of earning my way into a better life through Union Labor and a parallel path in early investments in Realestate. That said, I do enjoy the value of better build or crafted things and certainly have access to finer things, but practically and my upbringing have probably prevented me from pursuing or enjoying them, so I’m in a perpetual struggle with delaying gratification and, truth be told, so our most of the people I look up to in my peer group.

No offense to the OP or anyone else who has posted. I appreciate the vicarious experience!

To each their own…

 

[Altitude sickness]

Nighthawk, what I enjoy about this forum is that we all don’t have Elon Musk money. But we can enjoy all the hunt reports and as you say enjoy others hunts, trips, special physical items vicariously.

No jealousy or envy. We are fortunate to have people here on AH that do have the resources to enjoy those things.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Ok, I’m a little jealous of your current Alberta hunt

 

[Beck]

Northern Wisconsin and Michigan have a glut of cheap 1920s, 30s and 40s deer camps.

Here is this years Grouse camp in northern Michigan
View attachment 725933View attachment 725934View attachment 725935View attachment 725936View attachment 725937

Where do I find one of these?

 

[Altitude sickness]

Beck, you can’t swing a dead cat in northern Michigan and not hit one. as I said, there is a glut and a consistent revolving door of owners. It always sounds good until you realize you don’t spend enough time there to justify the maintenance and cost.

But they are literally everywhere “up north” some very special cabins in unique locations.

$30k to $40million

$40M Marvel: Michigan is Home To World's Largest Log Cabin

Not only is it everything that "up north" Michigan is about, but this historic home is also the largest log cabin in the world with an estimated worth of $40M

wcrz.com

 

[JG26Irish_2]

I have always believed that quality is worthy of the tariff paid to possess it. I like wool suits, silk ties, leather jackets and cotton shirts. Hunting clothes should be cotton, starched and pressed. Good boots are years old and my hunting vest is over 30yrs old and is thread bare, faded and as far as I can recall, never been washed, lol.

I love to possess things that have survived the test of time. A 70yr old Pflueger fly fishing reel is an example. I have yet to try a newer reel that out performs it at any price point. I also have a nice custom Orvis bamboo rod to go with it but I rarely fish with it simply because my modern 2wt graphite is better in every way.

Bourbon - If it is old enough to be good, it will also have an age statement on the bottle. Conversely, if it is not old enough they will be touting other things. Not to say that some bourbons that have no age statement are not good. Just saying if you consistently want good hooch, look for 6, 8 10, 12yr old bourbon. Unlike Scotch 18yr old bourbon is to impress your friends but may or may not be better. Seems that 10-12yr is the sweet spot for my taste. Poured neat into a Glencairn glass. Add three drops of branch water from a clear spring to open it up.

Cigars - Hand rolled. I find most Cubans to be harsh and not nearly as good as a nice H. Upmann by A J Fernadez. Tough to beat. I keep trying others and many are good but I keep coming back to AJ.

Beer - Hoppy, unfiltered is good. Currently am liking Valhalla Juicy IPA. Can't go wrong with a Castle Lager and I drove 6hrs to by a case of Schlitz, so my tastes do vary.

Motorcycles - My new bike is a Blue 20yr old BMW R1150RT. I also ride a Red Harley 2002 FLH-TC Fire Fighter Special that is nice. A Yellow Ducati 900M for canyon carving, and a vintage BMW R100RS air-head for fun. Handling and good brakes are more important than horsepower these days.

Cars - I like fast but not necessarily flashy. I like tough and capable 4x4's. AMG sportscar and Toyota FJ Cruiser are my current go-to's. My wife has a Land Rover but I find it too truck like and a bit fragile. If the apocalypse came, I would be climbing into the Yoda with my go bag.

Firearms - I do not sell or trade guns. I buy more. I am fortunate enough to live in the USA where gun ownership is not greatly hindered by gov't regs and as such I am limited only by my budget and available space. I like guns that shoot very very well. It makes hunting much easier. When a rifle cannot print sub MOA, I usually stop shooting it if I cannot massage better performance out of it. I am a former national champion rifle competitor and a good match grade bbl and great trigger makes shooting well easier. One of my current African favs is a custom ER Shaw rifle built on a P14 Enfield full magnum length action with hand lapped bbl and very pretty wood in 375HH with a Kahles 1-6x optic. It is the easy button for hunting big game. It shoots 1/2moa at 100y with 300g Barnes TSX ammo and is good for well out past 200y off sticks. I have shot sub moa groups out to 400y with it from a bench but that is not realistic for hunting. It is about 50y old and I am the 2nd owner. I missed getting the matched 300HH super 30 that was part of a two gun set and mourn that loss often. Regarding the 375, I have taken, deer, Blue Wildebeest, Cape Buffalo and Kudu with mine so far and would not hesitate to deploy it on any game. We plan a Texas Nilgai hunt for next year and I will likely bring the 375 for that trip.

