Walt's Corner

I subscribe to this email service called BookBub. It provides me a listing of books available that are usually on sale and tailored to my liking. Most of these books are on sale at a couple to a few dollars. I’ll go ahead and buy it just so I’ll have another book to choose from the next time I finish whatever book I’m currently reading.

This can also be a tool for authors to use. They can pay to have their books curated to a massive audience who are looking for that genre of book. So subscribe to BookBub. Fill your kindle up for cheap before you know it.

This morning, THE DEVIL WITHIN US ALL caught my attention. It was on sale for a buck. Clicked on it which brought me to the amazon page to buy it. Spent the better part of a minute trying to figure out how to buy it. Then I saw the clues. I had already purchased this book – over 2 years ago. Oops!

When I look at my kindle and all the books I have already bought and have not read yet, the total count is over 120. I read, on average, 15-21 books per year, therefore I should be set for the next 10 years, on top of the regular new books I buy from my favorite authors.

I was planning to mention what I am currently reading next, but I think I’ll just post another article with that.

If you have followed this blog for a while, you probably know I’m a sucka for a nice razor. The CYGNUS razor from Phoenix Shaving is no exception. I’ve been using it for a week now and I can honestly say this is by far the easiest, closest shave I have ever experienced. Being made from a solid bar of copper and some FDA approved Acetal Copolymer here in the old U. S. of A., it does carry a higher-than-average price tag. My advice – if you can afford it, snatch it up now! Who knows how long it will stay in stock. As I’m writing this I’m told by someone in-the-know that only a few remain.

I won’t bore you with an in-depth look into the specs. Rather, I’ll just show what the website says. All accurate and pretty dang clear. No need to expound.

Let’s get into the experience. When you hold this razor in your hand, you know immediately that what you are holding on to is no ordinary razor. This is quality and precision. Machined down to a 6-sided half-inch rod, this will nicely nestle into a half-inch socket. Nice to know if you want to concoct some home-made stand to proudly display this expertly crafted safety razor. A diamond pattern cut up and down all sides provide an excellent grip. And you will need a grip. Trust me, you do not want this to fall onto your tile floor. You just may chip the floor.

CYGNUS falls into the standard 3-piece razor – handle, baseplate, and cap. The copper handle and cap are a matte finish. You can bet this will create a unique patina over time. I’m looking forward to seeing how mine develops. It comes neatly packaged including a couple packs of Phoenix Shaving’s own Strangelet branded blades. First time using these blades and they are impressive. I would put them up there at almost Feather quality, if you know Feather.

The copper transfers heat very well and when coupled with a hot scuttle, you get an amazing temperature experience to go along with a great shave. Speaking of the shave, this is hands-down my best. Two passes. With and against the grain. Done. No nicks or scrapes. BBS or DFS, whatever you want to call it. I usually need three passes to that BBS. So not only do I get a BBS, but I get it done in two thirds the time it usually takes. My time is particularly important to me in the mornings before work.

I had consistent results all week long. Five times with the same blade (turned over after the third time). Today I threw in an RK and had nearly the same results as the Strangelet. Nearly. Towards the end of the week I’ll swap that out with a Feather and see how that Stranglet stands up.

I had this old brass Zippo lighter laying around. Getting a patina. You know, when the oils form your skin, air pollutants, moisture, and age make that shiny brass or copper discolor. Sometimes it looks good. Sometimes not so much. I recently saw a picture from someone who had made their Zippo lighter form an amazing turquoise-blue patina. I had to try this.

With a little research, I found that people make these ammonia and salt boxes and suspend various brass or copper parts inside while spritzing with ammonia and sprinkling salt on the metal. Repeat that spritzing process every couple hours. The longer you do this, the more of a patina that develops. There are all sorts of ways to do this, but I settled on this method here. If you’re not interested in knowing how I did it, you can quit reading here and just admire the photos. This is one gorgeous lighter. This is the only one like it.

First, I prepared my box by spreading out some paper towels along the bottom and spraying some ammonia on the paper towels. Not enough to permeate the towels and have standing liquid in the bottom, but a good amount – soaked without dripping. Next I sprinkled some regular old table salt on the towels. Maybe a couple tablespoons full. Finally, I put a hole on opposite sides of the container and strung some wire across with a little bit of slack to it. This will suspend the lighter inside the container preventing the lighter from touching the top, bottom, or sides.

