Review Oceanus Brass - Cablelaid cordage cutter

Here's another solid brass tool to add to my loadout of adaptive hardware. I'm always looking out for tools that can help me adapt to my environment or supplement my resources, especially if normal resources are unavailable or scarce. This particular tool turns plastic drinking bottles into cordage!

You'd be pressed pretty hard to wander too far anywhere and not find modern trash. Plastic drinking bottles get thrown out of cars along roadways, get blown or dumped into waterways and turn up all over the place. The trick is to turn this abundant waste into useful product! Thats where a tool like the Cablelaid by Oceanus Brass comes in. Machined from solid brass bar stock, the tool is based around a simple principle; a razorblade, held in place behind a channel to feed the leading edge of the plastic through and cordage out the other side. 

The top plate of the tool is held in place by three inset Alan key screws, to facilitate swapping out of the simple razor blade in the event it dulls, though flipping it would double your cutting mileage, before replacement or sharpening is required. 

The tool has three channels built into the side that both guide the bottle in to the razor edge but also set the width of the cord produced. Notches set at 8mm, 6mm and 4mm to the blade with a 2mm guide slot along the top of the tool. The tool works by cutting the end of a plastic bottle off, then feeding the edge into the desired notch and the razor begins to cut the bottle into cordage. the notch then feeds the bottle in measured width to the razors edge and cordage exits out the back of the tool. 

In order to maintain a constant pressure on the cutting edge and even bind-free cutting, it is beneficial to mount the bottle to the tool, such that it spools.

To facilitate this, the tool has a hole bored through it, that fits a pen, pencil or the purpose made telescoping feed rod, its also helpful to anchor the tool in place, and a couple of nails serve the purpose well. Thus braced, its a matter of cutting an even strand, which takes a little finesse, and more than a few false starts. The more even the initial cut of the bottle is the better the start will be. as notched cord is weak and often snaps as it is drawn off the bottle. 

I found that gripping the end of the cord in some pliers made for a good method, allowing me to focus on keeping an even tension on the cord, such that an even cutting would take place, free from pinching and mis-angled cuts. 

 

From a standard 1.25L soft drink bottle, with a good clean start and careful processing i've been able to reliably cut 10-12m (32-40') of 8mm wide cord.

I've found that removing the label and washing out any sticky residue helps keep the cutting smooth and steady, but the first, initial cut to remove the base of the bottle seems most important. I also found that cutting from bottom to top is most successful.

The tool is pocket sized, at 114mm (~4 1/2") long,  23mm( ~15/16") wide and  11mm(~7/16") tall weighing a solid 184g (~6.5oz) but it'r rock solid and comfortable in the hand the way that solid brass is.

It can take either standard razor blades or alternatively box cutter blades, which fit into machined spots inside the tool. 

The tail end of the tool features a lanyard hole, and comes fitted with a brass Bow-Shackle that is the signature of Oceanus Brass products. Versatile and useful on its own. A final nice touch is that the tool came with replacement blades, spare screws and Alan key as well as the telescopic rod in an all-included package.

Though the art of bottle-cordage conversion requires a certain finesse and practice, it's well worth attempting as an alternative to bought cord and thus far I've found a number of uses around the house and in the garden. More to follow.

Review: Sailors Compass - Oceanus Brass

I've covered compasses before, mostly as a generic " have a compass, navigation is important" tool and as part of a variety of multi-tool items or kits that include a compass but this one is a little different. I backed a kickstarter for a boutique compass with maritime style. Oceanus Brass specialize in nautically inspired items milled in brass. This is the Oceanus Brass - Sailors compass. Which I backed on Kickstarter. They're in full production now, so you can pick one up, or anything else in their range. Their latest Kickstarter is for a plastic bottle cord maker and looks great too. 

Brass is an excellent material for traditional nautical kit for several reasons: It is hard wearing to withstand long periods between resupply or repair options. Corrosion resistant to resist saltwater exposure. Non-sparking to keep powder and timbers safe and non ferro-magnetic so as not to throw off your compass needle. It also has a pleasing heft and a bright luster. 

The sailors compass comes as an un-embellished and unadorned puck, with a seam line running its circumference at the 2/3 of its height. The seam line is narrow when the lid is secured and both top and bottom edge of the puck are evenly beveled and smooth. The "lid" unscrews for two full rotations  along finely machined threads, with just index and fore finger and thumb vs palm needed to open it.

