Recent content by Tantalus

Embarassed to admit I read this as Damson Soy and came here wondering "Why would anyone ever want to do that?". Wild garlic on the other hand, heck yes, go for it.

Gortex vs Waxed , they both offer different things. Goretex tends to be noisier when moving around but probably more waterproof, brambles hawthorn and sitka all just bounce off a barbour but a waxed jacket can be cold when things are damp they start off well in the rain but after a few hours...

Have a few fiskars tools and agree with a lot of what you say. A fair bit of thought seems to go into making them but like your gardening trowel all that thinking may not be the best fit for all users. Hollow handles save a lot of weight on axes etc but accidentally run one over with the...

Generally, you get what you pay for. Of course it depends on what you want, if you are OK with a rough and ready toothy edge for your slicing then a cheap stone will do it for you in a jiffy. If you are aiming for hair shaving sharp or reshaping profiles on seriously hard modern steel then...

I see Amazon US is selling waxed hemp cord as an easy to light waterproof tinder. Probably never met good Scottish downpours but I guess stored in a ziplock bag it would take up minimal space. Not too sure the "bellows" is up to much either, worth getting a little hemp cord and some wax and...

Definitely, the petrol ones dry out and need refilled with petrol at least once a week. The butane ones will stay unused and on stand by for years. As a smoker there was so much ritual restocking cigs or papers or baccy, emptying ashtrays etc that topping off the zippo was just part of the...

Definitely hankies here. Constant allergies and getting to the age where wind in my eyes makes them weep too. If I had used tissues all these years I dread to think how much paper I would have cost the planet.

Don't forget, the added bonus of free leeches.

Thanks Tony, that is a pleasant relief. Much as I love my sharp toys, this place was beginning to feel a bit like a (high quality) car boot sale instead of a quiet little clearing in the woods.

I was going to ask about some of the pigments and how to make them fast. If anyone has a basic guide I would be interested. All very well saying "xxx Bark or yyy roots" but what do you do ? Just steep in cold water? Hot water? Alcohol? Some grinding required? pH for best results? etc etc.

reminds me of the Billy Connoly (vinyl record for anyone who remembers them) where he talks about swimming as a child in Scotland. "They call it the North Sea but it is really just the Arctic Ocean".

That is the sound of the latest "new thing" landing near you. Am left scratching my head and wondering what people are thinking. Marketed as a "possible" source of "adaptogens" (whatever they are - sounds like snake oil for hipsters to me just like it used to be antioxidants and then free...

Commonly called "swimming" the wild bit has been added by a generation who seem to have grown up completely unaware there is anything at all to do outside of a city.

I think all the others are still clicking on it Dale.