More traditional firecraft

 Well, a lot of people do keep telling me that there is no point in making fire the traditional way. You can just buy a BIC lighter, right? Fact is, I always carry one, together with a tin of matches and a ferro rod. I am not naive. It is not necessarily a "survival" technique, because, well, you know my stance on "survival" as it is marketed up and down in the media. 

It is a kind of alternative lifestyle these folks cannot understand.  

Thing is, I found a file on the road ages ago, while riding my bike to work. Lit up the forge and forged a striker from it, really fast and a bit sloppy.  

Applied for permission to try out sustainable methods of harvesting tinder conk, got that permission, made a fire brigade assistant permit, experimented with different historical recipes and finally succeeded with making fire. 

I had a beloved T-shirt I wore to rags, until you simply could no longer wear it  (not the cloth in the tin, by the way, this is some denim cloth I found by the roadside), made my first charcloth from it and started my first flint and steel fire.  

I do not need to tell you how to make charcloth, actually, because most of you guys know, but for those that don't, simply take a tin with a more or less tight- fitting lid. You can use the awl on your Swiss Army knife or even a pointy hardwood stick to punch a hole into the lid. Loosely put pure denim, linen or silk rags inside. Take care not to burn it completely. If it is not charred through, no harm done. I always carry the tin with me and you can make charcloth every time you make a fire.  

Like that, see? 

The point is, it is not about a survival situation or efficient super-light camping.  If you want utmost efficiency, sleep in a house, it saves you a lot of inconveniences. 

But it is about showing that sustainability can be fun. Knowledge can be fun. Our society wants you to be afraid, sick and helpless. Making stuff can be really empowering. 

All that stuff was junk. I found it in a place where it would keep polluting the natural world.  I took it and made something from it.  I am not the best smith there is, nor the best at traditional firecraft, and all this doesn't entitle me to anything. But it was junk, and now it is not, it is no longer.  That simple.  

Thing is, we need to heal. We need to remember what was taken from us. Not now, yesterday. Because our society is rampaging headlong off a cliff. That is not to say we should live like mountain people of the 18th century. On the other hand, there is some overwhelming scientific evidence that something along the lines is what we need to do in the future if we want to ensure that complex biological life on the Planet will be possible in the future.  Starting a fire with flint and steel or by friction will not necessarily be the big thing to save us all. It actually looks a bit counterintuitive, and I know it. It is not about the fire, not about the flint and steel, but it is about a certain line of thought that enables you to see resources and creatively solve problems. 

Also, as I said, it is fun, or rather, there is a deep satisfaction in indulging in the process. It can be a ritual. To me, it is a soothing thing to silently prepare the means to start the fire. You understand why our forebears saw fire as something sacred.  

You need to get to know fire.  Sounds esoteric, but actually it is a commonplace. If you don't, you might eventually set the woods on fire.  It can cook your meals, it can warm you when you are cold, it is one of the best entertainments I know of, but it can also burn so hot that you can burn steel, it can hurt and consume and destroy. Never start a fire you cannot control. Always keep some quenching agent handy and please do not start a fire in summer when everything is bone-dry.  I recommend you taking lessons at the local fire brigade authorities. 

Other than that, I hope you enjoy your campfire. Take care, and all the best! 

Stripping nettles for fibres (German in video)

Long time, no see, folks. I want to use the occasion to apologize. `Course it is easy to blame others for one´s own mistakes, but fact is, there have been a lot of shitty things that have occured to me that were beyond my control. So this blog is in a sorry state. ´Nuff said, I sincerely thank you for your patience!

This video is somewhat important to me... the magic troll and I just sat in the woods and looked at the sunlight through the leaves. Now the magic troll is absolutely ace when fibres are concerned, and fact is, I had somewhat a hard time getting to terms with cordage-so this little really agreeable outing helped a lot. The language is in German, but I guess the pictures tell a story of their own, and will help people trying to figure out one way to do it as much as that session helped me myself. And, of course, one thing is crucial: Don´t make a big fuss, just get out and try it. Make it sustainable, of course, but don´t be shy, just try! ;-)

New Gallo-Roman strikers for Tina

Tina, a friend of the magic troll´s and a mutual acquaintance wanted a striker, so here they come... Two firesteels inspired by Roman finds. File steel, of course... and selectively tempered (no annealing) in water. Wait, was that water? ;-) Yap, it was. Don´t do this with a thin knife blade, of course, but with a thickness of about 6 mm you can do this  to achieve a sharper quenching. You don´t want to drop a striker (any striker) onto a concrete floor, so you need to be careful a bit with them, but then it is not a prybar in the first.