Inside the compass is a liquid filled needle chamber, with a well defined needle including a nicely pointed "head" featuring a glow in the dark "dot" for night-time navigation. The tail end flight is subtle and balances the needle both physically and aesthetically.

 

The bezel is gently notched for easy grip and rotates smoothly and features degree markings, in 20 degree major spacings, with minor marks for 10 degrees and 2 degrees. It's firm enough that it won't slide of its own accord but smooth enough that it will turn with a finger-tip's pressure. The backing of the bezel is a ring of glow in the dark material to provide a readable back lit bearing in the dark. A fixed red line serves as the index mark and a pair of embedded glow-dots in the base of the bezel chamber lines up with the North indicator. A central dot completes the after-dark navigation picture. 

The compass is moderately large for an EDC pocket compass, at 2" (55mm) in diameter, 5/8" (17mm) in height and 6.8 oz (194g) in weight, but its smooth and solid design makes it an easy carry. Whilst it would not take the place of a good lensatic compass for navigation. It certainly does the job for simple wayfinding navigation. 

 Solid brass construction provides sea-worthy durability. The Sailor's Compass can be dropped, frozen, banged, forgotten until it isn't. If i had to pick something I didn't like about the compass it would be that it's too smooth. The unadorned surface might lead to slick, fumbly fingers to drop a vital piece of kit and some knurling or a dummy-cord knob or thread-hole might go a long way to securing it. All told though, it makes for a very pleasant EDC pocket addition. 

Horns and mugs.

 I've been really enjoying getting into Viking re-enactment these last few years. Part of this has been to get into the combat aspects, partly the crafting and the culture.  

Part of this is collecting and using period appropriate kit, part of it is becoming comfortable using anachronistic gear. Did you know its quite hard to chug a beverage from a drinking horn unless you tilt it to one side?

I now have three viking style drinking vessels. Two traditional and one more modern.

First up is the very slick and modern Goat Mug.

The Goat Mug is a 16 oz 470mL polypropylene horn shaped take on the classic keep-cup idea. Originally a Kickstarter project, now in full commercial production. It has been a mainstay of my desk since its arrival. With its silicone ring seal screw top and drip and spill proof locking clip, it's made a prominent workplace oddity. The best part is when people ask how it stands up. The molded leather hand-cuff inverts to act as a stand to support the horn with great stability, and protects the hand from hot beverage.  

The Goat Mug comes with a wrist strap and a shoulder sling for ease of carry, that clip to holes in the lid and tip respectively but I've never had much need of either.  I carry mine in my hand or table it in its holder. The seals are good enough to keep in a carbonated beverage and the horn keeps my mugs of tea hot for a lot longer than a similarly sized conventionally shaped mug would. They aren't even remotely period-appropriate but are perfect for adding flair to work or the open-pit bbq pig on spit Thing in the back-yard. The curvature of the inside presents some scrubbing challenges but I'm not phased by some tannin build-up and it's dish-washer safe.

Read the kickstarter Story here.

See their latest ideas here

buy one on Amazon here.

I also have a more traditional bulls horn drinking horn. This 8oz, 250mL capacity horn ( 9oz when filled to the brim upright) natural bull horn has a fine embellished brass rim riveted on and a brass tip fixed to the pointy end. The outer surface is well polished and the insides have been well cleaned and sealed to keep the horn structurally sound after long sessions of ale. The traditional horn has the drawback of not having a stable base to sit it down so once you get started its awkward to set it down till you've emptied your horn. 

I've knocked up a quick stand from some off-cuts for mine and you could always thrust it through your belt at the risk of spillage and wetting your britches. The brass fittings are handsome and lend themselves to adding some cordage as a sling.  It feels nice in the hand and it has a good capacity, and certainly looks the part.  

I personally like to be able to set a drinking vessel down when eating as a joint of meat on the bone can sometimes need two hands and pickled herrings are slippery.

 As i mentioned earlier, when drinking from a horn, its important you tilt the point of the horn downwards or to the side, not out in front or upwards when you drink, or you'll get an unexpected surge and slosh ypur drik all over your face, in your beard and down your chest. Amusing but wasteful and wont impress that sword maiden you've been waggling eybrows at over the fire.