 

[Woolley Bugger]

Overwriter works, I'm an underwriter.

Like this:
View attachment 725809

You can also just pick a quick dry ink with a fine nib, also works!

Between this thread and the discussion of the tragedy of being a lefty in the used gun market, I feel like a "Lefties: Lived Experience" thread is in order.

I am a lefty and a big fountain pen user. I write similarly to the picture above. The only limitation on my fountain pen habit is that I fly a lot, and it's a pain to take fountain pens on a plane.

My daily writers are a Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari, and Pilot Vanishing Point. I used to be into Parker 51s, but don't have a well functioning one now. I had a Pelikan M800 but gave it to my son for HS graduation.

 

[Tanks]

You can also just pick a quick dry ink with a fine nib, also works!

I have been using the following for years. It dries quickly and evenly.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J3VKH0?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

 

[Alistair]

Between this thread and the discussion of the tragedy of being a lefty in the used gun market, I feel like a "Lefties: Lived Experience" thread is in order.

I am a lefty and a big fountain pen user. I write similarly to the picture above. The only limitation on my fountain pen habit is that I fly a lot, and it's a pain to take fountain pens on a plane.

My daily writers are a Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari, and Pilot Vanishing Point. I used to be into Parker 51s, but don't have a well functioning one now. I had a Pelikan M800 but gave it to my son for HS graduation.

Pick up a vac filler with a shut off valve if you fly a lot and don't like the splatter.

I have a Pilot 823 and a Visconti Homo Sapiens that are my go to options for that.

Seal it up, it's a normal pen. A massive pain in the ass to clean the things though, so I'd pick one low maintenance ink that you like, and stick with it.

 

[kevin masters]

alright Im going to jump in I love KP's posts, lol
My family is in a transition period right now, we lost my father in law in 20 and now
have had to move my mother in law into a nursing facility due to care needs. I own their
home so we are getting it ready for my son and daughter in law to buy. as we sort through their
things we come across many sentimental items with little dollar value but things that make us
smile that we just cant part with.
One such item is my father in laws single shot stevens 20 guage shot gun.
probably bought for fifty dollars in the late fifties early sixties. But I have listened to countless stories
of rabbits chased and crafty squirls stalked and still hunted.
I wanted to bring it back to life for my daughter and hunting partner! The disassembly took longer than
I anticipated due to my poor gunsmithing skills but it is done now. I have sent the stock to a shop
in ohio to be hydro dipped in a beautiful crosscut walnut pattern. just dropped the barrel and misc
parts at a local shop to be cerakoted in socom blue. sent the raciever to san antonio texas t be cerakoted to mimic color case hardening! bought a custom recoil pad from limb saver and a fiber optic
sight from hiviz. Gonna have about 750 dollars in a 50 dollar shot gun and couldnt be more excited!
I've also redone a few 1930's model refrigerators and my grandmothers 50's model cosco stool.
smile evry time I look at them!

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Between this thread and the discussion of the tragedy of being a lefty in the used gun market, I feel like a "Lefties: Lived Experience" thread is in order.

I am a lefty and a big fountain pen user. I write similarly to the picture above. The only limitation on my fountain pen habit is that I fly a lot, and it's a pain to take fountain pens on a plane.

My daily writers are a Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari, and Pilot Vanishing Point. I used to be into Parker 51s, but don't have a well functioning one now. I had a Pelikan M800 but gave it to my son for HS graduation.

I am a lefty - but my right eye is my dominant eye and I was taught to shoot right handed. I write left handed and abhor fountain pens since I would drag my hand thru the ink. I can eat and drink with both hands, so maybe I am ambidextrous? My son is a pure lefty and finding good left handed bolt rifles is always an issue. I recently found a lovely custom 338wm built on a Mauser commercial action with a Shaw bbl. It is a sweetie.