My eye! Sweet Jesus, Ouch!

[Hedganian]

Huzzah!

[shmook]

Your peen thanks you for that

[amateurstuntman]

I was pulling my XCOM-2 squad out after a successful mission and Advent called in reinforcements.

 

I dumped 3 proxy mines on the LZ (30 damage worth, enough to kill anything) and then evacuated anyone who had enough actions to make it.

 

I expected the mines to blow up and kill the entire pod of reinforcements and then evacuate the remaining ladies.

However, the mines did not go off so I had to fight the pod with hardly any soldiers which meant that I was fighting long enough for another pod of reinforcements to come in.

 

Tense.

 

It seems that the mines deactivate if the soldiers who launch them evac.

Stupid.

[Hedganian]

That is stupid.

[amateurstuntman]

The mines are seriously OP if I'm honest.

 

I'd just not run into that issue before.

 

 

*edit*

 

 

While I'm at it - Windows 10, 2K, Firaxis, MSI  or someone.

 

I got new PC components recently and decided to do a clean install of Windows 7.

 

It worked after a while due to M.2 drives being new tech.

I "upgraded" to Win 10 and everything worked OK except XCOM 2.

 

So I un-upgraded (you have a month).

 

Everything broke.  My onboard sound is dead and I had horrendous issues with the .net framework.

 

After much swearing I just gave up and did another fresh install of Win 7.  For some reason the Realtek sound is still broken but I don't care because I have a USB sound card.

 

What is odd is the sheer quantity of Windows Updates.

They must need to be sequential because the thing will do 30 or 40 updates, reboot and then claim to need more updates.

I set some going at 0045hrs last night and it wasn't finished until 0230hrs.

214 updates.

 

Madness.

 

It seems to have calmed down now though.

 

I will get my NAS working tomorrow hopefully and see where we are with everything.

[Cannonfodder80]

Obligatory bank holiday trip to the in laws and I forgot my nicotine gum. Kill me now

[Hedganian]

Wifey is too ill to go to Sunday dinner at my parents' house. Again.

 

And it's lamb today.

 

Haven't been to a Sunday dinner since October...

[amateurstuntman]

I haven't been to a Sunday dinner since My wife's mum died 6 years ago.

 

I don't mind, I don't like them.

I only went for her.

[Hedganian]

How do you not like roast dinners?

 

Sorry for your loss, mate.

 

Although that highlights another point - I guess my mum won't be around forever. One day, the last dinner she made will be the *last* dinner ever.

 

And I'll probably have missed it...

 

I'm sad now.

[hitmanNo2]

Belated, semi Christmas dinner for me today.  Yeah, some of my family are not too great at organization heh,

[Hedganian]

So... Eostre dinner then?

[hitmanNo2]

Ha.  Well, I guess it is.

[amateurstuntman]

I don't mind a "roast dinner" I don't like "Sunday lunch".

 

I will happily eat roast chicken, potatoes and raw carrots but I do not like the whole weekly family dinner thing.

 

It annoys me.

[Hedganian]

Fair enough.

[shmook]

Just cut myself on a new knife I had freshly sharpened.

 

Silly mistake, and it wasn't even a slice, just sheer pressure of the blade contacting my finger.

 

I'll live, but damn, am I good at sharpening!

[DeltaZero]

What knife did you get?!

[scorch]

I'll live, but damn, am I good at sharpening!

Keep talking ike that and I'll box up all mine so you can do them too.

[Hedganian]

I need a good whetstone - any recommendations that are budget friendly?

[shmook]

What knife did you get?!

I've boutght a few recently, but the culprit was a becker BK7 I got off *shudders* zeroin second hand before the thread got pulled as it was a knife sale. One of those 'right place, right time' moments. The chap was great to deal with, but the blade was dull as a spoon. No matter, as I like sharpening...!

 

Recently bought a couple of rough rider fixed blades though (truly brilliant brand, Chinese but would buy them all day long. Highly recommended for the price). Heinnie Haynes is your friend here. Also bought an old army clasp knife, and a german army err, swiss army type knife from endicotts. If you do, go for the super grade/hand picked, as even the grade one pieces can be rough.

 

Keep talking ike that and I'll box up all mine so you can do them too.

Happy to, if you cover postage! I genuinely think practice makes perfect though, so you keep going, you little trooper, you

 

I need a good whetstone - any recommendations that are budget friendly?

I've got a Faithfull brand one I've had for years. Came in a wooden box, and got it from my tool suppliers when I'd been in the construction game a bit.

 

Looked like this but is the 200mm version, and came in said optional box it you browse the site, but the 200mm one isn't the same colours.

 

*badger*s to using oil, I use water on it, and the fine side only unless I'm sharpening a spoon, and can have a shaving edge in a couple of minutes. I have an old leather belt for stropping, but honestly never use it. The fine side of the stone will get me slicing newspaper (or fingers) after a few strokes. 10 strokes a side with good pressure, 10 or more medium pressure, and then a few just using the weight of the blade.

