Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Curious Case of the Commercial Umbilical Strengths?

Better said, "Who knows what they will actually hold?"



I guess I am not surprised when I look at the inability of Petzl to have aconsistentumbilical attachment point incorporated into all their technicaltools. Whilein comparison,BDbuilds and then load tests theirs to 1500# or better. Of course neither theirumbilical or anyone leashes will take 1500#. Grivel?They want you totie into a plastic part on some of their tools! The rest of the tool business? It isno better or worse.



Just a small case study of the extremes in the ice climbing equipment world.



Why we as a climbing communityput up with this kind of nonsense is truly stupefyinghowever.



From Left to right:

BD Sprinner leash, old style Grivel Spring leash and a Metolius FS Mini Wiregate









BD flat steel mini biner is good for 1500# or more but 2Kn (450#) rated by the UIAA tag on 13mm (1/2"?) tube webbing. (1/2" nylon tube was rated @ 1800# in the old Chouinard catalog)



Th nylon webbing is likely to always be the weak link on any umbilical.



2kn is the UIAA requirement for leashes. What the hell are they thinking when they write that kind of requirement when it gets applied to umbilicals?



Black Diamond sez:



"Just tested this to 800lbs (single leg of the Spinner leash). No damage to the 4mm cord or our steel clip (production quality with more tumbling to the part); the bungee webbing breaks first. Then pull tested our steel biner clipped to 5mm cord, this went to 1600lbs before the cord broke."



More? This after my earlier comments about umbilicals "being fashionable" and not being designed specifically for the use.



"The steel clip on the spinner leash is anything but fashionable. If I made it out of aluminum it would be a lot lighter and weaker (hence more fashionable), and if I made the gate opening smaller and the gate shorter, it would be a lot stiffer for a given diameter of wire. The strength of that clip is somewhere north of 3000lbs (I don't know how strong it really is because everything I have tested it with broke first) ."



Of course no accounting for the fact that the BD Spinner leashes have the nasty and well know habit of popping off at any given moment.



Grivel flat aluminum biner is stamped "3Kn" (675#) on 16mm (9/16"?) tube webbing (9/16" tube was rated @ 2800# in the old Chouinard catalog)



I've no clue what the Grivel is actually good tostrength wise. But the same binerwas soldas a key chain holder. I have blown the sheath on 4mm cord connecting a single side strand of the Grivel. Biner and webbing seem unharmed. So better than the 3Kn that is stamped in the Grivel biner I suspect. Grivel went to a mini locking boner early on. They might be on to something since Grivel was the first company to offer a commercial umbilical.



Metolius FS Mini Wiregatebiner is engraved is 22Kn (4950#) and a good bit heavier and bigger physically in every way as well.



By the "feel" of it the original Grivel wire gate biner (2.5mm wire) has at least twice the gate opening resistance as the BD (2.4mm wire) and easily 3 times the opening resistance of the Metolius mini biner (2.2mm wire).



Some of thisgoes right along with plastic racking biners (that break or open consistently enough todrop racks)and umbilicals that areonly requiredto take a 450# load by the UIAA requirement. That as we all know, on occasion, are required to catch full size falling bodies. What the hell isthe UIAAthinking?How about a designand strength requirements that incorporates the actual use?



Umbilicals have been in use at least 30 years now in the ice climbing community. This isn't a new idea or use.Umbilicals were pullingthe spikes through water rotted laminated bamboo on Chouinard Zeros back then. May be it is about time the rest of the world catches up with what we actually do require.

Upper Meadow Project




Winter is our favorite season here in the Laurel Highlands.
Laura and I spent a wonderful snow filled day at Upper Meadow Run in Ohiopyle State Park. It was my day to pick where I wanted to work out and Laura was my belayer. I decided to spend a little time working on the project that was bolted last year. After it was equipped I spent 2 or 3 days working on it, until the pillar fell and it went out of condition. This season I've spent one day on it about a week ago, but didn't have much success. It was like being on it for the first time again. I had to refamiliarize myself with the moves, which was a workout in itself.



