Sulphurstan Posted December 29, 2020 Posted December 29, 2020 (edited) Just to share my deepest disappointment:French government has banned pyrotechnics for this 31st December!Because of corona? Or probably because of that, where some sons of b... fired mortars to a police station. I was planning to test my little go getters with mini titanium reports... Test my first-ever girandole. Pyrotechnics has always been a feeling of freedom, enjoying craftsmanship, seeing stunning results... it was already super illegal in this country and a nightmare to find some chems, but Now it's just like: you're an asshole, and your hobby is bad! I'm just feeling so fucked up! And boreeeeeeeeeeeeeeed! Hope you'll have more luck where you live!Anyway: Happy new year to you all. Edited December 29, 2020 by Sulphurstan
Arthur Posted December 29, 2020 Posted December 29, 2020 If it's like Hawaii or some other USA cities the police will be outnumbered by the private (illegal) firework displays. But it may be that the police are well on top of the problem and prosecute.
mabuse00 Posted January 4, 2021 Posted January 4, 2021 Where I live a lot of people are triggered by those bans, it leads to reactant behavoir. Pyros where eager to give the government the finger.NYE was pretty loud here
a_bab Posted January 5, 2021 Posted January 5, 2021 "Les arabes" always used these small festival shells you can buy in Chinese shops in their confrontation with the police.I lived in France for about 4 years and while my pyro activity was next to none, I did notice one could get interesting chems from stores. I also found France quite fireworks friendly, there are some very nice fireworking companies over there. I remember Groupe F, I've attended their shows that were done properly, artistically even. You could buy all kind of fireworks (cat F2) from certain shops and there was no restriction in using them during the year. But all that was like 15 years ago and things change. You should test and use your toys somewhere remotely; you don't want to draw attention anyway and there is no need for spectators - it's just for yourself after all.
Sulphurstan Posted January 5, 2021 Author Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) A_bab: yep you got the point!Discrete and hidden are the best ways to keep it running!Nevertheless, this kinda underground behavior makes you feel sometimes quite lonely. 😡But yes, they're some good pyro companies here, and historically speaking, France WAS a great pyro country, and the displays are still very attended and appreciated in popular culture. Mabuse: you're in Europe too, right? I've seen that Germany has also severely "policed" that evening... Edited January 5, 2021 by Sulphurstan
Richtee Posted January 5, 2021 Posted January 5, 2021 but Now it's just like: you're an asshole, and your hobby is bad! I'm just feeling so fucked up! And boreeeeeeeeeeeeeeed! Hope you'll have more luck where you live!Anyway: Happy new year to you all.Yeah, Sorry Stan, and happy New Year. It din’t stop me from trying the rifle round racks I built 1
mabuse00 Posted January 19, 2021 Posted January 19, 2021 (edited) Mabuse: you're in Europe too, right? I've seen that Germany has also severely "policed" that evening...Indeed. But as long as your not in a city and don't deliberately try to shock other people with too much vitamin F you usually got no problems on NYE, at least with the small stuff. You should test and use your toys somewhere remotely; you don't want to draw attention anyway and there is no need for spectators - it's just for yourself after all. Discrete and hidden are the best ways to keep it running!Nevertheless, this kinda underground behavior makes you feel sometimes quite lonely. And that's what I do for years. I rarely ever shoot my stuff in front of other people what in the case of fireworks sounds kind of a waste or even nuts.Figure this: all the "normal people" having a party on NYE, I go to a remote field and shoot my big stuff completely alone, let alone for safety reasons. It's the only possible way. Only for weirdos. With the current legal status I'm a criminal. I don't have a choice.I know people in Europe who had meetings together, and worked together on their stuff, this lead to whole groups getting busted.It takes only one person to make a mistake (and talking to the police...)... edit:By "big stuff" I meant thinks like 8oz and 1lb rockets and thinks that get easily recognized as "not from the supermarket". Edited January 19, 2021 by mabuse00 1
Richtee Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 With the current legal status I'm a criminal. I don't have a choice.I know people in Europe who had meetings together, and worked together on their stuff, this lead to whole groups getting busted.It takes only one person to make a mistake (and talking to the police...)... Who’s the “wierdo” here? Surely not us whom have smelt the smoke and dedicated time and resources to such a noble and popular cause. Or so it seems in MY mind.