Now that my box was prepared, I took some 400 grit sandpaper to the lighter shell and made it all shiny again. Washed it. At this point I put my gloves on so I could handle the lighter while spraying with ammonia. I suspended the lighter on over the wire, spritzed it with more ammonia and generously sprinkled some table salt directly onto the lighter. All sides.

Every 3 hours I spritzed the lighter again with the ammonia. I sprinkled table salt on the lighter one more time – the 3rd spritz. I did that overnight and then let it sit in the box the next day undisturbed. Dinner time I opened the box and let it all dry overnight. That following evening I sprayed about 5 layers of Rustoleum Lacquer over it. What you see as the featured picture (up top) is the final result. At this point I could take some 1000 grit sandpaper to it and wet sand it. Not sure if I’ll do that or not. I’m pretty pleased with the way it is now.

As is our tradition, we spent a week of Christmas at our favorite location – Big Bend Ranch State Park. The interior main road was worse than usual due to the summer storms of 2025, but we made it to our spot, roughly 12 miles from turning off FM170 just outside Presidio, in an hour and 45 minutes. Those were a slow, grueling 12 miles.

Whenever we are in the interior of the park we have to visit our favorite trail there, Ojito Adentro Trail. It starts as your typical rocky desert trail but then takes you down into a riparian canyon that ends in a fantastic world of vibrant green where there is a spring and waterdrip. Definitely not a waterfall. The part of the trail that transitions from the desert to the lucious greenscape was also hit hard by them storms with large trees uprooted and strewn across the trail.

Our water pump went out on our first night. Fortunately, I had a spare and was an easy swap. Last time it went out was also on a Big Bend Ranch State Park annual trip, 2018 or 19. Once we returned I ordered an other one to have on hand. Just like last time, there were no signs it was about to go out. It just quit while I was brushing my teeth for the night.

This year’s commemorative Zippo I had made from our vacation turned out really well. A picture from one of our quiet evenings next to a campfire, showcasing the Van Winkle Lot B bottle I got from Mary, windmill in the background, and classic kerosene lantern. Every evening was spent just like that.

This was our 250th place (Presidio on December 20) and 251st place at Rancho Viejo in this 2015.5 Lance 1995. No generators allowed, but our 200 LiFe battery and 4 roof-mounted panels keep us up to power. Even enough to run our inverter for the crock pot roast Christmas dinner. Until next year, Big Bend Ranch. Gonna miss you.

I had intended for this to be part of a previous post, New Year New Whiskey, but that was getting a little long in the tooth for a simple article so I branched it off into a this one.

Much like my food, whiskey will fall into one of 3 categories.

Category 1 – I Love This Shit! I’m definitely buying it again! In fact, I may only buy this for the rest of my life.

Category 2 – It didn’t make me gag. It was good. Palatable. But you know what? I’d rather spend equal to less money on that bottle of Weller’s Special Reserve, or that bottle of Evan William’s BiB. I will not be rushing out to buy another bottle but I’m glad I tried it. This is where most bottles that I buy these days fall into. Good stuff, I don’t regret buying it, but I’d enjoy something else just as much or more. I’ve bought enough bottles of these over the last 10 years to stop buying every new brand on the market.

Category 3 – That made me gag. I regret my purchase. Ain’t no way I’m buying that bottle again. Ever. Those bottles end up going to someone else who can appreciate it the way it was meant to be. In all seriousness, I have never gagged on a whiskey. I’m just being a drama queen. But you get the point. Meh. It tasted of whiskey, just not like any whiskey I appreciate.

A Perfect Example

As I’m finishing up this post, I’m sipping on a pour of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Heritage Barrel (100 proof). I’m somewhat of a Jack Daniel’s whore. Love Old No. 7 for when I want that classic Jack flavor without the high octane. Love me some Jack Bonded and my favorite is the Single Barrel, Barrel Proof. I had my first opportunity to buy the Single Barrel, Heritage Barrel today and I did. 100 Proof. Aged 7 years (min) in a special location. Extra toasted barrel. $69.

Category 2. Good stuff. But if I had to choose again and some of my Barrel Proof is sitting there next to it for $55? Or some Bonded for $37? It’s gonna be Barrel Proof or Bonded all night long.