Here's the route description:It begins with about 15' of ice and dry tool moves to the roof. From the roof you work horizontal about 20' while moving up about 5' clipping as many bolts as you can along the way. From there you exit out the cave onto the largest free standing ice pillar and climb it to the anchors at the trees. Sounds easy enough...



I can't remember, but it takes either 6 or 7 draws and an optional ice screw. All of the draws are now prehung, except for the first and last. Its a pretty strenuous climb (at least for me) and has yet to see an ascent. Todays session went much better than the last. I managed to link the line together in about 3 goes and felt better now knowing most of the moves. Laura did a great job keeping me moving while on the route. She was giving me the encouragement only she knows how. While resting between goes, the large falling snowflakes made for an incredible view. The landscape turned white and fresh throughout the day which was a nice contrast to what started out as a drab and overcast day. Sorry "butt" our climbing shots weren't that good since it was just the two of us today. You'll have to be amused by what we did get. Happy climbing!






checking out the view



Eyes closed flipping a tool around? Not good sending technique.



Starting out into the upside down



in the middle somewhere



Exiting and happy to be on ice...



L found these critters crawling around the ice



Laura killing time between laps



Laura standing beside the pillar that the route finishes on





Laura walking back to the car after our fun day!

The Toadstools


































We had planned on camping last night but thanks to the rain and high wind from the thunderstorms we instead decided to stay at a motel in Kanab, Utah.Since we werein Kanab, we figured we would head over to the BLM visitor center in the morning and sign up for the daily lottery to try and win a spot for a hike to "The Wave" (google "The Wave" and you'll see how cool this area is). Basically, because The Wave is in a designated wilderness area, access is strictly controlled by the BLM. Each day they allow only20 people to hike to The Wave. 10 of these spaces are reservable online 4 months ahead of time and 10 spaces are given away each day in a "lottery". So, basically, you go to the visitor center in the morning and sign up, then wait as they literally conduct a lottery using bingo balls. You are assigned a number that corresponds to one of the bingo balls, and they spin the balls in a cage. If your number pops up, you get to do the hike the following day. There were 108 people signed up for the lottery the day we were there, so needless to say, our chances weren't very good and we didn't get a spot. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of other cool things to see and do in the area and we already had a backup plan in place.







































After the lottery let-down, we hopped back in the truck and headed east towards Page, Arizona. Along the way was the first hike in our back-up plan, an easy walk to an area known as "The Toadstools". This certainly was an easy walk, much less strenuous than most of the hikes we've done on the trip so far. It was not quite a mile from the parking area to the Toadstools area, and it was pretty much a flat hike. In case you're wondering, a "toadstool", according to the park literature,is "a spire-like feature with a boulder perched atop a pedestal rock, like a mushroom. It forms when softer rock erodes away, leaving a column sheltered from the wind and water." We had a great time exploring the Toadstool area and as the norm has been the past few days, we had beautiful clouds which made for great pictures!

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Paris Recap

Our TGV ride back to Paris went off without a hitch, and we took the metro back to our hotel. (The same one we stayed in earlier.) We wandered about a bit to look for Le Maison du Chocolat, a famous Chocolate shop. On the way there we went into the Bon Marche a large high end department store. After only a few minutes, we felt out of place and exited the Bon Marche. We finally found Le Maison du Chocolat and purchased a few items before starting to make our way back to the hotel. On the way, we passed Napoleon's tomb and we visited the Eiffel Tower one more time. We went to dinner for a final time and had a nice meal before taking a stroll back to the hotel.

Napoleon's tomb

Au revoir Paris

In the morning we ate breakfast at the hotel, and then headed to the airport.

Overall we had a great time on this trip. We enjoyed Paris, but it reminded me just how many people in Europe smoke. (It seemed like 80% of people over age 12 in Paris.) It has been a while since I've been to Manhattan, but Paris seemed dirtier. Most likely due to people not picking up after their dogs. (In defense of Paris, they encourage street disposal of garbage like cigarette butts into the gutter where they are washed into the sewers daily.) However the air was warm and humid and left me feeling dirty every day. It took some getting used to opening the doors yourself on the metro as well, but these are quirks that are enjoyable about traveling. At first in Paris we were very shy about talking to people and we got better throughout the trip as well. There are plenty of world class museums in Paris and lots of interesting things to do. We mostly stuck to the touristy things, but those can be fun too.

