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Tinkerton

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Posts posted by Tinkerton

  1. Knife Pics

    in Off-topic Pictures

    Posted

    I've seen a bigger spyderco collection than that. Had a few of the mule team fixed blades and everything, inc a full set of insect slipits (ladbug, grasshopper, etc etc)

     

     

    Dont get me wrong, they appear to be nice enough knives, but i wouldnt want that many...

  2. Knife Pics

    in Off-topic Pictures

    Posted

    I've got 'normal' disposable cartridge razors (king of shaves Azor, as cheapest cartridges and i like it), a 'safety' razor that takes traditional double edged razor blades (cheap £5 plastic wilkinson sword one from boots) and also a 1800 something german made straight razor (cut throat to you heathens! ;).

     

    The straight gives the closest shave, the cartridge razor is the easiest/quickest, and the safety razor is a happy medium. a much closer shave than a cartridge (like your gillete mach 9 100 blade vibrating POWAH razor), stupidly cheap blades, and takes much less time and technique than a straight.

     

    I still use the straight from time to time when i've either got a special occasion (wedding, job interview, etc etc) or feel like treating myself to taking half an hour to shave, but my 'go to' razor is the double edged.

     

    I really need to get my straight honed again, really, and invest in a new strop, but whatever you use, i thoroughly recommend getting a shaving brush and either shaving cream or soap, 1 it smells much nicer, 2: its a lot better for shaving (more lubricity and softens the whiskers (yes, thats the proper name for beard hair) better than ###### in a can.) 3: its so much cheaper (for example: i got a £10 pot of soap (lovely Geo F. Trumpers sandalwood stuff) last christmas (2011) and i've not even used 1/3 of it yet)

     

    If you're going to get a straight razor, DONT get one that uses disposable blades, (known as a shavette), they're pants.

     

    Get one with a round nose (not straight or barbers notch) as they're much more forgiving. The majority of cuts i've had from my straight are from me not paying attention to the end, and not the blade itself).

     

    Perhaps Arnies needs a shaving thread?

  5. Knife Pics

    in Off-topic Pictures

    Posted

    Ohhhh shmook. i think i might need to burgle your house... I've been hankering after one of those Higo's for a while. £12, you say? tempting.

     

    And the cardsharp has always appealed to me. Not sure if it would count as a concealed/disguised knife though, and never wanted to be the one that found out! Shame to hear its pants.

     

    Again with the MUT! gah, you're all making me want to rape my credit card even harder :< Where did you get your's from?

  6. Knife Pics

    in Off-topic Pictures

    Posted · Edited by Tinkerton

    Here's the knife blade, could anyone care to enlighten me as to the purpose of the semi-serrated section of the blade near the base, its also only bevelled on one side?

     

    Ok, blades that are only bevelled on one side are commonly known as a 'chisel' ground blade. funnily enough after chisels, which have a flat base, and a sharp edge meeting the bottom of that base, instead of coming to a point somewhere above the base and creating a 'normal' knife edge.

     

    there are various advantages and disadvantages to chisel ground blades, most of which i dont know and wouldn't go into even if i did, but usually chisel ground blades are better for marking, accurate cuts (most scalpels, AFAIK are chisel ground) and easier to sharpen.

     

     

    With regards to the serrations, the one thing serrations are good for is cutting fabric and rope. thats pretty much the only thing, in my opinion. However, some people like serrations for general use (for whatever reason) and having the serrations on the blade will appeal to some people who just don't like plain edges.

     

    Also, serrations are a PITA to sharpen.

     

    So yeah, thats why :) I've been looking at getting an EOD myself, and changing out the semi-serrated blade for a plain one, or even the V cutter for webbing/seatbelts they do. Fortunately SOG make spares available online :D

     

     

    <<<EDIT>>>>

     

    Example being a cinema... it's a private place in that it's own privately by a company. The public have to pay to get in to a screen. But inside the screen is still a public place with your normal public order/weapons offences applying.

     

    A valid point, and i may not have articulated myself as well as i could/should have. the main 'gist' i intended to put accross was while somewhere may be public, your 'rights' to carry a sub 3" non-locking folder may be superseded by the rules of the place/persons 'in charge' of the area.

     

    Like your example of the cinema screen/gallery, while it is a 'public place', if the company in charge have a 'no knives of any kind not even plastic to eat your pineapple with' policy, your rights mean squat, and you can either not take a knife in, or not go in.