New project - Saving the Ahlhauser Hammer ironforge

 Let me introduce you to Ahlhauser Hammer ironforge. The smithy, which was mentioned first in the Ironforge Journal Ennepetal in 1592, is situated in the lovely green valley of Ennepetal. The region, which was famed for its farming implements, scythes, machetes tools and small iron wares, swords, rapiers and knives from Saxon times on (Saxon rock anvils have been found in the vicinity), is still going strong. The ironforge, however, was severely damaged by snow load breakage in 2011. We have the permission to forge there as we please. The other side of the deal, which is self-explanatory, is that we do some cleaning up and securing work, and that we do. Every Friday we meet at 3 pm to 6 to move gravel and rubbish. Nick, Kathrin, Michael, Nele, Seppel and Jandark have already joined one or more times to help with the work.

 As you can see, there´s a lot of it. The roof went in, and we have to clean up until we can even start the conservation work. Our bush bum tribal knifemaking mentality or habit  of scrap metal scavenging does not help to speed up the progress, for there´s a lot of forging material that can be saved. For instance, there are loads of old files lying around, deeply rust-pitted. We just can´t find it in us to throw them away... bummer, if winter is coming and a lot of snow expected...;-).

 We hope to secure what is left of the roof before wintertime and to at least cover the machines to do the conservation work in spring.

 ...

This is one power hammer that is even running still... did I mention I love Beché power hammers? They are rugged as rebar!

 Chaos reigns still, and the task is huge. I have to be realistic about that. Even oiling the hand-tools and removing the rust will take a week!

 Oil forge oven that can´t be saved, but maybe we can use parts of it.

 I must admit that part of me loves the atmosphere of the "lost" place.... with trees growing out of the machines and mushrooms prospering on the work benches.

 This is part of the "intact" part of the buildings. This is a 300kg-anvil.

 From another post you already know Ernest, our senior blacksmith, our tutor and "boss".

 Ewald is the owner. He is one of the nicest persons I know, and, even better than that, is not shy of controversial discussions of somewhat less than agreeable topics. I value him a lot because we had our controversies and we were able to sensibly work it out together. He is the reason that even after my experiences with people I decided to give it my best again at this place. I do not know, how it will turn out, certainly there is no profit to be gained for me, not even enough to compensate for the expenses, but that´s not the point. I have the impression that our vision coincides in many points.

 And this is the culprit. If anyone shares the vision, or has a vision which would fit in the concept, he is welcome to contribute along her or  his own designs. We want to build a sustainability centre on site, with many colourful people. We want to restore the smithy...

 ..and keep the tradition alive. We want to build gardens with wild herbs and traditional and wild vegetables. We want to inform about local wildlife and wild plants and ecosystems, about the kybernetics of  man and nature. We want barefoot parcours and a bushcraft site, we want swordsmithing of the highest possible level, we want martial arts like Bujinkan, Aikido, Iaido, Kendo, MMA, Skóggángr;-) and Systema and others. We want sustainable and self-sufficient energy and eco alternatives of transport like electromobility, cycling (on and sensibly off-road) and horseback riding. We want storytelling, acting, making music, juggling, painting, drawing, and all arts imagineable. We want carpentry, textile crafts like spinning, weaving and tailoring, traditional farming and old apple breeds, we want druids and priests and craftsmen and modern kinds of sensible education. We want Christians, Pagans, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Shintoists, Shamans and every human being that wants to talk it out on a friendly basis. We want to educate kids and adults, and learn from them.

We don´t want a modern mindset. We don´t want internet zombies, hipsters or veganists (while vegan and vegetarian concepts are welcome, hope my point is made).

We want warriors.

We want you.

If you want to contribute and can share the vision, please get in contact. Of course we need money, too, but if you are a carpenter, roof tiler or mason, machinist, electrician, energy provider, or locksmith or whatever, and if you are in the vicinity, join in. Build us walls, a roof, a shed. Give courses, tell stories, play the guitar at events, spin yarn or tale or both, show us how you naturally dye your garments, cook for events, hang around with us, swing a shovel, guide road or mountainbike rides or foraging hikes, or just talk about it.

Make it wild, make it free, make it uncivilized, make it viral-but make it work, and make it true!

If you want to contribute, or want to make a donation, please contact Ewald at kaetzler2250 (youknowwhattoinserthere) gmail.com. 

We currently prepare an own blog and a facebook account that will be available in two months time.

Oh: And save the date! On 21st of November the smithing fair at Ahlhauser Hammer will take place. You will find smithing demonstrations, traditional crafts, delicious traditional food with meat from the region, homemade cakes and wafers, good strong coffee and other beverages. meet with us, and spill out your ideas by the truckload... we can figure out how we can do it then!