Alsace was a nice change from Paris as it was small towns and cooler temps. (At least they felt cooler.) It was fun to start sampling regional cuisine and get out on bicycles. It was a wonderful experience staying in the Medieval town and in an old building as well.

Burgundy was fun too. We were hoping to have more time, but the train mishap killed that time for us. Another bike ride to vineyards was scheduled, but we had to drop it. If we were going back to France, we'd hit the dining scene in Lyon more and give Lyon a second chance as well.

What can I say about Chamonix? I could live there. Well, except for the alpinism as fashion thing. Way too many people walking around the village in mountain boots and action pants. They aren't wearing backpacks, so theoretically they could have changed into more comfortable shoes (and pants) where they left their backpack. It is like people who leave their ski lift tickets on their jackets. That style sort of irked me, but the town is nice even with its limited options.

Provence was pretty great too. Unfortunately due to the holiday, we kept our Provencal excursions to a minimum. This meant we did not make it to the French Riviera which was on our list. I am also bummed about not getting to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Oh well, I guess there is next time. Dining in Provence gave us more access to vegetables which seemed lacking during most of our meals farther north.

We also were unable to fit in a viewing of Le Tour. This is mostly because we planned last minute and bookings were hard to come by. But also because we planned our itinerary to be almost opposite of where the tour was. We were in Colmar a week before the tour was supposed to visit, and we really hoped to watch it on TV when we got back home, but you need cable to watch the tour. Oh well. This is one reason I would consider going back during high tourist season.

We had lots of great food on the trip as well. However, I (being from the NE USA) am not used to the slow eating. Sitting down to eat would mean at least and hour and a half of restaurant time. The only way to eat quickly, which is what Jennifer and I did was to buy a baguette and cheese and eat it in the park. It is also quite difficult for Jennifer as a vegetarian in France. Fortunately she eats fish, but there are not a whole lot of main courses that don't involve meats. Some restaurants we had to seek out because they had vegetarian options. Others had noticeable vegetarian options so we chose those. It did mean we didn't always get to eat where I would like to, but compromises need to be made. France is also great for the ability to eat outdoors. I think we ate inside only three times on the trip (not including trains.) This made for some enjoyable dining. Except for when smokers would sit at the table next to you. So if you wanted to avoid smoke it made sense to eat indoors.

Our train travels and limited French vocabulary also made the trip interesting. Although it made us discuss entering The Amazing Race a bit more every time we traveled. We had a lot of fun overcoming the adversity and it made us stronger. Neither of us ever got frustrated to the point of being un-fun. (Although I was close with the unadvertised closing of the line that went to Versailles.)

Attempting to speak French was also a funny experience too. I had a few classes about 5 years ago before moving to Seattle, Jennifer actually got to finish the class, and had previous Spanish lessons, so I thought she would be better. But she often confused Spanish words with French words, while my French made me feel like I was fluent in German. (Which I am NOT.) We got by and had some fun with most people who did not speak English.

On that note, the people were very pleasant in France. There was really only one incident that is not indicative of society that stood out. We were walking down a street and a homeless Parisian man mumbled some angry stuff at me and then spit in my general direction. I am not sure that had anything to do with me being a foreigner as he may not have know that. Many times we would order from menus or ask for tickets at a museum and get replied to in French. Although I did ask for a map at Versailles (in French) and was asked if I wanted the English version of the map. (I'm sure my pronunciation is terrible for most things.) It was nice to know we could get by with our limited language skills.

Jennifer really enjoyed the trip as it was her first time off the continent of North America. Every place we went was new and exciting to her, and she always said we should have spent more time there. She had a lot of fun and it was her first time seeing, touching, and being in human structures that were 400+ years old.

It was overall a fun trip, and one that I wouldn't mind duplicating in a different country. Although I am not a big fan of going during high season because of the crowds and the costs. There are advantages though which was more festivals, special events etc. happen during the tourist season. But in the future we will have more time to plan. For now, I am glad to be back home in the Cascades.

