• Another pretty obvious source of good steel for knives is the humble file. Most files are made from high-carbon tool steel and can be used [...]

  • It is great to have all the modern convenience of a Ferro rod, a lighter, or even a box of matches, but if you want to connect with history and have some fun doing it, making up your own tinderbox is a fantastic exercise.

  • A week camping in mid-February may sound mad, but with warm fires, great food and relaxing company, it's always a warm and friendly experience for [...]

  • Plastic is the obvious choice of material, and while I do have Kydex and the tools to work with it, that seemed a lot of effort. Fortunately, whilst mulling this over with a cup of tea, I spotted a bit of plastic drainpipe that I had used as an impromptu wood steamer a few years ago.

  • Heat treating The starting material in its raw form (as in a handsaw) is a medium carbon spring steel, that has been commercially heat treated [...]

  • The adjustable pot hanger is excellent because it is simple and quick to put together. The pieces are easy to find and can easily be scaled up or down in size to accommodate different weights of pots or kettles.

  • 'After the failed attempt at cold forging a shallow gouge, I decided that it was time to turn up the heat.' Dave Budd shares how to make great tools from old handsaws.

  • Cold formed hook tools No bushcrafters’ tool kit would be complete without a spoon carving hook or three. Normally these would be formed hot, when [...]

  • Let me introduce you to a man who has taken it upon himself to turn what he enjoys into more. What do I mean by [...]

  • Make your own purse/pouch from an old motorcycle inner tube. Here's how...

  • Making fire without lighter or matches seems to be one of the main skills that people associate with bushcraft, and here I am going to [...]

  • This is a great activity with the kids or to just while away some time, especially during this lockdown when we're struggling to get out [...]

  • More tools from old saws! After writing the article on making knives from an old saw, I started thinking about other tools that could be [...]

  • In this time of isolation we're forced to do our bushcrafting at home, so if you have the opportunity to have a little BBQ or [...]

  • Hobby knifemakers often turn large circular saw blades and industrial bandsaw blades into knives, but even cheap handsaws will make decent enough knives.

  • Way back when I would buy my charcoal in from various woodsmen but after a while, I started to make my own in oil drums, [...]

  • Tutorial on fitting a handle to a stick tang knife

  • Pt 3 -  Making and fitting the handle. Since I don’t use factory made drifts to shape the eyes of my tools, they don’t take [...]

  • Ok, now we have a lump of steel with a hole in it. Time then to turn it into an adze. (Link to part one) [...]

  • I was a bit unsure what to expect from this book, I've known John to be a top ranking bushcraft instructor to those attending his [...]