  7. Knife Pics

    in Off-topic Pictures

    Posted

    I've got a bayonet. I take it to skirmishes. whats wrong with that? i dont put it on a rifle or anything, but its fun to open bottles with at the end of the day :D

     

    if you've got people running around with bayo's fixed, thats your sites problem for 1: allowing it, and 2: letting a knife like that onto the field.

  8. Knife Pics

    in Off-topic Pictures

    Posted · Edited by Tinkerton

    folding, blade less than 3 inches, with no locking mechanism. safest option is something like a swiss army knife.

     

    so basically you are right, but also the manual folder shouldn't have a locking mechanism.

     

    spring assisted/automatic can get a little complicated. there are some types that are OK (spring assisted) while true automatics are illegal. but since all the legal ones I'm aware of have a lock, I wouldn't worry about it.

     

     

    eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh.

     

    Kind of.

     

     

    The legal exemption for carrying a knife in public is as follows: you do not need any reason to carry a knife with a blade (or cutting edge, the difference has never been contested in court) of 3" or under, that does not lock when opened, and can be closed without any other input from the user apart from folding the blade. This rules out any type of lock, including but not limited to, frame lock, liner lock, ram lock, viro lock (opinel style) etc etc etc.

     

    MOST swiss army knives (either victorinox or wenger) are fine, however, SOME do have a locking blade.

     

    One handed opening knives are fine, such as knives with a thumb stud, spydie hole or similar.

     

    Assisted openening knives are a gray area. Depending on the policeman that stops you, you could either get away with it, or have it confiscated, or be arrested for carrying an offensive weapon. It all depends on the officer man that stops you and what your attitude is.

     

    Automatic opening knives are definately not ok to carry in public.*

     

    Fixed blade knives are definately not ok to carry in public.*

     

    Locking folders are definately not ok to carry in public.*

     

    Non locking folders with a blade/cuting edge over 3" are definately not ok to carry in public.*

     

    Gravity knives ('flick knives') are not only not ok to be carried in public, they're ilegal to buy, sell, import or export or make.*

     

     

    *EXCEPT.

     

    the problem is, the law only clarifies whats fine to carry 'without reason'. It doesnt specifiy what is a good reason, or what you can carry with a good reason.

     

    Good reason is to be determined by the officer that stops you. If you contest it, you will probably end up in front of a judge arguing why your reason is good enough to carry whatever it is you're carrying.

     

    Example: You've got a bayonet in your military rucksack with other airsoft bumpf in the boot of your car. I'd argue that was a good reason.

     

    Example: an axe and a fixed blade knife in a backpack / bergen if you were going camping.

     

    Example: an assisted opener (or one handed opener) if you need if for work. Not just because you want one, but a legitimate reason: such as working at heights, with safety ropes and harnesses, sometimes you might not have a second hand to open aforementioned knife.

     

    Example: automatic openers/ assisted openers would be fine if you only had one arm

     

    Also, religious/traditional blades are fine if worn with the appropriate religious/traditional dress. So Sghian Dubh's can be worn with Kilts and sporran's, etc, and Sikh's can wear their kirpans with the related other clothing.

     

    Gravity knives are legal to own, but only if they're historical. so ww2 pilots knives are usually ok, but as with auto's, ilegal to buy, sell, import, export or make.

     

    Same with balisongs (butterfly knives.) You can own them, but ilegal to buy, sell, import, export or make. And heaven help you if you ever take one out of your house. All the ilegal stuff is pretty much there to allow historical stuff and heirlooms, and thats it.

     

     

    Concealed/ Disguised knives are automatically offensive weapons, even if you don't carry them as such. I'm talking about knives in a belt buckle, or ones made of plastic/resin so they dont set off metal detectors, etc.

     

    Push knives/ daggers (where the blade protrudes from between two or more fingers of a closed fist) are the same. This may or may not apply to knives like the hide-away-knife (HAK ™ ), nobodies gone to court to argue it and set legal precedent, so be on the safe side, and dont carry one.

     

     

    The general rule of thumb if you carry a knife without the exemption (so a locking knife etc) is "Don't be a *rickroll*."