Sulphurstan Posted January 21, 2021 Author Posted January 21, 2021 Whos the wierdo here? Surely not us whom have smelt the smoke and dedicated time and resources to such a noble and popular cause. Or so it seems in MY mind.Totally right, if we feel weirdo, we better stop! We're just the guys who enjoy their stuff and toys, but this big boys games needs hard thinking, hard discipline, and experience. That's why we love it 🤙.Pyro no weirdo, long life!
SeaMonkey Posted January 21, 2021 Posted January 21, 2021 (edited) Quote from mabuse00 With the current legal status I'm a criminal. I don't have a choice. I know people in Europe who had meetings together, and workedtogether on their stuff, this lead to whole groups getting busted. It takes only one person to make a mistake (and talking to the police...)... Is all of the EU like that? Some of our States in the U.S. are rather like that too. It seems like communism is slowly overtaking the whole planet. Yes, it is important to maintain the "low profile" and do the fireworks hobby very carefully and out of public view. I know, the politicians sell the ban on a seemingly good cause. People have gotten hurt and killed. Education and Training can easily solve that problem. After all, driving a car, with all things considered, may be even more potentially hazardous. When Ulrich Bretscher had his Black Powder web pages he informed us that all of the EU exceptSwitzerland had banned the making of Black Powder by the people. I wonder if that has changed recently? Edited January 21, 2021 by SeaMonkey
mabuse00 Posted January 23, 2021 Posted January 23, 2021 (edited) Is all of the EU like that?There may be some exceptions I'm not aware of. I think the British have some kind of exeption for less than 100g of composition for experiental purposes, if this is legally viable for the hobbyist I can't say...edit: I forgot about brexit It seems like communism is slowly overtaking the whole planet.Communism is the wrong label for this. I'd rather say it's unfettered capitalism and the secret rise of oligarchy behind the visible scenery.War on the working man and permanent uncertainties created (or not mitigated/managed) by the system drives people nuts.You can feel the rise of ubiquitous aggressiveness in society.This might be more visible in the US right now, but is also present in Europe. There are attacks on politicians, a wave of hate speach, rise of right wing movements, people denying to wear masks contrary to better knowledge, the gilets jaunes movement ect. ect. Figure this:If you put chickens in unsuitable living conditions to produce cheap eggs, it's common practice to have their beeks cut off.Otherwise, since they turn crazy in this environment, they pick each other to death.That's the reason we must not have guns, and a lot of other things. Only stuff that's foolproof. The chickens are an asset. They belong to the egg company and have no right to destroy themselfes, thus destroying their bosses capital. Edited January 23, 2021 by mabuse00 1
Sulphurstan Posted January 23, 2021 Author Posted January 23, 2021 100% right, unfortunately....This thread is turning to politics 🤣The general mood nowadays is as Mabuse said, with better words than mine: ruled, controlled, irrespect, all-out defiance... fun has just gone, pffuit! vanished! Communism was maybe like this, never lived it, cannot tell. Yep, the chicken, so right... I'm not even angry, just bored. It's in these times where the time spent in the pyro-workshop has mind healing properties: do you stuff, isolate a little from the outer world, waiting for it to cool down. @Seamonkey: didn't know that Swiss guys are allowed to make their own BP, that sounds like a wind of freedom to me! Switzerland did not (and won't ever) join EU!
SeaMonkey Posted January 23, 2021 Posted January 23, 2021 This is Bretscher's Page on Black Powder now in archive. Scroll down to item #9 Legal Aspects
Sulphurstan Posted January 24, 2021 Author Posted January 24, 2021 Thank youfor bretschers page. It is quite interesting!!👍
Gregory Posted February 4, 2021 Posted February 4, 2021 I just joined to share the sadness of this period. If this COVID lockdown madness will not end soon most fireworks manufacturer and companies in Europe will close forever....
SharkWhisperer Posted February 5, 2021 Posted February 5, 2021 Thank youfor bretschers page. It is quite interesting!!It's been around for a decade. He makes rather crummy BP by pyro standards, but his Reference/Literature list is nice and links to historical items that are always interesting. Look as the white ash on his (supposedly favorite) photo of homemade charcoal--the stuff's got a thick white (ash) coating. I'd scrape all that crap off if I ever saw that in my willow sticks (I'd be pissed off, too) and luckily never have. His burn test is by no means impressive with homemade (I rate it 8/10 which is functional but suboptimal), though this is wet mortar/pestle mixing (another limitation). Good to have available but, especially for newbies, they'll get much better results following (and understanding or asking) existing threads on APC versus Ulbrecht's mildly entertaining website. My opinion.
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