Link of the Day: No link, but check out "The Walking Dead" on AMC. Zombies have nothing to do with bushcraft, but if you were in a tight spot, those axes sure would come in handy.......
The Cookery Kit
I didn't take any how-to pictures about this because I did it before I started doing the blog. I started carving spoons last fall, as previously mentioned. I began using aspen branches and have since tried both spruce and pine. I'm not sure if I've said it before, but here in Colorado, my personal opinion is that the wood is crap. The spruce is knotty, the aspen is soft and the pine is just okay. Beyond that, as far as big timber goes here at 8,600 ft above sea level, those three trees are pretty much all that grows.
So I cheated on my cookery kit. I used some pine stakes someone was throwing out. Perfectly planed and smooth with a beautiful grain. I started shaping down the pine with my Snow & Nealley HB axe and moved quickly to my every day carry knife. It is a CRKT Full Throttle with blade assist. Not the sharpest knife I've ever owned, but solidly built and it was given to me by a very good friend.
As you can see, here are the results. The spatula is skinny, the fork is a spork and the spoon is simply a spoon. By the way, for the spoon I used a Mora crooked knife (previously mention in the spoon carving article) I got from http://www.bensbackwoods.com/ . If you're going to carve spoons, bowls or cups, it is a must. Plus, I think it was only about $15.00.
The pouch I made from leather. If you're interested in the process, see my "Crafting the Sheath" post. Pretty much the same process. This kit is good for the pack basket, but I'm honestly not sure how it wold carry in a back pack. You'd probably want real utensils. My only question is what I should finish the utensils with? If I used linseed oil, would it poison me?
Pax Domini Sit Semper Vobiscum,
Mike, Oscar, Hotel....out.
Nice set of utensils. Let us know how they work out for you!
ReplyDeleteReal raw linseed oil shouldn't kill you, as some people do actually take doses of it. But be careful, lots of the linseed oil available has substances added to reduce drying time, and they are poisonous ("boiled" linseed oil is poisonous, as far as I know).
You could do it like Ray Mears in his Northern Wilderness series, where he carved a wooden cup and finished it with olive oil. Never tried this myself, though.
As for wood types, you don't have any birch growing out there in CO?
bmatt
I use olive oil on my wooden kitchen utensils, cutting boards and knife handles. Hasn't gone rancid on me and hasn't poisoned me yet. It works best if you warm it a tad first. It will spread thinner and soak in faster. Only a small amount is needed.
ReplyDeleteGood to know about bot oils. I hesitated on olive oil #1 because I had heard the rancid rumor, #2 because my wife wants to kill me everytime she sees me "wasting" the olive oil!
ReplyDeleteI would definitely not use either raw of boiled linseed oil you buy at the DIY or hardware shop! I you have to use linseed oil, go to a health food shop, the oil is processed for food use. Much better to use olive oil. I use it and it does not go rancid.
ReplyDeletejoel