     

    If you give a policeman officer reason to stop you first of all, you're doing something wrong. If you EVER say that you're carrying ANYTHING for 'self defence', or anything SIMILAR to that, expect jail time. Carrying something specifically for defense makes it an offensive weapon, which will get you into all sorts of trouble you don't want.

     

     

    NOT ALL PLACES ARE PUBLIC PLACES.

     

     

    The general rule of thumb is, if you don't own it, its not public. More so if you have to pay to get in. So museums, churchs, office blocks, public transport, etc etc etc may not be classified legally as a 'public place'. So while out on the street you may be fine to carry a pen knife, once you step into a building, that may not be the case. While you shouldn't expect to have things confiscated, don't be surprise if it does happen. Golden rule again. Don't be a *rickroll*. Don't kick up a fuss if they confiscate it, act calm and polite at all times, ask for a ticket or something similar so you can get it back when you leave, and you'll be fine.

     

     

    Oh, multi-tools usually have a blade on them. They usually lock. "Because its there" its not a good reason for having it, however most of the time you'll be ok provided you're not a *rickroll*.

     

     

    Hope that helps, and if you want any decent, UK legal carry knives, head over here: http://heinnie.com/Knives/-UK-Legal-Carry-Knives/c-1-92-641/ (no affiliation with the site, etc etc, but heinnie's have great service and are fantastic.)

     

    As always, my views are not that of a trained lawyer, and as such should not be treated as such. IF you follow my advice and end up in prison, don't blame me for it.

     

    OH! and laws differ in different countries. Don't ask me about X, Y, or Z, i don't live there, so i don't know.

     

    :)

     

    <<<EDIT>>> holy ######, long post is long. TLDR version: your knife may or may not be legal depending on where you are and what you're doing with it and why you have it.

  11. LPE Airbrake piston heads

    in Tactical Equipment and Accessories

    Posted

    I recently received two production samples from a batch of airbrake piston heads from LPE - Lees Precision Engineering.

     

    Packaging: the packaging on the piston heads (I received both a metal and a plastic one) are perfect. They came in individual ziplock/resealable bags, which are just the right size for keeping fiddly things like tappet springs, bushings etc in! And in a jiffy bag. This is perfectly adequate protection for almost any internal gearbox part, so no qualms there.

    IMG_20110119_220749.jpg

     

    Piston heads: These piston heads are CNC milled from 2014 T6 aicraft grade aluminium billet (for the metal ones) and acetal billet (for the plastic ones) both the piston heads come with an aluminium collar (again, 2014 T6 aircraft grade) which you insert through the back of the piston to centre the piston head, and A2 grade stainless steel screw, which is very nice as some pistonheads don't come with either! The including o-ring is also a fantastic fit, and very easy to get on and off for maintenance, however once on its very secure. This piston head IS ported.

    IMG_20110119_220926.jpg

    IMG_20110119_221018.jpg

    IMG_20110119_221151.jpg

    IMG_20110119_221209.jpg

     

    Now, the main difference, and indeed the 'unique selling point' of these pistonheads is the airbrake 'protrusion', which is a bit ronseal, really, (for our overseas readers, 'does what it says on the tin') the protrusion extends from the piston head into the corresponding hole/tube/vent on the cylinder head, and as it does so, restricts airflow, creating a small pocket of pressurised air which the piston assembly uses as a buffer

    (compressed/presurised air is actually a very good shock absorbsion medium, the higher pressure the less elasticity the air has, so the more it slows the item down, don't believe me? Try it for yourself! Get a spare cylinder, and piston with piston head, then while covering the hole that the tappet nozzle goes over with you finger, try to insert the piston with some speed/force. This is the airbrake principle/theory in practice.)

     

    Anyway, enough phsyics, and back to the piston heads. The machining on the heads themselves is flawless, minimal tool marks, and a very smooth finish. These are well built piston heads indeed, even if they were 'flat faced'.

     

    Another unique feature of the LPE airbrake piston heads is the double radiusing of the o-ring slot.

    As owners of guns with V2 gearboxes will no doubt be aware, square, or angled corners don't transfer stress very well, which is why a popular mod to most v2 gearbox shells is to 'radius' - that is, to make circular - the corners of the apeture that the cylinder assembly fits in. This leads to better stress/load transferance through the rest of the gearbox shell, and eliminates (or at least, greatly reduces the risk of) the 'box shell snapping.