 

 The final horn in my collection of drinking vessels is the "Eleet Original Viking Drinking Horn Mug"

 This elegant tankard has a 20 oz capacity and is fashioned from a worked ethically sourced ox horn in which the point of the horn has been bent back to form the handle / retention grip. The base of the is a colour-matched resin to seal off the mug and the inside is sealed with a 100% food safe non-toxic lacquer on the inside, in order to avoid the real horn odor and to avoid leakage. The exterior part is unpolished, unadorned and is kept real. The tankard feels great in the hand, it looks great and does the job. 

Being a natural product means each one has its own unique pattern and shape, but the true value is that it works. After a long day of swinging axes, hauling gear and arms and setting camp, let alone matching steel with the foeman and all the day to day challenges of the rustic Northman, having a large beverage to hand really brings home what is best in life. The "Eleet original Viking drinking horn mug" fits the bill AND I can set it down on the feasting bench to wrap an arm around someone close whilst feeding. 

 I don't think i'd want to put hot drinks in either of the horn vessels, (be it pine needle tea or the beans of Mocha for structural integrety reasons (hot water softens horn ...), but they're perfect for my home-brewed mead or cider. 

 

Its high capacity, flat base and broad handle make it the most convienient of my horns and mugs and as such keep it in highest rotation.
 

Review: Ti2 - PB9 parabiner pulley

I seem to be fully addicted to both Kickstarter, and awesome titanium pieces. Fortunately, this means I not only have a bunch of cool kit to play with on a semi-regular basis, as well as helping people get their ideas off the ground and into your hands, but also I have things to write about.

This is one such item, which I've been sitting on for a little while,This is another creation of Mike Bond, creator of the Sentinel s4s cache, the Sentinel X and the EDCPen (link coming VERY soon). This is the PB-9 Para-biner

The PB-9 measures 48mm x 111mm x 9.5mm thick (1.875" x 4.375" x 3/8") and weighs 100g (3.5 oz) and almost the whole thing is made from grade 5 titanium. This is the biggest of three variants, and features 9 tool options, being a very versatile tool.

There are two versions of the PB-9, in Imperial (SAE) and Metric, each offering a range of wrench openings:
SAE: 15/16", 3/4" 9/16", (5/8"), 1/2", 7/16", 3/8", 5/16", 1/4" (bit driver) MM: 24mm, 19mm, (16mm), 14mm, 13mm, 12mm, 10mm, 8mm, 1/4". I bracket out the 5/8" and 16mm wrench options because they sit in where the pulley pin and wheel reside, and I don't thing they are really accessible. the pins, split rings fastening them, the pulleys and whole assembly would need to be removed to have this option used. However, the pulley significantly outweighs the wrench need, in my eyes. Both feature a "hidden" 1/4" bit driver, inside the locking gate.

That gate is 12.7mm (1/2") or so wide, and features a hook-and-pin overlock, giving a really secure structural gate. Instead of a regular spring, the PB-9 features a torsion spring, cut from a piece of grade 5 titanium as well, as rustproof as the rest of the piece. Outstanding.

The PB-9 has two pulley options, both made from high strength bearing grade bronze 544 (The prototype pin was stainless steel, the production version is also titanium)

The single pulley option allows for lines up to 1/2" diameter, whilst the twin pulley was specifically for use with paracord. I found that it would take paracord, 3mm plastic coated clothes line, 6mm nylon sheath cord, and even the plastic coated braided steel cable from a laptop lock.


 Using two PB-9s with twin pulleys in a "double tackle" setup allows for a 4 to 1 mechanical advantage when lifting loads.
The tool also features a wedge shaped "Para-Cinch" notch for quick lashing of paracord (or as a bottle opener)

The non-pulley end also features a flathead screw-driver, whch could easily be used as a short pry-par, Mike even suggests as a box-opener. This tool has it all!




One of the things I loved about this Kickstarter was the engineering that went into it, and how that was shared. Watching the test-to-destruction clips of all three Parabiners was amazing. The fact that the prototype PB-9's broke at 1771kg (3,905lbs) is amazing. That's around the weight of a car! Having these tests, and subsequent improvements described along the way was a real eye-opener, and very heart warming.

Seeing the hooked gate go into the design, as well as the living/torsion spring enter the process really gave me a sense of being part of the experience, and has lead to an outstanding tool.All part of the Kickstarter joy.

If I had a gripe about them, it might be that the gate only opens 1/2" or so, which limits what I could clip them to directly. I certainly made do with braided steel cable, and could have used chain, just something I noted.

These are totally going into my bug-out kit, and I look forwards to being the guy with the pulley when it comes time to lift an obstacle.