Kuksa Capacity

[durulz]

Like most everyone else, I love the look of kuksas.
But.
I do wonder at their usefulness. That is, I wonder what the capacity of one is. I reckon that if you have one that can take 1/2 pint (280ml) of liquid then you've done very well indeed. I imagine that most struggle to hold 1/3 pint (200ml). Am I right? What is the capacity of your kuksa?
I keep wanting to make one, but I keep thinking that it will be next to useless once made - my good old plastic mug holds a full-blooded pint, and I can't help but think the kuksa will sit on the shelf as an ornament more than get actual use.

***oh bugger. I meant to put this in DIY and Traditional Skills. Can some mod move it, please****

 

[Peter_t]

i imagen they were used alot befor metal pots came along. you can use them to boil water in useing hot rocks. its something iv been meening to make too, i did make a small one but it cracked. i dont reely think it matters how big you make them, just depens on how big a cupa you want.

pete

 

[Ogri the trog]

***oh bugger. I meant to put this in DIY and Traditional Skills. Can some mod move it, please****

Youe wish is..... etc etc.

To answer your point, I've recently begun using a much smaller cup than I would at home. I still make up the necessary volume of tea in my billy and the second, third and subsequent cups stay hot by the fire instead of cooling in my mug.
Theres no rule to say you can't go back for more, nor one to say the dregs have to be cold before consumption.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[pwb]

Like most everyone else, I love the look of kuksas.
But.
I do wonder at their usefulness. That is, I wonder what the capacity of one is. I reckon that if you have one that can take 1/2 pint (280ml) of liquid then you've done very well indeed. I imagine that most struggle to hold 1/3 pint (200ml). Am I right? What is the capacity of your kuksa?

Looks like your right with your estimation, looking at mine any way, but I've only made the three.
I suppose it all depends on what your drinking as well .

From left ,approx 100ml ( a wine glass ) and funnily enough the other two turned out to have nearly the same capacity of about 200ml.

Now what am I going to do with all this vodka


CHEERS, Pete.

 

[hiraeth]

Just measured my two and they hold 250ml and 200ml. Have to be honest and say that the amount they hold never crossed my mind when I was carving them out, or since for that matter. They both do what i made them for, and as ogri says the tea stays warm in the billy.

 

[Stanleythecat]

Not being funny but if you want a 280ml kuksa and want to make a Kuksa... if the tools are in your hands you have the choice to carve one to the size you require?

I feel the same, of the ones I have seen they are more the size of a granny's traditional bone china set than a good glugging mug! I started to carve on recently but fell foul of a split, time to try again!

Leo

 

[durulz]

Yeah, I DO like a good glug mug.
But I've had a cunning idea!
I am going to make the bowl of my kuksa out of a coconut! The local Morrisons have some in and I bought a HUGE one. I'm going to make a separate handle and then attach it with some dowels and glue (not sure what glue yet - epoxy and wood glue go soft when hot. Probably just use superglue - the dowels will do most of the work).
That way I get a kuksa with a good capacity and not have to spend ages carving that bowl out. And it won't split.

 

[robin wood]

I think Swedes maybe drink smaller stronger coffees more akin to an espresso hence the traditional small kuksa. I like them that size and I drink orange juice from mine every morning. Nothing saying there is anything wrong with a mug, I have a big plastic mug with a cafetiere style plunger for making coffee in when camping.

 

[inthewids]

My kuksa holds 200ml too, would like to see some more photos of peoples kuksa's, im going to make another soon and im trying to think of a nice design

 

[Black Sheep]

I am going to make the bowl of my kuksa out of a coconut! The local Morrisons have some in and I bought a HUGE one. I'm going to make a separate handle and then attach it with some dowels and glue (not sure what glue yet - epoxy and wood glue go soft when hot. Probably just use superglue - the dowels will do most of the work).
That way I get a kuksa with a good capacity and not have to spend ages carving that bowl out. And it won't split.

Hi,

I saw the one John Fenna made in the Xmas bran tub and it set me off thinking

He used stainless steel screws for the handle sealed with epoxy.

Richard

 

[joejoe]

Hi,

I saw the one John Fenna made in the Xmas bran tub and it set me off thinking

He used stainless steel screws for the handle sealed with epoxy.

Richard

any pics of it, set me thinking spot on for grandkids

 

[durulz]

Hi,

I saw the one John Fenna made in the Xmas bran tub and it set me off thinking

He used stainless steel screws for the handle sealed with epoxy.

Richard

Yes, I've seen John's cup.
Mind you, the coconut I have is quite a big one - I reckon it will hold a pint, at least, once emptied out. So I was thinking I may make a water bottle out if it instead. Which I know John also did.
Then I may buy another coconut for a Kuksa; maybe a slightly smaller one - a pint of water is relatively heavy and may put a strain on a fixed-on handle.
The world of coconuts is opening up before me...Praise be to the God of coconuts...

 

[John Fenna]

I was amazed at the diverse uses that the humble coconut has been put to in the tropics and set out to copy some of these non UK bushcrafting skills.
So far I have made several coconut mugs, a coconut waterbottle, a rice ladel, and a dippler/ladel all based on items used by the locals in Thailand.
Details of making some of these feature in my book "A basic guide to making your own budget Bushcrafting equipment" which has proved pretty popular on this site!
Coconuts, like bamboo,(another natural rescource that the Thais exploit fully) is so very versatile... out of one coconut I have made a good sized mug and a rice ladel, as well as enjoying a drink of sweet "milk" and bloating myself on the flesh of the nut!
All for about £1.00! VFM!
My Kuksa holds almost exactly one "cup" measure which makes it a useful tool in the kitchen as well as a drinking vessel that uses european materials.

 

[Barney]

This Has just reminded me I have a Kuska drying out before the final finish. I have tested the volume and it only holds 170ml, I thought it was cavernous when carving it out.

 

[brancho]

This one holds 200 ml

This is slightly bigger but I gave it away so no measurement

 

[Tor helge]

My kuksa holds as much as a coffee cup. And that is what was intended. It is after all a cup.
My kuksa usually hags in my belt ready to be used when ever I pass a creek or stream.
Too small to be useful? If you use a coffee cup out in the woods a kuksa would be useful. Nothing wrong with using something bigger, but half a litre of coffee in one go is a little to much for me. Besides it would be cold long before I could drink it all.

Tor

 

[durulz]

...but half a litre of coffee in one go is a little to much for me ...

Tor

This is Great Britain - we drink tea. Earl Grey, at that. WITHOUT milk, although maybe a squeeze of lemon. I do like a nice bushcrafty cream tea - jam on the cream, of course.

 

[WhichDoctor]

My kuksa holds around 250ml, I set out to make it with at least enough capacity to hold a standard bean or soup tin, which it does. although I mostly use it as a porridge bowl at home and of course I eat the porridge with one of my spoons as well .

But basically the only thing you are limited by when making one is the size of the wood you start with. You could make a kuksa the size of a fruit bowl if you wanted