Retrovelo Paula (Thou Shalt Not Covet!)

I have been dying to see Anna's new Retrovelo Paula, but ever since my arrival in Vienna circumstances conspired against it. Finally, we arranged to get together a couple of days ago. We planned to meet by the river for an elaborate photoshoot, naïvely expecting the warm spring days of the past couple of weeks to continue. Alas, the weather here has turned absolutely horrid - freezing temperatures and icy gusts of wind. We abandoned the riverfront idea and instead met near Anna's university department. It was so cold that we barely managed to take a few pictures before seeking refuge indoors. For what it's worth, here they are:

Anna and the Retrovelo Paula by the Goat Statue outside her department at the University of Vienna. The bicycle frame is what Retrovelo calls "pigeon blue", with cream Schwalbe Fat Frank tires. I have to say that the bicycle is difficult to photograph and I almost feel bad posting these pictures here, because in person it looks so much prettier. I was simply speechless when I saw it.

"Pigeon blue" is a soft powdery French blue that goes perfectly with the cream tires. If you ask me, the loop frame Retrovelos are much more attractive that the diamond frame version. I like this bicycle soooo much better than the Paul we tried last November.

Closeup of the fenders, tires and my favourite part - the triple-plate fork crown. Yum.

Despite still being in pain from my injuries, I obviously had to try the bike. I rode it briefly on the campus path, and I must say it is spectacular. I liked the ride better than any of the Dutch bikes I have tried so far (Azor, Gazelle and Batavus) - mainly because it is just as comfortable while being considerably sportier and easier to handle at slow speeds. And possibly I liked it a bit better than my Pashley. The seat post is more slack than on the Pashley and at the same time the Paula seemed faster to accelerate at slow speeds. I can't jump to conclusions after such a short test ride, but this was my initial impression. I must admit that I had a serious case of bike envy after riding the Paula.

In honor of meeting Paula, I wore matching tights - which she liked very much.
On this picture you can see the hubs, chainguard, rear rack and tail light (which is dynamo-operated, like the headlight). I love the rear rack design, and it looks even nicer on loop frame models than it does on the diamond frame. It would be very easy to install a dressguard on this bicycle, but I am not so sure how easy it would be to find a full chaincase to match. If Retrovelo offered a chaincase to go with these bicycles, it would be much appreciated.

In general, while the specs on this bike are pretty much identical to the Paul reviewed here, the overall impression is completely different (nicer!). All in all, it is a bit of an overload on the "stunning" scale. I can only imagine how I would react if I saw this bike in my favourite green-gray colour, which is also one of their standard options. No, better not think about it!

After our faces and fingers went completely numb, Anna carried Paula up the stairs into her department building and we all paid her office a visit.

Amazingly, all three of us fit into the tiny elevator.

Paula was kind enough to wait in the storage room while Anna and I had coffee in the downstairs cafe and recovered from the freezing cold. We had a nice time and it was good to see Anna again... but the downside is that I now covet her bike. Shame on me!

Velo Inventory

Sometimes I am asked how many bicycles I have and what is the function of each. As we are building up my custom Royal H. mixte, I have been giving this some thought. I do not want to have redundant bikes and therefore I need to make some decisions. So here is my velo-inventory for the world to see - and pass harsh judgment upon, if so desired.



Pashley Princess Sovereign (Eustacia Vye)



used as:
a transport bike

age: made in

unique? No. My vintage Raleigh performs the same role.

pros and cons? Pros: very stable and great in bad weather. Cons: very heavy and more sluggish than my vintage Raleigh.



Raleigh DL-1 Lady Tourist (Velouria)



used as: a transport bike

age: made in 1973

unique? No. My Pashley Princess performs the same role.

pros and cons? Pros: As fast and nimble as this kind of bike can possibly be. Cons: It is old and I am afraid to rely on it as my only transport bike.





Rivendell Sam Hillborne (Graham Greene)



used as: a road and touring bike

age: made in

unique? Yes. I have no other bike like this.

pros and cons? Pros: A fast and extremely comfortable bike for road cycling. Cons: none.



