News Ticker

Articles by Carolyn Donovan and Wan Chi Lau

Schaaf Wood Carving Tools: FirstLook

October 27, 2024 // 0 Comments

During our summer vacation we completed a project we began quite a while back: we decorated the post we made for our mat cutting practice by carving a dragon pattern into it. [...]

Oreck XL Vacuum: DIY repair

October 20, 2024 // 0 Comments

We have had an Oreck vacuum cleaner since 2005. The machine is light-weight, easy to maneuver, and has powerful suction. It is also quiet, works well on bare and carpeted [...]

DJI Neo : FirstLook

October 13, 2024 // 0 Comments

We looked at quadcopters—what we all call “drones”—back in 2005 and again in 2012. They were…interesting, but required too much user interaction to be [...]

The Galobart Books: Codex Madrid I

October 6, 2024 // 0 Comments

Leonardo di Vinci’s works, paintings, and inventions have fascinated the world, inspired generations of engineers, and had long ago captivated our imagination. We have [...]

COFB X-Pak EVO Sling Pack: FirstLook

September 29, 2024 // 0 Comments

A backpack is something everyone is familiar with, has used, and probably owns more than one. We certainly have reviewed many over the years, our favorites being from Tom [...]

Birding Gear : BlackRapid FirstLook/FirstUse

September 22, 2024 // 0 Comments

A few months ago, we took a look at the way we transported the Nikkor 200-500mm lens when we birded (yes, it’s a verb). In that post, we gave a quick mention to two [...]

Tameshigiri Series: FirstCuts

September 15, 2024 // 0 Comments

In recent posts to our Tameshigiri series, we showed the carving of the cutting post and the rolling of the tatami mats. With those tasks completed, the remaining two tasks [...]

Tameshigiri Series: Rolling the mats

September 8, 2024 // 0 Comments

In the previous installment of the Tameshigiri Series, we showed how we made the post for holding a rolled-up tatami mat for cutting. In this installment, we will detail [...]

Tameshigiri Series: Cutting Post

September 1, 2024 // 0 Comments

In 2012 Gleason Sensei briefly considered adding a “live blade” session to Shobu Aikido’s program. His intent was to give his students the opportunity to [...]

NOT Oakley X-Metal Collection: Mars Leather

August 4, 2024 // 0 Comments

We have a couple of pairs of Oakley sunglasses (Juliet, Madman) in our collection. Oakley glasses are instantly recognizable to those who know their X-Metal line. They are [...]
1 2 3 4 20