 

Edit, I hardly use any lube (fnar) on it and mainly go dry... Just touch them up every few uses with a few light strokes per side to keep them tip-top

 

Takes a bit of practice, and keeping the primary bevel flat to the stone is key. Been doing it for years on various stones (all cheap ones) as I was a good Boy Scout. Practice on cheap blades first. Kitchen knives are ideal as they are usually blunt anyway. Keep at it, and you'll be able to put a keen edge on a cushion with a bit of work.

 

There's a wealth of info and conflicting ideas on the 'net, but a 12 quid dual-sided stone does it for me. Always fancied a spyderco sharp maker, or set-angle honing set, but then think 'why bother?' I can get a stupid edge with kit I have

 

I love knives. Will post in the knife thread when I get a minute!

[Hedganian]

Wow, that's a lot cheaper than I expected...

 

I've got a tiny Spyderco Bug on my keys, always comes in handy. Was only a fiver when I bought it from Heinnie Haynes. I was getting one as kinda a cheap semi-joke gift and thought 'well, why not get one myself' - one of the better decisions I made.

[shmook]

Any spyderco is a good buy.

 

I got a SOG Micron for my keys. It's now in a drawer as it's . Have a leatherman squirt PS4 on them now, and that's not good...

 

My smallest blade was a rough rider baby toothpick, but stupidly lost it (as I said though, silly cheap knives and decent for the money), but I always have a blade or 2 on me. Sometimes a SAK, but usually a boker XS or the german knife I mentioned. Had a boker trance 42 (UK legal), but the blade pitted after washing it so am in the process of polishing it. So it's been in the garage in pieces for a year...

 

Like I said, have a few knives though, from alieexpress knockoffs to a benchmade contago which I use as a duty knife, along with a leatherman wave on my duty belt. I usually carry a 'legal' knife off duty though. Not through a sense of... Being a law-abiding bloke, but more because I don't need a huge blade for day to day tasks. And I've never cut myself on a slipjoint knife, so when someone says they are dangerous, it's rubbish

[Hedganian]

I've got a credit card folding blade in my wallet.

 

 

I'm unsure on the legality of it as a whole, but the blade length is under the legal limit.

[shmook]

I've got a credit card folding blade in my wallet.

I'm unsure on the legality of it as a whole, but the blade length is under the legal limit.

The Ian Sinclair/Chinese copy?

 

Had one, was a great slicer. A bit flimsy, and gave it away in an EDC passaround box on another forum.

 

Technically, it's a fixed blade once folded/assembled. Other cops may disagree, and I'm fairly fluid on my opinion of knives, but if you get lifted and it's found, most will see a bladed article/potential weapon. Again it's discretion, but I would say 99% of the time it would be locked up and charged. I would chat to the person first, but most won't. . Most cops hate knives. Maybe I'm still green, or see it from another point as I 'EDC' things, but please be wary.

 

Saying that, most won't find it In a wallet, judging by the searches I see...!

[Hedganian]

Hmmm...

 

I may take it out then, I can do without that kind of legal hassle should it occur. Can't say I've ever been stopped or searched, but you never know.

 

It's hardly in a position where I could get to it quickly if I needed a weapon, anyway. Don't think I've ever used it for anything, the one on my keys is so much easier to get to if I need a small knife to open something.

 

I've only got it because my friend sent it to me for Xmas the other year. I got one of those "eternal match" firelighters this year just gone, if you're thinking we only exchange blades all the time...

[shmook]

Hmmm...

I may take it out then, I can do without that kind of legal hassle should it occur. Can't say I've ever been stopped or searched, but you never know.

It's hardly in a position where I could get to it quickly if I needed a weapon, anyway. Don't think I've ever used it for anything, the one on my keys is so much easier to get to if I need a small knife to open something.

I've only got it because my friend sent it to me for Xmas the other year. I got one of those "eternal match" firelighters this year just gone, if you're thinking we only exchange blades all the time...

Again, I don't judge, and folk should own as many blades as they want!

 

Doesn't matter legally where it is. If it's on you, that's good enough to prosecute, within reason (say wrapped up in delivery packaging - maybe not - but say in a wallet and you get stopped? Could be trouble.

 

It's easy for me to say 'could be', 'possible' etc, because unfortunately it is very subjective. Different forces have different targets(quotas, not groups/minorities I mean...).

 

On top of that, if you're a normal person, there's minimal chance you'll be stopped unless your unfortunate enough to be a match for someone who's committed a crime, and be wearing similar clothing. Sounds rare, but I've held a guy for 15 minutes for that reason. Nearly took him to custody for the offence as he matched perfectly until another patrol found the culprit.

 

That's not me being a twat and bagging someone for the sake. He was just unfortunate to be in the area at the time, matching the looks and build of the offender, and wearing basically the same clothes.

 

Just saying its rare, but can happen.

 

In truth though, I truly doubt you'll even get in bother with carrying it in your wallet. I'm 36, and never once been subject to S&S. Not because I've 'badged out', just that it doesn't happen as often as the media/Teresa *fruitcage* may thinks...