Mercier Mixte (Suzanne)



used as: an errand bike to keep in my photography studio (which is in another town) for running local errands

age: made in the late 1960's or early 1970's

unique? No. My Motobecane Mirage mixte could take its place.

pros and cons? Pros: makes a great errand bike. Cons: It is old and ever-so-slightly too small for me.



Motobecane Mirage Mixte (Marianne)



used as: A light touring bike when I want to be upright, yet go fast-ish and climb hills

age: made in 1981

unique? No. My new custom mixte will make it redundant.

pros and cons? Pros: It is pretty, but not a rare or high-end bike; can lock it up and not worry. Cons: It is too aggressive for its purpose; not a comfortable bike.



Royal H. Mixte (not yet built up or named)



(will be) used as: a light touring bike when I want to be upright, yet go fast-ish and climb hills

age: frame built in

unique? No. The vintage Motobecane already serves the same function.

pros and cons? Pros: Hopefully, when all built up it will be perfect. Cons: I will be afraid to lock it up and leave it unattended anywhere.



So there you have it, my inventory to date. As you can see, I "only" have 5 bikes so far, which I do not think is too insane. Okay, and a 6th one being built up. Still not totally bonkers, right?..



In terms of bikes performing overlapping roles, there are two major redundancies: the Pashley vs the vintage Raleigh, and the Royal H. mixte vs. the vintage Motobecane. The redundancies bother me, and I would like to have only one bike in each category. This would mean either selling whichever bike is redundant, or repurposing them in some way. Not at all sure what I will do yet regarding the Pashley vs Raleigh conflict. As for the vintage Motobecane mixte, she is currently in the process of being saved from elimination (or being butchered, depending on your perspective). God, I guess I do have too many bikes!

Monday, August 24, 2015

Gritty to Pretty: the Lovely Donation Bike!

Refurbished Shogun 400I am pleased to report that the refurbished vintage donation touring bike - also known as "the roadbike for women who fear roadbikes" - is ready! As often happens with these things, the project took longer than I anticipated. In the end we did not have time to put the bicycle together ourselves, and I entrusted the job to the saintly Jim at Harris Cyclery - which contributed the labor pro bono and donated the remaining parts my build was missing, thus becoming a sponsor of this project along with Velo Orange. My sincere thanks to them, as well as to all readers who contributed parts and funds to this effort. This is not yet the official give-away announcement, as I first wanted to show off some pictures and describe the bicycle in detail. I hope you like it!

Refurbished Shogun 400So what exactly is this bicycle... It began as a vintage Shogun 400 touring bike that looked like this when I picked it up, but has been rebuilt from the frame up. When I spotted the original bike, I immediately thought it had potential. The early '80s Japanese cro-moly frame with relaxed geometry promised a comfortable, "Rivendell-esque" ride. And, despite the fairly small size (52cm), it looked like there would be no toe overlap, even with fenders. As many know, it is extremely difficult to find a roadbike in a small size, with relaxed geometry and no toe overlap - be it modern or vintage - which is what makes some of these unassuming vintage Japanese frames special. My idea was to start with such a frame and build it up with comfortable, functional components - ending up with an unintimidating "starter" roadbike that a beginner would be able to learn on without undue nervousness or discomfort.

Refurbished Shogun, Nitto Randonneuring BarsThe biggest priority was the handlebar set-up. When women tell me they cannot ride vintage roadbikes, much of the time this turns out to be because the handlebars are uncomfortable - lacking a sufficient "shoulder" area. Those who are new to drop bars often assume that they are all the same, but in fact there are dozens of models, with subtle variations in shape. I chose theNitto Randonneur handlebars for this bike, which have long, flat "shoulders" and a slight, ergonomic flare to them that most cyclists find extremely comfortable, particularly on long rides.



Refurbished Shogun, Tektro Brake LeversI also chose modernTektroshort-reach brake levers, which are easy to squeeze from the top, even for those with weak hands.



Refurbished Shogun, Silver Bar-End ShiftersFinally, I chose Silver bar-end shifters, which are much, much easier to use than downtube shifters and less awkward than stem shifters.



