Are people making enough crafts?

[jon r]

There seems to be a lot of talk about equipment on BCUK but i dont see enough people using their equipmant to make things! There are about 6500 members on BCUK and for a bushcraft website there doesnt seem to be many people making crafts. There will proberbly be only a couple of threads a week showing things that people have made in the DIY section and thats it!

The DIY section of the site is my favorite part and its a shame people dont make more things. I appreciate the fact that people dont have much time and resources these days...

For me 'Bushcraft' is mostly about 'crafts'. It puzzles me why i dont see more people making things.

I hope you can see what i mean

Jon

 

[g4ghb]

I see exactly what you mean - I love the DIY section too mate

I post as often as I can but like you say I don't have the spare time to 'play' that I would like

 

[JohnC]

I see what you mean, however, I made recently a kuska (following your instructions) and use it for my coffee daily, but I felt a bit self concious about putting up a pic. not that I'm not proud of it, I am, I guess you could argue, your posting encouraged me to have a go at it, so I should post results (good or bad) to encourage others...

 

[sandbag47]

it's getting time to do it....wife,kids,dog and working nights can take it's toll you..at the moment i'm trying to find time to make an 2 axe covers..i have all what i need to make them exept time to do it.

 

[andyn]

Totally agree, in parts, Jon. It is these lost skills that are important to relearn and pass on. Your efforts and enthusiasm are a shining example in this and I enjoy looking at and reading about yours and others home made stuff.

BUT...

I disagree, on a personal level with your comment that " 'Bushcraft' is mostly about 'crafts' ".

To me bushcraft is about getting OUT from the usual urban surrounding and connecting back with nature and then combining all the skills required to be able to be self sufficent and live with nature. But everyones perspective is different and its probably best not to drag this one up again.

So although I occasionally enjoy going into the garage/garden and making the odd fancy knife, pot, basket, leather whatsimagij or other crafty item. Generally when I need something. But I'd rather be out in the woods;

Be it just sitting in the sun with a gentle breeze watching other animals go about their day to day duties, gathering food for cooking, or making rough and ready working items out there. No dremels, power tools or fancyness. Certainly not what i would call craft or that would be of any interest to the forum.

Each to there own I reckon.

 

[Porcupine]

i made some stuff, but although functional it aint pretty.

if it aint better looking or more thought out then what ive seen here before i wont post a picture.


i agree well crafted thingies are inspiring though.


atb


siep

 

[John Fenna]

I agree with a lot of what you say - to me Bushcraft is about doing not so much about buying...but then not everyone is the same and some folk find their Bushcraft jollies in other ways.
There is room for us all in the woods! (Who would I sell my pouches to otherwise?)
John

 

[Toddy]

I think you're all right but I do believe that the forum is unrepresentative of the actual things that the vast majority of members make; most simply don't post.

I agree too with AndyN that the 'out there' part of bushcraft is for many the biggest, and best, part of the whole thing. The satisfaction of managing to make oneself utterly at home without the trappings of house and workshop is real bushcraft :notworthy ( I can competently make most things but I still like my kit with me to help me do it ) It's not Survival, it's the by Choice part
That said, to those who's lives don't lend themselves to much free time outdoors, the garden and workshop is a very great pleasure too, and their skills are as able as many who do spend more time outdoors.

BcUK is a *very* broad church; it was originally set up as a place for folks to keep in touch, it grew into a massive, searchable, amount of good information and still remains a place to be in touch with like minded folks. It's a social thing, for many it's a place to quietly meet up and discuss, find relevant posts and links, share a cuppa or a dram with like minded folks that otherwise would never meet. That some obliging souls kindly post their efforts for us to see is a real bonus.

Cheers,
Toddy....who so far today has made a linen shirt, a wool hat, a pot of soup, a small basketwork tray from ivy, a dreamcatcher, a set of fake boulders for an indoor fire, and spun two hanks of wool,

 

[g4ghb]

Toddy....who so far today has made a linen shirt, a wool hat, a pot of soup, a small basketwork tray from ivy, a dreamcatcher, a set of fake boulders for an indoor fire, and spun two hanks of wool,

Is that all?












I'll get my coat....................... (unless you would care to knock me one up before bedtime )

 

[Toddy]

Is that all?

Yeah, it's a kind of slow day...........
atb,
Toddy

 

[Seagull]

Toddy....who so far today has made a linen shirt, a wool hat, a pot of soup, a small basketwork tray from ivy, a dreamcatcher, a set of fake boulders for an indoor fire, and spun two hanks of wool,

Today, I made....2 wire splices, a possibles pouch , a h3ll of a mess everywhere, and, a shepherds pie.

Ceeg

 

[Greg]

Jon, I would like to think that some day I would be as talented as you and have the time to do the stuff you do, and then I come down from that big imaginary bubble in the sky and realise I will never be able to and that I also have to balance my full time job with spending time with my family and then finding time to get out on my own.

Now I certainly class friction firelighting, making char cloth, lighting a fire using a traditional flint & steel, building natural shelters, cooking food over an open fire, finding out the uses of various plants and watching the natural habits of various animals BUSHCRAFT.

