kuksa or kasa?

[robin wood]

I see lots of folk here making Finish kuksa but I prefer the Swedish kasa (should be a little circle accent over the first a)

Here is one made by me and 2 pics of one made by one of my heros Wille Sundqvist

 

[Eric_Methven]

Those are gorgeous. I love Wille Sundqvist's work. Maurice Pyle had him over at his place at Beamish last year to run a course. He makes it all look so easy.

 

[robin wood]

Hi Eric,
Did you meet Wille? He is such a wonderfull inspirational man.

Wille came to Maurices workshop in oct 2002. Having seen the difference in the conditions in which he teaches in Sweden to here I would be very surprised if he came back. We were hudled under a small platic tarp with 6" of liquid mud underfoot. OK if its June or if you are doing hard phisical work but not for a 77 year old spooncarving in October. Despite wearing every item of clothing he brought Wille could hardly work through cold. On the third day of the course there was a course participants revolt, we cleared the indoor workshop and insisted Maurice hired lights and a heater.

I love spooncarving round a fire in summer but I always teach courses indoors. Good light and warmth are essential for health and safety. Cold hands are more likely to become cut hands.

 

[SOAR]

I like the shape of them, never seen that shape before, like a laddel and a cup, very interesting carving on the handle.

Simon.

 

[jon r]

Now thats a nice Kasa!:Wow: Well done!

 

[mr dazzler]

Nice job!
I like the way the rims are done, it remind's me of neolithic pottery vessel's. Are they quite durable and strong or more for display?
Can you please post a diagram that shows where you orientated your form within the log? Also what wood was used.
Cheers Jonathan

 

[robin wood]

Hi Dazzler,

Traditional timber is birch which is what wille's is made from, ours is sycamore. (I say ours because I rough them out and my wife finishes them.)

I am afraid I don't know the exact grain orientation of Wille's but it looks like a half of a small diameter log with the opening facing the centre to me. Ours is made from a cleft section from a larger sycamore with the opening lying on the line from centre to bark.

 

[mr dazzler]

I have some dry birch in among the firewood pile (no green) I might try that. I am quite surprised how well the mora hook cuts dry wood although it feels slightly chattery, BUT you get a nice burnished japanease style finish . I tried your tip of using good old wood rod's with compound (I used solvol polish) and the mora hook was scalpel sharp in a minute or so. I since realised I naturally was mostly using a palm up native american crook knife grip to work the hollow's side to side.
I like sundqvuist's work (what little I have seen), it has a very african feel, he likes his facet's. Do you use them clogmaker type clamp's to hold blanks or do you use your hand to hold them against the chopping block all the time?
cheers Jonathan

 

[mr dazzler]

I have some dry birch in among the firewood pile (no green) I might try that. I am quite surprised how well the mora hook cuts dry wood although it feels slightly chattery, BUT you get a nice burnished japanease style finish . I tried your tip of using good old wood rod's with compound (I used solvol polish) and the mora hook was scalpel sharp in a minute or so. I since realised I naturally was mostly using a palm up native american crook knife grip to work the hollow's side to side.
I like sundqvuist's work (what little I have seen), it has a very african feel, he likes his facet's. Do you use them clogmaker type clamp's to hold blanks or do you use your hand to hold them against the chopping block all the time?
cheers Jonathan

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Do you use them clogmaker type clamp's to hold blanks or do you use your hand to hold them against the chopping block all the time?
cheers Jonathan

Never tried using a clamp - it's all hand-held. I've got to admit I rarely even rest it on the chopping block (I don't think Robin does either) - if you have sharp tools and good technique you don't need that much support.
Nicola (Robin's OH)

 

[mr dazzler]

I ewas thinking more of the axeing stage, what do you use for that surely not just by hand

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Ah! no, just hand held on the chopping block. Robin's a bit of a demon with a Gransfors carving axe. It's very impressive to watch. I've a bit of video that might make my next YouTube project when I have some time.

 

[Rosco]

Here's my first attempt at a Kasa or Kuksa. Looks a bit sorry compared to the ones above but it's a start:-

the wood is Birch that was very wet and has not been oiled yet. This is a prototype effort as I am going to have a go at making a nicer one from Hawthorne:-

John

 

[Geuf]

wow, how nice. a true and welcome inspiration to making my own.

How do the fibers run compared to the shape of the kasa? I don't know the english word.

Like A or like B
Sorry for the crappy drawing

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Nice work John It's hard work hollowing that deep isn't it?!

 

[Rosco]

Hi Geuf,
thankyou and good luck with yours. The grain(fibre orientation) in mine is as per drawing "B" with the heart at the base of the bowl. I would defer advice to someone like Robin though as this is only what I thought was right and not based on any expert knowledge.
Yes Nicola it was tricky hollowing this shape out and it made me realise that a "lefty" crook knife would be handy.
John

 

[mr dazzler]

Funnily enough I found the medium radisu hook actually took bigger and sweeter cuts when I was going deep in a bowl/cup form (about 4 inche's max depth in dry birch). The cut's were more like lathe swarf, the chip's were narrow and thick, not thin and wide. But I was pulling the hook (held slanted), up the insides of the bowl form, cant remember how the grain was lying, but I was astonished just how well the last bit's went. Even on lathe's you get sweeter cut's if the chisle is slanted rather than straight across, in fact most cutting edges work best that way, rebate planes, block plane's panel raising plane, paring chisle's etc. I still think the hndles are too little ( short and thin) on the mora hooks I tried to rehandle one a while back and smashed it's blade (brittle) After a while it takes a bit of a toll on thewrists and finger's (but mine are wrecked any way) A longer fatter handle would hepl a lot. Does any one else use their medium hook to drill pilot holes to relieve waste area's? It works a treat, drill a few holes with it then join up the hols.

 

[tomtom]

Those are blimmin' good Robin! I like them a lot. Do you carve it all out in the hollow or burn it out initially?

 

[robin wood]

Nice one John..I look forward to seeing the hawthorn too...its a lovely wood to work. Is that a bark inclusion in the thorn block or just coloured wood? if it is a bark inclusion I would keep your Kasa well away from it as they open up as they dry. I do the grain orientation same way as you, it is possible to make vessels in end grain, Viking period drinking cups were often made that way and turners in russia often make bowls and vessels in end grain. Kasa and kuksa were traditionally cross grain though. Tomtom we hoolow all by hand, when you have a good hooK and good technique it is really quite quick and easy, the time is in the refining the form.

 

[Earlyturtle]

I was wondering about making vessels in end grain, would liquid not just be channeled through the fibres and out through the bottom? I've made a wooden cup in end grain and this hasn't happened yet - but I haven't used it much yet.