Refurbished Shogun, VO Bar TapeThe leather handlebar tape is by Velo Orange. I had never tried it before and was glad to discover that it has a softer, more matte texture to it that Brooks leather tape (which I personally find a little too slippery).



Refurbished Shogun, VO SaddleVelo OrangeModel 3 touring saddle. Saddle comfort is one of these things that is different for everyone, but I have to say that (somewhat to my surprise) I found this one more comfortable than the Brooks B17s I once owned. The leather is very different from Brooks leather, and I cannot speak for its longevity or durability. But for me, there was no "breaking in" period, and no pressure on sensitive body parts. I will soon write a review of this saddle with additional details.



Refurbished Shogun, VO FendersVelo Orangehammered fenders, their pattern of indentations resembling a honeycomb. Later I will also post a comparison between the VO and Honjo versions of hammered fenders.



Refurbished Shogun, VO CranksetVelo Orange also provided the headset and their Grand Cru double crankset. It was exciting when these cranksets came out, because they are classically shaped yet affordable. Personally, I find the looks of chunkymodern cranksets rather depressing, so it's wonderful that these are an option.I have not ridden with them except during my test rides of this bike, but I welcome readers who've owned them to provide feedback. The pedals included are MKS Touring pedals, which I have on most of my bikes and love.



Refurbished Shogun, Panaracer Pasela TiresThe wheels are 27" touring wheels from the early '80s - a slightly nicer and cleaner version than the ones originally on the bike. The tires are the puncture-resistant Panaracer Pasela Tourguards. The headset, bottom bracket, chain, brakes, and front derailleur have all been replaced with modern components.



Refurbished Shogun, Original WheelsetThe rear cassette and derailleur are pretty much the only components that were left original. They are in good condition, but the downside is that the bicycle is only a 12 speed - as bikes of its era are. In order to upgrade to a cassette with more cogs, we would have needed to get modern wheels, which was beyond the scope of this project.



Refurbished Shogun 400Here is a close-up of the bicycle's colour: an unusual champagne-lilac that I personally find very attractive.



Refurbished Shogun 400The frame has been left original - frayed decals, rust spots and all - and I want to make it very clear that at heart this is still a vintage bike that looks its age, despite the updated components.



Refurbished Shogun, CarradiceI received a Rivendell "SaddleSack" as a donation from one of my readers, but I think this bike works better with a Carradice. So I will let the recipient choose - either the SaddleSack, or one of my own Carradice bags, as shown here. I will soon post a review of the SaddleSack (pictured here).



Refurbished Shogun, CarradiceAnd so that's it, in a nutshell. To my eye, this bicycle looks modestly beautiful, which is what I was aiming for. It is fairly light and is easy to carry. It is not "fast" by modern roadbike standards, so please don't expect to race or join paceline rides on it. Neither is it a bike for a tour of the Alps, since the gearing is somewhat limited by current standards. It is really meant to be a low-key, introductory roadbike for those with no athletic background, for those who want to explore nature while getting a bit of exercise, and for those who don't want to wear lycra and be all "serious" about roadcycling. If you've been unable to ride roadbikes in the past, this bike may be a good alternative to the ones you've tried. It is friendly. It is stable. There is no toe overlap. Lots of room on the handlebars for moving your hands around. Brake levers are easy to reach and easy to squeeze. Frame geometry is relaxed and won't hurt your knees.Having ridden the bike myself for a bit, it handles as comfortably and easily as I hoped. I've even ridden it in a dress and sandals, and it was great - just a really easy-going, "smell the flowers" kind of bike. Bicycles with drop bars are not for everyone - but this is as unintimidating of a way to try one as I can offer. I will announce the contest rules and timeline in the coming days, and I hope this bicycle will find the right owner.



I want to express my thanks again to Velo Orange, Harris Cyclery, and the generous readers who have contributed to this project: Justine, G.E., Neighbourtease, Spindizzy, Cedar, Somervillain, and others!

A Visitor to My Campsite

Wednesday July 20, .. - - After leaving Guilford Lake and Columbiana County I leisurely drove north and west through Ohio, stopping for the night at Maumee Bay State Park a few miles east of Toledo. The temperature started out in the mid 70s and continued to climb all day long. I thought of just continuing with driving but I had already been on the road for eight hours. I was able to select my campsite at Maumee Bay State Park and found one that had a little bit of shade. It helped. A little. But the 100 degree temperature and high humidity made it very uncomfortable.