It's not all about making stuff, I have tried to make stuff and realise that I just don't have the talent, but I do have the money to buy other peoples stuff and appreciate how much talent & work has gone into making it. There is nothing wrong with buying or bartering for gear to use, its been done by countless peoples for thousands of years!

You are a very talented and enthusiastic young man but there are many of us on this site who like myself just can't do that stuff but we have experience and talents in other parts of what everyone likes to call Bushcraft.

 

[sam_acw]

I've had a go at making various things but they tend to look ugly or I can't get a good picture of them. I really like seeing what jonr gets up to but some of the really awesome stuff on here can even be a little intimidating. Someone like PatrickM has posted things which I find rather mind blowing!

 

[John Fenna]

Hey Greg (I disagree with the "talented" but "young I like!) you learned to make fire!
You can learn to make anything from the tutorials here!
When I get time I am going to try making a basket as seen in the mag (I try to make something from each mag....not had time yet for the last issues item yet..) Then I guess I will be a real basket case...
I am lucky in that I am childless, the house is paid for and my work gets me out in the Great Outdoors where I get paid to do what others pay to do...
Steal more spare time!
John

 

[Greg]

Hey Greg (I disagree with the "talented" but "young I like!) you learned to make fire!
You can learn to make anything from the tutorials here!
When I get time I am going to try making a basket as seen in the mag (I try to make something from each mag....not had time yet for the last issues item yet..) Then I guess I will be a real basket case...
I am lucky in that I am childless, the house is paid for and my work gets me out in the Great Outdoors where I get paid to do what others pay to do...
Steal more spare time!
John

Exactly John and I have been to your place and seen what you have. I and many others just don't have it or the time.
You are right you probably could, given time, learn to make things from the tutorials but also like someone else on here has mentioned people (like myself) wouldn't want to show our creations because of some of the awesome bits of kit from particular people on here because they are far superior!
I know I am cr*p at art, woodwork etc because I have given it a damn good go in the past. I came to the conclusion that I was CR*P with a very large capital 'C'!
But I could quite easily wire up your house or strip down an engine and re-build it.
Some people are good at, and enjoy, doing the craft making side of bushcraft and others don't. But why should we be questioned on the fact and made to feel bad!

 

[born2roam]

Hi everybody,

Certainly a most enjoyable part is making or being able to make 'stuff'. Like somebody else said, a lot of things are shown that are so much better looking then I can make/have made.

I have been practising, spoons, stoves, cordage (forget it for now <eg>) but I either have time/make time to do that and therefore I do not have time to post the results ;-)

Not being completely embarrassed by the amounts of asymmetrical spoons I made so far. Hey if somebody can make a popular a-symmetrical hammock... why can't I be the inventor of the a-symmetrical spoon ;-)

The posts of people making stuff are inspiring though and I do feel ALMOST ;-) obliged to post some more of my mishaps ;-)

Just came inside after a week of hard work. Spend the evening in the backyard/garden. Put up a tarp (rain), split some wood, started a fire, carved a bit, read a bit, just relaxed.... nice little fire... not allowed in the wild so I got my (fire) shot the easy way ;-)

Talking about making things, are there other/better/easier ways to carve some Inuit snow goggles? I messed up my first pair; ritual burning afterwards) then prescribed in Ray Mears' book and birch is not that easy to "find" in my area....

Mmm off diving this weekend, so back to bushcraft somewhere on a sunday...

Grtz Johan

 

[jon r]

But why should we be questioned on the fact and made to feel bad!

I didnt mean to make anyone feel bad! That wasnt the intension of this thread! If you dont like making crafts then thats fine, there are plentey of other lovely things to do in the world of bushcraft other than make crafts!

I said that crafts was the main part of bushcraft for me but that isnt the case for everyone!

I dont mean to intimidate people with my crafts, the intension was to inspire people

 

[mr dazzler]

I do have the money to buy other peoples stuff and appreciate how much talent & work has gone into making it. There is nothing wrong with buying or bartering for gear to use, its been done by countless peoples for thousands of years!

Thats surely the point isnt it. Genuinely diverse free enterprise. Each to his own area of expertise inventiveness and excellence, learn and perfect a skill or service that others are in need of and trade freely without some leech beauracrat weighing in and stealing there share in taxes on the transaction. Cash economy's allowed the manipulative wide boy middlemen merchant's and banker's with no skills to still make a fat living Imagine how tedious it would be if everyone made knives or everyone made baskets to the exclusion of everything else. Where would you go if you wanted a wooden rake or some ceramic pots or a fishing net

 

[John Fenna]

Oh - you meant Jon R is young and talented, I knew it didn't fit me!
About rewiring my house.....
John

 

[gorilla]

i see the sides of this threads debate as various sides of the same coin - bushcraft is different for everyone - i like trying the crafty stuff, i like trying the more practical side. no-one's wrong or right, i just maybe think it was a slightly wrongly put first post that was open to misinterpretetion, but understandable from someone of 17 who is still building their skills in areas like the impact of sentence worded a bit wrong
it's bushcraft - it's all good!!!