Edge and Fire exhibition at the library.

[Nicklas Odh]

I have been asked by our public library to conjur up an exhibition on knives and bushcraft and such. I am planning to call it Egg och Eld (edge and fire in swedish).

I have four shelves in a glass cabinet.
The top shelf I am planning to have Fällkniven exhibition and some other knives with signs showing + and - and one totally outrageous "survival" crap knife to show what not to have.
Some multitools and folders go up there as well.

The next gets all the small gadgets and gizmoes you might need, whistle, compass, foldacups and all other things you didnt know you had to have.

The third from top is for Fire, matches, lighters, firesteels and such and a mock up of the pieces needed to make a proper fire.

The fourth is for food. Rations of different kinds, freeze dried food, Trangias, propane heater, Esbit, Kelly kettle and others.

Any and all ideas are appreciated. This area is loaded with tourists in the summer and we have a tourist guide college here.

Nicklas

 

[spamel]

For foodm how about some jerked reindeer, some GORP, some pemmican, and then maybe some choice ration packs and a bit of kendal mint cake!

 

[Jodie]

How fantastic to be asked to do that

What is the goal of the exhibit? Is it stand-alone for general interest to casual
visitors or will it be linked to another theme in the library? Will there be text explaining
the pieces, and pointers to any relevant texts or videos in the library where people can
find out more?

How about photographs of the pieces being used. Also (if there's any room!) maybe
a brief explanation of what knives are used for. Obviously 'cutting things' but there's
quite a lot of subtlety in types of cuts made and material cut and for what purpose.
There was a good diagram of a 'try stick' in one of the issues of the BcUK mag, maybe
you could get permission to reprint it as it gives a good idea of the skill and craft
involved in using a cutting tool.

If the intended audience is people who don't know about bushcraft I think a bit of
context is needed, beyond the basic labelling of the items.

Jo

 

[Nicklas Odh]

The reindeer I can get and the GORP. Pemmican and the mint cake are not that common here. I can buy some UK rations from a surplus store here and some swedish stuff as well. It is cool to have cracker that were new before Saddam invaded Kuwait. I used to have rations that were new when the Falkland war started

I have trown out some hooks on a swedish equipment forum as well to see what emerges.
This can be really really fun.

 

[Shewie]

How about including some traditional items in each section too ?? There`s such a great history of bushcraft in Sweden it would be a shame not to show any of it.

In the top shelf you could include something like a puuko or lapalnd style knife and a nice handmade axe.

Maybe a kuksa on the second shelf ??

For the third shelf you definitely want a bow/hand drill with a charred board, a pile of tinder ready to light, birch bark, split wood etc.

Maybe some fungi or fireside bread or fish (might be a bit to smelly) on the food shelf. Or any other foraged goodies like herbs, moss & roots etc.

How about squeezing some medicinal stuff on too somehwere ??


I reckon these could look pretty good in a display case alongside the modern stuff.



Rich

 

[spamel]

You could dry out funghi and fish. Dried fish has been used in the past, it basically gets powdered and used in stocks and soups.

Did you mention use of snares?

 

[Nicklas Odh]

The exhibition was originally as a joke from the staff at the library. Hey, you do have all these knives and stuff. Why dont you do an exhibition? Well, OK.
It is a stand alone thing in a glass cabinet in the middle of the library. My plan is to add some related books here and there as backdrop.

My first idea was to have small signs explaining stuff but I have changed it to have numbers by every item and some laminated papers explaining every item. Then I can fit in more text. I saw that solution in Läckö Castle last summer. So you see knife number 17 and look it up in the information leatlet attached with a cord to the cabinet

The audience is the average person visiting and maybe the kids at the tourism college.

 

[Nicklas Odh]

Snares are only allowed in northern Sweden for Phtarmigan (Ripa in Swedish). I dont want to give the stupid kids some ideas

 

[spamel]

Fairy nuff! I think that's a good call. I take it all sorts of trapping is therefore off limits?

Maybe a nice reindeer skin to line the cabinet with to give it that outdoors feel. Any Same kit you could put in there? Their lasso or knives, kuksa, containers that are made from birch bark for coffee and sugar. Just a few ideas.

 

[ol smokey]

How about getting help from the library to make a list of related reading materials especially ones they may have access to ,and any of your own from which you have gained knowledge, this would draw the interest of a wider section of the community to
what Bushcraft as a whole is all about.

 

[Nicklas Odh]

I get the idea with the sami theme. Unfortunately the risk of ***** up is so big and even though I have snow here I have at least 1000 km to the nearest free reindeer.

I think I will go with the hunter/bushcraft/family outing theme with some sprinkles with "survival" without the military innuendoes. The average hunter guy does not need to know about SERE

 

[Mike Ameling]

Trapping is one of those "hot button" issues - based mostly on EMOTION instead of facts. Unfortunately, the anti-fur/trapping "jihadi's" are very vocal in their "religious" extremism! Including anything about trapping (or fur) ... could ... quickly lead to one of those "emotional" quagmires.

Ditto sharp objects. Too many "shocker mom's" with their little "weebles" in tow will ... fixate ... on those "evil-vicious-dangerous" knives, and miss the rest of the whole presentation. (see the trees, but miss the forest) (A common probable response to seeing any knives would be --- Oh my gawd! Did you see those evil/vicious/dangerous knives? Nobody should ever need one! Only criminals would use them! They need to be BANNED!) <--voice of experience talking here

The hard part is how to choose the few things you can display in such a limited space - and yet be representative of the huge area/idea/concept that we call bushcraft. So try to stick with the basics - and simple things/concepts. Also try to keep it somewhat similar to the "known" camping and cooking out that many people aready do.

See if the Library will have a rack nearby with related books/videos to browse or check out.

See about having a printed "hand out" for people - that has the numbered/itemized list, further explaination of the items and their uses, and a Rescouces list - books, videos, schools, web sites, discussion groups/forums.

Just a few humble thoughts to share.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Ogri the trog]

Thats great Nicklas,
I hope you'll post a photo of the exhibition once its running.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Nicklas Odh]

Ladies and gentlemen. It is now finished.
The EGG OCH ELD exhibition
http://hem.passagen.se/nodh/eggocheld2008.pdf
Here is the whole thing. Poster, pictures, article in the news and all. Enjoy.

Nicklas

 

[Porcupine]

anyone else having problems opening the pdf? it says its a damaged file on opening.

 

[Nicklas Odh]

Try now.
Click the link EGG OCH ELD on the menu.
http://hem.passagen.se/nodh

 

[Ogri the trog]

Great work Nicklas,
I can even make out enough of the Swedish to understand some of the information - but sadly not enough to read the newpaper article.

Did you get many enquiries since the event?

Ogri the trog

 

[Nicklas Odh]

Egg och Eld - The movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEXO30YHopw

 

[Porcupine]

yup, that did the trick.

nice setup on the exhibit. also im curious what the reaction of the public is.

please keep us posted and thanks for showing another way to inform the people out there of what bushcraft is.