Very briefly, I thought about joining the crowds at the beach but it would have meant having to leave the van closed up in the open sun. I just didn't think it was worth it. A nice breeze would make its appearance every now and then and as the sun made its way across the sky, the shade lengthened in the campsite cooling the area off just a little.



At one point I noticed something on the picnic table nearby. I couldn't quite make out what it was and it stayed there for quite some time. Eventually, I got up and took a look and saw what it was and grabbed the camera.







Go ahead, double-click on the image to view a larger version. You know you want to. The wings are pretty amazing, so thin and delicate.



The dragonfly patiently waited while I moved in closer and closer with the camera. Finally, after half a dozen shots it jumped up, landed on my hand for an instant and was off to explore its own little universe. It was doing its job well – that of eating mosquitoes and other small bugs – so I wasn't bothered too much by them.



In between wiping the sweat (and it was sweat, not simply perspiration) off my brow (and elsewhere) I sipped a tall glass of a cool beverage and waited out the sweltering night, hoping that the next night would be just a little cooler! The temp when I crawled into the van for the night at 10:30 pm was 96 degrees. When I got up the next morning at 6:30 am it was 84 degrees. It was a rather uncomfortable night, to say the least. Not complaining. Just saying ;-)



Sunday, August 23, 2015

The Estate of Dederick Hoffman :: The Sale Bill



Sale Bill, page 1

Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..

The cover page shows that the sale bill was filed July 1st 1826.

A List of the property Sold on the 15th day of May 1826 by the Administrators of the Estate of Detrich Hoffman late of Columbiana County Deceased with the amount that the Articles was Sold for to wit






























Samuel Hoffman one Shue hammer & chisel - - 20
George Holderreed a hammer wedge & pinchers - - 38
Christian Betz one Square and hog tongs - - 16
John Beevers Mull rings and wedge - - 38
Christian Betz 2 hay forks - - 58
John Hoffman Dung fork & Shovel - - 47
Saml Hoffman Dung hook - - 50
Susanah Hoffman one Spade - - 12 1/2
Jacob Keckly one Matick - - 41
John Hoffman one axe & Bell - - 27
Saml Hoffman one bell - - 75
Thomas Minor on Do 01 00
Saml Hoffman one drawing knife - - 25
David Gearinger a lot of Augurs - - 25 1/2
Christain Betz one inch Augur - - 40
Saml Hoffman one hand Saw - - 50
Abraham Hoffman one axe 01 06 1/4
Jacob Stauffer one mans Saddle 01 01
Saml Hoffman one flax hackel - - 39
Christian Myr a curry comb - - 06 1/2
Thomas Kitch Jr one Grind Stone - - 46
Henry Bricker Jr one pair of hems [?] - - 40
Saml Hoffman one cow chain - - 14
Do Do Do Do - - 28
Do Do Do Do - - 25
Thomas Minor a halter chain & coler - - 94
Wm Baker one lot of traces chains - - 62 1/2






Sale Bill, page 2

Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..



































D C
Henry Bricker Jr Skillet & lid - - 74
Saml Hoffman one Griddle - - 30
David Gochaneur one pot - - 90
John Hoffman one Dutch oven 01 00
Frederic Betz one Dough tray - - 06 1/4
Abraham Mumert one churn - - 32
John Fry one barrel 00 04
David Gocheneur one Spinning wheel - - 79
Do Do two chairs - - 35
Saml Boots a lot of upper leather 01 02
Wm Baker one chest 01 50
Jacob Stauffer Jr one feed trough - - 26
Henry Miller 2 tow [?] bags - - 63
Saml Hoffman 2 turilled [?] bags - - 56
Abraham Mumertt Do Do - - 72
Frederic Betz one Jack Screw 03 50
Saml Hoffman one half Bushel - - 18 3/4
Jacob Roller one Riddle - - 25
John Hoffman one 12 gallon Kettle 03 12 1/2
Saml Hoffman Do Do Do 02 65
David Gocheneur one meet tub - - 57
George Holterreed one log chain 02 00
Henry Miller a lot of tin ware - - 06 1/4
David Gearinger a lot of Spoons - - 20
Henry Miller a coffee pot dish - - 14
Abraham Mumert one pair of Sheep Shears - - 37 1/2
Abraham Hoffmann a German Sermon book - - 25
Abraham Mumert a pewter Dish - - 22 1/2
Abraham Hoffman 2 German books - - 27
Saml Hoffman a German Bible - - 75






Sale Bill, page 3

Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..



































