Tag Archives: wow thats expensive

ZT

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I mentioned back in December that I commissioned Zombie Tools to do a couple knives for me. As with anything that is custom, there’s a bit of a wait. It was rewarded today. One of the things that added to the wait time was that I wanted (and paid for) different grips and finish than what they usually offer.

Years ago, when I was a teen, I used to stay up late and watch the rather bad “War Of The Worlds” television series. A mostly forgettable show but something that stood out for me was one of the characters (played by future ‘Predator’ trophy Richard Chaves) had a very distinctive knife that I thought was very cool.

Once Al Gore invented the internet,  I was able to research it and see it was a Crain-designed knife that was called the “Battle Baton”. Licensed copies were made and they’re out there for sale.

Battle Baton by Crain for “War Of The Worlds”

Not sure what I liked about it. Probably its Roman legionnaire vibe it gave off. I never thought about really getting one, bit I liked the look of it. And then Zombie Tools, a local business, came out with their Centurion dagger:

Zombie Tools Centurion dagger

You can see the similarities, yes? Because I am an evil yuppie survivalist (Translation: someone who has a real job and doesn’t live in a van down by the river desert), I could ask for, and pay for, a few personal touches. Not a fan of the acid washed look, so satin finish please. Not caring for the aluminum-n-leather grip, so some green laminate please. And, while we’re spending money, perhaps a little personal touch of engraving. Mkay, thx.

Thus, we get this:

Glock 17 for scaleI am pleased. I don’t mind paying a lot of money if I get exactly what I want. This pretty much is exactly what I wanted. Practicality? Well, when the stores stop selling 9mm, or the zombies finally arrive, then this thing might prove its worth. But, for now, it’s like my BBQ gun…its something I have for no other reason except that I wanted it.

And..uhm…I may have put in an order while I was there for it’s big brother.

I have to hand it to the ZT guys… I know that custom stuff can be a pain to do. That’s why I expect to pay more. But they did a lovely job and I like my rather two-of-a-kind purchase. (The other one is a gift to someone I know.)

I expect the next order to be ready around May. We shall see. (And I really want them to make me a mek’leth.)

 

 

Surreal estate: $2m bunker

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In all fairness, this is one of the more nice bunker conversions I’ve seen. But, still, two million bucks is a lot of money. On the other hand, you can ride out a lot of apocalypse in this thing….

Originally constructed in the 1960s at a cost of $4.5 million, an equivalent value today exceeding $34 million, this bunker represents the pinnacle of security and resilience.Its features include formidable 2.5-foot-thick concrete walls, additional layers of earth, EMP-resistant copper shielding, & 2 massive 3,000 pound blast doors.

Inside, the bunker has been meticulously transformed into a luxurious living space spanning two levels.It boasts a modern kitchen, two bathrooms, a spacious living room, and adaptable bedroom arrangements . Complementing these features are amenities such as a gym, a soundproof music studio with recording facilities, a theater room complete with a pool table, an expansive glass blowing studio, and a generous recreation area with soaring 16-foot high ceilings.

One of its standout attributes is self-sufficiency, with a private water well, a new pump, and a substantial 10,000-gallon stainless steel water storage tank, all seamlessly connected to an Aquasana Water Filtration System.The bunker is equipped with an emergency escape hatch and a towering 177-ft communication tower.

It’s cool, no two ways about it. But I’m loathe to live a life where sewage has to be pumped up…I think I’d prefer an above-ground earth-bermed bunker just to avoid having to fight gravity on things like that.

Filed under Harder Homes And Gardens…

BBQ/Hero Gun – Part II

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Well, what have we here….Ah, thats right…its the decorative gunleather I had made for the equally decorative BBQ gun. Well, let’s open the box and see what an embarrassingly large amount of money gets you:

Not gonna lie, I opened the box, pulled away the packing papers, and literally exclaimed “Wow!”. It’s a nice bit of work, I gotta say.

Only needs two things now: custom grips, and an occasion where I can wear this thing.

Big Barretts Bring Bellowing Booms

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Ok, I’ll admit that I was so wrapped up in wondering what it would be like to fire the M82A1 that I may have forgotten to take into consideration  little details like, oh, muzzle blast.

And what would happen to anything I left on the shooting table I was shooting from.

The good news is, Otterbox protective cases did a fine job protecting my phone as it, my targets, a few boxes of ammo, a full Nalgene bottle, and an iced coffee were suddenly accelerated to near-c velocity.

Lesson learned: clear off the shooting bench.

Recoil was not as bad as I thought it was going to be but, great googlymoogly, plan on being in the eye of the hurricane as everything around you and the gun becomes a blur. And double up on ear pro.

Do you have any idea what it feels like to try and sight in a rifle when every time you pull the trigger it’s around $4?

I sorely need to reload for this beast but I can see the bottleneck will be….no surprise….primers.

Also, there will be a second Barrett, an M99, at some point. One Barrett for busting up things, and one Barrett for more precise shooting.

And, yes, it was a show stopper at the range.

Radio active

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I’d been wanting an Icom-7200 for a while…so long a while, in fact, that the 7200 has been discontinued. Sure I can find them used but I really hate buying a product that is used unless I am intimately familiar with how it works and how to check it out to make sure it works. This is why, normally, I have no problem with used guns…Im familiar enough with thundertoys that I can tell fairly readily if a used gun is good or if its someones problem child.

The Icom-7200 was supplanted by the Icom-7300. Ok, thats at least 100 better than the 7200, right? Let’s order one up.

It’ll be here later in the week. I already have a power supply and cable for it, but I need to figure out an antennae (a word I can never spell right on the first go) for it. At the moment, I’ve no interest in transmitting…but I have a keen interest in listening.

As was said in Alas Babylon, “But Sam Hazzard’s principal hobby was listening to shortwave radio. He was not a ham operator. He had no transmitter. He listened. He did not chatter. He monitored the military frequencies and the foreign broadcasts and, with his enormous background of military and political knowledge, he kept pace with the world outside Fort Repose. Sometimes, perhaps, he was a bit ahead of everyone.”

My interest is in listening…taking in whats out there, examining it, and using that information as necessary. Maybe down the line I’d have need to send rather than receive, but for now I simply want to listen. And, yes, I need to get the license to transmit but thats a project for later.

If anyone has suggestions (and links) on the subject, I’d be very interested.