On the bench these days - a viking shrubbery lore;-) knife from steel I found in the woods

 Now this was a most interesting find. On a recent stroll through my backdoor woods;-) (NO!PUN!INTENDED!*ggg*) I found a piece of steel, somewhat crescent-shaped with something like a tang protruding from it. It looked as if someone had disposed of a knife in the middle of the forging process. It was rotten with rust, and a strange blooming sort of rust characteristical for high-carbon steels and had some strange jingling, ringing sound when I hit it to a stone so I thought I would rescue it and do something with it. I had called Willy and offended him (sorry, dude, again!) if I could book a smithing tutorial with him to take care of the judicial problems I was faced with at the smithy at Volker´s. To make double sure, I also called Volker, and I was surprised, for he offered me some conditions I still have to contemplate. Bad ones, but still, it´s a smithy...

So off to Witten after a long time again. It wasn´t easy for me to swallow my pride again (and again, and again, and again), but flesh will not last, but steel is eternal. I had this piece of steel that had waited for me for a long, long time, and that wanted to be a knife, no, it screamed to be one. It was not easy to forge, being a high-carbon (spark analysis was like a fireworks...) one and me not wanting to ruin it all;-). But, following the pre-form that long - forgotten anonymous smith had given it, I made a knife from it. The steel is somewhat strange, in that it showed a distinctive pattern after quenching. At first I heat-treated it quite conservatively resulting in a less than ideal temper. Testing it, I realized it had an abnormal amount of flexibility so I pushed the envelope a bit. Still it felt soft in the edge... until I chopped brass and antler with it. Weird. 

 

 The blade tapers towards the tip... The handle will see quite a lot of work still of course. It´s made from reindeer antler and a brass bolster plate.

If you look closely you can see a hint of the pattern that showed. The blade measures in at a "highly illegal" ;-) 14 cm, but I will make a sheath and a case for it that locks. It will come in handy, for it is well balanced and without any stropping whatsoever is already bitingly sharp. It will make a good bushcraft and re-enactment knife, I guess.

My thanks go to Willy without whom this knife would not have been possible, and to Volker, even if I still have my grave reservations.

I will keep you posted on the progress and of the name-finding process...

JONNE Järvelä: Metsään on iäksi mieli Official Music video.

Rapatap the birchsaptaprap, yo! - A foraging ride with Erdmuthe;-)

 Erdmuthe;-), called me up the other day if I wanted to go for a ride with her;-), oops, ON a ride, that is;-). I had planned to do some birch sap foraging, so I fetched her  and we did a plain old fun ride to the grove. It was being a bit muddy, and I guess, it was quite a bit of climbing involved, considering she´s a rookie, only riding for -is that one year? Respect for her, for she did very well, even when it got a bit tough. Jandark, congratulations on your choice of woman;-)...

We had a little lunch break, me having a sip of tea and she having a right feast;-) to be true, she offered me to partake, but I had to politely decline. Several singletrails and some chatting later we arrived at the grove, where I had already prepared my tap system a week ago, and the sap is on the rise well. Readers of my blog are well acquainted to the method I learned from the old Russian master at the smithy, Viktor. Please take care to tap a birch you haven´t tapped the year before, don´t take more than you need, and plug the hole with a piece of branch afterwards. Thank you!

 The bottle was half-full, and I changed it to a fresh one. I will make some more mead this year, so I am taking a bit more than last year. We had a sip of birch sap, some more tea, and a nice talk about self-sufficient living and bushcraft, and simply took in the scenery.

 Then the light went low, and with the red and golden rays of the sun we  made for the trip home.

I simply love the enchanted colour of those twilit woods! It was a simple day with simple pleasures, and I hope Erdmuthe can take home those rays of sunlight when things look dark, her life not being exactly easy. But whose life is? All we can do is try to figure out what´s best, stay pointed into the right direction, and keep going. And some things smile, and sometimes there are good moments to treasure.

Ilkka Seikku´s got a blog!!!!!

I have long become an avid fan of Ilkka Seikku. I just love the knowledge, versatility and no-frills appearance of his woodcraft tools, and I keeplearning from his vast treasury of woodcraft skills, but ranting over and out, now he´s got a blog, so anyone could go and have a look and build an opinion for oneself:

http://rautasarvi.blogspot.de/2013/12/metso-primitiivi-jousella-copyrights-by.html?showComment=1389038070726#c5628810110846854675

I especially love the post about the bush prowler knife, a favourite of mine.

http://rautasarvi.blogspot.de/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00%2B02:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00%2B02:00&max-results=1

Portfolio and biography of Ilkka Seikku

On Akiri´s Blog which is a great read in itself, I came across some link he shared. Now I am really fond of Ilkka Seikku´s work. Ilkka is a Finnish bladesmith and amongst many other things makes the famed Bush prowler bushcraft knife.


Now on this other blog (Nordic knives) there´s a biography of Ilkka with loads of pics and insight into his work. By the way, he does a load more work than "just" make knives!

I get not paid to write this, by the way:-). But Ilkka is a very great craftsman, and deserves to get known more widely. His thoughts make it all the more clear.