D C
Jacob Roller 8 knives - - 30
Henry Miller a tea Kettle - - 27
Christian Meese cups and Saucers - - 12 1/2
Do Do a lot of plates - - 12 1/2
Do Do a tin pan - - 18 3/4
Andrew Altman a lot of pewter - - 59
Henry Bricker Sr 7 yds of Shirting linnen 01 57 1/2
Henry Miller Do Do Do 01 82
Abraham Hoffman 8 Do Do Do 02 40
Isaac Baughman 10 yards of tow 01 82 1/2
John Hoffman 4 yds of Woollen cloth 03 00
Abraham Hoffman one coggshell - - 38
Saml Hoffman one Steelgavel 01 04
Abraham Hoffman one Rifle gun and exutrmer [?] 09 25
John Hoffman a clock and case 05 80
Micheal Frederic a Dresser 02 87 1/2
Saml Hoffman a pot tramel 62 1/2
Abraham Hoffman one mare 40 37 1/2
Christian Halderman one Sow and pigs 03 07
Henry Bricker Sr one Barrow 01 92
David Gocheneur one ew and lamb 01 94
Do Do one Do 01 31
Do Do DoDo 01 45
Samuel Hoffman one cuting Box - - 75
Jacob Keckly one windmill 05 15
George Holterreed one pidea [?] Steer 05 03
Do Do one black Do 05 00
Johnathan Tyler on Cow 10 14
John Hoffman one heiffer calf 03 25
Wm Betz two crocks 00 14






Sale Bill, page 4

Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..


































D C
Wm Betz two crocks - - 14
Wm Betz two crocks - - 12 1/2
Henry Bricker 6 lbs flax yarn - - 96
Do Do Do Do - - 96
Frederic Swarts one lot of rye 01 80
Jacob Roller Do Do 01 89
Micheal Frederic 3 yr Bushels of buckwheat - - 56
Do Do 2 crocks - - 07
Philip Houtz 10 bushels of wheat 02 60
Joseph Frederic Do Do Do 02 90
Henry Bricker Jr Do Do Do 03 20
Frederic Betz Do Do Do 03 12 1/2
Henry Hoffman Do Do Do 03 12 1/2
Joseph Frederic Do Do Do 03 12 1/2
Christian Meess 3 Do more or less 00 90
Frederic Swarts 10 bushels of oats 01 40
Saml Fox Do Do 01 40
Do Do Do Do 01 40
Do Do Do Do 01 40
Henry Bricker Senr one bed and beding 06 00
Frederic Betz 10 lbs of Sugar - - 75
John Sheets Do Do Do - - 70
Do Do Do Do Do - - 75
Do Do to Sugar - - 12 1/2
Saml Hoffman one cag - - 25
Henry Miller 35 lbs of Becon 01 57 1/2
Do Do 32 lbs Do 01 12 1/2
John Hoffman 22 lbs Do - - 70
Do Do 13 1/4 lbs Do - - 67 1/2







Sale Bill, page 5

Estate of Dederick Hoffman (Packet 805) Columbiana County, Ohio

FHL film 2032459 accessed June 8, ..











D C
John McConner one lot of beef - - 84
Frederic Swarts one gig - - 10
Frederic Betz one Barel - - 12 1/2
Samuel Butz one chisel - - 07
Saml Hoffman one third of a lot of rye in the ground 06 85
Do Do one third of a lot of wheat in the grnd 08 00


I do certify that the above is a correct list and amount of property Sold at the sale before mentioned.


Jacob Roller Clk [crossed out]

John Hoffman

Samuel Hoffman