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That's a bit unfair on the antler axe...they're great tools. I have used them (and their bone counterparts (also mesolithic) for serious woodworking green wood (cutting and splitting), cleaning skins and even some jobs when butchering (removing the ribcage). During a four-week mesolithic camp it...

Not in the UK, but maybe interesting to other people: I went for a year to Sjöviks Folkhögskola in Sweden (www.sjovik.fhsk.se) to follow a course called 'guide in natural outdoorlife' (now called Outdoorlife, Leadership and Crafts). One year of paddling, skiing, camping in all seasons, guiding...

Absolutely, I read that Sami people made bows of birch with limbs of about the same dimensions as I used. I think Torjus is right: it's where it grows, but I was surprised as birch is rather hard wood, even here. I'd like to know why temperature affects toughness if it doesn't do much about...

Here in the Netherlands ash is usually not too strong, it needs wide limbs to prevent set, same as hazel. I made a 45 pound hazel bow last year with 5 cm wide limbs (1.60 long) and that has taken little set. I prefer maple and elm. I made one bow of birch, but that was surprisingly weak wood...

Hello, If you soak the antler for a couple of days the core will get really soft and you can easily scrape it out. It will smell, but washing with some soap will fix that. Good luck, Diederik

OK! Sounds good Torjus, let me know if these methods work. But I think I'll try Toddy's method first: it feels very hunter/gatherer-ish: straightforward and effective. My only problem is that I need birchbark. Sorry about all the website-things, I'm not too good at that kind of thing. Thanks...

If you don't have access to skin or sinew you can try gut (you can buy it from the butcher, he uses it for making sauages). It's really strong and longlasting. All you have to do is soak it overnight to get the salt out and twist about five lengths of it for a fifty pound bow (depends a bit on...

Hello, Very interesting problem, I've tried it with heating rocks in the fire, putting them in a wooden container with the bark and sealing with horse-dung (this doesn't crack when drying). I got tar, but it was burned on the rocks. Also I've read about a museum in Germany (Oerlinghausen ?)...

Hm, maybe I'm the only unhappy Helle-customer. I bought two little knifeblades (I do not recall the name) to make a neck-knife for a friend and for myself. The shape is good, but the edge becomes serrated by use: little bits of steel just break off. So, I thought I'd never buy another one...

Hello, Very nice baskets! Maybe you birchbark-lovers know about this already, but you can actually cook in birchbark-kettles. I was really happy when I did this first time: no more heavy pots or ugly metal pans! I still don't know how to add pictures, but when I find out I'll post one. Bark was...

Maybe not very spectecular, but I was really happy when I made my first cup of tea in a birchbark kettle...no more heavy pots (or ugly metal pans). The trick is to cook on the coals of the fire, and I should have used a lid. Great stuff, birchbark!! If anyone is interested enough to explain to...

Sure, that's absolutely a possibility, but there've been finds of marcassite/flint firemakingsets in old, middle and new stone age in Europe. Friction could have been used of course, but if you want to use stone-age technology, you're sure to be right with marcassite. But I prefer...

Hello again, I got a handdril fire a couple of times now with dead willowsticks found in the woods (always on dry warm days). But if you're after stone-age skills, there's no evidence I believe of friction as a way of fire lighting, only of marcassite and flint. And these things must have been...

'No' is the only answer I can give. I do a bit of gathering myself and people look at me very strangely. Only the berries, hazelnuts and chestnuts are 'accepted' wild foods here. It is an advantage though, because there's no competition. Gibbons is absolutely great, I ve never read a book on...

Dear Chickenofthewoods, I am not often at the seashore, so I have not many experiences yet. However, I hope to meet an expert in 'wild' seafood in springtime, so i'll let you know. By the way, do you know E.Gibbon's 'stalking the blue-eyed scallop'? It's a great book about wild seafoods...

Hello all, My parents live at the border of the Veluwe and I have seen them many times: they're impressive. The wild pigs have strict schedules, so it is easy to know when they will be at a certain time. And as they are quite used to people good observation is not very difficult if you're...

I love estuary/beach foraging too, and also for the protein side of things, mussels, winkles, cockles, razor fish, limpets etc and I collect my own lug, rag worms and sandeels, peeler crabs and shellfish for bait for my fishing. I'm down in Devon fishing the Exe estuary for flounder and plaice...

I hope Patric will reply on this thread...I noticed several halibut-hooks from the peoples on the Canadian westcoast: do these work on our European fishes as wel !? That would be great. A good read about those hooks and amazing native fishingtechnology is Hilary Stewarts 'Indian Fishing'. I've...

Hello! A fellow dutchman! I'm ashamed to admit that I am really (and I mean really) lousy with computers. I had to look long and hard to find how to post a message, so I just replied to someone else's introduction (sorry about this). Another proof of my ignorance: what on earth is a 'mod'? I...

Hello again, I did use handcream sometimes when the skin dried to fast. I'ven been told that all it does is put some moisture in the skin. The fats/oils do not seem to do much good. But I'm not sure really. I do not use cream when tanning larger skins (both braintanning and barktanning), if...