Altoids tin PSK

       I've been thinking about putting one of these together for awhile, and after reading RPB&S  Notes on "SAS" & "Altoids Tin" survival kits and a recent PSK thread on the new  RAT forum. . Now usually I have my Maxpedition Proteus pack with the stuff I normally carry into the woods but I planned this as somewhat of a very minimalist kit to carry some extra things to compliment what I already carry either on my belt or in my pockets when I'm out and about elsewhere.

This will be a work in progress as is my Proteus but here's the contents as follows.

1.A folded piece of heavy duty duty foil to form a container for cooking, water purification or a heat reflector.
2. Small top's signaling mirror for signaling obviously, or to remove foreign matter from an eye.
3. Small compass.
4. Small amount of dental floss for string.
5. Disposable LED keychain light
6. 3 PJCB's wrapped in aluminum for fire starting.
7. A magnesium/Fero rod, striker and whistle on a lanyard.

      
       Normally on my belt I carry a small fixed blade knife(Izula) and a Gerber multi-tool,  and in my pocket I carry a folder(Blade Tech) and an Imco lighter and on my key chain another whistle and a small pair of tweezers for splinters and ticks. It will get changed or added to I'm sure such as a garbage bag held on with a ranger band and maybe a space blanket.

Stay Safe
Bob







.

History Around Us:Enoch Brown School Massecre July 26,1764

          I can't say I'm a serious history buff but I do find the Indian and early settlement history and the events that took place in and around where I live in South Central Pennsylvania extremely interesting. Just a couple of miles from where I live many Indian attacks came upon the settlers in the area. I'm hoping to do short articles about these happenings and locations from time to time. Here is a link to a web download to a book I have The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania by C. Hale Sipe which is very good reference.

           On July 26, 1764 just 3 miles Northwest of Greencastle Pa. an attack occurred on the Pennsylvania frontier at a little log schoolhouse, carried out by a band of Delaware Indians. Enoch Brown the School Master and  10 children were killed, and one child  Archie McCullough although scalped survived the attack and lived to be quite old but somewhat demented due to the trauma of the attack . The story goes that  the attack on the school master and defenseless children was considered so brutal that upon the warriors return to their village the old chief or half-king Night Walker admonished them and called them cowards. Ironically Archie's cousin John was captured ten years prior to this tragedy from the same area and was living with the Delaware when the party returned with the scalps and attested to the admonishments of Night Walker.

The location where this occurred is now The Enoch Brown Park

The memorial where the massacre occurred.
39* 49.477N
77* 49.229W

The common grave where Enoch and his ten students are buried. The grave was opened in 1843 to verify the event to have happened. One adult and ten children were found to be buried here, their remains laid alternately head to feet in a common box.


39* 49.460N
77* 45.272W

    

           This is the spring where the children at school got their water, the plaque states this is where Archie was found cleaning the blood from himself after the attack, another account states that he was in the school house touching the faces of his slain friends trying to comprehend what had happened to them.And yet another  states that after the the attack the child made his way to the  Conococheague Creek one or two miles away where he was found washing his wounds.

39* 49.435N
77* 45.229W

Stay Safe
Bob

A quick hatchet sheath

I've been cleaning up an old True Temper hatchet that was picked up at a sale, I like the design and wanted to get a sheath made up for it. I had some leather my Dad dropped off that was left over from some Boy Scout projects when I was a kid.

The leather was kind of on the thin side and soft so I melted some paraffin and soaked the leather in it to harden it up somewhat.

I used a drill bit to make holes for the rivets.

With the rivets installed I trimmed away the excess leather and cut out the strap.































.
I used the drill bit again for the same purpose on the strap to install the snap.

 For less than a couple of dollars, some free leather and about an hours worth of time I made what should be a serviceable sheath.

Stay safe
Bob

A Roselli Axe Reveiw

First off I'm an axe novice, I've carried a knife of some sort or another since I've been in elementary school. Back then you could carry a knife in school and not raise an eyebrow. The extent of my axe collection are Kelly True Temper, a new Collins hatchet and an old Craftsman. I wanted an axe to carve with that would cross over from a carver to Bushcrafting. I decided on the R850 Allaround axe made by H.Roselli in Finland.

The the weight is around 1lb. 12oz. with a bearded cutting edge that's scandi ground, and the edge is around 1.5 in. long. The total length is a little over 18 inches long .
The sheath is simple but very well made and holds the blade securely and can be worn on the belt with a belt loop provided on the back with the blade secured by a buckle instead of a snap
which I think is much more durable and classy to boot.

I headed out to the woods along Back Creek in the rain, that being said, the Roselli was wet almost the entire time and never once felt slippery either in the regular grip on the handle or a choked grip like an Ulu.
The small head split wood quite easily I found mostly due to the thickness of the head, what I was splitting was around 4 to six inches

I also gave shavings a try, which worked quite easily.









I've read elsewhere that it doesn't like to stick in wood, I've found this to be somewhat true especially the end grain of larger stuff, probably due to its wedge shaped head and the lightness of it. I tried two handed on what I think is a piece of large Maple and it barely dents it.

Chopping is not an issue, in fact I think it chops quite easily in spite of it's thick profile, it doesn't seem to cut deep but removes chips without much effort. I gave it a try on a dead Orange Osage branch about 4 inches thick.

In the choke grip, holding it like an Ulu it performed quite well at shaving and shaping wood. It seemed to shave much like a plane in a straight path probably due to it's scandi edge profile

Using the hammer poll.

I should have mentioned when I got it it would shave hair but I think the Osage may have been what dulled it somewhat, still was quite sharp though.
It being touted as all purpose I gave it a shot at food prep cutting an orange and tomato which it did adequately and would have no trouble cutting meat.

Some random pics.

While it might not be the design for everybody, I like it a lot and look forward to be doing some project in the near future with it.

Stay Safe
Bob

Got my Roselli axe !!

I got my first "high end" axe today, a Roselli R850 from Ragners Ragweed Forge of whom I can't speak highly enough of, exceptional service, prices and communication . I'm hoping to get to the woods this weekend and do a  review on it.

Soon I'm also hoping to do some articles on the local area around me about places and things that happened during the French and Indian War .

Stay Safe
Bob