     

    These piston heads work on the same principle. The flat face of the head has a radiused 'join' to the main body of the piston head, so any shock/stress/load created by the impact of the piston head is more easily transferred to the rest of the piston assembly. Think about it, what takes the most pounding in a gearbox? The pinion gear? Possibly. The secotr gear? Its likely. But the piston head impacts the cylinderhead with forces of the power of your main spring EVERY TIME THE GUN CYCLES. That's two flat peices of material hitting each other face on hundreds of thousands of times over the life of your gun, with up to and beyond 2 joules of energy each time.

     

    IMG_20110119_221051.jpg

     

    Piston heads take a beating. That's why these ones are so wildly OVER engineered. The radiusing of the oring slot (including the back face, that keeps the oring on the piston) and the airbrake are all designed to impart as little stress as possible to your gearbox, and manage that stress in a sensible, non-damaging way.

     

    Now, onto the collar. These piston heads are available with laser cut AOE shims. Yellow being 0.5mm, and red being 0.38mm. They are very very thin. However, some guns do need a lot of AOE adjustment, which is why the shaft of the piston head and the collar interact in such a way that you have a whopping 5 mm of AOE adjustment, while maintaining proper centering of the airbrake.

    IMG_20110119_221358.jpg

    IMG_20110119_221407.jpg

    IMG_20110119_221504.jpg

    IMG_20110119_221515.jpg

     

    This again is supremely useful, as AOE adjustment is starting to become another 'standard' upgrade, like metal bushings and the 1j springs of yore.

     

    Performance: I do not have a chrono, so can't give fps readings before/after the installation (into my kalash AKS-74, for those wondering) nor do I have a decent camcorder for a video, but it does make a noticeable difference to the noise coming out of the muzzle of an aeg. It is less twangy, like a spring, and more thunky, like... something that's not a spring.

     

    There was no noticeable power or range decrease after installation.

     

    Final Thoughts:

     

    While a majority of aftermarket AEG gearbox upgrades affect something noticeable, like the power (main spring) or the rate of fire (gears, motor, wiring) or the strength of spring that can be pulled (motor, gears, wiring, mosfet). This is NOT one of those upgrades. While it does make a slight difference to the sound emitted from the AEG, the main selling point, and advantage of this upgrade (in my opinion) is the longevity it offers.

     

    I have tried to crush the metal pistonhead o-ring channel with a small hobby vice. I cannot.

    I have tried to flex the airbrake protrusion off centre using a vice and brute force. I cannot.

     

    This piston head will no doubt last longer than the entire rest of your gun. Including the time that it takes to degrade.

     

    While expensive, this is possibly one of the most worthwhile upgrades you can fit to your AEG.

     

    Conclusion:

    Appearance: 9/10 - nicely machined, nicely packed, nicely finished

    Performance: 10/10 - nigh-on indestrucable. while no 'performance' increase per se, the sheer strength and reliability of these piston heads, combined with stress managing features like the double radius o-ring channel and air brake more than make up for it.

    Value for money: 7/10 - while expensive (£20 rrp for a metal piston head with AOE shims) and much more expensive than other piston heads, its not that much more expensive than a prometheus piston head, and remember two things: this will last longer than you will, and its being designed, produced, and retailed by a fellow airsofter in the UK.

     

    Overall: 8.5/10 - I would personally rate this as a vital upgrade to any high-performance AEG. High powered DMR AEGs? slap one in. Support weapon being used for long sustained bursts? slap one in. 'loaner' or back up AEG? slap one in. High ROF short stroked super speedy death hose of doom? dont slap one in. Put a plastic one in, with the airbrake taken off (very simple to do, sharp knife, and lots of patience).

     

    The bottom line is this:

    If you want a piston head that can take a beating and carry on going, through oblivion and back, and will actually look after other parts of your gearbox, this is it.

  14. A&K SVD PICT'O'RAMA + first look

    in Rifles (Spring)

    Posted

    An M170 should get you about 490/500 ish. friend of mine with one gets about 480, i get about 505. go figure.

     

     

    With regards to the double feeding, are you only pulling the cocking handle once each time? if you pull it but dont cock it becuase you're struggling or so, then it'll double feed and misfeed quite badly.

     

    Horsem4n: getting accurate shots at 505 fps with madbull 0.40s to about 50 meters, man sized targets easily beyond that.

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