Hardtack Cutter

[ONE]

Anyone got a UK or European source?
Bought several 3D printed examples, guys selling them have done their best but they're just not up to it.
See lots of metal ones for sale in the States, usually at Civil War/Frontier re-enactment dealers. They're grand but the postage is frequently more than the item.

 

[Mesquite]

I seem to remember Tombear had one, maybe check with him as to where he got it from

 

[tombear]

I made the ones I use, dead easy. There should be a couple of threads on them. Ones square with rounded corners and incorporates the edge cutter and the hole makers, the other cuts round ones and there's a seperste biscuit stamp which puts the holes in. Its much easier to use than the one piece one.

Atb

Tom

 

[Dave Budd]

I hadn't come across a hardtack cutter before, so stuck the name into google and looked at the images thrown up. Lots of simple ideas there, including one that is made by taking a square (with rounded corners) of wood, nailing a strip of metal (a tin can would work) around the outside and a bunch of nails driven through the wood to make the holes in the biscuit.

 

[tombear]

Hardtack recipe's

I've been looking for hardtack recipe's The most common one is 4 cups flour ( preferably whole wheat ) 4 teaspoons salt Water about 2 cups Cook for half hour each side Has any one got a diffrant one and is it a good pack food to carry.

bushcraftuk.com

Post 7 seams familiar....

Of course back in the day the RN biscuit factories the dough was cut off the big lump ( I doubt they were individually weighed, experiance would ensure they were about the same) rolled into balls and then flattened to the right thickness and then pricked with a biscuit pricker/docker so no cookie cutter was required, them being perfectly round didnt enter the equation. The main thing was that the weight once completely dried of each biscuit allowed a issue of 1 lb using whole biscuits. The only important dimensions were the thickness and the distance between the holes as that related to the baking time and temperature.

By the mid 19th C machinery had taken over and the biscuits were hexagonal as that wasted least dough which had been rolled out in big sheets. No doubt the off cuts were recycled but less is no doubt better. I assume they were avoiding squares and oblongs as they were still being sent to ships in sacks and the corners of a hexagon are less easily broken off. Other countries used square or oblong biscuits before the UK but at some point we started to make them, no doubt improved ways of backaging them meant it was easier to pack squares into cartons and chests and there was less chance of them being damaged than when loose in sacks.

Jeeze i need to get a life...

ATB

Tom

Catching up

Hi All its been a while so I thought Id do some catching up. My apologies if this spills over into what I have been acquiring and cooking but they are all interconnected and the majority are craft related I thought this was the best place. I'll add more stuff as I come across photos of what...

bushcraftuk.com

Post 3 for the two piece cutter and docker

Codes stamped on navy issue biscuits along with the broad arrow
‘W’ is for Royal William Yard, Plymouth
‘V’ is for Royal Victoria Yard, Deptford
‘C’ is for Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
‘M’ for HM Victualling Yard, Malta.

 

[lou1661]

Post 3 for the two piece cutter and docker

Codes stamped on navy issue biscuits along with the broad arrow
‘W’ is for Royal William Yard, Plymouth
‘V’ is for Royal Victoria Yard, Deptford
‘C’ is for Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
‘M’ for HM Victualling Yard, Malta.

I know its pedantic, However the Royal Clarence Yard whilst in Portsmouth Harbour is/was actually located in Gosport

 

[tombear]

Not pedantic at all, just more accurate so better!

Cheers!

Tom

 

[ONE]

Thanks all. I might try the wood & tin can idea.