The most complete example of advanced technical woodworking from Bronze age Europe is the Dover Boat, built around 1550BC and discovered during construction of a new underpass in 1992. Despite the rarity and importance of the find archaeologists had only 7 days to excavate and remove the first section of the boat from site before work continued. A second excavation…
Following my last post where I was getting ready for an exciting bronze age woodworking project I have now been working for a couple of weeks with the bronze tools and am hugely surprised and impressed. First a couple of pics I missed last time showing how I lash the bronze head to the haft with rawhide. The rawhide is…
I am currently involved with a very exciting woodworking project which I will post lots about in due course but there is a press embargo until March the 6th. For now I can tell you that I have been having fun experimenting with bronze tools. I have used bronze tools a little in the past but only felled an odd…
Last October I spent a lot of time advising the team for a new BBC program on potential craftspeople they could visit as part of a series at that time billed as “Heritage at Risk”. The program is now airing fronted by John Craven as “Heritage Heroes”. They tour the country looking at buildings and traditions at risk and the…
Yesterday I was a meeting in London of the steering group for a major piece of government funded research into the state of heritage crafts in England. The first and perhaps most difficult task is to define very precisely what heritage crafts are in such a way as the research company can go away and start counting and measuring. Crafts…
This year’s Heritage Crafts Association conference at the V&A has the theme “Evolving Craft Communities” Since you are reading this on the web and presumably have an interest in craft you are part of an online craft community which did not exist 20 years ago. At the same time many of us are also part of other craft communities whether…
I really dislike the tourist tat Welsh lovespoons that most people know but I was recently sent photos of a gorgeous original Welsh lovespoon which is a simple beautiful understated form with just the right amount of decoration. I have not done a copy yet, but I will. Would it be right to make a spoon like this and offer…
For auld lang syne, my dear,for auld lang syne,we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,for auld lang syne. What better way to bring in the new year than gathered with friends and sharing a communal cup of kindness of good whisky? So it was that I said hello to 2012. Edale is a small and very sociable village and about…
Well, 4 years and this is blog post 500. Considerably more writing and photos than in most woodworking books all cast out into cyberspace for free. The feedback makes it all worthwhile though and I want to thank everyone that continues to read, post links to my blog, tells others about it and those who have sent me lovely stories…
2011 was my fifth year of teaching spooncarving profesionally after nearly 20 years carving as a hoby. These courses are now recognised as the best possible way to learn the skills of carving with an axe and knife. Many of the folk I taught in the first few years are now running courses themsleves and many more are carrying on…
