The New Coffee Room

You know dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel.
At first he didn't have a name for it; then it blew his house up and he said, this stuff's dynamite.

Someone just threw Chinese soup at me.
It was won-ton violence.

You don't lose the bottle cap, and can reuse the bottle for water. It's good.

Just wanted to say POTUS is looking well, a bit thinner in the face and very healthy. Anyone noticed a difference?

Love these! Makes me want to go back, this time see Gibralter.
Madrid and Toledo look exactly as I remember from my travels over two Easter weeks in 1985!
Memorable Toledo was medieval except for the railway station. I stayed in a pension near the castle, sharing a room with a young army lad; very hot weather and you could reach out the window and literally touch someone reaching from the bedroom opposite.
Spaniards siesta for 3 hours to avoid the afternoon heat, finish work at 7 and go for a walk & eat in the cool of the evening. Good life as I recall.

Oh the humility and understanding.
He must think he is the most perfect person to deal with the Chinese, and like Trump(CF), the most humble & diplomatic deal maker in any room.

He may well be right about the Chinese government and its methods of course.

In a week when I've heard of pretty ordinary folk losing £10-20k in shares & savings, this tariff rollercoaster has certainly had a mindset effect on me; and I'm guessing the same effect on millions of other ordinary folk in the US and China etc...

In my case I bought a medium sized 5-shotgun cabinet for use as a small safe.
Made in England.

Bogey came to mind.
Claude Rains (spelling?), Casablanca?

The relationship between America and China has been damaged, as seen by China's polite oral response and not raising tariffs after the latest ridiculous US rise.

They're not like the Japanese (bow properly and be prepared to learn from anyone).

It all about humility and friendships and face. Once offended it's difficult to go back. Xi must have spent millions wiping his nicknames off the Internet. Now he's visiting Spain, Malaysia, Cambodia Vietnam. Pretty obvious why.

Trump(CF) needs a couple of people who really understand the Chinese to advise.
Don't ask me though, I've only been married to one for 33 years.

@Renauda, jon-nyc
You cracked it, leather working. Many thanks for the information.
I'd wondered initially if it was for shaping lead or tin, Cornwall being famous for those, but it's too light for metals so was thinking maybe for trimming slate roofing tiles. Hence been in the axe drawer.

It is a vicious looking thing until you feel the edges. Sharpened and fixed to a 4' staff it would be like a Game if Thrones weapon for Aria to weild.

The felling axe is Canadian and works well, bought new in the 90's. The hatchet is Sheffield made maybe 100 years old. The small one is a brand new japanese carving axe.

If anyone can help identifying the following thing I'd be very grateful:

Made by J V Hill of London (1834-1909), bought from Cornwall. 3mm thick steel all round so is completely blunt.
That's all I know. Any ideas?

Ash is completely different to work, does everything for you easily. BTW I think the handle came from Robert Sorby, still in business.
Next project involves an 8' holly trunk salvaged from a cousins garden. Ever worked holly?

Here's my hammer & axe drawer, you may find a few interesting pieces (a railway maul, 14lb sledge and grubbing mattock don't fit)

Yup, oak is a pain, leave it to skilled professionals like "Alan acorn-man Grainger" (Yorkshire school) who adzed the finish on our furniture including this corner cabinet

@Jolly
Does replacing a knackered hammer handle count? Are they adaptability or simply old country folk skills?

So I have 35yr old Alec Tiranti lump hammer, only 2lb but with a short handle has an easy feel and so used for a lot... except for what it is still sold as, a marble and stone carving hammer to chip chip chip.

Anyway the twist is, I adapted a chisel handle (a long, ash, double hooped wood-turning chisel handle bought about 30 years ago).

Cut off the larger end hoop and shaped the handle; first re-fitted the large hoop tight, then head with wood & metal wedges.

New handle is nicer in hand than the original

https://bsky.app/profile/out5p0ken.bsky.social/post/3lmgq5l2chs2j

Nationalisation a serious option

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/pm-all-options-on-table-for-british-steel-amid-calls-for-nationalisation-b1221382.html

@Jolly

After the monumental backdown of Trump(CF) I'm not even sure if your questions are relevant. He'll negotiate with China in some way.

But China can just sell their stuff cheaper to other countries (predicted for the UK soon) and source imports from places other than US.

China may struggle, but it has a huge domestic market, the communist regime will rubber stamp anything, and the people will bear-with. Long term:

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/china-trump-tariffs-threat-response-b2729350.html

How are the farmers
of America taking this?
Are they more likely to plant crops or sell their machines?

E.g. China has been stockpiling soybeans, and Brazil is an alternative supplier. Chinese import tax on US soybeans is now 104% ?